Bloomburrow as Told by Flavor Text

"This trinket has saved my hide more times than I can count. I couldn't possibly let it go for less than say . . . four acorns."

"Your dreams are too precious to leave to chance."

Beyond Valley lies danger—and promise.

"If you cannot find light in the darkness, create it." ~ Aural, high cleric

"Did you bring everything you need for the journey?" the rabbit asked. "Of course I did! I brought you, my dear pine cone," the mouse replied.

Brightblades are trained to constantly mind the sun's position, adjusting the angle of their dagger to maximize glare.

"Secret ingredient? What do you think?" ~ Ms. Bumbleflower

"The fog is descending like a starving beast. I believe our expedition ends here."

As he grasped the glowing feather, the lizard's heart soared, and the rest of him quickly followed.

"Many paws grew this feast, and many paws should share it!"

"Finding a hidden patch of glowberries is almost as joyful as eating them. Almost." ~ Ms. Bumbleflower

"I'll light the way, but we must walk it together."

"With all the chaos going around, we thought it might be the perfect time to take a break and have a nice picnic. Would you like to join us?"

"Why are you eating upside down?" asked the bird. "Why are you eating upside up?" replied the bat.

"You stole a child from its nest," Mabel accused. "The only calamity I see here is you."

"I'm not here to hurt you, but I will stop you from hurting others."

Aerial supporters train for years to make sure the weapons they drop land in the hands of mice and not on their heads.

You never fight just one rabbitfolk. They bring the strength of their burrow to battle with them.

The living seasons come to grow, to burn, to wither, and to freeze. As natural as it is for the Calamity Beasts to live, it is just as natural for them to die.

Never underestimate what a rabbit can do with a root vegetable and some moxie.

"I've trained every one of them in aerial maneuvers, talon strikes, and dive precision. They are the top of my class, and they may surpass me one day." ~ Quickwing, master flyer

Valley's midnight clerics channel the life force of other animals into blinding strikes and searing shrieks.

Nothing lurks in the purity of the moon's light.

"In hand, a sword to slay the frightful beast; in heart, these words to soothe our frightened kin." ~ *Lily and the Ember Seed*

No battle is fought, or won, alone.

"There is strength in numbers, yes. More importantly, there is joy."

Batfolk clerics consider the cycle of light and darkness as a sacred allegory of life and death.

Glarb's court can always be found repeating his disastrous visions, even when they're unwelcome.

Zoraline turned her attention to the shore. Helga and Ral's conversation quickly faded from her mind as she watched the gigantic wave approach.

"Look what I found!"

Maintaining brilliant plumage isn't just a statement. It's a tactic.

Quickwing's elite flyers were more than capable of navigating ordinary storms, but Dragonhawk's storms were anything but ordinary.

"Find your mooring and stop clogging the shipping lanes!"

His keen eyes can see the glint of scales far below the river's surface.

"Lightning and snail as one!" cried the rat. "It's so beautiful!" the otter gasped in awe.

"Laughing at you? No, no, I'm laughing *as* you!"

He etches his secrets onto the shimmering shells of mussels, saving them to share with the Great Snail.

Otterfolk divers compete to bring up the biggest, purest pearls they can find. Storing elemental magic in them is a bonus.

"I defend Valley and its beauty. What better weapon to wield than beauty itself?"

Nobody bothered to look for Libo and Pulla, because everyone knew they didn't want to be found.

"Is that all you've got? Put some mussel into it!"

A water skimmer's ability to sense danger in the slightest ripple makes them a prized companion for Long River trawlers.

"I don't know how to swim!" said the bird. "That's okay! I don't know how to fly!" laughed the frog.

"Don't ask me how it works. If I stopped long enough to question it, I'd lose my legs." ~ Lorb, frogfolk wizard

Some jokes have the punchline baked in.

Many rats have found their minds while lost in the mud-slicked gyre of a snail shell.

The escape route of many a birdfolk thief has been less surefire than they'd thought.

Some lizardfolk wield the precious agate and yearn for fire. Others wield it and thirst for blood.

A great actor can breathe new life into old material.

"Bring me my harvest."

"Should we act now or later?" the rat asked. "Both," whispered the squirrel.

There is a fine line between predicting the future and causing it.

The climate changed and the world suffered.

Sleeping beneath the sumac ~ Squirrelfolk expression meaning "death"

When Glarb ordered the egg stolen, the Great Maha communicated its anger in a universal language.

"Catch the thermal!" called the bat.n"What's a thermal?!" cried the lizard.

On stormy autumn days, the leaves in the trees chitter and whisper.

