Berries & Ink/Issues/Berries-03-04

Publication: Berries & Ink

Volume: 03

Issue: 04

Issue Date: July 1, 2026

Contributors: Shaoimhe, Eruwyn, Allye, Karatyna, Valynn, Vendelt, Jaelia, Kiyora, Stelling, Crobin, Kiashandra, Aedie, Harkour

Editor: Illiya

You tap a pale blue paper. A blob of berry-red wax is affixed to the paper. It is imprinted with a plump strawberry nestled in a crown of delicate leaves. You gently open the folded paper.

[~* Soft light breaks across pale blue paper sky above a sun-drenched forest clearing with rain-streaked strawberries and inkpots framing the hand-lettered script: *~] Berries & Ink - Volume 3, Issue 4 [~* Editor's Note *~] Dearest Readers, When life gets overwhelming, it is the people around us who see us through. While this issue is packed with our usual eclectic adventures, there is a quiet nod to the steady bonds and chosen families that keep us centered when the path gets chaotic. This thread can be found in the warmth of a bustling morning kitchen, or the relationship between a warrior and his mentor. It just shows that no matter how busy the world gets, it's a lovely reminder that our community is what keeps us grounded. We are thrilled to welcome new contributor Aedie, with a vital warning about a plague sweeping Elanthia, alongside returning favorites Kiyora, with a captivating tale of Tog clansmen, and Kiashandra, with another hauntingly beautiful poem. Of course, this issue would not exist without our beloved columnists: Shaoimhe, Eruwyn, Allye, Karatyna, Valynn, Vendelt, Jaelia, Stelling, Crobin, and Harkour. Thank you for your continued readership and for being the wonderful community that brings these pages to life. Wishing you warm and steady paths, Illiya [SHOPPING] Sparkling gems, rare quest loot, tools, sanowret crystals, and more - you'll find everything you need to shine at Kiyora's Starlight Selections! [~* A tiny cartoonish tart carrying a bindle walks atop the words "The Traveling Tartling by Shaoimhe Bramblebairn" *~] Hello, fellow wanderers! After my big (pun intended) adventure to Boar Clan, I decided to lay low and see what Leth Deri'el has to offer. Let's start with the obvious - the tree. It's a Sana'ati Dyaus tree, which I've been told is very sacred to Elves! It even has a public hall inside of it! After ogling the massive thing, I meandered through the shops and met one of the most interesting shopkeepers ever. Verrys runs the Crafty Cat and she has pink eyes and colorful hair and an adorable cat and I might love her. So after ogling *her* I went to the gym and risked a jump off of the diving board. It might not be the cleanest place, but it sure was fun! The food at the inn was much nicer than the Boar Clan menu, and oh! There was even an incredible Bard shop I got lost in! Overall an excellent place to visit, and I will be returning soon. Possibly with a gift for Verrys... [~* Twin apple tree branches abloom with pale pink petals embrace the words "Guess Who? by Eruwyn Cholares" *~] Vague shapes of trees and cozy huts create a frame around a tall Prydaen girl standing near a firepit. Her sweetly rounded face gazes slightly to one side as if something has caught her attention. A pair of glasses sits on her small nose making her sleepy, cat-slitted crystal green eyes seem larger, their vardite frame a contrast against her tortoiseshell fur. She wears a sarrak of flame-orange, the long, loose-hooded robe enveloping her wiry figure save for where the open sides show off her well-defined legs. An albino rat with fur sticking out in all directions sits on her shoulder, its tiny paws clinging to her firesilk shawl. (Last issue's portrait: Navesi. Winner: Casari. MAIL in your guess for this month! The winner will be revealed next issue.) [*~ Myths of the Mouse: His Happiness, by Allye Karayilma ~*] Bristlebrush toddled forward with surprising speed, bumping a cabinet and ricocheting into her laughing mother's arms. Klineklaus smiled at them, a pleasant warmth suffusing his chest. He flipped a perfectly golden flapjack on the stove before him, swept up in the blissful, domestic scene. Composed almost entirely of floofy tail as she was, the tiny weasel wriggled and squirmed until she was released, dashing away with a squeal of delight. A tumult drew Klineklaus' attention outside the kitchen's small window, hoofbeats drumming steadily as a rider passed by. The sound was familiar, recalling his days on the jousting pitch, and something wistful tugged at him. When he returned his gaze to his immediate surroundings, he was met by Pip's soft, knowing eyes. [~* Aether and Whiskers - The Name and the Claim by Karatyna *~] We sat by the fire to pick out a name For our big feathered friend who recently came "He needs a grand title!" my Lady declared While the black bird just blinked and stared Is he Sir Flaps-a-Lot? Midnight? Or Corvus? Or maybe King Beaky? Or Captain Enormous? She tried Lord Shadow, then tested Old Croak But each heavy name felt just like a joke The crow gave a rustle and shook his black head He hated the words my Lady had said He wanted a name that was sharp and quite grand The finest for any large bird in the land! My Lady laughed loud and paused in her game And looked down at me with a sudden, true shame "We fuss for the feathers and search through the frame But my sweet little Gerbil... you don't have a name!" [~* Eat This, Not That by Valynn Aehre *~] Valynn's "Eat This, Not That" is on break this month due to a travel injury. She trekked the path under the gondola and badly twisted her knee and bumped her head on the treacherous roots and branches along the way. Sadly, her nimble and fleet of foot ways did not serve her well that day. Please eat local and support the adventurous and talented food purveyors in your community. There is food everywhere in Elanthia and most of it deserves to be eaten. Remember the four C's of eating well. Coffee, chocolate, coffee chocolate and coffee flavored chocolate. Chocolate ale may also be substituted as desired. She'll be back next month with more stunning samples of scrumptious snacks and sustenance from across the surface of