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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2019 0:53:24 GMT -6
Hello Starborn, and welcome to Vagabond Plot 804: Finders Keepers  Team Leader: Sonador Participants: Whitaker, Jerusalem, Elijah, Othala, Jun Please keep the following in mind!- Posts must be a minimum of 175 words. There is no maximum!- No strict order is enforced, but there must be at least two posts between your own character's.- No god-moding or reading characters' minds (unless your pony is a literal telepath, anyway)
- Always get consent before harming another character!- Your team is precious. Try to interact with everyone. <3- Have fun! Even if your pony isn't. 8'D
Prompt: With the Rogue crews now united behind Captain Morian, your little outpost in Wanderer’s Way has grown and flourished at remarkable speed. You are here to make sure that continues, and your Primary has tasked you with compiling a status report of the state of the outpost, as well as helping out in any way that you can while being on the lookout for any suspicious activity. So far, your time here has been nothing but pleasant, and a few of you have gathered to spend the day on the beach, looking for supplies or just trading observations. Date: October 2nd Time of Day: Early afternoon Weather: Clear Location: Wanderer’s Way Your leader is posted!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 5, 2019 5:39:44 GMT -6
Uncertainty had plagued Sonya since the day Perseus departed. In private he couldn’t help but question the Flock’s future; and with each new Primary its direction seemed more uncertain. But he wouldn’t dare voice his feelings. For doubting them was never his place. He couldn’t see the bigger picture as they did. That much was made plain when he walked the silenced halls of the palace flecked with rubble and smoke. So he did as he was told. Always hoping for the best.
On Pel’s orders, he and several of the Flight were dispatched to the Flock’s new outpost. He thought that getting away and seeing the Primary’s plans in motion would alay his worries. The bay pegasus had flown steadily overhead, followed closely by a small ship meant to ferry supplies back to the Aerie. Though more than large enough to carry all of its intended passengers, Sonya opted to make his own way, hoping the task would keep him occupied. Yet when their destination came into view he’d felt a sudden pang of unease.
The unassuming outpost was alight with chatter and a small party approached to greet their guests. Meeting with them briefly to confirm their identities, the Flock ship was quickly moored and workers set about preparing her for the journey back. Sonya meanwhile had to address his own group. A role for which he was most definitely unsuited.
“Before everyone gets settled in, we should take a look around.”, he said, gesturing to the sandy path ahead of them. “The more we can fit in today the better.”
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Post by ebbarie on Jul 7, 2019 4:56:08 GMT -6
 Othala;Vagabonds | Flock Medic
I don't wanna hurt you, it's not my nature.
There was something about the Isles and the Rouges that always provoked unease in her and the fact that they just recently rallied behind a resurrected pirate king was less helpful on that matter.
Today however her nervousness wasn't mainly caused by the Rouges. Over the course of the past week she had tried everything to keep herself busy, with only moderate success. Therefore this short mission had been a more than welcome opportunity until she heard that Whitaker would come along as well. Before she would have been more than happy to spent some extra time with him. Currently however she would rather prefer some distance.
Yet again she ruffled up her feathers and flattened her wings tightly against her body. For now they managed to hide what would soon become obvious - the growing rounding of her flanks.
A little more than a week ago she had discovered it. It had been a total shock for her, it still was. It shouldn't be possible and so she had turned to Renata to make sure that she was not mistaken. However the fellow medic only confirmed what Othala already knew. She was expecting a foal, under the completely wrong circumstances and at the worst point of time.
And she hadn't told Whitaker yet.
She didn't even knew why exactly she was so afraid to tell him, but she was.
So since the little group went onto the ship, she had tried to subtly dodge the gelding as often as she was able to.
The mare was glad to have a little more space once they went ashore again, but was barely able to concentrate on the task ahead of them.
"Good idea" she responded simply at Sonadors suggestion, glad to have something else to focus on.
"I didn't imagine the outpost to be that large." she admitted after curiously looking around for a while. After the description some other Flock members gave her she had thought of it as a much smaller place.
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Post by ThatDenver on Jul 8, 2019 18:34:40 GMT -6
ELIJAH
Elijah was, for once, just happy to be alive.
