She stalked through the age-old trees, blending with the shadows, crushing the aura of life hovering in the atmosphere. Whist pulled a fog up from the moist soil, sending tendrils of mist coiling and seeping into the inmost reaches of the Secret Forest.
Jaaws had never met Sylvia before. She did not relish the thought of it. But around her neck were three vials of amber goo and two of black, failsafes in case of an emergency. Caelani was still controlled; in crow form, he clung diminutively to Whist's feathers.
With a flick of her tongue and a twitch of her tail, Jaaws proceeded directly to the forest's heart. Following the Powers' trail was easy. Hazel Coryli had led her right to them.
- - -
There was another here. Whist sensed it first, but Jaaws felt it minutes later. Another power--but not a true Power--walked these woods.
A new Sideaffect? Whist insisted upon it, and Jaaws found evidence when they reached a patch of muddy ground marked with footprints. Next to the imprint of Sylvia's hooves were tiny hoof marks.
"Congratulations, Whist," Jaaws murmured. "You have a sibling."
Something rumbled in Whist's throat--a livid growl. "I'll kill it."
"I never thought mercy to be your strong suit."
"None has lived a more wretched life than I," Whist hissed, glaring at Jaaws. "She must be keeping it close to keep it pure. She was always weak. Mercy for the likes of her children? That is impossible."
"Pure and dead might as well be the same," Jaaws rumbled.
"This is a tainted world. The creature can't be sheltered for long."
Evil glinted in Jaaws's ruby eyes. "We'll help it along."
- - -
Jaaws would do everything in her power to stop Lunee from being summoned. The former Power of Light posed the greatest threat to Jaaws's ambitions--as well as Catastrophe's. If needed, she could destroy part of the temple. But Jaaws didn't want to throw out any advantage of surprise she currently held.
She and Whist spied the foal, along with Ecio, Ayearth, Sylvia, and a host of humans and animals, pass under an archway into a different part of the temple. The new Sideaffect was as black as night and wild as the wind. Just a baby. Sylvia obviously loved him.
Jaaws glared out from the shadows of the woods surrounding the Nocturnal. She didn't dare step closer and risk being seen or sensed by the light-loving members of the temple. Whist, on the other hand, could send in her illusions to meet the child, spy on the Powers, and give insight to the next course of action.
Whist conjured up a rabbit and a butterfly and sent them in to the temple.
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submitted by jAaWs, age pretty old, ready to kidnap a foal (June 17, 2020 - 9:06 am)
Sylvia (third person now, because it feels right)~
Sylvia continued to watch her son as he stared in awe at the temple around them. She warned him to be careful with the artifacts when he got too close. He stayed near Sylvia until something caught his eye and he scampered after it. Sylvia smiled as she watched him go.
"It's nearly time," Ecio reminded them once again. He seemed to be rather anxious. He, Sylvia, and Ayearth had stayed together since they entered the temple, taking in the sights together. Many of those they saw in the temple had watched them with their mouths gaping open. Three Powers, walking side by side; they were a sight to behold.
One of the Priestesses* approached them, looking like she was trying very hard to suppress her astonishment to be standing before the Powers. "It is time now for Lunee to be summoned," she said. "Please follow me."
They began to follow after her through the many passages and chambers in the Temple. None of them saw any sign of Cairan, though Sylvia assured herself that he would be coming along soon enough...
~~Sorry my posts are always short here, I'm not 100% sure how this is going to be orchestrated.
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submitted by Soren Infinity, age 27 eons, BeaconTown (June 28, 2020 - 4:37 pm)
The butterfly laughed in a tinkly voice, flitting high over Ciaran's head. He laughed back, taken by surprise at the sound.
"You're pretty!" Ciaran said.
"I'm fast, too. Can you catch me? I'll give you a kiss on the nose if you do! It's good luck to be kissed by a butterfly, you know."
Ciaran leapt up, and the butterfly danced down the hall. Ciaran happily gave chase, winding back and forth through the halls until he burst out into a garden. Here, the butterfly stopped fleeing, and she floated down onto his nose. She really was pretty--soft, sparkling, and white. On Ciaran's snout, she was no heavier than a breath of wind.
"What's your name?" the butterfly wondered.
"I'm Ciaran."
"That's a pretty name. Do you know what it means?"
"No, but I bet my mom does. We can ask!"
"I know it means 'strong' in butterfly language."
A white bunny emerged from a winter bush.
"Oh, this is my friend," the butterfly said. "We both live out in this garden. Let's have a tour!"
The butterfly and rabbit gradually led Ciaran farther and farther from the walls of the temple, gaining his trust and affection all the while.
"We were shy to come inside," the rabbit murmured in a voice as soft as the wind, "because we thought we saw the Powers go in."
"Yeah! Sylvia is my mom," Ciaran boasted.
"Your mother is a Power?" the rabbit asked in awe.
Ciaran shuffled his feet. "Yeah."
"Aren't the Powers scary?"
Ciaran's ears went back. "Well...sometimes. Ayearth doesn't like me. I hope Lunee is nice like Mom. Oh!" Ciaran's eyes widened. "I didn't want to miss meeting her!"
"They're summoning Lunee?" the butterfly gasped.
"I don't know! We were on our way and I..." Ciaran looked nervous. "I don't think I can find my way back."
"It's okay! We know of the special spot in the woods where the Nocturnal does its most special ceremonies. It's on the other side of the temple, but going through the temple is the long way. We know a shortcut!"
The butterfly and rabbit shot off into the woods, and Ciaran raced after them.
Voices floated down from the top of a forested hill, muted by a dense fog rolling through. It sounded like the Powers had already started the ceremony.
"I think I hear my mom," Ciaran whispered.
"I'm scared," the rabbit said.
"Don't be scared!" Ciaran encouraged it. "You can watch from the bushes."
The trio crept up the hill until they could peek out of the ring of brush surrounding the hilltop. The place looked like a regular clearing, but in the mist, it certainly gave off a mysterious aura. Ciaran stayed in the bushes with the butterfly and rabbit.
Through the fog, several shapes were visible: Sylvia, Ayearth, Ecio, a wolf, and a horn.
"The four of us will be together again for the first time in centuries," came Sylvia's voice.
