Conclusion
What's this?
banner by glitterghostie
The soft sounds of the cascades have bled together in your mind, forming a wall of eerie static. Locking eyes with this strange Esk is having an odd effect and it seems that you have lost track of time and somehow night has arrived without memory of a sunset. From the corners of your eyes you watch darkness pouring down from the trees like a wash of ink; every shadow seems to drip right out of this creature's body and envelop the brittle understory. The silent figure leans back onto the branch and settles, breaking the gaze you have been sharing as he fades into just the slightest silhouette in the dark. Midnight has fallen in a matter of seconds yet with no moon or stars... this doesn't feel right at all. You turn to leave, but find yourself fumbling around and tripping over gnarled roots and frozen stones. Everywhere you look is a void; only the hum of the cascades reminds you of where you are. Without a path, without landmarks, you feel submerged in total darkness until two lights blink on in the treetops — wide, prying pale green circles peer down at you and track your awkward movements. There is laughter in them, an invisible smirk, then words flow out:
"Ohh, too bad you can't see how stupid you look right now! Hey friends, come look at our little dancing puppet!"
The black is suddenly filled with glowing eyes of all shapes and sizes, filling the ground, the air, and even peeking up at you from around your now invisible toes. The green eyes continue to snicker.
"My friends have been watching you, hehe. They want to play a game. If you succeed you can be our pal, but if you fail I think maybe I'll suck these shadows right into your eyeballs... then we can watch you dance around in the dark forever!" His eyes shiver with excitement. "Only one of these gazes can actually see you... pick them, puppet!"
The wall of eyes brightens, they blink and sway all around you... everything feels alive and full of anticipation... which pair of eyes will you choose?
"Ohh, too bad you can't see how stupid you look right now! Hey friends, come look at our little dancing puppet!"
The black is suddenly filled with glowing eyes of all shapes and sizes, filling the ground, the air, and even peeking up at you from around your now invisible toes. The green eyes continue to snicker.
"My friends have been watching you, hehe. They want to play a game. If you succeed you can be our pal, but if you fail I think maybe I'll suck these shadows right into your eyeballs... then we can watch you dance around in the dark forever!" His eyes shiver with excitement. "Only one of these gazes can actually see you... pick them, puppet!"
The wall of eyes brightens, they blink and sway all around you... everything feels alive and full of anticipation... which pair of eyes will you choose?
banner by Alphabaetafish
Perhaps you avoided these shadows and riddles by venturing into the small dark cave. Here it is light and soothing. The sound of the cascades is just a whisper now, and its hypnotic frequency makes you sink into a meditative state. The light here is strange, it does not make sense that the chamber should be so illuminated but yet it feels so natural to you, familiar in a way. Your mind relaxes and as you gaze at the still, clear water of the pool you feel that your thoughts are also becoming still and quiet. Clutter and fog is pushed away revealing a great depth in your consciousness and you begin to see glimpses of another world. You may travel so deep into these visions that you feel as if your form is changing and you are becoming lost in a dream... in this dream you wear a different form, your current body feels like a costume, your face like a mask, you are disappearing into another entirely different being. Maybe this frightens you and you block it from your thoughts... or maybe it feels like home and you are filled with a sense of peace and belonging.
Moments later you are thrust back into the present — you are not alone. The pool starts to swirl slowly around its center and you notice that beneath the ripples there is a small, glittering object. As you bend down to examine it you see that it is a shattered geode filled with sharp blue crystals. It seems to emit an aura of grief that steals away a piece of your inner calm. It is speaking to you wordlessly, apologizing in a way... a gentle presence, sad but gracious. You quickly realize what you have found... this is the resting place of a fallen Esk.
