2020-08-22 Sunrise Through Nialla

You hear on the ground: Nialla Mes'ard, Midsummer Herald says, "Oh, one moment."

You blink.

In the trees above the Moonhart Mother Tree.
Nialla Mes'ard's branches are visible here.
You see exits leading north and south.
5820h, 8070m, 6740e, 100em ex-gl ground
The Moonhart Mother Tree.
A sedge of galingale is firmly planted in the forest floor. Lovely coltsfoot 
carpets the forest floor. A marjoram bush flourishes here, spreading its 
delicate scent. Sprays of chervil cover the forest floor. Singing a hauntingly 
beautiful melody, Miakoda, Maiden of the Moonhart, stands here. Towering high 
above is the Moonhart Mother Tree, stretching her enormous branches heavenwards. 
Gleaming with a silver lambency, a slender tree grows here, its bark and boughs 
displaying the faces of the dead. Rising tall overhead, a totem of silvery wood 
sits here, decorated with the offerings of the Serenwilde forest. There are 5 
armoured owls here. An illustrated canvas hangs in the air here, supported by 
silvery ribbons. Lacking any visible weapon, Adasser, Wolverine's Mask assesses 
his surroundings with glacial blue eyes. There are 5 fierce timberwolves here. 
Reaching up as high as the eye can see looms the awesome presence of a living 
totem. Watching you warily, a silver-furred vixen sniffs the air. Soft hues of 
light illuminate a small shrine situated within a tangle of delicate bluebells. 
Blending in with the foliage, a mossy chest rests here. There are 10 frost hags 
here. There are 10 centaur hunters here. There are 4 kephera nature warders here.
A striped badger is here, licking its paws. A long, narrow tent in brown and 
green has been left here. There are 2 bottles here. There are 4 braided green 
tea pesto breads here. Glowing gently with a soft blue light, a delicate 
dreamcatcher has been permanently hung here. A mature hornbeam tree stands 
proudly here. A golden scone frosted with the state seal of Hallifax rests here 
upon a mandala-patterned porcelain plate. A rounded scone dotted with dried 
cherries and chocolate chips sits here upon a porcelain plate. There are 2 lemon-
blueberry muffins here. There are 20 treble clef tea cups of tourmaline green 
here. There are 8 amphibious emerald tea cups wreathed in gold here. A sky-blue 
tea cup sits here, patterned intricately with painted clouds. A large cup 
covered in dazzling gems lies on the ground here. There are 3 porcelain tea cups 
imbued with tessellated lavender petals here. A crystalline tea cup, laced in 
twisting shapes of silver, lies neglected here. Moulded with the graceful forms 
of aerial currents, an elegant tea cup of sapphire and glass has been set 
delicately upon its saucer. Wrapped up in a delightful display of colour, a gift 
basket rests here. Covered in bone armour, watching you warily, a silver-furred 
vixen sniffs the air. There are 2 cinnamon swirl bumblebee sandwiches here. A 
platter of flowers and fruit sits here, waiting to be eaten. A pleasant floral 
fragrance draws attention to a small heart-shaped cheesecake on the floor. A 
ceremonial fire crackles here, sending orange sparks swirling upwards. Tangled 
together in clusters of fuzzy stems and stalks, a Lossel's orchanet blooms here 
with its blush-hued flowers. An elegant peahen of pearly hue stands poised, 
possessing a stubby tail of white radiance. Forestwalker Llani Myeras with a 
Crone face drifts here, vibrant blossoms surging out of the ground around her. 
She wields a reinforced door shield in her left hand and a pollen wreathed staff 
wrapped in living vines and violet blossoms in her right hand. Nialla Mes'ard, 
Midsummer Herald stands here, crowned in the blue flames of Glinshari. She 
wields a flowering garland in her left hand.
You see exits leading north, south, and through a vined stairway.

You tilt your head curiously.

Nialla raises her wooden gaze from the ground to your level.

You jump into the air and land with a bump.

Nialla Mes'ard, Midsummer Herald says, "Heya."

You say, "Hello hello!"

Llani swings gracefully up from the ground.
l
In the trees above the Moonhart Mother Tree.
The variety of trees that crowd around the Moonhart Mother Tree goes beyond 
count, elms and alders, beech and cherry, hawthorn and hazel, evergreen and oak, 
all dwarfed by the magnificence and majesty of the mother tree herself. The 
grasses and shrubs that grow in the surrounding forest become scarce as they 
approach the tree, replaced by tiny wildflowers of amethyst-purple and marble-
white. The veil to the ethereal plane is particularly thin, and the laughter of 
pixies and other creatures of the fae tinkle down from the treetops and tickle 
the ears of those below. The atmosphere itself, although benign and welcoming, 
also vibrates with a palpable power, sending shivers up the skin. A ball of 
mistletoe clings to the tree branches here. An elegant peahen of pearly hue 
stands poised, possessing a stubby tail of white radiance. Nialla Mes'ard, 
Midsummer Herald stands here, crowned in the blue flames of Glinshari. She 
wields a flowering garland in her left hand. Forestwalker Llani Myeras with a 
Crone face drifts here, vibrant blossoms surging out of the ground around her. 
She wields a reinforced door shield in her left hand and a pollen wreathed staff 
wrapped in living vines and violet blossoms in her right hand.
You see exits leading north and south.

(( ! Llani plumps us up with bumblebee cookies and power. ))

Forestwalker Llani Myeras says, "Anyway, I won't keep you two!"

Llani nods her head enthusiastically.

Llani waves goodbye.

You say, "Oh, and here I thought Nialla was your verdant accomplice!"

Llani wraps her fingers around a blinking cerulean pebble, and its blue-green 
glow spreads up her arm to envelop her. A faint scent of ozone meets your nose 
as Llani disappears with the fading phosphorescence.

