All they have to do is step inside, and they are transported into a strange world that doesn't seem to obey any of the laws of the Matope. Here, everything is shadow until a kin is near close enough to touch, and then it coelesces into something more familiar. There are upside down sandscapes, strange plants and creatures, beings from life and death and dream. All of it is tinged with a sense of the unreal, broken rules, nature at odds.
Make a post in this thread of your kin's journey. As they enter the Obelisk, either choose or roll three prompts from the list below to see what they encounter along the way. Each of these prompts tries to draw them from their path, but they know in their heart of hearts that if they don't stick to the dark line that leads forward through the grey, they will be trapped here and will not make it home.
If you roll the same number twice, choose another prompt from the list.
LIST:
1. A kin who has passed away, back from the dead.
2. A kin who exists only in their dreams.
3. A pet/familiar that doesn't exist yet in the swamp.
4. Themself, walking along beside them, telling a story.
5. The dark being made only of shadow, eyes glowing in the dark. He only laughs.
6. Something invisible that brushes up against their flank.
7. A grove of upside down trees, growing down from the sky.
8. A sand structure with ornate designs along its every surface.
9. A place they are afraid of, whatever that may mean.
10. A pathway made of floating stone, they have to dance their way across.
11. A strange mist that turns them into a foal version of themself.
12. A storm that drops berries red as blood onto their head and back.
13. A swarm of creatures that shouldn't have wings but do, that nip at their heels.
14. Their childhood best friend.
15. Their lifemate; an imagined one if they have none. It feels real and true, until they fade away.
16. A shape, constantly in flux, that floats beside them as they walk.
17. A beautiful row of fruit trees, laid out in a perfectly straight line.
18. A hideous row of dead trees, each pulsing with a heartbeat.
19. A patch of tar they have to drag heavy legs through.
20. A song that is sweet and sad and terrifying all at once.
At the end, they emerge in the place they want to be, in their heart of hearts. For most, this will be their home, whether that be the swamp, or the plains, or wherever else it may be. However, if your kin truly wishes to be somewhere else, they can emerge at any Obelisk. Those kin that feel the Ache will be immune to it for less than a day before it calls them back toward the swamp, either back through the Obelisk or over land.
The Obelisks remain open, not just for a limited period of time but, apparently, forever: standing ready for kin to risk their depths, to travel wherever it is they want to be. They can use them to explore the plains, the desert, the mountain, the caves, to meet their families or new kin or whatever else they desire. The world was big; it's now a little smaller, granting them the ability to travel in a matter of minutes what would have taken days to traverse by land. In order to travel, kin must move through the greyness, each time either rolling or selecting three prompts from the list above to encounter along the way. Those kin that feel the Ache will be immune to it for less than a day before it calls them back toward the swamp, either through the Obelisk or over land.
Storyend took a breath to steady himself, taking in the unnatural humming scar on the landscape. There were several places that he needed to investigate, but the roads which had opened holes in the clawing grasp of the swamp seemed like a good place to start.
