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Post by posy-punch on Jul 5, 2019 2:01:03 GMT -6
Hello Starborn, and welcome to Talori Plot 802: The Pearl's Secret  Team Leader: Nebula Participants: Faris, Nefertiti, Daemyn, and Ilhuicaatl 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: A couple of months ago, a small group of horses felt an inexplicable call to go to Kiephis. After a tense battle with the elements, the group recovered a a pearlescent sphere, golden cracks spanning the surface of the object, from the chasm in the deep. Despite its great weight, they've taken it all the way to the Capitol to be inspected. Time of Day: Evening Weather: Sunset, but the skies are clear. Location: The Council Chamber You do not need to wait for your leader to post!
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Post by foalish on Jul 5, 2019 19:01:58 GMT -6
Faris
The sunset would be starting to set by now, but it did little difference inside the council chamber. It was not somewhere he was completely used to - probably not quite as much as Nebula, for obvious reason, but it did not stop him from finding a spot and quickly settling.
Life had been passing almost too quickly, fins on his back still feeling as new as ever. That had been an event all on its own; but it was just another trivial thing at this point, with no relevance to the current situation that pulled him from an long night’s rest. Admittedly, he was impatient at the moment. The quicker this thing started, the quicker it would be over - and although, there was some interest in him to the whole situation, whatever was important enough bring them all here; but it didn’t completely quell the longing in his chest to be in his own room after another long day.
His eyes trailed around, looking at every horse in their spot. His eyes moved to the sphere last, his eyes widening noticeably as he saw it for the first time; a description couldn’t quite capture actually seeing the pearl in person, with the way the colours spun on its surface. All at once, he understood quite a bit more why this thing was of interest. For all of it almost looked god-touched, if he were so so bold to presume.
His eyes turned to Nebula next, expectance in his gaze. If anyone was to start this who thing, it would probably be her.
WC: 263 | Post 1 |
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Post by notfromthisgalaxy on Jul 5, 2019 19:56:06 GMT -6
Nefertiti Grand Cleric | Talori
"You are blood of my blood. Your soul champions mine." Her gaze drifts around the room, taking in each and every face for all of their worth.
She seems to be trying to busy herself, and not think about the fact she was in the Council Chamber.
As her mind wonders, she thinks about how the sun is probably making it's way down the horizon, "disappearing" into the sea below it. Though, there's no difference to be noted in the light of the chamber. How odd to think that another day had rolled right on by without her even noticing.
How time seems to be ticking by faster and faster. She hopes that even with all that has gone right on by that she will be able to help, Her blessing giving her hope that she might do so.
Tearing herself from her thoughts, Nefertiti finally averts her gaze down towards the pearl. In truth, she hadn't quite been prepared to take it in, and frankly, no amount of forewarning could have prepared her. What she had been told didn't do it justice, not at all. Calling it pretty--or perhaps even beautiful--would be an understand, in fact.
Especially something that appears to have been touched by the goddess, herself. Or at least that's what Nefertiti assumes is special about it. Or perhaps she was jumping to conclusions by assuming such things.
But they simply couldn't all be here just to stare at an ordinary pearl, right?
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Post by Prismaticlysm on Jul 8, 2019 6:02:57 GMT -6
Ilhuicaatl | Talori Philosopher  Lulu kept her eyes down out of respect. It was a little awkward for her to be here, considering many things about herself, her family, and her thoughts, but since she had been a part of the returning of the strange golden sphere, she felt it was her right to be here for this. It still didn’t make her feel any less awkward. She just hoped none of her past would ever come up in the conversations that were going to happen. The sunset outside cast a warm glow within the chamber, as well as eerie shadows that sliced dark swaths across the ground and walls. But nothing could diminish the magnificence of the golden pearl despite the cracks upon its surface. She herself had helped bring it to the surface, the strong stallion Daemyn who most likely did all of the work because of her diminutive size compared to him, but she liked to consider herself helping regardless. The others who had been drawn to Kiephis were not here, two others she did not know were there, but she knew Faris from his appearance and title. He was, at least to her, a symbol of hope for all Pegasi in Aquore. She half wondered if she was expected to speak first due to rank compared to everyone else, but she wasn’t sure if it was prudent for this particular situation. And hoping that she wasn’t the one expected to start off the meeting she didn’t initiate, she remained silent and stoic. 252 WordsPost #1 |
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Post by hydrus101 on Jul 8, 2019 12:01:25 GMT -6
 N E B U L A• Talori | Council Member •
“There’s so much I could have said. But instead, I stood silent. I couldn’t give myself away.”
Horns arcing gracefully behind her head, Nebula stood tall at the center of The Council Chamber, as poised and graceful as a statue. Long hours spent in this very room had made it a second home to her, it was no longer the terrifyingly empty hall she had once feared. She remembered every trial, every meeting, every verdict, and though some were painful to deliver, she had never faltered, for that was what the people needed her to do.
Today, however, her people needed her for a different reason.
The events that would transpire that evening promised to be interesting. At first, Nebula hadn’t heard tell of the mysterious pearl from the deep, word of its discovery must’ve been hidden behind the screeching of her newborn twins, but when the case was assigned to her, Nebula knew she would have to dedicate herself to it.
