Kyngdom Survival Guide
*A Travel Guide
Chatterbox: KYNGDOM™ Power of Hoof
*A Travel Guide
*A Travel Guide to Northwest Kyngdom That is Totally Not Top Secret and Has Nothing to Do with Anything Important
So you want to take a trip to Northwest Kyngdom? Wonderful! Pack your bags, grow an extra layer of fur, and hop onto the Badger Express, the high-speed badger-drawn train that will carry you northward.
Travel tip: The Badger Express has a wonderful dining car that serves a creamy, piping-hot soup called Pinesüppe: root vegetables simmered for hours with pine needles and topped off with a rich drizzle of sap.
Once you disembark, take a moment to notice how your breath turns into an intricately-patterned fog in the air. There is a magic to northwest Kyngdom that no one can explain--almost everything here, no matter how dangerous, is aesthetically pleasing. Gaze at the fields of soft, untouched snow, the evergreens glimmering with icicles so elaborate that you would have sworn they were carved by artists, and the aurora borealis that dance through the sky like omens of a better life. This is the home of Regina, the Silver Reindeer, who is…just your average reindeer!
Travel tip: Pack light but warm! Bring lots of high-protein snacks--we recommend grubs! Regina is the guardian of Hoof!
Though Regina looks so noble so as to be unapproachable, she is actually very friendly, and loves showing newcomers around her land. She lives in a mansion (nobody said reindeer weren’t materialistic!) that she named Jökull, the Old Norse word for ice. It is a place of good cheer, where the super-sweet juice of the local Winter Black Cherry flows year-round (delicious over ice or warmed up!). Zephyra loves to spend her holidays here.
Travel tip: Examine Regina closely when she walks. Three of her feet are shod in beautiful mother-of-pearl horseshoes that glimmer when she walks, but the fourth bears only a rusty horseshoe. Look closely at that horseshoe. I think you know what it is. Don’t you?
Regina will warn you about the forest of blue juniper trees that look so appealing and smell like Christmas on a platter. This is the Decoy Forest, and its pull is strong. When you walk through it--which you should never do--you will see what you want to see. Lost loves will cry out to you from the trees. Your mother, as a teenager, may appear, begging you to be her friend. Ignore them all. Have another mug of Winter Black Cherry cider. Enjoy your stay.
Travel tip: The pull of the Decoy Forest? B.I.G. feels it, too. When Cornelia Hornshaw stares into the Forest, she sees an image of the Fourth Power. But she still doesn’t know where it’s located. She’s heading there now, though. Will anybody stop her?
submitted by FAFA Intelligence, Bog & Burrow Inn
(January 4, 2017 - 12:58 pm)
(January 4, 2017 - 12:58 pm)
Hello, I am back. We need to focus on our offense. If Catastrophe starts becoming fearful, we have the upper hand. I say we try to distract his forces, and then make him feel like the resistance is all around him, closing in.
(January 21, 2017 - 1:15 am)
"Well when I was stationed in Winterwood Base, their flights only went to two places- around this area and Northeastern Kyngdom," I reply.
"So we have to go to the Winterwood base?" Trillian asks.
Shadow nods. "I suppose so."
So we set off, and it seems like hours before we see lights in the distance and a small landing platform. By then, we look like walking icicles.
"Guys, who is Gabria exactly?" Shadow asks.
"She's a new Resistance member who's a human shape-shifter, and also someone who knows an awful lot about history," Sprocket replies.
"I heard it's because she's extremely old, older than Elliot. But she stopped aging when she was fifteen or maybe sixteen," Trillian replies.
I nod. "Yeah. Probably why she knows those ancient battle strategies."
(If you don't know who she actually is, I'm pretty sure she posted her charrie sheet in Who's Here.)
We get even closer to the base, and we start being more discrete to avoid beign seen.
"Alright," I say. "Let's go in."
(January 21, 2017 - 1:25 pm)
I trot uncertainly through an unfamiliar forest, the Power of Hoof dangling from my neck. So much confusion has happened of late. So much violence. I wonder, not for the first time, whether I should hide the Power somewhere less.. vulnerable.
That's what I am now, isn't it?
Vulnerable.
But if I hid it, it could get stolen or destroyed and I wouldn't know. I would fail at my only task and not know. I resolve to keep it with me. At least I can defend it while it's with me.
