It was Friday night.

The week had been long, and arduous.  The fish had been scant, although not absent.  The weather took constant minding from the Decher family to keep from being miserable.  Even so, it was grey and overcast.

Torches and lanterns lit up the village square as restless, frustrated folk gathered for a distraction.  A bell sounded, gonging into the night, announcing the event.

Mawr heard the bell and went to the edge of the square.  He was curious, but didn't really want people to know that.  He wanted to know why the fish didn't seem to be running like normal.

The low, eager whine of a puppy alerts Mawr that he is not alone. A longer glance will reveal Spot, the many eyed dog, straining at the metal chain used for his leach. The chain rises up to an invisible hand, and it is easy enough to guess who is holding it.

Spot's eye-covered tail is wagging furiously at the sight of the village gathering, the warm lights and tinkling bells.

"Oh, uh. Hey, Mawr," comes Tunic's familiar voice from the empty air. "How is the.... Spot! Sit! Sit, Spot. I'm trying to talk here. Spot. Sit. Sit. Good boy. Siiiiit."

The dog does not sit, though several eyes alone his spine and shoulders turn to look lovingly upon an empty piece of ground, as the eager puppy continues to strain against his leash.

Nic.  Been slow.  Real slow.  Maybe they will reveal why?  If I can help resolve it, I will.  I want my fish to flow.

Bafflement fills his voice like they were a thing that you could put into other things. "Help? Resolve? How would we help anything? Hey, can you hold Spot's leash for a second while I change? Mama made me a cloak so that people could see me easier."

The chain moves closer to Mawr, clearly being held between two invisible hands, with a span's width drooping between them for the bear to grab onto.


Once both of his translucent hands are free, some rummaging and shifting is heard for a few seconds before a roughly spun, vividly tie-dyed cloak appears, seemingly out of nowhere (though Mawr knows it came from the backpack that Nic sitched his shed skin onto). The dyes and shades include every color known on the island, which some parts of the roughspun fabric clearly whitened using some arcane process known only to The Ancestors On The Hill.

Donning the multihued garment, it becomes very easy to see where Nic is, although his individual features are still mostly translucent.

Mawr isn't much for holding any sentient creature on a chain, as he has been chained before, when he first came to the island, but he is willing to help a friend.

He says, "Spot, Sit!" He didn't intend it to sound harsh, but a whisper isn't really his thing.

Spot immediately sits down.

Knowing there was a piece of fish in his pack, Mawr says, "Spot, Beg!"

Spot sits on two paws with his front feet in the air.  He gives him a piece of the fish.

You know, Nic, I am not sure why this "pet" doesn't listen to you.

Taking the chain back, Nic's cloak shrugs. "Nobody listens to me."

Spot barks happily to be reunited with his master and starts running around in circles, his countless eyes fixed lovingly upon the floating cloak, wrapping the chain around him.

"Why should he be any different? But you said something about helping with something? What do you need help with?"

Dragged forward by the eager puppy, Nic's cloak flows away from their brief reprieve and towards the bells.

Whatever is fouling the flow of fish needs to be flushed out.

"Oh, okay. I, uh, can look into that for you," Nic offers selflessly, before anyone can force him to do it.

"Uh, are you going to get anyone else to work on this with me or is it just me?" Nic asks, completely misinterpreting Mawr's idle concern as a job, and one Nic likely wouldn't even be paid for. Of course, his Mama would likely get paid for it.

I guess I should start by talking to the village elders, he thinks to himself.

Well, let's see what they say here before we go that route.  We can go together and take whomever would join us.

Stylus sat on a small, upturned barrel, somewhere within the crowded area.
He didn't smoke, or drink much.  And had nothing really to do with his hands, so he awkwardly placed them in his lap.

He'd been back from the Seeing Place about an hour before sundown, and had noticed the slow gathering ... even before the bells had begun to ring.

He was, by definition, curious about the gathering.

In reply to Stylus (msg # 11):

The stench heralded the raccoon before Stylus saw him. Lots of light meant lots of food, so Sheldon was here. He had another mission in mind as well. He dropped down from a nearby roof and crouched next to Stylus on a neighboring barrel.

"Hi." His fangs flashed as his muzzle made a bold effort at human speech.

