The swampland, swathed in its eternal cloak of mist, could have been a tomb for the lack of activity stirring dark waters and rustling high branches. Nary an insect buzzed nor a bird chirped a welcome melody to any visitors that entered this cave at present. At most there was the strong gust of wind through the trees, causing creaks and moans that might convince some of ancient, agonized entities lurking nearby. With this desolate soundscape, one wouldn't be judged too harshly for finding the dimly lit surroundings far from hospitable, a realm for the lost and easily forgotten.

But then they might hear the squelching steps and occasional snatches of muffled cursing within the lonely forest and realize there was life in actuality here. Or perhaps they recognized the voice of the colorfully scaled and finned reptile who'd been traversing tunnels for the past few cavern light cycles and be reminded of his slow, dramatic advertisement of a gathering to come in this very place, "where the trees grow thickest... and the ground... can barely be seen beneath a chokingly thick layer of white."

"You'll know you're there when you see the fire," he'd said. "I'll wait beside it. And together we might tend to its warmth and exchange... tales. Those of amusement and warnings for the young or unaware. A service, for the good of all, if any are interested."

Each time he started the announcement with a glint of humor in his eye and a smile contained in raspy syllables before descending into a delivery possessing far more gravitas. Then, tail swishing, he turned and left his audience in suspenseful silence to consider the offer. To decide whether they wished to listen and speak fanciful fiction or precautionary stories to their fellow Gembound.

As Fahl set down the collection of dry twigs and leaves he'd managed to scrounge from relatively damp surroundings, he knew not how many his words might have intrigued. In truth, he expected the turnout to be comparable to the minuscule party him and Dragon had brought together once when seeking out the other Children of Rot. The possibility of his halting speech falling upon deaf ears stirred a pang of premature disappointment inside his rib cage, yet he refused to falter in continuing this endeavor; trying was the best he could ever do, and not bothering at all would be foolish when he and others could benefit from learning of the many dangers around them.

Jaws opened to blast shimmering heat over tinder. A series of crackles and pops sounded, followed by thin threads of smokes, and tongues of orange flame emerged as they fed upon wood and air alike.

At first, he'd assumed the 'layer of white' to mean the fungus that had clotted up other caves. But eventually, upon seeing Fahl (usually at a great distance, often with only his magic to spot him in the dark) in Cetus, he realized this meant the fog.

Well-!

He liked the iguana, and count him fascinated as to what this was all about.

Dragon hauled himself over slowly, watching with a curious eye for any others who might have taken Fahl up on his offer. There was a mischievious side to the old alligator: an amusement, a sense of fun that might not be immediately apparent given his battle-scarred black-hued hide. When he dragged himself up beside the fire, limping, he settled in and turned his permanent grin on Fahl.

"There you are! You've got my interest... Do you expect many more?" -and then, ever a craftsman appreciative of his own art, his gaze turned to the flames. "Well done on the fire," he added, approval in his tone.

Sitting there scanning the fog for whatever dim shapes might be ambling within them, it would've been ideal for Fahl not to have been caught off guard by the older reptile hauling himself into view. Mind on edge though with frets of failed advertisement methods and how his slow rasp might've bored more than intrigued, the glint of firelight off dark scutes and a toothy maw was a sudden jolting reminder to the senses of his present situation. Thoughts hurriedly wove together in an attempt to produce a coherent response instead of startled gibberish. While his shame might have insisted otherwise, the end result managed to avoid more awkwardness than initially would have emerged.

"Siii—errtainly, I'd hope so. Especially after walking the tunnels enough to wear my own footpath into them." Only a fraction of confidence displayed in the emphatic nod and amused rumble given was genuine. The rest's status relied on whether additional visitors appeared to combat the concerns plaguing him.

"And thank you," he acknowledged with a tip of his head toward the rising flames. "Proof that practice really does make perfect."

@Dragon

Dragon laughed, loudly. It was, of course, good-natured, empty of any mockery. "Well, at least you will have easy routes laid out going forward! I hope you do not mind if I use them," he added, that permanent grin seeming to widen as he lifted his lame, scarred hind leg in explanation.