Sailing off to their new outpost was exciting in the same way going to Breim had been – it was an adventure, pure and simple. Elijah might have been a skilled fighter, and someone quite preoccupied with blood sports, but he was also a young and somewhat sheltered man. There was just something about these adventures, these explorations into lands he had never seen up close that made his blood pump in a manner not dissimilar to a good fight.
Now that they were finally here, he nodded at Sonador, who was giving basic instructions and then turned to look above the heads of the others at the settlement. Othala was right – it was quite big for being so new. He marveled at the sight of it, and to his eyes, it seemed almost as foreign as Breim had been, even thought this one had been partially constructed by his own faction.
There weren’t many houses built into the hulls of beached ships in the Aerie.
“This place is very cool”, he exclaimed, sounding a lot less gruff than his tall and somewhat intimidating body might lead one to believe.
Elijah smiled at Jun, and said more quietly, more to her than the others: “Isn’t this exciting?”
A boyish grin crept on his face. They might have work to do, but he was still going to use the opportunity to enjoy himself, that was for sure.
Word count: 244
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Post by tarriedsea on Jul 9, 2019 9:06:03 GMT -6
 Salt air ruffled Whitaker's mane, blowing its waves into his face. He shook his head for the umpteenth time that morning and cursed his forgetfulness of not having a ribbon to tie it back.
Despite its intrinsic beauty as a coastal settlement, Wanderer's Way never held back on the heat or humidity. It seemed to forget that autumn was on the threshold. Despite being assigned here for weeks, he could never quite get comfortable with the unapologetic heat.
But seeing his beloved step off the ship was enough to renew his spirits. And at that moment, a surprising amount of fear bubbled up in his gut. Othala had never proven herself as anything but capable- hell, she was accustomed to working in war zones at this point- but seeing her outside of the Aerie always struck a protective chord.
Of course, he'd never tell her that. She'd probably take offense.
"The outpost has been running without issue," he said to Sonador, beginning to walk along the beach. "I believe some here were resistant to the thought of aligning with the Alliance initially, but since our time here has been prosperous, they've come around."
Whit himself wasn't uneasy with the pirates- if anything, he wanted to impress them. But he know his view wasn't always shared.
"We maintain a healthy fear of Rogues- at least, I've surmised. They unload cargo for us flashing both a smile & a sword."
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Post by hawkshadow743 on Jul 9, 2019 9:44:30 GMT -6
Jerusalem | The Flock Jerusalem irritably blew his forelock out of his eyes, silently cursing the salt spray in the air for making his mane and tail even more curly and unruly than usual. Seeing the island again brought up a mix of emotions that he wasn't entirely sure how to deal with. His trip with the Rogues had been an interesting and informative one and he liked to think he had even managed to make a few friends among their fellow rebels, however he knew well enough to know that alliances were about as reliable as the weather: anything could change at any given moment with little to no warning.
Still he couldn't quite bring himself to squash his uncharacteristic optimism about the whole thing. It made sense to expand their base of operations beyond the mainland of Hireath. As much as Jerusalem loved the forest and hated sand, he had become much more cautious about the mountains after an unfortunate landslide that had left him incapacitated for several weeks and had required him to rebuild his home. Wanderer's Way was coming along faster than his own re-construction and he couldn't help a twinge of envy as he surveyed their progress.
"Terrifying though they may be," he grudgingly admitted a bit louder than he'd intended, "pirates DO have their uses."
WC: 217
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Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2019 17:17:34 GMT -6
Jun was rather excited to see the new Outpost, and the seeds of an alliance with the rogues she’d been present to sow blooming to a reality. An outpost was a much more real thing than a few nods and agreeing words spoken in a tavern. In her eyes the new Captain the rogues rallied behind was a blessing; something to bring unity. And unity was easier to deal with, to control, than the free wills of mercurial Captains. Then again, Jun had been taught to think big.
For having started with a sheltered life, Jun had certainly seen places during her time with the Flight. She did sometimes catch a wary glimpse at her direction, still, but lately the Flight had had much too many things to consider in order to keep worrying about things past and handled. There had been many opportunities to prove her worth, and she didn’t think she had failed.
It was wonderous how many limits one could push, if the heart was daring enough; and she had never met a group quite as daring as Flight.
She smiled back at Elijah and nodded: “Indeed it is.”
More aloud she spoke: “I would love to see more of it.”
