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Post by GingerBlues on Jul 22, 2019 17:35:35 GMT -6
BOULDER Rock | Surface Dweller
Acheron: As your rump brushes the stone, the world goes dark. You hear screams. The sound of a battle. The smell of ash. The ground shakes beneath you as you close your eyes tighter, trying to block out the scene unfolding around you. A body crashes into you, forcing you to move. You open your eyes to see an army of kirin taking down the guardian that was created to protect your village. It wasn't enough...You turn to see a kirin charging towards your trembling form. The world goes black. You shudder as reality comes back into focus and the memory of the fallen guardian lingering in your memory. You may just be able to find it again if given the chance....
The rest of the party: In the chaos, Acheron also seems to experience something similar to the other two. The stone itself seems to quiet, the glow growing dim once more until it fades away altogether.
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Post by JourneyHorse on Jul 22, 2019 18:12:28 GMT -6
Mairon  | [ post #4 || word count: 270 ] |
This magic was strange, foreign, and very clearly not of Ignacio. As Connor reached out to touch the stone and went rigid Mairon hardly needed Nuriko’s touch before he was backing away to a safer distance. He watched warily as Lyrica then Acheron touched the stone’s surface. Each time the stone hummed to life and the equine went rigid. The creme kirin looked worriedly at his partner.
“What’s going on?” He asked uneasily, not expecting an answer for it was pretty clear that those who touched the stone where being whisked away for a moment to another place or another time. Whatever they were seeing it didn’t seem entirely pleasant. This and the antiquity of the stone gave Mairon an uncomfortable feeling that this might have something to do with back then. He didn’t need a magic stone to replay the memories of when he and an army of kirins had burned a bloody path through Sirith. He had seen the rolling hills and farmland before the tide of fury rolled over it. He remembered the heat as dragonfire consumed everything in its path. He had raised his mighty warhammer and... A small flame of panic ignited in his chest. The metalsmith took several slow breaths to calm himself. You’re overreacting. You don’t even know what they’ve seen. It could be nothing. He told himself. But instinct told him otherwise.
This stone was ancient and Breimian and he had been on the wrong side of history. “Nuriko, I don’t think this is safe for me, or Conner, or…” He didn’t finish the thought but it was there.
Or our child.
I been through the darkest of caves and suffering
One hundred steps off the end of the road
Painted with passion, my favorite color
Hope I'm alive when the story gets old |
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Post by Silverfallingstar on Jul 22, 2019 22:45:59 GMT -6
 Conner Outcast
As soon as the words left his mouth, his vision shifted and he wasn't standing in front of a rock anymore.
A golden mare he felt a connection to, or well, this soul he was looking through felt a connection to her, was explaining to him the use of seeds. Very specific seeds that he'd never heard of before. It was nice, this vision, he could spend all the time in the world learning from this mare, that he didn't know the name of, she felt safe-
the blood curdling scream preceded by the look of absolute terror sent him stumbling backward out of the vision and into his body. He took a few steps back but felt the firm presence of... water? Keeping him steady. His ears were accosted by several concerned voices. "I'm fine I'm fine I'm fine. Nothing's hurting I'm okay." he said, his voice panicked and in a rush as he shook his head to right himself back in the real world again. He took the time to stare straight at the ground, then over at Nuriko as he took several breaths. He opened his mouth to speak, then saw Lyrica and Acheron both go glassy eyed after trying to tend to him. "What's-" moments later they both seemed to also snap back into reality, their bodies losing the rigidity they'd previously had.
He took several steps back and shook his head again, looking over at Marion and nodding in agreement to what he said. Feeling steady enough to talk again, he looked at those assembled. "I... I saw through another horses eyes. A foal I think. They were asking their mother about a seed. She said they were, they were Obhe seeds. Apparently they grow quickly in the soil and were how the ancient breimians had enough food to survive winters. I saw some of the seeds, they're small, and pink colored..." He paused, then dropped his head and pressed his ears against his skull. "But I didn't see anything else... there was a scream, and then nothing. I think, I think they might have been victims in the war."
The last words were barely whispered, and he stayed quiet after that, not meeting the other's gazes as he picked up the book from where he'd dropped it during the vision. He coughed awkwardly and went to help Acheron steady himself. "What did you see, Acheron, Lyrica?"
Post #4 Word Count: 402
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Post by sunibath on Jul 23, 2019 16:13:09 GMT -6
 The next few moments were rather scary to Acuna; watching her fellow acquaintances and friends interact with the rock and, some of her fellow equines freezing up from touching the stone. Her eyes staring at each equine as they seemed to have become distant, like the rock was doing something to them. Her young heart raced as she looked back at the rock again. The etched symbols that she saw had faded away fully now. All she could see in front of her was a normal boulder. How odd of a rock to glow the way it did, and it made her wonder. What did Conner, Lyrica and Acheron see?
Moving quickly to Lyrica, she stood beside her and tried to make sure she was okay. Her ears flicked back in concern, worried for the mare. "Miss Lyrica, are you okay?" Acuna was trying to hide how nervous this scenario made her, instead trying to focus on the assistance of Lyrica. Acuna didn't know what to do, but be comfort for Lyrica. The young haflinger mix watched as Acheron went through the same, her eyes widening in concern as she moved from Lyrcia to Acheron. Standing next to her Seroran friend, she tried to help him as well. A part of Acuna believed this was a dream, something that wasn't real. But, this couldn't be any more real. Thinking for a moment, she looked towards Nuriko with a deep seriousness to her.
"Nuriko? Do you believe there could be... more of these? More rocks and even trees... or even old ruins?" Acuna's eyebrows furrowed at the thought of coming across more of these. If there were more of these, she wondered what poor souls had come across these and maybe touched them. Concern radiated from Acuna, as even for her it was a bit too much. The young mare waited for Acheron to come back to reality to ask him what he saw, even if her heart personally wasn't ready to know.
