Starfallen Submissions, Part 3

Welcome to the third installment of our series of potential candidates for the voyage to Newhome! One of today's candidates is great in Body, one in Mind, and one in Spirit. As always, we welcome discussion on them in the comments, and without further ado...

RIVERSONG, Bringer of Pure Waters

Since its birth, the Sapphire Kin known as Riversong has felt the flow of Water in the depths of its soul. Wise and compassionate beyond its relatively few years, it delighted in delving secret underground rivers to bring life and health to the parched places of the world. From its labyrinth of sacred caves, it labored quietly and humbly to bring cool water to all goodbeasts, filling the overworld with life. Its generous deeds went largely unknown, but this did not bother Riversong, who found a deep sense of fulfillment in its noble work. As it hollowed out new places for Water to flow and gather, it sang, and its song was a song of hope and beauty.

Still flightless at the time of the Great Moot, it was not able to attend, but a dream of an endlessly thirsty world beyond the boundaries of Earth inspired it to leave its home in the caverns of Vietnam, seek Darktooth out and petition for its inclusion in the exodus. Though Riversong lacked the appropriate amount of treasure to buy its way in, Darktooth sensed the unusual power and purity of its will and subjected it to a series of riddles to test its deeper wisdom. The result impressed the elder, who gave not only his permission but a mysterious gift to the young Kin, in whom it sensed vast potential.

Maturing to adulthood during the stellar voyage, Riversong emerged from its vessel to discover the deadly sea of Newhome and became instantly fascinated with it. A mighty quest was begun: to purify the oceans and make them a place where Life might thrive in abundance and beauty. Its mission to heal the seas of Newhome would not be an easy one, but if it succeeds, an entire planet will at last find absolution from an ancient sin.

MOUNTAINMANE, Archon of the Great Lakes

What is now the upper peninsula of Michigan remains to this day a place of deep natural beauty, with rivers, lakes, and primeval forests still wild and free. It follows that the Kin who once claimed this for its territory and had a hand in its shaping would be a distinguished one. Sporting a luxurious mane of deep green feathers, the Emerald Kin known as the “Maned Lord” and “Master of the Lakes” lived a life of plenty, earned from centuries of honorable custodianship of its territory. Both Earth and Water were its teachers, and it learned well, standing strong in times of trial but also learning flexibility and comfortability with change.

Its pure and fertile (in summer) territory was often contested, but Mountainmane defeated all who lusted after its sacred domain. Well-fed and well-tested, it grew to be the largest Emerald Kin for a thousand miles, with a rich trove and many suitors in mating season. Though tempted to join Many-Times-Burned’s crusade, it instead chose to join Darktooth, becoming a key source of much-needed shinestone. The rich copper reserves of its home would ultimately travel far indeed. This powerful and confident Kin seeks new challenges on Newhome, forging its already great strength beyond its earthly limits.

DUO, Crystal Echo

Even Darktooth was surprised to find an adolescent Crystal Kin alive at the time of the departure. Besides Allmother, none of that great and cursed subspecies were thought to exist. Whether chosen by destiny or simply random chance, the Kin called Duo, child of Ruby and Emerald parents, awakened from its first Great Sleep to find its body unlike either of its parents. The last remnants of the Crystal gene, buried deep, had come forward; even before its first hibernation, it was able to perceive the secret thoughts of others and communicate mentally with many beings at once with only a tiny fraction of the knowledge and effort required for other Kin to learn such skills.

Ignorant of the meaning of its unusual form and coloration, the young Kin sought out Darktooth, who immediately recognized the phenotype. Any other Kin would have destroyed the youngling then and there to avoid a repeat of the Second Tragedy, but Darktooth had mercy, taking it on as a student. Teaching it to clothe itself with an illusion which could fool all but the most powerful Kin, it was warned that it must walk two paths, outwardly that of a traditional Ruby Kin and inwardly that of a Crystal shaman. In honor of its double life, it was named “Duo”.

Under Darktooth’s tutelage, Duo has become a master of Air and Water. Its deep forays into the mental and astral realms have made it physically weaker than other Kin, but has granted it truly fearsome powers over the minds of others. Fortunately, Darktooth’s teachings also led it away from the paths of control and manipulation, and Duo has become a seeker of truths and a healer and nurturer of minds rather than a dominator. Recognizing the mark of destiny on the young Kin, Darktooth persuaded it to travel to Newhome, where it might more easily escape persecution for its genetic code. While this was true, Darktooth’s true design in planting a single crystal seed in Newhome’s rich soil would not be fully known for centuries, and afterwards become the stuff of legend.