"You read man?" He pantomimed opening a book and browsing it with a muzzle like it was smeared with fresh jelly.

The dank basement was getting stuffy. Desi would have to take a break soon. The five glassy-eyed card players were behaving themselves. Tonight’s game was low-stakes, anyway.  No one had signed up to fight.  Slow night.

“Hey, Appy. I’m going up for a minute.” Ap, Desi’s thick-necked brother was cleaning the counter with a filthy rag, and grunted so she knew he heard.  The sun was down, so Desi didn’t need her hood or glasses to protect her albino complexion.
Before she got to the top of the stairs, she heard the town bell. She turned around, and went back down.

“Appy. The they’re ringing the bell.” Ap stopped to listen.  So did the card-players.

“Hm. Want me to check it out?”

“No. It’s okay. You stay here.  I’ll go.”

Desi grabbed her cloak this time, and headed up the stairs and out of the little ramshackle house.

Stylus got a little scare, as Sheldon dropped down beside him.
And once over that, the smell hit him ... but he tried not to be rude, because the creatures talking demonstrated that it likely had feelings.  And Stylus didn't want to offend the little bugger.

When Sheldon finished his question, Stylus looked at him a moment.
Most human's didn't ask much after books and reading; it surprised Stylus that this mutant animal did.
But, "Yes.  Yes, that is me.  The, ah, 'read man'", then, "Can I help you with something?"

The end of what her called his day, which was usually when he deemed everything has been taken care of to his satisfaction, not whether or not his schedule was the same as anyone elses, the weather was what it was, and as long as it wasn't pouring down on him, Freddy was content..

Seeing the gathering of people, then hearing the bells, Freddy makes his way towards them, his tail dancing to a song in his head as much to give it something to do as to keep it out of the way, occasionally tapping on his own head and shoulders, which made him smile, sometimes he does forget it's just part of him and not a very close friend as he looks for those most familiar, walking around the perimeter of the gathering, listening for pieces of useful information..

In the center of the roped off arena where the fights usually happen, a little monkey stood perched on one of the posts. Most knew him as Gibbsy.



"COME ROUND!" he squeaked in a high-pitched voice.  "COME ROUND.  Since their are none who wish to fight this night, we will instead have a challenge!!"

The crowd to the rear parted, and from what was usually the staging area, a massive walrus undulated forth.

"Behold KOLE the MASSIVE!  50 gold to ANY who can raise him from the mat!"

The walrus THOOMFED to the mat in a puff of dust, and the ground actually shook at the impact.

Kole the Massive looked unimpressed with his fellow fishermen in the crowd.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:33, Fri 02 Oct 2020.

While several of the village elders stood back from the crowd, mostly seated and aloof... one man made the rounds through the crowd.  Placing a gentle hand on a shoulder here... giving a quiet word of greeting there.  He didn't smile, but neither was he harsh with any of them.

Sakai, the chief elder, moved through the group, making a point of knowing everyone's name. He was neither especially tall nor broad, but carried himself with a firm grace, hobbled only by the cane he used to support his crippled leg... an injury, it was said, gained fighting a Gamma Worm that had threatened the isle 20 years past.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:25, Fri 02 Oct 2020.

Not that he needed the money that much, but he might be able to buy something useful.  He tells Nic, I will be right back with 50 gold.  Watch my pack.  He removes his pack, sits it next to Spot and wanders to the 'arena'.

I think I might be able to lift the walrus, or eat him.  Your choice.

A smirk crawled across Sheldon's face as he saw the walrus flatten himself in the middle of the ring.

He turned back to Stylus and pointed to the ring. "After this. I watch this. Maybe I do this."

He jumped down from the barrel and waddled in line behind the polar bear.

Nic casually hooks one foot through one of the straps of the bearpack, and watches the excitement. He nods his hooded head at each and every villager they pass, asking about some bit of work he had helped them with in the last year.

Spot eagerly strained at his leash, trying to smell everything and everyone. Spot was still fairly new to the rest of the village, and many people were....surprised by the eyeful which the pooch was offering them.

"Oh, there's the Elder Sakai. You will need to talk to him about this fish problem. Elder Sakai!" Nic raises his invisible hand and, one assumes, waves it about in a futile effort to attract the elder's attention.