Wanting to make sure the job was done right, Nebula facilitated the arrival of the pearl into the chambers, directed the movers to the pedestal that had been prepared earlier, and even did a little bit of tidying up before the rest of the consults arrived. Sure, it was servant’s work, but the mindless task gave the councilor time to go over her speech and recite the names of those who would be in attendance later that day. She had known so many names and faces over the years that it was easy to get them jumbled.
Luckily, her nervous energy began to dissipate as more horses joined her in the chambers. As everyone finally settled in, Nebula took one last glance at the pearl and cleared her throat.
“May our great mother Cascade bless this meeting and all those in attendance,” she murmured quietly, a brief prayer before moving onto important matters.
Eyes bright, Nebula raised her head, reigns jostled by the quick movement.“Thank you all for joining me today. We have gathered here at the request of the Empress to determine what this object holds in store for us and our future.”
She turned and gestured towards Nefertiti’s place in the stands. “We have with us Grand Cleric Nefertiti, in hopes that her devotion may guide us towards the truth, whatever it may be.”
“Ilhuicaatl, Daemyn,” Nebula began, gaze settling on the pair for the briefest of moments, “Cascade revealed this object to you and the others, yes? I have no doubt that she did for a reason, though we may not know it’s true purpose as of yet. I believe it would be of utmost importance that we hear what happened that day from the mouths of those that witnessed it firsthand.”
WC: 441
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Post by SagaWolf on Jul 10, 2019 21:09:51 GMT -6
Daemyn
"That pearl's gotta weigh a ton! "
... ...
Daemyn had hoped that all their hard work wouldn't end with simply delivering the pearl, but that they'd get some small insight as to what it was... or did, but now that he stood next to Lulu, expected to share their tale, the visions and words of the Wave Mother, he felt inexplicably nervous. He never had any issues reporting back from patrols or standing rigid in front of his superiors, but this was... different. The Conparis, a Council member and a Grand Cleric, somehow they left him with a cold sweat and nerves pinching his guts, as if he was here to be punished for doing something wrong.
Like not saving the Emperor, his guilt chimed in and he swallowed hard, trying to ignore the gnawing thought.
Well, at least little Lulu had experienced it all too. Two voices, one story. Daemyn just hoped their words would be believed and not dismissed.
When Nebula spoke, Daemyn straightened up a little more, feeling the spotlight settle heavily on himself and his companion. Where to begin?
"It is a long story, " he said first, turning his gaze briefly to Lulu, ensuring that he was alright to speak.
"Speaking from my personal experience, our Wave Mother reached me in a dream, " he hesitated, feeling oddly foolish as he spoke out loud. He had to clear his throat before carrying on. "I... knew I had to travel to Kiephis, that there was something in the ruined city that needed to be found. When I arrived at the shoreline there were others, Ilhuicaatl among them. We confirmed to have had similar dream callings, and carried on together. The waters were absolutely toxic, but the Wave Mother kept us safe, yet there was a sense of... urgency all around us. In the ruins we found... a child. "
Daemyn took a deep breath, eyes growing distant as he recalled the pale form trapped, once more needing to swallow hard before carrying on. "She would not make it on her own so we decided to split the group. We had another collective vision of the Temple split in half and the pearl's location. Myself, Ilhuicaatl and Stormcry went to find it, while the others raced the child to safety. We made together and we brought the pearl here. Where else would we take one of Cascade's gifts?
It has revealed nothing to us, but it needed to be found. Of that much I am certain. "
......
Word Count: 409
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Post by foalish on Jul 11, 2019 1:19:59 GMT -6
Faris
By the time he had settled into place and gotten past the minor shock of seeing the pearl, Nebula had moved into her rightful position and started the council. All at once, Faris straightened up and his eyes turned to her and the words she spoke, practicing the customs along with the council member. It was something he was more or less used to by now and did readily on near instinct.
But his eyes and ears turned towards the horse who spoke first, Daemyn recounting the tale he’d gone through previously. If his interest had been caught before, it was now trapped.
Clearly Cascade wanted them to find the pearl, she’s guided the horses down and protected them, as well as the child. There was clearly a lot to the story, most of it still uncovered to their eye.
”Interesting,” the Conparis did not hold back his own voice, his eyes meeting the horses in the centre, one at a time. ”Both of you two have seems to spent some time in close proximity with this gift, be if only while bringing it here. Is there anything either of you two noticed about it during said time? Perhaps a feeling, reaction, change to the pearl? Anything you feel is important, no matter how small. Anything you feel may give us an idea of where to start.”
