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The tides of the fight seems almost push back, the struggle against the magically controlled beasts and a dragon itself too much for the outmatched group. The gathering doing their best to dodge, and help out those battered in the chaos, and it the team seems all but impossible to get an upper hand.

In a moment of shifting luck, the great dragon slams just a bit too close to it's controller, sending Raliprana from their perch, and for a fleeting moment their grip on the powerful staff. The Guardian, seizes on that opening, smashing the very earth along with the rogue Balikin, and the battle stills for what seems like eons, as the dust clears.

As beast back down from combat and turn to rejoin the stillness of the forests, it seems you've come out victorious, the staff reclaims by the Balikin of the Night Forest, freeing their Guardian from control. However, it seems with no trace left behind, Raliprana has made an escape before being captured.

Still on guard for any desperate last attack, and the team protected by the great water dragon return to the home camp of the Night Forest to report the outcome. While some healing of the damage to both the Night Forest and Time Gap Cliffs is still needed, for now at least the threat seems to be withheld. Some react with full relief, others quiet hesitation, was Raliprana the one stealing eggs, perhaps there still more damage to done here?

For our heroes that joined the battle, there is nothing but support, warm welcomes, and gratitude. Some heading back to their native lands to rest and heal up, others sticking around to help rebuilding and keeping patrols withe locals.

All are now welcome to travel between the Night Forest and Time Gap Cliffs, your presence is no longer a threat here, but a blessing, and one of the elder mages from the group offers to make that a permanent mark on any that aided the final battle as a sign of their friendship.

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Balikin are now live in game, go hatch that egg, submit your Import designs, and breed starters!

• Use the 'Feathering the Nests' Prompt to submit your egg final.
• Submit your Egg MYO like you would any other character.

Characters may also now use the new lands as their Homeland setting.

Any character that submitted art or writing for the Prompts 'Across the Red Lands' or 'The Final Showdown' and wish to earn a special Marking, submit a Claim with the following info:

• Character Import link
• Link to Approved Submission on site

Raffles for entering have been rolled:

• An Extra RNG Balikin Egg goes to @CAVIO
• A custom Unique Yens design to @CAVIO
• And since no one got a ticket to the Egg add on Raffle, I pulled another winner from the other two pools for rooklinqs

(Prizes will be going out shortly!)

A tense journey engages, every creak, every wild howl from a distant beast setting the group on edge. A few of the warriors, healers and scientist all meet with brief standoffs against the local wildlife's rage, over all the team makes it to a clearing crackling with nervous energies and a break in the fog. A few steps in and Ryn Kei's aerial scouting team raise the alarm...

Ahead, a dark feathered Balikin perches on a twist husk of an ancient tree, a glowing staff similar to the one brought with the scouting team to Ull Cayons in one wing. The intense arcane magics that fill the breeze emanating form this staff surrounds a muddy pool formed by the stifled motions of a large eel like beast held in place, this must be the dragon guardian dragged from the Night Forest.

The Balikin turns to the group, grinning as they addresses the stunned congregation.

You made it all the way here? But no longer...only the TRUE supports of the Balikin's place as the undisputed keepers of the Last Dragons should stand here to help reset the dead Middle Lands.

Our winged brethren abandoned the middle lands when the Dragon Scions were killed, why go back for help now, why got back for help from these lesser beings that don't respect the true tides of the world. We NEED to return dragons to the world, by whatever force needed, and none will stand in my way.

Raising the staff, the dragon contained within the pool leaps frantically to send a muck filled wave at the group, forcing even the strongest amoung them backward, coated in muddy silt, rendering any organized rush at the mystery Balikin useless without them knowing.

It's time to make a quick decision on what to do now...

A new Prompt title 'The Final Showdown' is now live, and let's players pit their characters against this mysterious foe, your choice will shape future world lore.

Any character is included in this prompt, or the last one will be eligible for a special bonus after the event.