Being invisible in the middle of a party and not watching where you are going is never a good idea, and naturally, it was at this moment that Nic accidentally ran into [whoever feels like joining us].
This message was last edited by the player at 03:32, Sat 03 Oct 2020.

Tunic runs into a purple looking tree-mushroom. This is Juffi-Wup, the trader from the plantmen. He waves a few tentacles non-menacingly at the invisible man and a little bit less non-menacingly at the dog. An image of a waving hand flitters into Tunic's mind, followed by another image of a circle with a cross through it over a dog raising it's hind leg.

The catch that day had been poor, but that was hardly news to anybody on the island. He had caught a tiny thresher shark, barely as long as his arm, and the thing had looked half starved when he had hauled it into his boat.

The meat, skin and even the bones had sold briskly, so now Frank was left without much to do for the evening. Never really a fan of the fights, entertainment was none the less rare and when he heard that somebody might attempt to lift up Like he shook his broad beaked head and went to the side lines to see for himself.

Fifty gold coins was real money, but Kole was real heavy, and he figured there was little risk of any challengers pulling it off. They would make a profit on the drink sales alone.

He saw a few other locals he was more familiar with, waved or nodded in turn, and grew interested when he saw the distinct form of the white bear Mawr  moving through the crowd.

Mawr reaches the ring area.  He approaches Gibbsy, feeling the electricity of the crowd, yet seeing the bordom on the face of Kole.  Yes, he was massive, bigger by far than Mawr.  Mawr studied the situation, strength was most important, but leverage was also important.  It wasn't as if there was a handle to lift by.  But, he thought he had found a way to do it.  His height was enough to ensure that, when properly positioned, the walrus would be entirely off the ground, including any limbs or appendages.

Still a little bit unnerved about being the center of attention, he said to Gibbsy, "I think I would like to try to lift the walrus, if I am allowed.

Freddy feels himself relax a bit when the monkey screeches out it's message, moving closer, using his tail to tap people so they move slightly to let him pass, these kinds of contests not his favorite, but they always fascinate him as they are far outside his personal comfort zone, a thought coming to mind that he hopes there isn't alot of bloodshed..it's no that he's squeamish, he just doesn't like it..

Nic's empty hood turns to face Juffi-Wup, as Spot eagerly sniffs their newest friend. "Oh, uh, hello again, Mr Mushroom Sir. You must be excited to be in town in time for the festivities. Has your settlement been having any food issues lately? I've been hearing rumors."

While he engaged verbally with the giant double headed glowing mutant, Nic also tried to mentally project the thought, ~Please help me train Spot, please help me train Spot~ at the sentient fungus. This probably had very little impact, as Nic had never before demonstrated any telepathic ability.

Meanwhile, Spot wanted to greet Juffi-Wup properly, and so tried to find the Fungus Person's butthole to sniff, and was visibly confused when by the lack of any obvious excretory orifice. The dog tries to climb up Juffi-Wup's trunk, but Nic pulls him back by the leash and once again futilely tries to get the dog to sit.

Gibbsy turned from his perch atop one of the rope-poles to regard the big polar bear before him.  The crowd paused in their mutterings for a moment.  The suspense was almost palpable.  Nearby torches cast the ring in orange ruddy light, reflecting in the eyes of those present.

"WE HAVE A CHALLENGER!!" the little monkey screeched, doing a quick back-flip on the pole and landing back on his feet unerringly exactly where he'd been, his tail twitching.

"Of course you can.  But if you hurt yourself, it's nobody's fault but your own," Gibbsy chirped.

Kole the Massive grunted and craned his neck to regard the newcomer, letting out a HUFFF that smelled of anchovies.  He was, in fact, the largest walrus Mawr had ever seen.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:30, Mon 05 Oct 2020.

As Tunic conversed with Juffi-Wip, a quiet but raspy voice spoke over his shoulder.

"You called, Tunic deSanguine?"

Elder Sakai had apparently heard him, if not seen him, and was standing adjacent to the pair.  And Spot. He held out his rough, calloused hand, without stooping or even looking, for the dog to sniff.  His hair was black shot through with gray, salt-and-pepper, and his eyes were black.