WC: 231 | Post 2 |
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Post by Prismaticlysm on Jul 11, 2019 9:17:29 GMT -6
Ilhuicaatl | Talori Philosopher Her mother must have felt very different, standing here awaiting judgement for a crime she didn’t commit and later proved thanks to an old diary Lulu’s grandmother had kept. Ilhuicaatl kept herself from shaking her head to clear her thoughts, and to keep herself from shaking all over. She wasn’t here to be punished. Only a small handful of horses had come to Kiephis to collect the pearl, and only three of them had actually carried it back due to their decision to split in order to rescue a child who had been trapped down there, all alone. Lulu felt guilty for not yet going to see how the child was doing after that traumatic experience.She had barely heard Councilor Nebula speaking, but quickly regained her composure and stood straight and still as she listened to the mare say a quick prayer to the wave mother. Lulu lowered her head and closed her eyes until it was done, before looking up again to the speckled mare. When Nefertiti was introduced, Lulu looked over to her and nodded respectfully, before she turned back around quickly at the sound of her name. Ice seemed to fill her gut again. Ilhuicaatl took in a shaky breath, found that her voice was, for once, refusing to work. Panic shivered through her, but Daemyn was quick to the rescue. She looked up towards the palomino stallion, offering him a look of thanks as she listened to him speak.She could remember her version of the dream, the sound of waves, when they broke upon an unseen shore she could remember hearing her name as the sound of the water retreated. She could feel the tug to the ocean, the need, desire, to get to Kiephis, the very place she narrowly escaped the day it collapsed. If not for her mothers quick work, the tiny hippocampus would likely be standing there today in a wheelchair.Lulu watched Daemyn take a deep breath after he mentioned the small child, who appeared to simply be awaiting death. She swallowed. It was a hard pill to swallow, but she was so utterly relieved that not only did they succeed in getting the pearl, they also brought the child back to safety. After Daemyn spoke, the Conparis Faris, a resplendent pegasus turned pegasus/hippocampus hybrid, spoke himself.She listened, but closed her eyes to think about that day. She had written everything down at home, not that she actually needed it, she had a pretty good memory. She focuses scrunching up her face.“The pearl...the pearl itself did not give me any actual emotion or feeling. It was Cascade herself who urged us on, giving us visions. I remember feeling her all around us in the water, the assurance that as we made our way to the temple, she would keep us from harm. She specifically told us three to go find it. And after that, her presence had drawn back from the water.” The girl had reopened her eyes. “I felt that before we even reached the surface, we had succeeded.” She turned her head towards the pearl. “It is small but extremely heavy. The vision we received is exactly as the pearl appears. Gold, and cracked.”She looked up to those standing before her. No matter how big or small, huh? Well...She looked up to those standing before her. “The pearl appeared after the fall of Kiephis, when the city cracked in half. I...I was there. An eruption of fire caused such widespread destruction.” She didn’t want to say his name, but there was only one god of Fire and fire had indeed ripped through and destroyed the great city. “Perhaps...if it is not bold of me to think or way...the pearl could possibly be related between Cascade and...him...as he entered her waters, caused this destruction, and then the pearl is set to be found.” She took a breath, adding quickly, “But it is highly likely it is just related to the Wave-Mother herself, and the ruin of Kiephis is simply a catalyst to even finding the pearl in the first place. We might find a clue about a pearl in some of our oldest texts. Perhaps it existed before the God’s War, during, or after.” She drew silent, worried her assumptions had gone too far. Maybe not far enough. But without assumptions, they didn’t have a place to start. So this way, they had many paths to take.742 WordsPost #2 |
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Post by notfromthisgalaxy on Jul 11, 2019 20:36:18 GMT -6
Nefertiti Grand Cleric | Talori
"You are blood of my blood. Your soul champions mine." Her attention briefly flickers over towards the Councilor at the call of her name, ever so slightly dipping her head in a silent response. It still felt a little odd to be standing here, to be trusted with discussing something as important as this.
Cascade be with her.
Nefertiti nods her head along to Daemyn's story, listening as intently as she can possibly manage. She does seem to be fully enamored with his story, her expression soft and her gaze completely fixed on him. Her ears swivel backwards at the mention of a child. Odd. Or perhaps not, recalling to the things she witness with her own eyes inside the Temple of Time.
She feels her attention flicker over to the Conparis, ever so briefly studying him as he speaks, considering each one of his questions with a hefty weight. All of them needed to be answered, but there was no telling if they would get what they were seeking or not. And if they did, would they know the full story now or later?
Turning to face the Philosopher, Nefertiti gives her the same amount of attention as she had given everyone else. Her lips turn down--ever so slightly-- at the thought of the Lord of Fire. She considered herself a godly woman. A woman who respected all of the gods in their own right. She had been raised to worship Argus alongside the Wave-Mother, but even she felt a little odd considering Ignacio for even one moment.
"Ignacio," she simply says, vocalizing the name where the girl had not. To her, it did not seem to far fetched. Not in the slightest, when you consider everything else going on around them. The Grand Cleric lets out a soft hum, brows falling down together in thought. "I would not say it isn't feasible, in the grand scheme of things."
Her gaze flickers back over towards the pearl, as if staring at it a little harder might make her think of something. "No reach is too far, my dear. Not if we are supposed to be searching for answers. All ideas are ideas." She muses, nodding her head as she continues to think over her own thoughts and ideals.
For now, that seems to be where she allows her thoughts to stop, still thinking and debating over what to say.
WC: 394 | Post #2
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Post by posy-punch on Jul 13, 2019 13:21:26 GMT -6
...
Like a hum, something rises within the room. It is such a tremor that it puts pause to your words, to your thoughts. But... it was not physical.
Spiritual. It rattled your soul, but it did not translate into your body. That you can tell the very moment you glance around you, at the others that have clearly felt the same thing. And the Pearl.
The Pearl seems to swell, as if it is taking a breath. It physically trembles, then, as another hum purrs through the room.
The pearl falls silent once more.
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Post by hydrus101 on Jul 16, 2019 10:21:37 GMT -6
N E B U L A• Talori | Council Member •
“There’s so much I could have said. But instead, I stood silent. I couldn’t give myself away.”
Nebula listened to the conversation that flowed around her thoughtfully, the court’s words and ideas helping to build a strong foundation for what was to come. Daemyn’s tale, Faris’s queries, Ilhuicaatl’s speculation, and Nefertiti’s reassurances began to weave a great tapestry before them, tied together with threads of mystery.
