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@Lundlaeva waiting for the last part like [img]https://i.imgur.com/NUyttbn.gif[/img]

Hello! Here is your final update for the Starfall Choose Your Own Adventure - both luminousnoble and I hope you've enjoyed playing this Festival week, and that you enjoy the ending. You're welcome to roleplay further while luminousnoble creates the adopts for those who signed up before the event. If your dragon wants to chat with Arqam, Whispia, Palmer or Cherrypop in the meantime, just ping/PM luminousnoble to RP with those four. I'll be sorting out the raffle in the next few days and the RP competition will be judged as soon as possible - though it will take us a while to read everyone's entries! We'll keep you updated. @ThisOneIsBlue @PalladiumX @queenmedusozoa @danijust @JinxMoonstone @dividedAnimus @felistopaz @Skyeset @MarinaQuakenbush @jbapple @Sylphiette @morikar @Gardenwyrm @EvilSplitPersona @dandelionfires @SkullLotus @Syceris @Watercolour @Kristan @SonyaAxel @KittyHawk98 @brokenstone @Eialyne @bellzan @SocklessWonder @Disillusionist @Stormdreamer @rubyredtan @Cheshly @shizuyue @Eiyora @Bluecupcake52 @Lonefox @riseandshine @Sidegrinder @Pennifeather @Restless @Juri01 @smeen @sQld @Stanzascale @Shiraya @Nightshire @WanillaWaffle @anandapanda @Katsuokai @Morare @Falconair @LucidWhispers @Saraceaser @heartcrusher1 @clm [br] [center][img]https://s20.postimg.org/dtqg4yfkd/urban_legends_divider.png[/img][/center] This creature is just a creature. It’s just an animal, no more or less than any dragon, and terrifying though it may be, you can’t help but want to help it get back home. You ultimately can’t do anything else. You step forward, opening your mouth to speak - - and all at once, the Hibernal Starbears rise, mimicking your motion. They roll up, almost in unison, from their relaxed positions, and, as you watch with awe, they lumber towards you. Before you can blink, you’re surrounded by Hibernal Starbears, all of them waiting for you to make a move. You feel kind of faint. You swallow, then look back to the creature. It doesn’t seem nearly as confused as you are; in fact, it gives a series of hisses and clicks and scrabbles up onto the meteor once again. The messy clamber sends chunks of space rocks and space dust flying everywhere, but ultimately it settles atop the massive stone, gripping it as tightly as it can with some legs broken. Its face-plates shift a bit, pointing your way, but it does not attack, nor do its feathered spines flare upwards. And suddenly, just as a strange, synchronized purr kicks up from the Starbears, that you can feel in your chest as much as you can hear, you know what to do. You raise a claw and focus your magic as carefully as you can on lifting up the meteor. It really is an arcane thing to do, but regardless of your actual elemental alignment, it seems to work, as the starbears’ runes glow brighter, until the meteor gains a similar, vivid light, the stone’s hue fading into a bright, gentle white. It’s a spell. They’re casting a spell, and you can feel the magic humming along [i]your body[/i] and into the creature’s meteor. You feel VERY faint. But you press onwards, and with some hesitation, raise your outstretched claw. You almost jerk from the sudden effort, like a weight crushing down on you, but there’s no going back now. You shudder, then lift your claw higher, and slowly but surely the meteor begins to mimic your movements, dislodging from the earth and rising into the sky, above the treeline, rotating towards the Observatory. There’s just enough time for the creature to look over its shoulder and give a grateful series of clicks - at least you hope it’s grateful - before it soars up over the treetops, climbing higher over the Starwood Strand and gaining momentum incredibly fast. All at once, it takes on the appearance of a shooting star in reverse - falling upwards instead of down. The light of it brightens, then flickers, and then disappears as it presumably hits the upper atmosphere and returns to the vacuum of space. You feel dizzy. You’d probably pass out, if it wasn’t for the starbears nudging almost worriedly at you. That was... traumatic. And yet, heartwarming...? You sit where you are for a solid minute - or maybe twenty, or maybe hours. You just don’t know. But reality finally settles around your shoulders, in its comfortingly naive way. You are a merchant. You came to Starfall to sell your wares. You should probably go do that now. [br] [center][img]https://s20.postimg.org/dtqg4yfkd/urban_legends_divider.png[/img][/center] The stars must have been watching, and they rewarded you handsomely. You had to close up shop before the last day of Starfall - you had nothing left to sell, and boy, are you tired today! The path through the Starwood Strand is just as strange going back the way you came, but it seems somehow familiar, now. You’re almost sad when you reach the outer edges of its glowing embrace… though you’re not sure the sentiment will hold with time. And then you hear a voice - “Hey, stranger!” You turn, and it’s that nocturne, sauntering up to you with a smile. You’d almost forgotten about him, and trepidation wells inside you, remembering what he did. It was HIS advice that got you into trouble at Starfall! You could have died! If you hadn’t intervened, that creature would be dead, or Starfall would have been ruined -! Oh. Ohhhh. He must recognize the look on your face, because he laughs - a chirping, slightly shrill, coatl-esque laugh. “Yes, yes. There’s nothing you need to say. You’re welcome, my name is Arqam, and I’m sorry. Let me explain… “My mate is an oracle. She knew far in advance of Starfall itself that certain things would not go as planned. In the preparation days, seals were created across the Isles, one of which was improperly prepared. Though the error was swiftly rectified, the cost was high. A meteor, bearing a Comet Rider, landed in our own Starwood Strand! “Naturally, we hatched a plan. With some help from a chronomancer friend of ours - white and red nocturne, small and angry, you may have met her? - we broke up the timeline, and I think in total we tried 90 different timestreams, in the hopes that a [i]majority[/i] of the ones we approached would return Mr. Mittens to their proper home.” A beat. He chuckles. “One of the others named them that. It was delightful. “So I had the map memorized, and when you passed through the Starwood Strand, I sketched out the path - messily enough that you’d be at a bit of a loss, you see. I’m an artist, that doesn’t normally happen. I am also a greeter and ambassador, so I don’t generally emanate suspicion like I did a week or so ago. It took a lot of practice to properly emulate my brethren in Shadow, though I fortunately had some help in the task from our sister clan in the Tangled Wood. “Ultimately, as we’d hoped, you and a significant enough majority of others successfully sent Mr. Mittens back into deep space. We intend to present this incident to the Wardens, to convince them that the best way to handle even the most terrifying of beasts is not through violence, but through the Arcane method: Scientific understanding, compassion, and hope. Thank you, stranger.” As he delivers the last of this speech, an unfamiliar coatl with ghostly pale plumage approaches him. She is draped in white silks and morganite, and despite her colorless hide, she seems rather spritely. She whispers something either in coatl or in heavily accented common to the nocturne - Arqam, you suppose - and then hands him a small package wrapped in a shimmering purple material. He nods, giving her a gentle nuzzle under her cheek, then hands the package to you. “Now that this is over, we figured we ought to give our thanks. Whispia and I run an adopt shoppe here in the Starwood Strand - portraits, you see - and we thought we’d give everyone who was pulled into this mess the only compensation we could pull off.” He nods to you, and you unwrap the package, revealing a small trinket - a sphere, of sorts, that floats upwards just a bit once it’s freed of the silken bonds - and a framed picture of you, looking over your shoulder in the Starwood Strand. In the sphere, you see the treetops of the Starwood, and a meteor leaving a glowing trail, a tiny version of the creature perched on it, amongst twinkling stars. Arqam gives a sheepish smile, waving a claw a bit. “Do what you wish with those. The bauble might look nice in a clan trophy room, and our portraits tend to look lovely in dens. And, oh, friend?” He takes a moment, then his smile turns somewhat more sincere. “Thank you. You will always be welcome in our clan. Consider yourself an urban legend now.” [br] [center][img]https://s20.postimg.org/ch0kpeq8d/mr_mittens_in_space_bear_ver.png[/img] [img]https://s20.postimg.org/dtqg4yfkd/urban_legends_divider.png[/img][/center] [center][b]You unlocked the following prize! It will be raffled among those who achieved this ending.[/b] [br] [quote=Friend of the Bears] [center][item=pink wooly coat][item=pink wooly tail] [i]Pink Wooly Coat, Pink Wooly Tail[/i][/center] [/quote]