Elanthia. [~* The Dark Dyaus, Ch. 4: Tenebran and the Price of Knowing by Vendelt *~] I wasn't looking for anything when I heard it, that's usually how it goes. Two men on Oakenheart, voices low, talking about a shipment that needed to disappear quiet and a buyer that didn't like to wait. I pretended to become interested in the wares displayed in Eshar's shop window and listened harder. Disappearing things. Now that was interesting. One of them turned my way and I was already moving, unhurried, just another body heading home before the rain picked up again. Didn't look back. You learn fast in this business: looking back is how you get remembered. I marked the alley, marked the hour, and told myself I'd come back when the moon was higher and the street was thinner. Maybe this was it. Maybe I'd finally caught the scent of something real. [~* Community Commentary by Jaelia Evensong *~] Family is not always blood. Sometimes it is adoption. Sometimes ceremony. Sometimes it is the name we give a bond because the bond was already there. So stay open to friendship, but keep your heart open to family too. Kinship can arrive quietly. The world whispers to me. Not loudly. Not plainly. It comes through myths and stories. Through themes, values, patterns. Through resonance. Through quiet frequencies trying to make harmony. Even still things have truths. Even objects have homes. And I love finding both. The world may speak to you in a different language. But it does speak. So find your language. Listen for it. Then share what you hear. Not everyone hears the same music. But when we bring our pieces together, we learn deeper truths, and the world becomes a little more whole. [~* Starlit Tales, collected by Lady Kiyora: Tarinas *~] Come child. Bring your pebbles. Tap them together, but do not smash... try again. There, hear that sound? Blunt clacks. Now bring your strength to bear, listen to how solid dust crumbles with a lumpy crackle. Good. Now take these. Yes, this is the weathered pouch your tating wore. See? Smooth stones. Dull, blotchy, like old glass. Tap them together. Surprised? Listen child, many a Tog has gone mad chasing after that high, clear tone. It's the sound of magic. The magic that runs through our world. And they're ours, we found them, we named them. Intrigued? Seek out the stories of our clansman Flintheart, most loyal worker of the Platinum Elf. It is not just the mages that can bring the elements to life. Just don't go trying to knock two Tarika together. The chief likes the apples they trade to liven up his turnip stew. [~* Bottles and flasks sprout from thorny vines encircling the title "Measured Pours by Stelling Constalon" *~] This one is a bit tougher to write Beer, ale, lager, stout Hardly my go-to But some are high on my list For a bit of nostalgia, not rare But the best provider is the Tankard get Carleen's thick beer Raise it to Razzer while you're there Rare and quite tasty Theren Imperial Stout No one believes good libations reside there But by it former Theren Guards can swear Scarce as a ghost in Haakish called Drawg Barmir provided at Taelbert's Find a witness to see if they'll share! see how that sits [~* The Adventures of Lavacano Gator, Ch. 24: Back on His Feet by Crobin Yuanfen *~] The wounds still ached. Every step reminded Lavacano that death had nearly claimed him. Yet only a few days after waking in the Grove, he limped across the training grounds of the Barbarian's Guild. Sekmeht spotted him immediately. "You should be resting," the Gor'tog grunted. "Resting is boring," Lavacano replied. A rare chuckle escaped the Barbarian before he handed the goblin a practice weapon. "Then don't die again." The training was slower than before. Every swing pulled at healing muscles, every drill tested his resolve. More than once he stumbled, but each time he forced himself back to his feet. As the sun dipped low, Lavacano rested a hand on the teddy bear hanging from his belt. Not long ago, he fought to prove himself. Now he trained for something more. And for the first time, the young goblin began to understand the difference. [~* Razor's Edge by Kiashandra *~] Do you ache for more, though every step is taken upon a razor's edge? Is your heart open still, or must it be torn apart before it remembers how to feel? Or does the fire numb your wounds, offering just enough light to reveal how deep they run? Even when the flames at last fade away, does the pain ebb with them, or does the emptiness consume, vast and untethered, to swallow what remains? [~* The Quiet Threat to Elanthia by Aedie, Cleric of Meraud *~] A plague has swept across Elanthia on silent wings. Evil as insidious as it is dubious. Where did this hushed horror come from? What does it seek? How can it be stopped? I speak of mimes!! Walk through the Crossing or Riverhaven, and you'll be met with the symphony of Elanthia. The cries of bazaar merchants hawking dreamweave narwhals and dergantine shrikes. The sounds of the forges, where an Empath master shouts at a doting apprentice. The beggar and veteran crying over past glory. Heavy boots of a tiny, patrolling Paladin echo off stone walls. These sounds fill the air with holy, joyful resonance. Yet, a sinister quiet has begun to fester in our public spaces. It is not the peaceful silence of Monks, nor the restful quiet of Urrem'tier. No, it is an unnatural vacuum. In this series we explore the evil of mimicry. [~* One Year So Long and So Short: Summer Ends by Harkour Navarre *~] The summer air surrounds her Blowing sweetly through her hair Her eyes close a moment dreaming It was my hand that lingered there The days turned to weeks Since our last day together Mornings sick with worry Of a reunion that may be never A home so much quieter Without the echo of our laughter The fire a little colder Without my arms there to clasp her She prays for safe return To her side soon and whole The battles abroad won Her knight exemplary in role The lights on the horizon A glow amongst the night She whispers, "Is it you?" As they grow closer into sight. [~* Thank you for reading! Look out for more juicy bites in the next issue! *~]