Fantasy Well of Wishes | Main IC | [Closed]

[Jet]

​

Ayana released a worried breath, freed from nervous tension when Jace was rescued. Then she thanked Mother's Embrace that his leg was unharmed, and stopped chewing through her cheek like a gerbil. The small mage needed everyone to return home unharmed today — any other outcome would slam her psyche into the ground. It could withstand only so much second-hand suffering, and there'd been so much since meeting in Whaleshell. The journey was a revolving door of broken parts and agony since then, but for now everyone here was safe and sound, made clear when Jace stood without struggling.

He wasted no time once saved, clearing superficial snow layers with a wide-sweeping wind spell. Flurries kicked from the surface in twisting swirls, reflecting moonlight in spiral patterns like a vintage Van Gogh. But the mage focused on magic control instead, hovering her miniature sun from the frozen surface — answering Jace with a hopeful "We can ask our captains to allow you in the unit, but I cannot guarantee you anything more than a meeting. Helping us find these herbs will make it much easier to convince them of your merit Jace. So for now we need to find these... miniature trees made from ice? They sound impossible, but it should be easy to find if your friend isn't a liar or idiot!"

Ayana wondered what made miniature ice-trees exist, and how could they exist in the first place? Forest Elves knew plants more than most, and snow trees sounded absurd. This Radameer character who mentioned them, seemed like an eccentric idiot to the young mage, but maybe healing herbs were real even if his descriptions were nonsense? Whatever the case was, she stayed positive and looked for any strange plants, keeping close with her mates as they walked and talked.

"I too wonder who made this place. Symmetry and straight lines are the mark of men, not nature" she said to Kuma, tracing her hand over a nearby stone while asking "Maybe these cubes are for rituals? I can only imagine..."

Her curious eyes lingered on the block for a moment, before moving to the next stone and the next one after that. Each cube had three neighbors, making groupings of four. The groupings were arranged in a square pattern with one stone per corner, placed at exact right angles. They were unnatural as could be — unless divine miracles were responsible.

"How strange" Ayana whispered to no-one in particular, before adding a louder "Have any of you seen anything like this before? Maybe researching the plants here will help us understand more about this place? I'll collect samples too!" She said to everyone at first and Helena at the end. But her confusion was overshadowed by the massive mound they approached, not to mention the structure at its apex. The strange object looked like a tree coated in ice, but certain features made natural origins impossible. Branches skewed from the tree like warped and twisting swords, and even the trunk looked unnatural. It was too narrow for how tall the structure stood, making Ayana wonder what in heaven's name she was actually looking at?

"If that is a tree, then I am part giant" she briefly joked, stepping onto the snow-covered mound. Nothing more than a short walk was required to reach the top. Then they would know what the object was... or at least a more educated guess.

BriiAngelic Lost Echo MythyDW

 

[Pik]

Lorrin Yumi

Jet BriiAngelic Taigakitt Fred Colon

Blood, blood freaking everywhere, how could he forget that riping an animal open would cause blood tho just get into all the ..... you know what doesn't want to think about it. Digging himself out of the hole Lorrin looks over his blood-soaked jacket "Goddammit! I had just patched out the holes from the last fight and now this I'm never going to look good in it again." Tossing the now terrible jacket onto the ground he pulls out a handkerchief and uses it to wipe off most of the blood from his face, he would watch as the old man did his thing with the wind magic. "What the, if you were that powerful you could have helped you b... hey don't just leave, and he's gone sigh." Looking back towards the others "good work everyone this combined with our other kills can easily get us through the week as long we preserve it well. Oh, Yo your ....." his face would turn a reddish color as he walks over to grab his discarded jacket. Maybe with luck, they will think its blood. Approaching Yo he places it around her shoulders that should cover her for now. "Your looking great hardly a scratch on you." Smooth Lorrin. Hearing Roland he put his usual face back on "Your right we need to get back to camp as soon as possible if I remember there should be a river there as well we could use." He says walking over and picking up aside.​

 

[Taigakitt]

Stone​

Stone only dared to release the monstrous boar when he deemed it safe to do so, when he wasn’t going to be trampled under hoof.

That last buck was easy to hold on to, but he didn’t want the heavy beast to land on him, so after that, he had released and lunged away.

Looking at his sleeves, he clicked his tongue. Luckily he wore black. Blood didn’t stain black easy. Also grateful his fur was black. He could only imagine how he’d look if he had a lighter complexion.

Stone put his cuffs away before running his hands over his face, pulling his ears back in the process to get a majority of the blood from running into his eyes. Blood dripped from his whispers and around his jaws. He ran his hands from his muzzle and down as well, pushing the boar blood away to keep from dripping. Stone felt it necessary to recompose himself. He was also starting to feel sticky already.

The food stealer had approached then. Stone growled. He didn’t like the man. And he would not be complying with that stick request. He didn’t want his own head chopped off in the middle of the night. With that, he let the strange man walk off.

Looking at the headless body, Stone thought about the deer that he left. He didn’t want it to go to waste, so after the boar, he’d be retrieving it. First, they must figure out how to move a giant beast. Without the head, though, it might be much easier.

A familiar voice reached his ears as he looked in the direction of the Dragonfolk woman. Besides her clothes, she looked relatively unharmed. What a beast of a woman. To not have been impaled and already up and moving. Though, judging by the way she did carry herself, she did seem to be in some amount of pain. Lorrin ended up giving her his jacket, which was probably for the best.

Daisy spoke up, which Stone looked in her direction. Clearing his throat, he moved his hands behind his back, “Quite the challenge, but I feel we did what we could. I think it would be best if we all tried picking the beast up and moving it.”

His whiskers pulled back, “As much as I’d like to clean myself up right now, I can wait.” he noted the appearance of Daisy’s mouth, but kept his expression neutral. Looking back over to Yo, it seemed she was having a difficult time with something as her expression seemed… green.

Looking over to Ro, he could finally see clearly, his eyes immediately noting the ears. Savanna elf? That explained the feat of strength to carry off a woman like Yo with seeming ease.

Once Lorrin grabbed a part of the boar, Stone would do the same, diagonally across from him. “Ready.”

Mentions: Pik BriiAngelic Jet Fred Colon ​

 

[BriiAngelic]

• Myyrea Yi Westwood || ???

• 
  
  
  
  Tags:
  Leone ( Jet ) Gwen ( Sarahspn ) Vaal ( The Regal Rper ) Obsidian ( Lost Echo ) Pelea ( OrWangatan )
  

  
  ~ The Delve ~
  Magic Echo
  
  The laughter she let out at Gwen’s question echoed through the cavern. Was there treasure? What a ridiculously human question. What did the fleshbags not feel the charged magic in the air? Could they not hear the sweet siren song of the depths calling out? Rifts were so feared in the human cultures but did they not understand the power that lied within them?
  
  “You silly humans and your utter insistence on being blinded. The treasures that litter these depths are far past your own mortal comprehension. We of the Catfolk live and breathe magic from within our innermost core. Could you not feel its pull? Are you so very blinded to the very existence of your creator itself?”
  
  She tore down the hall rushing before the group and slammed her hand down on a stone which triggered a trap to activate snapping several spikes through the entrance to the end of the tunnel safely. It’s iron blades retreated back into the stone after a few seconds. Each was covered in black stains as if this specific trap had taken many in its grasp.
  
  “Careful now. After all a good treasure would never be easy to find. Once this one is triggered once it’s safe for well at least four minutes and less than five. Lets not test it’s timing again. Now shall we?”
  

 

[Taigakitt]

Yo Saiwa
Art by Nona ​

Looking at Daisy, Yo focused on her face.

Don’t look, don’t look.

She was trying incredibly hard to not look at all the blood that was spilled, once she truly noticed just how much there was. As she focused, she noticed the mutilation on Daisy’s face, but knew better than to ever comment on a person’s appearance when it came to something that might better left unsaid.

In response to Daisy’s question, Yo responded, “... I’ve been better.”

She did agree that the Queen of Tomatoes could use a bath… All of them could.

Soon enough, she had to look away, and her eyes landed on the braided elf who approached them. Brows furrowing, she recognized the outfit from earlier. The voice confirmed it. She was Ro! She’s so cute. Why’s she always hiding? It seemed she had also avoided the bloodbath. That was probably for the best - a child, though taller than her, shouldn't be subjected to such a terrible thing.