She didn’t know the details on how much rogues might have been enlisted to help build this place, but she imagined it had been quite a few for the Outpost to already look like an established spot. A real, concrete mark of Flight in the world. Like a chess piece, laid down.
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Post by data-bull on Jul 11, 2019 23:38:49 GMT -6
Sonador
The enthusiasm of their party to explore and the appearance of Whitaker went a long way towards calming Sonya's nerves; perhaps things went well they could all be granted a quick reprieve. There was precious little calm left until the Flight could make its move again. Nodding as he listened to his flockmate's report, the stallion chuckled at his remark on the Rogues.
"Better they're smiling than frowning I suppose.", he joked lightly. Or holding a knife to your back, he thought, though he kept that to himself. Though he had no personal quarrel with the pirates, Sonya had little experience with them; and his only knowledge of the Pirate King they served came from his training as an Entertainer. Neither was very helpful in discerning their true nature, so he trusted the Primary's judgement.
Following the Sentinel's lead, the pegasus scanned the beach attentively. Shuffling his wings when he realized he wasn't sure what they were looking for. He made his way towards the water's edge and peered into the waves as he passed. It wasn't as if something strange would just be lying around in the open, right?
That was, until he took a step and his hoof hit something, hard. Barely restraining himself from a scream, Sonya tentatively pulled away from the culprit. A wooden chest lay at his feet, partially obscured by sand and sea foam. Big enough that, had he been paying attention, he would've seen it.
"What in Alya's name?", he exclaimed softly. Wiping away what he could to the tune of jingling metal, Sonya realized that whatever it was had been well protected. Several locks dangled from its front, holding the thing shut. He doubted even water had been able to seep in.
"Do things like this wash up here often?", he asked, trying to make sense of the thing.
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Post by ThatDenver on Jul 13, 2019 12:31:24 GMT -6
ELIJAH
”I’m sure I could kick the ass of any pirate who tried something with us”, Elijah said confidently, with the look of someone who had always been good at fighting, and not really much else. He smiled brightly at Jun, and then followed Whitaker and Sonador, until they came to an abrupt halt. Immediately his feathers ruffled and his wings were slightly raised, ready to fight anyone that was stupid or brave enough to attack them, but that seemed unnecessary – what had spooked Sonador was simply a large box sticking out of the sand.
“Don’t know, but we found it, so surely it is ours now, right?” he asked, stepping around Sonador to get at the box. Before anyone had a real chance to voice doubts or concerns, Elijah had dutifully dug out the box, lifted it in his teke, and carefully placed it on dryer sand, away from the waves and seafoam. He eyed the thing excitedly, and then looked at his companions.
“What do you think is inside? It must be valuable, right?” Elijah asked. Even he knew that for someone to have that many locks on it, it had to be worth a lot. You wouldn’t protect just some random goods with that kind of security detail.
Maybe it was pirate treasure? Or a whole bunch of crystal shards?
Word count: 222
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2019 12:37:56 GMT -6
Now fully uncovered and turned right side up, you can get a better look at what you have found. The chest, or perhaps a box, is large, heavy and dark in color. It is tightly bangled shut by five metal bands collaring it, each held in place by a high-quality lock… but on closer inspection, the locks have no real keyholes. No, instead of an opening for a key, each hole instead holds a gemstone. As if awoken by your stares, writing appears on the two outermost locks. Carved by an inivisble writer, it stands clear and bright against the metal of each bangle. The silver one with a purple gemstone in the lock now says:
I come on an autumn or an early spring night;
I bite leaves and grasses till they die
Farmer’s bane, preservers friend
This lock I will open. While the copper bangle with blue gemstone in the lock spells:
To reverse wrongs suffered
To preserve beauty
Wield me and time itself shall yield
Touch me and I shall open |
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Post by ebbarie on Jul 14, 2019 1:56:02 GMT -6
Othala;Vagabonds | Flock Medic
I don't wanna hurt you, it's not my nature.
Despite the secret between them that weighed heavily on her shoulders, she was still unbelievable relieved to see him again.
She had never concealed how she felt about the Rouges. In her eyes they were dangerous and not trustworthy. Right now them and the Flight had a shared interest, but no one knew what would happen when that goal was reached, or when the Alliance decided that they wouldn't need the Flight any longer.
That thought kept her awake at night quiet frequently at the moment.
