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Post by Talentha on Oct 28, 2018 17:43:25 GMT -6
Document of participants, previous prompts, theories, etc: docs.google.com/document/d/1vxjBtU9Kvt5sCWmU2_JlBuPd978BdW4U3rW3euE3HXc/editTeam Argus Prompt 4: You start down the path bending away to the horizon. The small pebbles slide only slightly under your feet, the trek through this surreal sanctuary pleasant and unhurried. “Be quick,” the god said, but you wonder why. It’s been a few steps (or perhaps it’s been miles?) and there hasn’t been any unsettling shift in reality or secret doors engulfing you apart from the odd absence of time passing. Considering that and the god’s warning of what is to come, you wonder why you’re even leaving this haven. Perhaps it’s this sense of regret that causes you to glance behind. Perhaps it’s simply a healthy wariness that peace in this place is all too brief. Whatever force that turns your head, you see the same thing. Reality is dismantling behind you--a creeping void, a space too empty to be shadows, an absence tiling over and eating the safety around you. And it’s devouring the ground bare inches from your hind feet. You run. Or fly. Or flee, as best you might. What else is there for it? The vacant hunger erupts, unfolding the negation of itself in all dimensions, surrounding your group, slavering up each little trace of the world before it touches any hair on your head. Then, it swallows you too. The universe spins and the vacuum opens, releasing its hold on your group. At the end of a long trek in the distance you can see one object, a solitary door frame with an ornately carved door with Argus's face once more staring out at you from stone. You start toward the door, and at first the steps come easily. A pleasant awareness of your body spreads through you after the absence of the void. A couple steps onward and you are aware of your breathing, manually cycling your breaths through your body in order to keep air flowing. A few more and you become uncomfortably aware of a large pounding you realize is your heart, and with horror you realize that now that you are aware you have to consciously keep causing it to beat. With every step toward the door, the level of awareness of each facet of your body deepens as you struggle to coordinate all these functions, scrambling to open and close capillaries in order to continue moving. There is still some distance between you and the door. Will you make it? |
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Post by Talentha on Oct 28, 2018 17:51:12 GMT -6
Navjeev  Fleet Footed Windracer The void creeping up slowly was fearful. At first Navjeev thought that was part of the riddle, how to escape the void. He didn’t think fast enough as the void swallowed them whole. He screamed, afraid of death, not sure how he could have made any other choice, but soon he realized this was all part of the game as soon he could see a door. A door in the distance with Argus’s every shifting face. He knew that reaching the door would be hard.
He was proven right as soon it was hard to breathe, hard to keep his hart beating. He felt sluggish and slow, something he never really experienced in his life as he was always go go go.
Shit.
As he looked around, he noticed his companions too were struggling, the children in particular were not going to be having a good time with this, and those that were blind would have no clue what was going on. So he spoke for them as he gathered what energy he had.
“I’m not very smart, and have no clue how to work with this puzzle. But it’s clear we have to reach the door. Argus said be quick, so that’s what I’m doing, do not be afraid as the air is my doing.” He spoke as loud and clear as he could, although with it being hard to breath, it came out a bit ragged and in gasps.
He was one of the strongest horses he knew, and he used that energy to pour it into his blessings. This wasn’t Ayla’s puzzles, but it was all he knew to do. He called upon his air manipulation and pushed with all his might, gathering the wind behind them to propel them forward at a faster rate. He had his eye kept out for any stragglers, ready to grab them and throw them on his back if needed. He still had his hyper speed, and if need be, he’d run people back and forth if he had the energy. Nav wasn’t stupid, but he was a risk taker, and reckless, he also had a heart as big as his body and would rather waste his energy going back and forth making sure the little ones made it than be the only one to make it.
“If you need me to lend a hoof” he gasped out, trying not to break his concentration on the pushes of air “let me know and I’ll try to speed you to the end. In the mean time, someone else who is smarter think faster!”
WC: 431 | Post #1 |
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Post by Moose-On-Ice on Oct 31, 2018 14:17:21 GMT -6
║⟪⟡ S K Ö L L ⟡⟫║
"Can I tell you that in my eyes not even God would be good enough to command you?" 