Looking at the beast, Yo moved to a hoof, grasping it, “I’m not feeling too great, but I will do my best to help.”

That was when Lorrin approached her, she again focused on the face, releasing the hoof. He had seemingly wiped some of his face off, and then draped his jacket over her. His blood-soaked jacket.

“T-thank you Lorrin.” Yo didn’t have the strength to smile any longer. The metallic scent in the air only made stronger with the jacket wrapped around her shoulders. He meant no harm, but holy dragons, did it make what felt like nausea worse.

Don’t pass out again!

She’d never seen so much.

She tugged on her horns, closing her eyes to try and calm down. A nervous chuckle escaped her, “Don’t know how you guys are fine... right now.” Releasing her horns, she went back to the hoof, trying very hard to focus on anything that wasn’t blood-soaked.

"Never seen so much," was the softest mutter that was more to herself than anyone else.

Mentions: Pik BriiAngelic Jet Fred Colon ​

 

[Sarahspn]

​

Rose sat in silence for a moment, getting her emotions in order. Taking a look outside through the crack of the door of the tent she saw that Amalia had found a cart to use. She turned back to Jane and furrowed her brow. Taking a quick glance at Pozou, she decided to trust him to be alone with an injured Jane. “Thank you Pozou, I appreciate you more than you could know. I can get you cold water but I must go back to the lake with Amalia. Please keep my sister safe.” She said, slightly squeezing Jane’s hand before letting it go.

She stood up and left the tent, turning left towards the center camp. She grabbed a large wooden bowl and walked to the edge of the river. She filled the bowl up and turned back to walk back to the tent. She glanced at the small group sitting by the camp and spotted the newcomer. She studied her dark attire and ears similar to Stone. She flicked her eyes to Keil, making sure he wasn’t in danger. Noticing his calm composure the relaxed a little. She gave them a nod and walked back to the tent. She slipped through the doors and set the bowl on the ground next to Pozou. “I’ll be back soon.” She said before leaving the tent again.