The group gathers, the outsiders from the main lands, next to the native Balikin, together, perhaps they look ready to take on this threat, but first they need to make to the source. Ryn Kei gives a nervous nods, offering her advice on where to head, pointing to a a rise in the foggy distance that seems to fade into the clouds, a small mountain lit by bursts of red lightening.

While you have some extra help with the locals, this place is still dangerous, once docile creatures are prone to aggressive attacks, so keep an eye out...

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Our next story prompt is now live, and this one will have a random chance of having to clash with the creatures of the land when rolled, earning some extra rewards or injuries as a result of the outcome.

Characters that participate in this step, OR the final step will all be eligible to earn a special reward post story, and the more battles won during these two events will boost this prize.

This step will last until the end of June, with the final Balikin Storyline event starting a week or so into July.

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And finally, our slightly delayed Character Creation Item Sale will be moving to the end of June as well, as this one is the big one for the year to cover the hosting bill for the site, we'll have some special prizes, and a larger Geno turn in along side it.

Taking a moment to come out from hiding, Perrion nervously looks to the crowds and is pleasantly surprised to see the reaction is, well at least not poor, mixed perhaps. At least everyone is having fun right?

The events judging goes smoothly, the Headermaster settling on the new creature with some amusement, giving the nervous creator a solidly passing C+.

With that Tokenhounds can now be submitted to Design Approval for use in the game! All you need is ANY NFT piece when you do, it does not reflect which parts you can edit. Current NFT parts are free pick for animals, but future ones will have a set animal including that WILL reflect what you can change your Kirunhound into.

And a big congratulations to the winners of Rough Waters: Sarracenia and Fancy Footing rooklinqs

(A small update to event prizes like these, there is now a one event 'cooldown' between winning Alters in game, that will allow more players to have a chance at winning)

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Back in the Night Forest, the searching continues and hope begins to fade that either the elusive dragon of the lakes or the Balikin that can track them down can be found at this point. Finally a small group stumbles on a clearing with what looks to be a very simple, if not functional camp site built to house a long Balikin. While looking over the contains, the dark foliage surrounding it parts and a silver scaled creature pushes her nose into the scene, surprised to see anyone.

Explaining the reason for your presence, she calms a little and takes a more serious expression. 'I too have been tracking something wrong with this place, the paths while variable, have become nearly unstable and I fear the very balance with the land itself is fading. I sense little of the traces of the guardian here, it's absence may be the cause. The path leads directly into the Time Gap Cliffs, but something is very wrong there, but I'm no warrior and fear I can't provide much aid outside this path.'

She steps forward to part the forest at the other end of the camp, revealing a new landscape, one covered in mist and twisting trees covered in moss. An unnatural glow comes from the sky, casting a violent tone to the land, and some beast roars out in the far distance.

Ryn Kei shakes her head, explaining that it shouldn't look anything like that, and the wildlife, once gentle and calm have gone wild. She suggested your team return to the city, gather up what supplies and fighters, tacticians and medics you can, and go in to see what's going on. She provides a magically touched map to help this group quickly fid their way back to this entrance site, and a signed note to allow your team access to the store rooms to stock up on supplies.

From here the event will have two more smaller steps, you will be fighting for the next one. Due to this I'm giving a one week opening to get your critters ready, geared up and to stock up on any extra items you might want to aid in the challenge. The Prompt will go live on the 27th and run into June, with the final hitting just in time for our usual site slow down period for Art Fight.

You may also now shop at the Stone Merchant with your Glass Stones.

The time of year has rolled around again where the students in Voltlund come forth and share their presentations to pass their annual studies, but this year a familiar face from the last two years seems to be not just absent, but his table is bare as well. Curious to what's going on, you tack him down to a student breakroom.

There panicked breaths, he let it out. The Schoolmasters were not too pleased with his offerings, and this is his last chance to graduate, and he better make it a straight A+ show or face being sent back to remedial classes, something he can't bare to suffer through.