If this pearl truly had a connection with Ignacio and Cascade, what did that mean for the Talori? Was this a cooperative effort? Was this pearl a gift or merely a very shiny curse? If it was a gift, what was it’s purpose? Did it have any abilities or was it a symbol of peace and nothing more? Cascade wouldn’t have seemed so urgent if it did nothing, right?
Nebula pondered these questions and more in her own head for a few seconds more before she had complied a coherent and rational thought.
Just as she began to speak, the world around her suddenly sunk then rose again, yet nothing had physically moved. The thrum felt like pure energy, a spark, a wave passing through her soul.
Ears pinned back, Nebula reflexively turned towards the Conparis, her eyes wide.
The pearl’s breath closes her mouth before it opens, drawing her focus back towards the center of the room. It shudders again, not painfully, but lifelike, and the hum returns once more, falling silent soon after.
The whole court was silent and even Nebula herself was a tad shaken. Wether she was scared or in awe, she didn’t yet know. As her soul began to settle back into it’s proper place, the councilor looked down at the others and judged by their faces that she was not the only one to feel it.
Uncertainly, Nebula’s eyes darted around the courtroom, searching for any sign of change in the world around them. Upon finding nothing, she returned to her court.
“Is everyone alright?” She called, concern edging her voice. “Did we all feel that?”
She paused a moment, her mind running a million miles an hour. “Did anyone see anything? A vision or some sort of clue?”
From her place in the councilors box, Nebula could not see the pearl as well as those in the stands, and fired off one last question for the time being. “Has the pearl’s appearance changed?”
WC: 379
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Post by SagaWolf on Jul 17, 2019 12:54:49 GMT -6
Daemyn
"That pearl's gotta weigh a ton! "
......
The Guardian struggles with anxiety clawing at him, for not having any answers or proper speculations about the true nature of the pearl. He was afraid of suggesting anything stupid, like how the spherical shape reminded him more or a fish's egg than an actual pearl. Which was no doubt ridiculous. This was no egg, it had to be some long lost relic of Cascade's, but just what was it? And why had it appeared when it did? Had the splitting of the sea floor released the pearl?
He listened in silence, making no comments but nodding his head faintly while Lulu spoke, agreeing with most of her observations, and although Nefertiti assured them that nothing was too far fetched, he still couldn't bring himself to add ideas.
Then the pearl drew a breath? It did something which rattled his soul, which made him gasp for air and fold his ears back. The pearl moved, he was certain of that!
"It... it moved. Did you not see? It trembled, I'm sure! Like there's something alive inside. " He swallowed hard, swishing his tail nervously. "What if it isn't an object at all? What if its alive? Maybe... an... egg? " he said cautiously, inner voice instantly pummeling himself for speaking such stupid words.
......
Word Count: 212
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Post by Prismaticlysm on Jul 17, 2019 14:31:35 GMT -6
Ilhuicaatl | Talori Philosopher She had feared some sort of repercussion for even mentioning his presence, even if she was certain he did, in fact, enter Cascades realm. But she found herself assuaged when the cleric not only uttered his name but also did not immediately put down her seemingly far-fetched ideas. Her eyes follow Nefertiti’s, golden gaze falling upon the similarly golden pearl. Her ears were erect as she listened to the Grand Cleric muse softly, and then fall silent as if to allow another to speak.
And for a moment, it appeared that the Council Member, Nebula, was about to speak to them. But something else had decided to remind them all of its presence; the pearl itself.
She felt her entire being focusing on the pearl with rapt attention that would surpass the focus she gives to her studies with flying colors. Her eyes are wide, her ears attentive, head directed at the golden object that so demanded she look upon it. Or at least, that's how she could understand it. A certain desire. Or maybe that was just her own desire to look at it simply because something had made her look in the first place.
Was it...breathing? Stirring? Not like some strange object created by friction and sand from mollusks over the course of their lifetime. It did not appear to just be a thing. Or perhaps it was. Maybe Cascade was simply using it as a vessel to speak through?
And then there was the swelling and trembling. It did seem very egg-like. But if it was an egg, what on Hireath could it possibly be?
The girl is shaken from her hurried thoughts, hearing Nebula address them concernedly. She looked up at the grey mare, unsure where on Hireath her voice went again. And for the second time, Daemyn was there to rescue her. She looked up to the stallion, only just then realizing that she was quite literally strangling herself from surprise with her own tentacles, and flickered them back along her neck instead of around it.
“D...Daemyn is right. It moved, shivering...as an egg might during the hatching process.” Lulu’s voice was shaking. For a sick moment, she thought of the quake down in Kiephis, but she couldn’t believe it was malicious. “No pearl moves of its own accord. We ought to look closer.” She spoke up, trying to bring that confidence and academic tone back to her voice. She cursed herself, wishing she had brought writing tools. This needed to be documented.
She turned and moved closer towards the pearl, but kept a respectable distance from the glistening sphere as she looked it over from every angle. Nothing...visual seemed to have changed. The cracks didn’t appear longer or more striated, there were no pips like a hatching birds egg would have, and she couldn’t see anything through the scintillating exterior. It had grown for a moment as if drawing breath and something had reverberated inside of her. She couldn’t explain it. Her brain couldn’t wrap around what had happened.