She walked over to Amalia and gave her a small smile before joining her walk back to the lake. After a short trek, they came upon the lake again. She narrowed her eyes at the syphid that had awoken from Helenas dart. She looked to Amalia, making sure she still had the rope they exchanged earlier. Looking back at Celestine she focused on her fin in the case she tried to split into her legs. She continued to listen to Freya and Amalia’s conversation and her ears perked at the mention of the syphid being of royal blood. She furrowed her brow slightly and thought for a moment. Only desperate syphids travel so far into the land. “Let’s just tie her fin up and see what the group wants to do with her.” She said, glancing towards the two women.

~~~​

Jane had found a spot on the ceiling of the tent, focusing on staying awake. Her head throbbed with pain and all she wanted to do was fall back asleep. Stay awake. Rose had told the story of what happened at the lake and Jane ran it through her mind, trying to remember it herself. Bits and pieces came back to her but it was fuzzy and out of order. Hearing her name, she came back to reality back to reality and looked around the tent. She watched as Rose left the tent and she frowned a little. Turning to Pozou, she listened to his question. “Uh, my entire body just hurts but my stomach and head hurt the most.” She said, slightly wincing as she reached for her stomach that bore large burns. “But other than that, I’m okay.” She said, managing to form a bright smile.

Rose had reentered the tent and Jane’s smile grew bigger. Seeing her sister brought comfort and their eyes met. Her sister's presence was short and Jane looked back to Pozou. “Thank you.” She said, bringing her hand up to slightly squeeze Pozou’s arm in a way to show appreciation.

Interactions: Anne Boolean Taigakitt Arcanist

Mentions: Rogue Savior

 

[Anne Boolean]

Celestine Oceania Amalia Winters​

Almost as if she was a psychologist and Celestine found herself in the strangest therapy session, Freya only kept quiet and listened to her rambling. When the others returned though, the tall woman complained to her friends and informed them of the information she had gleaned about Celestine's status. There was doubt in her words and Celestine wondered if she should attempt to prove herself by mentioning her trident, but decided at this point it wouldn't help her case either way. Speaking of, she hadn't seen her family heirloom anywhere around, not that she was able to exactly turn her head to search for it. The land dwellers would probably think of it as some cheap arm and try to pawn it off, she assumed. Although, they had seen her use it to cast her magic, so perhaps they will surprise her with some intelligence and try to use it as their own weapon. It would be pointless though, as the trident only obeys those with royal blood flowing in their veins.

The syphid had to hold back a growl upon hearing they planned on tying up her fin. An idea that had come to her was to have it split into legs when they lifted her up to put her on the cart they carried, and kick and flail until she was standing on ground. With that, she would be able to return to the water and reform her fin once again to swim away. She was certain a dirty land dweller wouldn't be able to compete with her in swimming, and the woman with the poisoned needles wasn't around to incapacitate her again. It seemed like she would need to find another opening though.

"It seems you already have her bound in fishing line," Amalia commented, "maybe tying up her fin would be redundant." The statement brought hope into Celestine. "I suppose depending on how we tie it though, she won't be able to cause us trouble with any flailing." And the hope was gone. The armored woman made her way down to Celestine's legs. The Princess considered taking her suggestion of kicking and flailing but figured it would just end with her life forfeit. Instead, she just lay still on her stomach as Amalia used the rope to bind her ankles together and tie them to her wrists, wincing at the rough bending and stretching she was now forced to experience.

The knight was able to lift the syphid on her own and place her in the cart, but required some help with Liam. With the other two women assisting though and potentially carrying the long snake man in parts, they were able to place him in the wagon as well. Celestine found herself squirming in her ties to move the unconscious man's tail off and away from her as Amalia started once again pulling the cart. It was much heavier this time with the new cargo it carried, but with the help of Freya and Rose it was a bearable return trip.

Upon returning to camp, once again with the help of the other two as well as any others who were still up, Amalia lifted Liam and Celestine off the wagon before returning it to Lotus. The obvious course of action for Liam was to return him to his tent and allow one of the available medics to look at him, but the knight found herself stumped with what to do with Celestine.

"It's pretty late," she commented, "should we interrogate her now anyway? She may find a way to escape if we wait until morning."

"You're going to try to gain more information out of me before torturing me and eating me?" Celestine let out an impressed chuckle. "That's pretty smart for a land dweller. And here I thought you were just there to perform grunt labor for your pirate superior. Maybe you'll be able to overthrow her." She paused a moment before adding on with a smirk, "free me and I'll help you." Her words fell on deaf ears though, and Amalia just turned to her companions for their suggestions.

Interactions: Taigakitt Sarahspn

Mentions: Arcanist Colorless Spectrum Rogue Savior

 

[Taigakitt]

Freya Hamrammr​

When Rose mentioned tying up the fin, Freya cast a glance in the syphid’s direction. Her fin? It didn’t look like she could use it to go anywhere… unless. Thinking on the limited knowledge she had of the sea races, she wondered if this was one of them that could walk on land. Tying her fin would be a smart move, then.

Amalia had taken to tying up the fin with some rope they must have gotten from the camp. Freya nodded her thanks to the armored woman. Freya was slightly surprised at the syphid’s compliance still yet. Maybe she had some smarts.

Freya went to help get Liam on the same cart that the syphid was. It concerned her, but with hands and fin tied, she probably wouldn’t be able to do much.

“One second, please.”

Moving over to the brush she had seen the rat scramble to, the northern woman pushed some of the leaves and sticks out of the way, searching for the cutie that Kuma had left in her care. She couldn’t just not look.

Soon enough, she had found her and gently held her hand out, “There you are. Mama will be back soon.”

Once she retrieved the rat, she moved back to the cart to help pull or push.

Back at camp, Freya would assist getting Liam to his tent before returning before the syphid and Amalia. She had kept an eye out around camp, to see if any of the other groups were back yet. It didn’t seem to be the case. Though, there were some new faces she didn’t recognize… She’d worry about them later. It’s not like they seemed to have attacked anyone in the group.

Ignoring the syphid’s comments again, Freya rubbed her chin in thought, “While it is late, it seems some are not back yet. I think it would be best to do so now; though, I doubt the answers will make any sense. It doesn’t hurt to try. I don’t know what happened at the start though, I ran in on it. It might be best if one of you-” referring to Rose or Amalia “-do the questioning.”

Her gaze went back to the syphid on the ground, carefully watching her for any stupid moves. With this being camp, the situation was even more riskier if she let her get away with anything.

Mentions: Anne Boolean Sarahspn Lost Echo Colorless Spectrum Rogue Savior ​

 

[Colorless Spectrum]

Aedzel Phriln

Aedzel shivered in place, the shawl she wore didn't help when the air made contact with her exposed skin. Her head perked up when she saw the others back with the cart and a Syphid with them. "Welcome back." She said with an unsteady voice, she wasn't really sure if it was the right thing to say but surely they have no reason to be hostile to her. She even has Pozou to back her up.

Her eyes wandered back to Kiel, taking note of his outfit which reminded her of dancers. "Are you... a dancer?" She asked, if anything, trying to fit in would do her good and she always loved to hear about other performers that is... if he was one.

"You just seem like the type." Her eyes flitted over to his leg, the smile disappearing from her face into something neutral. Her blue eyes immediately found itself looking anywhere else but Kiel's leg, not wanting to ask what happened.

mention: Arcanist Rogue Savior Sarahspn Taigakitt || interaction: Anne Boolean

 

[The Regal Rper]

Vaaltari of Jata​

Watching Myrrea deactivate the trap made Vaaltari wonder what exactly was being protected here. In their journey so far he had seen little worth. Something was being guarded. The question is: What and why so much effort?

Perhaps it was more because they roamed the ancient burial grounds of the departed, and for that same reason the traps were set to keep foreigners, them, off their territory when they had long since passed. Much like how they held traps that kept the many creatures of the Vast Forest at bay whom might do the less adept citizen harm, perhaps what they were experiencing was something similar. A defense mechanism designed to remove trespassers and threats to their way of life.

"Yet to have so many" his voice a mutter of thought as he watched the iron daggers sink back into stone, truly such a curious place.

And yet, there was more to be seen. The team made it through that rather sneaky little skewer fest post haste and were soon quickly on to another.

Boom

The door slammed shut behind them. No going back through there it seemed. Down the steps they went, the shattered remains of busts the size of a person depicting broken and hard to perceive faces. As if the faces themselves were shattered or distorted. From the top to the bottom the group went and once there they came through a doorway, then an archway, entering a massively wide stone bridge where water ran below them through a channel, disappearing far off over the edge. This dungeon or room or tunnel, it felt different. The ceiling was decorated with markings when Vaaltari looked up, the dimness of the room seemed to fade once they had all entered.

Much like the previous room there was a thrum of magic in the air, all around. It might have been coming from the ceiling lights, because they clearly were magical in nature. They glowed blue and shined light down on all below, giving clarity to the dim room and bringing a level of brightness that allowed those without the gift of night vision to see clearly. But there was a feeling here. One only Myrrea could detect, as she had bragged earlier. That feeling was a sound which pulsed, like it had a beat. A heartbeat made of magic that pounded with an off tempo into the Moavset's ears. Yet to the others, there was nothing. Not even the Matugna heard what the Moavset heard. The ba-thump, ba-thump that drummed silently in her head.

"Well," Vaaltari said as he eyed the surrounding atmosphere, "it seems there's only one way forward. We should go quickly, I trust there is nothing those great senses of yours detect, yes?" Vaaltari asked Myrrea.

