Strange Entities Drain Color from Local Residents

An auction was held on Saturday outside the Rose Shore Lighthouse for the contents of three cargo containers picked up by the crew of the Freeloader before arriving on SpinDizzy.  The items came from a border station and were in containers marked as “archeological artifacts” but their ultimate origin is unknown.  The auction was conducted by Enkeli, ocelot, and ended with the accidental release of two alien entities that drained several people and things of all color.

The first container included a large number of stone items, including statues, sections of murals, and other artifacts, some broken in transit.  The statues depicted a male wolf with striking features, described by Enkeli as “an ugly guy.”  Austin purchased the entire lot for 35 units of currency.

The second container was filled with a large number of soft, springy balls, which several present likened to tribbles, though they were apparently lifeless.  They were purchased by Ali for 1,100 units of currency “and a zrbt,” though around that time everyone noticed that the currency had, in fact, mysteriously been changed to zrbts.

The third container was nearly empty, containing only a prism swirling with rainbow colors.  As the crowd admired it, Enkeli inadvertently dropped it, causing a crack to appear in its surface.  As the crowd watched in dismay, the cracks spread until a strange, colorful mist began to emerge from them, coalescing into two creatures of indeterminate shape.  As the creatures moved around, everything that they touched lost all color, becoming grayscale.

As it became apparent that the creatures were consuming color, most present scrambled either to try to help, or to hide.  Enkeli directed everyone to run, and dashed behind a cargo container.

Dragoncat, dragon, attempted to use crystalmancy to repair the prism, but was unsuccessful.  As Lady_Ravenwolfe, wolf, tried to pull Dragoncat to safety, one of the creatures attempted to consume the color from the dragon’s scales.  Apparently unable to do so, it drained the yellow color from his eyes instead.

BunnyHugger, devilbunny; Austin, coati; and Chitter, squirrel, ran into the lighthouse.  Several times during the events BunnyHugger leaned out the door or window to speak to the entities, offering to negotiate with them, but she was either ignored or not understood.  Chitter repeatedly warned her to get back inside the lighthouse.

Azure, fox, got close to the prism to investigate it, and lost all color, becoming completely gray.  Afterward he did not understand that anything had changed.  He evidently lost his ability to perceive color and all memory of the very idea of color, and believed that others present who were using color words were suffering from a kind of delusion.

Jimun, bat, seemed unaware of the entities, and Airborn, holographic skunk, tried to pull him to safety, but it was too late.  One of the entities drained away most of Jimun’s blue color before moving to other targets.

Various attempts were made either to trap one of the creatures back in the original prism or to create a new prism to put them in, but they could not be contained for long.  During the struggles Enkeli was drained of all color.  Eventually Ali, fox, used geomancy to transport one of the entities into a pocket dimension.  BunnyHugger expressed concern over the creatures being harmed, but Ali assured her that it would not be harmed, just trapped.  In the confusion, the other creature fled across the Glimmersea and its current whereabouts are unknown.

BunnyHugger remarked that they could be safely released if there were a location containing renewing colors that they could feed on without feeling the need to look elsewhere for sustenance.  Austin suggested trying to release both of them into a font of ‘toon ink, similar to the magic inkwell that once birthed new arrivals to Toons, Furr, and Fluff.  Austin and BunnyHugger speculated that such an inkwell might be found near the Cartoon Jungle on SpinDizzy.

No bids were placed on the prism and it remains unsold.