Again, his thoughts drifted to how much more enjoyable this all would be had he gotten put with Ignacio. The scenery was almost beautiful. Almost. But it was not the glory of Ignacio's flames, or compared to the shimmer of freshly polished Kirin scales. Teeth bared in a sneer, Sköll walked along with the others down the path. At the very least, they had chosen the smart idea. Emotion, ugh, some of them had actually wanted to choose emotion. Emotions were things used to drum up reactions from others, a bit of sobbing and wailing invoked sympathy, anger sometimes brought out fear, or anger in response... Emotions were messy. Logic, though, logic was smart, one could use logic to control emotions, even to control the emotions in others...
The soft words from the foreign god made his ears twitch back and he rolled his eyes. What was it now? Was the god annoyed with their 'snail pace'? He would gladly charge ahead and leave these literal children behind. They were useless when it came to decisions. He glanced back down the way they came, and his ears pricked forward in interest. A creeping void, devouring everything. Perhaps it would devour these non-kirins.
Without a word he burst forward, charging away from the void and the group as if to try and leave them behind. Then they were swallowed, left in the darkness. Until a door appeared. Blinking, Sköll stared at the door with furrowed brows, then looking to the group. They were still here. They'd survived. How terrible. Sneering, he turned to the door, starting forward.
Then he started to notice things. He was aware of his own presence, deathly aware of it. He had to focus on every little muscle, every vein, everything to keep his body functioning and moving to the door. Logic. Hm. He could do it! Not sure about anyone else, but surely he could do it! He tuned out the babbling as best he could, simply focusing his energy on moving one leg, then the other, taking a breath, forcing a heartbeat, and repeating. Concentration, logic, that was how the game was to be played, or so he believed.
And then he was thrown forward. "What are you doing, you bloody imbecile!" He snarled, breath coming in harsh and labored. "Broken concentration, thanks to you!" He snapped viciously, sucking in breaths, trying to focus again on his heart to keep it beating. |
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Post by seechem on Oct 31, 2018 16:18:55 GMT -6
V I R G I L
a child of the folk
'I am not afraid to keep on living, I am not afraid to walk this world alone'
... ...
More to do. More places, more tasks...more noise and lights and unfamiliar horses. Virgil could feel their skin crawling with the constant exposure, their blind eyes glittering with the hues of their companions' auras dancing through Argus' Blessing. They stepped forward, immersing themselves among their fellows in order to see what lay ahead. They looked at their hooves, touching the space before them and casting off a deep, dark purple light. Before them were a kirin, whose aura burned bright as an eternal flame, and another; their defacto leader of sorts, crackling with bluey grey essence. Virgil hesitated a moment as the shimmering energy around them seemed to spike, the colour intensifying to a near overwhelming degree. If they were not already blind, Virgil would be coiling away. That's when a wave overtook their body. Every sensation was heightened. They could hear their own heartbeat thrumming through their ears; feel the breath in their body coil in and out through their nostrils and feel it travel through their throat to their lungs. Each movement of hair, each pulse of blood. Virgil stood transfixed, hearing their own breath multiplied tenfold until all else seemed deafening. They were in a state of both heightened awareness and utter solitude, where no sound could penetrate and the dazzling aura lights seemed to all blur into an explosion of indecipherable colour.
Bits and pieces of words seemed to hum by when suddenly they broke through, "...we have to reach the door...Argus...be quick...do not be afraid...air is my doing..." A gust suddenly caught Virgil and they wabbled, hooves skidding on the surface beneath them as they stumbled to regain balance. They flexed their wings to help them balance, but the wind caught them and propelled them forward. They could see the bright light of the kirin ahead as they were blown onwards, along with their companions around them. Virgil closed their eyes tightly, desperately trying to concentrate on their breaths and their balance and what they could and could not see, and the voices and commands...they signed quickly as they snapped their wings shut, desperately trying to understand what was happening. "What's going on? Why are we hurrying? Where are we going?" They signed frantically with sharp gestures of wings, head, ears and legs. They hoped they were understood. They could hear the kirin ahead screeching in anger at the air that whipped and propelled them on, "...doing...bloody imbecile...broken...thanks...you..." They hesitated, looking around while being vaguely guided by the propulsion of air. What were they doing? What was happening...some door...why...why could they feel everything? The auras sparked once more about them and Virgil had to shake their head sharply trying desperately to focus. What. The. Fuck.
   Word Count: 495 Post #1 {art by Blubber-Bun} |
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Post by Svantanon on Nov 1, 2018 7:23:39 GMT -6
Syel was not keen on the knowledge path. She didn't become a fury by knowing things, but doing things. She was an equine of action and quick thinking, not stuffy riddles! She didn't even know how to read!