"I am in no hurry, though. Let's give them time. And meanwhile... what did you say this was about? Telling stories, yes?" His dark eyes glittered with enthusiasm, and he thought about it--about what stories he might tell. He was old, yes; but there were few he could recount that matched the eerie fog and this chilly time of year that always seemed to bring a haunted air. No; most of Dragon's tales were loud and fiery, ones of epic battles (and broken limbs).

Truth be told, he was glad to have a few moments more to think on this.

@Fahl (no rush we can wait for others tho, ofc)

Sniff.

Sniiii-sniff.

Fire? From someone else? In THIS damp?
They tuck their wings half-way in to glide between the dense, grasping vines and plants of the marshy cave, avoiding the sticky and sucking earth until it's their last option.

A gross squelch, and they cringe at the sensation of spattering mud as they follow the new sound of a laugh towards the light. Firelight, which causes a goodly deal of tension to bleed from their shoulders as they sigh.

"Hullo?" They call, settling now slightly muddy wings against their back and picking their way towards the scaled pair. "May I join the fire?"


"When I speak"
When I think

@Fahl
@Dragon

The telling of tales was something that interested Kass greatly. If there was anything he loved, it was listening to stories of the past, good and evil both. So many lessons to learn and footsteps to follow or avoid. So the reptile’s call to gather had Kass slinking through the mud of Cetus at this hour, the chill of the swamp going deeper into his fur than usual. That was alright. He could see the glow of the fire - there would be warmth soon.

He slowly crept out of the trees, emerging in the space where there were already a few gathered. Good, he might find it awkward if he were the only one - or the first to arrive. With the promise of the fire’s warmth, he approached until he could feel the flame on his coat and stopped.

”I don’t have many tales to offer besides one,” he offered, ”but I am here to listen. I am Kass.” A quick scan of the gembound gave him no indication that there was anything to fear here, or reason to distrust them. Feeling comfortable and safe here, he lowered himself to the ground and folded his front paws under himself in a very cat-like manner.

There came a repetitive rattling, snapping, and stomping from further in the swamp, as the noise the group made attracted something large. It grew louder and louder as it approached, till through the fog the orange glow of 572's window pierced. The creature looked reminiscent of an abandoned house now, covered in layers of swamp plants and moss. It was only fitting for the atmosphere. It blinked at the quadret of gembound. It took 572 only a moment to decide its disposition. It whistled, high pitched and excited. 572 stomped in a circle, the ungainly beast nearly losing its balance a few times. Friends! 572 did not know exactly what was happening, but gembound gathering could only mean good things.

With a few rhythmic creaks, and a rapid staccato of its shutters, it signalled its interest. Suddenly aware of its size once more, 572 approached the gathering gingerly, afraid to squash someone. It settled on its haunches still a distance away, crawling forward until its front was warmed by the fire. It wriggled, nestling its legs beneath its immense body. It left its door open a crack, trying (not so) subtly to tempt any of the gathered gembound into entering for a pillow or a blanket. It would certainly zhuzh up the gathering.

Completely misjudging who here had organized this gathering, it sent an excited message to Kass. It was hazy and broken in words, the creature too overjoyed to word itself well, carrying a message of "Joy! Gather! Are all friend? All speak?" 572 more than made up for its garbled speech with the sheer energy loaded in. It was distinctly excited and curious in tone, reminiscent of a child discovering a kitten on the street.
"Speech."

@Lumut (in case she would follow!)
Also @kass 572 speaks to them!

Lumut ambled along, picking with a few idle fingers at the stick jammed in her teeth. She mostly kept to the lower branches of the trees, but occasionally--where they failed her--descended reluctantly to knucklewalk through the mud. Her long, reddish coat was full of burrs and dirt and leaves, so that she looked more like a swamp monster than a primate. But the manner in which she approached the gathering was singularly gentle.

A long arm reached up, hand moving to pat Five Seven and Two on the roof. It seemed to be intended to reassure the group--as if to say, 'this one's with me, and it's friendly. Yes, the walking house.'

She settled in beside it, peering among those present. "What are we doing?" she asked, content to invite herself on in.

"That's exactly it," he said to Dragon. "Stories, a way to pass time in this recent cold spell. I was thinking we could also use them as a chance for... community service? I guess you could say that. Share caution—erm, experiences of any dangers we've come across."