Whether she could hear everything he said was up to question. The thumping grew louder when anyone talked, drowning out words. Garbling them.

Although with his back to her, Vaaltari decided her silence must have meant she was scrutinizing something else. Hearing no warning of what this place had to offer and seeing no movement from her in an immediate attempt to disarm or warn them of anything, Vaal approached the expansive bridge where the exit lay ahead.

He moved one foot on to the bridge--

--and nothing happened.

Vaal moved glanced behind him, motioning for the others to follow but when he turned back to face the exit, he stopped abruptly.

Silent, he signalled for the others to wait. For the first time ever, the Matugna removed his mask, not that they could see his face with his back to them, and specifically did it so he could rub his eyes. Returning his mask to its place, "Were those statues always there?" He asked the others.

Nine. Nine statues. Each one a different size, each one a different pose. They stood or kneeled or sat or balanced on a plinth and faced each other, sitting in between the small raised wall of the bridge at the edges.

Vaaltari silently looked at the others. Reaching behind him, he removed his bow, then took out one arrow. Took a step forward.

Nothing happened. The statues were statues. Even Myrrea didn't feel a thing from them. The only odd thing that happened was that one moment they were never there and then the next moment they were. Then again with all the magic she could feel in the atmosphere and with the thumping of the heart in her head, there was probably a lot to distract her.

Slowly, Vaaltari led forward. He eyed the first statue. Female. Hooded. She wore very little from whoever had crafted her. The stone was amazingly detailed, down to every feature. From the lines in the body, to the feather patterns of her wings. As he studied her he reasoned from her posture that she may have been some sort of assassin. She balanced on one foot, looked clearly to be a Quetzola, judging by the feet and the wings spread out behind her. He turned, seeing nothing suspicious, pointing his bow and arrow from across the meters distance to the second statue up ahead, a male- short, long hair, his eyes almost feline. Some sort of distant ancestor of Myrrea's specie maybe judging from the ears and haie he noticed at the exposed shoulders and arms.

"I think we should leave this place quickly", Vaaltari stated. Steps hastening. But the moment they went to the third statue he whirled around and fired--

Only for the assassin to catch it, with her foot.

The second statue, the short male Moavset, it twitched. Its eyes moved in Obsidian, then Gwen, then Leone's direction. Fingers tightened around its sword as it yanked it out of the ground while the female Quetzola flapped her wings, shaking off specs of dust as she took to the air and threw Vaal's arrow aside.

The heartbeat in Myrrea's head pounded louder. Harder. And in the same instant Vaaltari felt a pressure, a tingle in the air as two of the statues came to life, and the others began twitching, coming alive.

Mentions: N/A

Interactions: BriiAngelic Jet Lost Echo Sarahspn

 

[Sarahspn]

​

Gwendolyn’s face expressed confusion when Myyrea laughed at her question. Gwen didn’t think her question was meant to humor anyone. Shrugging it off, she waited for Leóne to join her side before following the group down the halls of the cave. Her trust in the cat faded with every passing minute and she kept her guard up. She exchanged a quick glance with Leóne. Seeing that he shared the same feelings of mistrust for Myyrea. Taking out one of her knives, she tightened her grip on the staff. The stone resting on the top glowed a light blue before slowly fading out. Gwen prepared for the worst before entering the tunnel.

The sound of the door shutting behind Gwen made her jump a little. Turning her head to look back, she saw that they were trapped inside. The only way out was to keep going forward. Passing by the large and decayed busts, she studied them. Taking in the surrounding area, she thought back to the old civilizations she studied. It wasn’t uncommon for people to build cities underground but she found it odd that they chose to live under a biome that could sustain them with no problem. She pushed her confusion to the back of her brain, focusing on getting through the tunnel safely. Walking through arches and doorways, the group came upon the bridge. It was mostly intact with only a few stones missing or broken.

Looking around the room, the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She could feel the presence of magic getting stronger but it didn’t feel comforting like usual. She grabbed Leóne’s hand and gave it a tight squeeze. To the others, she appeared calm and prepared but the hand squeeze revealed to the rouge that she was nervous and almost scared. His touch eased her nerves slightly. She watched as Vaal stepped onto the bridge, and she held her breath. Seeing that it was safe, the group followed Vaal’s instruction to move forward. Her brow furrowed when she saw the man abruptly stop and looked past him. Spotting the statues, she studied them for a second. They were unmoving and looked to be just normal statues.

“Uh, I’m not sure.” Gwen said in response to Vaal’s question. She hadn’t been looking ahead too far to notice if they were there before. Seeing that he had taken out his weapon, Gwen did the same. She lightly tapped her staff on the ground, reactivating the stone. She followed him forward and carefully watched the statues. Although they looked to be normal, she trusted Vaal’s suspicion. Passing by the first two statues with no issues, she let out a sigh of relief. “I agree. It’s getting late and I’m sure the group is waiting for us.” She said, picking up her pace to match Vaal’s.

She watched as Vaal quickly turned around, firing off an arrow. She stepped to the side to stay clear of the arrow's path. To her horror, she watched as a statue come to life and catch the arrow. She flicked her eyes to the other statues and watched as they slowly moved, waking up from their frozen state. She raised her staff, casting a protection spell on everyone except Myyrea. She glared at the catfolk and turned back to the statues. Two of the statues that were now mobile were slowly closing in on the group. The winged one took to the air while the other advanced towards her and Leóne. She grabbed the sword handle that sat on her hip and a blade made of blue and green light formed. Stepping forward, she swung at the statue, their blades crossing. The Moavset was strong and Gwen had to adjust her grip on the handle. She pushed the man back and swung again. Her blade would have sunk into his arm but her attack was swiftly dodged. He stepped forward and attacked, his blade slightly cutting Gwen’s arm as she moved to the side to dodge. “Myyrea what the hell is this?” She yelled, keeping her eyes on her opponent.

Jet BriiAngelic Lost Echo The Regal Rper

 

[Jet]

​

Leone unsheathed twin blades and stepped forward to assist Gwen, but changed targets when a second enemy approached from another podium. Now there were three stone bastards surrounding the group, and how wonderful that was to see! He looked forward to battling yet another rock-skinned opponent, made from the same enchanted marble as the other two golems. But this newcomer was different in its own right. He was a muscular human instead of Moavset or Quetzola, and used an engraved circular shield, a long pointed spear and plumed spartan helmet. Its archaic gear reminded Leone of Almas gladiators, who dressed for fashion and dramatic flair over function. He also recalled arenas because the bridge was too crowded for a battlefield, almost like a melee between many low-level fighters, presented before premier matches were announced to a ravenous crowd.

At least there was a silver lining — only three golems crowded the group for now, but they were dangerous even when outnumbered, as most attacks were useless against them. Normal blades would only scratch the statues, and most elemental spells were completely pointless. Earth magic could bludgeon them, but direct manipulation was impossible — enchanted objects already had their instructions so-to-speak. That left blunt trauma as the best attack type, but mountainous strength was needed to break rocks. And knowing these problems, the rogue steeled himself for a hard battle as the warrior statue attacked.

"Now-now, you look like a reasonable statue let's talk about this for a second" Leone sarcastically quipped, dodging several spear thrusts. Each one packed enough power to punch holes through the dodging rogue, who dipped sideways and backwards as the enemy lunged over and over again. Leone wasn't taking chances with the statue, even with the protection spell Gwen gave the group. Instead he parried another onslaught with crossed knives, catching and knocking the spear sideways as steel clanged against stone, conceding ground with every back-stepping block. Soon he retreated far enough to stand back-to-back with Gwen, parrying more annoying lunges from his long-ranged opponent. "These things don't get tired do they....? Perks of being a mindless piece of rock I guess" he said with heavy breathing and mounting frustration, before glancing at how Gwen fared against her own enemy.

She was doing about the same it seemed, taking a slash as Leone endured another assault. He could tell her wound was shallow after a short look, but winced nonetheless. He hated seeing her bleed and managed a worried "Be careful!" while bobbing and weaving, parrying when his enemy attacked again. Meanwhile, his partner questioned the archeologist mid-battle, and he recalled their shared moment when entering the room. Gwen communicated uneasiness with her tense hand-hold, and probably trusted Myyrea less than a convicted fraudster. But even though Leone gave the catwoman more leeway, distrusting her made sense. This entire area could be her trap, and she could even be responsible for the enchanted statues!

"Prove you're not working against us, and fight with us" Leone shouted to Myyrea, switching his focus between her and the enemy who lunged again. The rogue was annoyed seeing another exhausting attack, and wrapped his left arm around the spear after parrying it away. Then he pulled the narrow pole into the pocket of his arm, moving sideways one step to avoid stabbing Gwen when he tugged the spear through his armpit. Once secured, he slammed the stone polearm over and over with his free hand, applying force-magic with every strike until the top section snapped from the weapon.

Leone's hand throbbed in pain and maybe something was fractured, but he stayed composed while taunting "stab me now brainless" before chucking the pointy end away with a smile. But arrogance faded when the statue dropped its broken polearm, withdrawing a broad short-sword from a marble sheath. "That doesn't seem logical at all, not even a little" the rogue complained, wondering how a stone sheath on a carved statue contained a separate sword. His impossible enemy presented one mystery after another, as it twisted and turned its blade several times, measuring Leone and the woman at his back.