I'm always defending it.
I don't know what to do.
★
Hallia says grub! It's her twelfth word.
(January 21, 2017 - 2:08 pm)
Im really just going to jump into the story.
SO, OFFENSE IT IS.
The inn is filled with a whirl of metal, teeth, claws and wings, jumbled together. There's nothing really to be explained-just fighting.
They never noticed you anyways, a voice in my head says. So what makes you think one more person fighting makes a difference?
C'mon Moon, think. This battle has no LOGIC involved in it. We need a cohesive force, not couple of seperate groups.
It's really hard to think while trying to not get hurt and also fighting.
Hmmm...
The Key might work, says Yala in my head.
I stumble backwards, almost falling into a fireplace.
What?!GET OUT! I yell back.
Yala slips through my mind defenses easier than lava through ice. You know it's going to damage the enemy, so why not use it? Besides, at least do something helpful.
I AM helpful, I shoot back. I am a Medic.
So then use it.
NO. I AM NOT USING THE KEY!
USE IT!
Fine, I mutter, but its not going to do anything because were too far away from the foest.
And then Yala's presence is gone. Just like that.
I grab my flute charm and yell something into the swirling mass of sky. Three juniper saplings shoot out of the cold ground, growing ffaster than possible, whipping and lashing themselves around Anwen's small group, forming a sort of barrier. Just enough to give them some fighting room.
Of couse, they don't notice. Not like they would anyways.
I sigh and begin fighting from the other corner of the room.
(January 21, 2017 - 3:47 pm)
The others have left! I yell at Zjier and Yala.
Let's pursue them! Zjier yells back.
There's no need to yell. We're talking in our heads, even if there is a huge amount of snow. But it's still impossible to actually concentrate with this snow raging around us.
So we trot the best we can through the snow, leaving everything and everyone behind. We can faintly see the tracks that the small party of Mina, Shadow, and everyone else made.
Zjier, can you read them? Yala asks.
Zjier sniffs the wind. Faintly. They went north, deeper into the snow. I'm guessing there's help that way or...wait. There's either a SOCS base or a base of Catastrophe. I can feel the evil from here.
We end up changing back into wolves, so we can keep warm, and we follow Zjier through the snow. Yala slips, and I go over to make sure she's alright when I feel a presence behind us.
"Stay down," I whisper to Yala.
I launch for the other, to discover that I pin another wolf down.
"Who are you?" I growl.
"I-I was just passing by, I promise!" the wolf stutters. "I'm trying to get my pack through the snow. The-the SOCS agents are pursuing us!"
"Why?" I growl.
The wolf's eyes widen.
"Why?!" I snarl.
"B-because we were caught helping the Resistance. They're heading this way and will search this entire area for Resistance members. We have to flee or they'll kill us!" the wolf whimpers, shrinking back.
I let go of the wolf and glance back where Zjier and Yala are watching.
I look at the wolf and slightly nod my head to the side. "Go."
The wolf scrambles in the snow before jolting up, the rest of his pack following.
"Someone has to tell the rest of them!" Yala exclaims. "Or they'll all be outnumbered!"
I reach back in my mind to the inn, where many are still arguing or cleaning up. In the midst of all this hustle, only a wolf and a deer sit, staring at the fire.
I try to reach into the deer's mind, but it is cluttered and cannot be cleared. I go into the wolf's, and it only thinks about one thing- the war. With struggle, I push it aside.
Listen, I say. There isn't much time. Get your friends and get out of there. Danger is coming.
(January 21, 2017 - 6:34 pm)
We are walking. Again.
The snow shifts around me, disorienting and confusing. It was good that we trusted Mina, or else I might have just headed back to the inn. I had a feeling that it would be a long while until we reached the base, and I was not looking forward to walking there.
A twig snaps. Mina's ear turns in the direction, and shadow stops. Trillian runs into her, and there is some brief scuffling.
Then we all go quiet. Figures loom out of the swirling snow, a vast wall encompasing us. We were surrounded.
(January 21, 2017 - 10:19 pm)
But instead of guns being pointed at us, a small letter drops right at our feet, and the shadows disperse.