"Acheron, are you okay?" The mare asked frantically, hoping what he did see didn't scar him for life. "How many braids do I have?" She asked, trying to get him to answer her. Again, same with Lyrica, she didn't know what to do to help. And maybe asking questions wasn't the right thing to do in that moment. |
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Post by buffyandbramble on Jul 23, 2019 16:22:03 GMT -6
Rori's ears flattened immediately when the stone flared up to life, her wings flaring on defensive instinct. Typical Kawaru instinct, to prod something without knowing what it was. She let the others fuss, keeping her own distance (she could do little to help hold up an unsteady horse nearly twice her height) and keeping her silence, not feeling any need to join in the chorus on concerned voices. Instead she opted to observe, both for the basic signs of illness she had learned as a magi, and for the emotional reactions of all concerned. Some of her attention was focused directly on Nuriko, trying to work out where he stood on all of this, what with him being the one to introduce them all to the magic rock. Did he know about this? Had this happened before? It would certainly explain the fact that land around had been deserted, and did she believe that whichever equines had first discovered said magic rock had never tried to touch it? She wasn't sure.
She didn't have much time to dwell on any potential conspiracies, given that Connor wasn't the only one to be affected. Lyrica was next, and Acheron not far behind and Rori snorted in contempt, her sympathy very much limited for those who didn't think to give the suspicious boulder sufficient berth, no matter how nobe their intentions may have been.
"Can we please be careful around the rock?" she snipped, keeping her distance from the boulder as she started to pace a circle around the group to try and get a look from different angles, and because pacing helped steady thoughts. Its glow wasn't what it was, was it done? Had it shocked all those it needed to, or was it just taking a break? ...that implied it was making a conscious decision, was she actually applying a theory of sentience to a rock? Could rocks even be sentient? This really wasn't the time for niche philosophy.
Mairon's growing anxiety was hard for her to miss, and she cast a yellow eye to the kirin. In her mind she toyed with the idea of putting her blessing to use, trying to help instil a sense of calm, before shelving that idea for the time being. Her control of her blessing was limited enough that she couldn't be sure she'd be able to make a difference, and besides, she considered it to be something of an invasion of privacy. If someone wanted to descend into a full blown panic attack she'd be more proactive, but the kirin seemed to have control of his emotions for the most part.
She tilted her head slightly as Connor explained what he'd seen, still suspicious of the situation as a whole.
"Why would it show that?" she asked quietly, more to herself and rhetorical than an actual open question to the group. And how for that matter. She peered back in the direction of the rock, still keeping a safe distance from it. "Retrocognition imbuement?" Was that what the runes were? Her ears were pricked to hear what the others had seen, to see if there was some kind of pattern.
"Obhe seeds? Are you familiar with them?" she asked more directly of the Serorans. "Or small pink ones in general?" she added on, realising that names may not match across lands and cultures.
WC: 560
Post #4
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Post by kerarose on Jul 23, 2019 17:28:16 GMT -6
A horse in a greenhouse, tending strange-looking plants that Lyrica could almost name. The heat of the air, the smell of dirt and growing things. A large shadow flying overhead. Then a large crack, and blackness as she was yanked out of the dream- vision- whatever this was.
She shook back into wakefulness, her limbs going loose where they had been rigid mere seconds before. Conner, at least, looked back to normal, but another equine among them- one from Serora, maybe Archeron- grew stiff like she had. She looked around for a second, dazed, before the most important thing she knew came back to her.
The location of the greenhouse. If anything was left, it could hold answers to this stone, to the Gods' War, everything!
She saw the young mare, Acuna, ahead of her, and nodded at the young one. "Thank you, Acuna, I am fine. It's just not often that I get visions!" She smiled, and chuckled a bit, before turning to Nuriko and Reid. Quickly, she explained to them, and to the others around her, what she had seen, and how she just knew the location of this mysterious greenhouse.
"I am going to that location to see if anything is left," she said, nodding at her fellow Arisen and the Grower who had brought them there. "It could provide good knowledge, and if the visions were shown to us, we must have had need of them. You may follow- or not, if you wish," she said, giving a reassuring smile to Mairon, and then Conner.
"I understand that the Gods' War may be a touchy subject for you, and that seeing evidence may be difficult. However, I can say that I will personally ensure that no harm comes to any of you, should you decide to come with us. We do not treat our herdmates with anything less than respect." She smiled at the two kirins, then turned to the other Arisen.
She was known for being stubborn, and by Argus' grace, she would see that greenhouse. |
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Post by Disastercorn on Jul 24, 2019 13:32:18 GMT -6
N U R I K O Male | Grower | Kawaru Briem
Everything around him was happening so fast. As Conner steadied himself, the buffers of the water slowly slipped down and then up around Archeron, to help them from falling over, should they need it. Acuna was tending to Lyrica and soon everything was calm once more. The stone even seemed to fizzle and 'die out'. "Alright, everyone. Deep breath, lets leave the stone be. Clearly it had no intentions to harm us, let me check something..." He closes his eyes and steps towards the stone. His Telepathy blessing reaches out and around the object, trying to find something, anything to connect with. But nothing came back to him. It wasn't sentient and didn't have a hidden drive...
Eyes opened and he lifted his head. "It appears to be just that... A Retrocognition imbuement, as Oriole put it." With a small breath, the Hybrid moved towards his mate and lightly nuzzled his wither. "Easy my love... Breathe... I sense no ill will around this place or from the rock... A walk would do us good, why don't we follow and if something happens, I can always protect you." Pulling back the once full unicorn turns to the group.
"I am sorry if those visions you have seen have startled you. But, being given glimpses of the past can do so much for us, especially about those seeds and this greenhouse. I don't feel like anything here wants to hurt us, so I'm with Lyrica in going to check out where she feels the greenhouse might be. It could give us something the Umare don't have..." He looked towards Conner and Mairon, his Telepathy reaching out to speak with them alone. "If at any point you feel uncomfortable or scared, I will escort you back here, like I always have. Can't be an adventure without a little bit of fear hm?"
