Never Idle, alongside Swan, Longstride, Willow's Breath, Bitterleaf, and several of the Kin who organized the event, takes the dais among the crowd to begin the prize ceremony.
"Westfen," he begins, "were the clear winners of our Pentathlon. Time To Go, Westward Bound, Flame of the West, Dual Natures, and Shameless: please accept your prizes. In tales of Fleet-Foot, the doe is said to have given those bucks who bested her in a show of athleticism a wreath adorned with a single blossom in honor of her one true love, Chrysanthemum. We have revived this tradition in honor of your achievements."
The Kin are led forward to accept their prizes, deftly woven by trained crane beaks and Never Idle's own mongoose paws.
As Westfen's winners file off the stage, Never Idle's smile grows indulgent. "The Scavenger Hunt was also swept by Westfen's diligent members, but many Kin participated, with The Royal Rainbow Troupe and The Sunchasers alike putting up a fierce competition and ensuring that the victory was not easy. For our winners we present crowns of laurel, a symbol of victory. For all our participants we have gathered feathers from raptors, to commemorate quick wits and sharp eyes and a knack for the hunt."
As the winners arrive at the dais, they are additionally graced by a sweep of paint at the end of a feather to emphasize their sharp-eyed skills.
Scavenger Hunt Participants
"The winners of our Endurance game," continues Never Idle, "are a stark reminder to us never to underestimate the strength of our does, nor to forget the inner strength required of any parent: The Mother's Club has taken the prize of a crown of stones. As any mother knows, sometimes even a prize is a burden, and it is a mark of exceptional grace to wear such a crown with pride. All of our participants are welcome to step forward and receive a prize of a single stone: not the most glamorous of prizes, but one that will earn the respect of all who see it, who will know that it was earned by being as sturdy and patient as the stone itself."
Endurance Game Participants
"And finally," says Never Idle, "we come to the moment where we crown our festival's Wolf and Crane: the crown-wearers for the remainder of the festivities. First, we would like to acknowledge some runners-up--and what better prizes for a pair of social butterflies?"
Wolf and Crane Runners-Up
And now: As the Sun Burns, your Festival Crane, and Tree Knocking, your Festival Wolf! Come don your costumes, and let the last night of stories and feasting begin!"
OOC WRAP UP
If you were overlooked, please quote Rejam! Thanks to ALL of our participants!
Some notes:
The prizes for the event appear to have been conferred with some sort of...
power. It's not consciously perceptible at first, but the trinkets feel strangely weighty and important to those that wear them, who may soon discover that they grant boons to their owners. Additionally, all of the prizes, even those made of leaves and flowers, are resistant to wilting and damage, holding up remarkably well despite abuse (the exception being facepaint, which washes off as normal). It is only possible to damage them if the winner
does so on purpose.
All effects are RP-only and do not grant dice bonuses for future events or WP's. They are conferrable on other Kin if willfully given or lent.
The wreaths grant their wearers a boost to speed or agility when it is needed: a surge at the end of a foot race, or a dexterity for maneuvering through tight corners after some elusive prey. While it's not sufficient to make the average Kimeti outrun a race-fond Kiokote, it's enough to ensure that they put up a hell of a fight!
Laurels winners will find themselves especially adept at finding lost things. This requires a certain state of mind--a willful, meditative detachment--that may be difficult to sustain. It can be helped along by sleeping on it. Clues will be provided in the dream.
Feathers winners have the same benefit as laurels winners, but to a slightly less precise extent: theirs is more a game of "warmer and colder," rather than an intangible scent trail to follow. The same state of mind is nonetheless required.
Stone Crown winners will find themselves able to push past what should be the last of their mental, emotional, and physical reserves, capable of enduring past what their bodies or minds would normally be capable of. This comes at the cost of exhaustion later, oftentimes a hard and long crash of at least a day, but it is invaluable in life or death situations and over long distances. This does not grant them additional physical
strength--they cannot lift more than they would normally be able to.
Stone winners receive the same benefit as above, but to a lesser extent and with a harder crash afterwards (generally at least two days of exhaustion).
Butterfly winners find themselves having a slightly easier time winning over others. While this will not turn your enemy into your friend, it might turn your friend into a better one, or make your plea for help more attractive to an ambivalent stranger.
Wolf and Crane winners receive the same benefits as butterfly winners, with the additional benefit that they now have a strange power to command the attention of entire crowds for short lengths of time. No matter how feisty the throng, they will find themselves compelled to listen to what the Wolf and Crane have to say--at least for a few minutes. Whether they
keep listening is entirely dependent on how well the Wolf and Crane make their case.
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