Since Wilder's visit some days ago, Rift had been considering how he'd respond to this. Pride had mentioned a trial of some sort, that he had suggested it to the cat, but it had ultimately failed. Perhaps...perhaps it was appropriate now, then, in the wake of the news that she was dead, to bring her forth, alive, and let the world decide what to do with her instead of simply one person.

He lounged on one of the roots, his eyes gently closed behind his mask. It was foolish, now, to thing that the Kingdom would throw a party. He couldn't do it in good conscious, not knowing that she was still out there. But yet...to just hunt her down like an animal, to kill her in cold blood, that wasn't right either. That wasn't the Kingdom's way. Justice and fairness was their way, neutrality, preserving life on all levels. That was what they would do.

The time had come. The cat stood from where he was and jumped down to the lowest of the roots, where he had taken to standing to make his announcements. A good place, still above everyone else so that they could see him and hear his voice, but not so far above that he was towering, intimidating. He glanced up at the great tree and willed it to move, to shake, to alert the cave as he did during the fight, but just as he was about to cast the spell, he thought better of it. He did not want to put the world at high alert. Perhaps he would save that for when they were under attack.

So, instead, he sat on the roots, sucked in a deep breath called out as lout as he could. "Come, Kingdom of Eridanus!" he cried out into the forest. "It is time to gather at the Home Tree!" He waited, then, for his Kingdom to appear. It was time to begin.

THIS EVENT HAS CHANGED.

Earlier, we were going to do a run into other caves to spread plant-life but with the news that Blackberry is still alive beginning to spread, the Kingdom will be holding her official trial! Rift is here to announce the news and set up everything that needs to happen before the trial can begin! All group leaders will be informed and the news will spread enough that most gembounds in-the-know will hear about it.

While the proceedings and the trial itself are not mandatory, this meeting is required for all KoE members. If your character, due to liquid time, or you, due to real life concerns, cannot make the meeting, please let me know OOC so I don't count out your character! Otherwise, your character will be removed from the group.

This is also open to any members that are interested in joining KoE or just want to hang around!

@Sebastian @Oliver @Enka @Mercurius @Atinneas @Aetius @Yew

Huckleberry came from Mercurius's garden, still a little too timid to actually move into the main tree that Rift wanted his Kingdom to stay in, but brave enough to actually attend the meeting. With Shiny on his back, of course. Since Rift had announced it, he'd been talking with Shiny on how he'd present himself - whether strong and willing or quiet and submissive. He'd decided on the latter. Easier that way, and if anyone still harbored ill will towards him, maybe it would send a better message? He didn't know. But the calm peace of Eridanus had certainly done a number on him.

He stepped out from the trees and into the garden, taking the pathways through the flowers and herbs and plants that flourished around, every so often glancing around with a distant feeling of regret. He wondered if he could ever help with this...his magic did not allow him to easily grow as some of the others did, but he didn't want to continue being a burden. Maybe there was a better job for him to do.

He sat down before Rift, once he reached the root, and Shiny jumped off his back, settling down at his side, her paws tucked under her body as she curiously looked up, glancing from Huckleberry to Rift before settling down and purring gently.

His pace was neither labored nor relaxed; it was purposeful, really. Mercurius heard the green cat's call and --- while he hadn't entirely wrapped his head around the notion of declaring oneself a king --- he came, moonset eyes glistening in the orb-light Eridanus had to offer.

His gaze fell upon Rift first, then roved up and down the immense tree that had a few cycles to settle itself. The installment, at first, had looked fairly unnatural, not quite welcomed. There had been few vines to indicate age and support, nor had there been grasses and such around the roots; in fact, the roots seemed to invade the earth itself. Clumps of dirt had clung to their edges, yet to be smoothed by the weather and settling of the elements. Lesser birds hadn't declared the sprawling branches their home, quite yet.