- Is his telepathy voice -
POST 5 | WORD COUNT: 327
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Post by redspaceboyy on Jul 26, 2019 23:34:57 GMT -6
 Reid's breathing slowed, gently as within second the rock's pulsating rhythm died down. It was just a stone now. He still stared at it, still feeling drawn to it as if it had wrapped itself tightly around his heartstrings, pulling him toward it. The Arisen pressed his forehead against the cool surface, eyes drifting shut for a moment, whispering a prayer.
"Thank you Argus. May we take this which you have given your children,
as a key to understanding our roots to the Arcane. We will write of your
word and what you have taught us today, and lead it into tomorrow.
Guide us onward now, and I pray you may answer our unending questions."
He withdrew, dipping his head to the stone before he turned to Nuriko.
"If we find these seeds... we must keep them closely monitored, and shared only with the Serorans. We cannot let the Umare discover them, not under the Kawaru's eye," he said, speaking firmly. Reid looked between each of the Serorans gathered with him. He trusted them, more than he trusted some of his own. He prayed under Alya's wings and Argus' will that they trusted them. "You will, of course, receive your share." This he said to the desert-dwellers, giving each individual a nod.
The common horse moved away from the group, finding a soft patch of grass to lay himself in.
"Now, if you may excuse me... I'm going to see if I can be of any help in finding what our future may hold..." His eyes cast downward, before closing completely. When they re-opened, they were glassy, distant. The Arisen was no longer with them, having been moved to the future through Cascade's blessing.
wc: 284 | post #4 |
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Post by GingerBlues on Jul 27, 2019 18:34:47 GMT -6
Reid's Clairvoyance
The Vision: Darkness. It surrounds you. You hear the voices of your companions discussing some unknown discovery. You see a flash of a guardian being pulled from the ground. A decrepit greenhouse being rebuilt. farmlands filled with plants the like of which you've never seen before.
The earth shakes.
Something is coming.
Terror overtakes you, though you don't know why.
Screams can be heard all around you.
The earth shakes.
The ground crumbles out from underneath you, Swallowing you whole in the inky blackness.
As Reid comes out of his trance like state, he's going to feel incredibly weak, wobbly, and will be a bit brain foggy as he adjusts and processes through what he's seen. He will not be able to actively use his blessing again for the duration of the chapter.
While Reid does not have direct locations, of any of the discoveries, he gets the sense that finding them all may be important. |
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Post by leukristic on Jul 27, 2019 21:21:45 GMT -6
 Acheron of SeroraHe freezes as the world goes dark around him, the scent of ash thick on the wind, and he can feel his heart beating rapidly against his chest in the beginning stages of panic. There was fire, around him, fire and an army of kirins, and he can’t escape can’t block it out can’t run oh gods and there was a kirin charging at him with weapon drawn --
He screams, loud enough that he thinks he might actually damage something in his throat, legs locked beneath him and eyes clamped tightly shut even as the vision fades away. Even when the screaming stops, his breathing is ragged and panicked, and the whites of his eyes flash when they open again, glancing between the others gathered around.
“There was… a guardian,” He chokes out, his body shaking hard enough that he’s sure that Conner can feel it where their shoulders touch, and he just barely keeps himself from recoiling away from the smooth scales there. “To defend the village… it wasn’t enough. The kirins, they just…. overwhelmed it.” Had Conner been among them, or Mairon? They had seemed…. mindless, almost, like a hivemind bent on destroying everything in their path.
He shakes the thoughts away, trying to focus on Acuna as she asked him about her braids. “...two.” He answers as firmly as possible, although his body is still shaking with the aftermath of the adrenaline rush, his ears pinned back along his head in discomfort. Even the mention of strange seeds and a greenhouse failed to pique his interest, at least for the moment.
POST 4 | Word Count 264
Picture by warped-casual |
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Post by Silverfallingstar on Jul 29, 2019 19:55:04 GMT -6
Conner Outcast Conner looks up from where he'd been paying attention to Acheron when Lyrica begins speaking about what she'd seen. Then her promise of safety. "It's... complicated. But discoveries can't be made without some semblance of discomfort. I'm interested in this greenhouse, perhaps we will find those seeds there."
The sound of Nuriko speaking in Conner's mind caused his ears to prick up and his head to whip around to where the hybrid stood. This was a new experience, he didn't remember Nuriko being able to do that when he stayed with him. He takes a moment to contemplated what was said before giving a grateful nod. He listened quietly when Acheron described the scene, ears falling flat when he mentioned the kirins and he felt the savior shaking. He whispered quietly to Acheron "I'm sorry you had to see that." before stepping away and looking over to where Reid had gone into his trance. Acheron probably didn't want him nearby currently, not after seeing that. Conner couldn't blame him if that was true, what he'd, what they had all done, back during that time, was unforgivable.
Conner cleared his throat and straightened his posture, adjusting the way his cloak sat on his shoulders. "Reid is right. If we find those seeds, we must keep them from the Umare. They will find a way to take them from us and leave us with the bare minimum, like they have in the past." he shifted his gaze to Lyrica as Reid came back into reality post vision. "Well, I'm ready to find this greenhouse." Any personal discomfort he felt about approaching old gods war sites would have to be set aside for later, as he squashed the growing anxiety back down into the recesses of his brain.
He could only hope he wouldn't be struck down by the arcane god for walking on such old grounds.
Post #5 Word Count: 314
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Post by JourneyHorse on Jul 30, 2019 23:20:23 GMT -6
Mairon | [ post #5 || word count: 252 ] |
Loud and clear like a bell or the sound of flowing water came Nuriko’s voice in his mind. The kirin felt himself instinctively relax some. Dimly he was aware that the others where talking about a greenhouse and seeds. Pink seeds of all things. Confronted by the results of the Gods’ War Mairon didn’t see the importance of some old seeds. His mind was latching onto everything that had been said about the guardian.