In a state of trust and reverence you sink back into your meditation and let their story permeate your thoughts. She was a young woman, unfairly persecuted, a runaway. Her adornments show that this was in an ancient era and you recognize that the flowing water has reshaped these cascades over these many years. You watch an Esk mercifully transform her and see her new life unfold. The creator Esk becomes her cherished friend and over time she becomes a very powerful spirit, a giver of many transformations and an elemental with the ability to imbue water with healing qualities. She created this pool to help other Esk recover from the wounds in their past lives and here is where she left this world, re-transformed by her dear friend who understood that she would live on as a gift to this boundary. Her grief calls to all the Esk who have experienced loss through their transformations and beckons them to come rest and reflect. Something about it seems oddly familiar to you.
As the vision of this story ends, you feel a great surge of energy and are ready to trace your steps back out into the woods. Maybe you have been deeply affected by this Esk's compassion, or maybe you find her sacrifice to be foolish. Or you may feel disappointed with your discovery and urge to go somewhere new.
You turn back toward the cave's opening, following the sound of rushing waters back to the path that brought you here.
Moments later you are thrust back into the present — you are not alone. The pool starts to swirl slowly around its center and you notice that beneath the ripples there is a small, glittering object. As you bend down to examine it you see that it is a shattered geode filled with sharp blue crystals. It seems to emit an aura of grief that steals away a piece of your inner calm. It is speaking to you wordlessly, apologizing in a way... a gentle presence, sad but gracious. You quickly realize what you have found... this is the resting place of a fallen Esk.
In a state of trust and reverence you sink back into your meditation and let their story permeate your thoughts. She was a young woman, unfairly persecuted, a runaway. Her adornments show that this was in an ancient era and you recognize that the flowing water has reshaped these cascades over these many years. You watch an Esk mercifully transform her and see her new life unfold. The creator Esk becomes her cherished friend and over time she becomes a very powerful spirit, a giver of many transformations and an elemental with the ability to imbue water with healing qualities. She created this pool to help other Esk recover from the wounds in their past lives and here is where she left this world, re-transformed by her dear friend who understood that she would live on as a gift to this boundary. Her grief calls to all the Esk who have experienced loss through their transformations and beckons them to come rest and reflect. Something about it seems oddly familiar to you.
As the vision of this story ends, you feel a great surge of energy and are ready to trace your steps back out into the woods. Maybe you have been deeply affected by this Esk's compassion, or maybe you find her sacrifice to be foolish. Or you may feel disappointed with your discovery and urge to go somewhere new.
You turn back toward the cave's opening, following the sound of rushing waters back to the path that brought you here.
banner by fiachmara
The sun is now below the horizon at the abandoned graveyard and the cold wind rattles the treetops. A handful of crickets and katydids sing nearby and the face of the rising moon appears shattered behind the dark branches. It suddenly feels very late and you feel ready to end your exploration here and return home.
Beside the fallen animal you notice a row of sprouts encircling the remains. It arcs around the bones and appears to be an unfinished circle. This seems peculiar to you... the placement is clearly intentional, but what is its purpose? There are all sorts of plants taking form here; you recognize the beginnings of an oak tree, the tiny buds of wildflowers, and many more too small to identify, all thoughtfully placed side by side. This animal must have been loved dearly by someone and you wonder what sort of visitor has been tending to its resting place with such care and appreciation. The sprouts are brilliant green even in the dimming light, they look almost too perfect to be real. This soil is clearly very rich and blessed with a tender energy. As you examine the tiny plants you feel an echo of words spoken by the gardener... as they planted these seeds they spoke to the plants with sadness outweighed by love. They are addressing their departed friend, continuing a conversation unbroken by their passing.
You are touched by this moment and walk quietly to the forest edge. Peeking out from under the melting snow is a germinating seed, just starting to escape its shell. You take the seed and bring it back to the remains, placing it just outside of the ring. You feel that it is not your place to plant it yourself. You are a stranger to these two beings, but still you wish to let them know that you have passed through. The offering is a nod to their loyalty and perhaps a small apology for your intrusion on this sacred space. You trust that the caretaker of this small garden will return soon to continue their work and notice your small gift.