Spot leaned in, his many eyes blinking, and then took a sniff.  And promptly sat with an audible thump. For a moment, all his eyes stopped blinking and focused on Sakai.

"Greetings, plant folk," the chief elder said aside to Juffi-Wip.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:40, Mon 05 Oct 2020.

Ignoring all that went on around him, Mawr concentrated all of his mental being on one thing, boosting his natural strength to a different level.  He didn't know how long it would last,


13:46, Today: Mawr rolled 9 using 1d10.  Turns for boost.

but he hoped it would be long enough to accomplish the task at hand.

As he felt the power surge through him, he approached the walrus.  He came in from the front, and lifting the neck up, he moved his hands down the belly, lifting more and more of the giant body.  He couldn't focus on what it was that made the beast so fat, but just the thought of strength.

Eventually, he would get to the balance point of the weight, and would lift with all he had as high as he could, hoping he held out and didn't get crushed by the thing if he gave out before bringing it down.

Nic turned around at Elder Sakai's entrance into his conversation with the sentient plant creature. "Oh, hello, Chief Elder!"

The tie-dyed cloak appeared to shift in a strong, invisible breeze, but was really shifting about the invisible body as Tunic offered a ramrod straight salute to the revered leader.

"I've begun looking into the lower rates of fish production. Mawr seemed to think that you were the person I should talk to. I was just checking with our trader friend here to see if the issue was limited to fish or if other sources of nurtie...nutri....if other foods were also being affected," Tunic added, accidentally misrepresenting the entire situation in an anxiety-fueled bid to avoid trouble. Naturally, he assumed that everyone else would be told a thing before anyone mentioned it to him, and therefore obviously the Chief Elder would know exactly what he was talking about.

He continued to hold the salute. Had anyone been able to see his mostly translucent body in the dim lights, they might have seen that he was doing it wrong, with his elbow at a strange angle, and with his knees bent too far, possibly to lower his hood to the same height as Sakai's head.

When Desi reached the square, she backed up against the wall of a building, about 20 feet from the throng.  Gibbsy’s shrill cry to the crowd, announcing the challenge rang out.  If Gibbsy had let her brothers know ahead of time about a fight, they could have increased his profits. She wondered what was driving this challenge.  Desi glanced the crowd. She knew most of them, but not all. There was Elder Sakai.  Then she saw the bear lumbering into the ring.
Desi had seen a lot of fights on the settlement. Goons, underdogs, clean fights and dirty fights. That included competitions and contests. Even though it seemed impossible, she figured the bear could lift that walrus.

He watches, fascinated as the bear lifts the walrus, amazed tho he wonders why, he's seen so many odd things before, but this, so simple and straightforward, it might be part of it, one doing all the work, the other just being, doing nothing, and yet he can't look away, hoping something more happens, but still Freddy doesn't want anyone to get needlessly hurt, his tail dancing to it's own inner rhythm as it tends to do..

It's not really all that apparent, but one of Juffi-wup's "heads" watches the action in the ring while the other attends to Sakai and Nic.

It projects an image of a person bowing at the waist in a stereotypical Asian greeting to Sakai.

To Nic's question about food sources, it projects the image of a head shaking, followed by the sun shining on the leaves of a seedling tree and the tree growing up towards the sunlight.

In response to the fish, it projects the image of a person in lab coat using surgical instruments to examine a dead fish. Somehow it is clear that this image is an interrogative rather than a statement.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:03, Tue 06 Oct 2020.

"Wait!" Gibbsy cried.  "Bets!  Place your bets!" he shrieked.

1 round elapsed as bets were exchanged.

"Go!" he cried.

On his second round of boosted strength, Mawr fumbled about for a grip.  Kole was fat, large and slippery.  He had a hard time getting a grip.

On the second round...

OOC: Mawr, please roll 1d20.

12:44, Today: Mawr rolled 13 using 1d20.  get a grip.

Boy, it is hard to get a grip on all that blubber, even with these big paws.

Nic's mother would never let him gamble, disgusting "sport" that it is. He stays focused on the discussion.

In reply to Tunic deSanguine (msg # 29):

Chief Elder Sakai frowned lightly and gently brushed Tunic's arm down from its saluting posture.  He managed to make it soft and without impact. The flickering torchlight from the arena cast shadows between them.

