Session 3 News

The Pigeons deliver a message from Her Penitent Grandiloquence Bushy-Tail II, Lord of the Revels:

Come one, come all, to the festivities that mark the Autumn’s passing. The light in the darkness as the nights draw to a close. The Carnival is opening its arms to beckon in wanderers from across the City and its environs! Come down for a wonderful time from [OC: this uptime], and get your stories ready, because [OC: this downtime], the competition will commence! A special request, to those of you who can: Stillmirror, the Spirit we found in the woods, needs our help. Our belief, our thoughts, our stories. If as many of us direct them their way as possible… they have said they might be help to us, when the Winter draws near. This shouldn’t be any kind of stint on creativity: Stillmirror puts back what you put into them. Any story can work its way round to them, and be strengthened by it, not weakened. The Lord of the Revels position is open to those who triumph! Give it your all, friends! We need stories to map our way through this season’s cold, lonesome dark.

Right, let’s clear some things up, reckon? That lynx is a thieving, lying, two-faced eejit, an’ his business is a dead scam. An’ don’t even get me started on those ankle-biters of his, always running around and causing problems. If anyone sees him trying to shift those food packet things, don’t buy them. Not only will the food go bad come the first lick of cold, but he’s only gone an’ copied my idea, deadset. Nah mate, you want some quality assurance from your local businessbird, you come straight to the source at old uncle Idris, an’ I’ll sell you a food packet that’ll last the Winter and maximise your storage efficiency.

An article by Ida:

Several animals living on the ground floor of the Grey Trees have reported debris being thrown down from the top of the towers.

One concerned citizen reported: “A can landed barely further than my whiskers! Scared the whits outta me!”

This correspondent hopes that the culprits are ashamed of their actions, and hopes that they learn some community spirit before winter comes and we’ll all need to rely on each other.

However, for the time being, the alarm must be raised to take care when walking outside in the Grey Trees area, so that no one gets hurt.

An article by Ida:

The first of the Boy’s Cows open trainings went off with a stunning success, as ordinary citizens from neighbouring Regions flocked to take part in the muddy challenge Boy had lined up. The Cows, the City’s emergency first responders, train for every eventuality, and their skill and teamwork was proved as Lorah the flying squirrel and James the cow completed the challenge first. The training, which was intended to allow animals to get a sense of what the Cows really do from day to day without the pressure of a formal application trial, received a large turnout, with representatives from every Region. The Cows proved welcoming and friendly to all, proving that under the grandeur of the stories of what they do, they are real animals.

Their founder and herd leader, Boy, had this to say: “Thank you to everyone for attendin'. I hope you all got a chance to see what we're like beyond the stories and news pieces. We'll continue regular trainin' on the Plains when the job allows it, so if you're around, go ahead and drop by.”

Any prospective applicants to join the herd should direct queries to Boy, and should an emergency be discovered, animals are strongly advised to seek help from a trained Cow instead of putting themselves in harm’s way. The advice remains to not make yourself another casualty.

The Pigeons bring messages from Quilla:

Hear the words of Granny Moth-Spider, a Spirit much-feared in our tales, but who is looking for the opportunity to change!

“I seek to escape my nature. I am a Spirit 'of'. I must bargain. I must exchange. I must trick, and twist, and lead. It is the nature I've been given. And it makes me so, so lonely. But, gradually, I've woven myself new natures. Natures that others give me, in exchange for things they want-need. Things like connections… to other people, not just places. And… still. They only come when they need something. First I was a spirit of the lonesome, cold logic of exchange. Something-for-something-else. But I learned that 'something else' could be more than simply trinkets to weave around myself. It could be part of a tapestry. I wove myself ways through this wood, from its pathfinders. Took the lights from… well, I'd better not tell. And at last-long, I was offered connections in the people-web.”

Summarised, while Granny’s spiritual nature makes her unable to give freely without offering an exchange, she is working hard to overturn this; to become a Spirit capable of feeling connections. Having spent time with her, I can vouchsafe that she’s already becoming kind and curious, about us rather than what we can give her.

Those of you who love the Spirits, and who are willing to give Granny the chance she deserves, please join me and her at the Spirit Symposium in her realm. [OC: next uptime from around 8:30] Just follow the lights off the path into the Deep-Wood Places, and allow the shadows to guide you. You’ll be treated to a lovely time!

A particularly loud penguin wearing an upturned bucket on their head proclaims the following news

Her Majesty the Empress Penguin has been most disquieted by disturbances in the Deeps and Lake over recent times. To ensure her domain remains safe for all animals, she is asking any brave animals with an adventurous spirit to investigate the source of the disturbance for her.

She is willing to compensate animals for their time and effort, but wishes those animals to know that keeping the Lake safe should be compensation enough.

Bulletin from the Knights of the Nether Realm and their close associates.

• Do not trouble yourselves any further with going to the surface for the purpose of persuading surface-dwellers to travel to the Nether Kingdom. The Knights of the Nether Realm are tasked with monitoring this for the foreseeable future. Only travel as and when you see fit.
• Do continue to heed the good word of His Lowness and His Court. This is imperative.
• There remains a projected increase in relocators to the Underground.
• Operation intelligence shall be increased once more to fulfil assessment of the Underground before Winter takes its hold.
• Keep your wits about you and be sensible. Together we shall move towards an enlightened future this Winter and beyond.

This message has been approved by His Lowness, The Rat King via the authorisation of Count Vincent von Unten, Knight of the Highest Order, Chief Watchman of the Nether Labyrinth, and Matrix, Knight of the Highest Order, Chief Watchman of the Murky Waters.