Hello! Here is your final update for the Starfall Choose Your Own Adventure - both luminousnoble and I hope you've enjoyed playing this Festival week, and that you enjoy the ending. You're welcome to roleplay further while luminousnoble creates the adopts for those who signed up before the event. If your dragon wants to chat with Arqam, Whispia, Palmer or Cherrypop in the meantime, just ping/PM luminousnoble to RP with those four. I'll be sorting out the raffle in the next few days and the RP competition will be judged as soon as possible - though it will take us a while to read everyone's entries! We'll keep you updated. Now, without further ado, here is the conclusion to your story ... @DraigTeg @Werkaec @catgame21234 [br] [center][img]https://s20.postimg.org/dtqg4yfkd/urban_legends_divider.png[/img][/center] After everything you’ve been through tonight, you know that you can’t let this creature run loose in the Starwood Strand unchecked: you have to end this once and for all. You leap forwards to attack - - and suddenly the Hiberal Starbears spring into action. They roll up from their relaxed positions and lumber towards you. They move incredibly fast, considering their chubby bodies and little legs, surrounding you. They grab hold of your limbs with determined but gentle claws, grumbling softly all the while. Some of the bears soar into flight, runes shining brightly on their sides, and land on your back and wings to drag you down. Others clamber onto your shoulders or wrap fuzzy arms around your tail. Within seconds, you’re completely overwhelmed at the centre of a huge pile of squishy, cuddly, furry bodies. The bears are like a warm and incredibly [i]heavy[/i] blanket. You struggle - but you’re totally immobilised! There’s no way you can break free without hurting the bears. They’re just too hefty - and surprisingly strong. From the tip of your nose to the end of your tail, you’re pinned down: every time you so much as [i]try[/i] to shift, they tighten their grips and hold you firmly in place. They have just about left your head free, though fur is ticking your nose and under your chin, and a big paw is positioned almost over one of your eyes. You’re not going [i]anywhere[/i] until the bears release you. Thankfully, the creature seems content not to attack in return while you’re incapacitated. You give up and lie still, and after a few seconds, the bears’ grumbling settles as well. Then a new sound starts: the Starbears are purring all around you, a deep, throaty rumble that you can feel deep in your chest as much as hear. At the same time, their runes start to glow and flicker in time with their noises. The creature responds with a rapid series of clicks and hisses, and with difficulty clambers up onto its meteor, scrabbling at the sides and sending chunks of space-rock flying across the clearing until finally it can cling to the top, digging its claws deep into the surface. The bears’ purring gets louder all around you. You watch, fascinated, as the meteor’s glow brightens, taking on a shine that is similar to the bears’ runes and its surface turning a gentle white. They’re casting a spell. Slowly, as if with great effort, the meteor lifts from its crater. It hovers there, wobbling, and then the creature atop it gives a gentle tug with one arm. It starts to spin until it faces back the way it came. The creature looks down at you, covered in the Starbears, and gives a final hiss. Then the bears’ magic propels the meteor forward and up. It soars up over the treetops, climbing higher over the Starwood Strand and gaining momentum incredibly fast, until it takes on the appearance of a shooting star in reverse - falling upwards instead of down. The light of it brightens, then flickers, and then disappears as it presumably hits the upper atmosphere and returns to the vacuum of space. And then the starbears, one by one, disperse, leaving you alone. That was... traumatic. And yet, heartwarming...? You sit where you are for a solid minute - or maybe twenty, or maybe hours. You just don’t know. But reality finally settles around your shoulders, in its comfortingly naive way. You are a merchant. You came to Starfall to sell your wares. You should probably go do that now. [br] [center][img]https://s20.postimg.org/dtqg4yfkd/urban_legends_divider.png[/img][/center] The stars must have been watching, and they rewarded you handsomely. You had to close up shop before the last day of Starfall - you had nothing left to sell, and boy, are you tired today! The path through the Starwood Strand is just as strange going back the way you came, but it seems somehow familiar, now. You’re almost sad when you reach the outer edges of its glowing embrace… though you’re not sure the sentiment will hold with time. And then you hear a voice - “Hey, stranger!” You turn, and it’s that nocturne, sauntering up to you with a smile. You’d almost forgotten about him, and trepidation wells inside you, remembering what he did. It was HIS advice that got you into trouble at Starfall! You could have died! If you hadn’t intervened, that creature would be dead, or Starfall would have been ruined -! Oh. Ohhhh. He must recognize the look on your face, because he laughs - a chirping, slightly shrill, coatl-esque laugh. “Yes, yes. There’s nothing you need to say. You’re welcome, my name is Arqam, and I’m sorry. Let me explain… “My mate is an oracle. She knew far in advance of Starfall itself that certain things would not go as planned. In the preparation days, seals were created across the Isles, one of which was improperly prepared. Though the error was swiftly rectified, the cost was high. A meteor, bearing a Comet Rider, landed in our own Starwood Strand! “Naturally, we hatched a plan. With some help from a chronomancer friend of ours - white and red nocturne, small and angry, you may have met her? - we broke up the timeline, and I think in total we tried 90 different timestreams, in the hopes that a [i]majority[/i] of the ones we approached would return Mr. Mittens to their proper home.” A beat. He chuckles. “One of the others named them that. It was delightful. “So I had the map memorized, and when you passed through the Starwood Strand, I sketched out the path - messily enough that you’d be at a bit of a loss, you see. I’m an artist, that doesn’t normally happen. I am also a greeter and ambassador, so I don’t generally emanate suspicion like I did a week or so ago. It took a lot of practice to properly emulate my brethren in Shadow, though I fortunately had some help in the task from our sister clan in the Tangled Wood. “Ultimately, as we’d hoped, you and a significant enough majority of others successfully sent Mr. Mittens back into deep space. We intend to present this incident to the Wardens, to convince them that the best way to handle even the most terrifying of beasts is not through violence, but through the Arcane method: Scientific understanding, compassion, and hope. Thank you, stranger.” As he delivers the last of this speech, an unfamiliar coatl with ghostly pale plumage approaches him. She is draped in white silks and morganite, and despite her colorless hide, she seems rather spritely. She whispers something either in coatl or in heavily accented common to the nocturne - Arqam, you suppose - and then hands him a small package wrapped in a shimmering purple material. He nods, giving her a gentle nuzzle under her cheek, then hands the package to you. “Now that this is over, we figured we ought to give our thanks. Whispia and I run an adopt shoppe here in the Starwood Strand - portraits, you see - and we thought we’d give everyone who was pulled into this mess the only compensation we could pull off.” He nods to you, and you unwrap the package, revealing a small trinket - a sphere, of sorts, that floats upwards just a bit once it’s freed of the silken bonds - and a framed picture of you, looking over your shoulder in the Starwood Strand. In the sphere, you see the treetops of the Starwood, and a meteor leaving a glowing trail, a tiny version of the creature perched on it, amongst twinkling stars. Arqam gives a sheepish smile, waving a claw a bit. “Do what you wish with those. The bauble might look nice in a clan trophy room, and our portraits tend to look lovely in dens. And, oh, friend?” He takes a moment, then his smile turns somewhat more sincere. “Thank you. You will always be welcome in our clan. Consider yourself an urban legend now.” [br] [center][img]https://s20.postimg.org/ch0kpeq8d/mr_mittens_in_space_bear_ver.png[/img] [img]https://s20.postimg.org/dtqg4yfkd/urban_legends_divider.png[/img][/center] [center][b]You unlocked the following prize! It will be raffled among those who achieved this ending.[/b] [br] [quote=Bear Pile] [center][item=hibernal starbear][item=bogus manamonger] [i]Hibernal Starbear, Bogus Manamonger[/i][/center][/quote] [br]