"Don't salute me, young man," he said gently, shaking his head.  "We are all in this together. But thank you for the respect."

His expression didn't lighten as he considered the youth's words. The smell of wood smoke and torch pitch wafted across them, along with the smell of unwashed bodies and the ever-present scent of sea.

"There is something amiss in the waters," he admitted, his tone indicating he had more information than he was sharing at this point.  "But nothing I've heard from the jungle.  Sir plant?" he asked.  But Juffi-Wup projected his pheromonal imagery, which indicated things were fine in the jungle, and asked about the fish.  And at the fungi's image of a man bowing, his dour expression did lighten.

"My great-great-grandfather applauds you," he said with a light smile.

Nic's arm moves as the elder directs, and listens/watches the conversation.

"Well, yes. I can take a sample of the fish to someone who who can study it, if we can find one to begin with, Miss Wup. What else should we do?"

The conversation now seems to include Juffi-wup into the little party that Eric is trying desperately to squirm out of (a job which he is doing so poorly at that many observers would assume he was the leader right now).

Kaden came running into town, late to the festivities as usual. He forced himself to slow down to a (normal) walking speed as the crowd thickened. His mother had tried to talk him out of going out, but he been stubborn. Of all the dull things he'd been asked to do in the past week, sitting and focusing on it NOT raining had been the worst. Still, it wasn't raining, and he deserved a little time to himself.

Hm. Something appeared to be happening thataway. There was quite a bit of noise and commotion. He headed in the direction of the arena, passing near Nic, Elder Sakai, and Juffi-wup.

Mawr's claws scrabbled along Kole's fat hide, seeking purchase.  In addition to being fat and squishy, the sentient mutant walrus was wet and slippery.

His first round of boost had been lost as wagers were cast, and his second round was spent unsuccessfully trying to get a solid grip.

"Don't squeeze too hard," Kole grumbled.  "Or..."

And at that the enormous walrus emitted a loud, odiferous fart that seemed to go on forever.

OOC: Mawr to please make a Save vs. Poison.  If he fails, it will give him a further negative to his next attempt to lift Kole the Massive.  Which he can then roll (1d20, wanting low) next.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:56, Thu 08 Oct 2020.

Elder Sakai frowned.  "I'm not sure it's anything wrong with the fish, per se," he mused.  But he was distracted for a moment by a thunderous rumbling from the arena.  Shaking his head, he smiled lightly, even as Decher wandered by.

High up on the hill, at the base of the weathered tower that had once been a lighthouse, a lone figure sat on a ledge of smooth concrete, watching the lights below.  He was in shadow, as the tower was unlit; and with the sun down, it was far easier for him to see the torchlit arena below.

In reply to Desi P (msg # 30):

As Desi regarded the arena and the hilarity that ensued, a familiar figure slipped up beside her, dark as Desi was pale.  Her friend watched the bear trying to lift the walrus for a moment, and then said aside, "What are the odds?" with a slight grin.

Mawr gags on the noxious odor.  What have you been eating!?!

Not wanting to suffer that again, once the air clears, he regrips the blubber and gives a mighty heave.

11:56, Today: Mawr rolled 16 using 1d20.  Poison save(12).
11:58, Today: Mawr rolled 3 using 1d20.  Next try.

Frank broke into a rare fit of croaking laughter as the gigantic walrus let loose with his thunderous fart. While he was not betting, the entertainment was decent and he leaned forward to see if the bear might walk away with the prize.

In reply to Abbi Enn (msg # 42):

Desi jumped. Her hand instinctively touched the little dagger at her hip, but didn't draw. The girl beside her was shorter than she was, and smiling. Desi quirked a smile back.

"Jeez, Abbi, don't sneak like that! I jumped a mile." Desi pointed to the ring. "That bear. He's going to manage it. I'm dead sure. I just don't know what Gibbsy's playing at. Is he bored? Does he owe someone? And is that the only reason they rang the dumb bell?"

The turtle leaned forward but Sheldon leaned the hell back yeah the raccoon had BO issues but who wants to sniff fishy walrus farts? Not him, that's for sure! If only they'd given him a chance to place a bet before this silliness started...