Othala greeted the Sentinel with a warm smile, but kept her distance until Whitaker had finished his report and the group began to move again. Only then she moved closer and buried her muzzle in his warm golden coat for a moment - it helped to keep the nervousness at bay a little.
"I missed you" she murmured silently before she drew back again and started to follow the others.
”I’m sure I could kick the ass of any pirate who tried something with us”
"Careful Elijah, you might not wanna say that too loudly. I'm sure many of them would gladly understand that as a challenge" she called back to the Striker with an amused undertone in her voice. While she wasn't too familiar with the colorful pegasus, he made a very likable impression and what she knew about him for a fact was that he indeed was very capable of fighting.
Just a moment later she flinched instinctively when Sonya tripped over something that had been washed up on the shore. Quickly she arranged her feathers again and made a few steps towards the object once it was obvious that the chest did not pose a danger.
Either the material it was made of was incredibly sturdy, or it couldn't have been floating in the water for a long time. Sand and water had barely left any marks on its surface.
"I guess so, why else would someone but so much effort into sealing it?" she answered thoughtfully and eyed the locks a little closer, just to be startled again just moments later when suddenly letters started to appear on them.
"Wait...are those, riddles?", she could hear the skepticism in her own voice. A strange feeling crept up on her reading the words
"Maybe we should hand the box over to the port Commander. Whatever might be in there could have been locked away for a good reason."
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Post by hawkshadow743 on Jul 14, 2019 10:02:04 GMT -6
Jerusalem || The Flock
Jerusalem studied the strange box, listening to his companions with one ear twitched to one side. The craftsmanship was gorgeous and he couldn't help admiring the equine who had managed to create them. The locks blazed in the bright sunlight and the gemstones gleamed. But there was something ominous about this glitter and it chilled him to realized (granted somewhat belatedly) that this could be a trap. He reached out as if to tap it with his hoof, hesitated and drew back. He didn't want to risk injury by touching it. Even Elijah's teke hadn't been direct physical contact with the contraption. It could very well be rigged to explode.
Jerusalem recoiled when the engraved words appeared on each lock. A quick survey proved they they were riddles and he stifled an irritated noise. He didn't like puzzles at the best of times and he certainly didn't like them when it seemed like someone was playing with them. Was it possible that the equine who had left this here was still around somewhere, watching?
He glanced at Othala, tending to agree with her observation that perhaps the box held something that they shouldn't let out. But it was a clever ploy. Most equines (even, he admitted, himself) were fascinated by mysteries. They saw it as a challenge to uncover when perhaps it was best left unsolved.
On the one hoof, it could be a dangerous trap.
On the other it could be treasure that the Flight could potentially use to further their various endeavors.
Jerusalem felt hopelessly trapped between the two possibilities. He wanted to voice his opinion, but he had a feeling that the others would come to these conclusions on their own. Stating the obvious wasn't the most constructive use of his time.
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Post by tarriedsea on Jul 15, 2019 10:51:53 GMT -6
Though his back was turned, he knew it was her as soon as she touched him, and electricity surged through his skin.
"Same here," he said quietly, pressing his muzzle to her forehead. Some days he still couldn't believe she chose him, every day, every morning, but he wouldn't jinx his good fortune by dwelling on it too much.
And in this moment, he couldn't, because the item Sonya just ran into grabbed his full attention.
He squinted at the chest, tilting his head. "No, nothing... nothing arrives like that. Save for driftwood and dead jellyfish. This is very odd."
He look around, above everyone's heads. Did someone plant it here, or did it wash ashore? Was it an ambush?
He didn't trust it.
And even less so when the engraved words simmered to the surface. Playing the riddles' game was exactly what the box wanted them to do, and he wasn't about to walk right into a trap.
He drew his dagger from its sheath under his wing, holding it poised to shatter a lock or peel open a joint. "Stand back."
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Post by ThatDenver on Jul 19, 2019 13:43:03 GMT -6
ELIJAH
Elijah looked visibly disappointed when Othala said the locks had riddles on them. Elijah could not even read, much less solve any riddles.
But he did know something – Jun had told him, and he’d been around to hear some of the meetings of departing teams, so he wasn’t entirely clueless to the goings on.
“The Port Commander is in Sedo. The Sentinel Commander and Primary are in Eithne. It’ll be a long wait either way”, he remarked plainly. Elijah knew he didn’t want to wait that long – he wanted to know what was inside, if they could break into the thing that was.
