Aberfa stood with the other Deities in a small area of the Astral Realm, as they discussed the sudden appearance of multiple trees in their regions.
"It is too much of a coincidence," Aberfa was saying. "I have these strange dreams during the Equinox, then these trees show up and have strange dark objects embedded within them?"
Aberfa used her magic to share the image of the object that had been in her Mountains Region tree.
"Yes, that is very much how mine looked," Jagmeet agreed, the stoic Plains Deity seeming more concerned than he normally was. One by one the other Deities agreed, and Aberfa let out a small sigh of relief that she wasn't the only one having these strange occurrences.
Zahavah, who had been watching over all from a distance, appeared before them.
"I, too, have pondered this," she said, and the Deities turned to her. "But I have an idea. Not about the objects, per say, but about the trees."
So Zahavah led the other deities to see what she surmised.
Aberfa was lost in thought as she sailed back to where the sapling grew. She couldn't quite decide if this was good news, or not. Her dreams offered no ideas, nor did any of the other magic at her disposal.
The Mountains Deity wasn't often at a loss for an answer, but this was one of those times. The best they could do was nourish the trees, and try to help them recover. This had been a strange attack on magic itself, the very core of their world. Magic was the very center of who they were as a species. Perhaps it wouldn't be the worst idea to warn the residents of her region... After she checked in of course.
To say the deity was surprised was a bit of an understatement. As she landed, Aberfa saw the object was indeed removed from the roots, which was what she had expected of the Quirlicorn's she chose. What she hadn't expected was the sheer amount of....
"What's all this?" Aberfa asked, looking around at the freezers and the empty containers within.
"Oh, Aberfa!" Sherbert Delight said brightly. "Would you like a sherbet?"
Aberfa glanced between Sherbert and Zealin, the two looking like they were riding a bit of a sugar high. Normally Aberfa wouldn't partake but... Well, it had been a rough few days.
"Wouldn't mind if I do," Aberfa admitted, taking the offered sherbet. She hummed in delight at the taste.
Now armed with a bit of sugar herself, Aberfa went to the sapling.
"You two have done well," Aberfa said, gingerly scooping the object into a bag.
"Have you discovered what the object is?" Zealin asked, watching the careful way Aberfa handled it.
"We are not entirely sure of its origin," Aberfa admitted. "But for a lack of anything else to call them we have begun to refer to them as Dark Artifacts. They do the opposite of what our artifacts do. Instead of gifting magic, it takes it away."
Zealin frowned, and Sherbert looked between the two of them.
"Well that's not good!" Sherbert exclaimed, and Aberfa nodded in agreement.
"The one thing we did discover though.... I will need you for one last task. This sapling appears to be a newly growing Sacred Dew Tree. One has appeared in each region so far, all in a similar state. I will take this... artifact safely away. What I need you two to do is help this tree recover," Aberfa said, looking between the two.
"I will return shortly, but until then, do your best for the tree!"
Prompt: You are tasked with helping the young Sacred Dew Tree recover from the influence of the Dark Artifact
(623 Words) +3 Chimes (500 Literature = +2, Event = +1)
"It is too much of a coincidence," Aberfa was saying. "I have these strange dreams during the Equinox, then these trees show up and have strange dark objects embedded within them?"
Aberfa used her magic to share the image of the object that had been in her Mountains Region tree.
"Yes, that is very much how mine looked," Jagmeet agreed, the stoic Plains Deity seeming more concerned than he normally was. One by one the other Deities agreed, and Aberfa let out a small sigh of relief that she wasn't the only one having these strange occurrences.
Zahavah, who had been watching over all from a distance, appeared before them.
"I, too, have pondered this," she said, and the Deities turned to her. "But I have an idea. Not about the objects, per say, but about the trees."
So Zahavah led the other deities to see what she surmised.
Aberfa was lost in thought as she sailed back to where the sapling grew. She couldn't quite decide if this was good news, or not. Her dreams offered no ideas, nor did any of the other magic at her disposal.
The Mountains Deity wasn't often at a loss for an answer, but this was one of those times. The best they could do was nourish the trees, and try to help them recover. This had been a strange attack on magic itself, the very core of their world. Magic was the very center of who they were as a species. Perhaps it wouldn't be the worst idea to warn the residents of her region... After she checked in of course.
To say the deity was surprised was a bit of an understatement. As she landed, Aberfa saw the object was indeed removed from the roots, which was what she had expected of the Quirlicorn's she chose. What she hadn't expected was the sheer amount of....
"What's all this?" Aberfa asked, looking around at the freezers and the empty containers within.
"Oh, Aberfa!" Sherbert Delight said brightly. "Would you like a sherbet?"
Aberfa glanced between Sherbert and Zealin, the two looking like they were riding a bit of a sugar high. Normally Aberfa wouldn't partake but... Well, it had been a rough few days.
"Wouldn't mind if I do," Aberfa admitted, taking the offered sherbet. She hummed in delight at the taste.
Now armed with a bit of sugar herself, Aberfa went to the sapling.
"You two have done well," Aberfa said, gingerly scooping the object into a bag.
"Have you discovered what the object is?" Zealin asked, watching the careful way Aberfa handled it.
"We are not entirely sure of its origin," Aberfa admitted. "But for a lack of anything else to call them we have begun to refer to them as Dark Artifacts. They do the opposite of what our artifacts do. Instead of gifting magic, it takes it away."
Zealin frowned, and Sherbert looked between the two of them.
"Well that's not good!" Sherbert exclaimed, and Aberfa nodded in agreement.
"The one thing we did discover though.... I will need you for one last task. This sapling appears to be a newly growing Sacred Dew Tree. One has appeared in each region so far, all in a similar state. I will take this... artifact safely away. What I need you two to do is help this tree recover," Aberfa said, looking between the two.
"I will return shortly, but until then, do your best for the tree!"
Prompt: You are tasked with helping the young Sacred Dew Tree recover from the influence of the Dark Artifact
(623 Words) +3 Chimes (500 Literature = +2, Event = +1)
