[shortstop]

username + id: shortstop +201714
sign-up post: here
prompt: [253 words]
By the time Dion woke up from her nap, it was dark outside the inn. It seemed as though the village of Kalokairi was still wide awake. Dion decided to head back downstairs to the main hall of the inn, unwilling to miss out on any of the festivities.
The innkeeper was hosting some kind of presentation when Dion made it to the bottom of the stairs. She quickly found a spot to sit at the back of the room and sat quietly to listen. There were cups of cocoa available, so she helped herself to one.
The story told of a fantastical beast that brought winter to the village every year. Dion hung on every word. She had sort of gleaned something about this from the travel brochure, but hearing it in such detail was wonderful. The way the innkeeper told the story, it was almost as though the beast were real.
Could the beast be real? The thought definitely crossed Dion's mind. An opportunity to meet the beast while she was on this trip would be lifechanging for the Kalon. But would the Winter Cryptid be friendly towards tourists? They were there to celebrate all that the Cryptid provided, but it wasn't like they lived in Kalokairi.
The gathering came to a close, and Dion headed back upstairs to her room. As she got ready for bed for real this time, thoughts of the Winter Cryptid filled her head. What would the beast think of her if they were to meet?

[elf_of_the_hollow]

username + ID. elf_of_the_hollow / 352032
link to sign up post. here
prompt. after hearing the story, your kalon must be curious about the winter cryptid. what does your kalon think about it? how do they imagine it might look like? [ 231 ]


asuka chuckled under his breath and shook his head, his eyes resting soundly on the crackling fire as he considered the legend he'd just heard. he wasn't in the least bit skeptical - he'd heard stranger things before - but the image of the beast that had been conjured in his mind rendered the story quite comical.

he could clearly imagine a large, towering creature, completely covered head-to-toe in jagged white fur. that image was intimidating enough, but the other details he saw quickly served to ruin that image. he pictured it round and soft. it's fur was a soft, downy fluff, that even the idea of which made you want to reach out and touch it. it was a kind looking beast with an almost owl-like appearance - large eyes that almost certainly could see into your very soul, and giant, feathered wings that could block out the sun if fully extended.

in his mind's eye the beast ambled around like a giant, clumsy puppy, completely endearing in every way. asuka had to admit he was quite fond of the creature he'd crafted up in his mind. it mind him curious what the actual winter cryptid looked like, and simultaneously quite terrified. he doubted there was a world in which it was quite so cute as he imagined, though perhaps it was just as kind - either way he wasn't prepared to find out.

[quiche cat!]

username + id: quiche cat! + 430690
signup: boop
prompt: After hearing the story, your Kalon must be curious about the Winter Cryptid. What does your Kalon think about it? How do they imagine it might look like?


éowyn listened carefully to the whole story, his eyes widening to a seemingly impossible size by the end of it. "so people have actually seen it?" he inquired in disbelief, turning to look up the slanted, snowy mountain behind him. was it really true? did a big, powerful snow monster come down each winter to freeze the earth? he was itching to hear more stories about this snowy cryptid, and wondered if any of the people in the village would be willing to share their own experiences.

but what could it possibly look like? éowyn had a crisp image in mind: it had to be a big polar bear, with fur as fluffy as clouds and as white as the snow! of course it would sparkle, just like fresh snowflakes on a cold, sunny day. and when it roared, éowyn was sure that snow would start to fall from the sky, and the wind would start to blow. but it wouldn't be scary, oh no. as a matter of fact, he knew that all the creatures that dared wander the winter wonderlands would flock to the cold cryptid, simply to bask in the enigmatic being's presence!

maybe, if he was lucky, éowyn would be able to see the cryptid with his very own eyes. and then he'd have good luck for days!

[WitchHazel]

Username: WitchHazel
Link to sign-up: here!
Prompt: After hearing the story, your Kalon must be curious about the Winter Cryptid. What does your Kalon think about it? How do they imagine it might look like?

"I've seen many beasts in my travels, and this is something akin to what Jeremiah spoke of."

[_silentsiren_]

Username & ID number: _silentsiren_ + 804746
Link to registration on event signup thread: link


Ace listened to the story he was told, wrapping his arms around himself as he felt a shiver crawl up his spine. "How... strange." He spoke quietly, looking down at the smashed snow where his feet was. The idea of a creature that was visible? It wasn't uncommon for fairytales to be spun into campfire stories but, it certainly seemed more than a campfire story.

The way it was described, sounded like a protector of sorts. Something to be thankful for rather than scared of. A clearly well known creature... perhaps they had hooves, they certainly had to be covered in fur to be able to withstand the cold here. Ace shivered again, rubbing his arms through his jacket as she huddled closer to the fire.

"I wish I had as much fur as the creature did." The cold had still seemed to get to him, even with all of his layers. It was difficult to keep warm, but... had anyone searched for the creature's den? There had to be one if it seemingly hibernated at the beginning of spring. The feast would be perfect before it slept... Perhaps he could help out with the feast, maybe even catch a glimpse of the Cryptid.

[ 204 ]

[Dewy Feathers]

Username + ID: Dewy Feathers 998285
Sign up: xxx
Prompt:

Resonance thought about the cryptid. He brought snow and cold, but the villagers loved it. Res loved mythology and cryptids, stories about beautiful other dimensions. The winter cryptid was no different. He might’ve been beautiful and crystalline, or hairy and ugly, but she didn’t care. Resonance wanted to explore, maybe find the cryptid, but it was snowing outside, so she looked at the small bookshelf in her room.

