🪰🔥 THE TALE OF FALSE FIRELIGHT
“When truth was but a glimmer, and lies learned to twinkle.”
🌿🐸 The Grogling Slumber Age
Once fierce and frothing in the era of war, the Groglings of Myrr’Kael were a proud and battle-hardened people. Their croaks shook the trees. Their leaping legions, guided by the great Warchief Bog’toad the Broad, had defended their swamplands from the great scaly surge of the Crocren.
But peace… oh peace, the most slippery of blessings.
Time passed.
Frogs fattened.
The drums of war fell silent.
Frogs fattened.
The drums of war fell silent.
They traded spears for flutes.
Battalions for belly rubs.
Exploration for exaltation of a new discovery—the Fireflies.
Battalions for belly rubs.
Exploration for exaltation of a new discovery—the Fireflies.
💡 The Glow of Firelight
These mystical creatures, called Firelight by the Groglings, shimmered with trails of colored wisdom and memory. Some called them “living scrolls,” others, “the wandering prophets.” Wherever they drifted, they brought stories, visions, and knowledge of places never seen.
The Groglings, now sedentary, took this as divine blessing.
“Why leap through vine and thicket when the wisdom comes to us?”
“The firelight hath wandered for us, and returned with all we need.”
“The firelight hath wandered for us, and returned with all we need.”
They built lantern-towers to house them. The old sages became “Glow Readers.” Festivals were held to interpret new fireflies that wandered in.
Yet… no one questioned the source.
🐊🦇 The Trick of Tongue and Light
Southward drifted the fireflies, into the playful claws of the Crocren and Drizzaks—ancient enemies turned pranksters, mischievous and curious.
The Crocren mages, who once hurled spells to melt plate armor, now used their magic for petty illusion.
“Sayeth thou that these glowing bugs speak wisdom?”
“Then let us fill their tiny heads with our own truths.”
“Let the frogs croak a new croak.” 😂
“Then let us fill their tiny heads with our own truths.”
“Let the frogs croak a new croak.” 😂
They enchanted the drifting fireflies with falsified memories and phrases:
“The swamp’s edge is haunted by dancing pickles.”
“Leap not on Tuesdays, or you’ll forget your name.”
“The one with the most fireflies becomes invisible when no one’s looking.”
“Leap not on Tuesdays, or you’ll forget your name.”
“The one with the most fireflies becomes invisible when no one’s looking.”
The altered fireflies returned north…
😮💨 The Great Croakening
And the chaos began.
Groglings argued.
Glow Readers contradicted each other.
Entire lily-pad communities split into “High-Gleam” and “Deep-Gleam” factions.
Glow Readers contradicted each other.
Entire lily-pad communities split into “High-Gleam” and “Deep-Gleam” factions.
Each side clung to different fireflies, each claiming their Glow was truth. The once united Grogling tribes found themselves whispering and leaping at each other’s throats over glimmers of nonsense.
🐸💡 The Return of Bullum Bogg
Bullum, the old Bullfrog General, emerged from his muddy slumber.
“Enough. Bring me the glowflies. All of them.”
He sat for a month, listening. Watching. Reflecting.
He sat for a month, listening. Watching. Reflecting.
In the stillness, he croaked:
“These are not our truths. We’ve borrowed eyes and forsaken our own.”
“No longer shall firelight be our compass—we must leap once more.”
“No longer shall firelight be our compass—we must leap once more.”
✨ The Leap Forward
From then on, Groglings divided fireflies into three jars:
🧠 Memoryglow – Proven wisdom from the old wars.
😶 Silentglow – Fireflies yet to be tested.
🤡 Croakglow – Those tainted by folly or jest.
New rites were formed. The frogs began wandering again. Scouts returned to truth-tell by their own eyes, and the cycle of learning through both experience and story was reborn.
🪞 REFLECTION
What be a firefly but a post?
What be a Glow Reader but a reactor?
What be wisdom if it not questioned?
What be a Glow Reader but a reactor?
What be wisdom if it not questioned?
Thus doth the Groglings mirror our world.
Status through information, shattered by misinformation.
A lesson… with wings.
Status through information, shattered by misinformation.
A lesson… with wings.