Predwin and the little kirin child were with her on this, and she appreciated them, both. The young fury held great distrust for Ignacio's kind normally, but this one was tiny and cute. So he got a pass.
Unfortunately in the end they were outnumbered by everyone else, who wished to take the stuffy path, apparently. When the final decision was made, the pegasus felt her stomach knot with unwarranted trepidation. She wouldn't dare admit it, even to herself-- especially to herself, actually, because doing so could make her slip right into panic-- but the path of Knowledge worried her. Emotions she knew. Riddles? Puzzles? Not... not so well. And if there was any writing involved...
... Oh good gods, she was going to be useless at whatever challenge was next. She only hoped that those who had chosen this direction were ready to step up and take whatever consequences lied ahead.
And she was loathe to leave this place. It had been their only spot of guaranteed safety, and now they couldn't escape from Argus' trap without abandoning it.
'Off we go,' she signed to herself-- subtly enough to be the equivalent of a grouchy mutter.
She made one last forlorn look over her shoulder, just to catch a final glimpse of the lovely room Argus had led them to, but froze when she realized it was no longer there.
It had been swallowed, whole. And whatever had devoured it, enveloped it in angry, hungry darkness, was coming for them next.
Oh, no.
Nonononononononono NO.
Syel threw herself into a run before lifting clumsily into flight, her wings jostling the blue jet ones bouncing over them. She and Predwin seemed to have shared the same impulse to grab the marshmallow kirin and make a mad dash onward, but they didn't get very far. None of them did, for the darkness was faster and stronger than any of them may have feared.
Their fall through the endless black, thankfully, wasn't long. Through some final act of mercy from the Arcane god, the group found themselves at the end of their hellish path. And before them was their only chance to get out of here once and for all.
Or was it? Was it just there to taunt and bait them? For Argus' trickery had given her false hope. The nearer she drew to the door, the more sluggish her body grew, until it felt like her heart couldn't even beat without her sheer willpower. She had never felt anything like this, not even that one time when she'd flown up way too high and was starting to get dizzy and Creo had to yell at her to get back down.
'HAVING FUN YET?' she signed angrily at one of those who had chosen knowledge until a force threw her off-balance, shoving them all closer to their exit. She signed Nav's name with a thankful but worried look as she nudged Virgil forward, wondering if she go back and assist the windracer; but he seemed to be holding his own for now, and there was no time to waste.
As Syel had thought to herself before, she was a fury of action. And so she acted, using every ounce of strength she could to keep going. To keep moving. To keep breathing. To reach...
that...
door...
(WC: 582)
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Post by Zugunruhes on Nov 1, 2018 23:10:04 GMT -6
Toli
Toli's hooves skittered over the pebble path barely making contact with the cool stone. He was half skipping, half gliding, too nervous that if he took wing the path and his traveling companions would vanish, but too accustomed to flying to keep all four hooves on the ground at once. Now and then he tried to catch the eye of one of his companions, often failing as most of the others stared forward with a hard look, focused on something in the distance as they traversed down the endless road. Brow furrowed, he peered ahead suspiciously, straining to see something in the darkness that had been inconspicuous before. Nothing.
He snorted in frustration and swung around to vent frustrations to the horses just behind him but instead stared upwards into the yawning veil of darkness overtaking the room. Gods- Argus, what ever I did to put me into this situation- uh.. sorry about that. And without a second glance to his companions Toli took flight on frantic wings. The void was just behind him, an icy touch, a shadowy presence, brushing against his tail feathers. His wings beat in a chaotic rhythm and his shoulders seared in pain- almost there, or, where was he fleeing to exactly? That shimmering speck in the distance? And then it went dark and he felt as though he were beneath crashing waves, churning in an ocean's roaring wake. He flipped over and inverted and then- he could see once more.
The door. Had that been there before? And to his surprise his companions were below him, somehow freed from the shadow void. He alighted on the path besides them silently to give his wings a momentary respite from their pain. And yet each step was difficult and he became numbly aware of dragging each leg, pulling on the tendons and muscles to lift them while anchoring the other hooves against the ground to push forward. Every step was laborious, every heartbeat forced.
He spread his wings once more and took flight, slipping back into his natural motion. It was easy to beat his heart with every stroke of the wing- and he felt himself rising and accelerating fast and quickly. Was this the work of Alya, or... no, just one of his companions.
"Whatever it is you're doing... keep it up!" He called down to Navjeev hoarsely, each syllable painful to form. If he could only make it to that door.