Determining whether to elaborate further upon motivations led to Fahl shifting in place. Claws fidgeted while imagination conjured potential responses to however he might phrase them. A slow inhale heralded his decision, and he continued onward to offer a piece of the thoughts that'd set current schemes into motion.

"I've noticed that there's many younger who... don't have a grasp on what not to mess with. And who to be careful around." Well-intentioned, overconfident Gembound who were easy to take advantage of. Blind to their low rank in the hierarchy of power he was uncomfortably aware of, it would not be long before some challenged the wrong being and found their stone ground to dust between fingers. He shuddered to think how many Nemean might deceive and mutilate for giggles too. "They've no one to tell them, unlike me who has Imp. And you, of course, sir."

"I figured we..." Fahl paused, more so out of distraction than the need to catch breath; squelches, growing closer, announced a nearing presence. He cleared his throat and hastened to finish in preparation to resume the role of fireside host for his get-together. "We could prevent unnecessary losses to plain ignorance. Better for us all if more know the risks of living here."

Once a curious winged figure entered the light and no longer appeared a silhouette in the fog, they were greeted by an acknowledging nod. "Yes," he declared. "All are welcome. Unless you intend to join," came a joking addition, "by tossing yourself in. Feathers aren't needed when I've perfectly good sticks for that."

It seemed it was truly time for the gathering to begin, evidenced by the fact that someone else arrived not soon after. To Kass, a similar friendly reception was given without the previous crack about becoming fuel for the fire. Scales settled into their default calm state of blackness as this routine began to be settled into. Such assurance didn't last long, though, when the next visitor defied expectations for who might be found wandering the swamp. After all, one didn't account much for sudden earthquakes caused by stomping chicken feet or a construct that actually was a living creature.

Under no immediate threat but also not privy to the intention behind the rapid flap of shutters and creaking wood, speechlessness could be forgiven in the face of such an unknown element. Lumut's entrance and demonstrated acquaintance did nothing to shatter the silence, only increasing the intensity of the baffled stare directed at the sight. Operating solely on instinct, Fahl reached for the protective embrace of his magic and failed to grab it, unable to distinguish its warmth from that of the nearby blaze. He spluttered then, any attempt at explanation doomed to never leave his tongue.

@Dragon (Lumut) @Renasci @Kass @Five Seven and Two

Dragon eyed each of those who came, his permanent grin and his short nods evidence of greeting. And when Fahl answered, he took it upon himself to begin the round of stories.

"Then I will begin," he declared, in a low rumble. It took him only a moment to cast his mind back, to pull forth a memory of chilling darkness. Quite literally, in fact. With an ominous downward tilt of his head and a distinct attempt at maintaining a slow, suspenseful voice, he started speaking.

"Once, several cycles ago, at this very time of year... and in this very swamp, something strange happened." Dragon interjected a long, tense pause, dark eyes ranging over his companions around the fire. He made sure, for the rest of his story, to continue with such pauses, and with dramatic emphasis and the like. "The cave got very dark--even more than usual!--and strange, glowing lights began to drift through the trees. Many Gembounds saw them, and followed them... and the lights all came together, in one place."

"This place was a clearing... a dark, empty space. Like all of Cetus it was--is!--dark, wet, cool... but then, it was too dark, too cold, like shadows and ice had gathered there. And just as the last of us arrived..." (another long, suspenseful pause) "All the lights went out."

Dragon took a long, slow breath. "There was a long silence. Nothing stirred. And then-"

CLAP! The alligator chomped his jaws shut with a loud echo. "It struck! The shadows became a living thing, a black Shadebeast that towered through the trees! It attacked, first one of us and then the other! Almost every attack we made, it simply vanished into the darkness, and reappeared somewhere else! We could not tell when it would hit; we couldn't see who it would strike! Even the strongest were crushed into the mud... and it was only by luck, numbers, and fire that we at last destroyed it."

Dragon paused one last time, his grin seeming to widen. "But the strangest thing is... from that day, all of those who were there? Those lights that led us to our almost-doom... they have stayed with us, forever."

He half-turned, a phosphorescent wisp flaring into eerie being above him and to one side. The alligator tilted his head to regard it, that dark grin still on his face--but here he fell silent, ready for the next storyteller to begin.