Whitaker seemed highly suspicious of this find, and Elijah watched the Sentinel draw a knife, and prepare to try and pry the locks open with it.
“Aren’t you afraid it will hurt you? If you try to break into it like that?” Elijah asked, real concern in his voice. He, too, was giving the box a suspicious side-eye.
“I mean Othala said they’re riddles. And there aren’t any keyholes. I’m sure the box won’t like it if you stick it with a knife”, he thought out loud, eyeing the surroundings for anyone who might be missing a big black box. No one looked like they had lost such a thing, and Elijah supposed it would have been quite a feat to accidentally misplace something so big.
“Can someone read the riddles out loud? To those of us who, uh, can’t”, he then asked, looking a bit ashamed.
Word count: 250
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Post by data-bull on Jul 19, 2019 16:54:43 GMT -6
Sonador
Unnerved by the suspicious box and whatever ominous magic had been cast on it, Sonya stepped back to collect his thoughts as the others crowded round. They all had very valid points; the chest had to be important to somebody if they went through so much trouble to seal it up. But it was also their job to look for anyone or anything suspicious, and their find certainly qualified. Since the Port Commander was still stationed in Sedo there was no one they could really confer with on the matter. At least, not in a reasonable amount of time.
"I think it's best we deal with the matter ourselves.", he advised, "If something dangerous is inside we can't risk bringing it back to the Aerie. We'll just have to be prepared for the worst."
Nodding at Whitaker, he trusted the Sentinel not to let down his guard as they proceeded. At Elijah's request, he read the riddles aloud; as he did, he examined the locks more closely and noticed that each lock and gem were different colors. Did they mean something? The puzzles themselves seemed simple enough. In his time as an Entertainer, Sonya had heard all manner of songs and some were similar in nature.
"The silver one almost seems like it's talking about the cold, or ice.", he pondered aloud. "But where would we get ice on this island?"
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2019 22:36:06 GMT -6
Jun looked at the chest very curiously, and examined it with her gaze as it was brought out by Elijah; admittedly it was very handy having a strong fellow with them. She called out for him to be careful along with Othala. A step she took closer was deliberately tentative – Jun wasn’t really a fighter, and everyone else seemed cautious of the thing, so surely she needed to be as well.
She watched quietly as Jerusalem approached first, and then heeded Whitaker’s words, but was just as quick to nod in agreement with Elijah. This didn’t look like an ordinary box you could pry open with force.
“I think Sonador is right. Either it’s dangerous, and we’d be unwise to welcome it to Aerie, or it’s something valuable, and we’d be silly to tarry”, she added with a gentle, soft voice.
She stepped closer so she could read too, just to make sure Sonador got the riddles right. Not that she said that out loud – she didn’t talk about her very educated background to anyone.
“Ice, cold, frost…”, she repeated thoughtfully, and then her eyes brightened: “Could they suggest blessings? Like Elijah said, these don’t look like your usual keyholes.”
Word count: 200 | Post 2
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Post by ebbarie on Jul 23, 2019 10:32:05 GMT -6
Othala;Vagabonds | Flock Medic
I don't wanna hurt you, it's not my nature.
Not much time was wasted on considerations. The majority of the group agreed to try and open the box, a done deal. And she wouldn't argue further against it for she was highly curious herself about what the mysterious box held inside.
Yet, if they were to open it, she'd agree to rather try to solve the riddles instead of using force.
Someone took the trouble to complicatedly seal it, so she definitely bet that it would react with some kind of defense mechanism if someone tried to open it any other way than the intended one.
While the others discussed the first riddle, and probably already had the right solution for it, it was the second one that drew her attention in particular.
In her thoughts she went over the lines over and over again, and each time the words felt more familiar, more meaningful. And in the moment June mentioned blessings, immediately everything fell into place.
Without any further thought she made it step forward and called the, by now so familiar, magic that ran through her veins and constantly renewed her cells.
To reverse wrongs suffered
Just a moment of hesitation before she leaned forward and allowed the blessing to touch the blue gemstone.
Wield me and time itself shall yield
And as if the stone had just waited for this moment, it started to radiate a soft light from within, before it fell out of it's fixture. Only a blink later the bangle came off as well. Simple as that.
