CCSF 2012 Day 3: Whispers in the Clouds

Written by Jessica as Part of the Shee Journey Series

With most of the sand finally swept up, I made a note that these sandy worlds were not very pleasant. I had to endure sandy, gritty tea for the better part of the day. My tea brewing skills were always my finest point, so I was rather disturbed by this development. Fortunately, the next planet located by the spacecraft appeared to be one giant mass of clouds. The exploration vessel would be unable to bring back another mess. I glared at it as it disengaged and headed off to discover anything it could. I returned to my research on the Ettins: As fascinating as they were, they were not exactly the Norns I expected to find. My scanning tools mysteriously disappeared, only to be located in a pile by one of my assistants. These Ettins were obsessed. At least they showed some devious intelligence, though.

I decided to take a look at some of the images sent back by the vessel. Part of me believed it would make another miscalculation, despite it being in perfect diagnostic condition. As the screen flickered to life, it appeared that this was a world completely crafted of clouds. Wispy ones danced in the sunlight, while giant puffy ones almost formed islands in the sky. Some of the clouds formed strange shapes... I startled myself when I thought I spotted a Grendel. Then, the vessel moved around the supposed shape, and it disappeared into the whiteness. There were indications that a world could exist below these thick clouds... Yet the vessel had plans of its own.

My head was still filled with the strange images from this world. Was it merely my imagination? I shook it off, and brewed myself another delicious cup of tea. The rising steam reminded me of the clouds, and my assistants alerted me that the vessel had brought back something rather interesting. Those wings looked so familiar, and I frantically pulled out a history book detailing some of the early Shee critters. Sure enough, these were listed as extinct. My eyes grew wide: They originated on Albia. Yet this world was light years from those secret coordinates...

From Jessica: "Our journey through the new worlds featured in the CCSF 2012 now turns to a mysterious cloud world. Most Norns, Grendels, and Ettins have kept their feet firmly planted on the ground, though flight has been made possible for numerous breeds! Keep your eyes peeled as these images from the clouds materialize throughout the third day of the Creatures Community Spirit Festival!"