August 2021 - The Cave
In August, subscribers encountered the Cave. An unmapped chamber beneath the Forest floor, the Cave cloaks its secrets in cool darkness.
The Cave's mouth
opens on a second world
layered beneath the Forest's floor.
Its tunnels and caverns are unexplored by surface dwellers,
who assume it to be empty of life.
Surely something dwells
in the pale twilight
where water drips a staccato rhythm.
Or perhaps it is inhabited
only by echoes.
opens on a second world
layered beneath the Forest's floor.
Its tunnels and caverns are unexplored by surface dwellers,
who assume it to be empty of life.
Surely something dwells
in the pale twilight
where water drips a staccato rhythm.
Or perhaps it is inhabited
only by echoes.
The Cave Box includes an abundance of beautiful objects; plus a mysterious document and a lore card.
Some items are available for individual purchase.
- Mysterious Document
- An instructional document is augmented with marginalia which will help you interpret secrets and puzzles. Printed on an unusual velvety, textured paper, it is available only in the Cave Box.
- Lore Card
- The Cave is introduced in a full-color collectible 4x6 inch lore card. The artwork for this month's lore card was created by Joanna Rzepecka, a Warsaw, Poland-based illustrator. She says, "My work is inspired by biodiversity, mainly animals. Through my work, I'm trying to capture moments where nature is untouched by humans. Peaceful scenery, colors, and rough textures are some things that I enjoy the most."
- Cave Mist
- Because of your ability to cross between worlds, the Crows have asked you to explore the Cave. You must enter the Cave on foot, although you may Dream your way to its mouth in the Forest. As you make your way through its twilight zone, the air grows damp. Tiny waterfalls in the limestone trickle and spray a cooling mist.
- Tiny Luminous Mushroom
- A pale light persists in even the deeper recesses of the Cave. You look for its source and realize that patches on the walls and floor are illuminated by thousands of glowing mushrooms. They brighten at your approach and dim as you move away. Perhaps they are aware of your presence.
- Onyx Bowl
- The cavern at the center of the Cave is temple-like in its quiet. The hush is punctuated by the occasional rhythm of dripping water. Ancient stalactites are bubbled with glossy onyx formations. In the center of the cavern, a stone mass holds a small bowl fashioned from the onyx. Fill it with water and quicken it for glimpsing; or, use it to hold elements such as salt.
- Summoning Bell
- Next to the bowl is a rustic metal bell. It can be used to summon the hidden into view. In everyday practice, you can ring it when seeking illumination or answers. In the Cave, it awakens and summons the Bats. You learn that, like you, the Bats can move between worlds. In their case, they can move between the Birdmoss Above and the Birdmoss Below.
- Message Paper
- When you parted ways with the Crows, they gave you a method to record your discoveries in the Cave. You write that the Cave sustains several types of life; and that the world of Birdmoss Below is rich, diverse, and mysterious.
- Forest Postage
- The Crows also provided you with a way to quicken your message. When you affix the stamp to your note, it sends a brief vibration up through the stalactites and through the deepest tree roots of the Forest. The impulse surges from leaf to leaf through the Forest canopy, finally reaching the Crows.
