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current gp: 636

limited creator availability | all non-interactive art & writing welcome

timid | reclusive | enigmatic

Upon entering the forest, you may find it to be unnaturally still and silent, or unnervingly loud (well, as loud as trees and leaves go), as if creatures are moving rapidly in the leaves and plants from every direction around you. Whether this is 4170 or not there is no telling, for neither hide nor hair of them will be seen. This extremely timid, unnamed esk spends its days seeking out quiet spaces deep within the woods, basking in sun-spots, and following birds. When lazing in the sun or moonlight, they arrange forest detritus in patterns and leave these small assemblages behind when they move on. They are quick to frighten and trying to approach them directly or be forthcoming will be fruitless. Often, the only indication of their presence is the song of their familiars, perhaps in combination with the rustle and rattle of plant life around them from their enchantment.

Without eyes, 4170 experiences the world through scent, levels of moisture, temperature, sound, and chemical reactions. They can still tell when their surroundings are illuminated or dark, but cannot see beyond this. Warmth, humidity, and birdsong attract them; they can frequently be found standing in the sun where their leaves and bark absorb the warmth, or lying in damp, mossy areas of ground, seemingly to stay hydrated.

They do not understand verbal language and their poor vision prevents them from reading gesture with any success, while their own communication seems to consist of complex patterns of leaf-rustles, clicks, creaks, and whistles, and sometimes presenting objects they find. Sadly, it is likely the only creature this system makes much sense to is 4170.

Despite the extreme shyness and inability to understand others, this esk can be occasionally curious, and seem to enjoy the company of other esk after their anxieties have been eased. The best way to gain its trust is to visit the forest frequently and sit still and quiet. They can take repeated attempts at this over long spells of time for them to feel safe enough to approach other esk, but they will eventually recognize the presence isn’t a threat and may show curiosity or linger longer as their trust grows.

That said, even the most relaxed and content 4170 is not capable of forming friendships. They do not experience emotions like sadness, joy, resentment, anger, love, disappointment, awe, or grief, and thus cannot sympathize with others. They do not have the ability to understand the many nuances of friendship or social custom, and it is questionable if they even have a concept of self, all of which is compounded by their inability to understand language. Their only meaningful attachment or relationship is to their boundary, and their driving forces appear to be things like maintaining the forest’s status quo, avoiding perceived danger, attempting to chase off threats, and seeking comfort. Although much of their behavior has yet to be fully understood, it is clear that they are not wired to be social with other creatures so much as they are to function as an extension of the aspen forest, and their elusiveness and social ineptitude likely have an important benefit for them and their environment.

The humans around their area have some urban-legends about them, but it’s been so long since anyone has actually seen them that the stories have largely become twisted and obscure. Many folks do report feeling uneasy when entering deep into the forest due to the unnerving quietness contrasted with the strange arrangements of forest detritus. Others have reported feeing like the forest is yelling at them with its leaves, so loud is their rustling and rattling, the creaking of its limbs and shaking of its boughs, even on days where there wind is still. Whether these are tricks of the mind played on them through the stories, or are from some kind of ghost, nobody knows for sure.

4170 occasionally visits the conservatory as well, most often in moments of curiosity or when they need a quick getaway from something particularly frightening. The place they visit is a space of their own conjuring; a large, dense forest full of strangely shaped objects which make sounds through natural phenomena; standing stones with holes that sing and whistle as the air moves through them, leaves that drum deeply as water droplets fall on them, oddly shaped seed pods that rattle gently and chime sweetly in the wind. This place is a haven for 4170, a wonderful symphony under the cover of a thick canopy tucked away in their own safe and secure corner of the universe.

In their previous life they were a Populus tremuloides twig that had fallen to the forest floor. The quaking aspen forest around them is thus dually a part of them; it is both their boundary and, as a clonal colony, a part of their original form. They are extremely sensitive to the forest’s state and do not feel safe leaving its canopy. It is exceedingly rare for them to be defensive, but they will not stand for the forest to be harmed and the uproar this docile and shy creature can cause to chase ne’er-do-wells out (while staying hidden) can be surprising!

trembling forest

4170’s forest is inspired by Pando, a clonal colony of trembling aspen in the Colorado Plateau. Their boundary is similarly made up of a trembling aspen colony - this one lies deep at the heart of a surrounding woodland made up of coniferous and deciduous forests, into which they will occasionally venture.

Ulmus rubra, or slippery elm, is known for its medicinal uses. It is often made into a tea or powder used for calming sore throats, coughs, and stomach ails.

click images below to scroll

Impressions

• 4170’s vibration is low and rapid, and hard to pick up unless listening carefully. They make other noises as well; clicks and creaks with their wooden body, whistles through its holes and gaps, and of course the chirps and songs of their familiars along with the ratting and rustling of their enchantment.

• The Trembling Wisps enchantment causes the plant life around 4170 to rustle, rattle, and vibrate. This can be very intense, ecompassing, and unsettling, while at other times it can feel like the forest is whispering soothingly.

• They are the size of a white tailed deer with a similar, lean build. Their small feet allow them to move quietly without disturbing much of the ground. Their mane is very thick and soft, and tufts if it are prone to standing up at the top near their head. Their body is hollow wood, with cracks and holes through which their birds come and go and air whistles.

• Their pattern-shift allows the patterning of the wood and it’s hollows to move around. The holes in the body can be hard to tell apart from the signature black knots of the aspen wood.

• They carry a handful of found objects with them wherever they go. These are nothing special - a thistle burr, some stones, an acorn top, a few twigs, an owl feather, a bone of some kind, an old oak gall - but they seem to harbour some kind of significance.

• Pronouns and names for this esk are arbitrary and can be anything.

• They are not known to leave the forest canopy. They will venture outside their trembling aspen colony into the adjoining deciduous and coniferous forests, but will not go beyond these forests’ edges into places like fields or marshes where there is no tree cover.

More Info

4170 is naturally extremely reclusive, and is unable to form friendships. They can grow trusting of others enough that they are tolerant of their presence, or perhaps even enjoy it, but they do not have the same emotional or social capacity that, say, humans do. They are not able to reciprocate sympathy, communication, emotions, empathy, or attachment, and the relationship will be almost entirely one-way. Nevertheless, esk that visit and earn their trust are welcome to hang out and explore the forest or follow them around as they go about their usual habits. At least until 4170 feels like they’ve had enough.

Those who do not bother to earn their trust before entering the forest may find themselves subject to a barrage of discomforting forest cacophony as 4170’s enchantment causes the forest to roar and their birds become aggressive in an attempt to drive out the stranger. Most likely though, they will find the forest disconcertingly empty and quiet, and fail at making any kind of contact with 4170 who is quick to flee.

Their Haunt

4170’s transformations are most likely to be objects that make an interesting noise; seed pods rattling in the breeze, acorns tumbling off a tree, stones in a shallow brook causing its water to babble, or perhaps a radio left behind by a hiker, as some examples. These will be done in the woodlands surrounding 4170’s aspen forest, never within it.

As a post-transformation mentor, 4170 will likely be too frightened by the transformations to be of much help, fleeing and leaving the new esk on their own.

Gallery

Click images to view fully. Much of this artwork is not mine but has been gifted or commissioned. Credits and links to these wonderful artists’ profiles are listed - on desktop, hover over the image; on mobile, you will have to hit the white circle in the bottom right corner (I am working on trying to find a different solution to the latter.)