Northern Forests: Canopy Wardens III

Week 3: Subtle Signs of the Rogue Bloom

Day 15 - Spore Trace Survey

Location: Western canopy fringe
Weather: Overcast, light mist

Observations:

The terraces bore pale threads interwoven with the moss beds, almost identical to Glowfern root hairs, yet inert to touch and faintly sour in scent. Mossbeetle swarms skirted these patches rather than aerate them, leaving the soil dense and unmoved. Wardens marked the sites with resin stakes and requested sample retrieval for Guild analysis. No immediate decay noted; only a slowed vitality in the nearby vine lattice.

Marginalia:
First sign: when the cleaners refuse to clean.

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Day 16 - Rootbound Migration Disruption

Location: Mid-canopy vine corridor
Weather: Drizzle, low winds

Observations:

A herd of Rootbound Beasts reached the migration slope at dawn, only to mill at its edge, antlers twitching, hooves striking damp bark. After an hour’s uncertainty, they took a longer arc to the east. Sylvarain stewards coated the alternate path with sap to ease their tread. Later examination revealed a fine dusting of pale filaments in the soil where the herd hesitated.

Marginalia:
Herds feel what we do not yet name.

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Day 17 - Pollination Gap

Location: North terraces, nectar fields
Weather: Clear, humid

Observations:

The Skyweaver colony passed two hours late this night. Vines heavy with unvisited flowers sagged beneath twin moons, petals unbrushed, nectar unsipped. Wardens set to singing the vines back into rhythm, coaxing nectar reserves to hold until the pollinators resume their proper path. No predators were seen to explain the delay.

Marginalia:
Absence leaves its own pollen.

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Day 18 - Silent Owl Watch

Location: Eastern wind corridor
Weather: Crisp dawn, high clouds

Observations:

Two Starwing Owls wheeled over the corridor in deliberate silence. Their perches, usually bright with wing trails of Skyweavers, lay empty. A pellet recovered from the grove contained unbroken Glowfern seeds, suggesting a sudden diet shift away from tainted prey. Warden patrols agreed to reduce bridge crossings here until the owls settle their routes.

Marginalia:
Predators patrol the edges of silence.

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Day 19 - Moss Restoring Ritual

Location: Southern terraces
Weather: Light rain, steady canopy drip

Observations:

Wardens performed a renewal rite over the moss beds, Glowfern extract poured in slow spirals while Symbiotic Mossbeetles were coaxed to aerate the roots. The moss brightened within hours, though the pale threads at the perimeter remained untouched. They will watch the peripheries for signs of retreat or advance.

Marginalia:
Cure is conversation, not conquest.

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Day 20 - Spore Drift Mapping

Location: High-canopy watchtower
Weather: Twin suns veiled by haze

Observations:

Drift nets gathered the fine dust of an overnight mist. Under dew lenses, the threads aligned with high-altitude currents, suggesting the Bloom travels with storm breath rather than soil march. New netting arrays were drafted to catch the first rains of the coming season.

Marginalia:
Sky carries the first whispers.

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Day 21 - Closing Vigil

Location: Northern Outpost, Council Circle
Weather: Dappled twin-sunlight

Observations:

The spring cycle closed with a circle of watchlights: barkback effigies released down terraces, new Glowfern rings pressed into damp moss. The Wardens did not name the pale threads as enemy nor guest, only as something yet to be known.

Marginalia:
Watchfulness is the first harvest.