"Anchovies," Kole the Massive replied simply.  And then burped as the (much smaller) mutant polar bear dug in and HEAVED.

There was a hush in the crowd.  Mawr's sinews trembled.  This was, truly, the heaviest weight he'd ever attempted.

But with a shudder, the mutant walrus cleared the arena floor! Mawr lifted him up and was raising him high!

Mawr, please make a Dexterity check.  1d20, wanting low.

In reply to Desi P (msg # 45):

"No way," Abbi said, moving alongside her friend and leaning in to watch as Mawr struggled with the voluminous mountain of odiferous blubber.

"Honestly, I don't know, but I doubt Gibbsy did anything on his own.  And when was the last time you saw Chief Elder Sakai milling about the crowd on a Friday night?  Something's up."

Mawr, please with his results at fulfilling the task to which he set his mind, was now facing the task he dreaded most, returning Kole to the earth without damaging either himself or the mound of blubber.  Not that he worried as much about Kole, but he did want to keep a good standing in the community.


14:55, Today: Mawr rolled 4 using 1d20.  Dex chex.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:59, Tue 13 Oct 2020.

"Oh, well, where would you suggest we start then?" asks Nic, ignoring the spectacle.

Spot sat very still, a toothy grin unwaveringly pointed at the elder.

In reply to Abbi Enn (msg # 48):

Abbi had a point. What was Elder Sakai doing at a...what was this? A walrus-lifting?
Desi lowered her voice in case anyone but Abbi could hear.

"Chief Elder Sakai is always lecturing me. Ever since I was a kid. He's always, "Self-control" this, and "inner-focus" that. But you're right. He sure is chatty."

The raccoon just looks up and stares at the polar bear lifting the walrus.

He backs up slowly, just in case they tip over. He did not want to be roadkill!

Frank joined the smattering of applause that had begun to build up. He would have bet against the bear, but apparently that would have been money lost.

Sheldon backs up into Frank's shell.

"Oops! Sowwy!"

He had seen a great many things in his time and travels on the island, that fart having been one truly for the ages, and that in itself would have been enough to make Freddy's evening..

But the bear did what he would have thought impossible, lifting that massive creature off the ground, a feat he would have bet anything was a wasted effort..

And he would have lost..

and so he joins in the growing applause, impressed beyond words, his tail waving excitedly as well, as he gets very much caught up in the moment..

The arena comes into view just a few seconds as the applause begins. He looks in, confused. All Kaden sees is Mawr and Kole standing....lying....whatever it is that they do....there. Neither looks the worse for wear, although Mawr does look a bit winded, maybe? There was that horrible smell, but no clue as to what was worth seeing or applauding for.

Damnit, he should have kept running. Slowing down is always a mistake. You miss things!

Turning to another villager, he asks, "What did I miss? What?"

Even as he claps, Freddy hears something and turns to follow the sound of the voice, having to smile at how his words are going to sound..

"The bear picked up the walrus..after a fart that almost leveled the village"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:44, Thu 15 Oct 2020.

It wasn't the lift that had Mawr breathing with difficulty, it was that odiferous display of the gastrointestinal process of combining acid with carbohydrates in a fermentation process, producing the byproduct of excess air.  The air always needed to be released, but Kole picked an inopportune moment to release it.  Maybe he would make a great defense for the village.  He could send any enemy running.

Mawr says to Kole, Thank you for remaining still during the lift.  I appreciate it.

He will saunter over to Gibbsy to collect his gold coins.

Having fixated entirely on this depressing and apparently mysterious task that he'd be assigned to by...by...by somebody, Nic is quite surprised to hear a sudden burst of applause. Even Spot has started barking approval.

Looking around, he sees a ring of people in the direction that Mawr had gone off to. Apparently, the polar bear is deeply loved by this village, in a way that poor, invisible Nic will never be.

Nic heaves a heavy sigh, unaware that the prison he lives in is of his own making, and turns back to work.

"Sure," Kole the Massive responded, a bit shakily.  He wasn't used to being lifted.  For a moment, Mawr had teetered and almost dropped him, but thumped him back to the arena floor harmlessly.

The crowd was still milling about even as Gibbsy shelled out the 50 gold into the polar bear's paw.  The event had certainly brightened the mood around here... people had been positively grim before.  But then, not having a good catch was liable to do that.

