#also unrelated but i just noticed lily's horns remind me of those medieval hats

[tinycheesecakedetective]

INTRODUCTION

 "Deep within the bowels of Beast-Yeast rests a forest unlike anything you've seen before. Walls of ivy weave through abandoned settlements. The canopy of trees looms above you, each branch buckling and interlocking with another as they block your path. Dirt roads litter the floor, always ending at the same place."

 "What was once a solace for many has twisted into a refuge for one cookie only. Those that enter her woods are at her mercy."

 "She is relentless, she is cruel, and she is desperate. And you're the only one who can stop her."

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Hello everyone! I'm back to ramble on some more about things I made. Today I would like to talk about Wilted Lily Cookie! Of course, I won't be going too deep into her. This post will be covering her general vibes, as well as a bit about her area and her backstory. This will not be covering her relationships with other cookies, her arc with Fleur de Sal, any other motivations, etc. All of those topics will be covered in future posts.

Now, without further ado, let's begin.

GENERAL INFORMATION

  Once the witches' most promising protégé, Wilted Lily was revered and adored by her peers and followers. But after an attack from wild witches, the growing tension on Earthbread, and a confrontation turned violent, the Silver Guardian turned her back on everything she knew. Now known as the Witch of the Ravenous Wilds, the beast became hellbent on making the witches atone for their actions.

While her overall demeanor appears meek, do not be fooled. Her cruelty knows no bounds, and she can upend societies with a single hum. Her word is a disease that plagues the hearts and minds of her followers, and her confidants remain loyal to her and her madness alone. Don't bother reasoning with them, they can't be saved.

Wilted Lily is the fourth ancient to become a beast.

She's naturally gifted at phytokinesis, but leans more on dark magic.

Back when she was the Silver Guardian, Elder Faerie would show her a special vault of spells, giving her a wide access to faerie magic.

Her relationship to the beasts as a whole is neutral, viewing them as a necessary demonstration of the witches' neglect. Once she stops them, well... The other beasts won't be an issue.

LOCATIONS

The Ravenous Wilds   Beyond the borders of Faeriewood lies the Ravenous Wilds, a no man's land overrun by plant life and dark magic of all kinds. The forest is almost impossible to enter by normal means. Wilted Lily has ensured that herself. Those that try to enter never return, or rather don't return whole.

If you manage to enter despite that, you'll be met with a heavy fog and gnarled, overgrown vines mimicking trees swaying in the wind. The sky becomes a light crimson, and no stars are visible to the naked eye. Many strange and new creatures wander the wilds, and they won't attack unless they deem you a threat, so keep your head low and your weapons lower.

The deeper you go, the more distorted the wilds become. Nerves of vines pulsate as the first trees appear, sickly and grey and weaving within each other. They tower over you, blocking the red skies with their canopy of branches. Bugs larger than you skitter up and down the chafing trunks. Eyes begin to watch you, some curious, some malicious, and others still apathetically.

The Nest   The first set of buildings appear, shaped like cages and whittled out of silver branches. They fractal, everything bleeding out into lines and lines of houses and branches. It's incredibly easy to get lost here, as the beginning looks exactly the same as the end. The wildlife here seems to appear... calmer. Several types of docile animals appear, as well as a wider variety of plant life. But don't let your guard down. The threat here isn't the flora or fauna, it's the legion of Fae that live here. Avoid them at all costs. They don't take too kindly to visitors.

The Calamity Point   At the epicenter of it all is Wilted Lily Cookie's "kingdom," If it can even be called that. A few vanilla orchids can be seen scattered near the ground alongside other shrubs. Jagged sets of silver branches reach down into the floor, making up each spire's walls and rooms. Webs of white moss line the windows in numerous patterns. Lilies grow from the dirt floor and clear water flows throughout the kingdom.