"Jun is right", she stated completely surprised, still somehow waiting for something bad to happen.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2019 15:30:51 GMT -6
The copper lock shines like new, all scruffs and mars on it gone, and then, ever so gently, slides open.
Carved words now crawl up the golden bangle with yellow gemstone, confidently forming the following words:
Pale of skin, black of feather
Three of flesh and one of metal
Gone from your midst but were I here
My touch would be all it takes
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Post by hawkshadow743 on Jul 23, 2019 21:02:24 GMT -6
Jerusalem || The Flock Jerusalem's eyebrows arched at Sonador and then Jun's mention of ice. He studied the box and thought about it, feeling a bit foolish for not having puzzled it out sooner. He snorted angrily, wanting to kick himself upside the head. It was a bit obvious and the more he thought about it, the more irritated he was with himself. His eyebrows disappeared almost into his curly forelock when Othala leaned toward the box. She seemed to hover on the edge of her decision and a few moments later the cooper bangle pulsed and glowed, sliding open as smoothly as if someone had thrown a switch. Words shimmered to life as the gold band revealed its more confusing riddle.
Well, he thought, at least we've decided to play along. Aloud he settled for, "I have the silver lock. Allow me." He moved forward in their group and hovered over the box. It was more intimidating up close and he almost felt the power rippling off it in waves, though he wasn't sure if this were truly magic--from the box or its creator--or if it were simply his imagination running away with him. Only when he was close to the thing did he realize he had never actually used his Blessing before. Cascade had granted it to him several months prior, but he hadn't felt comfortable exploring the depth of his abilities. With a moment of intense concentration on the silver band and its purple gemstone, he felt the power of the ice leave his body and connect with their mysterious treasure. It hovered for a moment, just the barest glimpse of frost encrusting the gemstone. His ears twitched and he took ten seconds to feel ridiculously proud of himself for summoning said frost while standing on a beach. The band, rather unceremoniously, slipped away.
WC: 305
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2019 9:16:01 GMT -6
The silver lock snaps open, broken by the frost.
Even as that lock is bested, more writing is appearing, this time on the bronze bangle holding the green gemstone lock. Soon enough you can read:
I can know all secrets
I hear things quieter than whispers
Few can trip me on a lie
Grasp this lock and find it ajar
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Post by ThatDenver on Jul 25, 2019 15:12:16 GMT -6
ELIJAH
He listened intently as the riddles were read out loud to them, but he could make little sense of them. The others seemed more equipped for such tasks, however, making the opening of the locks seem easy. Jun suggested that one of the locks might be opened with frost manipulation, and soon after Othala used her blessing to goad open the other locks.
More riddles appeared – or he assumed they were new riddles, he could not read them. But they looked like letters, and the text was appearing in new places, so it had to be something new, right?
Or maybe it just had the instructions to something else entirely. How would he know? It was quite frustrating at times, not knowing these things when everyone else seemed to find it so simple.
“What do these ones say?” he asked and poked the chest with his hoof. It didn’t seem any different now than when all the locks were closed, and it also didn’t seem any closer to opening, despite two locks having slipped away. Bangled shut tight, it was, and he doubted it was possible to get into it without doing exactly what the chest said.
Word count: 197
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Post by data-bull on Jul 27, 2019 22:06:22 GMT -6
Sonador
Shaken but not quite surprised when the first lock responded to Othala's touch, Sonya looked on as Jerusalem quickly followed suit with the second only for two more bangles to reveal their riddles. Three to go, he thought, leaning in to take a closer look. Again one of them drew his attention, but for different reasons than before. The realization struck him that the chest must have been intended for them. Or at least, someone who knew about them. Because there was only one individual he could think of that the puzzle would be referring to: their first Primary, Perseus. Reading it aloud to confirm, there was no doubt in his mind. Was it a final parting gift from his old friend? Impossible.
"I'm beginning to think our finding this wasn't a coincidence...", he mused aloud, "Because the gold bangle is talking about Perseus."
And it couldn't be by accident that they happened to possess two of the required blessings already among their number. But gifts from Cascade were to be expected, what about those from other gods? He only had a cursory understanding of them, but amazing feats were the lifeblood of storytelling—he could think of a few possibilities.