He has however come up with something amazing, revealing a pair of Kirunhounds he's personally adapted using his previous Token discovery. Much to his dismay when showing them off to fellow students earlier this week, they were less than amazed, and rather horrified in fact. Offering a pleading whisper, Perrion wants you to help smooth over the reaction to his new creation, but if it really isn't going to work he can always just use his back up plan of showing off his adjusted Token's 2.0. His words sound like he's not very confident in EITHER discovery, feeling bad for the usually self confident creature, you set out to lead a hand...

Say hello to the first two Tokenhound nicknamed 'Rough Waters' and 'Fancy Footing'.

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This mini event will run until mid May, giving everyone time to enter, once the event closes and all prizes are rolled, some new changes will be happening around Tokens and how you can use them!

First, all current Token parts in inventories (and the ones given as prizes for this event) will remain Wild Cards, meaning you can pick the animals for each one. After the event, Token parts will have their RNG animal pick added to them so you'll know what it is before using it.

Tokens that have been created and uploaded as Genos, can have a rerolled by using a corresponding part added on image updates. i.e You want to change the Head on your Token to a Parrot, you edit the current image, and attach a Token Head item when submitting the updated art. Wildcard Token parts can be used to pick whatever you want, sorted Token parts will change that part into the listed animal.

Kirunhound now have a Subspecies, the Tokenhound! This new magically altered variant is created by using ANY Token piece to edit up to 3 parts of the body into the animal listed on the Token (Wild cards are self picked!) Uploaded imports can be adjusted by submitting an image update and a Token part, Genos can be adjusted by submitting a Claim with the geno and Token part.

More details on how to design a Tokenhound over here.

Also April Fool's! Last month's raffle has been rolled, rooklinqs  Twewme and Sarracenia drop a Claim for the Token part you want!

After a few days of helping show your mettle to brave the depths of the forest, gathering up resources alongside the Balikin here, it seems Palewren's opinion of you and your team has softened. Her stare stays the same harsh glare however.

Sitting down with the leaders of the settlement, they help show your team some trails, paths and some horrific pitfalls to avoid in the forest, but they themselves do not seem to know much about exactly where to find the dragon guardian of their land. While finding a massive serpentine beast that lives within a massive glowing pool might seem easy, the forest itself ebbs and changes daily, making a single point hard to find right away.

A suggestive is laid out, half the group should start out now and look for the pool, the other half should track down the only Balikin here that can track the Guardian, Ryn Kei. Apparently she had gone missing just before the group's arrival, while she did tend to take long trips to map the forest, this has been the longest she's gone without contacting them.

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A new prompt is now live, and all players can submit one choice, either look for the Guardian of the Night Forest directly, or help looking for clues into what happened to Ryn Kei.

This step  WILL affect the story line depending which is the most submitted option, and will run until early April.

After some time to consider the two paths, the group reconvenes and an agreement is settled on; the Night Forest will be the first course of action.

With the location set, Holios gathers their team to help lead the way. The jungles of Atlosian spread out, heading south deeper than many dare trek, but the Balikin guides seem to know the exact paths to take to find hidden breaks in the dense trees. Finally, after two days of cautious plotting along, Holios holds up the wood staff the group brought with them when originally arriving in Ull, the trees reaching to the simple item, pulling aside to reveal a jungle unlike the surrounding areas.

The Night Forest. Dark ground gives way to even darker colors trunks of massive old trees, and while no light drifts down naturally, hints of tinkling bioluminescence radiates softly from nearly all the flora and even small birds and bugs around the space, creating a dim twilight in the forest. Over head, simple wood and rope structures house nests and small alcoves for resting Balikin, some even harness the glow of plants to light the airy buildings.

As the adventurers have a moment to take the exotic new location, a new Balikin approaches from the sky, landing with a glare aimed at the large group, Holios tries to sputter out a few words before being cut off. "What is this!? Did I not say to keep your mission as secret as possible, and you bring this...convocation of questionable looking OUTSIDERS?!"

Runmajor steps in the argument, calmly speaking. "Palewren, you know I would have stepped in at any sign of trouble, as was my own mission...I can step by these outsiders helping us within the Stygian Wastes and now here, if you wish to witness the trustworthiness of them, by all means put forth a test."...