Beside the fallen animal you notice a row of sprouts encircling the remains. It arcs around the bones and appears to be an unfinished circle. This seems peculiar to you... the placement is clearly intentional, but what is its purpose? There are all sorts of plants taking form here; you recognize the beginnings of an oak tree, the tiny buds of wildflowers, and many more too small to identify, all thoughtfully placed side by side. This animal must have been loved dearly by someone and you wonder what sort of visitor has been tending to its resting place with such care and appreciation. The sprouts are brilliant green even in the dimming light, they look almost too perfect to be real. This soil is clearly very rich and blessed with a tender energy. As you examine the tiny plants you feel an echo of words spoken by the gardener... as they planted these seeds they spoke to the plants with sadness outweighed by love. They are addressing their departed friend, continuing a conversation unbroken by their passing.
You are touched by this moment and walk quietly to the forest edge. Peeking out from under the melting snow is a germinating seed, just starting to escape its shell. You take the seed and bring it back to the remains, placing it just outside of the ring. You feel that it is not your place to plant it yourself. You are a stranger to these two beings, but still you wish to let them know that you have passed through. The offering is a nod to their loyalty and perhaps a small apology for your intrusion on this sacred space. You trust that the caretaker of this small garden will return soon to continue their work and notice your small gift.
banner by tayaravena
Maybe you have been exploring the crumbling building instead. By now you have seen the sunlight fade from the stained glass windows and all color has left the room. You wander closer to the marble tomb and find that it too has been broken down and hugged by weeds and vines that have emerged from cracks in the floor. Curiosity takes you to its edge and you peer inside to find that it is full of relics and treasures. You cannot resist nudging them around, trying to rummage in a respectful fashion. The objects vary in size and apparent value yet clearly they all were precious items in someone's mind. You can tell they were once placed in a very thoughtful arrangement that has since been disturbed — perhaps you are not the first to pick through them. Some items have fallen apart, unraveled, or tarnished, and some look as if they were already broken in by frequent use or handling. The collection has a recognizable theme and you feel a clear sense of who the owner was and what parts of their life they wanted to carry with them through their final transition. Whoever left them behind, however, is nowhere in sight.
You may find something tantalizing inside, maybe something that resonates deep in your soul, or maybe you discover a must-have item for one of your collections. You are faced with a dilemma... is this treasure calling to you because you were fated to receive it? Will you be considered a thief if you take it with you? Might a curse befall you if you steal it away? You feel stuck. This object was clearly special to someone else, but why does it feel so special to you now? Torn, you try to push yourself to leave it be and turn toward home but the tug in your heart is too much to pull away from. You return to the open tomb and pick up the chosen item. You feel it vibrating as you tune it to match your own frequency, then it suddenly vanishes. It is not gone... it is invisibly attached to you, a part of you. You feel relieved and turn back to where you came, ready to brave the chill of night and make your way home.
You may find something tantalizing inside, maybe something that resonates deep in your soul, or maybe you discover a must-have item for one of your collections. You are faced with a dilemma... is this treasure calling to you because you were fated to receive it? Will you be considered a thief if you take it with you? Might a curse befall you if you steal it away? You feel stuck. This object was clearly special to someone else, but why does it feel so special to you now? Torn, you try to push yourself to leave it be and turn toward home but the tug in your heart is too much to pull away from. You return to the open tomb and pick up the chosen item. You feel it vibrating as you tune it to match your own frequency, then it suddenly vanishes. It is not gone... it is invisibly attached to you, a part of you. You feel relieved and turn back to where you came, ready to brave the chill of night and make your way home.
The quest has concluded. Depicting this chapter is entirely optional and up to you!
For some reason, you cannot manifest your specialized powers - accessories, familiars, enchantments, and elementals will not be present here. If your Esk is not from the Forest Biome, they will not manifest their nature features. Abnormal Esk will manifest their nature features regardless of biome.
For some reason, you cannot manifest your specialized powers - accessories, familiars, enchantments, and elementals will not be present here. If your Esk is not from the Forest Biome, they will not manifest their nature features. Abnormal Esk will manifest their nature features regardless of biome.