» New Beginnings

the Rift

"Come," the vulviper pleaded with the siren—its dark eyes bored relentlessly into those of the much smaller snake-fox. It was only about the hundredth time it asked the siren, who still stoically refused. With a hiss and a flick of its long tail, it disappeared back beneath the waves, leaving the vulviper to stare dejectedly after it. "But what's the point of unity," it mumbled in its own language to the ripples, "if we're not united..?"

But was it still true unity, when some of the species, frankly, did not care? The little vulviper sighed, momentarily cheered by the loricatrunc's trunk stroking its head. They had tried. Sirens were stubborn at the best of times, and lately, times weren't the best. Even the not-so-bright of the Rift creatures felt the life force bleed out of the lands day by day.

The loricatrunc swept up the tiny vulviper, and along with a cohort of Western Mists creatures, they set off towards the turbulent shores of the Southern Seas.

Once there, the representatives of the species gathered; beaked bear, asulli, dusk howler, fimalgo, glimmer bird, both Ennunyenda and pavo cat, even a sceletus hovering with apparent disinterest above the group, and more unmentioned. Laying in the shallows were the creatures of the deep: pistris, a bird-eating whale, ceteyan, even a baleano. Most, but not all, species were represented, but some—like the nighura—had tried to eat the messenger, and some—like the Protector—didn't care. Even the equines, in their multitude and complexity and rather separate existence, were invited.

After a moment, the hubbub died down, and the matriarch of the loricatrunc—simply the one most used to addressing others—stepped forward. "Hope has been rekindled in these lands," she said, the creases around her eyes deepening with her gentle smile. A murmur greeted her words. "But, it does not yet shine into the deepest, coldest of shadows. The sirens have forgotten it. Please," and now, she turned to the gathered equines and their glowing orbs of hope, bestowed upon them by their confused deity, "will you come with us? Help us relight hope where it has gone out?"

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To kick 2018 off, we're doing a speed plot of varying tasks! Consider it a kind of mini SWP-in-the-SWP, intended to be fast-paced. If it turns out to be too fast-paced, let us know, and we'll slow it down! The OOC guidelines are as follows:
* Each round is 48 hours, and has no posting order. If you miss a round, don't worry - just post when you have a chance to!
* Posts are encouraged to be 400 words or less.

This is a starting round, we'll move off to the Summit in the next one!

The IC task the Rift creatures has laid before you is to bring Hope to the surly sirens of the Summit!