Stories of Rumor Woods/Liraflyswn

Introduction

The Ceremony of Remembrance is a long tradition amongst the aelotoi people. For those of you that are unfamiliar with it, here is a small bit of history.

The aelotoi’s love of colors and flowers is well known; however, in their days of servitude, this love was destroyed and greeted with severe punishment. Unwilling to do anything to draw the eyes of their Overlords, the aelotoi began to secret away flowers that could still be found on the torn world. At night, the Elders would collect the flowers and bring them to the tiny cookfires that they were allowed to huddle around. Each member of the group would whisper, as soft as can be so that the Overlords did not hear them, the name of an ancestor that had passed beyond. As the names were shared, the Elders would drop a flower into the fire. This was a sign of respect to those who have passed before them, and a gesture of sending the flowers on to their ancestors, so they may enjoy them in the place beyond in peace and freedom.

Eyaeno was only an assistant when the first ceremony took place in the new world. She helped introduce others to it at the first Dragonfly Festival in Cysaegir. She is now an elder in her own right and Ceha is her apprentice. They will be working the entirety of Rumor Woods to collect flowers for those who work, run, and live in both Rumor Woods and Summit Academy so that over the final weekend they can aid them in performing their own Ceremony of Remembrances.

They are also guardians of Liraflyswn, the Garden in the Sky.

For those of you that find the Fox Hunt distasteful and the Joust not your cup of tea, we have created Liraflyswn, the Garden in the Sky. Within this garden is an elusive pixie who enjoys playing tricks and hiding from adventurers. However, she is not cruel and if you find her, then she will gift you with a rare flower. Even if you do not find the pixie, any of the flowers that you obtain during the hunt can be turned into Eyeano for a prize.

The Pixie Hunt

Identically in almost every way to the Fox Hunt, this is another opportunity to gain raihken, simucoin items, and have a chance at…

Well, we can’t give everything away in one post, so let’s just say there is something unique here, too.

Important things to note:

>Can all the flowers found in Liraflyswn, the Garden in the Sky, be used for weaving?

No, I’m sorry, but they can’t. We did not feel it was fair to add pluckables to an area that you only have 90 seconds to search through. We did, however, make some pluckable mushrooms and berries so that you can have delightful little snacks while you are in the garden.

>But, Thandiwe, you listed all these flowers and now I want them!

I know, that’s why I asked GM Valyrka to create a weaving shop with many of the varieties I listed. I also gave her a little something special, in the way of a new weaving tool, for her shop, but more on that later.

>How do I take part in the Pixie hunt?

Find Ceha at Cysaelotar, Garden Descent. She will accept a sunburst marker and provide you with the following information if you ask her about TASK. Ceha says, "The task is actually quite easy. Once inside the garden, you'll want to OBSERVE your surroundings, if you're perceptive, and TRACK the footprints you find in the foliage, if you're astute. Once you think you've found something, SEARCH. You can OBSERVE and TRACK the same area, since the pixie is tricksy and moves about. If you were able, you'll have caught the pixie and she will gift you with a rare flower! Remember, she may trick you and stuff a different flower into your hand! But don't worry, my elder will reward you for any flowers you retrieve. But, because of the pixie's magic, you'll only have roughly 90 seconds to be in there! Once you search, it's over, so choose wisely."

Continuation

Eyaeno listened to Ceha share her tale and smiled on. Her thoughts were spinning and she was happy to see her young apprentice so animated. They walked together up to the top, pulling on their cloaks and mittens as they ventured back into the subalpine meadow. Ceha animatedly chatting and waving the lovely astrantia around.

“Well, Ceha,” she said, and the apprentice quieted, recognizing her tone as one that meant she was going to say something important.

“We will task visitors with finding the pixie and retrieving the lovely flower she gave you,” Eyaeno said. “And, we will pay them in raihken and bits and baubles. But some few of them, I will gift with a morning glory.” Smiling, Eyaeno displayed the device…

New Pet for Rumor Woods 2021

>look my glory

Gold frames the sapphire-enameled petals of the morning glory pin. Twisted closed, the flower droops slightly downward, while its plump body rests firmly against its backing.

>tap my glory

Twisting the stem of a sapphire-enameled morning glory, you trigger the lever that holds the body of the flower closed and hear a soft mechanical whirring sound. Seconds later, the blossom unfurls and a lithe gold meadowhawk bedecked in red wings zips out.

>exhale meadowhawk

You exhale your breath on the meadowhawk that hovers in front of you, causing her to dip and rise in the currents of your breath.

>look

You also see a lithe gold meadowhawk bedecked in red wings.

>feed meadowhawk

You offer a bright violet feystone to a lithe gold meadowhawk bedecked in red wings, who lands lightly upon the offering. She rests there for several moments, causing the feystone to slowly fade and eventually to disappear. The meadowhawk lifts out of your hand, the feystone gone, and flutters her gold body bedecked in violet wings.

>feed meadowhawk

You offer a lump of eonake ore to a lithe gold meadowhawk bedecked in violet wings, who lands lightly upon the offering. She rests there for several moments, causing the ore to slowly fade and eventually to disappear. the meadowhawk lifts out of your hand, the ore gone, and her eonake body glinting in the ambient light.

>feed meadowhawk

You offer a pale gold firefly saewehna to a lithe eonake meadowhawk bedecked in violet wings, who lands lightly upon the offering. She rests there for several moments, causing the saewehna to slowly fade and eventually to disappear. The meadowhawk lifts out of your hand, the saewehna gone, and flutters her eonake body bedecked in golden wings with ebon veins.

Very much like the bugles in the Fox Hunt, the Morning Glory will randomize the gender, wings, body, article, and noun of your new pet. The first person to use the Morning Glory will attune to it.

The owner, only, is able to feed the pet. Depending upon what is fed to it, the following locations can be customized:

Feeding the Pet a Gemstone will change the wings (and long description) of your pet.

Feeding the Pet an Ore from Duskruin Arena will change the body (and adjective) of your pet.

Feeding the Pet (an undisclosed item) will change the type of your pet. Available options are damselfly, darner, dasher, dragonfly, meadowhawk, or skimmer.

Several People helped to brainstorm this new Pet, but GM Xeraphina handled over 300 possible wing combinations that are possible on the pet, while GM Xayle has been instrumental in handling the ambient messaging.