"Are any of you maybe blessed with the ability to shapeshift?", Sonya asked, unsure how else to phrase the question. He knew about shapeshifting amulets, if only from his days as a spy, so such a thing couldn't be completely impossible.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2019 16:44:01 GMT -6
Jun watched, fascinated as two locks opened and more words became visible. A work of art, certainly. She brushed gently against Elijah and smiled:
“I think that’s on you, Elijah. To turn into Perseus, with your blessing.”
Elijah was fun company, but certainly not the brightest. It worked for Jun just fine most of the time. She liked not being asked too many questions, at least. She could sometimes even slip up, ever so slightly, and Elijah wouldn’t even catch it. It had given her some room to breathe, and she appreciated him for it. It wasn’t quite so lonely, and she had found she cared about this little faction quite a bit, more and more every passing day. It had worried her, at first. Emotions could get tangled, cloud judgment, make things harder to achieve. But then again… what was the harm in living a little?
“I think the bronze one is for me”, she then said, gently. She stepped forward, her black teke touching the lock. She could feel… an energy. Almost tingling, waiting. As her teke brushed against the bangle, the green gemstone shone brighter.
She closed her eyes and simply spoke the word <Open.> through her blessing. She could immediately feel the bangle respond, and smiled.
She wasn’t the most forthcoming about her blessing, usually. She thought others might not be comfortable knowing she could read the unspoken discourse in the air.
Jun supposed that was another thing he liked Elijah for; not too much thoughts cluttering the air.
Word count: 253 | Post 3
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2019 16:45:59 GMT -6
The bronze lock resonates in Jun’s mind and yields, opening without a sound.
The largest lock, the iron one, now comes to life. The red gemstone seems to shine as the words are spelled out:
You see me only when I dance
You hear me only when I whistle
I carry a scent yet I’m always clean
Given time I wear down all; locks and mountain alike
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Post by ThatDenver on Aug 10, 2019 6:03:11 GMT -6
ELIJAH
Elijah cocked his head, listening carefully as the riddle was read to him. He couldn’t make feather nor fin of it, to be perfectly honest, but Sonador and Jun seemed much more capable at solving the problem than he was.
“To turn into Perseus? Isn’t that a bit rude?” he asked carefully, eying his companions. Elijah had practiced his blessing diligently, as Jun had told him to do, but transforming to random members of Talori and Rogues felt quite impersonal and just like good practice. The memories he gained faded quickly once he transformed back, so it didn’t make him feel too bad to change into their allies.
But Perseus… Perseus had been his leader for years. It felt rude to go into his mind like that, to be him, even if it was just for pretend.
“Well… If I really need to”, Elijah said defeatedly, and sighed: “This is gonna be weird.”
Without further discussion, he focused on his memory of Perseus, and then, his blessing. In mere seconds, his body began to change rapidly. He became significantly smaller first – and then, the rest of the changes came in a rapid succession, until he was the spitting image of Perseus.
The memories came, too. He tried his best not to peek.
“Just touch it?” he asked, now with Perseus’ voice and speech patterns.
Without waiting for further confirmation, he touched a hoof on the golden bangle.
Word count: 237
Post #5
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2019 6:05:37 GMT -6
The gold lock shatters at the first touch of Elijah’s - now Perseus’ hoof.
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Post by tarriedsea on Aug 10, 2019 8:40:54 GMT -6
He held his breath every time a new member of the party whispered their blessings to the locks, teke firmly planted on his dagger. The more the box revealed to be tailored to their abilities, the more anxious he grew. What strange magic was this? Why did it know them? If Talori mythology taught him anything, it was that the depths contained dark mysteries and secrets. And he was perfectly happy just leaving some things be.
With Elijah's rapid transformation, he clenched the dagger harder. The sight of his former Primary welled up an unexpected emotional reaction in him. The man who led the Flight for so many years and welcomed Whitaker in. A hero and friend. He missed him.
And then the final riddle unspooled before his eyes.
You see me only when I dance
You hear me only when I whistle
I carry a scent yet I’m always clean
Given time I wear down all; locks and mountain alike
It was his.
"Stand back," he said again, this time only a whisper. The red eye of the gemstone stared back at him like a jeer. He glanced at Othala, his gut tingling. He still didn't trust it. It knew too much.