Its wingspan reaches from dusk to dawn.

Moonstone weapons drink in the last light of dusk to give their wielders an edge in combat.

The path to the Cliff of Heroes is rife with bandits, expertly camouflaged in the dense flora of Valley.

"Next time you come this way, do us both a favor and have something worth stealing, yeah?"

Edibility is in the eye of the beholder.

Like shedding, but backwards.

Blood and brine make a strong mortar.

"Some batfolk dedicate their lives to seeing the world beyond them." ~ Warion, scholar of the Cosmos

"The Lunar Paean is upon us. Let us turn to our ancestors for guidance, and look to our children for hope."

We all share one life and one death. ~ Rotcaller saying

"What a hideous creature! And the worm's no looker either." ~ Grumble, rival marshstalker

"Only an amateur crushes their enemies with a *cold* rock."

"The frogfolk should worry less that the sky is falling and worry more about where it's landing."

"We sought adventure and found calamity. Forward, so we may meet both with courage!"

Risks taken to retrieve a prize only increase its value.

"This trinket has saved my hide more times than I can count. I couldn't possibly let it go for less than say . . . four acorns."

"Give me a lightning rod, something I can use as a channel!" Ral called above the mayhem. Nodding, Finneas drew a copperleaf arrow from his emptying quiver and shot.

Wood holds a flame for only so long before it crumbles into ash. But stone can burn forever.

Its frills keep it steady, making its aim impeccable.

She feeds and powers her entire village.

"We burn like fire!" cackled the lizard. "And strike like lightning!" the otter thundered.

"Fear is unavoidable. You can run from it with your tail between your legs, or charge it head on with sword in hand. I prefer the latter." ~ Rho, veteran hero

The boisterous pat on the back was painful, but not nearly as painful as the joke that inspired it.

"Calamity Beasts are running through Valley, leaving death and destruction in their wake. I have a plan to stop them." ~ Glarb, ruler of Fountainport

Unbeknownst to the hosts, the foraged seeds they served at dinner had been touched by a Calamity Beast. The results were ... disturbing.

"I used to play for family only until I realized I could inspire an entire party with a single note."

"En garde, inadequate excuse for a foe!" challenged the mouse. "Raaahrgh grrrr raaaargh!" agreed the raccoon.

Hot-footed and cold-blooded.

"We'll cover more ground if I split up."

Disgusting. Revolting. Effective.

"For the last time it's *porcelain*, not stoneware, you ignorant fool!"

"Well, that's another night of research spoiled." ~ Claire, batfolk astrologer

Dangers sharper than thorns can hide among flowers.

"Unneeded words are like dandelion seeds—cast adrift at the slightest whiff of scrutiny, only to find purchase and thrive where you least expect." ~ Myrtle, Valley scribe

"I'll take the crust!" chittered the squirrel. "And I'll take the filling!" drooled the raccoon.

May your bark be worse than your bite. ~ Raccoonfolk war blessing

"Why should the birdfolk get the best view?"

The bones of Calamity Beasts are sometimes buried in caches where their power can grow quietly.

The druid brought the best out of the soil and, in turn, the best out of the fluffle.

Despite their differences, every creature and culture of Valley stood in unison against the threat.

"Something has stirred the Calamity Beasts, and they are wreaking havoc. Anyone who wishes to help, come forth! Whether it's with your swords in the fight or your shovels in the field, join me!" ~ Mabel, heir to Cragflame

Just because it's natural doesn't mean it's healthy.

One can travel all of Valley and never eat the same meal twice.

"It takes a moment to find your stride, but once you do, you'll feel like a giant!" ~ Brisco, river guide

"Now this one's a real collector's item. They say Lily Emberseed herself drank from this mug when she was still Lily of Valley."

"Blor's defenses are impervious!" ~ Blor the Impervious

"We'll see who croaks first!"

Victory doesn't have to be close for him to taste it.

Sorting the seeds from the nuts ~ Squirrelfolk expression meaningn"dwelling on unnecessary details"

Apprentice augurs begin their studies by predicting where the rain will fall. Even those who don't succeed derive great joy from the process.

"It's easy to find your way around the Root Maze if you know what to look, listen, smell, feel, and taste for."

"The tree wants to give me a warning. I just need to help it communicate."

"You shall not pass me," croaked the frog. "Nor me," growled the rabbit.

They don't waste arrows on warning shots.

"There is no path to the Root Maze's center. Bard, sing a song while I create one."

The birdfolk guards flitted angrily. "Seriously, Timbles? Again?!"

"Why would I chase the storm? Does a cloud chase the rain? Does the sun chase the light?"