Wanting to keep morale high when facing advanced enemies, the rogue glanced between everyone else and went "We'll be okay, they're strong but stupid and don't have magic. Plus I have a plan!" and boy did he ever have an idea. First he dropped his rope-cube to the ground, before using wind magic to shoot an ever-extending line around around the statue. The elemental was anything but passive and aggressively slashed rope away, but there was no end to the bindings. Leone laughed watching the golem struggle in vain to remain free, offering a sympathetic "No hard feelings friend, but this is the end of the line for you!"

Soon the hoplite was subdued by a tight bundle of ropes, and the rogue looked back to Gwen. "We need get to the truth of what's going on soon, for now I'll handle these idiots!" He agreed while nodding at new statues who stepped from other podiums. An entire mob was coming to kill them now, making Leone look between the others with a serious air.

"I'll keep binding them! If any of you can kill them, even better!" he added, hoping his allies could decisively end the elementals. In the meantime he continued his binding process, imprisoning another statue below an avalanche of rope.

Sarahspn BriiAngelic The Regal Rper Lost Echo

 

[Fred Colon]

Yo shuffled off, clearly unsettled. Daisy hoped it was merely by the blood, and not anything she'd said or done. She knew many people had aversions to blood, and understood it to be a common affliction. But there was little she could do about that other do as she said and take a bath. She knew from experience that blood was hell to get out of clothes if not washed immediately. Though with the copious amounts of blood soaking her now, she thought even if she could wash them soon, she might as well write them up as a loss anyway.

Everyone was readjusting themselves, she'd seen it before, in people recovering from disasters. Fortunately this was a less severe case. No lasting effects on the tough individuals here, just a simmering down from combat readiness, or a few moments taken to shake their head, to do something they knew how to do and assert their grasp on normalcy and safety again.

She glanced up at Stone and Ro.

"Do you need help with that?" She asked, "Otherwise I'm going to find a river to wash at."

 

[Lost Echo]

Trees of ice. Interesting. Kuma assumed it was a spell gone awry, an attempt to create something, maybe even an attempt to create a salve for burns, which got entangled with the rift currents. While they seemed to be missing in these lands, Kul created chaos to grow and change. There was little more chaotic than the after effects of the rift. Except my life. The thought seemed an ill omen. ~Minua, Navigator of our fate, guide us through Kul’s challenges so that we may see their end.~ The prayer, in her native Quloai, was accompanied with her skin rippling, forming paths the Goddess led every one of her children on.

Then she too returned her attention to the stones. Could this be anything but divine? What being could manipulate such huge structures? Even in unison, this unnatural perfection was not possible by mortal hands. Though she agreed nature itself would not spawn such. No, only the Sakra’s direct intervention could form these. At the suggestion of samples, Kuma frowned. Further encroaching on this place...bringing this strangeness back? Helena’s earlier collecting seemed fine, while different, it didn’t seem unnatural.

Speaking up was unnecessary as they arrived at what must have been Radameer’s Tree. It was horrifying. Never before had Kuma associated twisting, coiling motions as wrong. Even when she lost control of herself, when the electric beast as Nezumi called the syphid attacked, her body’s writhing movements were still within her abilities, just chaotic. But this, this was...diseased. She didn’t want to be near it, but if Ayana was going on the mound, she would follow.

Still she wondered, just what was this Radameer. Was it an immortal, using this boy as a messenger? He'd felt human, or at least the same as Helena, when they had temporarily bonded. Could an immortal imitate a human? Logically, Kuma couldn't see why not. They could also merely influence one, using it as an unwitting ploy. Was it Radameer that created this place?

For the first time, in this frozen landscape she worried of her strength. She’d stayed out of Ayana’s magic, tempting as it might be, to enjoy the subzero temperatures around her. Her magic, her self, felt at its peak in a way it hadn’t since she and the prince left their home. But this, this thing was fueled by magic beyond hers. She remembered the orb the sadist carried. How outmatched they were then. Even Ayana, whose magic was far beyond anything Kuma could imagine.

Still, her curiosity, which she agreed with Nezumi, was her worst trait, led her forward. She did not touch the tree, not yet, but she reached out, with her hand and her magic. Her magic extended her touch, just grazing the tree’s bespelled core. Instantly she flinched back, her skin rippling as if a wave through water. “It is cursed.” Or at best, if not malevolent, then dangerous nonetheless. Fire had no joy from the destruction it caused, it merely existed. “If we are to bring it back, let me carry it. The cold does not harm me.” Theoretically, her ancestors would freeze solid, in the harshest storms, enduring them until they could once more move. Kuma did not know if it was possible for the Berkkag to. She did not wish to find out.

Jet BriiAngelic MythyDW

 

[Lost Echo]

The arriving cart was loud, its wheels leaving vibrations through the ground, even if they avoided most of the underbrush. Nezumi returned at the sound, staying hidden in that underbrush. She knew how to go unnoticed in the streets of busy cities, waiting for one cart to pass, climbing on those that pause to save herself energy. But she also knew a wheel could crush her entirely. She’d seen it happen before, to another rat she was accompanying. He’d been showing her the best food spots in town, the young buck eager to impress her. Though they both were old enough to leave the nest, both were still pups. He just did not realize she would not mature in the next week or so, her connection to Kuma increasing her age. Neither would he; something neither of them realized.

Her soul was connected to her body just as it was to Kuma’s soul. Even with great damage, she could survive, healing with delicate care and magic. The tether could only break if she was fully absorbed into Kuma’s soul. Nezumi likely would do that, but she would need to be conscious beyond the pain to do so, even then she would require Kuma’s help.

Those thoughts were unusual for the rat, who preferred to focus on the here and now. It was Kuma’s worry that was bleeding through, causing her own to inflate, anxieties--or more accurately instinctual fears--ready to flare to life if she was not careful. Nezumi sent Kuma reassurance, though she too felt the island was not right. Perhaps her bonded could convince her pack to leave? The snake was not Pack, it would take time, but he could heal on his own. Kuma was hers. She would always be most important.

She watched as the group struggled to place the large snake into the cart, hopefully squashing the electric beast. After, when the large woman began to search the bushes, Nezumi realized she was looking for her. Scurrying over to her, she climbed into her calloused hand, then ran once more along her arm to her shoulder. There, she carefully nuzzled the woman’s cheek, marking her. This one would be good for the pack. She seemed motherly herself.


As they returned to the camp, it was to a surprising number of newcomers. Another bird, who smelled of...sadness with a tang Nezumi would need Kuma to distinguish. The second was a cat. Her vision was not enough to see her ears, but all rats knew that smell. It was not as strong as the black type two that spoke the human tongue, but it was enough to make Nezumi’s fur bristle. With the anxiety of Kuma already filling her, instinct came before reason, and the rat fled. She leapt from the warm woman’s shoulder, blindly darting around legs before slipping between tents, into the forest.

Interactions: Taigakitt Rogue Savior
Near: Sarahspn Anne Boolean Arcanist Colorless Spectrum

 

[Lost Echo]

The feeling of rightness was gone before Obsidian realized it was leaving. It left an empty hollow somewhere inside her, leaving her on edge as they travelled down the stairs and tunnels. Like the others, she flinched when a slab of stone dropped blocking their return. This was wrong. This was wrong. What was this? Obsidian turned, to attempt to lift the slab. It didn’t respond. This trap was more magical than mere mechanics.

Vaaltari spoke, Obsidian struggled on whether to answer. Was this wrongness her? She had never felt this. What was this? The man stepped onto the bridge, which felt solid, able to support all of them. Then she gasped. The statues. How could that much stone just be summoned all at once? Or were they hidden before? Obsidian could feel the stone around them. From the cavern about their heads to the rocks beneath them, all of that stayed clear. Just between one moment and the next, tons of stone just appeared. She could summon stone, but that much, even with time…

She too wanted out of here. Those statues, their detail was exquisite. The control their creator had over their chisel or magic… She did not know what motivated Vaaltari to shoot at the first statue, a Quetzola so different from the siblings they traveled with, but with that they were no longer statues. She could feel the complex overlay of magic, the network of rules that controlled them. Was this what she was meant to be?

From a distance, she pelted statues, trying to keep them away, but soon she was forced to engage them directly. She had been forced to fight before: finding the rhythms of battle natural, her body acting without thought, led by some memory she did not have. But the blows of stone from the cat warrior left deep bruises, its claws gouging into her shoulder. How could it be so quick? Blue blood soaked her shoulder, as she summoned a staff of stone, using it to force more distance. In haste, she slapped summoned mud on her arm, solidifying it into a wrapped cuff, it would work as a bandage, until she had time for another.

The nine grew into a mob. If she could just hold back enough, the others could flee. Leone came with a solution, binding one with that rope that had helped multiple times so far. Following the suggestion, she slammed her foot onto the ground, creating a fissure beneath the mob, those without wings falling in only for her to close the ground around them. Though only their heads, or occasionally shoulders were visible, Obsidian could feel them fighting. Stone grinding against stone would eventually still wear down.

She was unsure they could die, but they certainly needed to be stopped. With her focus still on the mob, she called to Gwen, trusting her magic. “Their creator’s matrix is strong. I can sense the overlay of the magic, but it would take me effort to break into it.” She began to think aloud, “Perhaps it would be best to simply try to remove it.” The issue being it would take time and power. Somehow, she knew how to create her own. She could create her own rules for these statues to follow. Remembering the little girl, who puppeted the bodies of...she did not know who. Could she do that? As she thought, she created another hole to trap a few more statues.

