Marja the Gentle Healer

Many years ago, there lived a clan of ancient moth worshippers called the Malunthra. Despite its deep isolation from other civilizations, the clan's village, Attari, prospered from its symbiotic living with their fellow insectoids. And it was from this symbiotic living that the oddest of traditions came about. Every full moon, the chief and the head advisors held a fighting contest to decide their next deity. The victor was given a name and a suitable guardianship. For forty-nine contests, the head healer, Maruc, hoped to find a moth worthy to represent his craft.

Why fight when healing is just as powerful? he questioned to himself.

Outside his tent, a tiny moth looked at the displays of her brethren that tore each other apart for glory. Born with uncharacteristically pink eyes, brightly-colored wings, and a certain gentleness to her, Marja was the oddest of moths. She was also the smallest, so she was excluded from most events, including the fighting contest. Upon hearing his wish, Marja entered the next contest and waited eagerly to fulfill Maruc's dream.

The next day, Maruc followed the others to the fighting arena. Upon taking his seat, he noticed a particularly small moth amongst all the entrants. Mocked for being female, smaller than her male rivals, and having no real strength, Marja was determined to prove herself. Each round, she stunned the audience and her competition with brilliant displays of colorful light that softened even the hardest of hearts. Upon being the last moth standing, Marja was declared the winner and gained a new set of wings. As she was given her newest accessory, a blue orb, she gave Maruc a bow and a wink, and he cried tears of joy for the first time in fifty years.

While the Malunthra have long disappeared, her legacy continues to enlighten and enthrall new generations of moths and healers alike. Her gentle spirit won the hearts of many, including Maruc, who had also become a legendary healer since that event.

Today, many trainers claim to have seen a curiously small moth watching over their wounded pets over the night.

Perhaps healing really is just as powerful as fighting.

Inspiration: the spiritual healing of nature itself I guess

Natsuki, the Hunted

In a forest so very dark,
a light flickers like a spark.
Not a sound can be heard;
even the leaves have not stirred.

But something lives, something breathes.
Something rustles in the trees.
A figure glistens in the night;
it glimmers in the pale moonlight.

He is the hunted the hunted is he;
surviving alone as none could foresee.
With globes for eyes, pale as the moon,
he lives carefully under Summers boon.

Night is emboldened as Day begins to cower;
She seeks lost souls to grow her power.
Deathly chill and silent cold is on the verge;
Summer grows bitter as Autumn does emerge.

The Hunted is weary; he awaits the sun.
Dangers and nightfall he tries to outrun.
Around every tree is more to fear,
but through the murk, one thing is clear:

Though darkness grows and light wanes,
and though cold and ice expand their domains,
life begins, remains, and will continue to grow,
just as flowers poke through Winters snow.

Surviving and thriving, the Hunted will continue;
as each season ever always begins anew.
Night may arise but the Hunted knows,
darkness is just a part of how life flows.



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Thank you very much for this opportunity!

Edit: Er, my inspiration was the Lunemara revamp itself, I guess. It happened towards the end of summer and I felt like these little guys are just real excited heading into the fall and winter months. I knew I wanted someone dusky so once I picked out the colors, the theme of the poem was in my mind, and I liked how the poem ended up really coinciding with the core essence of the revamp: old becoming new, changing, the ebb-and-flow of things.

Shikyo the Reborn Priestess



Once, long ago, a Lunemara lived peacefully alongside a small village. The Lunemara protected the people from all that wished to harm them and in turn the people worshipped her as their guardian. Life was peaceful for many generations, until one day a powerful priestess came upon the village and declared the Lunemara a demon sent to destroy them. The priestess told the villagers to drive the Lunemara away and they did so, without ever thinking to question the stranger.

Hurt by the betrayal of those she once cherished, the Lunemara lost her way and stumbled down a dark path of vengeance. The Lunemara watched as the priestess quickly took her place and her hatred of the people who so quickly cast her out grew like a raging inferno until it could no longer be contained. One day the priestess was injured in an attack and the Lunemara saw her chance. Without any warning, she called upon the dark magic she had studied and rained fire down on the village. While the people rushed to save their homes, the Lunemara attacked the priestess.

The battle between the two powerful beings raged on, even as the village burned around them. Each fought with all their strength, but the wound the priestess had suffered earlier began to catch up to her so in a final, last ditch attempt to defeat the Lunemara, the priestess used the last of her strength to cast the strongest purification spell she knew, one that would cost her her very soul. Sensing the end of the battle, the Lunemara also used her most powerful attack. The clash of the two attacks renewed the blaze, engulfing the village once more. When the flames finally settled and only ashes were left, the Lunemara emerged, seemingly unharmed. However it wasnt the same Lunemara that fought the priestess, instead it was a combination of the two souls. Both the Lunemara and the priestess had perished and from the ashes Shikyo the Reborn Priestess rose.
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My inspiration for my design was a priestess from ancient Japan, specifically like the ones seen in the anime Inuyasha :D When I saw the Forest Spirit Arms mutation it reminded me of the flowing sleeves the priests and priestess wore in Inuyasha, so I wanted to make my design a priestess.

Gemma the Shield

Gemma loved the trees and lake of her homeland but was enticed to visit the farmlands to the west to munch on some of the crops growing under the warm sun. She never did much damage but still farmers would see her and chase her away. There was one farm however where a young girl lived. She smiled brightly when she saw Gemma approach. She'd go in and retrieve some fruits and vegetables. Gemma was used to being chased off so at first wasn't sure what to make of this child that brought her offerings. The fruits and vegetables looked delicious though so eventually she came closer. The girl timidly watched from just inside as she came down upon the basket of delicacies. This would happen day after day but she never allowed the child to approach too closely.

One day as Gemma approached the farm she could see and smell smoke. The roof was on fire and she could hear yelling and screams. Bandits were rampaging through the farm looting all they could. Her mind could only think of the shy little girl. She began to desperately search. She saw the little girl then crying in the field. A bandit had an arrow notched and was taking aim. The girl froze in fear and closed her eyes. Gemma launched herself at the bandit. Startled by the giant bug suddenly attacking him, he ran tripping here and there. The girl opened her eyes to see Gemma there before her and reached out to touch her. Gemma didn't move this time.

A year passed and Gemma had found a new home. The farm had slowly come back to life. The farmer was happy that his daughter had a friend and guardian, the other farmers were pleased that Gemma no longer came to their fields, and Gemma and the little girl were of course delighted to have each other.



Inspiration
Gemma is based on a species of Shield Bug.

Congratulations to Captainkat and Xavion on their Lunemara! They are available to be picked up. I apologize for the delay. :)