“Cascade...what are you trying to teach us?” Despite everything, Lulu was sure Cascade was trying to guide them, just as she had before.
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Post by foalish on Jul 17, 2019 16:17:41 GMT -6
Faris
His eyes narrowed, tilting his head at the suggestion from one of the horses he’d asked from. It was an interesting suggestion - at least, the Ignacio part. It seemed important to Cascade, if she had directed her horses to it; he could not name how Ignacio would fit into the picture. But it was a suggestion none the less, and at least a place to start.
Before anything further could happen - he, along with the rest of the room, was put to a dramatic stop. With his eyes widening at the sudden purrs - the literal trembling from the pearl.
His eyes scanned around the the room, gauging the reactions before anyone came to say anything. It seemed like everyone else had heard and seen the exact same thing he had just witnessed - all looked at least somewhat baffled or startled.
”I think so,” he replied to Nebula, in a general tone for everyone. And then murmured and theories soon ran around the room, one that caught his ears, where others seemed to agree with the egg theory.
There was only so far he could approach from his perch; and he debated opening his wings to get a closer look, but instead he stayed where he was, eyes narrowed. ”Is it alive?” he asked, another chorus on top of the other voices. His head turned back to the Council Member, ”we should be careful, if it is alive, we don’t know what it is - it could hurt us, or us it.” He looked back; eyes resting back on the pearl - if it even was that.
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Post by notfromthisgalaxy on Jul 17, 2019 17:38:37 GMT -6
Nefertiti Grand Cleric | Talori
"You are blood of my blood. Your soul champions mine." The Grand Cleric feels as if her soul has just been shaken, torn apart by the seems and looked at very carefully as it was rattled. Her gaze drifts around the room, hoping she hadn't been the only one to feel that. And she's more than relieve to realize she hadn't been. Her gaze snaps back to the pearl, eyes narrowing as if she is looking for something more, something unexpected. Did it just breath? Her ears swivel backwards, her neck craning forwards to get a better look.
Was it alive? Or better yet was it about to be alive? It appeared so to her. Inanimate objects don't just move as if they are taking a breath. Why did it need to breath? Or even move?
"Do... Do you think it's alive? Is it some creature?" She mainly mumbles the questions to herself, doing her best to keep her overall attitude calm and collected. Did they just bring an unknown live creature into the chambers? Was it about to hatch? That was if it was actually an egg cleverly disguised as a pearl, which was odd to even consider in the first place.
She watches as Lulu moves forward, a surge of panic rushing through her veins. "Do be careful, dear." She calls, her words coming out more nervous than she had meant. Though she finds herself leaning a little farther over the council seat--perhaps even more curious then before about what exactly they had brought into these walls. "If it is indeed alive, we should be careful--as the Conparis said. IT might be more scared of us then we are of it."
She doesn't really know if she even wants to know if there is a living, breathing creature inside of the "pearl". Doubt and anxiety take a hold of her as if there's something devilish brewing underneath the surface. It takes her a moment to remind herself than this "pearl" had been found for a reason, whether it was alive or not shouldn't affect the search for truth, and they had to figure out why.
Cascade wouldn't have put them in danger if it wasn't for a purpose, right? She wanted to think she wouldn't have even thought to put them here if they were going to be in danger.
"The Wave-Mother showed it to us for a reason--even if it is a living creature inside of there." Nefertiti muses, her head lazily tilting to the side as she studies it. "She wouldn't put us in danger if it was going to harm us."
There is no falter to her words. She believes wholeheartedly in them.
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Post by hydrus101 on Jul 22, 2019 18:56:05 GMT -6
N E B U L A• Talori | Council Member •
“There’s so much I could have said. But instead, I stood silent. I couldn’t give myself away.”
“Indeed,” Nebula murmured, a soft spoken agreement to Nefertiti’s sentiments. “The reoccurring question here is ‘why’ she left it in the first place. What does it do, if anything?”
The councilor fell silent once more, a considerate look crossing her face. “Well, we won’t get much done standing around and staring at it.”
In a impulsive movement, Nebula descended from her place in the box and stepped out onto the courtroom floor, an action she had only ever done once before in her short career.
Joining Ilthuicaatl with a respectful nod, Nebula stood a distance from the pearl, scrutinizing it as best she could without aid of her glasses. Of course today would have been the day she had left them at home.
Hoping that the Grand Cleric was right about Cascade’s benevolence, the councilor took another step forward, coming within touching distance of the pearl. She had inspected it when it had arrived and her touch had done nothing previously, but the pearl also hadn’t pulsed before now. Perhaps something had changed.
Moving slowly, Nebula circled the pearl once, looking for anything that might be of importance. Nothing jumped out at her, and with a tentative gesture, she reached out and lightly brushed her teke over the golden veins, quickly drawing back in surprise. The pearl was warm.
WC: 219
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Post by SagaWolf on Jul 23, 2019 0:18:23 GMT -6
Daemyn
"That pearl's gotta weigh a ton! "
......
Daemyn wanted to stop Lulu from getting any closer to the pearl, egg, orb, whatever it was, but he held back on his instincts instead mumbling for her to be careful. He took a few steps closer himself, suddenly not too keen on being near the object, but still wanting to be close enough to pull the small hippocampus to safety if necessary.
He did feel a touch of relief that none had ridiculed his theory of an egg, but instead accepted it as a very real possibility, although that wasn't necessarily a good thing. Daemyn didn't for a moment think that the Wave Mother would have guided her children to retrieve something dangerous by design, but gods also saw the world from a different perspective and as evident with the destruction of Kiephis, didn't always consider how fragile their followers were.