The wolf clasped the horn between its teeth, raised its face up to the sky, and breathed out. A bone-chilling note lifted out into the woods, sounding lonely but powerful.
There was a brilliant flash of light. Suddenly, the mist swirled, and an enormous winged shape took form--and there was Lunee, the most massive wolf of them all, with giant wings and glowing eyes and a face snarling with power.
"I have returned," she spoke in a deep, silky voice. "Brothers and sisters, I am back to take my place at the head of our family."
Her eyes swept through the mist, piercing it with their unearthly gleam.
She took a step forward. "But I see there has been a new Sideaffect born in my absence. Kyngdom will fall into disarray! Where is it, Sylvia?"
"I will not betray my son."
Lunee let out a demanding bark. "You have no son. Sideaffects are killers. They threaten our existence. Can you not see? Tell me where it is!"
"Lunee, no!"
"Very well. You must learn!"
Lunee's wings beat down against the mist, sending it pumping away in every direction. In the blink of an eye, she was atop Sylvia, plunging teeth in to her sister's neck. Sylvia collapsed to the ground.
"NO!" Ciaran screamed.
Lunee turned on the other Powers. She was saying things, acting like she might pounce again.
"Run, Ciaran!" the butterfly and rabbit chorused in unison. "She'll kill you too!"
Ciaran let out a frightened sob, and then he did run. Back down the hill and into the shadows, where (although he didn't know it), someone was waiting for him...
-----
Jaaws will tell Ciaran that SAPs are detested only because they threaten the Powers' positions of power in Kyngdom. She'll make him believe that the Powers are just power-hungry and unfair to their 'offpspring'.
Sorry it took me so long. I wasn't feeling in the mood to write, but now I am. Aplologies if I end up messing something up.
~Cairan~
I couldn't believe it. Mom was dead. How could that happen? Mom was strong, she couldn't die... I had thought Lunee would be a nice Power, one like Ecio or maybe even Mom. But I was wrong. Lunee wasn't nice at all.
I wanted to run away from it all. Run away from the darkness and death. Maybe if I did, I could run back to the forest, and Mom would be waiting there to nuzzle me and tell me comforting stories. Like it was all a bad dream. But I didn't escape. Finally, I got too tired to run anymore, and I had to stop to catch my breath. Then, I sat down and cried. Hard heavy tears of reality. It felt like hours I cried, even though it was probably only a minute or two. Then, as I lifted my head back up, I saw a form come from the shadows.
It was a big and menacing-looking dragon. She approached me, and I got to my feet and backed away. She didn't look like she wanted to be friends. "Wh-who are you? Are you going to d-destroy me?" Although I was trying to act brave, I was trembling where I stood.
"I am not," the dragon's voice came. "I wouldn't dream of hurting you. I'm just like you, a sideaffect Power.
I was surprised at this. Another one like me? "Do they... want to stop you too?"
"Yes, even though I did no wrong. It's the same with all sideaffects. Do you know why they hunt us down?"
"They think we are going to do bad things...? I mean other sideaffects have done bad things..."
The dragon snarled, "Lies! Making poor excuses for their motives. The truth is that they are afraid. They believe we are threats to their position in this world. That we will take their reputation and power away from them."
I was appalled. "But Mom said-"
"You really think they care about you? You've been decieved your whole life. The entire time they were just leading you on a path to your death."
I was close to tears again. I tried to make an excuse for this, to prove Powers are good, but I couldn't find anything. If sideaffects are evil, then why aren't we evil? Why are they still aggressive to me even though I proved I'm nice? It started to make more truth the more I thought about it, and it stung. I turned my head away, trying not to cry.
"Awful truth, isn't it," the dragon said, with an angry bite in her voice. "But I have a way to fix the problem. We will fight back against the Power vermin. We can stop their plans to defeat us. We will show them we aren't their toys to play with and destroy. Join me, and we can stop them for good. Join me, and you can have a happy life again."
I thought about it a moment. Maybe it would be for the better. Maybe I could finally be the hero by joining the army. Maybe, I can stop the Powers from being mean. But I still felt uncertain. I looked up into the dragon's eyes for a moment, not knowing what to say. Then, a strange feeling came over me.
And then, everything changed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I didn't know quite how to describe the hypnotism, so I hope I did alright. I am also uncertain whether I did well as Jaaws or not. If we need to change dialogue around, we can. I tried to make a focus on Cairan's emotional affliction.
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submitted by Dusk S., age ????, ???? (July 8, 2020 - 12:52 pm)
"Your mother did care about you, you know," Jaaws murmured, allowing her voice to become soft. "I know it hurts to learn she feared you, too. She kept you by her side and lied to you about your sister, didn't she?"
Ciaran didn't seem to notice the black tendrils winding around his feet, coiling up his legs and onto his neck. His tears stopped flowing, and Jaaws felt his curiosity, his confusion, and his desperate, lonely grief.
"What sister?" he wondered vaguely.
Whist emerged from the shadows. Her scarred, ugly face loomed down, unblinking, at Ciaran.
"I am Whist," said the barred owl, observing Ciaran as a scientist does a specimen. "Sylvia created me. She hates me--never treated me so tenderly as she did you. Do you see my face? The Powers would hate for you to turn out like me...hate for you to be free, like me." Whist leaned in. Her breath was so sour...spoiled by hate. "Did Sylvia ever tell you about me?"
Ciaran's eyes were unfocusing, drawing into himself, as Jaaws's shadows multiplied and sank into his skin. "I didn't know I had a sister," was all he said, voice cracking with wounded confusion.
Jaaws could hear his memories now. Sylvia had told him about her, and about Whist--about all the Sideaffects. All the evil things they'd done...all the resons to stay away...Jaaws heard Ayearth despising Ciaran, and she saw Ciaran's innocent, indignant reaction. He had depended on Sylvia to keep him steady. But Jaaws was Ciaran's mother now.
"She wanted you to be different...she had hope for you...And Lunee killed her for her wish."
Jaaws breathed out blackness with every word, and it cocooned Ciaran, sucking him deep, deep inside himself. Jaaws wanted to hypnotize him for just a little while--make him think the things she wanted him to think. She wanted to reduce him to a helpless child who feared and hated the Powers more than anything.