Xiran smiles and waves.
l nialla
She is a verdant wildewood prismatic demigoddess with antlers. Silver-tinged, 
azure hued leaves adorn the canopy of this towering tree-kin, casting the 
vaguely humanoid shaped form in a constantly shifting, shimmering light. The 
entirety of her shape is covered in a dark, whorled bark. Otherwise 
indistinguishable from any other specimen, the sentient nature of this forest 
monolith is given away by the immense, multi-hued eyes that peer out at the 
world, shimmering with crystalline depths. Just beneath these orbs rests a 
vaguely nose shaped knot, and below that the shape of a mouth can just barely be 
distinguished. A pair of long arms, indistinguishable from her trunk when they 
rest at her side, end in clawed fingers adorned with vibrant blossoms, and in 
place of feet is a complex system of thick, twisting roots. A lush fragrance 
dances about her as she stands awash in the wild, prismatic colours of a 
truefavour from Maylea, Bloom of Serenity.

She is wearing:
a decadent shortcake lapel pin
an apple tree brooch
an elegant pink rose
a satchel of turning seasons hanging from a branch
a cluster of snapdragons
a translucent crystal bindi casting dancing, prismatic hues through her canopy
the Flame of dae'Seren shining upon a high branch.

Turning her smile to you, you say, "How goes this evening, Nialla?"

Nialla Mes'ard, Midsummer Herald says, "It goes alright so far!"
l peahen
Crowned by a ring of perky alabaster feathers, the facial markings on this 
beautiful peahen give her a certain elegant air. Her eyes are pure gold in 
colour and filled with an ethereal light. The rest of her body is pearly, 
feathers covering all the way down to the bare legs and sharp talons. Fanned out 
from her form is a stubby tail of white radiance. A multitude of eye-like 
markings cover the expanse of her feathers, with gold rimming the ends of the 
feathers around a dot of solid indigo, each illuminated with a divine glow. She 
is called 'Aiteal.'
An elegant peahen crowned with a ring of perky alabaster feathers looks to be 
crushingly strong.

You say, "And welcoming birdies to your boughs? Looks like you have a pretty one 
here already."

You curtsey gracefully before an elegant peahen crowned with a ring of perky 
alabaster feathers.

An elegant peahen crowned with a ring of perky alabaster feathers makes a soft, 
plaintive chirp at you and ruffles her iridescent feathers.

Nialla Mes'ard, Midsummer Herald says, "My Aiteal, she's wonderful. I have had a 
few sparrows poking around."
beam
You beam broadly.

Laughing, you say, "Squirrels and sparrows? Are they getting along alright?"

Nialla Mes'ard, Midsummer Herald laughingly says, "So far, but I'm keeping my 
eyes on them."

Xiran sways, tilting her whole body to peek around your trunk.

You say, "Ohh, are they roosting still? Do they get noisy in your ears once dawn 
arrives?"

You cough softly.

You say, "Ears. Er."

The last vestiges of midnight shadows flee as Mother Night hides herself from 
the luminous arrival of her shining mate as he chases her across the bowl of the 
sky.

Xiran places a hand to her cheek musingly.

Nialla carefully shifts a few of her branches to reveal a nest nestled against 
the trunk, two sleeping sparrows within. "They can get a little noisy in the 
morning, but it makes sure I never sleep in."

Xiran shifts her hands over her mouth, holding back a sound of delight.

You whisper, "Oh, what darlings!"

Nialla Mes'ard, Midsummer Herald says, "They're wonderfully adorable."

Xiran tilts her head back to watch the sunlight filter through 
Nialla's silvery-blue foliage, the shadows dappled with bronze-gold.

The two sparrows shift and wake slowly, stretching out their wings with little 
chirps before suddenly taking flight, darting through Nialla's canopy as they 
sing their welcome to the sun.

Xiran's mouth slowly breaks into a wide smile.

Argent moonlight pierces the blue glow of the Flame of dae'Seren upon Nialla, 
enshrouding her momentarily in a silver mantle.

Glorious rays of morning light burst forth from Father Sun's crown as it peeks 
over the world's edge, announcing a bright and shining new dawn.

Birds fill your ears with serenades of happiness and love.

Xiran watches in wonder as the silver light from the Flame of 
dae'Seren fades and the sun briefly cloaks you in gold.

Nialla's trunk swells in size as a gust of air rushes into her mouth. Slowly, 
the air around her begins to shudder with a rumbling vibration that crescendos 
into a low, deep 'hoom.'

Xiran sways and giggles. She puffs up her cheeks before letting 
out a silent 'hoom!' though it lacks the same reverberating magnificence.

Nialla chuckles, her leaves shaking with her amusement.

Xiran pats your dark barkskin appreciatively, careful not to 
brush away emerging springtime growth.

You smile and say to Nialla, "Thank you, for letting me watch the sunrise 
through you!"

Nialla Mes'ard, Midsummer Herald smiles and says to you, "Thank you for watching 
it with me."

Grinning as she gets up, you say, "I should depart before the squirrels smell 
honeycombs on me."

A squirrel skitters through the treetops somewhere above.

Nialla Mes'ard, Midsummer Herald says, "Mmm, they do love honeycombs."

You say, "Eek!"

An elegant peahen crowned with a ring of perky alabaster feathers carefully 
preens her lustrous plumage, drawing the feathers slowly through her beak.

Laughingly, you say, "Oh dear! I shall be prepared to pacify them then, should 
we see the sunrise together again."

Nialla Mes'ard, Midsummer Herald laughingly says, "I look forward to it."

Xiran takes off, spiralling her way down Nialla's trunk to the forest floor.