So Daemyn remained on edge, even more so as Nebula joined them on the floor, circling the gold veined sphere, and reached out to brush the smooth surface. He actually jumped some when she drew back almost instantly and was at her side in an instance... just in case.
"What is it? " he asked immediately, concern lacing his voice.
......
Word Count: 202
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Post by Prismaticlysm on Jul 24, 2019 11:31:01 GMT -6
Ilhuicaatl | Talori Philosopher Ilhuiccaatl listened to the Conparis, Faris, speak his inquiries and concerns from behind her. Yes...caution was always the best route to take. But there had been no need for caution before, when she, Daemyn and Stormcry had dredged the pearl up from the depths of Kiephis. They had simply grabbed a hold and hauled it up to the surface. Why now would the pearl suddenly show it’s life, if it indeed had so? And why would the Wave-Mother put them in danger if it was actually dangerous?
Why did the Wave-Mother seemingly ask for the blood of innocent pegasi twice a year, every year?
Lulu drew a quick intake of breath; this was not the time or place to be thinking like that. Absolutely not. Shaking her tentacles, she turned to regard the Grand Cleric softly as she spoke her own concerns like the Conparis had. She felt a little foolish, having just strode up so quickly, but she was glad that the Grand Cleric had said exactly what Lulu had been thinking, and she offered Nefertiti a smile before turning back towards the golden sphere.
To her shock and awe, Council Member Nebula had stepped forward not only next to Lulu, observed just as she had, but she had instead reached out with her teke to touch the object in question. Lulu couldn’t remember what it felt like; they were in a dire situation when they had grabbed it in the first place so it never really clicked.
But as soon as teke had touched the gilded orb, it vanished just as quickly, and Ilhuicaatl recognized the surprise in Nebula’s eyes. She could feel Daemyn, who had previously been close to her after mumbling for her to be careful, rushing to Nebula’s side in alarm. While Daemyn looked to Nebula concerned, Lulu looked back up at the orb above. What did she feel?
“Wave-Mother...protect me.” And just as impulsively, instead of reaching her teke, she reached one of her long, azure and amethyst colored tentacles to touch the pearl. What would it feel like, she wondered? What would it do?
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Post by foalish on Jul 24, 2019 13:25:26 GMT -6
Faris
Concerns passed - and while there was some validity to what the Grand Cleric said. Cascade was said to be loving - like a mother. But if it was a creature, even so about to hatch, it’s reaction to hatching surrounded by a bunch of horses, may not be one of in character to...whatever it was. If it was even that. Caution was needed for both sides - to not startle a potential being, and to protect it. Or whatever it was.
His eyes widened as Nebula followed her own whims and left her councillor box. He watched carefully as she went onto the lower area, bold enough to reach out and touch it. But quick enough, she pulled back, surprise written all over her expression.
Daemyn spoke up his own question, before Faris had any chance to ask the same thing. And then his own draw pulled at his heart, too strongly to ignore. Opening his wings, fluttering of feathers, in a few seconds, he lowered as lightly as he could manage, next to the Hippocampus, who was reaching out to touch it, themselves.
Faris’ eyes narrowed, but he did not try and stop them, holding back his own interest behind others, ”just be gentle,” he spoke softly, as if that concern was needed.
WC: 215 | Post 4 |
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Post by posy-punch on Jul 27, 2019 17:20:38 GMT -6
...
The second it is touched, the pearl cracks. It is a long, jagged piece that shears off of it, unveiling something dark and rough underneath. Before you can get a good look at the newly revealed layer of stone, however, steam begins to pour out of the fissure.
It begins to blanket the floor, rolling in twisting tendrils. Impulsively, you gasp, holding in a breath, but the steam doesn't appear to be harmful. Though hot, it doesn't burn.
The pearl hums, again, almost as if it is breathing, and another shard of pearlescent white and gold falls to the ground, shattering.
The layer of rock beneath the pearly-surface is obviously volcanic, and it is hot enough that those standing next to it immediately break out in a sweat. Two things are obvious. The pearl is hardly safe to touch once its glittering outer cast is broken away and it is obviously something heralded from the fissure.
The longer you stare at it, the more you sweat, the more it becomes clear that Cascade was not the one to create this thing. Or, she wasn't the only one.
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Post by notfromthisgalaxy on Jul 28, 2019 18:43:26 GMT -6
Nefertiti Grand Cleric | Talori
"You are blood of my blood. Your soul champions mine." The Grand Cleric finds herself, too, moving down from her spot among the Council box--though it's uncertain if it's out of her own sheer wonder and curiosity or simply because everyone had done so already.
She doesn't say it aloud, but this... Object was certainly more impressive the closer one got to it.
"Don't move too fast." She calls, her head tilting to the side just a little. Did veins mean life? Or where those golden lines there just for decoration? The Cleric in her was screaming the first option--what thing had veins simply for decoration? Or maybe she was just talking herself into circles at this point. "If it is indeed a living creature, we must be careful with it. Respect it... And we can only hope it will respect us too."
Nefertiti, even when standing in the face of something unknown, had no doubt in her mind that the Wave-Mother would never reveal this to them if they were going to be put in harm's way. After all, what kind of mother would do such a horrible thing to their children? Her mind reels and twirls around on itself, trying to piece together all the missing links.