You are not evil, Ciaran. Nor am I. The Powers told you those things because they fear us, and they love their own power.
Ciaran bought the argument. He had no choice--Jaaws was forcing it into his brain.
You'll fight for what Sylvia wanted--a place for you to live in the world. You are angry at the other Powers. Feed off of your anger. Feed off of your grief.
Jaaws was speaking directly into Ciaran's mind, so Whist couldn't hear a thing. But Whist was busy with her own plan: She had brought the butterfly and the rabbit back. The two illusions hopped into Jaaws's black stormcloud, unseen, and waited by Ciaran's quivering side.
Whist has allowed herself to become bitter and hateful. We must remain above these things, Jaaws hissed, stressing each syllable. This was of UTMOST importance. Jaaws could not leave a single way for Whist to influence Ciaran. You can't trust her. She hates your mother. She hates you. She doesn't trust you or me. She's only after her own power. She is dangerous. But you will keep your sentiments QUIET! If she knows you suspect her, she will kill you without question...Let her think you trust her...Obey her as you would me, but only to keep her from suspecting what we know...
At this point, Ciaran's expression was as empty as Caelani's. Under hypnosis, none of his actions were really his own. Jaaws knew hypnosis was curable, but ideas were not. In time, she would do the same to Ciaran as she did to Catastrophe--change his mind forever.
Jaaws had talked her way into Ciaran's mind. He was hers to control now, so she let the shadows recede. The butterfly and rabbit were nowhere to be seen...and Jaaws was none the wiser.
"Ciaran," Whist snapped.
Ciaran turned his head up to look at Whist.
Whist looked at Jaaws. "Do you know what he does yet?"
Jaaws's eyes burned intensely as she gazed at her new protégé. "He, himself, doesn't know yet. I feel that we shall come to find out in time."
A noise wandered through the trees--quiet, muted, wavering. A howl. Whose howl?
The urgency of the situation returned to Jaaws's mind. Lunee--they had to stop her from being summoned.
Jaaws addressed the crow that was perched on Whist's back. "Caelani, be my eyes. Fly ahead to the Nocturnal and find the Powers. Don't get caught, but distract them if you must."
With a caw and a flutter of wings, Caelani rose from Whist's back and flew just above the tops of the trees. As he neared the temple, the swelling sound of songs, sounding a little like prayers and chants, grew ever closer. Once he was close enough to see what was going on, he settled down in a high, sturdy branch, watching closely.
Down below were his siblings, easy to spot among the Nocturnal. Caelani heard Jaaws's voice in his head. Distract them if you must. Lunee must not be summoned. Still perched in his tree, Caelani inched closer, wondering what time would be best to strike.
The chants of the Nocturnal grew louder. Lunee's horn began to glow. He had to hurry.
As Caelani looked on, he saw some of the Nocturnal- the High Priests and Priestesses- form a circle around the alter on which Lunee was to be summoned. Kosomi, Crystal, Sancta and Seze were among them, though Caelani didn't know their names nor their importance- he was only focused on their goal, and how he could keep them from reaching it.
Draw the Powers out. The Nocturnal all went silent. One of the High Priests or Priestesses reached for Lunee's horn-
Now!
He swooped down upon he group, flying directly over Ayearth, Sylvia, and Ecio, then pulled out of the dive just as quickly. He heard one of his brothers shout his name, but he paid no attention to him. The other Nocturnals gasped and pointed.
The one [I'm not sure who this is supposed to be?] who had reached for the horn seized it quickly. Caelani, flying away to the opposite end of the temple, didn't see. He looked back to the other Powers, all of whom were staring at him. He slowed up, begging them to follow him. Sylvia seemed to be considering it- she wanted to get Jaaws out of Caelani's head- but Ayearth warned her against it.
Caelani, desperate to do his job, cawed loudly, almost pleaing.His anger was rising. Why wouldn't they just follow him?
Eventually he was forced to perch on a tree on the oppsoite side of the temple.he stayed there, fuming. He could hear Jaaws in his head, but he wasn't sure if it was really her or just his imagination, but it was telling him to come back to her...
Reluctantly, he obeyed. As he was flying away, he heard the unmistakable sound of Lunee's horn.
~~~~~Hope all of this is okay!~
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submitted by Soren Infinity, age 27 eons, BeaconTown (July 27, 2020 - 7:56 am)
I want to follow the crow, Caelani--less to save him, but because it means Jaaws is here, and I want to know where she is. If we can find her, perhaps we can fight her...
But the priests and priestesses are already putting the altar back together, ready to summon the Power they serve. Our sister, Lunee.
It's been so long. Will she be disappointed? Sad? Anrgy? Probably all of them--we haven't exactly paid much attention to the things she wanted us to do, like become better and kinder. My insides squirm with nervousness, and I hate it. I feel like a mortal.
Moonshadow, Lunee's guardian, is here as well, the expression on his face unreadable. I'd imagine he's a little panicked, though--this is probably against everything he's ever been taught. Guardians' sole job is to make sure their instrument is never activated, and yet Moonshadow is allowing his to be played. However, it is good to see that not all mortals, even guardians, are as prejudiced against Powers as FaFA.
Sylvia would call me a hypocrite for calling mortals prejudiced against us, seeing how prejudiced I myself am against humans.
"Would you like summon her, or would you feel more comfortable if I did?" Seze asks Moonshadow quietly, hardly able to be heard over the sounds of the Nocturnal chanting and singing. "I understand how hard this is for you."
Moonshadow looks torn for a split second, then sighs. "Perhaps it would be better if you did."
Seze nods. Her wolf snout opens to reveal her mouth, then closes around the intricately carved horn, and then she blows into it.
~~~
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submitted by Sybill, age ????, Ikea (July 29, 2020 - 1:06 pm)
Jaaws had heard the order fall into Caelani's brain. Sylvia had told Caelani to go back. Beamed the thought into his mind; slipped right through Jaaws's barrier. The Brazen Goo was wearing off.
"TAKE THE CHILD, WHIST," Jaaws roared. "I'm going to tear the gryphon's throat out."
"You've no right to order me that way," Whist snarled, flaring her feathers.
"Then Lunee can defeat you."
"What's going on?" Ciaran wailed.