A Guide to Kalokairi’s Winter Fest

Mushrooms: Poisonous or Delicious?

Kalokairi’s Winter Cryptid: Legends and Fables

Resonance found the book and opened it up. She lit the fire and started reading.

The sky grew dark as she finished the book. Resonance left her room to go grab a cup of hot chocolate down in the lobby. She saw Toma talking by the fire about the cryptid. Resonance wandered over to listen.

“Sometimes, I can see a shadow in the woods at night. I’ll hear breathing, or the rustle of a branch. Some believe the winter cryptid is evil, or hates the spring, but I think he’s friendly.”

Resonance smiles and heads back up to her room. Suddenly inspired, she takes out the paper at the small desk and starts drawing.

The cryptid looks bear-like, with long, wispy, white fur, and antlers made of ice. Resonance isn’t an artist, but she’s very proud of how friendly and welcoming the creature looks.

[allu]

username and id; allu (760895)
link to event registration; ♡
kalon name & team; nico • team soup

after hearing the story, your kalon must be curious about the winter cryptid. what does your kalon think about it? how do they imagine it might look like?

prompt two

nico's eyes had lit up by the end of toma's words. he loved hearing different legends and this one was no exception. he had always believed there was some truth to the myths and legends of omnipresent creatures that kalon after kalon carried on to their kin. he was no stranger to odd happenings and the tale of this 'winter cryptid' had fully peaked his interest.

"what an incredible creature it must be" he managed to spit out. had toma said that.. kalons had SEEN this creature? he was in awe, truly. the fact that kalokairi village held the festival just for the creature was the epitome of dedication. nico tilted his head softly and swished his tail back and forth. perhaps he might spot this creature during his vacation.. but that seemed like wishful thinking really. he had completely zoned out by now, with thoughts of the winter cryptid racing through his mind.

from the way it was described to bring the cold further in, surely it must be a large beast? he imagined long white fur with snow and ice packed on, but the cryptid must be used to the cold and wouldn't mind. large paws and a sweeping tail also came to mind. perhaps it had horns too, that would certainly be a sight to see. like.. a large deer, but much cooler of course. nico chuckled to himself a bit at the thought of a large white deer tromping around and bringing winter with it. something like a deer would make sense, large hooves to maneuver the snow and ice all around the mountain would seem to be helpful. maybe it was more like a kalon though? some older and larger subspecies perhaps. one that had lived for a very long time and had seen it all. or a bear! a polar bear! how incredible would that be. large paws and a big frame to keep it warm in the cold. nico's face had formed a smile by now. regardless of what this cryptid looked like, he now desired to learn as much as he could about it before he left kalokairi village.

"thank you for telling me the legend of your village toma, i do appreciate it." nico said with a smile after remembering the other kalon was in fact still there. giving a small nod he got up and made his way to his room, thoughts in his head and a mission to find the nearest piece of paper.

[415/200 words]

[CSMintCat]

CSMintCat | 720697 | Cody | Prompt #2


Cody just hopes that they're nothing like the "cryptids" back at home...

[FluffyBirdie]

FluffyBirdie | Sign up | Sonatina | 212 / 200
Prompt 2: After hearing the story, your Kalon must be curious about the Winter Cryptid. What does your Kalon think about it? How do they imagine it might look like?

Sonatina was abuzz after hearing that story, her eyes already scouring the darkness between trees, wondering if the creature was watching them. A being with ice magic so powerful it brings winter to this area...can its powers be learnt? She had heard about beings like these before, ones that wander the earth, changing the world around them as an afterthought. Could this be one? She wanted to try talking to it, maybe capture it, but the villagers here would not take kindly to that latter idea. They seem to worship it here, and stealing their god away would only cause ire. But...does that matter? If she could capture it and study its powers, find the source, angering a remote village didn't seem too bad. What could they do to her? Especially if she managed to bring it back to the Academy; the scholars there would help defend her fervently for giving them such a specimen to study. A school of magic would have no trouble dealing with these mountain dwellers.
Tina shook her head, realising it was too far. These might be people living a simpler life, but they were people nonetheless. A creature captured against its will would also rebel fiercely, and make any examination difficult. Better just observe for now.

[Griff]

Username and ID: Griff 254592
Signup post: Here!
Prompt:

Sunny listens to the story, eyes wide with wonderment. A cryptid? He had never met one of those, but his fathers had told plenty of stories about them! "So nobody knows what they really look like?" He asks Toma, tapping his chin. His eyes filled with creative curiosity he starts to muse out loud. "Well if they are in charge of winter I bet they have a really super fluffy, thick and soft coat! With like, so many layers you cannot see any of their skin. Let me see... bright eyes that look like the moon maybe. Spots! Because spots are cool and..." He eyes Toma again. "You're not the crytid are you?" he asks, his voice a light teasing before he continues.

"Hmmm... they likely have hooves to help traverse the terrain easier. Maybe a long, puffy tail to go with the coat. Huge, multi-pronged antlers for the winter look because those are awesome! A thick mane, and BIG TEETH! They have to look the cryptid part after all right? Let me see... what else. Oh! They must give off a soft glow off of somewhere on their body so as to see better amongst all the snow right?"He nods to himself. Yeah, that was DEFINITELY what the cryptid looked like!

[213 words]