Hello! Here is your final update for the Starfall Choose Your Own Adventure - both luminousnoble and I hope you've enjoyed playing this Festival week, and that you enjoy the ending. You're welcome to roleplay further while luminousnoble creates the adopts for those who signed up before the event. If your dragon wants to chat with Arqam, Whispia, Palmer or Cherrypop in the meantime, just ping/PM luminousnoble to RP with those four. I'll be sorting out the raffle in the next few days and the RP competition will be judged as soon as possible - though it will take us a while to read everyone's entries! We'll keep you updated. Now, without further ado, here is the conclusion to your story ... @KairinRose @ClockworkEclipse @Schiemoon @casuallySleepy @ExistentialAlex [br] [center][img]https://s20.postimg.org/dtqg4yfkd/urban_legends_divider.png[/img][/center] You want to believe that the creature isn’t really dangerous - that it doesn’t really mean any harm. But there’s a part of you that is still so afraid even now. It’s created so much horror. You can’t forget that, however much you [i]want[/i] to help it. Maybe it was just because it was afraid or hurt, but that doesn’t change the fact that it has left destruction in its wake all through the Starwood Strand. It could still turn on [i]you[/i]. That thought opens up a pit inside you, and out pours throat-closing, limb-weakening terror. You gasp through your terror and force your buckling legs to hold you up: you have decided to help the creature, and you have to at least try. You step forwards, and the creature turns its faceless head towards you. Your claws are shaking as you hold them up before you. Your heartbeat skips along too quickly in your ears, drowning out the creature’s constant hissing. You can’t speak: your throat has closed up against the scream that your body is desperate to voice. Instead, you point towards the meteor and then upwards, at the starscape above you. The creature contemplates you, then it tips its head back to look up. It seems to understand, because a moment later it moves, scrabbling up onto the meteor. The messy clamber sends chunks of space rocks and space dust flying everywhere, but ultimately it settles atop the massive stone, gripping it as tightly as it can with some legs broken. Its face-plates shift a bit, pointing your way, but it does not attack, nor do its feathered spines flare upwards. Even so, you can’t relax. You can barely think: your whole mind is occupied with the creature’s slightest movements, trying to predict if it might be about to turn on you. You lift your claws and focus your elemental magic on the meteor, without taking your eyes off the creature perched on top of it. Then it hits you: a powerful wave of [i]otherness[/i] that feels as cold and distant, and as vast, as the reaches of space above. You feel almost weightless as the currents of power flow through you. It’s too much - your stomach churns and you feel like you might throw up, but somehow you keep your lunch in … or well, dinner, from last night. You think. Then you concentrate on the meteor, and the pain hits you. A crushing weight, as if the whole meteor is bearing down on you. You can’t breath. You can’t even scream as it crushes every bone in your body. You can’t - it’s too much - you don’t have the strength. You crumple to the ground, and to your relief the pressure vanishes almost immediately. You lie there panting and stare up at the creature. Its face peels back, revealing those teeth and mandibles, all working intensely. It starts to click and chatter at you. Your heartbeat - already racing - speeds up against your ribs. The creature surges forwards over the surface of the meteor: it’s about to leap down and attack, you’re sure of it! You finally voice the yell of terror that has been clogging your throat as you stagger upright and hurl a barrage of elemental attacks towards it as you lurch backwards, tripping over Starbears’ limbs. The creature lets out a shriek as your magic strikes. Most of your spells glance off its carapace, but they are enough to stop it in its tracks. Instead of coming towards you, it skitters off the meteor to the side and crashes away into the woods, tearing down several of the huge Starwood trees as it passes. You stand for a moment, swaying, and then the events of the past few minutes catch up with you - and the world tips to the side. When you wake up, you’re relieved to see the dawn lighting up the sky. As you open your bleary eyes, you realise that you are alone, though you are still lying beside the meteor - now just a twisted lump of pink material with no glow to it. You can see the path the creature left behind when it fled. It’s clear that the forest was torn, but it seems to be already mending itself, gnarled roots sheltering saplings that grow from stumps. All traces of the creature save the meteor will soon be gone. Oh, no. You… failed. The realization makes you feel even dizzier than you already are, making you wobble in place. You couldn’t subdue the creature. You couldn’t help it. You couldn’t help anyone. Now you have no clue where it is, and no leads for finding out, if there’s even anything you could do at this point. The grim thought screams in your mind, the world going dark around you - Until a Starbear noses your side gently. You startle, hard, then turn to look at it, blinking. It blinks back, slowly and sadly, its deep brown eyes staring into yours… almost reassuringly. As if trying to convince you this isn’t your fault. You’re not sure you believe it, but it’s a comfort, at least. The bear wanders off, laying out on a log and falling asleep within seconds, but at least it didn’t leave you alone. Reality settles slowly around you as you force yourself to take deep breaths. This was just a detour. You’re a merchant, here to sell wares. You should probably go do that. Once you’re as steadied as you will be, you turn and make your way - [i]carefully[/i] - to the Focal Point. [br] [img]https://s20.postimg.org/dtqg4yfkd/urban_legends_divider.png[/img] The stars must have been watching. You maybe didn’t do the best you could have out there, but something, somewhere must be appeased. You had to close up shop before Starfall ended, having run out of wares by the last day. You’re sort of grateful to have the time to yourself, though, to think about everything that happened. Terrifying doesn’t even begin to describe it all. You’ve had nightmares all week, and might for the rest of your life, but… you’re alive, and there’s no sign of the monster anywhere, not even when you go back through the Starwood Strand. For better or for worse. You hope one day you’ll appreciate its beauty again. Probably not. But then you hear a voice - “Hey, stranger!” It’s that nocturne, approaching you with a sad smile. You’d almost forgotten about him, and trepidation wells inside you, remembering what he did. It was HIS advice that got you into this mess! He led you STRAIGHT to that THING! You’ll never be the same, and if you hadn’t scared it off it could have destroyed Starfall and killed countless dragons -! Oh. Ohhhh. He must recognize the look on your face, because he laughs - a chirping, coatl-esque, rather sad laugh. “Yes, yes. There’s nothing you need to say. My name is Arqam, and I’m deeply sorry. Let me explain… “My mate is an oracle. She knew far in advance of Starfall itself that certain things would not go as planned. In the preparation days, seals were created across the Isles, one of which was improperly prepared. Though the error was swiftly rectified, the cost was high. A meteor, bearing a Comet Rider, landed in our own Starwood Strand. “Naturally, we hatched a plan. With some help from a chronomancer friend of ours - white and red nocturne, small and angry, you may have met her? - we broke up the timeline, and I think in total we tried 90 different timestreams, in the hopes that a [i]majority[/i] of the ones we approached would return Mr. Mittens to their proper home, or at least ensure Starfall’s safety.” A beat. He gives a sad little sound. “One of the others named them that. It’s sort of kept us sane. “I had the map memorized, and when you passed through the Starwood Strand, I sketched out the path - messily enough that you’d be at a bit of a loss, you see. I’m an artist, that doesn’t normally happen. I am also a greeter and ambassador, so I don’t generally emanate suspicion like I did a week or so ago. It took a lot of practice to properly emulate my brethren in Shadow, though I had some help in the task from our sister clan in the Tangled Wood. “Ultimately, a significant enough majority sent Mr. Mittens back into deep space. When the timelines re-merge in a few days, that will be the permanent outcome. We intend to present this incident to the Wardens, to convince them to adopt a policy of scientific research and unadulterated compassion, so this won’t happen again. With that said, listen to me. You may not feel that