His attention rested on Acheron as the Seroran described what he had seen. Surly the guardian had been destroyed by the kirins long ago? But the other’s, including Nuriko, seemed to believe these seeds to be integral for the survival of Kawaru above ground. Many of the ancient kirins had seen farming as a lowly task unfit for those gilded in the scales of the Fire God. But that is an antiquated idea. One that has died a thousand times over a thousand years ago in the fires of pride and arrogance. Mairon had to consciously tell himself. This is important and might help improve many lives.
He met his mate’s calm reassuring blue eyes. “I’ll be alright.”
The metal smith said softly, then added with a bit more strength in his voice. “Lets go see if we can find this greenhouse.”
He moved beside Nuriko and watched as Reid laid himself and as his eyes went glassy with the future. Despite having calmed down considerably, the kirin still kept a wary eye out and his guard up.
I been through the darkest of caves and suffering
One hundred steps off the end of the road
Painted with passion, my favorite color
Hope I'm alive when the story gets old |
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Post by buffyandbramble on Aug 1, 2019 9:09:02 GMT -6
Acheron’s scream had her wincing, ears slicking back and the jewel-coloured feathers on her face and shoulder fluffing up subconsciously. Once again she almost reached to her blessing, and one again she hesitated, not wishing to presume her place to interfere. He seemed to settle, relatively so, as he spoke of what he had seen, and slowly her feathers began to settle though they retained a somewhat ruffled look. Deep in her gut she didn’t like this, any of this. Logic wrestled against emotion, it didn’t make sense to reject potential new discoveries based on the traumatic way in which they had been discovered. Or lost, she supposed, depending on your viewpoint. Re-discovered.
Her wings twitched, her only outward display of annoyance, when it was immediately suggested that these discoveries must be hidden from her birth faction. She understood the logic of course, as much as she hadn’t liked discovering the extent of Umare exploitation she could not deny it, but she still disliked the demonised characterisation of the entire faction. She might consider herself Kawaru and not Umare, but she couldn’t, wouldn’t, outright reject more than three decades of her life and upbringing.
The pegasus made little effort to hide her eye roll as Reid accessed his own blessing – she disagreed with the concept of clairvoyance, for it messed with her idea of free will. She didn’t see how a fixed point in the future could exist without implying that, no matter what they did, they would always end up in the same location. Each to their own, but she liked to think that she wasn’t walking a pre-determined path.
She wasn’t overly thrilled by the idea of extending the hike, but in for a shard and all that… This was the pursuit of (potential) knowledge and a solution to a growing problem. …Lack of growing problem. It seemed a little fantastical to think that some little pink seeds and an abandoned greenhouse, as shown to them by a magical semi-sentient rock in the middle of nowhere, could be the answer they needed, but stranger things had probably happened. You really couldn’t make this stuff up.
“Where are we actually looking for this greenhouse?” she asked.
WC: 367
Post #5
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Post by redspaceboyy on Aug 1, 2019 16:42:24 GMT -6
The Arisen's entire body grew limp, and he fell forward in a faint. He didn't use the blessing often for the same reason many others did; more often than not, attempts to avoid the future will only amplify it further.
When he came to, it felt as if his entire muscular structure had atrophied, legs not properly working beneath him. Itazuro floated over, paws tapping the grass, hardly putting any weight down. They waved their tails, before sticking their pale snout into Reid's pouch at his side, harvesting a small canteen of what appeared to be a pale, milky substance.
Reid's teke took the rice tea, tipping it back and guzzling the contents before allowing It to take it back from him.
After a few minutes of regaining himself, Reid lifted his head. "Th...there's... seeds," he breathed, wincing as the sunlight reached his eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut. "We cannot inform anyone but the Serorans of the seeds... we must find them and the guardian quickly."
He took a few wobbly steps forward, eventually steadying out. He looked over to the winged, nodding his head.
"I think the pegasi, led by Lyrica should go search for the greenhouse. It'd be a difficult trek for the rest of us, as I imagine it must be carefully hidden away." He looked toward Nuriko, seeking the hybrid's approval. "Perhaps the rest of us can find this guardian, led by Acheron. I feel it is significant to find both as soon as possible, and keep the locations discrete from others. We cannot trust anyone, not with the Umare spies about."
wc: 269 | post #5 |
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Post by sunibath on Aug 1, 2019 20:31:54 GMT -6
Poor, young Acuna; extremely confused and highly concerned of her companions. She was just glad that they were all okay, even if that once glowing rock held many secrets. The mare felt awkward standing there, even if she needed to be there. Hearing of the traumatic things that all Connor, Acheron and Lyrica saw it made her count her lucky stars. Even if that would've been something interesting to witness, Acuna didn't believe she had to guts to even stomach it. Listening to the various voices around her, she was slowly learning of other such things like a 'guardian' and 'seeds' that seemed to be rather important to figure out what on Hirearth was happening.
'This feels rather fishy..' Acuna thought, as she was trying to hide her uncomfortableness. In truth, if she came across something in Sedo, she'd run. As much as she liked adventure, it was more so exploring than the uncovering of unusual items. Her stocky body move towards Marion and Nuriko as she listened to everyone talk about a plan of splitting up.
"I'm with Nuriko if we're deciding on splitting up." Acuna spoke up, as she looked at everyone else. "Or maybe, Nuriko decides who goes where - which I'm fine with." Acuna spoke with honesty in her voice, even if she is sent with some others to see the guardian, the uncomfortable feeling wouldn't be able to leave her. She hoped something good would come out of this - whether it it be with some new seeds or even, notes on a Guardian.
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Post by Disastercorn on Aug 3, 2019 17:23:24 GMT -6
N U R I K O Male | Grower | Kawaru Briem
As the pegasus arisen took off in the direction she felt she knew towards the greenhouse and the other arise planted himself in the grass and vanished into his head, Nuriko couldn't help but feel like he was herding a bunch of children. Spoiled brat children who couldn't seem to come up with a game plan before they all rushed off to do their own things. With a snort and a head toss, the Hybrid stared hard at Reid.
"No."