Albeit confusing, and simply a wonder, Nefertiti would not back down from the sentiment that their Mother would not dare to put them in danger--the Mother she has spoken too would not, in her eyes at least.
"Lulu, darling. I wouldn't--"
Her words are caught short in the back of her throat, eyes going wide in a mix of awe and horror. She steps backwards as if trying to escape them-- apparently harmless--steam, but it only seems to get closer and closer.
And then the "pearl" seems to breath again.
What in Cascade's name?... Or was it even Cascade's name alone she should be calling?
Was it hot in here? Well, besides the normal standards for heat. Her body feels weighed down by the heat, the sudden urge to flee from the heat taking over her senses--her entire train of thought.
But, yet, she remains. And her mind can only form one word:
"Who?"
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Post by SagaWolf on Jul 31, 2019 8:40:41 GMT -6
Daemyn
"That pearl's gotta weigh a ton! "
......
Daemyn startled at the sound of the crack, and instantly he grabbed Lulu with his teke and jerked her away, none too gently. There would be time to apologize later, but not if the object exploded in her face. Just as the small hippocampus was lifted, Daemyn distanced himself from the orb, as steam came rolling out. It wasn't until he realized that the steam did him no harm, that he slowly put Lulu back on her own four hooves, mumbling a low and frustrated apology.
Another shard of shell? pear crust? broke and fell to the floor, making the very nervous guardian sidestep and snort deeply, immensely frustrated by that which he didn't understand. Heat rolled out from the cracked orb and the volcanic seemed rocky enough, but what in the world had an inner core of volcanic rock covered in pearl? It didn't seem to fit the Wave Mother at all, and as sweat began to prickle his skin his mind came to a worrisome conclusion.
"Cascade brought Ignacio to Kiephis, " Daemyn said and felt his throat go dry. Owain had sobbed for days in terror after that horror, but had made that very clear as he retold the events. Kalakara had backed it up too and so had other eyewitnesses.
"This thing must be the result of water and fire coming together. There's no touching it at this stage or examine it properly. Maybe if we could cool it down. "
......
Word Count: 244
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Post by Prismaticlysm on Aug 3, 2019 20:36:44 GMT -6
Ilhuicaatl | Talori Philosopher What could she have expected by touching?
The pearl exhaling again, humming as it had before?
Some more cracks trailing across the surface, enticing them to look even closer?
Honestly, she just thought she would feel the smoothness of the exterior and nothing else. Surely, despite the hum and the breath, they may have been imagining things?
Nothing could have prepared her for what happened next. Nothing could have prepared her for being right.
Tentacle touched, and shards fell, steam uncoiling from the interior like some twisted snake seeking freedom. She felt herself freeze in shock, the heat spreading across her small body. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing, what she was feeling. She was both terrified and awed. But she wasn’t there for long, as powerful teke drew her away from that which could possibly harm her the longer she stood there, and she hung limply for a moment as her widened eyes lingered on the supposed egg.
She was lowered back down gently, and despite such, she felt it hard to keep her footing. He apologized, though she felt it wasn’t necessary for him to apologize for potentially taking her out of harm's way. She sputtered a thank you, but she couldn’t look at him.
Daemyn spoke the words she had suggested, words she had believed she had experienced. She felt tears well up in her eyes, though she didn’t understand why. Leaning her head down, she wiped them away upon her knees before she took a step back away from the volcanic egg. Whatever it was.
“...What does this mean?” She looked between Nebula and Nefertiti, pleading for some kind of answer. “Maybe...cooling it as Daemyn suggested will...stop it…” She fumbled over her words. Was even trying to stop whatever it was a good thing? Would Cascade get angry?
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Post by posy-punch on Aug 3, 2019 20:48:49 GMT -6
...
NOT YET.
The voice is calm, measured, almost soothing. It is not intense. It is not incendiary. Rather, it is foggy and slow. A caress, flighting and amorphous. The pearl in the center of the room takes another breath, it's surface expanding despite its hard exterior.
YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO GROW.The phrase could be meant for them as much as it is meant for the pearl. Have her children fixed themselves yet? How much time has passed? Months... or centuries. It was not in Her nature to quantify the passage of time, to keep track of the past, the present, the future. It is all one, ever flowing, always repeating itself.NOT YET.
NOT IN THIS PLACE.She says again, a whisper that echoes through the Palace chamber. The rest of the volcanic rock's pearlescent exterior falls away. Another wave of steam rolls out of the ground like a fog. Not yet? Not in this place? Then where?
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Post by foalish on Aug 3, 2019 22:22:14 GMT -6
Faris
The heat rolled up his spine before he saw the pearl tremor. It looked so alive - like it was breathing, a first breath, or maybe more. Or perhaps that was just his assumption - it was hard to believe anything but that this was something alive, hatching.
More words around him, more reactions and gasps he could feel his in own soul; his own reaction coming off from autopilot. It was hard to do anything but stare, mouth agape. Even as others found their voice, he could not, his own natural regalness, lost to his surprise.
And then there was a voice. It seemed like it could only be of one being; speaking to the room. Perhaps them. Perhaps the pearl.
It made Faris raise his head, look around for someone who was bound to not be there, unable to hold back his voice. ”Cascade?” he whispered softly, ”what do you mean?” He almost sounded desperate, searching and hoping for answers he hoped she’d give. ”When? And if not here, where? How can we help?”
