Arcona and Dajorra have found a modicum of peace. Alla'su and the other "gods" of Selen are on the back foot, the Children of Mortis' activities have been disrupted, and even the outlying territories controlled by the Houses — Eldar and Port Ol'val — have momentarily stabilized after fits and spurts of upheaval. Now it's time to rebuild, recover, and prepare for the coming storm that has been whispered about in dark corners of the Citadel and hinted at in DIA intelligence releases. Arcona has many places to choose from in this regard, and the Shadesworn have been given some latitude in how they want to use

In a minimum of 500 words, write a fiction using one of the prompts below, describing how your character(s) use this hard won downtime to theirs or the Clan's advantage. The story should focus on your character(s), but use of other player-characters or NPCs is both allowed and encouraged; though it is always good practice to get permission if using someone else's character.

Return to Tekpantli

With the isolated island nominally pacified, Arcona is slowly working to integrate and introduce the islanders to the greater Selenian world. With the availability of medicines and technology never before seen, coupled with the neutering of local practices involving Maustli's Dream and Nightmare, the denizens have as much to be happy for as they have to disdain. Perhaps the most grating of all was the awakening of those that had been placed under the illusionist "god's" influence as punishment for their dissent and sedition, and given residence on a part of the island that is mildly shielded from his power. Arcona must now tread carefully as they bridge these various gaps and build relations, and while the DDF may provide security, it is the influence of the Shadesworn that will be the deciding factor. You can reference the latest fiction updates for this here.

Zainab Viscera Cleanup Detail

On the frozen northern continent of Tunca, the shell of what used to be the "city" of Zainab sits almost derelict. Once a thriving research, mining, and energy hub, the settlement was attacked by Alla'su and Eulauti, using their cultist zealots and environmentally tailored caxqettes to sow chaos and destruction at the critical infrastructure. Arcona defeated the attack, but not before many were killed and even more wounded and evacuated. Only the most critical systems like the geothermal and wind-power stations were cleared and maintained in the wake of the attack, and while the bodies in other functional and housing structures were taken away for burial, the damages and marks of the battle remain untouched. Now Arcona must properly rebuild, cleaning up the mess and repatriating those personnel and their families willing to go back to Zainab and keep the lights on for so much of Selen. But with so much of this settlement left to the elements for so long, there's the possibility that the buildings aren't as empty as they look. You can reference the opening fiction from this event here and the closing fiction here.

Recovery and the Daily Grind

Sometimes it's necessary to simply take care of things on the homefront. With the Houses each tending to their own situations on Eldar for Galeres and Port Ol'val for Qel-Droma, there's plenty enough to deal with outside of Selen. Factor in that many of the Shadesworn have significant others, children, or simply subordinates to take care of, it can seem like there isn't enough time in the day to deal with everything, much less take care of oneself. How does your character recover from everything that's been happening in Arcona? What do they do with the relative calm, and what (if anything) are they doing to prepare for whatever the next fight will bring?

Other Rules & Grading

• Accepted submission formats are PDF files and the site submission box.
• Entries will be graded in accordance with the Fiction Grading Rubric.
• Adult content is permitted, but do NOT publish the submission if it includes such content.
• Third Level Crescents will be available to the top participants, and Clusters of Ice will be applied in accordance with individual word counts.