Brightlings Dance

Starting point
As you are returning to your den at dusk, an odd keening noise draws your attention. Investigating, you discover a strange sight: two groups of tailless beings are rotating, gyrating on their spindly hind legs while clutching each other with their forepaws. What could this strange Dance be?

The dark ones are No-Tail Givers... you can smell their musky, oily scents, each one different. But the bright ones...

What are they? They appear somewhat like No-Tail Birthers, but they are most certainly not. Eerily, each one of them has the exact same smell, with not a trace of difference, as though they are just one being pretending to be many.

They are giving off a powerful Birther scent, perhaps too powerful, and laced with overtones of blackberries and lightning. And the heat radiating from their bodies makes them almost glow in your eyes. The shrill noise is coming from them, a Song of sorts, their voices lifted in a too-perfect harmony.

The No-Tail Givers seem transfixed by them, and as the Dance continues, the Brightlings (for that is what you have decided to call them) draw the Givers in closer and closer, allowing more and more touches from their forepaws.

One by one, the couples detach from the dance and retreat into the Trees, each pair separate from the others.

Finally, only one pair remains. What do you do?

Options

 * Attack the pair while they are distracted. (d8a)
 * Wait, and when they leave, follow them into the Trees. (d8b)
 * Attempt to Sing into the Mind of the No-Tail Giver.(d8c)
 * Attempt to Sing into the Mind of the Brightling Birther.(d8d)
 * Return to your Den; this is not something to involve yourself in.(d8e)

Attack the pair (d8a)
Swiftly and silently, you creep up on them. They seem wholly distracted with each other, which helps. The Birther seems less physically mighty, and so, when you are close enough, you leap at it, jaws wide.

It turns its pale lavender eyes to look at you...

And then, it is simply gone. You land on the ground, stumbling, and even with all your senses open, there is not a trace of the Brightling.

The Giver it was with seems as shocked as you are by the disappearance; confused and frightened, it rapidly stalks off on its two long legs in the direction of the No-Tail hive. By the time you have recovered from the surprise yourself, it is already halfway across the field.

Going after the Giver seems unwise. It has a head start, and without the element of surprise, you are not at all certain you could defeat an adult No-Tail alone, even if you could catch it.

What kind of animal has no personal scent, Dances with those not of its own Tribe, and disappears with neither sound nor light left behind?

These Brightlings... what could they be...?

(End Event)

Rewards
Add Fire mastery by 3 points. Blightling reputation reduced by 2 points.

Wait and follow (d8b)
The No-Tail and the Brightling go a short distance into the forest, and then they start touching each other in different ways.

Ultimately, it seems as though they are wrestling, although you've never known a fight to be so devoid of fear, and though the Giver seems to be winning, the Birther doesn't seem to mind at all. Strange.

Eventually, they stop their bizarre Dance, and the Giver falls asleep. Then, before your very muzzle, the Brightling Birther simply disappears. No trace of it whatsoever remains, not even in scent.

The feathers on your crest stand on end... there is something very odd, very unnatural, going on here. You feel that you are in danger.

What do you do?

Options

 * Get out of here as fast as you can. (d8ba)
 * The opportunity to attack a sleeping No-Tail is too good to pass up... attack the unconscious Giver! (Go to Dance of Destruction) (d8bb)
 * Something strange glimmers around the sleeping No-Tail's neck: try to quietly remove it. (Water mastery check) (d8bc)

Get out of here (d8ba)
You have no idea what you just witnessed, which is genuinely terrifying. As you flee, you hear some kind of sound behind you, but you do not stop, and when you are certain you are not being followed, you pause to gather yourself.

What are the Brightlings? What are they doing with the No-Tails, and why? Perhaps a wiser Draak may know more...

(End Event)

Rewards
Add Air mastery by 3 points.

The opportunity to attack (d8bb)
It seems that the No-Tails can be Destroyed like other animals, though that was far more difficult; its bizarre movements make it a dangerous foe.

In addition to its oily meat (which is surprisingly delicious) the No-Tail had some kind of treasure fastened around its neck. You take it back to your den.

(End event)

Rewards
Add Fire master by 3 points.

Add THREAT by 2 points.

Obtain treasure Lodestone.

Something strange glimmers (d8bc)
Keeping your footfalls slow and gradual but your Body light, you creep up to the No-Tail's sleeping form and nibble through the string of Woodstrider skin, freeing the object. Taking it up in your jaws, you make a silent escape.

Back at your den, you find that there is something odd about the object you have found. Perhaps it is valuable in some way.

(End event)

Rewards
Blightling reputation add by 1.

Obtain treasure Lodestone.

Mind of the No-Tail Giver(d8c)
You attempt to Sing into the Giver's Mind, but there is some kind of interference, as though something else is already Singing to it, though in a completely different way.

Confused, the No-Tail shakes its half-naked head and looks around. Seeing you, it panics, and retreats.

The Brightling looks at you as well, but strangely, you scent neither fear nor surprise, only a kind of mild annoyance, before it suddenly vanishes, leaving absolutely no trace of light nor scent behind.

What are the Brightlings? What are they doing with the No-Tails, and why?

Perhaps a wiser Draak may know more...

Rewards
Add Water mastery by 2 points.

Add Air mastery by 1 points.

Add brightling reputation by 1 point.

Mind of the Brightling Birther(d8d)
As you find the Brightling's eyes, you begin to Sing into its Mind, but your initial images are... well, there is no other word but "consumed" for it. Its Mind is like a rainbow whirlpool, consuming your messages, sucking them away to somewhere else. The Brightling subtly turns the No-Tail Giver in her arms away from you, and looking at you over its shoulder, begins to Sing baaack aat yyoooouuuuuuuuuuu... When you next are aware of yourself, both the Brightling and the Tailless are gone. You are alone, and cold. As you make your way back to your Den, you begin to wonder... What are the Brightlings? What are they doing with the No-Tails, and why? Perhaps a wiser Draak may know more...

(End event)

Rewards
Add Water mastery by 2 points. Add Air mastery by 1 points. Add brightling reputation by 2 point.

Return to your Den
There is clearly something wrong with this. The Tailless are always strange, but this seems odder than anything you have ever heard of. Danger may loom, and here there is little hope for Treasure or food. You leave well enough alone, return to your Den, and sleep well.

(End event)

Rewards
Add Earth mastery by 3 points.