Sakai frowned and glanced out into the night, the torchlight flickering across his features ominously.

"I have a suspicion," he replied to Nic. "A fear.  After the crowd disperses, come back to the arena.  If you're willing."

As the crowd began to slowly disperse, the entertainment for the evening apparently over... each of the PCs felt a pull.

It wasn't a compulsion.  More like an instinct.  An instinct to stay, as if the arena was someplace they needed to be.

They were free to overcome this urge if they wished.

Mawr took the gold back to where his pack was.  Finally, he had something to put into it.  He put the pack on his back and talked to Nic.  "That was smelly!"  He will follow the rest to the arena area.  He is too curious to not attend.

Having missed the main event, Kaden looked around forlornly, hoping for some kind of diversion more interesting than a short brisk jog back home.

Freddy turns and begins to leave, beginning to head off, not really having anything in mind, but he turns back, not totally sure why, shrugging his shoulders and falling in step with the others, the Arena as good a place as any, the decision feeling right as he makes it..

The elder leaves Nic just as Mawr returns to the pack that Nic had been "guarding" for him.

Misinterpreting his ursine friend, Nic assumes that Mawr is, for some reason, describing the gold he's putting into his pack as smelly.

No, that can't be right. He must have done something smelly to earn the coins. What can you do in ten minutes and earn that much coin?

Shrugging to himself, he suggests to Mawr, "I believe Juffi-wup has some sweeter smelling goods for trade. Also, I got a lead on your fish thing. I'm supposed to come back to the arena at the end of the night."

Nic accompanies Mawr for much of the rest of the night, dutifully saying hello to everyone, but somehow seeming to always pick the worst moment to interject himself into conversations, or greeting someone while their mouths are full.

By the end of the night, he finds himself at the arena (the appointed place) at the appointed time.

Sheldon wandered over to stylus again as everyone was heading out.

"Hi 'gain. Read dis please?"

He pulls out a thin metal chain necklace, ending in two flat metal plates with writing upon them.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:23, Fri 16 Oct 2020.

Mawr says,
I gotta find a way to keep the coin from making noise when I walk.

Mawr adjusts himself for a minute and then takes a look around in the UV spectrum to see if anything seems out of the norm.

Stylus seemed distracted when Sheldon came upon him, and startled a little as the bandit-faced little guy grabbed his attention.
"Oh, sorry,   yes", he said, gently taking the necklace.

And without even realising it, he began to wander towards 'the pull', as he investigated the thin metal chain in his hand.
                                I'll get the Mutant Lord tell us what Stylus reads

Juffi-wup projects an image of a crowd clapping at Mawr, to Mawr.

It isn't sure what the leader of the fleshies would want with it, but it stays around the arena to see what the summons is all about.

Thanks, Mr. Wup.

As the crowd dispersed and people headed back to their lives, Abbi stayed at Desi's side.  Whatever the pull they felt was, it was shared.

"I have a bad feeling about this," the petite mutant said softly.

Stylus looked at the metal plates on the chain necklace.  The characters were easily deciphered, but his knowledge of the Old Ways told him more...
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:33, Sat 17 Oct 2020.

In reply to Abbi Enn (msg # 72):

Desi nodded, barely looking at Abbi. Her brain told her to go back to her place and update her brother about the walrus, the bear, Gibbsey, and everything else. But this creepy feeling kept her focused on the square, and the remaining inhabitants.

"Don't leave me." Desi muttered to Abbi under hear breath.

Abbi had seemed about to drift off, like most of the crowd, to go about her business.  But at Desi's imploration, she stopped.

"Never," she whispered simply.  And stayed by her friend.

As the crowd thinned, it became apparent to those still present that there was a select group remaining.

Besides the PCs, there were also the Isle's elders.  All of them.  And among them, Chief Elder Sakai, circling the group like a panther.

Gibbsy remained in the ring, as well, although Kole the Massive had slunk off to eat more fish.

"So," Sakai said.  "Now we have this."

One of the other elders, a woman named Morkai, complained, "We remain opposed to this, Sakai.  This is foolishness."  Several - but not all - of the other Elders nodded in agreement to Morkai.