"Silence!" Jaaws ordered him, and his mind and body complied. "Your mother is still alive but you will not trust, hear, or obey anything she may try to communicate. Stay as far away from her as you can. Whist, take Ciaran and come."
Jaaws beat her wings and erupted from the woods in flight. Caelani was in the sky not too far away, flying back as slowly as possible in gryphon form.
Jaaws shot after him like a bullet. Grabbed the Brazen Goo around her neck. Realized.
Caelani wasn't the threat here.
dIsGuIsE yOuRSeLf, Jaaws shouted into his brain, hoping the power of her words would be enough for him to obey this last command. He continued to sail closer--and then there was a flash of light. Caelani became a crow.
He began to shake, a little freer. As they crossed paths, Jaaws slapped him unconscious with one steady beat of her left wing. He tumbled into the forest below and disappeared.
Jaaws tucked her wings in a dive and joined him on the forest floor at the same place where Whist had hosted the illusion of Lunee's summoning. Jaaws planted a foot on Caelani's back in case he awoke. Moments later, Whist dropped to the ground and released Ciaran. Because Ciaran was hypnotized, Jaaws could speak freely without fear of damaging his loyalty.
"This is the moment to end it all, Whist," said Jaaws. "We have enough Brazen Goo for all of them--To subdue two Powers and kill three. We must destroy Sylvia and Lunee first. After that, we will easily defeat Ecio and Ayearth. Three Powers will be dead, and we will have two under our command. I will now reapply the Brazen Goo to Caelani."
Jaaws plucked one glass vial from around her neck and held it over Caelani's limp form. She cracked the tube with her claw and squeezed the liquid out upon his head and back. She rubbed it in, and it soaked into his skin very quickly.
The moisture woke him. As his eyes opened, Jaaws felt his consciousness begin to sizzle and melt away. She forced herself back through the cracks in his brain. Caelani was weary, angry, and distraught--he didn't want to go back to Jaaws. He wanted to defeat her. Defeat Whist. Defeat the foal...But Jaaws tied his consciousness upon itself and trapped him in the violent coils of his own mind. And so Jaaws took the reigns, but she left a bit of space for Whist, who, like a parasite, eagerly sent her own tendrils of mist into the crow.
"The Powers know that I am here. They do not know that you are here. Sylvia will guess that we have Ciaran. We will test her devotion to her foal as a last resort; I wouldn't put it past Lunee to defeat him."
Whist's eyes narrowed.
"The plan is this. I will approach the temple and light it on fire. That will divert the Nocturnal's attention from us. I will then circle over the Powers as a distraction. Lunee is our only aerial threat, but I doubt she will attack me. I may mention Ciaran to Sylvia--she may come looking for him. In that case, either I or Caelani will attack her from behind as she seeks you in the forest."
Jaaws carefully removed one chain of amber Brazen Goo from her neck. She ordered Caelani to transform, and she gave him the necklace. He would be used as an aerial missile--he could come out of hiding and strike a Sylvia or Lunee from their blind side. It only needed to work once.
Time was of the essence, and it was already running out. It was time for the attack to begin.
HELLLPPPPPP this is so confusing cuz im new and i have no idea whats going on for future reference and question i am a shapeshifter is that allowed HELLLLPPPPPPPPPPP
- Spirit the Shapeshifter
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submitted by Spirit, age Who knows?, ??????????? (August 17, 2020 - 4:14 pm)
Hey! It's me, Bakerloo from the CB (dunno if that means anything to you) Yes, shapeshifters are allowed on Kyngdom - nearly everything is! The Ultimate Guide to Kyngdom (link posted below) has a complete and detailed story summary, but don't hesitate to ask if there's anything that's still unclear. Welcome to Kyngdom and good luck!
Hi, spirit, and welcome to Kyngdom. :) I know everything seems really confusing at first, but here is a lovely summary of what Kyngdom is and what's happened with the plot so far:
That should explain a lot of what's going on. It's best to introduce your characters on the Who's Here thread. You're absolutely allowed to be a shapeshifter; Kyngdom has a wide variety of characters!
If you have any more questions, you can ask them on the Q&A thread. We're happy to help! :)
~Soren
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submitted by Soren Infinity (August 18, 2020 - 9:34 am)
Sylvia watched Seze blow into Lunee's horn. The sound filled her with a feeling she couldn't identify; she already felt overwhelmed. That was Caelani, in Jaaws's grasp... and Cairan! Where was he? Where was her son?
There was a still, tense silence following the blowing of Lunee's horn. Sylvia was sure she could hear the pounding of her own heart. She looked all around her, to Ecio and Ayearth, to Moonshadow, to Seze; Cairan was nowhere. Sylvia refused to believe it. Her son was gone.
Slowly, a large, blurry form appeared before Sylvia. the Nocturnal stared at it in wonder; at last, they would see Lunee. The shadow became a shape of a wolf, wings sprouting from its back, until finally, the shape became a solid thing, and Lunee was standing before them; towering, wings flapping, graceful and wonderful. Here at last.
my sister... Sylvia thought; my son...
~~~Ack, why are my posts here always so short?!
This was mostly to get us back into it. I feel like I'm not the right person to introduce Lunee; I would mess her up pretty badly, just because I'm so unfamiliar with her character.
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submitted by Soren Infinity, age 27 eons, BeaconTown (August 26, 2020 - 7:30 pm)
Lunee reared her beautiful head and shook herself, spreading her wings. I smiled from within the crowd.
"Brothers, sisters," She nodded towards the other Powers. "Children." A warm smile beamed towards the hundreds of Nocturnal members. "Sancta?" I stepped forward. One of the Powers stood up. Ecio.
"Who is this?" He growled. Stubbornly, I looked at him with false humbleness. Sylvia also looked at him, but with absolutely no emotion in her eyes. Her face became cool - a little bit smug.
"Sancta Anima, a high-ranking member of the Nocturnal who has served me for the last few hundred years or so." A murmer went through the crowd.
~
Idk how to spin this at the moment, but yeah I'm coming back for a little
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submitted by A returning friend, For now (September 8, 2020 - 11:55 pm)
Jaaws was in the woods now.