you were terribly brave, but truly, you were. I couldn’t have done half the things you did out there, and… I can’t help but be inspired by your tenacity. Thank you.” As he delivers the last of this speech, an unfamiliar coatl with ghostly pale plumage approaches him. She is draped in white silks and morganite, and despite her colorless hide, she seems rather spritely. She whispers something either in coatl or in heavily accented common to the nocturne - Arqam, you suppose - and then hands him a small package wrapped in a shimmering purple material. He nods, giving her a gentle nuzzle under her cheek, then hands the package to you. “Now that this is over, we figured we ought to give our thanks. Whispia and I run an adopt shoppe here in the Starwood Strand - portraits, you see - and we thought we’d give everyone who was pulled into this mess the only compensation we could pull off.” He nods to you, and you unwrap the package, revealing a small trinket - a sphere, of sorts, that floats upwards just a bit once it’s freed of the silken bonds - and a framed picture of you, looking over your shoulder in the Starwood Strand. In the sphere, you see the shape of the meteor, losing its glow, wreathed by starwood boughs. It should be a grim image, but it’s oddly serene. A reminder that life goes on, almost. Arqam gives a sheepish smile, waving a claw a bit. “Do what you wish with those. The bauble might look nice in a clan trophy room, and our portraits tend to look lovely in dens. And, oh, friend?” He takes a moment, then his smile turns somewhat more sincere. “Thank you. You will always be welcome in our clan. Consider yourself an urban legend now.” [br] [center][img]https://s20.postimg.org/bu1nzvtcd/mr_mittens_is_GONE_OH_NO.png[/img] [img]https://s20.postimg.org/dtqg4yfkd/urban_legends_divider.png[/img][/center] [center][b]You unlocked the following prize! It will be raffled among those who achieved this ending.[/b] [br] [quote=Fearful Friend][center] [outfit=171119] [item=yella highnoon hank][item=pretty buttercup neck bow][item=pretty buttercup arm bow][item=pretty buttercup tail bow][item=saucer stare][item=golden-laced rooster] [i]Yella Highnoon Hank, Pretty Buttercup Neck Bow, Pretty Buttercup Arm Bow, Pretty Buttercup Tail Bow, Saucer Stare, Golden-Laced Rooster x 10[/i][/center][/quote]

Hello! Here is your final update for the Starfall Choose Your Own Adventure - both luminousnoble and I hope you've enjoyed playing this Festival week, and that you enjoy the ending. You're welcome to roleplay further while luminousnoble creates the adopts for those who signed up before the event. If your dragon wants to chat with Arqam, Whispia, Palmer or Cherrypop in the meantime, just ping/PM luminousnoble to RP with those four. I'll be sorting out the raffle in the next few days and the RP competition will be judged as soon as possible - though it will take us a while to read everyone's entries! We'll keep you updated. Now, without further ado, here is the conclusion to your story ... @browncoatparadox @LadyKnightKatsa @acorn781 @Moonbeams @Thewarywatcher13 @RemanLT @SkyyeofEmber @SeaGodling @Leucoss [br] [center][img]https://s20.postimg.org/dtqg4yfkd/urban_legends_divider.png[/img][/center] You want so badly to believe that this creature is just a creature. You want so badly to help it. But you’re not sure. Every time you look at it, you think back to the horrors it’s enacted. To the sheer destruction it is capable of wreaking. It’s just in distress, you tell yourself, but how can you be sure? How can you know that you won’t be collateral damage, too? Your chest feels tight. Your wings are weak. But you have to do this. You shiver, then delicately step forward. The creature, from its meteor, swings its head to point towards you, and you are almost paralyzed again. It’s only by squeezing your eyes shut and taking almost too many deep breaths that you steel yourself, though your heart is still pounding so hard you think your ribs might crack. You open your mouth, and barely any sound comes out, but you manage to weakly point upwards… and the creature’s head draws up too, as it makes a series of clicks and hisses. Then, it moves, and scrabbles up onto the meteor. The messy clamber sends chunks of space rocks and space dust flying everywhere, but ultimately it settles atop the massive stone, gripping it as tightly as it can with some legs broken. Its face-plates shift a bit, pointing your way, but it does not attack, nor do its feathered spines flare upwards. But even wounded, still, and quiet, you can’t help but fear for your life in its great presence. Still, you sit back on your haunches and hold out both of your claws towards the meteor, calling on your latent elemental magic. As you do, something [i]else[/i] courses through you - something cold and eerie, that makes you feel weightless. Eleven above, is this how intense arcane magic feels? It’s awful, so awful you almost keel over and throw up, but you hold your lunch in… well, dinner, from last night. You think. Then you focus the magic on the meteor, and the crushing weight hits. It’s like the meteor landed on you, crushing every bone in your body with enough intensity to make you scream. You buckle to the ground, and almost immediately the pressure vanishes, but the meteor hasn’t budged, and the creature is twitching, face plates shifting with a tiny hiss. You have to try again. So you do. You reach out again, and this time you’re ready for the weight. It slams into you, making you feel weaker than you’d ever imagined a dragon could feel, but you raise your shaking claws higher, and the meteor dislodges. For a moment, it looks like you’ll actually succeed, and somehow send it back into space. But then you catch sight of the creature again, looming over you, meteor aglow, and panic jolts through you. The glow vanishes. The meteor drops. And, when it lands with a heavy thud, the creature screams, skittering off of it and careening into the woods, tearing multiple great starwood trees down as it goes. You feel awful for a moment, but then you feel sick, and the world goes sideways. When you wake up, dawn has finally come. Everything is still as you open your bleary eyes, and when you look next to you, the meteor is still there - though it’s just twisted pink material now, no glow to it. You look ahead, and you see the path where the creature fled. It’s clear that the forest was torn, but it seems to be already mending itself, gnarled roots sheltering saplings that grow from stumps. All traces of the creature save the meteor will soon be gone. Oh, no. You… failed. The realization makes you feel even dizzier than you already are, making you wobble in place. You couldn’t subdue the creature. You couldn’t help it. You couldn’t help anyone. Now you have no clue where it is, and no leads for finding out, if there’s even anything you could do at this point. The grim thought screams in your mind, the world going dark around you - Until a Starbear noses your side gently. You startle, hard, then turn to look at it, blinking. It blinks back, slowly and sadly, its deep brown eyes staring into yours… almost reassuringly. As if trying to convince you this isn’t your fault. You’re not sure you believe it, but it’s a comfort, at least. The bear wanders off, laying out on a log and falling asleep within seconds, but at least it didn’t leave you alone. Reality settles slowly around you as you force yourself to take deep breaths. This was just a detour. You’re a merchant, here to sell wares. You should probably go do that. Once you’re as steadied as you will be, you turn and make your way - [i]carefully[/i] - to the Focal Point. [br] [center][img]https://s20.postimg.org/dtqg4yfkd/urban_legends_divider.png[/img][/center] The stars must have been watching. You maybe didn’t do the best you could have out there, but something, somewhere must be appeased. You had to close up shop before Starfall ended, having run out of wares by the last day. You’re sort of grateful to have the time to yourself, though, to think about everything that happened. Terrifying doesn’t even begin to describe it all. You’ve had nightmares all week, and might for the rest of your life, but… you’re alive, and there’s no sign of the monster anywhere, not even when you go back through the Starwood Strand. For better or for worse. You hope one day you’ll appreciate its beauty again. Probably not. But then you hear a voice - “Hey, stranger!” It’s that nocturne, approaching you with a sad smile. You’d almost forgotten about him, and trepidation wells inside you, remembering what he did. It was HIS advice that got you into this mess! He led you STRAIGHT to that THING! You’ll never be the same, and if you hadn’t scared it off it could have destroyed Starfall and killed countless dragons -! Oh. Ohhhh. He must recognize the look on your face, because he laughs - a chirping, coatl-esque, rather sad laugh. “Yes, yes. There’s nothing you need to say. My name is Arqam, and