Sprocket picks it up and begins reading it. When she finishes, she looks even paler than she already is, standing in the snow.
"What is it?" Shadow asks.
Sprocket hands me the letter.
It reads:
Good day, big sister! Oh, and everyone else that will peer at this little letter.
I do hope you've had a frightfully good time destroying the army that I am a part of. Now let's skip these droll pleasantries and get down to business.
It's quite lovely how we captured Sprocket, but I'm not stupid like you think I am. So here's the deal. Submit yourself along with three of your friends (preferably Mina, Sprocket, and Trillian) and we won't kill...what was her name? Oh yes. Gabria Aster. We won't kill Gabria or the special guest if you come to the Winterwood Base at 12:00 a.m. tomorrow.
"Who is the special guest?" you may ask. Well, dear sister, that is for you to find out and for me to not tell you.
I expect you to follow the adorable, sensitive crow to my base, and do remember that I will be standing there, waiting.
"What is it?" Shadow asks.
"Look, I'm not sure-" I begin.
"Mina!"
I take a deep breath and hand her the letter.
(January 21, 2017 - 10:36 pm)
I read the letter faster than I've read anything before.
"Oh my Claaws."
"What is it?" Asks Trillian
"It's a letter. And from the writing style, I'm guessing it's for shadow. From Alexandria."
"And that's not all," I say, scanning the letter again, "There seems to be a code in the last part."
I take out a pen and paper, and start writing out sll of the abnormal letters.
"P-L-E-A-S-E-C-O-M-E-O-R-I-D-I-E." I read, as I write down each one.
"Please come or I die."
"But that can't be the only clue," says Mina, "What about the rest of the last part? 'I expect you to follow the adorable, sensative crow to my base, and do remember I will be standing there, waiting.' What the heck does that mean?"
"Crow- is that literal or figurative? Maybe crow represents a person or animal we need to seek out?" Ponders Sprocket
"I dunno, but it's the only clue I have about the location of my sister," I say, "So lets get rolling."
(January 22, 2017 - 10:10 am)
oh great, another death threat. What in the world are we going to do?
(January 22, 2017 - 2:54 pm)
But this is our chance to kill Alexandria! Why sould we help her?
(January 22, 2017 - 2:59 pm)
Is the group going back to "the base" an all resistance group, or would Elites members also be included?
(January 22, 2017 - 5:52 pm)
What if you had a sibling that you don't really know but you love anyway? What if they were in trouble? Would you not help them?
(January 22, 2017 - 7:39 pm)
If they were thugs, then no.
(January 22, 2017 - 9:04 pm)
I awake from my fourth nightmare. The small chip they implanted in my wrist is so uncomfortable, but they told me one wrong move would set it off. Lovely. So I have a bomb in my arm.
I'm not very familiar with this part of the base, but I heard it's where they originally did experimenting. I overheard a scientist saying that Mina was experimented on here. But they aren't going to do anything to me. This is just my cell.
I'm so confused. Should I be with Catastrophe or the Resistance? I mean, the Resistance hates me as it is, but I don't know about the side that I'm on right now either.
For the first time in my life, I'm afraid, and I actually wish that shadow was here.
(January 22, 2017 - 7:50 pm)
Resistance:
You are going to save a poor, inncoent member of Catastrophe's army, someone who tried to kill you, while the Powers are controlled by Catastrophe. This is war, not a game. You don't get a second chance. If she is bait, then she is bait. If she dies, at least you didn't.
She is no better than the scum who raid villages, than the cutthroats and theives who we have to protect Kyngdom from. She is a disease, one of hundreds. Rally ourselves to rescue our true ally: Icy, who is probably captured by Catastrophe. No second chances.
Or is this because you like thinking that you are merciful, and kind. You like trying to save the humnaity of those you want defeated. You want to pity. You want to see Poe and Allexandria reunited. Isn't that nice; the kind, honorable resistance wants to save an innocent little girl.
Listen Resistance: I may be your ally, but I am not necasarily interested in trying to be noble or whatever. I am fine using any means necessary to kill Catastrophe and anyone associated with him. I have been a pawn for too long. I think you are being used. You are walking into the barrel of a gun.
Or, why don't we save Icy, who we know is on our side, rather than a agent of evil?
(January 22, 2017 - 9:17 pm)