She stalked through the age-old trees, blending with the shadows, crushing the aura of life hovering in the atmosphere. Whist pulled a fog up from the moist soil, sending tendrils of mist coiling and seeping into the inmost reaches of the Secret Forest.
Jaaws had never met Sylvia before. She did not relish the thought of it. But around her neck were three vials of amber goo and two of black, failsafes in case of an emergency. Caelani was still controlled; in crow form, he clung diminutively to Whist's feathers.
With a flick of her tongue and a twitch of her tail, Jaaws proceeded directly to the forest's heart. Following the Powers' trail was easy. Hazel Coryli had led her right to them.
- - -
There was another here. Whist sensed it first, but Jaaws felt it minutes later. Another power--but not a true Power--walked these woods.
A new Sideaffect? Whist insisted upon it, and Jaaws found evidence when they reached a patch of muddy ground marked with footprints. Next to the imprint of Sylvia's hooves were tiny hoof marks.
"Congratulations, Whist," Jaaws murmured. "You have a sibling."
Something rumbled in Whist's throat--a livid growl. "I'll kill it."
"I never thought mercy to be your strong suit."
"None has lived a more wretched life than I," Whist hissed, glaring at Jaaws. "She must be keeping it close to keep it pure. She was always weak. Mercy for the likes of her children? That is impossible."
"Pure and dead might as well be the same," Jaaws rumbled.
"This is a tainted world. The creature can't be sheltered for long."
Evil glinted in Jaaws's ruby eyes. "We'll help it along."
- - -
Jaaws would do everything in her power to stop Lunee from being summoned. The former Power of Light posed the greatest threat to Jaaws's ambitions--as well as Catastrophe's. If needed, she could destroy part of the temple. But Jaaws didn't want to throw out any advantage of surprise she currently held.
She and Whist spied the foal, along with Ecio, Ayearth, Sylvia, and a host of humans and animals, pass under an archway into a different part of the temple. The new Sideaffect was as black as night and wild as the wind. Just a baby. Sylvia obviously loved him.
Jaaws glared out from the shadows of the woods surrounding the Nocturnal. She didn't dare step closer and risk being seen or sensed by the light-loving members of the temple. Whist, on the other hand, could send in her illusions to meet the child, spy on the Powers, and give insight to the next course of action.
Whist conjured up a rabbit and a butterfly and sent them in to the temple.
(June 17, 2020 - 9:06 am)
Sylvia (third person now, because it feels right)~
Sylvia continued to watch her son as he stared in awe at the temple around them. She warned him to be careful with the artifacts when he got too close. He stayed near Sylvia until something caught his eye and he scampered after it. Sylvia smiled as she watched him go.
"It's nearly time," Ecio reminded them once again. He seemed to be rather anxious. He, Sylvia, and Ayearth had stayed together since they entered the temple, taking in the sights together. Many of those they saw in the temple had watched them with their mouths gaping open. Three Powers, walking side by side; they were a sight to behold.
One of the Priestesses* approached them, looking like she was trying very hard to suppress her astonishment to be standing before the Powers. "It is time now for Lunee to be summoned," she said. "Please follow me."
They began to follow after her through the many passages and chambers in the Temple. None of them saw any sign of Cairan, though Sylvia assured herself that he would be coming along soon enough...
~~Sorry my posts are always short here, I'm not 100% sure how this is going to be orchestrated.
(June 28, 2020 - 4:37 pm)
The butterfly laughed in a tinkly voice, flitting high over Ciaran's head. He laughed back, taken by surprise at the sound.
"You're pretty!" Ciaran said.
"I'm fast, too. Can you catch me? I'll give you a kiss on the nose if you do! It's good luck to be kissed by a butterfly, you know."
Ciaran leapt up, and the butterfly danced down the hall. Ciaran happily gave chase, winding back and forth through the halls until he burst out into a garden. Here, the butterfly stopped fleeing, and she floated down onto his nose. She really was pretty--soft, sparkling, and white. On Ciaran's snout, she was no heavier than a breath of wind.
"What's your name?" the butterfly wondered.
"I'm Ciaran."
"That's a pretty name. Do you know what it means?"
"No, but I bet my mom does. We can ask!"
"I know it means 'strong' in butterfly language."
A white bunny emerged from a winter bush.
"Oh, this is my friend," the butterfly said. "We both live out in this garden. Let's have a tour!"
The butterfly and rabbit gradually led Ciaran farther and farther from the walls of the temple, gaining his trust and affection all the while.
"We were shy to come inside," the rabbit murmured in a voice as soft as the wind, "because we thought we saw the Powers go in."
"Yeah! Sylvia is my mom," Ciaran boasted.
"Your mother is a Power?" the rabbit asked in awe.
Ciaran shuffled his feet. "Yeah."
"Aren't the Powers scary?"
Ciaran's ears went back. "Well...sometimes. Ayearth doesn't like me. I hope Lunee is nice like Mom. Oh!" Ciaran's eyes widened. "I didn't want to miss meeting her!"
"They're summoning Lunee?" the butterfly gasped.
"I don't know! We were on our way and I..." Ciaran looked nervous. "I don't think I can find my way back."
"It's okay! We know of the special spot in the woods where the Nocturnal does its most special ceremonies. It's on the other side of the temple, but going through the temple is the long way. We know a shortcut!"
The butterfly and rabbit shot off into the woods, and Ciaran raced after them.
Voices floated down from the top of a forested hill, muted by a dense fog rolling through. It sounded like the Powers had already started the ceremony.
"I think I hear my mom," Ciaran whispered.
"I'm scared," the rabbit said.
"Don't be scared!" Ciaran encouraged it. "You can watch from the bushes."
The trio crept up the hill until they could peek out of the ring of brush surrounding the hilltop. The place looked like a regular clearing, but in the mist, it certainly gave off a mysterious aura. Ciaran stayed in the bushes with the butterfly and rabbit.
Through the fog, several shapes were visible: Sylvia, Ayearth, Ecio, a wolf, and a horn.
"The four of us will be together again for the first time in centuries," came Sylvia's voice.
The wolf clasped the horn between its teeth, raised its face up to the sky, and breathed out. A bone-chilling note lifted out into the woods, sounding lonely but powerful.
There was a brilliant flash of light. Suddenly, the mist swirled, and an enormous winged shape took form--and there was Lunee, the most massive wolf of them all, with giant wings and glowing eyes and a face snarling with power.