I’m deeply sorry. Let me explain… “My mate is an oracle. She knew far in advance of Starfall itself that certain things would not go as planned. In the preparation days, seals were created across the Isles, one of which was improperly prepared. Though the error was swiftly rectified, the cost was high. A meteor, bearing a Comet Rider, landed in our own Starwood Strand. “Naturally, we hatched a plan. With some help from a chronomancer friend of ours - white and red nocturne, small and angry, you may have met her? - we broke up the timeline, and I think in total we tried 90 different timestreams, in the hopes that a [i]majority[/i] of the ones we approached would return Mr. Mittens to their proper home, or at least ensure Starfall’s safety.” A beat. He gives a sad little sound. “One of the others named them that. It’s sort of kept us sane. “I had the map memorized, and when you passed through the Starwood Strand, I sketched out the path - messily enough that you’d be at a bit of a loss, you see. I’m an artist, that doesn’t normally happen. I am also a greeter and ambassador, so I don’t generally emanate suspicion like I did a week or so ago. It took a lot of practice to properly emulate my brethren in Shadow, though I had some help in the task from our sister clan in the Tangled Wood. “Ultimately, a significant enough majority sent Mr. Mittens back into deep space. When the timelines re-merge in a few days, that will be the permanent outcome. We intend to present this incident to the Wardens, to convince them to adopt a policy of scientific research and unadulterated compassion, so this won’t happen again. With that said, listen to me. You may not feel that you were terribly brave, but truly, you were. I couldn’t have done half the things you did out there, and… I can’t help but be inspired by your tenacity. Thank you.” As he delivers the last of this speech, an unfamiliar coatl with ghostly pale plumage approaches him. She is draped in white silks and morganite, and despite her colorless hide, she seems rather spritely. She whispers something either in coatl or in heavily accented common to the nocturne - Arqam, you suppose - and then hands him a small package wrapped in a shimmering purple material. He nods, giving her a gentle nuzzle under her cheek, then hands the package to you. “Now that this is over, we figured we ought to give our thanks. Whispia and I run an adopt shoppe here in the Starwood Strand - portraits, you see - and we thought we’d give everyone who was pulled into this mess the only compensation we could pull off.” He nods to you, and you unwrap the package, revealing a small trinket - a sphere, of sorts, that floats upwards just a bit once it’s freed of the silken bonds - and a framed picture of you, looking over your shoulder in the Starwood Strand. In the sphere, you see the shape of the meteor, losing its glow, wreathed by starwood boughs. It should be a grim image, but it’s oddly serene. A reminder that life goes on, almost. Arqam gives a sheepish smile, waving a claw a bit. “Do what you wish with those. The bauble might look nice in a clan trophy room, and our portraits tend to look lovely in dens. And, oh, friend?” He takes a moment, then his smile turns somewhat more sincere. “Thank you. You will always be welcome in our clan. Consider yourself an urban legend now.” [br] [center][img]https://s20.postimg.org/bu1nzvtcd/mr_mittens_is_GONE_OH_NO.png[/img] [img]https://s20.postimg.org/dtqg4yfkd/urban_legends_divider.png[/img][/center] [center][b]You unlocked the following prize! It will be raffled among those who achieved this ending.[/b] [br] [quote=Meteoric Metamorphosis][center] [skin=17485][item=empathetic regeneration][item=minor health potion] [i]Accent: Ponderous Powers (Fae Male, Swipp Swap), Empathetic Regeneration, Minor Health Potion x 20[/i][/center][/quote]

Hello! Here is your final update for the Starfall Choose Your Own Adventure - both luminousnoble and I hope you've enjoyed playing this Festival week, and that you enjoy the ending. You're welcome to roleplay further while luminousnoble creates the adopts for those who signed up before the event. If your dragon wants to chat with Arqam, Whispia, Palmer or Cherrypop in the meantime, just ping/PM luminousnoble to RP with those four. I'll be sorting out the raffle in the next few days and the RP competition will be judged as soon as possible - though it will take us a while to read everyone's entries! We'll keep you updated. Now, without further ado, here is the conclusion to your story ... @dawnsong [br] [center][img]https://s20.postimg.org/dtqg4yfkd/urban_legends_divider.png[/img][/center] After everything that has happened tonight, you can’t allow the creature to leave the Starwood Strand alive: it’s just too dangerous. You pull on your power, hoping that it will be enough to strengthen your physical attacks and bring the creature down. Your heart is hammering in your chest already. You try and calm down with several deep breaths. You’ll have just [i]one[/i] chance - you cannot afford to mess this up, no matter how scared you feel. You rush forwards and the creature turns towards you, raising its claws and baring its vicious teeth and mandibles. A scream of terror clogs your throat as you dart under the creature’s flailing claws, aiming for the cuts that split open its carapace. You feel your claws catch at the edges and it lets out a hideous shriek. A shudder runs through you and you flinch away as its claws slice at you - but not fast enough. You howl as pain explodes through your wing. There’s no time to assess the injury: you can only pull your wing in tight to your body and scramble away as the creature follows you. It can still move quite fast, despite its broken legs. You grit your teeth and stumble away between the Starbears. They have got to their feet all around you and are watching the battle with eyes full of concern and sadness. They shift restlessly,growling and puffing air from their noses. You push them out of the way in your haste. Terror claws at the inside of your chest, making your limbs feel weak. You want nothing more than to take flight and escape back to your Clan, and never return to these strange woods again - but you can’t. You know you won’t be able to fly on your injured wing. You’re stuck in the Starwood Strand, and you’ve already got lost and turned around more times than you can count as you’ve tried to make your way through these strange trees. There’s also the fact that you chose to fight, and you still believe this creature has to die. Yet your breath catches at the thought of turning around. You can feel panic clouding your judgement, paralysing your limbs, robbing you of the chance to take a deep breath. You have to force yourself to stop running. Your limbs shake as you turn around. Your breath rasps against your throat and then suddenly you can’t even breathe through the terror you feel as you catch sight of your opponent once more. The creature bears down on you, clawed hands reaching out. You dodge beneath its first strike and manage to take a swipe at its legs, but your attack doesn’t do much damage. Then you feel cold fingers wrap tightly around the base of your tail, and sharp claws pierce through your scales - it’s grabbed you! You let out a horrified scream as it drags you backwards with terrible ease, even as you scrabble at the earth and thrash your tail. Its claws cut into your back and you cry out again, arching away from its touch, but you can’t escape as long as it’s holding you. Its fingers probe around your throat, encircling it and then tightening until your panicked breath stops. Immediately you feel your lungs start to burn. It lifts you by your tail and neck, your weight driving its claws deeper under your scales, and then slams you to the ground. The impact is hard enough that you hear your bones crunch - something, somewhere is broken - but at least it lets go. You roll onto your side, and immediately wish you hadn’t. The creature looms over you, hissing, its mandibles working. You scramble upright. You’ve barely regained your feet when it attacks again, claws whipping through the air and cutting into your flanks. You back away, throwing what magic you can focus at the creature. It rears back, hissing, and with a final skree it turns away from you. The last thing you see before the world goes sideways is the monster storming through the woods, straight towards the Focal Point. You make a weak sound, as if trying to stop it, and then you hit the ground. [br] [center][img]https://s20.postimg.org/dtqg4yfkd/urban_legends_divider.png[/img][/center] When you wake up, there’s a coatl tittering over you. Almost the moment your eyes open, they vanish, so you get only a glimpse of her ghostly pale plumage and glimmering morganite jewelry. You turn your head, and see a turquoise-plumed skydancer with his hands wreathed in green, soothing mist that smells vaguely of sea salt and mint. Seeing you awake, he nods, says something you can’t quite discern to someone else in the den, and wanders out. It’s then that you see the others - two nocturnes. One is sort of brown and purple, wearing an archer’s cap, and the other is red and white with a similarly colored hood. Hey, wait, you know one of them… The red stranger notices you first, her bright lightning eyes catching yours. “Oh. They’re awake, Arqam. You do the speech.” The shadow nocturne - Arqam? Is that his name? - nods and makes his way to the soft pile you’re laying on, settling at your side. “Hello, stranger. I’m glad you’ve healed up all right. That battle had you comatose for over a week… which is, I suppose, for the best.” You make a weak sound, and he holds up a gentle claw, looking… rather grievous. Oh, no. [i]Oh, no.