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Welcome netizens of Cystia! I hate to see old and dusty prompt threads bare and out in the sun, so here's something new to cover up those old eyesores! I'm not one for giving out critisism, however, I'll do my best and reply with my thoughts on your writing, at the very least.

There are no time limits, but try to write a few paragraphs. You may write about multiple prompts, or even mix the ones here. Have fun!

(1) - "That's not grafitii, those are magic runes."

(2) - Write about an establishment (company, governmental entity, ect.) that exists to grow and produce humans.

(3) - That thing on your wall, in your pocket, or in your general area, what sort of person would it be? What are it's hopes and dreams and fears? How does it feel about becoming a human?

When humans were resurrected The New Earth, they found the following message inscribed inside a large underground expanse.

"Runes. Those magical artifacts power our civilization. If you asked the average Urk how they functioned, you'd get a low grunt. Most Sable Urks, those pretentious fools, don't recognize the source either! But I do. Old Dusky has seen it---all of it! Betwixt the incantations, surrender of loci, and grueling toll smiting those incandescent talismans reaps on the heart, is something far more primal than any of us understand.

This Art, all of it, is a beacon. I haven't deciphered it all yet, but I know I'm on to something... I can hear it. The primitives in the wild worship it, but whatever it is, is enraged. The Sable Urks commercialized it. Those blasphemous fools make it weep.

It sends me messages. Affirmatives and dismissals, defiance and loyalty. Rarer, I get visions. Our world wrapped in glorious night, with only it illuminating us. I long for it's incandescent glow to finally shine it's gleam upon the world. It has sustained me, for eons. I was among the First. I will be among the Last. Every time it tells me that, I feel joy.

The more I obsess over Art, the more it defines me. I have taken to living underneath the City. My bismuth flesh is finally Changing... Once my flesh becomes Art, we will know light.

It's soon. The alterations are almost complete. Whatever has the propensity to alter Old Mad Dusky into a scholar and prophet will surely treat us well.

It has instructed me to leave this note. Please remember that I am overjoyed with this honor.

Dusk to Dawn.

Art creates Life.

Restore the our creators.

LUX"

I like it! Not sure if thos the way you were going, but it's like the magic was deepening his madness. I could totally imagine some homeless, unkempt, bloke behind these writings.

Yeah. He's insane, but that's what happens when you chat with eldritch creatures.

I hoped the Orcs, or Urks in this case, were refreshingly different.

There were a few typos and other bullshit, but I think I got most of them.

Wait, the Sable Urks are black? Or at least brown-skinned? What do the primitive Urks look like?

I had to re-read your submission a few times to catch that bit.

The primitive Urks live in forests and moss covered caves, and have greenish skin.

Dusky was originally a common Urk, which are like dark green, but he's mutilated and altered his body so much that it's becoming bronze. He carves runes into his metal skin that is slowly altering himself as it goes along. Originally I was going to have LUX make him it's primal avatar and have him conquer the Urk Clans, but I got bored and cut it off. I couldn't figure out how to maintain the ominous tone if I went that route, so I dropped some details.

LUX was my half-assed attempt at some fundamentally inhuman consciousness, neither good nor evil. I don't know if that translated well.

The Sable Urks are the nobility equivalent, or priest class. They're dark colored and have varying degrees of fur on their bodies.

That's all really neat. I'd love to see where this story would go, if continued.

It's in the same world as Tabula Rasa, a story I'm slowly mapping. Instead of being a mortal, YOU are the eldritch abomination!

Ugilick isn't the only one that can use badass pretentious titles!

Well, I'd say you have me hooked. Feel free to tell me more here or via PM. :^)

The second one looks interesting but I may have to come back to it in a few days. Haven't written anything all week lol and trying to remember how so that I can get today's contest update up.

First Light

"At first, your toes began to twitch.  This was when the dawn broke your from Incubation, when the first light filled your hollow expanse with life's giving light."

***

There was nothing at first, just emptiness.  A few pin pricks burn through you, slowly rising up through to your legs.  They spasm and twitch violently, unable to go far as they slam into something, their movement restricted.  The burning sensation move up through your torso, and goes until it fires through your brain, sending signals all throughout your body.

As your body sparks with life, you stop violently flailing about.........

Your eyes flutter open, seeing nothing but the dark.  Something comes into the center of your vision, too close for you to tell what it is.  As the veil in your vision lifts, there is what appears to be wood in front of you.  No, it's not just in front of you….but all around you.

Screaming, you begin to thrash about, stuck in your isolation.  This goes on for hours and hours.

***

"Then as you entered the new day, you were filled with spirit.  No longer a soul less husk, no longer a denizen of the oblivion from which you came."

***

A course scraping sound comes muffled from above, this sound continues, threatening to drive you mad.  Stopping your screaming and thrashing, you focus on the strange sound.  Gradually, it gets closer and closer to you. 

There are some other muffled sounds above, but you cannot yet tell what they are.  There are two of them actually, one sounding quite high and uneven.  The other sounds lower and remains at the same tone. 

Soon, the scraping sound comes to an end, as do the other two noises.  It is soon replaced by something sharply hitting the wooden wall above you.  Something pings at it is struck several times.

Rattling comes from just above you, as the two other sounds return; one is uneven, the other continues to remain low and steady.

The wood above you slowly creaks open, and before you can do anything a sharp light pierces your vision.  You scream as it blinds you, continuing to thrash and flail.  The pain is too great, but then you feel something grip you.

It is cold against your flesh, you try to move away from it.  It is futile, as more things like the first grip onto you.  Within moments, you feel as though you are floating.

Crying out, you slowly open your eyes.  There are two beings, the ones who were gripping you.  Their hands are firm, gnarled, dirty, and weathered; just like the rest of their appearance.  Their dark eyes stare at you, nay, into you.  Their upturned grins revealing rotting, crooked teeth.  A low screech comes from the bigger one.  A sound you would soon come to associate with laughter.

They throw you down onto the soft pile of dirt, which had previously held you within the Earth's deep womb.  The smaller one kneels down, his eyes pupil marble white.  The pupil seems to push until the iris is just a slim, black band surrounding it.  Looking up, you see it is so with the bigger beings eyes.

You try to make sound, but just croak.  Why all of a sudden you cannot make sounds as they do?

The smaller one puts a finger to your lips.  Sounds come from their lips, unintelligible to your new ears. 

***

"You would enter the world as you had left it, dumb to the true manifestation of God's wisdom.  Ignorant of true purpose, and devoid of direction.  You would come forth to take upon the new truth."

***

Peering down from where you came, the wooden box buried deep within.  A cross symbol on the door of it. 

One of the beings helps you up, and all around you see a multitude of births just as your own.  Countless come up from holes in the Earth, as naked and dumb as you are now.  They all scream and cry with the same intensity that you probably had.

Next to you is another one of these holes, largely similar.  Only someone lays within the wooden box down there.  As you gaze upon his visage, something seems familiar.  His dark brown hair, appearing slightly ruffled.  He lays there with strange cloths covering his body, his mouth agape, and his eyes covered in milky white.

A hole lays open his stomach, dark red outlining it. 

The two beings lift you to your feet, pushing you forward.  You stumble, feeling bursting into your legs as you use them for the first time.

All the others follow, low moans escaping their lips with other strange unregulated sounds. Soon, you all come to a large wooden structure.  On top of it is a large cross symbol, on you recognize from the wooden box.

A large being stands by the opening, a black robe covering him.  His pupils also a marble white, they stare into the depths of your existence. 

"Welcome," he says as his mouth turns upwards into a grin….