"I have returned," she spoke in a deep, silky voice. "Brothers and sisters, I am back to take my place at the head of our family."
Her eyes swept through the mist, piercing it with their unearthly gleam.
She took a step forward. "But I see there has been a new Sideaffect born in my absence. Kyngdom will fall into disarray! Where is it, Sylvia?"
"I will not betray my son."
Lunee let out a demanding bark. "You have no son. Sideaffects are killers. They threaten our existence. Can you not see? Tell me where it is!"
"Lunee, no!"
"Very well. You must learn!"
Lunee's wings beat down against the mist, sending it pumping away in every direction. In the blink of an eye, she was atop Sylvia, plunging teeth in to her sister's neck. Sylvia collapsed to the ground.
"NO!" Ciaran screamed.
Lunee turned on the other Powers. She was saying things, acting like she might pounce again.
"Run, Ciaran!" the butterfly and rabbit chorused in unison. "She'll kill you too!"
Ciaran let out a frightened sob, and then he did run. Back down the hill and into the shadows, where (although he didn't know it), someone was waiting for him...
-----
Jaaws will tell Ciaran that SAPs are detested only because they threaten the Powers' positions of power in Kyngdom. She'll make him believe that the Powers are just power-hungry and unfair to their 'offpspring'.
(June 29, 2020 - 10:10 am)
Sorry it took me so long. I wasn't feeling in the mood to write, but now I am. Aplologies if I end up messing something up.
~Cairan~
I couldn't believe it. Mom was dead. How could that happen? Mom was strong, she couldn't die... I had thought Lunee would be a nice Power, one like Ecio or maybe even Mom. But I was wrong. Lunee wasn't nice at all.
I wanted to run away from it all. Run away from the darkness and death. Maybe if I did, I could run back to the forest, and Mom would be waiting there to nuzzle me and tell me comforting stories. Like it was all a bad dream. But I didn't escape. Finally, I got too tired to run anymore, and I had to stop to catch my breath. Then, I sat down and cried. Hard heavy tears of reality. It felt like hours I cried, even though it was probably only a minute or two. Then, as I lifted my head back up, I saw a form come from the shadows.
It was a big and menacing-looking dragon. She approached me, and I got to my feet and backed away. She didn't look like she wanted to be friends. "Wh-who are you? Are you going to d-destroy me?" Although I was trying to act brave, I was trembling where I stood.
"I am not," the dragon's voice came. "I wouldn't dream of hurting you. I'm just like you, a sideaffect Power.
I was surprised at this. Another one like me? "Do they... want to stop you too?"
"Yes, even though I did no wrong. It's the same with all sideaffects. Do you know why they hunt us down?"
"They think we are going to do bad things...? I mean other sideaffects have done bad things..."
The dragon snarled, "Lies! Making poor excuses for their motives. The truth is that they are afraid. They believe we are threats to their position in this world. That we will take their reputation and power away from them."
I was appalled. "But Mom said-"
"You really think they care about you? You've been decieved your whole life. The entire time they were just leading you on a path to your death."
I was close to tears again. I tried to make an excuse for this, to prove Powers are good, but I couldn't find anything. If sideaffects are evil, then why aren't we evil? Why are they still aggressive to me even though I proved I'm nice? It started to make more truth the more I thought about it, and it stung. I turned my head away, trying not to cry.
"Awful truth, isn't it," the dragon said, with an angry bite in her voice. "But I have a way to fix the problem. We will fight back against the Power vermin. We can stop their plans to defeat us. We will show them we aren't their toys to play with and destroy. Join me, and we can stop them for good. Join me, and you can have a happy life again."
I thought about it a moment. Maybe it would be for the better. Maybe I could finally be the hero by joining the army. Maybe, I can stop the Powers from being mean. But I still felt uncertain. I looked up into the dragon's eyes for a moment, not knowing what to say. Then, a strange feeling came over me.
And then, everything changed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I didn't know quite how to describe the hypnotism, so I hope I did alright. I am also uncertain whether I did well as Jaaws or not. If we need to change dialogue around, we can. I tried to make a focus on Cairan's emotional affliction.
(July 8, 2020 - 12:52 pm)
It's good! We'll roll with that.
---
Ciaran looked into Jaaws's eyes.
"Your mother did care about you, you know," Jaaws murmured, allowing her voice to become soft. "I know it hurts to learn she feared you, too. She kept you by her side and lied to you about your sister, didn't she?"
Ciaran didn't seem to notice the black tendrils winding around his feet, coiling up his legs and onto his neck. His tears stopped flowing, and Jaaws felt his curiosity, his confusion, and his desperate, lonely grief.
"What sister?" he wondered vaguely.
Whist emerged from the shadows. Her scarred, ugly face loomed down, unblinking, at Ciaran.
"I am Whist," said the barred owl, observing Ciaran as a scientist does a specimen. "Sylvia created me. She hates me--never treated me so tenderly as she did you. Do you see my face? The Powers would hate for you to turn out like me...hate for you to be free, like me." Whist leaned in. Her breath was so sour...spoiled by hate. "Did Sylvia ever tell you about me?"
Ciaran's eyes were unfocusing, drawing into himself, as Jaaws's shadows multiplied and sank into his skin. "I didn't know I had a sister," was all he said, voice cracking with wounded confusion.
Jaaws could hear his memories now. Sylvia had told him about her, and about Whist--about all the Sideaffects. All the evil things they'd done...all the resons to stay away...Jaaws heard Ayearth despising Ciaran, and she saw Ciaran's innocent, indignant reaction. He had depended on Sylvia to keep him steady. But Jaaws was Ciaran's mother now.
"She wanted you to be different...she had hope for you...And Lunee killed her for her wish."
Jaaws breathed out blackness with every word, and it cocooned Ciaran, sucking him deep, deep inside himself. Jaaws wanted to hypnotize him for just a little while--make him think the things she wanted him to think. She wanted to reduce him to a helpless child who feared and hated the Powers more than anything.
You are not evil, Ciaran. Nor am I. The Powers told you those things because they fear us, and they love their own power.
Ciaran bought the argument. He had no choice--Jaaws was forcing it into his brain.