Post 1 | WC 407
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Post by Disastercorn on Nov 2, 2018 16:45:27 GMT -6
R A P T U R E Male | Nothing | Vagabond
Tiny golden hooves thudded against the ground as he fought to escape the impending void. He had been led astray but the group, their calm slowness now seeming to be their undoing. How would they make it out this time?! Rapture tries to run as fast as his spindly legs can take him, the purchase on the ground or lack of ground making it feel like nothing was happening, even with all the effort. Sure enough, he feels the void, see it and senses it, swallow them and drop them in yet another 'room'.
This time a door lays at the far end, his chest already heaving and his blood pounding. Muscles push forward only to feel the acute sense of self shift within his consciousness. It feels like a panic attack or shock, the sounds around him vanishing nearly completely as blood and heart need focus, air has to be calculated and then legs forced to move. Everything and nothing needs his attention, all at once. But he was moving, and he was breathing. It was a simple trick of concentration, to not feed into the panic of ones altered state.
Rapture had been doing well, that was until the large gust of wind knocked the young colt off his hooves and face planting to the floor. Emotions welled up inside his chest, teeth baring as he went to turn on the so called attacker. But yet, he still had to breath, still had to force blood to move and his heart to pump. The moron would pay later for breaking his perfect concentration.
It took too much effort to get back up and by then Rapture could feel his body overwhelming him. There was too much to focus on, too much to command and alter. His vision was fading as his lungs begged for air, his blood barely moved. His heart was stopping for too long. He had to take long moments of little to no movement to get some sense of self working again. The door was so close...
And yet so far.
POST 1 | WORD COUNT 360
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Post by Silverfallingstar on Nov 3, 2018 21:30:19 GMT -6
Conner|Outcast
This whole escape room thing hadn't really been Conner's idea of a fun time. Being at the complete mercy of a god? One that had even physically manifested before him only to berate him with riotous fury over the events of a couple thousand years ago? If given the choice, he would have passed.
But he was in it now, and he'd be damned if he wouldn't finish it.
The kirin had been wandering with the others for what had seemed like ages before a few of them looked behind them, and started screaming and running. Conner, not wanting to be left behind, bolted after, cloven hooves carrying him accross the expanse. It was only then when he turned around and saw the world crumbling behind him. He would have been lying if he hadn't felt genuine fear. And then the ground had given way and into the void he went. An experience he wasn't unfamiliar too, it wasn't unlike death.
And then, the world stops spinning. He can see the door ahead of him. Ready to be done with this all, the kirin adjusted his glasses upon his snout and began walking resolutely towards the door. As the self awareness slowly crept up his spine, he found advancing all the more harder. Soon, he was crawling on his belly, realizing that it would lessen the strain of concentration if he decided to only use his front legs. The gusts of wind were helping him drag himself along. For one moment, he decided to use some of his remaining energy to turn the muscles in his neck to look back.
Normally, Conner would not care about the fact that one of the foals in the group had collapsed, it wasn't the kirin colt, someone else can take care of this. However in that moment he felt something akin to rage. How dare this god be so uncaring as to not mind if a child fell? He knew that Argus did not care for his kind, but he didn't think that Argus would be so cruel to a child of another race. With a pained growl, the older stallion pulled Rapture towards him, laying the unmoving child across his back "Think about your heart beating and your lungs breathing, I will take care of the rest for you boy." he wheezed out, before returning to his initial task.
He'd get to this door, even if he was going to make it just on his spite alone.
WC: 415
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Post by Mad-Manx on Nov 3, 2018 22:49:04 GMT -6
Zahra | Cadet | Mare
This land was beautiful; whatever or wherever it was. The foal's previous trepidation fled as she trotted forward with undeniable bounce to her gait, sending loose pebbles skittering in her wake. Not everyone seemed pleased with this world, but Zahra staunchly ignored them; this was the prettiest place Argus had taken them so far, how could they not enjoy it?
This shift in mood around her was palpable, and though she could not quite understand it, Zahra suddenly understood that something was terribly wrong. Her eyes lifted from the pebble she had caught under her hood to study, turning instead to the path behind them. She had expected to see the winding road that had taken them here, and in its stead stood.... Nothing. A endless void that swallowed the world into nothingness, devouring all signs of life that it touched. Terror touched Zahra's young mind, and for a moment she stood statuesque, transfixed on the darkness creeping towards her hooves. The suddenness of movement around her propelled her into motion, moving forward without forethought; simply knowing she had to get away.
