[Swoleween/Event] The Swolemination Expedition

Thanks to @solecitouwu for the mischievous and observant art! The shelter rumbles with murmurs and hurried footsteps. The lights flicker every few seconds, revealing makeshift flags, banana leaves hanging from the ceiling, and dozens of monkeys and figures of all colors huddled among tables, maps, and old radar screens. Nobody fully understands what has happened, but everyone knows one thing: whatever is out there… could enter the shelter at any moment.

Several months have passed since the great explosion. Ghostcam sits in a corner in front of a small improvised altar, the little spoon floating at her side, glowing with a faint light. Amid the bustle, that glow is the only thing that seems steady. She watches it, still unsure why it remains there. The group of explorers has arrived with devastating news about some of their companions. On the altar lie a lighter, a rolled joint, and a case with wBan coins.

Dodger approaches her and breaks the silence, asking, "And… what exactly does that spoon do?"

Ghostcam looks at him warmly with a slight smile, taking a deep breath before answering, "You know, after the Swoleminator hit me, some strange things appeared. My elegant and glamorous crown doesn’t fall off even if I stand on my head, and this little spoon always accompanies me. The curious thing is that it’s still here, and I understand it’s used for…"

The main gate bursts open, interrupting her sentence. Light from outside floods the shelter, and through the dust and echoes of hurried footsteps appears Banano-Chan, covered in leaves and with a backpack slung to one side.

"I bring news!" she shouts, stumbling over a box before raising her hand victoriously. "We have records of the Swoleminations!"

Banano-Chan spreads on a table a collection of crumpled papers, blurry photographs, and handwritten notes. The shelter erupts in murmurs. Those who had gone exploring and never returned are remembered with fear; but hearing that someone had managed to get photos, drawings, and reports… sparks a glimmer of hope.

Some show enormous, muscular, shiny creatures. Others, tiny beings with curious eyes or kind gestures. According to the reports, their colors are extremely varied, as are their sizes. Not all seem hostile, but that’s only the impression given by the chubby little faces of some and the pastel tones of others.

Ghostcam silently studies each image. Around her, the monkeys murmur in different languages. After all, the shelter has filled with characters from various embassies:

A monkey, pointing at something in the air with enthusiasm, exclaims: "Mais non, c’est incroyable tout ce bazar!"

Another, with a mischievous grin and squinting eyes, murmurs: "Cês já tomaram catuaba hoje, pô?"

Someone else, with a dramatic voice, pacing in circles, says: "La vera paura è finire il caffè a metà giornata."

A character, slightly threatening in tone and stepping forward, adds: "Qlq ¿Dijiste arepa? ¡Es venezolana!"

From a corner, someone asks curiously: "Has anyone seen the rat that always shows up on Halloween?"

A monkey, in a melancholy tone, recalls: "Моя бабуся казала, що з вареників починається щастя."

Another, dragging a chair and panting: "Tui ăn chưa? Đói quá trời luôn."

And amid all the chaos, a resigned comment slips in: "Это хуже, чем очередь в Пятёрочке!"

Each phrase seems more out of context than the last, but amid the chaos, everyone understands each other enough to share fear… and curiosity.

Finally, Ghostcam raises her voice: "If there’s one thing we learn from all this," she says firmly, "it’s that not everything that scares us deserves to be destroyed. Some of these beings might be seeking help. Others… well, maybe they just want to show us their strength."

The little spoon glows softly at her side. "We’re going to form an investigation team. Drawings, photos, reports… anything that helps us understand them. No more hiding."

Banano-Chan nods excitedly, while someone from the back shouts: "The terrifying, tremendous, totally uncontrollable swolemination expedition of eternal orange madness!!!!"

Cheers mix with nervous laughter. Outside, the wind howls, and something far among the trees responds with a deep growl.

Ghostcam looks at the floating spoon, barely vibrating. "That name reminds me of a certain mushroom-headed character, wherever he may be, but let’s leave it as Swolemination Expedition. This will be our mission, and everyone can participate… now come closer to listen carefully to the...

Rules

• Each entry should include a detailed description of the Swolemination you encountered. Tell us everything you can: the size, the shape, the colors, what it was doing, where it was, any detail counts. Describe it as if you were taking a picture of a puppy in the street and wanted to capture every little thing, including the environment around it.

• Alongside the description, add an illustration. It can be a hand-drawn sketch, digital art, AI-generated, or even a real-life creation where you build or dress something up to represent your Swolemination. Be as creative as possible, because Swoleminations can be absolutely anything.

• Remember, they all evolve from a little bird-like creature, so think creatively about their forms.

• Also, make sure to describe its temperament and behavior. Let us know how it acts, interacts, or reacts. Just explain what you observed in your own way.

• Complete this form. This is where you'll submit your Swolemination entry along with the image or illustration that will accompany it. Make sure you do this, otherwise we won’t be able to validate your submission.

• Finally, submit your entries in the dedicated forum on the Banano Discord server. Fell in love with an entry? Got scared by a Swolemination? Want to snuggle up and go brrrr on its muscles? React to your favorite entries to show some love!

• Deadline is November 2nd.

To encourage everyone, each participant will receive Banano as a thank-you for their effort. Oh, and the top three entries will receive this special...

Prizes

1st Place: 15420 BAN + cryptomonKey NFT

2nd Place: 11119 BAN + cryptomonKey NFT

3rd Place: 9420 BAN + cryptomonKey NFT

So pay attention, observe carefully, draw, and have fun on this expedition!"

After hearing the rules and learning about the prizes, they grabbed notebooks, papers, markers, cameras, cellphones, laptops, anything they could get their hands on, and stepped out of the shelter. Outside, the air was tinged with that familiar orange haze, lighter than the thick clouds during the explosion, but still eerie and mysterious.

Ghostcam called out to the ones who stayed behind, hesitant to leave, "Relax, relax! You can still have fun here and help out too. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure everyone can join in, even from the shelter."

And with that, the expedition truly began.

@solecitouwu