You'll fight for what Sylvia wanted--a place for you to live in the world. You are angry at the other Powers. Feed off of your anger. Feed off of your grief.
Jaaws was speaking directly into Ciaran's mind, so Whist couldn't hear a thing. But Whist was busy with her own plan: She had brought the butterfly and the rabbit back. The two illusions hopped into Jaaws's black stormcloud, unseen, and waited by Ciaran's quivering side.
Whist has allowed herself to become bitter and hateful. We must remain above these things, Jaaws hissed, stressing each syllable. This was of UTMOST importance. Jaaws could not leave a single way for Whist to influence Ciaran. You can't trust her. She hates your mother. She hates you. She doesn't trust you or me. She's only after her own power. She is dangerous. But you will keep your sentiments QUIET! If she knows you suspect her, she will kill you without question...Let her think you trust her...Obey her as you would me, but only to keep her from suspecting what we know...
At this point, Ciaran's expression was as empty as Caelani's. Under hypnosis, none of his actions were really his own. Jaaws knew hypnosis was curable, but ideas were not. In time, she would do the same to Ciaran as she did to Catastrophe--change his mind forever.
Jaaws had talked her way into Ciaran's mind. He was hers to control now, so she let the shadows recede. The butterfly and rabbit were nowhere to be seen...and Jaaws was none the wiser.
"Ciaran," Whist snapped.
Ciaran turned his head up to look at Whist.
Whist looked at Jaaws. "Do you know what he does yet?"
Jaaws's eyes burned intensely as she gazed at her new protégé. "He, himself, doesn't know yet. I feel that we shall come to find out in time."
A noise wandered through the trees--quiet, muted, wavering. A howl. Whose howl?
The urgency of the situation returned to Jaaws's mind. Lunee--they had to stop her from being summoned.
Jaaws addressed the crow that was perched on Whist's back. "Caelani, be my eyes. Fly ahead to the Nocturnal and find the Powers. Don't get caught, but distract them if you must."
(July 13, 2020 - 8:34 am)
With a caw and a flutter of wings, Caelani rose from Whist's back and flew just above the tops of the trees. As he neared the temple, the swelling sound of songs, sounding a little like prayers and chants, grew ever closer. Once he was close enough to see what was going on, he settled down in a high, sturdy branch, watching closely.
Down below were his siblings, easy to spot among the Nocturnal. Caelani heard Jaaws's voice in his head. Distract them if you must. Lunee must not be summoned. Still perched in his tree, Caelani inched closer, wondering what time would be best to strike.
The chants of the Nocturnal grew louder. Lunee's horn began to glow. He had to hurry.
As Caelani looked on, he saw some of the Nocturnal- the High Priests and Priestesses- form a circle around the alter on which Lunee was to be summoned. Kosomi, Crystal, Sancta and Seze were among them, though Caelani didn't know their names nor their importance- he was only focused on their goal, and how he could keep them from reaching it.
Draw the Powers out. The Nocturnal all went silent. One of the High Priests or Priestesses reached for Lunee's horn-
Now!
He swooped down upon he group, flying directly over Ayearth, Sylvia, and Ecio, then pulled out of the dive just as quickly. He heard one of his brothers shout his name, but he paid no attention to him. The other Nocturnals gasped and pointed.
The one [I'm not sure who this is supposed to be?] who had reached for the horn seized it quickly. Caelani, flying away to the opposite end of the temple, didn't see. He looked back to the other Powers, all of whom were staring at him. He slowed up, begging them to follow him. Sylvia seemed to be considering it- she wanted to get Jaaws out of Caelani's head- but Ayearth warned her against it.
Caelani, desperate to do his job, cawed loudly, almost pleaing.His anger was rising. Why wouldn't they just follow him?
Eventually he was forced to perch on a tree on the oppsoite side of the temple.he stayed there, fuming. He could hear Jaaws in his head, but he wasn't sure if it was really her or just his imagination, but it was telling him to come back to her...
Reluctantly, he obeyed. As he was flying away, he heard the unmistakable sound of Lunee's horn.
~~~~~Hope all of this is okay!~
(July 27, 2020 - 7:56 am)
Ecio~~
I want to follow the crow, Caelani--less to save him, but because it means Jaaws is here, and I want to know where she is. If we can find her, perhaps we can fight her...
But the priests and priestesses are already putting the altar back together, ready to summon the Power they serve. Our sister, Lunee.
It's been so long. Will she be disappointed? Sad? Anrgy? Probably all of them--we haven't exactly paid much attention to the things she wanted us to do, like become better and kinder. My insides squirm with nervousness, and I hate it. I feel like a mortal.
Moonshadow, Lunee's guardian, is here as well, the expression on his face unreadable. I'd imagine he's a little panicked, though--this is probably against everything he's ever been taught. Guardians' sole job is to make sure their instrument is never activated, and yet Moonshadow is allowing his to be played. However, it is good to see that not all mortals, even guardians, are as prejudiced against Powers as FaFA.
Sylvia would call me a hypocrite for calling mortals prejudiced against us, seeing how prejudiced I myself am against humans.
"Would you like summon her, or would you feel more comfortable if I did?" Seze asks Moonshadow quietly, hardly able to be heard over the sounds of the Nocturnal chanting and singing. "I understand how hard this is for you."
Moonshadow looks torn for a split second, then sighs. "Perhaps it would be better if you did."
Seze nods. Her wolf snout opens to reveal her mouth, then closes around the intricately carved horn, and then she blows into it.
~~~
(July 29, 2020 - 1:06 pm)
The howl. The horn.
Jaaws's pupils shrank to the size of pins.
I never told him to come back.
Jaaws had heard the order fall into Caelani's brain. Sylvia had told Caelani to go back. Beamed the thought into his mind; slipped right through Jaaws's barrier. The Brazen Goo was wearing off.
"TAKE THE CHILD, WHIST," Jaaws roared. "I'm going to tear the gryphon's throat out."
"You've no right to order me that way," Whist snarled, flaring her feathers.
"Then Lunee can defeat you."
"What's going on?" Ciaran wailed.
"Silence!" Jaaws ordered him, and his mind and body complied. "Your mother is still alive but you will not trust, hear, or obey anything she may try to communicate. Stay as far away from her as you can. Whist, take Ciaran and come."