He stated bluntly, turning his hind end towards where Lyrica was already flying off too. "You have some knowledge of the surface, but you don't have enough and sending off an arisen, the same rank as you, -Alone- into the depths of the surface is asking for her to come back injured or not at all. You came here under my direction, and my direction you shall follow or you are welcome to go back to Sterling and we will send word of what we are found. The surface is no place to be traveling alone." He stomped a hoof and stared Reid hard in the eyes before he started off down the path with those who he had already said he would protect and Acuna. This was not a joke and a time to be splitting up.
"The seeds should be our top priority as it is. Food is always in short supply. If these seeds exist and can help, we need to secure them before everything else. The guardian can wait."
POST 6 | WORD COUNT: 266
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Post by GingerBlues on Aug 3, 2019 20:19:37 GMT -6
Admin Post
While tensions rise between as members of the party dissent on which direction to go - once they actually get a move on, it becomes quite clear that everything they're after seems to be in roughly the same direction....
The morning gives way to the afternoon, and the cool breeze rolling across the hilly plains is wonderfully refreshing as you all continue on. In the distance, you can see what appears to be a series of large stones with runes similar to the one you saw before, but with their own distinct differences.
As you approach them, those among you who had experienced the memories stored in the last stone get the sense that this is definitely the right place...though you still can't see anything that gives the impression that they are correct... Strange as it is, you are absolutely sure you should keep going.
As you pass through the strange row of stones, it's as if a veil has been uncovered. Standing before you is what appears to be the ruins of an ancient Breimian village. While not as grand as the stories claim the cities to have been, it is still an impressive and humbling sight to behold. Few buildings and homes remain in tact, with most everything left overgrown by the plants around them.
In fact, the only building that seems to remain standing at all is a large impressive greenhouse in the center of the tiny village. Stone pillars with raw gems form the structure that holds the large sheets of colorful, crushed translucent gems and stones that make up the roof and walls. Intricately carved double doors are just a shadow of their former glory, hanging awkwardly from their anchors.
Nearby, you see what almost appears to be a large, fallen statue of sorts that seems to have been built in the likeness of a dog or fox.
Whatever it all is - it's definitely worth checking out...or, at least you think it is... |
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Post by redspaceboyy on Aug 3, 2019 22:30:36 GMT -6
He could sense Nuriko's passive-aggression, and he chose to avoid the conflict. Reid shook his head with a stubborn snort, and began his departure.
Eventually, the group had come back together again, and were making their long trek toward where they felt the most right. When they came across the stones, a sense of awe overcame Reid.
He looked around to each of the members within the gathering, his head raised to ensure everyone was together. With a nod, he turned to Nuriko, though the familiarities felt soured from the tense atmosphere, and so he looked away.
He took a few steps through the thick grass, sticker-bushes clinging to his legs but he seemed far too entranced by the sight of the ancient ruins of the town to care much about them. Still he called to the others.
"Tread carefully, please," he said, ears raised and alert. "I sense the earth may be unsteady in our future."
It scuffled their way forward, eyes wide and curious, as if they too felt a strong pull from the town. The ran farther ahead, first to a fallen building and then to the collapsed statue, kneeling down to investigate the object. Reid's brow furrowed curiously, stepping warily now to check out the statue.
wc: 210 | post #6 |
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Post by buffyandbramble on Aug 6, 2019 14:40:42 GMT -6
"I think the pegasi, led by Lyrica should go search for the greenhouse. It'd be a difficult trek for the rest of us, as I imagine it must be carefully hidden away."
Rori raised an eyebrow, tucking her wings tightly against her body and wondering when an appropriate time to pipe up might be. As flattering as it was for Reid to put more stock in her flying abilities than she actually had, flattery didn't keep you in the air. She could manage flying between levels in a temple, a quick flit up to a high shelf, but distances were a no go. It would seem, however, that she didn't have to. Her head jerked back a little in surprise at Nuriko's rather blunt response to the idea of them splitting up. Justified as the hybrid's word might be, she hadn't expected quite such a sharp response directed at a superior rank. Instinctively she was waiting for some kind of rebuttal or remark, a reaction to the breaking of rank, so she found herself mildly surprised again when none came. Grateful perhaps, but still surprised.
As they journeyed, the appearance of the new stones had Rori's feathers flattening, her wings twitching with some mild concern. More magical rocks, just what they needed. She eyed them carefully as they approached, even more so as they began to pass them as if waiting for them to strike with more visions of traumatic times long gone and she kept her distance from them, just in case. She had no desire to be rendered paralysed by some event long past. It was probably irrational, there was no way of knowing that these rocks even did that, but it was an experience she didn't have any desire to share with the others. They could keep that, that could be their thing. Rori was happy without the traumatic retrocognition, thank you.
Passing through the stones, into the ruins of the village, she ground to a halt. Her eyes roamed over the expanse of the ruined city, unable to quite sort out her feelings. She was humbled by the expanse of the lost village and by the knowledge that it had once been a place where horses had lived. She was simultaneously aware that now it was just a bunch of rocks and overgrown plants - horses had lived in many places, did that really make this place special? Why should revere it, just because it was old, forgotten, and horses had probably died there?
That was a depressing thought, and she glanced sideways as if half expecting to see a skeleton lying in the undergrowth. 'You're being ridiculous' she thought to herself. 'More horses will have died in Nariah alone over the generations than probably ever lived here.' Equally depressing.
The greenhouse was a sight in itself, so she focused on that. The fact that it was still standing whilst everything else had crumbled was noteworthy in itself. And perhaps strange... She twisted her face a little at Reid's warning, briefly and when she thought no one was looking. She really didn't like prophecies. Whilst the Arisen seemed more interested in the fallen statue, Oriole was more interested in picking her way towards the greenhouse doors over the rocks and plants strewn about the place. Her approach was cautious, and at the doors she stopped, suddenly unsure. Should she be suspicious of the only building not ruined? She hadn't been suspicious of the weird rock earlier and she should have been. Was the pretty building bad news? What if this was all some elaborate trap...
She shook herself, literally, trying to restore some semblance of sense to her thoughts and to literally shake out the tension she'd been holding in her form. She was being more than ridiculous. A rock coming up with a trap. She'd been out in the sun too long, it was doing things to her head. She was going in that greenhouse.
