SHIP'S LOG:

Zap Colonize Epilog

Murk Toadingham 6/23/2025 10:09pm

"So, ya see," I says. "It's the muck what keeps us invisible. To them that lives in Zigardel."

The fairies twittered amongst themselves.

"Whaddaya goin' and tellin' 'em something like that for?"

"You heard the fairy," I says. "There's been a kidnapping!"

"Nobody goes inside Zigardel and comes back alive."

"What about Scum Mulligan? When he got kidnapped?" I says.

"Well sure, he was bathing without his murk."

"And we webt in there and got him out! And Tessa Grunplop? Phil Dirt? It's like we've got a regular revolving door with Zigardel!" I says.

"Yeah but we're Murkmen. And they're fairies."

"And they'll sure as mud get eaten up if they go through the front door. That's why they gotta take the Murk," I says.

"They won't like it."

"I got a different feeling on that. There fairies are true. Ah, wait, they're ready. Let's see what they have to say," I says.

Sister Elm 3/1/2025 11:53pm

Day 33, tracking Tara and the Shizen Baton.

"How are these Muckmen different, Little Sister Oak?" I asked.

"They speak our tongue, Sister Elm. A poor version of it to be sure."

"And what caused you to deviate our course to find them, Little Sister Oak?" I aksed.

"It was their mudflute. It was calling."

"You are a connoisseur of mudflute, Little Sister Oak?" I asked.

"Did you not make one when you were young?"

Little Sister Oak was not mistaken.

"I will hear what they have to say, Little Sister Oak," I said.

Teak 11/5/2024 4:48pm

Zigardel

Mountain of pure Kaen
Burning tip of burning spear
Scorching wood and
Searing minds
Destroying music with its terrible frequency

What foul creatures thrive
In its crystal spires
That have no music in them?

What foul creatures have taken our beloved Tara?
To this place no music grows?

Their crystal ships slice the air
Their crystal noses pierce the wind
Their crystal voices cut our ears

Zigardel

Sister Elm 7/13/2024 5:45pm

Day 23, tracking Tara and the Shizen Baton.

Zigardel. Not only is it the literally the last place in the realms that a woodland fairy would ever choose to go, it's carved directly out of an enormous Kaen Crystal the size of a mountain. Even imagining it is enough to give a fairy a nosebleed. So that was our first problem. Kleenex.

Now we've got to contemplate actually visiting? Going inside? But we can not neglect our Sister Tara. Though the fate of her Shizen Baton seems unfortunately sealed.

My sisters and I are at an impasse. But we will continue to approach Zigradel until it is clear that to go anywhere nearer would drive us mad. Or worse.

Poor Tara.

Murk Toadingham 3/22/2024 11:45pm

"Well they can't be headed north," I says. "That'd take 'em right to Zigardel."

"That's what WetEggs seen. Buzzed right over the swamp headin north. Propellers a hummin', leaves a blowin'."

"WetEggs can't see that far. And WetEggs' brain is mush," I says.

"Ok not 'seen.' But WetEggs can hear real good."

"That's true, that's true," I says.

We both looked down at the mud.

"Zigardel ain't no place for tree fairies," I says.

"No it ain't, no it ain't."

We both looked up at the trees.

We both looked north.

"Well we best get goin' then," I says.

Willow and Birch 11/25/2023 11:57pm

Tara's song was coming through pure and clear on the Chomon crystal.

"Willow?"

"Birch?"

"Triangulate!" we say at the same time, doing our secret fist bump incantation.

"33 degrees north"

"67 degrees east"

"Distance.... distance... distance..."

Birch's eyes roll back in her head. She's always the one more likely to take it too far. Her fingers tremble on the planchette but it moves smoothly across the map before coming to a stop.

"Zigardel," we say at the same time, in horror.

Sister Elm 8/20/2023 11:58pm

Day 14, tracking Tara and the Shizen Baton.

The Reedy Way has provided few clues. Wisps of creature fur tangle with the air moss. Repulsive green folk emerge from the muck and taunt us.

Sisters Willow and Birch scan the etheric frequencies on their whatchamacallit. Meanwhile, the Zap Colonize Epilog continues across the endless cat tails, searching for the scent.

Teak 5/10/2023 11:13pm

The Zap Colonize Epilog is on the case!

We had a bit of the dreamies, passing through the Lake of Fogs
Ancient spirits of the wood bent our minds around the cogs
Of faerie thoughts
grown twisted and old
Dark thoughts of evil
and putrid mold

These kidnappers will not escape
The Zap Colonize Epilog!

Ulex 1/27/2023 8:29pm

Oh no! Sage's cousin -- Tara -- has been kidnapped! Along with her Shizen Baton!

Come back, Zap Colonize Epilog, and help us find her! Her beautiful song cannot be extinguished!

Tree-nt 10/28/2022 8:01am

I wood like to do this.