He stood square, stanced to defend against whatever the case held. Cool air curled around the final gem. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2019 9:57:03 GMT -6
 The iron lock makes a mournful sound as the wind blows on it. The band is eroded away, and the lock falls useless to the ground. With the last lock gone, the box opens, revealing… Another locked chest? This one only slightly smaller, and adorned with one beautiful lock, with a strangely shaped keyhole. This lock already has writing on it. A gaping keyhole that holds not a gem, but instead resembles an open maw with no teeth, stands large in its middle. No key you’ve ever seen would fit the thing, and the whole thing has an unnerving air to. The lock reads: Given and taken Let and drawn Hot or cold Young or old
A gift for a gift |
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Post by data-bull on Aug 10, 2019 15:48:33 GMT -6
Sonador
Watching the remaining locks open in quick succession, Sonya once again marveled at whatever forces had brought the box to them. Until the box opened to reveal another lock, a different kind. A mouth, glowing red, stared back at them. Its riddle already revealed. He read it aloud slowly, trailing off as he came to the end, then repeating himself more clearly. The others had all contributed, but he had no blessing. And he had no answers.
Brow furrowed, he regarded what remained of the previous locks. The associated blessings had affected them all differently, but where they at least resembled keyholes, this was merely that: a hole. And not one fit for any key he knew. Just looking at it made his skin crawl, though for the life of him he couldn't discern why.
So he went over the riddle again in his head.
Given and taken, that could be anything. Let and drawn, maybe breath? No, you couldn't let breath. Hot or cold, water perhaps? But it couldn't be young or old. And a gift for a gift, what in the world did it want? The only thing he could think of was something he could provide. Maybe it was crazy, but the situation was already there.
"Mind if I borrow that?", he said calmly, indicating to Whitaker's dagger.
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Post by ebbarie on Aug 12, 2019 1:19:43 GMT -6
Othala;Vagabonds | Flock Medic
I don't wanna hurt you, it's not my nature.
Lock after lock opened, without any resistance. It was an idiotic thought but the chest almost appeared like it wanted them to find out whats inside. Sonya was probably right with his assumption. This wasn't a coincidence, not at all. How likely was it, that all blessings needed to open these locks were in the right place at the same time? It shouldn't be possible, especially not in a small group like theirs. Yet here they where.
But if it was intended, what purpose did it serve? Cascade held power over time itself, so maybe it was her doing, or someones that was blessed by her? Right now that was the only plausible explanation for her. Someone knew that they would be here today, that alone was a scary thought, but slowly the curiosity outweighed the skepticism.
Her gaze wandered over the strange box again, now only enveloped by a few remaining bands. The next lock broke open when Elijah turned into the first Flight's Primary. Never before had she seen this blessing in action. It was fascinating to watch, yet it also gave her somehow a queasy feeling. While it definitely was an incredibly useful skill, it also held the potential to be greatly misused.
However it was Jun's much more reserved use of her gift that unsettled her even more. No one had spoken the solution to her riddle out loudly, and so it took her a while to figure out the answer on her own. Years ago, during her apprenticeship she had met another horse with this blessing. It had been a child, barely able to control it. Jun on the other hand was probably well exercised in the handling of it.
She glanced at the blue winged pegasus and instinctively pressed her wings a little tighter at her flanks. It was ridiculous to think that she was spying on anyone, but Othala couldn't help being suspiciously. She'd never forget that Jun had murdered a child in cold blood, and now knowing that she was also blessed with Telepathy did not made things easier.
It was Whitakers voice that brought an end to that thoughts. She could feel his uncertainty and suspicion and moved a little closer to him. "It's okay. Whatever is inside that box was meant to be found by us and I doubt that someone take the trouble just to harm us" she said reassuringly and smiled as the wind suddenly freshened.
And with that, the last seal was broken. Tensely but mostly exited she watched how the box opened and...revealed another keyhole? It was entirely different from the rest and not only by appearance. A moment ago she had been completely convinced that whatever was inside the box couldn't be harmful, now however she started doubting again.
"Given and taken
Let and drawn
Hot or cold
Young or old
A gift for a gift"
She read the words loudly for Elijah. Whatever this lock needed to be opened, it was likely no blessing. But what then? Sonador was the first to speak after that new revelation and the mare watched concerned how he pointed at Whitakers dagger.
"What do you want with that?" she asked carefully.
WC: 515 | Post 4 |
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