[/i] “Don’t worry. We planned for this situation, and everyone is all right. Let me explain…” “My mate is an oracle. She knew far in advance of Starfall itself that certain things would not go as planned. In the preparation days, seals were created across the Isles, one of which was improperly prepared. Though the error was swiftly rectified, the cost was high. A meteor, bearing a Comet Rider, landed in our own Starwood Strand. “We had no choice but to act quickly. Cherrypop here tweaked the timeline to pose as a Warden, partnered with an actual warden in league with our clan. With Whispia’s guidance, Cherry’s abilities, and my research, we managed to sever the timeline into about 90 strands, each tied to a single merchant we planned for me to encounter and lead towards the Comet Rider. We dubbed them Mr. Mittens.” “The way severing timestreams work is that eventually, they must either diverge completely or re-merge seamlessly, at which point the dominant events will be loosely adopted. As we’d hoped, a majority of merchants successfully returned Mr. Mittens to deep space, with a minority killing them, chasing them off, or, well… not having so much luck. “It’s not your fault, friend. None of what transpired is. You were faced with impossible decisions, and ultimately, some folks were bound to be less successful than others. It does not reflect on your character, only your circumstances. And all of the lives that were lost when Mr. Mittens attacked various settlements have been restored, now that the timelines have merged again.” It’s here that Cherry, apparently, speaks up and nods a bit. “We didn’t get a chance to meet, but that’s arright. I woulda acted snobbish. To keep you at a distance, so you didn’t figure out the timestream thing. One frayed thread makes the whole rope snap. S’happened to me before. You did good, though. “Anyway, ‘cause you got traumatized and stuff, Arqam and Whispia, that’s his mate, they put a little something together.” With that, Cherry picks up a parcel wrapped in shimmering purple material and tosses it to Arqam, who hands it gently to you, letting you unwrap it. It’s two objects. One is a small trinket - a sphere, of sorts, that floats upwards just a bit once it’s freed of the silken bonds - and the other is a framed picture of you, looking over your shoulder in the Starwood Strand. In the sphere, you see three star jars, one of which is broken, its delicate pink specks floating aimlessly around the sphere. Considering that it represents your failure to save Starfall, it’s kind of… optimistic. You can’t help but feel hopeful looking at it, as if it’s encouraging you to look on the bright side. Arqam gives a sheepish smile, waving a claw a bit. “You can stay as long as you please - I’ll gladly help you explain the situation to your clan, however you think it’s best to. Do what you wish with those. The bauble might look nice in a clan trophy room, and our portraits tend to look lovely in dens. And, oh, friend?” He takes a moment, then his smile turns somewhat more sincere. “Thank you. You will always be welcome in our clan. Consider yourself an urban legend now.” [br] [center][img]https://s20.postimg.org/64lffkn65/mr_mittens_is_ok_and_so_is_everyone_else.png[/img] [img]https://s20.postimg.org/dtqg4yfkd/urban_legends_divider.png[/img][/center] [center][b]You unlocked the following prize![/b] [br] [quote=Festival Scavenger][center] [outfit=167336] [item=crown of bones][item=journeyman satchels][item=broken bone bottle][item=bone fragments] [I]Crown of Bones, Journeyman Satchels, Broken Bone Bottle x 10, Bone Fragments x 99[/i][/center][/quote]

Hello! Here is your final update for the Starfall Choose Your Own Adventure - both luminousnoble and I hope you've enjoyed playing this Festival week, and that you enjoy the ending. You're welcome to roleplay further while luminousnoble creates the adopts for those who signed up before the event. If your dragon wants to chat with Arqam, Whispia, Palmer or Cherrypop in the meantime, just ping/PM luminousnoble to RP with those four. I'll be sorting out the raffle in the next few days and the RP competition will be judged as soon as possible - though it will take us a while to read everyone's entries! We'll keep you updated. Now, without further ado, here is the conclusion to your story ... @Meredith44 @Draconequis @PuffyRuffy [br] [center][img]https://s20.postimg.org/dtqg4yfkd/urban_legends_divider.png[/img][/center] This creature is just a creature. It’s just an animal, no more or less than any dragon, and terrifying though it may be, you can’t help but want to help it get back home. You ultimately can’t do anything else. You step forward, and in the gentlest voice you can muster, you explain that you want to help it get back into space, punctuating the explanation with an upwards-pointing claw. Somehow, it seems to understand, and it gives a series of hisses and clicks and scrabbles up onto the meteor once again. The messy clamber sends chunks of space rocks and space dust flying everywhere, but ultimately it settles atop the massive stone, gripping it as tightly as it can with some legs broken. Its face-plates shift a bit, pointing your way, but it does not attack, nor do its feathered spines flare upwards. It’s ready. You take a deep breath, and outstretch both claws towards the meteor, a magic of unusual power coursing through you. It feels amazing, until the crushing weight hits. It’s like the meteor landed on you. You cry out, shaking like a leaf under the intense pressure, but you can’t give up now. You [i]can’t![/i] You raise your quaking claws higher into the air, relief flooding and bolstering you when you see the meteor dislodge and rise up. It’ the hardest thing you’ve ever done, and you don’t even know how you’re doing it. But with your guidance, the meteor rises into the sky, above the treeline, and rotates towards the Observatory. You can feel it charging up, as if to take off, and breath is draining from your body faster than any meditation could reaccumulate it. But through the haze of your painful determination, you see the being look over its shoulder, and give a series of grateful clicks. And then it soars above the treetops and the weight vanishes from your body. You see it shoot off like a star falling upwards, and for a moment, you’re [i]really[/i] stinkin’ proud of yourself. And then you collapse, and everything goes black. When you wake up, you’re still in that grove. The crater is still heavy, but the starwood trees seem to be creeping down into it. Wasn’t that tree fallen the last time you looked at it…? And did those saplings even exist? Well, maybe it’s best not to question it too hard. That was... traumatic. And yet, heartwarming...? You sit where you are for a solid minute - or maybe twenty, or maybe hours. You just don’t know. But reality finally settles around your shoulders, in its comfortingly naive way. You are a merchant. You came to Starfall to sell your wares. You should probably go do that now. [br] [center][img]https://s20.postimg.org/dtqg4yfkd/urban_legends_divider.png[/img][/center] The stars must have been watching, and they rewarded you handsomely. You had to close up shop before the last day of Starfall - you had nothing left to sell, and boy, are you tired today! The path through the Starwood Strand is just as strange going back the way you came, but it seems somehow familiar, now. You’re almost sad when you reach the outer edges of its glowing embrace… though you’re not sure the sentiment will hold with time. And then you hear a voice - “Hey, stranger!” You turn, and it’s that nocturne, sauntering up to you with a smile. You’d almost forgotten about him, and trepidation wells inside you, remembering what he did. It was HIS advice that got you into trouble at Starfall! You could have died! If you hadn’t intervened, that creature would be dead, or Starfall would have been ruined -! Oh. Ohhhh. He must recognize the look on your face, because he laughs - a chirping, slightly shrill, coatl-esque laugh. “Yes, yes. There’s nothing you need to say. You’re welcome, my name is Arqam, and I’m sorry. Let me explain… “My mate is an oracle. She knew far in advance of Starfall itself