Ears pricking forth, gentle crescendos of birdsong filled the air. Leaf litter lined every place there wasn't grass as high as himself, invading the realm of mosses and fungi. The maw of mosses had accepted this visitor into its fold, and taken it beneath its wing. Rift's tree appeared as if it had always been there.

Introspection aside, the old storyteller paced to the edge of the clearing, rocking back onto his haunches gently with a bow of his head. He was here. His gaze trailed to Huckleberry, and he rumbled softly. "Are you well, Huckleberry?"

Oliver was not nearly as interested in examining the tree as Mercurius. He was, in fact, careful to keep far away from Huckleberry. When the group had decided to take him in, he hadn't realized that the hybrid killers would become one of them. Well--two of them.

Still, he came to Rift's call--however reluctantly. He just sat on the opposite side of the clearing, tucked in an inconspicuous sitting position, head low and tufted ears back.

"I'm here," he murmured, but past that, he remained silent. He was determined to still try to be a good guardian--but the fear that the battle had instilled in him had never left.

Sebastian stretched as he stood, shaking himself off. He hadn't been far from the Home Tree, so it was easy for his Brother's voice to wake him.

He yawned, grumbling a low growl, and shook his head as he licked his lips. Still groggy, he trotted into the clearing before the tree, calling out, "Hello Brother, Huckleberry, Mercurius, Oliver." as he did so.

The puma laid down, stretching out on his stomach as he observed his brother, offering him a smile and a tap of his tail. Not everyone was here, so he stretched out his magic, using the plants to look for the others.

It had only been a cycle since she had run into Mother, and Yew was still terrified.

She'd remained hidden in the forest since then, avoiding Huckleberry and Mercurius and Rift and the others. Fear kept her on edge, and pain from the poorly healed wounds--her wing, with a chunk taken out of it, the massive, un-feathered scar that tore from the hole where her left ear had been down to her neck, covering almost half of her head--having her flinching at every unexpected noise, half-expecting Mother to come barreling out from every corner.


So she went flying when Rift's voice suddenly boomed out, paws leaving the ground. Her wings flared, and she yelped as torn muscles strained. She whirled, flinching, and wanted nothing more than to bolt, but she didn't dare to disobey a command. So she slunk forward, into the opening, hovering near the tree-line. Mercurius was there, and she wanted to crawl up to him, curl into his side, but she didn't dare leave the tree-line.

Atinneas heard the call of her leader for a gathering. She wondered why there would be a meeting, was there danger, or something good? Nonetheless, Rift called for her so she rose to her feet to attend the gathering. Atinneas was no longer a cub though. No, she was now a grown adult lioness with a regal appearance, and elegance in her movements. She may be blind, but now it wasn't even noticeable. As a cub she used to bump into others sometimes, now, she doesn't do it at all. She trained herself to use and heighten her other senses, and now able to move freely. She wondered if Rift would be proud of the adult she grew into? As she joined the gathering she took her seat among the others, and waited for her leader to speak. She sat with the poise of a regal lioness. It was surprising that a blind lioness could hold so much elegance. That's just who Atinneas was.

The snowy owl heard Rift's call for a meeting, as she was fixing up her nest in the home tree. Her nest was finally complete and decorated with stuff Aetius created herself. It was comfortable, and she was proud of her work. After she made some minor changes, the owl then exited her nest and flew down to attend the meeting. She landed where the others gathered, and she happily greeted Rift. "Greetings Rift!" The owl hoped to speak with Rift about getting a rank above being a citizen. Though she was happy to be a citizen of the kingdom, she wanted to be more useful. Now was not the time though, so she decided to listen in on what the meeting was about.

It was impossible for Artume to miss the Kingdom, and its formation.

She had stepped in during the war, seen a horrific violence the likes of which she had never seen before. It had left her more wary, more careful, as she wandered the Cave system, careful to make sure the Gemlings were capable of using their Magic, that they could fight and defend themselves before leaving them on their lonesomes.

