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Sprouts

by Rick

We visited the Dinneen, Browne, and Cafferky families at their farms in quick succession -- overnighting with the Cafferky's dogs barking late into the night. They were amicable enough with little to mention here: the Dinneens want more oversight, and the Browne family want more wheat subsidies.

Left are the Heskin and the noble Preda.

It was pouring. I had forgotten how long it had been since I had been in a downpour like this.

It was refreshing. I woke far early before the sun(s) rose, and began my walk to the Cafferky family's estate in the pouring rain. About halfway I stopped, taking to a rocky outcropping to watch the sunrise through the heavy rain.

A light heralded my arrival, and I caught up with the rest of our group, some frolicking with a very wet pack of dogs.

"Heliomancy!" I explained, producing a small chip of quartz from amongst my things. "How did the meeting go?"

As each talked over one another, Tiberius produced a piece of metal from his bag. "A broken pauldron," he started -- and when I saw the mark of the Mount, I grabbed it from him. A Sentinel? Here? "It was petrified, and trying to escape something," the other champion added. I half-listened as Curie explained that they had found four wolves of great size, dire wolves, which dashed off into the forest when found in their ruins. Four wolves, and one larger bipedal wolf.

The rain hid my tears.

"Okay," I staunchly agreed. As a group, now united, we decided to head to Heskin. I had much to think on.

A final planting

The Heskin family wanted little other than a party to celebrate the formation of the cabinet.

As we left for the trees, we spotted some brands across many of the oaks here. They were repeating, and as I investigated I could make it out: the shape of a dragonfly's wings, nearly double the size of my hand. Tiberius inspected further: on touch, the brands glowed in an order like a trail of will-o-wisps deeper into the woods.

Lily found large tracks, from a hooved creature none of us could identify. Curie wanted to turn back, but I led our group onwards nonetheless. After an hour, we came across a bonfire -- a firepit that had survived in the heavy rains from last night.

And an old seeding

We returned to Erta, did some basic economics, and then I was led by the group back to the shattered splinter cell -- where they had found the broken pauldron.

Uncomfortably quickly, Lily found a strange pile of rocks covering what could only be described as a coffin -- with a bamboo straw poking out of it.

Tiberius dealt with it, prying the coffin open with his spear. Hands over chest, the man within was stuffed into the coffin with a blinking visage hidden behind a red mask. He looks Crexvari, a people known for surviving underground in the desert as a rite of strength. He described the attack from the wolves & humanoids, and how his small fort community had been decimated. He left as soon as he was physically able, citing that he wanted his space and freedom, for now.

The back of the cave held what I had been brought here for: piles of rubble and strange statues. Each was larger than life-sized, and were broken like shattered cocoons.

It took a while, but I put it together: they looked like stony conrasu, whose souls have fled their bodies. But my friends reported the forms of wolves running from this place: what is a wolf and a stone and a star?

More questions, no answers. But one thing was for certain: there were sentinels here.

Keep on loving one another as if long lost and now reunited. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
— Iteration I 5:2-3

Continue reading...

Germination
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Perennials
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05.02.22

Honeyclover
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Cutworm
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The Olive Branch
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Blackwood
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Snakewood
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Chrysanthemum
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Duskpetals
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Star Petunia
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Pleated Inkcap
09.19.22

Wheat
10.03.22

Sprouts
10.17.22

Mimic Orchid
11.07.22

Broken Stems
11.21.22

Hemlock
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The Black Bat Flowers
12.12.22

Miner's Hollyhock
01.09.23

Pyrophytic Moss
01.16.23

New Light's Gazania
02.06.23

Dark Hedge Holly
02.27.23

Sprouts

A final planting

And an old seeding

Continue reading...

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