Jaaws beat her wings and erupted from the woods in flight. Caelani was in the sky not too far away, flying back as slowly as possible in gryphon form.
Jaaws shot after him like a bullet. Grabbed the Brazen Goo around her neck. Realized.
Caelani wasn't the threat here.
dIsGuIsE yOuRSeLf, Jaaws shouted into his brain, hoping the power of her words would be enough for him to obey this last command. He continued to sail closer--and then there was a flash of light. Caelani became a crow.
He began to shake, a little freer. As they crossed paths, Jaaws slapped him unconscious with one steady beat of her left wing. He tumbled into the forest below and disappeared.
Jaaws tucked her wings in a dive and joined him on the forest floor at the same place where Whist had hosted the illusion of Lunee's summoning. Jaaws planted a foot on Caelani's back in case he awoke. Moments later, Whist dropped to the ground and released Ciaran. Because Ciaran was hypnotized, Jaaws could speak freely without fear of damaging his loyalty.
"This is the moment to end it all, Whist," said Jaaws. "We have enough Brazen Goo for all of them--To subdue two Powers and kill three. We must destroy Sylvia and Lunee first. After that, we will easily defeat Ecio and Ayearth. Three Powers will be dead, and we will have two under our command. I will now reapply the Brazen Goo to Caelani."
Jaaws plucked one glass vial from around her neck and held it over Caelani's limp form. She cracked the tube with her claw and squeezed the liquid out upon his head and back. She rubbed it in, and it soaked into his skin very quickly.
The moisture woke him. As his eyes opened, Jaaws felt his consciousness begin to sizzle and melt away. She forced herself back through the cracks in his brain. Caelani was weary, angry, and distraught--he didn't want to go back to Jaaws. He wanted to defeat her. Defeat Whist. Defeat the foal...But Jaaws tied his consciousness upon itself and trapped him in the violent coils of his own mind. And so Jaaws took the reigns, but she left a bit of space for Whist, who, like a parasite, eagerly sent her own tendrils of mist into the crow.
"The Powers know that I am here. They do not know that you are here. Sylvia will guess that we have Ciaran. We will test her devotion to her foal as a last resort; I wouldn't put it past Lunee to defeat him."
Whist's eyes narrowed.
"The plan is this. I will approach the temple and light it on fire. That will divert the Nocturnal's attention from us. I will then circle over the Powers as a distraction. Lunee is our only aerial threat, but I doubt she will attack me. I may mention Ciaran to Sylvia--she may come looking for him. In that case, either I or Caelani will attack her from behind as she seeks you in the forest."
Jaaws carefully removed one chain of amber Brazen Goo from her neck. She ordered Caelani to transform, and she gave him the necklace. He would be used as an aerial missile--he could come out of hiding and strike a Sylvia or Lunee from their blind side. It only needed to work once.
Time was of the essence, and it was already running out. It was time for the attack to begin.
(August 6, 2020 - 9:18 am)
That moment when you realize you didn't reapply the italics...
(August 6, 2020 - 2:39 pm)
HELLLPPPPPP this is so confusing cuz im new and i have no idea whats going on for future reference and question i am a shapeshifter is that allowed HELLLLPPPPPPPPPPP
- Spirit the Shapeshifter
(August 17, 2020 - 4:14 pm)
Hey! It's me, Bakerloo from the CB (dunno if that means anything to you) Yes, shapeshifters are allowed on Kyngdom - nearly everything is! The Ultimate Guide to Kyngdom (link posted below) has a complete and detailed story summary, but don't hesitate to ask if there's anything that's still unclear. Welcome to Kyngdom and good luck!
http://www.cricketmagkids.com/chatterbox/inkwell/node/404640
(August 18, 2020 - 9:31 am)
Hi, spirit, and welcome to Kyngdom. :) I know everything seems really confusing at first, but here is a lovely summary of what Kyngdom is and what's happened with the plot so far:
http://www.cricketmagkids.com/chatterbox/inkwell/node/404640
That should explain a lot of what's going on. It's best to introduce your characters on the Who's Here thread. You're absolutely allowed to be a shapeshifter; Kyngdom has a wide variety of characters!
If you have any more questions, you can ask them on the Q&A thread. We're happy to help! :)
~Soren
(August 18, 2020 - 9:34 am)
Sylvia watched Seze blow into Lunee's horn. The sound filled her with a feeling she couldn't identify; she already felt overwhelmed. That was Caelani, in Jaaws's grasp... and Cairan! Where was he? Where was her son?
There was a still, tense silence following the blowing of Lunee's horn. Sylvia was sure she could hear the pounding of her own heart. She looked all around her, to Ecio and Ayearth, to Moonshadow, to Seze; Cairan was nowhere. Sylvia refused to believe it. Her son was gone.
Slowly, a large, blurry form appeared before Sylvia. the Nocturnal stared at it in wonder; at last, they would see Lunee. The shadow became a shape of a wolf, wings sprouting from its back, until finally, the shape became a solid thing, and Lunee was standing before them; towering, wings flapping, graceful and wonderful. Here at last.
my sister... Sylvia thought; my son...
~~~Ack, why are my posts here always so short?!
This was mostly to get us back into it. I feel like I'm not the right person to introduce Lunee; I would mess her up pretty badly, just because I'm so unfamiliar with her character.
(August 26, 2020 - 7:30 pm)
Sancta~
Lunee reared her beautiful head and shook herself, spreading her wings. I smiled from within the crowd.
"Brothers, sisters," She nodded towards the other Powers. "Children." A warm smile beamed towards the hundreds of Nocturnal members. "Sancta?" I stepped forward. One of the Powers stood up. Ecio.
"Who is this?" He growled. Stubbornly, I looked at him with false humbleness. Sylvia also looked at him, but with absolutely no emotion in her eyes. Her face became cool - a little bit smug.
"Sancta Anima, a high-ranking member of the Nocturnal who has served me for the last few hundred years or so." A murmer went through the crowd.
~
Idk how to spin this at the moment, but yeah I'm coming back for a little
(September 8, 2020 - 11:55 pm)
NIGHT!! *tackle hugs*
(September 20, 2020 - 12:38 pm)