Jet BriiAngelic The Regal Rper Sarahspn

 

[Arcanist]

Pozou Artith
Mentions: (All ya'll campfire people but there's so many so just assume Pozou heard some convo LEL) Lost Echo (Nezumi) | Interactions:USER=28384] Sarahspn [/USER] (Rose/Jane)​

Pozou looked at Jane and nodded. "Of course, I'll take care of her. Don't worry, Rose," he smiled, hoping to give the sister some reassurance. He intended to keep her safe and as well as he could possibly manage. Once Rose returned with the water, he smiled at her, thanking her for it. Now at least he could try to soothe Jane's burns. But before that, he listened to Jane's response, glancing to her stomach as he did so. "Alright..." he said, before his hand reached towards his bag, and he dragged it over to search inside it.

Though, he paused for a moment when Jane had reached up to touch his arm, giving him her thanks. He smiled as he responded, "You can thank me when I've helped you on your way to your old self again." It was nice to have his deeds acknowledged, he would admit. A few patients had tried to swindle Pozou and sue him for apparent incorrect treatment in the past. The Quetzola had horrible luck when it came to finding a thankful patient.

He went to rummaging inside his back. Pozou pulled out a cylinder vial with a wooden top, tall enough to hold between his finger and thumb. Inside was a lime coloured liquid. To anyone else, it could have been perceived as some sort of nefarious substance. Hence why Pozou turned back to Jane and began to explain.

"I'm going to give you some of this," he told her, pulling off the wooden top with a small plonk! in the process, "it's a medicine that should help with easing your pain. Perfectly harmless. Though, you'll have to mind the taste. It's a little tart..." He mumbled, something he was still working on when it came to these kinds of medicinal aids. If Jane consented to him giving it to her, he would gently give her the contents of the vial, supporting her head if she needed it in the process. The effects of it wouldn't be instantaneous, but her pain would subside eventually.

Pozou moved onto cooling Jane's burns. He took a cloth he had with him in his bag and drowned it in the bowl of cold water, before twisting the water back into the bowl. He looked to Jane with an apologetic look, one that would tell her this would sting. With each gentle gesture, he did his best to clean and cool each of her burns, from across her arms to the burns canvassing her stomach. He figured doing this in complete silence wasn't great for both of them, and so he aimed to make some conversation.

"First the Inquisition, now a Syphid...I suppose we don't have terrific luck, do we?" Pozou chuckled a little. It was a terrible conversation starter, perhaps only bringing their thoughts back to the event that found Jane here in the first place, but then he found others hated speaking about themselves, or their families, or their past. Doctors and patients danced along the wobbly line between what was too personal or unprofessional. It was a hard balance to strike. Once he had cleaned and cooled the burns, he began to coat them in clean bandages, taking the same carefully steps as he had before. He could hear snippets of conversation outside the tent, the arrival of those returning from the excursion at the lake. He hadn't paid much mind, however, focusing on Jane.

"How's the pain now? Dulled? If I could take it away entirely, I would. Magic would be handy for that, but unfortunately, I was never so gifted with it," Pozou chuckled. He was about to say something else to fill the silence, until he heard a squeaking, and flinched at something scurrying past Jane's feet. Though, in his flinching, he may have pulled around Jane's arm a little harder than he had intended, and upon realising this, showered her with apologies.

"J-Jane, I'm sorry! I'm so easily spooked by just about anything..."

 

[BriiAngelic]

• Myyrea Yi Westwood || ???

• 
  
  
  
  Tags:
  Obsidian ( Lost Echo ) Leone ( Jet ) Gwen ( Sarahspn ) Vaal ( The Regal Rper ) Pelea (NPC'd)
  
  Translation:
  "Тем ... мир": Those who descend hallowed steps should take care to not slip into the new world.
  

  Spoiler: Mstislav Melor Edgeworth

  

  ~ The Delve ~
  The Baddest
  
  The door slammed closed. She grinned a slasher smile as she turned on her heel getting a feel for the sudden new addition. Oh had it moved? This entire tunnel was familiar but it had never locked her in before. Actually wasn’t this further down? She was getting closer, the feel of it surrounded her as her hair stood on end. She mouthed the words at the wall as she read the inscription markings on the roof in the language of the catfolk.
  
  “Тем, кто спускается по священным ступеням, следует позаботиться о том, чтобы не скатиться в новый мир.”
  
  She drew her arms out and took a deep breath in as she scented the air bathing in the wild magic’s presence. The sound of a living heartbeat sounded as the whirlwind of magic shifted. Ancient magic, no modern magic felt this way. The lumen spell, the earth bridge, all magic had a distinctive taste and texture to it. The awe-inspiring call of the ancient ruins drummed through her bones like water hitting the coast, far stronger than the small scents and refurb of the more modernized magic. She heard Vaal speak asking for her to lend her senses.
  
  Instead of answering she dropped her arms down and pushed out all the air from her lungs in a deep exhale. Soon her fur relaxed back down from its excited state. She took another step down the stairs trailing her fingers from her right hand along the walls. The corridor was reinforced with magic, but they couldn’t return anyways. Deeper they went into the room.
  
  With a low giggle, she let the Matanaga pull forwards leading the pack. Statues littered the path down. Nine in total. One was the obvious carvings of Mstislav Melor Edgeworth, Moasvet hero of old. Just what was a carving of him doing so low? She sauntered closer yet with a pulse of magic the statues started coming alive. The arrows flew and Myyrea shot forwards clawing up the Moasvet statue.
  
  “What’s this? Who knows?”
  
  She couldn’t do magic. She couldn’t fight, at least not outside of her catshape. She leapt from one statue shoulder to another clawing at the statues as she climbed upon them. The best she could do was distract them long enough to get things chaotic.
  
  “Help? Kill them? THAT’S YOUR JOB. DOES IT LOOK LIKE I CAN DO THAT? I’M AN ARCHAEOLOGIST!”
  
  Yet the statues sang to her with the same old magic her people used. With a howl she used her own energy and shot it out instead of letting it envelop her. Disrupting the statue she stood on for a moment. The old world guided her but she was but one person. Her body would tire but she could help to slow them enough.
  
  “Beautiful. Divine. Creatures of the Alaaemma shall fall! ELF COME HELP ME!”
  
  

 

[Sarahspn]

​

Rose helped Freya and Amalia load Liam and Celestine into the cart and began the long journey back to camp. Making it back, they returned Liam to his tent and watched Celestine. They needed to figure out what to do with her and interrogation was brought up. The syphid talked back to them but Rose slightly ignored her until she said the words ‘pirate superior’. Holding back a small chuckle, she rolled her eyes. Superior? As if.

“Let’s interrogate her now. We have enough people to bear witness.” She spoke up, running her hands through her still damp hair to untangle it. She glanced at the tent Jane was in and bit her lip. She trusted Pozou but she missed her sister. Although she wanted to go into the tent, she was needed elsewhere. She turned back to the syphid and let out a breath. Walking over, she sat on a stump near her. “What is your name and royal title?” She asked, beginning the questioning.


Jane watched Pozou as he looked through his bag and began pulling out supplies. She didn’t know what anything was but she trusted that they would help her. She nodded slightly and lifted her head with the help of the Quetzola and drank the bitter liquid. Her face twisted into a grimace but she drank it all. She laid her head back down and let out a small sigh. He had begun cooling her burns, causing Jane to wince every time the cool rag made contact with her burns. She chuckled a little when Pozou talked of their luck.

“Luckily, Rose and I haven’t had to face the Inquisition yet but this wasn’t our first fight with a syphid. But I find it odd that she traveled so far away from home.” Jane said, continuing to stare at the ceiling. She heard Rose’s voice outside and a small smile graced her face. “I feel better, thank you. But you’re right, magic would be very handy.” She said, letting out a small laugh.

Hearing a small squeak, she turned to look to the ground but let out a small yelp when Pozou pulled her arm. Pain shot through her arm and she gasped for air. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “N-No you’re fine. Nezumi startled me too.” She kept her eyes shut, waiting for the pain to subdue. She opened her eyes and gave him a small smile, hoping to let him know that she wasn’t upset. “How did you get into medicine?” She asked, hoping a conversation would distract her from her discomfort.

Anne Boolean Taigakitt Lost Echo Arcanist

 

[Anne Boolean]

Celestine Oceania & Amalia Winters​

Freya had deferred leading the interrogation to Rose and herself. Amalia was thankful that the pirate sister took up the mantle and started the questioning, although it would surely continue to give the syphid the impression that she was in charge. Amalia had no problem with it, although it could end up causing some issues depending on the woman of the sea treated Rose and how the pirate sibling could handle pressure. The knight herself could handle the pressure of carrying out a task, although when it came to making decisions and leading, her comfort was minimal. Towards the tail end of her career in the military she had been the head of multiple squadrons, but at least from her perspective, she had done her best to run them more so as a democracy, where she was just the one to maintain order and ensure fairness. Embarrassingly so, when it came to making a difficult executive decision, it was often left to her second in command, Silas. Perhaps it was because she was tired from the events of the day, but she couldn't help but drift off into thoughts about how he was and what and how he was doing now. It was a common thing she dwelled on before falling asleep, as well as wondering how things would go if they met again, and how he would react to knowing that she was-

Her attention was pulled back when the syphid gave a snarky answer. "How rude! You land dwellers have no manners!" Celestine said. Everyone who was civilized knew they were supposed to introduce themselves with their name and title before asking someone else. She was in no position to give etiquette lessons though, so she complied. "I'm Celestine Oceania, Princess of the Underwater Kingdom of Oceania." She expected their processing of information to be slow, and tried looking around for any way out of the camp. She may not have remembered a way back to the lake, but she remembered there was a river rushing past the way they came. That was only a dash away in a certain direction that she could make if her fin was unbound. Yes, that was a good plan, but even though the land dweller's minds worked slowly, their eyes were perfectly fixated on her. No, she couldn't rely on their stupidity alone. She paused for a moment to think before coming up with an idea. "I'm in line to take over the throne, but before sovereignty can be passed on, the next royal child in line must display their worth. I'm displaying my worth by finding the Wishing Well and wishing for you dirty land dwellers to stop corrupting our beautiful seas! I will make it so you stay where you belong: on the filthy ground! That will bring back the azure beauty my home had once known! I'm the daughter of..."