Yet still the darkness caught them, tossing them into a swirling void that disoriented even her most basic thoughts. But ahead not so far ahead the door existed, Argus' ornate stood invitingly. Zahra took off towards it without question, hoping that this was the last of Argus' task, silently pleading that her mother would be standing on the other side of that door.
The sensation hit her without warning, and suddenly her breaths no longer came without thought. Even her heart beat unevenly in her chest, pounding in a disturbing manner within her chest. Her addled thoughts were forced to come together and direct each and every motion her body completed. A rush of air pushed behind her, almost sending her crashing to the ground on unsteady legs. Zahra's eyes flickered slightly as she called upon her own innate blessing, a feeble red glow collecting around her eyes. The spark was extinguished with her next blink, fading away into nothingness as she abandoned the attempt and labored over her next breath.
"It's... hard," the foal choked out, knees threatening to buckle beneath her as though she was once again a newborn attempting to stand for the first time.
_________________________________________________________________Post #1 | Word Count: 380
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Post by SunaTheWolf on Nov 4, 2018 0:35:32 GMT -6
Iyasu
Iyasu’s hooves glided over the pebbled path, and he felt a sense of calm. The place they had come from, where they were, fed into this peace. Yet Argus had warned them that danger was to come, and this began to needle a sense of dread into his soul. If it was to get worse, if there was danger on the way, where was it? As he turned his head to look behind him at that thought, he instantly regretted it.
There was the danger. Everything was being absorbed into a void, turning into more than just darkness and becoming nothing.
And it was just behind his feet.
He launched forward in fear, jumping and then stumbling as he began to ran, only distantly processing that those around him were reacting in a similar fashion. But, it did not matter. Iyasu felt the terror constrict his throat as everything was absorbed into that endless void. Even with an absence of self he felt spun and tossed, and soon his group was left to land on a new path. At the end of the long trek he could see a door, with Argus watching them from the stone facade.
Perhaps all that was left for them was to make it to the end of this path and through the door. Then it could be over and this strange phenomenon could be behind them. It seemed a logical conclusion, with an easy way to test if his theory was correct.
As he took his first steps, Iyasu enjoyed the sensation of the presence of his body. Particularly after the nothingness of the void they had endured. However, the pleasantness soon began to fade as the gentle sensation became more intense. Iyasu soon had to pay attention to keeping the functions of his body going. To keep his breath cycling through his lungs, to keep his heart contracting. At the first flicker of panic, he locked it into a box in the back of his mind. They had chosen the path of knowledge. He needed to focus on keeping himself alive long enough to reach the door. He would focus on the entirely vital functions of his body. No need to blink as often, or focus on his ears. Breathing, heart beating, and legs moving. These were the most crucial to him, and the best way to not overwhelm himself while trying to get to the door. Alive.
He heard Nav’s warning just a moment before he was propelled forward by a gust of wind. Iyasu quickly shifted his weight to avoid being knocked over. With the distraction he had to take a moment to get his breathing and heart rate under control. To keep himself alive. Once the wind had lessened and he had his bearings, Iyasu was thrilled to see that the boost had helped him and others to get much closer to the door. He heard the bright kirin yelling in frustration, and processed some others more ruffled by the intervention, but the progress pleased Iyasu.
They truly could do this. They could get to that door and escape. He turned and opened his mouth to thank the stallion.
Then he saw the foals and his spirits sunk.
They were struggling and it hurt him. How could Argus, father of the Breim herd, his herd, put such a harsh task to children? He had told them to be quick, that things would get worse. But this was almost too much. They needed to work together. He did not know if only one needed to get to the door or if they all did, but he was not going to not take the time to help those he could. He noticed a kirin help one of the foals and was happy to see that others felt the same, even if it was from a breed that still brought him fear.
He stopped by a young filly who was struggling, hearing her speak. "It is. Hard." Even reassuring her took much of his own willpower, his voice raspy as he struggled to form the words. "But we can. Do it.." He took the effort to smile, having to consciously think through how to move each muscle as he kept his heart beating and himself breathing. "Lean on me. If you need." He looked toward the door, determination swelling within him. "We will. Get through this." They needed the mind to keep things going, in order to physically make it to the door. They had chosen the path of knowledge. However, he hoped a little determination through his emotions would not be looked down upon by the arcane god.
POST: 1 | WORD COUNT: 776 |
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Post by foalish on Nov 14, 2018 21:18:14 GMT -6
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