"Noted," Sakai said neutrally.

He regarded each remaining in turn, slowly, respectfully.

There was the distinct feeling of being scrutinized by one's teachers.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:02, Wed 21 Oct 2020.

Not sure why he'd hung around to eavesdrop on this conversation ... why he hadn't wandered off to bed by now ... but feeling strangely interested ... Stylus handed the metal necklace back to Sheldom, and quietly said, "It's a portable sign of identity, for a warrior" in a distracted and confused tone.
His attention was divided between the racoon and the elders.

Mawr wondered why he was here, he preferred his cozy den, where it was nice and cool.  He whispers to Nic, ^{"seems those folk can't get along with each other."}

In reply to Mawr (msg # 79):

From within his resplendent tie-dyed cloak, Nic whispers, "They're politicians," as if that explained everything.

Spot tries to sniff something that had been dropped during the party. The object has been stepped on repeatedly.

In reply to Stylus (msg # 78):

Sheldon quickly takes the dog tags back.

"Oh? Verra intrestins."

He holds it up and watches the tags twinkle in the torchlight.

"Wuzzis name? I tink I saw his body out dere..."

Kaden's curiosity got the better of him. He wasn't unfamiliar with the Elders, as his father had frequent dealings with them, but whatever was happening tonight appeared to be very unusual. He drifted slowly (so as not to startle anyone) to where the others were congregating, "So, uh...what's going on? They aren't mad about the walrus, are they?"

As Sakai regarded the assembled characters, and the elders watched in a mix of disapproval and trepidation... another figure emerged from the shadows into the flickering torchlight.  He was rarely seen in the village, but of course everyone knew of him.  Stylus was most familiar.

The village shaman, Udo, had come down from his mountain.

Sakai turned to him and nodded, a slight bow of respect.  Udo returned the gesture.  Several of the other elders rose to their feet.

"It is time," Udo announced, his voice raspy and rough.

With that, he turned and walked back towards his place of seeing... the once-lighthouse atop the hill.

Sakai regarded the characters and said, "If you are willing, follow me.  There is much to be done for those of courage and ability."  He moved to follow the shaman.

Mawr followed along, having nothing better to do at the moment.

As Mawr... and any others... followed Sakai, the other elders stood aside in unison, almost as if forming an honor guard as the procession passed.

Freddy hurries to catch up, mostly wanting to get close to the weird plant person, names not being something he's all that good at, but it, he, whichever, has always help his interest from the first time he saw him, and this is one of the few times they're both going to be in the same place..and besides, always more fun where the action is than way back in the pack, has his parents might say..

Kaden's eyes widen. He rushes forward in a burst of speed, slowing just before running into the back of the Elder. He mentally skipped right past "ability", but he'd been raised to respect the elders and he'd been asked for. And besides, something new to do!

Well, Stylus considered himself to have neither courage nor ability, really.
But following Master Udo's directions was almost second nature by now ... and so, without thought, he began to follow his mentor.

Desi shivered a little at Elder Sakai's words, but followed, if not confidently, then steadily.  Wincing as she passed the elders, wondering what they were thinking, she took comfort that at least her friend was near.

With a surly scowl hidden inside his heart, yet his face carefully schooled to show any of it, Nic went the way they were demanding. As they neared the edge of town, he shrugged his invisible backpack off of one of his invisible shoulders and began stuffing the technicolor cloak into it as he walked.

First he says, If you are willing, but then flat out tells us that he's chosen us because we're courageous, so if we don't go, then we're saying we're not courageous, and even if I didn't want to go, Mother would make me in the end, so it's not like I've actually got a choice, no matter his pretty words thought the fully adult man, who was perfectly capable of surviving on his own for months at a time.

Beside him, Spot trotted happily, his back arched, his optically gifted tail wagging furiously. Walkies! We're going on walkies! I love going for walks! thought the many-eyed pupper, staring at everything, straining against his leash. Occasionally, he'd turn his head to Nic, his doggy grin dripping spit as he gazed adoringly at His Human.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:54, Fri 23 Oct 2020.

Maybe it's the psychic pull, maybe it's prospect of shiny things and nice food, maybe it's just boredom, but the raccoon starts ambling towards the lighthouse with the others.