She continued to ramble on, speaking of her father and how he proved his worth before ascending to her throne, and then her grandmother before him. All the while as she spewed out this information, she kept a close watch on the faces of her captives, waiting for one of their primitive brains to overheat and malfunction. That would serve as a perfect distraction for the others, and would hopefully buy her enough time to free her legs and escape.

Taigakitt Sarahspn

 

[Jet]

Advancement Post
​

Hunting Group returned with enough food for a week, and the island explorers were close behind. They carried small plants reminiscent of pale evergreens, with medical properties for burn victims at basecamp. They also mentioned an odd metal tree coated in dense ice, with unknown origins and a strange aura. None could say what the structure actually was, but natural origins were clearly impossible. It was a mystery that some discussed, when settling in around a growing bonfire at the center of camp.

Many other stories were shared as meat seared over crackling wood flames, filling stomachs with fresh food for the first time in a long time. Cold drinks were passed around too — as is Centosian camping tradition. Meanwhile the newcomers were questioned by Lucien, and following a long interrogation lasting two arduous hours, four strangers were made into members. Their massive interview meant the newcomers ate last, alongside Delve Group who returned late, bringing back small metal artifacts and strange tales. But now's not the time to tell their story.

Once the last servings were devoured, leftovers were dehydrated into dried strips of meat — better get used to jerky eh! And with early hours approaching, the camp darkened. Most enjoyed a well earned break from dangerous work, but several volunteers stayed awake to keep watch. Luckily they were soon switched out with other guards, rotating in shifts so everyone could rest before daybreak came.

When morning arrived, basecamp springed into action once again! Pots were clanged to remove heavy sleepers from bedrolls, people badgered Lotus for food, and tents were packed after breakfast. But one thing caused everyone to pause, concerned about camp security. It was a canvas bag of enchanted gear, laid down beside the large central tent. Each trinket had an attached paper tag with a less than pleasant description of one Hunting Group member. The names read: Toothy smile, Midget child, Angry Furball, Moss Head.

Nobody knew how Radameer entered camp without being seen... maybe he possessed hidden ninja skills? And what his gear did was anyone's guess aswell, as no instructions were written below insulting names. Perhaps the equipment had amazing enchantments with powerful applications? Or maybe they were absolute garbage worth almost nothing? Only time would tell which was true, and the road would provide plenty of idle hours, when the group departed for Stone's Throw.

Within an hour of breaking camp, pale leaves gave way to standard greens, and Ivory Forest became a memory. What replaced white trees was a picturesque example of springtime Centos. Blossoming pastures framed narrow country roads, displaying a mosaic processions of blooming reds and pastel blues, calm purples and sharp yellows. Dense woodlands nestled the colorful grasslands too, showing natural beauty of a more grounded and mossy form. Two nights were spent in such places, where tents and sleeping bags lay below stars and soft moonlight. But one was spent in a small village named Harrengrove, where locals were less educated than Krakthoom the boar, and less cultured than Radameer the asshat.

Overall, it was a calm journey without major incident, and on day-four the group arrived in the city of Stone's Throw.

​

Welcome to Stone's Throw! The city is exactly what you'd expect from a hub of Centosian agriculture. Lush markets line every street, between them roll wagons brimming with produce, and the country welcome is in full swing! Locals greet the group with wide smiles on arrival, waving at the "heroic warriors" who bring business to their town. But unlike most cities where merchants aggressively pursue customers, these ones are relaxed and personable. Maybe it's the clean country air and strong economy making them content? Not to mention the regional customs that encourage a pleasant atmosphere! But whatever the reason is for how nice residents are, Stone's Throw is a welcome change of pace for road-weary travelers.

Before anyone branches out and enjoys local attractions, horses are brought to stables, and everyone checks into the local Champion Lodge. Rooms are assigned once sign-ups are done, and many grab lunch, take heated showers and have employees clean their clothing. What comes next is your choice, as everyone gets a free day to explore the city and enjoy modern comforts. It's a mini vacation so-to-speak, and what a great place to have one too! There are many places worth visiting here, even though the town isn't as grand as Stowfort or Almanor.

Everywhere the group goes after leaving the lodge, residents continue their warm welcome! Merchants offer them samples, attractive locals hold a glance when eyes meet, and conversations are a blast! It's truly remarkable how breezy the atmosphere is, and maybe the whimsical mood comes from the town's unique past? Peace is so consistent here that city walls were never built, making Stone's Throw alone among large Centosian settlements. And enhancing the carefree and peaceful atmosphere, is how peachy the weather is, with only a placid breeze disturbing a clear, seventy-two degree spring day. It's the perfect setting for a great time!

-
​

Scene notes - The date is April 20th, and the time is 3:32pm. Weather is seventy-two degrees, and sunny with small white clouds. Champion Lodges operate separately from the church and do not share information with them, so signing up at the lodge is safe.

Anne Boolean Sarahspn Rogue Savior Taigakitt BriiAngelic Pik Fred Colon Lost Echo Arcanist Mook-LandStrider MythyDW The Regal Rper Colorless Spectrum

​

 

[Anne Boolean]

Kiel Shan​

The rest of the night and the next morning seemed to be centered around food and newcomers. After barely making a dent in Lotus's banquet, Kiel hurried off to bed, just after the hunting group had returned with their kill. The smell of the boar being roasted was appetizing indeed, but the thought of eating another bite made the desert man nauseous. Instead, he opted to simply spend the rest of the night in his tent as more merriment was made until the wee hours of the morning. After everyone turned in for the night and awoke the next day there was yet more food to be had. Once again, Kiel only found himself partaking minimally as compared to some of his heftier companions. The rest of the meat was then dried and preserved as jerky, the dry and tough texture of which reminded him of the food back home. He found himself missing the fresh food they had had prior, his palate having been spoiled by his time in Centos.

As the expedition continued, during the days, the trotting of the horse Kiel rid on caused his wound to throb in pain with every step. As time passed though, the pain lessened, and the beautiful greenery that the group soon found themselves traveling through was a great distraction. He still needed quite a bit of assistance to mount and dismount his steed, but thankfully, the majority of his companions were more than willing to help.

When they arrived at Harrengrove to spend the night, Kiel was happy to have a bed to sleep in, but found the conversation with the locals to be quite... lacking. Ironically, this pit stop came about just when his cheerful mood was returning, and he was once again starting to open up and be outgoing. Fortunately for him, not too much longer into their trip they would arrive at Stone's Throw. Even from simple conversations he had with the locals in passing, the desert man could tell that the townsfolk were kind and welcoming. Even the Champion's Lodge, where they stopped to dine and freshen up, shared the same calm and peaceful atmosphere as the rest of the town. He was happy to enjoy a meal that wasn't boar jerky and be able to wash up after a few days roughing it. By the time he was finished, it was still early in the day, and the whole town was there for exploring.

Although the weather was temperate to most and even warm to some, Kiel, having primarily lived in the desert, still found it to be chilly. He remembered discussing purchasing new clothes at their next stop with Pozou, and decided now would be a good time to do so. He found one of his companions, Daisy, wanted to accompany him to the marketplace, apparently having soiled her clothes in a bloodbath with the boar. He was more than happy to have the company, especially if they were willing to help him carry his bags, or at least patient with him and his slow-paced limping.

"Well... these are certainly warmer, but they feel constricting..." the light-blue-haired man commented. "The material's so thick, and rather rough..." He looked into the mirror as he turned to see his new clothes from different angles. "It looks nice though... I just hope I'll get used to this fabric." His light-blue eyes then fell on Daisy. "Have you found anything you liked yet? So far you've only seen me buy new clothes and a sword. I'd hate to have made you come all this way only to find nothing for yourself." Speaking of which, the sword would be something he would need to practice with and get used to. Although he had learned elements of sword dancing, it wasn't quite the same as actual fighting, especially if the dancer had only one leg to work with. He had his staff, but at this point it was mostly being used as a walking stick. Once again, without his leg, he wouldn't be able to execute the nimble movements needed to effectively fight with it. His attacks would be reduced to simple whacks. He wondered if any of his companions could help him study the blade, and also hoped he wouldn't end up injuring himself.

Fred Colon

 

[Anne Boolean]

Celestine Oceania​

After the red-haired pirate had tried to interrogate her, the group had gone to find who Celestine was surprised to find were the ones even above her. It was impressive that they had such a large hierarchy. She had expected land dwellers only to have powerful leaders and the grunts who worked for them in exchange for protection. Even more surprising was how many of the land dwellers were working under the two older men, and rather cohesively as well. There was someone who had prepared a meal and was sharing, and a group came back with a kill they had made in the nearby wilds. Celestine had expected that the land dwellers would fight over the meat, or that the higher ups would have the lion's share and those lower would fight for the leftover scraps. To her surprise though, they sat down and ate together, giving everyone a proper helping. It resembled the meals she had with the others in the castle, although the drinking and merriment was something more seen among the undersea commoners. Despite the impressive and surprising sights, Celestine just scoffed. This was probably very uncommon among land dwellers. The rest of them were probably just uncivilized animals, resigned to the same fate at the hands of each other as the boar they were now consuming.