WC: 627
Post #6
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Post by JourneyHorse on Aug 8, 2019 9:52:13 GMT -6
Mairon | [ post #6 || word count: 350 ] |
Mairon was a little surprised when Nuriko’s tone of voice changed and became almost hostile. It wasn’t surprising, the hybrid liked order and this was anything but. The kirin stepped beside his mate to be a source of silent encouragement as they followed an unseen path towards what would hopefully be a greenhouse. The kirin was a bit skeptical of the whole operation but his mind changed when they passed through a cluster of stones to reveal an ancient Briemian town.
“Must be some powerful concealment magic to hide this place for so long.” He mused as he took in the scene. The buildings did not look like they had fallen apart from gentle age. Instead they look shattered as if by some vengeful force. No points for guessing what that had been. Still what was left of the architecture was beautiful. They don’t make cities like they used to. The kirin thought with a wistful smile, he’d always be a fan of the ancient architecture.
It did seem that one building had survived the majority of the onslaught, however. “See if you can find those seeds. It's what we came for. I’ll take a look around.” He said to Nuriko as he made his way over to where Reid was.
The Arisen had found a statue of what looked to be some kind of canine. Probably a fox, the Breimians seemed to have a special love for that creature. The kirin might have moved on but paused. Despite the fact that the statue was fallen it looked to be intact and very well preserved. “The details are incredible considering this thing's age.” He said as he gently tapped the surface of the stone with a cloven hoof. It was solid and didn’t crumble from the contact. It must be made of high-quality stone. “Your ancestors really did know how to work with stone. I’ll give you that.” Mairon said to Reid as he appraised the statue. Ever fascinated with other’s craftsmanship, the metalsmith was already thinking of how he could replicate the style of this statue onto metal.
I been through the darkest of caves and suffering
One hundred steps off the end of the road
Painted with passion, my favorite color
Hope I'm alive when the story gets old |
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Post by leukristic on Aug 8, 2019 13:12:38 GMT -6
Acheron of SeroraHe’s definitely not cut out for this amount of traveling.
As morning gives way to afternoon, his legs are beginning to ache something fierce with every step that he takes, and more often he begins to stumble over his own hooves despite the relatively easy path they’re taking. By the time whatever magic is hiding the city dissipates and reveals the ruins, he feels like he’s run a marathon; even traveling Sedo to visit his patients isn’t nearly this hard, considering he could generally set his own pace and rest when he needed to.
He leans against Conner with a soft groan, trying to take the weight off his aching forelegs, and glances around to see what the rest of the party is doing.
He can’t help but to close his eyes tightly when he sees Marison tap on the statue with a cloven hoof, a sigh leaving his chest before he clears his throat to get the kirin’s attention, his eyes opening once more to focus on the two of them. “That, uh… that would be the guardian, so if you could maybe… not do things that might wake it up?” He’d really rather not spend the rest of his limited energy on scraping up kirins from the ground, after all, and he’s rather fond of both Conner and Mairon remaining in one piece.
(He’s not entirely sure whether it would target Nuriko, as well, since he wasn’t naturally a kirin, but… well, he’d also rather not find that out.)
It was, at least, an impressive bit of rock-carving, and he's sure he'd be staring at the greenhouse in awe if he weren't ready to take a nap against Conner's shoulder -- Jara was going to be so jealous when he told her about this.
“Can you, uh… maybe define ‘unsteady’ a bit more before we go into the greenhouse?”
POST 5 | Word Count 314
Picture by warped-casual |
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Post by kerarose on Aug 8, 2019 14:52:49 GMT -6
At Nuriko's scolding, and Reid's rather awful idea, Lyrica flipped her ears back, pinning them to her head. A single stamp of the hoof followed, and she turned first to her fellow Arisen.
"Splitting up is not a good idea, Reid," she said. "I may enjoy being above on the surface, but sending Oriole and I off on our own adventure- where neither of us are trained in self-defense or combat- while the rest of you travel without us is rather stupid. I don't want to risk losing my life to discover something."
Then, she turned to Nuriko. "I agree with you," she said, her ears flicking forward once more. "While Oriole and I could scout ahead, we don't want to get out of eyesight of the rest of the group. I can lead the way to the greenhouse, though. Just follow my lead."
She took a few steps away from the group before taking off, circling around the group a few times, waiting for them to mobilize, before flying off in the direction she felt the greenhouse to be. She flew ahead a bit, before going back to the group, repeating the process until she saw a couple large stones underneath her. Flying back, she gently landed on the ground beside Nuriko and Reid. Nodding at both of them, then at the group, she said, "We're getting close. There are some stones ahead like the one in the field."
As the group passed the stones, reality itself seemed to ripple, and the greenhouse came into view- definitely worse for wear, but still matching what she had seen in her vision. With a bit more pep in her step than before, she walked up to it, looking carefully around for signs of degradation or a loss of structural integrity. There didn't seem to be any- the only sign of obvious wear were the doors, hanging loose from their hinges.
Turning, she noticed that Oriole and Archeron were beside her. Smiling widely, she nodded once at each of them. "Keep your eyes and ears peeled- we don't know what we might find in there. But let's go take a look."
She smiled, the joy of finding new knowledge giving her energy. This certainly would be interesting.
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Post by GingerBlues on Aug 10, 2019 22:34:12 GMT -6
The Guardian
The massive stone statue rests near the greenhouse, almost as if it had been a large dog who had grown to tired and just flopped onto the ground for a nap. The intricate carvings that cover it's kitsune like body are impressive enough - but the sheer size of the guardian is what really inspires awe and even a bit of fear. It's impossible to miss the scorch marks that cover large splotches of it's stony body, ash and flame leaving it's signature across it's form. Upon further inspection, the large crystal set in the center of it's chest appears to have a crack in it...Mairon
As your hoof makes contact with the faux beast, it's massive, crystalline eyes flash to life for the briefest of moments. As they do, images flash through your mind in quick, but broken succession. Kirins much like your yourself attacking the village, with only the stone guardian there to protect them. You watch in horror from the perspective of the guardian as it is set upon by hundreds of soldiers. It puts up a good fight, but is eventually brought to it's knees by a wyvern flying overhead.