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A new Prompt called 'A light in the Night Forest' is now available and will run to to the end of February.

This short prompt will allow players to help the trial, and gain some Glass Stones to use within the Balikin shops which will open up once the story advances onward.

A true Dragon lifts from the steam, sending a few embers skyward. Eyeing the eclectic gathering before it, the titan leans in to speak, addressing Moorlani.

"What brings you here?" The group mummers a few quick details, before explaining the situation, Moorlani adding that they need help confirming a growing issue in their home land, and wanted to reach out to the dragons on the lands if they too felt anything amiss.

"The Wastes are stable, I am felt no shifts in the intrinsic flows here, but sadly I can only feel as far as the dead zone beyond my territory and that gap prevents me from reaching out to my siblings. At least the land here and forward is safe, but take one of my scales, and ask the others in the far lands, you will be given a free pass to contact them with my blessing, that shall quicken your questing in the lower worlds."

The group, under speaker-ship of Holios begins to organize plans for where to head next.

"We can continue to on to check on the last two True Dragons, both paths are equally close, and equally dangerous, it’s up to you, Runmajor can contact both liaisons from the regions at a moment’s notice to guide a path through the Takri Zone that blocks the main land of Azorna to the Far lands".

She continues, describing the Night Forest – it’s dark, full of toxic and aggressive things, and Timegap Cliff – The land is confusing and misty, the coastline worse. leaving the choice up to those that take on the trip.

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And now it's your turn to help make this decion, you can draw or write to help pick ONCE per character using the 'Plotting the Paths' Prompt.

This will be a shorter event, running until Mid December.

This choice will not effect the story line, only which location we get full safe access to first, and which Dragon will be offering players a Prompt as we go into the last Location finale to the story.

And with that Stygian Wastes is now open for player Characters to call home!

With so much going on in the worlds at the moment, The Fear seems far less scary than usual.

Eager children of all species seem to have started challenges around new, more fearsome beasts, the difference is that these challenges now involve trying to reach some locations that may or may no exist, for treasure that also might be just that, ghost stories. This event will be live until November 1st, and Candy will once again be tradable after the event ends.

Check the Prompt here!

These beasts are Bhargist and Ogro Poga

Both are normal Starters and can be used for breedings this month as well.

This introduces Homelands for our first Starters in game! In future events all Starters will have Homelands that when drawn with your characters in those locations will provide extra rewards.

For this event, players will need to draw their characters in the ‘monster’ of your choices homeland, but using a character from the same Homeland in your submission will get a boost to success rates.

• Bhargist is said to live in the abandoned towns in the high mountains of Kotakaii, hunting anyone that stumbles on an old graveyard said to hold the resting place of an explorer famed for documenting far off lands. Maybe their crypt holds records of these secret places?
• Ogro Poga travels the coasts of Voltlund, attacking boats big and small, and chasing down and possibly even eating those that try to reach a small island said to hold a cash of pirate treasure, hailing from far off lands.

First, after some delaying around we have our winners for the Location design contest. Since we didn't have many players enter, instead of a raffle, everyone that's Locations got picked will get to make their own choice between the following items: One Random 'Unadded' Location from both Admin created design, and contest entries. One White Azoth, no lineage. Or 30TP.  If your Location is listed below, please send a Claim with what reward you want to pick,

To keep things more fun, only the names of the winning entries are listed below, most remained exactly as submitted, or has slight pass rate edits on the final.

So, some unusual locations that have been scouted and ready for someone to full discover in game are:

• Whispering Hollows
• Bubbling Mire
• The Lost Soul
• Simple Well
• Tangled Thicket

Next, it's Painted Bloom Season, all players have access to one extra breeding chance this month, and the Painted Bloom event prompt is now active again, providing a breeding based item box.

And, very soon the next step of the Balikin Story Event will be dropping, this one will be much faster and will help direct the story toward the next Regional Location to explore. Stay tuned!