When Richard and Lucien questioned her, she learned that this group was indeed searching for the Well. With how unexpectedly civilized this group was behaving, the undersea princess couldn't help but wonder how they would fare working together. On top of that, as much as she hated to admit it, they currently had the upper hand. So she decided to negotiate. She would lend them aid of the undersea kingdom whenever they needed. Plus her presence would grant them many favors among her fellow Syphids. She wasn't surprised when they agreed to her terms, as land dwellers had no concept of foresight, although they gave her the stipulation that she couldn't kill the filthy pirates. Celestine begrudgingly agreed, taking solace in the fact that after she found the well, pirates would cease to exist all together.

After striking the deal, the Syphid was unbound. She was also offered some of the slop that the land dwellers ate, and as much as she wanted to refuse, she was too hungry to do so. The disgusting meat was surprisingly tasty when cooked, although much tougher than the soft seafood she ate back home. The greens which were served were quite similar to the seaweed farmed on the seafloor. After dinner, Celestine was even given a tent to spend the night in. These land dwellers seemed to be surprisingly hospitable. With how rustic the lodgings for the night were though, she still found them to be quite uncivilized.

Once morning came and every started off, the woman was given a horse to ride on. It was much slower than the seahorses they had back in Oceania, but did the job. The sea woman was honestly thankful to have a steed, as the lack of water was already weighing her down and causing her fatigue from the little movement she had done. There were a few more nights spent among an abundance of trees, though the leaves that surrounded were now green. It was interesting to see the different foliage the land dwellers lived among, and she couldn't help but connect it to the various colors and shapes of coral found throughout her kingdom.

There was one particular night that wasn't spent in the wild, but rather at an inn in the village of Harrengrove. Any intelligence Celestine started seeing in the land dwellers was quickly second guessed upon interacting with the locals. Being able to sleep on a bed made up for that though... almost. And finally, they arrived at Stone's Throw. Even the oceanic princess had to admit that here, the atmosphere was peaceful, the scenery was beautiful, and even the people were especially kind. It was a shame that a town like this wasn't closer to the shore. If that was the case, she would have even considered not separating the land and sea... maybe.

After having traveled completely dry for a few days, Celestine was happy to be able to wash up in the Champion's Lodge. To her delight, they even served fish there. It wasn't cooked as well as it was undersea, but it was better than the disgusting boar jerky they had had to survive off of for the past few days. By the time they had finished eating and freshening up, it was only midafternoon. It was the hottest time of the day, and the princess wanted to simply rest in the cool shade of her room, but it seemed members of the expedition had other plans for her. Apparently they wanted her to learn more about land dwellers so that she could see that her biases were unfounded. The idea was ludicrous to her. She knew everything that needed to be known about the dirty land dwellers and their backwards ways. Still, she found herself being taken to the cornerstone of this city: The Stone. Apparently it played a significant role in the town's founding. Celestine felt it was pointless, as this place would crumble in on itself because of the innate chaos of land dwellers, but at the same time found herself curious about how exactly this place managed to keep such a high level of civility. Surely, there had to be Syphids pulling the strings. And despite wanting to do nothing more than avoid talking to land dwellers, she couldn't help but feel that conversations with the ones here would be enjoyable. Sadly, she wasn't free to do so, as the titaness from earlier was watching her at all times. She even had some of the others to help provide extra vigilance. Celestine let out a small groan as she glanced over their way before returning her attention to The Stone. Apparently someone was supposed to give a lecture to them about it, although they didn't appear to be here. How unsurprising. Of course land dwellers were unpunctual.

Taigakitt Sarahspn Lost Echo Jet Pik

 

[Taigakitt]

Yo Saiwa​

Once returned to camp, and not without difficulty, Yo had shed the borrowed, blood-soaked jacket and threw it at Lorrin as she rushed to the river. She needed to scrub and feel clean, even if it meant freezing her scales off in water temperatures she wasn’t used to. She was proud of herself for handling the situation the way she did though. No fainting at the large sight, and she didn’t throw up!

As she soaked in the water, she pondered about why she no longer felt drunk now that she had the ability to dwell. She fingered the second necklace that sat at her throat. Come to think of it, she knew she wasn’t able to activate her magic when she was drunk, so why was she never actually punctured? By Daisy’s knife, or the boar tusk?

“Keep this necklace with you at all times outside the main house, Dearest Yo,” was a statement that echoed in her head when her mother had handed it down to her, the same day that she was told she was engaged to be married. This for sure must have been the necklace that her mother had in her youth from her stories of the past. A silly thing Yo hadn’t connected the pieces of until now, as she had been too distraught to even realize at the time.

Pushing the ponderings aside, she began to smell the cookings of the boar, which she was eager to chow down on. Climbing out of the river, she grabbed a new silken outfit that she had brought with her to change into. She didn’t want to be seen looking almost indecent for as long as she could help it. Not that she had much to show off in terms of the chest department.

Upon coming back into camp, she had approached Ro to make sure she was okay. It was then that she mentioned that the necklace was hers!

“I appreciate your help, Ro. Though, why don’t you keep your hood down more often? Your hair is so pretty,” Yo said as she handed the necklace back to her. Pointed ears surprised her only slightly, as she remembered not seeing any on Helena. Even Yo herself has pointed ears, so they weren’t something necessarily strange to the dragonfolk. Genetics could be weird at times, and she wondered if Ro’s father was of elvish origins.

Once their conversation was finished, Yo would partake in the feast of the devil boar, sans drinks. Well, she’d drink water. She wasn’t about to get more alcohol.

Appreciating that others were volunteering to participate in guard duty, a spent Yo crashed hard in her tent.

Come the next morning, Yo had to be stirred awake, not hearing a particular Quetzola’s tip toeing in her tent. It was only when she felt a small shake of her body that she stirred, startled.

Sitting up quickly, her hands grasped either side of whom she realized was Pozou’s face, which looked terrified at first. With a squishy voice, Pozou had told her “Good morning,” appearing quite flustered in the process.

Blinking golden eyes, Yo released him quickly, “Ah, you scared me Pozou. I’m sorry. For grabbing your face and for you having to wake me.”

"O-oh, no, don't worry. I didn't mean to scare you. I just came in to let you know we'll be moving out soon," came a quiet reply.

Thanks to Pozou helping her wake up, Yo had gotten ready for the day, surprisingly without a hangover affecting her processes.

Upon the next night, Yo sat down to write a new entry into her journal.

I’m not drinking anymore.

Nope.

I’m done.

Going on the straight and narrow from now on! Last night was just awful. I was almost boar food! That amount of blood was just… Yeah. I also probably scared Daisy off. You’d think I’d learn after Liam?

Moving on from scary thoughts!

We have some new members joining us. I heard about the syphid princess. I can’t say I trust her. She seems as aggressive as the Akagi. I’m going to avoid her.

The others seem nice though. Maybe I’ll learn more about them later.

On another note, Leo said he’d show me dagger work! I’m excited to see what he shows me.

In Harrengove, Yo mostly stayed among members she trusted. Still sore from the bruising on her back, she didn’t want to wander off alone in a town that she felt wasn’t as savory as Whaleshale Port had been.

Enter Stone’s Throw!

Mentions: Pik BriiAngelic Arcanist Jet Fred Colon Anne Boolean ​

 

[Sarahspn]

​

Exiting the Delve, Gwendolyn leaned against a nearby tree to catch her breath. Their battle against the statues was exhausting and all she wanted to do was eat dinner and sleep next to Leóne. She looked to her rouge and gave him a tired smile. Her body hurt a little and showcased a few cuts and bruises but nothing too serious. She examined Leóne and saw that he walked away from the fight with significantly fewer injuries than her. Laughing a little at her clumsiness when it came to battle, she pushed herself off the tree and the ground began heading back to camp with a few treasures in tow.

Arriving at camp, the smell of cooked meat filled their noses. They settled down by the campfire and met all the newcomers. After talking with everyone about their journies and conflicts over a grand dinner, Gwen and Leóne settled down in their tent. Talking and laughing over the day's events, they slowly fell asleep in each other's arms.

The next four days were filled with long days of travel and Gwen celebrated when they finally made it to their next destination, Stone’s Throw. The city was full of life and kind citizens who welcome their large group of travelers. She gaped at the infrastructure and scanned the shops filled with merchandise. She made a mental note to shop later but was dying to see the cities main attraction, The Stone.

Checking into the Champion’s Lodge, she made a beeline for the shower. Once she was clean she headed down to the main floor to eat a lunch filled with her favorite food, seafood. She devoured her plate and got ready to head out. Her first stop was The Stone. She had read about it but wanted to see it in person. Obsidian, Lorrin, Ayana. Freya, and Celestine were joining her but a few of them had already left to explore. She gave a quick kiss to Leóne before leading out the door. This was the first time they had been separated since they met and it made her nervous. She trusted that he would stay safe and that they would meet up later that night to tell each other about their days as they always did before bed.

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