At the center of it all is The Heart, made up of every vine in the forest. It hangs over the center of the room, pulsating and beating life into this cursed realm. Mucus seeps out and drips onto the floor, birthing many abominations that terrorize the land. Many Fae tend to it, patiently awaiting the reawakening of The Calamity herself. If you look closely, you can see the faint silhouette of Wilted Lily Cookie within.

BACKSTORY

The Death of the Silver Guardian

  As the herald of Solidarity, Wilted Lily Cookie acted as the Faerie King's most trusted advisor and as a guide for lost and wandering cookies. Perhaps her most notable job, however, was as the Witches' Apprentice. When she first was created, Lily herself sought to study under her creators and learn their ways. In return, she would benefit all of cookie-kind with her newfound knowledge and skill. Of course, working so closely with the creators meant Wilted Lily was restricted with what she could share and do. Under their careful watch, she would never become a ruler, and she could never venture outside of their watchful eye.

But rules were meant to be broken, and Lily often traveled beyond her creator's boundaries despite their warnings. Until one fateful day. She had made her usual rounds outside of her range, researching the creatures and wildlife that thrived there, when she was ambushed by wild witches, savage and cruel. Unlike the benevolent witches, these hags cared not for her life; the only thing that they valued was how she tasted. With her power, she managed to escape within an inch of her life and ran back to her creators. The witches, benevolent and kind, forgave her for going beyond their sight, and reassured Lily that as long as they lived they would never let harm befall their beloved cookies.

For the time, this was enough to satisfy Wilted Lily Cookie. True to their word, she never saw those wild witches again. But doubt isn't rational, and it began to creep into her heart like a thorny vine. Had they really stopped those awful savages? What if her creators, blessed they be, also ate cookies? The lunatics at the edge of the world were still witches, weren't they, surely they wouldn't be so easily stopped, right? And if they couldn't, then was she actually learning anything of use? What if they were lying to her?

                 What if they lied about everything?

  "...could I trust them? Should I trust them?"

This seed of doubt overtook her mind, and she paused her apprenticeship. Her fears manifested into plotting all sorts of schemes and defenses for the worst case scenario. To help prepare the world, Lily broke her silence about the incident to some of her followers and noted the... very unique reactions to her plight. She had tried to tell her friends, the other guardians, but by now many of them had become unreachable. The only two willing to listen were her lover and a haunted wraith, and even then they could only do so much. Times were getting worse. More and more cookies came fleeing from the other realms. Attacks on the Faerie Kingdom became more frequent, and armies counting up to the thousands came like floods. Wilted Lily did the best that she could, but it wasn't enough. Where were the witches? Why weren't they helping them? Discouraged and frustrated, she came to the rational conclusion that this problem was something only she could handle. After all, she knew the witches better than anyone.

One fateful day, she went to confront them herself. A single cookie against the world, armed against the only gods she ever knew. She demanded answers. She demanded to know why they weren't acting. Their answers felt hollow, scared even. Wilted Lily could've never imagined they'd look so helpless. How disgraceful. Lily steeled her nerves, glaring with disdain before rushing to attack them. Even with the power of her soul jam, she knew this would be no easy feat. But she never expected to lose this quickly.

She felt her body quickly being cast down, feeling cracks run along her back. She couldn't move. The pain seared through her dough like none before and none ever would. She blinked a few times, seeing the deep regret the witches had on their faces. A bitter laugh echoed from her aching body. Everything blurred. One second she was on the ground, the next in her lover's embrace. Lily dove in and out of consciousness before finally stabilizing in Pure Vanilla's kingdom, accompanied by him and other healers working to help her.

The days melted into each other. Her recovery was swift, but nothing could heal the wounds carved into her heart. When she finally returned home, Pure Vanilla asked if he could stay by her for a bit longer. She didn't remember what she told him, not like it would matter. Wilted Lily forced him out, ignoring the thumps against the thorn wall and drowned out his pleas with her sorrow. One day, he would understand. But she couldn't afford any distractions. She was going to get her vengeance. Even if it meant becoming the very thing she swore to fight against.

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