"On your paws! I've been fighting in these fields for more seasons than you've had hot dinners!"

"We don't 'play' with fire. It is strictly business."

A rare fruit grows from the corpses of Calamity Beasts, with nectar the flavor of strength and skin as fragile as life.

"Your dreams are too precious to leave to chance."

"Nothing focuses the mind quite like a flame."

"Interrupting a rabbitfolk dinner is a most grievous offense. If you must do so, bring gifts for the little ones, or bring a shield." ~ *Giddy's Guide to Valley*

Most of his scars tell tales. A few tell jokes.

Each scrap shed from her battle-axe is more likely to end up stored permanently in an enemy's skull.

"Splashy entrances are my specialty. And they can be yours too. Try again!"

"If only you kept your secrets somewhere more secure than your delicate little skull."

"The sunrisers have entrusted me with their life force. I intend to repay them bountifully."

"Any fledgling can flap their wings. But a true windscout must soar!"

"The rainfall brings us news of the world around us. I've learned a lot, but most of all I've learned that it's very exciting out there!"

"Your riposte is good, yes. But how's your footwork?"

"If you think he's loud now, wait until he starts the battle song." ~ Clement, pessimistic adventurer

"Each star is given a name befitting its grandeur. This one is called Aurax, the Night-Eater. That one is called Blinky."

"Only novice mages burn their whiskers. So pay attention!"

"Castin' lines or castin' spells, ain't no one better than me."

"The same tides that bring us knowledge can sweep us away."

"In youth, we reap. In death, we sow."

"You've all grown so much since I passed through this burrow last! Let's see, where to begin this story?"

The farmers hide when it runs out of potatoes to harvest.

"I may have overestimated the portions."

Fountainport's town crier once saved the townsfolk from predation by a rottenmouth viper with only their bell.

"The beasts feared fire, and little else. Lily of Valley raised Cragflame and..."

With thistle, quill, twig, and beak, the finest artisans of each animalfolk society stitched unique quilts, patched together as a symbol of harmony.

Take heart. Take aim. Take them down.

"Every paw and claw should be at the celebrations in Three Tree City! Even the float is smiling!" ~ *Valley Gazetteer*, four-acorn review

Beyond Valley lies danger—and promise.

"There are lands beyond Valley. Wild, calamity-scarred, and beautiful." ~ Farfeather, birdfolk scout

A water skimmer's ability to sense danger in the slightest ripple makes them a prized companion for Long River trawlers.

"I have a child I want to return to as well," whispered Mabel.

Be the calm in the storm. ~ Birdfolk saying

The boundaries of Valley are heavily defended. Especially at night.

"Heroes grew as steadily as crops, and nourished our spirits." ~ *Wake of the Beasts*

"Rations were tightly controlled." ~ *Wake of the Beasts*

"Don't worry, your secrets are safe with me!" the birdfolk called back in the ratfolk's own voice.

"Fighting the snake is to fight starvation itself. Strikes synchronize with hunger pangs."

"Oh? Do I need to repeat myself?"

"There was a bold young otterfolk / Who sailed for parts unknown, / Ignored the words her elders spoke, / And crewed the ship alone." ~ *Songs from Upstream*

"The same heat with which we forge weapons may also forge friendships." ~ Emberheart Forge inscription

"Here's to good food, good friends, and a good life, together in our Valley." ~ Lily Emberseed

Where you are is temporary. What you do is forever. ~ Frogfolk saying

When the woodlands are your armory, you can afford to travel light.

"The community banded together to revitalize the scorched earth." ~ *Wake of the Beasts*

"Creatures of all kinds united to patrol the outskirts." ~ *Wake of the Beasts*

While the storm raged, the sage took the lightning and wove a thunderous tapestry.

"Yeah. I'm that good."

"Heroism is neither a strong arm nor a divine destiny. It is the choice to stand unbowed against impossible odds."

Fragments of thought refract and multiply, surging in a geyser of dizzying insight.

"You're telling me we spent a year securing the sanctuary against pterosaurs, rambeasts, and nightfangs . . . and we were robbed by what?" ~ Endris, Drannith magistrate

"This is just my warm-up."

"Turns out the case of the flattened outpost and the case of the missing kitten *were* related." ~ Endris, Drannith magistrate

"Sometimes Mowu is content to gnaw on a bone. Sometimes he wants the whole skeleton." ~ Jiang Yanggu

A healthy felidar is voracious yet regal. A rabid felidar is nothing more than appetite lashed to frothing jaws.

When wielded by a true believer, it matters little whether the sword is a relic or a replica.