The stag was with Bold when the puma's voice called out, and she couldn't deny her curiosity. She raised her head, and twitched her ears, "What is it?"

Artume hummed, "That's the King, I'm rather curious." she turned to trot towards the Home Tree, Bold plodding after her. They remained at the tree-line, flowers blossoming at Artume's hooves as she listened in.

He watched quietly as the Kingdom gathered, wondering how many of them had come, expecting the party to be taking place. How many had arrived, thinking that the announcement would be joyous, fun, and in preparation for the party he had wanted to plan? How many would despair at the news that the murderer that had tried to destroy their home was still alive? That she begged forgiveness?

If Rift was correct, though, she wouldn't fight it. From what he'd heard, she was a shell of what she'd been - broken by the tragedy that had struck her all at once, ruined by her own injuries, and changed from the cat, however foolish she'd been, that had shown her kindness. He didn't think that old Blackberry would, in any way, come quietly, but perhaps this one would. At least, he hoped she would.

Once most of them had gathered, he cleared his throat. "Kingdom of Eridanus! Thank for gathering here." He nodded to them all, meowing a greeting to Aetius and a soft purr in Oliver's direction. "I wish I could say the news I bring was one of good things for Eridanus but, unfortunately, it is not. The murderer Blackberry, who we thought was dead by the word of the Kingdom of the Seven, has been confirmed to be still alive and active. She is in hiding, although we do not know where, presumably with the wolf Jayberry and what remains of her family."

He paused to let this knowledge sink in, pain hidden in his features behind his mask. "My source of information tells me that she is changed now, no longer a torturer or a murderer but regretful of her actions, to an extent, and broken. However, her daughter, Jayberry, still remains a threat. She was seen in Eridanus only a cycle ago. We have been keeping watch since to make sure she does not do anymore damage." He glanced towards Yew, being careful not to move his head to alert the Kingdom that he was looking her way. He wasn't sure if she wanted everyone to know, yet, that she had been attacked, but it would be better to keep it on the low, only for their safety and to stop a widespread panic.

He cleared his throat. "It has been decided that we will hold for Blackberry a trial. It will be held in neutral territory - Polaris, perhaps, or Pisces - and it will be a time of truce. There will be no fighting, no arguing, no interacting with those we consider our enemies. All will be welcome, whether from this Kingdom, the Bonebound, the groupless, and even those that were once members of the Bloodberries. We will take every precaution to ensure that the trial stays as safe as possible. Those that may cause harm will have eyes watching them at every moment. Those that do not wish to participate in the trial are not obligated to be there - you may, instead, remain here to guard the tree and tend to the garden. I promise, on my life, that there will not be a repeat of the war that nearly destroyed this place."

He paused again, glancing at the Hollow, where still the scars were visible, where small flowers served as memorials for what they had suffered. He wondered if there would be anyone besides the cat that would even vote in her favor - but this was to be fair. Everyone would have a say.

"There is much to do before the trial begins. I will personally travel to each of the groups to inform the leaders of what is happening. In the meantime, we'll need to spread the word. I want every gembound in the caves to know what's going on - we need anyone and everyone that ever knew Blackberry that is still active to come and give their word to the trial as well as neutral parties to decide her fate. We'll need guards ready to calm any kind of trouble at a moment's notice and, most importantly, we need to find Blackberry. Scour every cave, every tunnel. Find her and Jayberry but for the love of life, be careful! Do not instigate them into a fight, whatever you do. If you find her, come straight back and we'll send out an enjoy to collect her! Don't try to bring her back yourself!"

This event has changed!

I've updated the original post to reflect this change - please reread the part at the bottom to be up to date on what's going on. Information about the trial and how to sign up to testify/question is located here. You do not have to sign up to attend the trial as it will remain open for its entire duration.

@Sebastian @Oliver @Enka @Mercurius @Atinneas @Aetius @Yew @Artume