The visions end just as quickly as they began, leaving you standing before the strange creation, left with the knowledge that it can be repaired... |
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Post by Silverfallingstar on Aug 10, 2019 23:43:50 GMT -6
Conner Outcast
Conner listened to the bickering, well, more like half listened. So many things were on his mind at this point that trying to stay in the moment proved harder than he may have liked otherwise.
Soon however, the group was off again and Conner was able to shake off the thoughts for the moment. He took to scribbling more in the journal, this time, an attempt at a map of the path they took between the first rock and well wherever their destination was supposed to be. The magical barrier almost made Conner get a shiver go up his spine. Was this some sort of illusion magic? Illusion was Ignacio's realm, how had this city been simply... hidden from the world? Sure it was mostly ruin but at the same time, something in this city must have ensured all those magic stones continued working, and fate had to be such that none of these stones were damaged or moved in the intervening centuries. Really, it was a miracle that this place was still undiscovered like this-
The sudden weight leaning against him from Acheron shook him out of his thought process. He looked over at the savior, who looked positively exhausted. He thought briefly of talking to him about getting him some kind of mobility aid, but shook it off, a discussion for another time. He looked around and saw the some of the others were more interested in the sculpture, or probably what more accurately could be described as the guardian. Not wishing to be crushed by some giant fox statue, he tapped Acheron's shoulder and started walking forward with the other stallion, making sure not to go too fast for him. He approached the door.
"Whatever instability exists seems to be holding our weight, I'd not quite worry about it yet." Conner muttered as he attempts to gently push the door of the greenhouse open.
Post #6 Word Count: 318
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Post by GingerBlues on Aug 11, 2019 0:05:51 GMT -6
The Greenhouse
The half broken door opens with a loud CREAK , almost falling off it's hinge in the the process.
As you peer inside, you can see strange plants, the likes of which you have never seen, have taken over everything. Many of them are absolutely beautiful, with stunning, exotic looking flowers and brightly colored fruits. Others are large and leafy, looking as if they could be used for all manner of food bases. It's definitely worth looking into. Maybe if your lucky you can collect a few samples.
Deeper into the greenhouse, you can see large bags and jars, some cracked, though all of them still seem to be in good condition. A back table seems to have texts and tools scattered about it, as well as a few ancient accessories of some kind, while the dry, aged skeleton of a deceased horse is collapsed not far from it. Behind the skeleton, there seems to be a carving of sorts.
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Post by sunibath on Aug 11, 2019 0:45:54 GMT -6
Acuna had been relatively quiet through the trip to the Greenhouse as she was trying to block out the instincts that told her to run home, whether it be back to the home of Nuriko and Marion, or, run back to Serora. It was rather unnatural for Acuna to feel this uncomfortable with adventuring, since this is what she wanted to do; explore distant lands for further understanding of what is outside of Sedo. Whether that be culturally or not. Her sunflower orbs low to the ground as she walked, keeping an eye on shadows in front and beside her as she didn't want to crash into anyone. The feeling of being in a situation that she didn't necessarily have control over made her feel rather nervous.
Arriving at the Briemian villiage, it was clear that there was a connection to the stone and this village. Acuna had noticed the - from the guardian who had toppled over from impact, giving off a sad expression, one that was mixed with curiosity yet the idea that it could magically come back together and destroy them all. The fox-like guardian had seemed so majestic to the haflinger mix, even if it was damaged. Noticing the group break off a bit to explore the location, the mare moving quickly after Connor.
"Did you find anything?" Acuna asked Connor, peering over from behind him. Her young heart raced as she peaked through the opening of the doorway - the Greenhouse still full of life in this dead and desolate place. Slowly excusing herself to move within the Greenhouse, she tread carefully unsure if something was alive. As soon as the mare locked eyes with the skeleton, she jumped a little - the deceased equine scaring her a tad but felt the curiosity, the pull to move closer.
"I wonder what species of equine you used to be?" Acuna was dreadfully close to the skeleton, having a closer look at the bones. To her, she didn't know how long they had been there - probably less than a hundred centuries old or maybe more? She was careful not to knock the skeleton over, but peered over and around them. Intricate markings seemed to have caught her attention, a carving of sorts. Maybe the equine she had followed would want to see the pretty carving that had laid beside the skeleton. In a careful manner to not destroy the carving's intricate markings, she gently tried to scoop it up from her hoof but struggled before resulting to her teke. Slowly, she turned her head and grinned.
"Ain't this really pretty? I can't tell what it's trying to depict though.." |
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Post by buffyandbramble on Aug 11, 2019 6:15:35 GMT -6
Rori jumped sideways with an alarmed flutter of her wings when the door creaked open, very much suspicious that it was going to give way completely and crush them. She really wasn't enjoying this field trip. Unfortunately home, was a very long trek away, even her temporary tent home. She missed teleport pads... And stable buildings, and non-magical rocks, and the cool ari of the underground. She did not recommend the surface as a holiday destination, that was for sure.
The larger majority of their merry crew seemed to be focusing on the greenhouse, and she supposed that safety in numbers was a thing. It didn't offer her any comfort though as she stepped into what might as well have been a completely different world. All things considered, they'd probably just trip over each other if something did go wrong. Part of her wanted to admire the beauty of the plants growing wild in the greenhouse, to appreciate that even amongst all the ruin life continued, thriving even when neglected. There was some metaphorical beauty and probably a profound life-lesson in all of it. Unfortunately, the larger part of her was tired, suspicious, and her nerves were frayed, allowing her dramatic side to really take root. Instead of focusing on beautiful plants and profound philosophy, she instead eyed everything as if it were toxic. Knowing their luck it was going to spring into life and seize them, forever ensnaring them in a garden of death and beauty. That, or maybe everything was fine but it tasted really bad.