that certain things would not go as planned. In the preparation days, seals were created across the Isles, one of which was improperly prepared. Though the error was swiftly rectified, the cost was high. A meteor, bearing a Comet Rider, landed in our own Starwood Strand! “Naturally, we hatched a plan. With some help from a chronomancer friend of ours - white and red nocturne, small and angry, you may have met her? - we broke up the timeline, and I think in total we tried 90 different timestreams, in the hopes that a [i]majority[/i] of the ones we approached would return Mr. Mittens to their proper home.” A beat. He chuckles. “One of the others named them that. It was delightful. “So I had the map memorized, and when you passed through the Starwood Strand, I sketched out the path - messily enough that you’d be at a bit of a loss, you see. I’m an artist, that doesn’t normally happen. I am also a greeter and ambassador, so I don’t generally emanate suspicion like I did a week or so ago. It took a lot of practice to properly emulate my brethren in Shadow, though I fortunately had some help in the task from our sister clan in the Tangled Wood. “Ultimately, as we’d hoped, you and a significant enough majority of others successfully sent Mr. Mittens back into deep space. We intend to present this incident to the Wardens, to convince them that the best way to handle even the most terrifying of beasts is not through violence, but through the Arcane method: Scientific understanding, compassion, and hope. Thank you, stranger.” As he delivers the last of this speech, an unfamiliar coatl with ghostly pale plumage approaches him. She is draped in white silks and morganite, and despite her colorless hide, she seems rather spritely. She whispers something either in coatl or in heavily accented common to the nocturne - Arqam, you suppose - and then hands him a small package wrapped in a shimmering purple material. He nods, giving her a gentle nuzzle under her cheek, then hands the package to you. “Now that this is over, we figured we ought to give our thanks. Whispia and I run an adopt shoppe here in the Starwood Strand - portraits, you see - and we thought we’d give everyone who was pulled into this mess the only compensation we could pull off.” He nods to you, and you unwrap the package, revealing a small trinket - a sphere, of sorts, that floats upwards just a bit once it’s freed of the silken bonds - and a framed picture of you, looking over your shoulder in the Starwood Strand. In the sphere, you see the treetops of the Starwood, and a meteor leaving a glowing trail, a tiny version of the creature perched on it, amongst twinkling stars. Arqam gives a sheepish smile, waving a claw a bit. “Do what you wish with those. The bauble might look nice in a clan trophy room, and our portraits tend to look lovely in dens. And, oh, friend?” He takes a moment, then his smile turns somewhat more sincere. “Thank you. You will always be welcome in our clan. Consider yourself an urban legend now.” [br] [center][img]https://s20.postimg.org/n2kg1ewjx/mr_mittens_in_space_solo_ver.png[/img] [img]https://s20.postimg.org/dtqg4yfkd/urban_legends_divider.png[/img][/center] [center][b]You unlocked the following prize! It will be raffled among those who achieved this ending.[/b] [br] [quote=Alien Ally] [center][outfit=172354] [item=gold glasses][item=Mage's Peony Bag][item=Mage's Peony Gloves][item=Mage's Peony Hat][item=Mage's Peony Overcoat][item=Mage's Peony Socks][item=Mage's Peony Tunic] [i]Gold Glasses, Mage's Peony Hat, Mage's Peony Tunic, Mage's Peony Socks, Mage's Peony Overcoat, Mage's Peony Gloves, Mage's Peony Bag[/i][/center][/quote]

Hello! Here is your final update for the Starfall Choose Your Own Adventure - both luminousnoble and I hope you've enjoyed playing this Festival week, and that you enjoy the ending. You're welcome to roleplay further while luminousnoble creates the adopts for those who signed up before the event. If your dragon wants to chat with Arqam, Whispia, Palmer or Cherrypop in the meantime, just ping/PM luminousnoble to RP with those four. I'll be sorting out the raffle in the next few days and the RP competition will be judged as soon as possible - though it will take us a while to read everyone's entries! We'll keep you updated. Now, without further ado, here is the conclusion to your story ... @MintyDragon [br] [center][img]https://s20.postimg.org/dtqg4yfkd/urban_legends_divider.png[/img][/center] After everything that has happened tonight, you cannot allow the creature to remain alive: it’s just too great a threat. You draw on all of your power, calling your magic to your clawtips in the hopes that it will strengthen your physical attacks, and you take several slow, deep breaths to center yourself. You don’t doubt that you will only have one chance - you have to make the most of it. You leap forwards towards the creature. It sees you and chitters furiously, slashing its claws through the air. You beat your wings, halting your forward momentum for long enough to avoid its attack and then climbing above its head. It twists awkwardly, reaching up for you, but with some of its legs broken it’s not as agile as it was before. You come down heavily on the creature’s back, your claws skidding across carapace. It lets out a shriek and flails, bucking underneath you as you scrape over the hard and shiny surface of its armoured body, searching for a weak spot. It doesn’t take long to find the edges of the plates and dig into the seams. It cries out and convulses, finally managing to throw you off. You land heavily, out of breath but uninjured, and spring immediately to your feet. The creature is cowering against the meteor, face opened out to reveal its mandibles and its arms held up in front of its body as if to ward you off. All around you, the Starbears have got to their feet and are grunting, blowing our warning snorts of air and making deep, throaty sounds - neither helping nor hindering either side in this fight, but witnessing it with eyes full of sadness and concern. You bare your teeth and attack the creature again. This time, it’s too slow. You bat aside its limbs and strike beneath them, finding the cuts already littered across its chest and clawing deeper. It thrashes, then overbalances under your extra weight. It falls, crashing against the meteor. Its head impacts the rock with a sharp [i]crack[/i], and then you have to release it or risk being crushed beneath its weight as it collapses forwards. It lands on the ground and weakly tries to get back up. You wonder if you can cast your spells under its armour now that you’ve created some cracks? You try a spell, casting it into the places where the plates have been split apart and the creature’s pink bodily fluids are flowing freely. It seems to work: the creature lets out a horrible sound and slumps back. It hisses at you. You ignore it and keep going, weaving a combination of deadly spells that will end its life and casting them with pin-point accuracy. It struggles for a few seconds longer… and then it goes totally still. The Starbears fall silent. They turn to gaze solemnly at you. One of them - you think it may be the bear that was following you earlier - gives a long, low, melancholy moan. Then all of the bears turn away from you as one and lumber off into the trees. … What have you done? The nature of the catastrophe hits you, and you crumple where you stand. Did you really - what - why? You know why, that creature was a threat to everyone, it could have ruined everything… but was there no other way? There’s nothing more to it. There’s nothing more you can do, but you’re not sure you can actually stomach attending Starfall now… Though, again, what else can you do? You are a merchant. You came to Starfall to sell your wares. You somehow manage to tear your eyes away from the body of the monster and the meteorite, which seems to have lost its glow, and you stumble back to the Focal Point. [img]https://s20.postimg.org/dtqg4yfkd/urban_legends_divider.png[/img] The stars must have been watching. You have mixed feelings about them watching all that, just like you have mixed feelings about what you did, but hey, they rewarded you handsomely, so you must have done something right. You had to close up shop before the last day of Starfall, having nothing left to sell at that point. You’re sort of grateful for it, though. You’re dead tired. Bad choice of words, maybe. The path through the Starwood Strand is just as strange going back the way you came, but it seems somehow familiar, now, though not in a good way. You’re rather relieved when you reach the outer edges of its eerie grasp, though you hope one day you’ll see the beauty of it again. And then you hear a voice - “Hey, stranger!” You turn, and it’s that nocturne, approaching you with a sad smile. You’d almost forgotten about him, and trepidation wells inside you, remembering what he did. It was HIS advice that got you into this mess! HE forced