Maybe the bags held some promise, and she picked her way through the tangle of plants towards the back table, much like Acuna. It was easier to follow the larger horse anyway. The skeleton didn't fill her with the trepidation that it probably should, but it was probably proof that the plants in here were murders.
"Alas, poor skeleton. I knew them well," she intoned, pausing beside the bones before moving on with a dismissive swish of her tail. She glanced briefly sideways at Acuna as the mare displayed some form of carving she'd uncovered. "If it's art, I'm sure what it depicts is subjective," she said idly, managing to rein in most of her grumpiness and with her focus instead on the table of... things. She reared up onto her hind legs to get a better view of it all, placing her hooves gently on the edge of the table in order keep her balance. The tools meant little to her, but the scrolls she took an interest in, trying to gently lift them off the table, aware that with their age probably came frailty. Hopefully there'd be some kind of growing guide, maybe a catalogue of sorts to identify what each thing was.
WC: 463
Post #7
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Post by Disastercorn on Aug 11, 2019 12:50:40 GMT -6
N U R I K O Male | Grower | Kawaru Briem
As the troupe started down the path that Lyrica took them, the hybrid kept close to Mairon. This was at least going in the right direction and looking over the scenery as they walked was really nice. Though seeing more stones pop up, the hybrid definitely went on the defensive. To think this was here all long and they just hadn't known about it... The ex-king's guides mind tumbled with what they should do going forward. Maybe organize patrols and eye in the sky equines... Head shook before stepping through the veil that seemed to lift as the last of the stones passed by his flanks.
The scene before him was unlike anything he had ever seen before and of course the Equine was overwhelmed and then excited. They had found it! A piece of their old kin that had been forgotten and hidden. With a small breath he watched his mate move towards the large statue. A pang of worry flickered of his hide but with this group he felt... Alright, in letting Mairon go off to do the opposite of what he wanted. Following Connor, Acuna and Oriole into the greenhouse the hybrid moved into the space and became overwhelmed again at the massive construct. It's walls and doors were huge, the glass seemed to stretch on for miles above their heads. They had actually lived on the surface... Peacefully... Further steps and he was beside the common equine who shared their home and the pegasus.
As the pegasus seemed to rear up and use the table to get to the scrolls, Nuriko's eyes watched the contents on the table shift. The deceased equine brought him a strange unease but as a large tome was uncovered from the shifting table, Nuriko's Teke reached out to gently take it and bring it closer, pulling open the cover.
POST 7 | WORD COUNT: 321
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Post by GingerBlues on Aug 13, 2019 13:26:52 GMT -6
Inside the Greenhouse
Acuna: As you gently pick up the carving, it becomes clear to you that it is a pendent of some kind. Holding it within your teke, it begin's to glow softly as a brief vision like memory flashes before your eyes. The guardian, standing tall behind you as you wear the pendant. Closing your eyes, you mutter some words as the pendent begins to glow, and the guardian begins to move as if in response. As the memory ends, you come to understand that the pendent you are cradling so delicately seems to be the guardian's key.
Nuriko: The tome is lighter than you'd expect. Opening it up and flipping through the pages, you experience memories of villagers planting and growing all manner of exotic looking plants and seeds, some of which are currently growing within the confines of the greenhouse. You experience details and knowledge of all the plants that the village grew and how to do so. As you close the tome and the memories fade, you know in your heart that this could completely change things for the Kawaru.
Oriole: Unrolling the scrolls, you experience memories that aren't yours. Instructions of some sort. As you focus, you come to realize these scrolls hold memories in the form of instructions on how the memory stones and barrier stones around the village were created, how they work, and how to implant one's memories into objects. As the memories fade, you don't entirely know what to do with them. It's all incredibly technical and you don't understand it all, but you do know this knowledge is important and needs to be shared with the Kawaru.
The other items in the greenhouse don't seem to spark memories the way the others did, but they are none the less important. Bags and other containers of all manner of seeds are just waiting to be taken back to your home for research and study. Other ancient items spark interest due to their history - such as the tools and accessories laying on the table. And of course, the plants themself growing throughout the greenhouse are more than ready to be studied. Don't forget to gather up your discoveries before you head home! |
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Post by sunibath on Aug 13, 2019 16:56:02 GMT -6
Rori's words seemed to have drifted into nothing as the world around Acuna had changed into a more 'alive' version of the village they were currently in. The Haflinger mix mare couldn't look around, and this bugged her. Was this what a vision was like? Unable to move around because of her view through another's eyes? The interesting thing was, Acuna seemed relaxed even if this was the first vision she had ever experienced - it was almost like she had experienced one before. As the vision seemed to come to fruition, she was back outside. Acuna couldn't remember how she got outside, but the guardian was in full glory. It looked even more majestic and powerful than the fallen one from outside. For a moment, she could feel herself and Guardian connect with the energy coming from the pendant - as it felt natural closing her eyes. After hearing the strange muttering of words come from her mouth, it wasn't too long until she saw the guardian come to life in front of her. The one thing that Acuna knew, this was the best vision she had ever experienced.
"By Alya's Wings!" Acuna exclaimed, coming out of the vision. "Can I do that again?" She asked, her sunflower coloured orbs were bright and full of excitement, the feeling of unease had dissipated into nothing now - especially when she was holding a crucial part of why they were here. The mare couldn't speak for a moment, as she was trying to put the pieces together. Her ears flickered for a moment, as she decided to finally respond to Oriole.
"This isn't just subjective, this...," Acuna paused "This is a key- the key to the guardian outside!" The mixed mare was excited that she found something so cool, so incredible. The female decided to look even closer with her teke at the markings, finally knowing what this was. The carved pendant was even more gorgeous now that the vision had ended.
"The equine I saw the vision through muttered some words and- and the guardian came to life through the pendant." Acuna explained to whomever was listening to her excited rambling. Her eyes glanced to Nuriko over at the desk, hoping that he heard her and hopefully share her excitement with her. |
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