you to make impossible choices! Because of him, you’re wounded, battered, traumatized, and so many more dragons would have been if you hadn’t -! Oh. Ohhhh. He must recognize the look on your face, because he laughs - a chirping, coatl-esque, terribly sad laugh. “Yes, yes. There’s nothing you need to say. My name is Arqam, and I’m so, so sorry. Let me explain… “My mate is an oracle. She knew far in advance of Starfall itself that certain things would not go as planned. In the preparation days, seals were created across the Isles, one of which was improperly prepared. Though the error was swiftly rectified, the cost was high. A meteor, bearing a Comet Rider, landed in our own Starwood Strand. “Naturally, we hatched a plan. With some help from a chronomancer friend of ours - white and red nocturne, small and angry, you may have met her? - we broke up the timeline, and I think in total we tried 90 different timestreams, in the hopes that a [i]majority[/i] of the ones we approached would return Mr. Mittens to their proper home, or at least ensure Starfall’s safety.” A beat. He gives a sad little sound. “One of the others named them that. A bit grim sounding, now. “I had the map memorized, and when you passed through the Starwood Strand, I sketched out the path - messily enough that you’d be at a bit of a loss, you see. I’m an artist, that doesn’t normally happen. I am also a greeter and ambassador, so I don’t generally emanate suspicion like I did a week or so ago. It took a lot of practice to properly emulate my brethren in Shadow, though I had some help in the task from our sister clan in the Tangled Wood. “Ultimately, a significant enough majority sent Mr. Mittens back into deep space, and when these timelines re-merge in a few days, that will be the permanent outcome. We intend to present this incident to the Wardens, in the hopes that from now on, no one will have to make the sorts of decisions or take the sorts of risks that you did. Even so, all things considered, you did very, very well, stranger. Your courage in the face of such terrors was inspirational. Thank you.” As he delivers the last of this speech, an unfamiliar coatl with ghostly pale plumage approaches him. She is draped in white silks and morganite, and despite her colorless hide, she seems rather spritely. She whispers something either in coatl or in heavily accented common to the nocturne - Arqam, you suppose - and then hands him a small package wrapped in a shimmering purple material. He nods, giving her a gentle nuzzle under her cheek, then hands the package to you. “Now that this is over, we figured we ought to give our thanks. Whispia and I run an adopt shoppe here in the Starwood Strand - portraits, you see - and we thought we’d give everyone who was pulled into this mess the only compensation we could pull off.” He nods to you, and you unwrap the package, revealing a small trinket - a sphere, of sorts, that floats upwards just a bit once it’s freed of the silken bonds - and a framed picture of you, looking over your shoulder in the Starwood Strand. In the sphere, you see a sword and a hunk of meteorite, still aglow, buried in the underbrush of the Starwood Strand and cloaked in a shimmering pink mist. You’d think the sight would make you sick, but you feel somewhat brave looking at it. Accomplished, almost. You did the impossible. Arqam gives a sheepish smile, waving a claw a bit. “Do what you wish with those. The bauble might look nice in a clan trophy room, and our portraits tend to look lovely in dens. And, oh, friend?” He takes a moment, then his smile turns somewhat more sincere. “Thank you. You will always be welcome in our clan. Consider yourself an urban legend now.” [br] [center][img]https://s20.postimg.org/5b4897rrh/mr_mittens_did_a_die.png[/img] [img]https://s20.postimg.org/dtqg4yfkd/urban_legends_divider.png[/img][/center] [center][b]You unlocked the following prize![/b] [br] [quote=Starwood Saviour] [center][outfit=170001] [item=Bloodscale Bracers][item=Bloodscale Chest Guard][item=Bloodscale Greaves][item=Bloodscale Helmet][item=Bloodscale Shoulder Guards][item=Bloodscale Tail Guard] [i]Bloodscale Bracers, Bloodscale Chest Guard, Bloodscale Greaves, Bloodscale Helmet, Bloodscale Shoulder Guards, Bloodscale Tail Guard[/i][/center][/quote]

*is too busy crying over a genuinely heartwarming ending to properly reply as Mayuni and Fi atm* ;;w;; *sniffs* I'll come back to this tomorrow when I'm more awake and less emotional! That was so beautiful! :') <3

@Lundlaeva @luminousnoble [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=24573567] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/245736/24573567_350.png[/img] [/url] Almarkand focused everything he had into trying to get the meteor and the creature back into space. Again and again, he tried to lift it upwards, but every time, the strain proved to be too much for him. He worried that he might pass out from the effort if he wasn't careful. Finally, he managed to start lifting the rock upwards, and for a moment, he breathed a sigh of relief. But one more glance from the creature broke his concentration yet again, and the meteor fell back to the ground with a loud crash. Almarkand collapsed into a heap. He couldn't do it anymore. His reserves were spent. Within seconds, he passed out. He was only awakened by the first light of dawn. Groggily, he staggered to his feet, and beheld the scene of destruction that lay before him. The meteor had stopped glowing, and of the creature, there was no sign save for a trail of blood. It had escaped once more, and this time there was no hope of him ever finding it again. The Pearlcatcher fell to his knees. Almarkand had failed, and now the monster was free to continue wreaking havoc across the Strand. The merchant didn't know what to do now. He was lost, he'd missed out on whatever that map was supposed to be leading him to... what was he to do now? The Starbear from the previous night then stepped forward, and gave Almarkand a gentle nudge. The Pearlcatcher cracked a smile. Maybe, just maybe, everything would be alright. Slowly feeling his strength returning to him, the Pearlcatcher spread his wings and took to the skies, hoping he could find his way back to the festival before the event came to a close. -------------------------------- As it turned out, Almarkand made it back just in time to wrap things up. As he was packing up his goods and making ready to head back to the airship, he spotted a familiar Nocturne approaching him. It was the one who had given him that map. Almarkand glared at the dragon for a moment. "You! Your map was useless!" he snapped. "I nearly got killed by some cosmic monstrosity! And it's still out there in the Strand! Other clans might be-" His glare softened, however, as the Nocturne, Arqam, began to explain what had just happened. He couldn't recall having met any red and white Nocturnes out in the Strand. Maybe she had been hanging with the clan whose celebrations he'd so rudely interrupted? "Mr... Mittens?" Almarkand said. "Is that really what you call it? Oh, it doesn't matter. Some of your other timelines may have sent him back, but I... I couldn't. I just didn't have the strength. Why did you choose me for this? If you wanted to send the Comet Rider back into space, there are other mages in my clan who are more suited to the task, surely." Almarkand wasn't sure he fully understood what he had just been told. Who were these Wardens, anyway? Whoever they were, he knew that anyone who was willing to mess with time itself was surely working on a level that Clan Twinstar could only just begin to imagine. "What will happen to me, once the timelines merge? Will I still be... me?" he asked. He wasn't sure he'd get an answer to that question, though, as a Coatl emerged from the crowd and approached Arqam. Cautiously, he took the package when it was handed to him, opening it up to reveal a strange floating sphere and a portrait of himself in the Strand. Slowly, the Pearlcatcher began to smile again. "Well, in that case, I will have to pay your clan a visit someday," the merchant said, nodding his head. "And I'll be sure to bring a few trinkets of my own to trade, as well. "I'm still not sure I understand all that's happened, but... Thank you. Both of you. Stars guide you home." With one last wave of his claws, Almarkand closed down his stand, packing up the pieces to take back home with him. Giving Arqam and Whispia one last nod, the Pearlcatcher then turned and started making his way back towards the clan's airship. It was time to head back home. If nothing else, it had been a rather adventurous Starfall Celebration for him. ---------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for hosting this event! It was a lot of fun, even if Almarkand didn't manage to send Mr. Mittens back home. I've left a bit of stuff here for Arqam and Whispia to respond to, if you want. Here's looking forward to doing something like this again next Starfall!