If they could be helped.
But he didn’t say that.
WC: 190 | Post 5 |
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Post by notfromthisgalaxy on Aug 5, 2019 13:22:12 GMT -6
Nefertiti Grand Cleric | Talori
"You are blood of my blood. Your soul champions mine." Nefertiti wishes she had the answers.
Or just a answer.
Something to quell the pleading glance Lulu sends her. Something. Anything. But her mind only continues to draw a blank. Over and over and over--
NOT YET.
Hold on a moment.
YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO GROW.
What small train of thought she has is quickly derailed, eyes shooting up to look at the ceiling. Was that...?
She knew that voice. Like the call of water, she knew that voice.
Her gaze flickers around the room, searching for someone. No, no someone. Her Mother. Their Mother.
NOT YET. NOT IN THIS PLACE.
She they perhaps move it? Somewhere outside of the council chambers? Her gaze drifts upwards once again, looking at the ceiling with a strange sense of wonder and confusion. Was it too large--or destructive--to remain here?
"Mother?" She calls, searching for the source of the voice. Nothing is to be found in the end. Other than the strange feeling that She was watching them. "Are you there? What... What are we to do?"
The sounds of pearlescent shards hitting the ground pull her back to earth. Back to the reality around her, and the pearl sitting in the middle of the room.
"I can attempt to cool if off a little--freeze it. Perhaps it might be just enough for us to move it somewhere else... Other than here." Her gaze drifts around the room, searching for any clear signs of objection. "I would make it easier for us to move it. But I can't promise how long it would hold. We'd have to move fast."
WC: 275 | Post #5
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Post by Prismaticlysm on Aug 8, 2019 21:59:13 GMT -6
Ilhuicaatl | Talori Philosopher Cascade seemed to answer her.
Ilhuicaatl recognized the voice. The same one from Kiephis the day it fell. The same one from the dream. The same when they went to retrieve the pearl.
Not yet? What did that even mean?
Time to grow...so that meant that it really was an egg. Whatever this was, was somehow a living being. Lulu didn’t even think that Cascade was talking about her people, her eyes so transfixed upon the egg she had touched moments before.
Not in this place… Lulu wasn’t sure she understood what that meant either. Not in this room? Not in Inaria? Not in this plane of existence?
Her eyes and ears are drawn to Faris who speaks what she had been thinking, How could they help?
Finally Nefertiti speaks, and Lulu immediately looks to the Grand Cleric. She tries to push away her insecurities and her worries, trying to think logically.
If she were a smoking lava baby...thing, where would she want to grow?
The answer was very simple, at least to her. But how in the heck were they supposed to get this thing to any other place in Inaria let alone on the other side of the world?
Oriel made the most sense. It was a volcano for crying out loud! But it would take months to get there. Sedo was another option, as deserts were inherently hot, but again, it wasn’t just a walk around the block.
Mustering bravery, she took another step back towards the smoldering thing in the center of the room. Steam laps at her hooves, and she tries to avoid lifting her hooves away from the uncomfortable heat. She had to show Cascade she wasn’t afraid, even though she actually was.
“Cascade, you trusted us to retrieve the Pearl, please trust us again that we can help it. Please tell us what we must do and it will be done.” She looks to what was once the Pearl, then to the ceiling, as if looking for some physical sign that Cascade would speak again.
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Post by hydrus101 on Aug 10, 2019 18:32:26 GMT -6
N E B U L A• Talori | Council Member •
“There’s so much I could have said. But instead, I stood silent. I couldn’t give myself away.”
Nebula stayed silent for quite a while, watching, waiting, contemplating. Even though Cascade’s voice floated in the air around them, Nebula knew just that would not protect them from whatever might be lurking inside, especially as her voice faded away.
Immediately, it was replaced with the fervent words of the court, beseeching their goddess for answers. Nebula was as pious as they come, but even she knew this was a task they would likely have to tackle alone.
“I think...” she began, “I think she is gone. We may have to settle this ourselves.”
She looks up at each of them, holding their gaze for just a moment before moving to the next.
“As I see it, we have a few options. We cannot leave the pearl here, of course, Cascade said as much, so we must move it regardless.”
Nebula looks down, thoughtful. “We could take it somewhere secure, the palace vaults may be best, and have it monitored until...whatever happens happens, I suppose. That does run the risk of being close to civilization, but it is the safest place I can think of right now.”
“Or,” she continues, tilting her head, “we might find a place for it outside of Inaria, away from the people, though the distance may be cause for concern.”
She lifts her head one last time, looking back to the court, back to her people. “That, or we could return it to Kiephis, where it was found. Cascade and... Ignacio may have left it for us, but not intended for us to remove it, per se.”
“I will leave the final decision to you,” she says, nodding towards the pearl, “though I do think time will be of the essence.”
WC: 287
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Post by foalish on Aug 10, 2019 21:48:36 GMT -6
Faris
His gaze continued to look around him, his eyes scanning for something that could not be seen. The moments drew on, and it seemed like Cascade has gone, the world still. He let out a long breath, as he accepted that fact. But it did not make any more sense to what was going on or what she had said. It truly was baffling.
Nebula pulled him out of his train of thought, his gaze landing on her, as she spoke, giving out the options she was prepared to give, after her own opinion on the situation. Faris nodded slowly, eyes creasing under frowned eyebrows.
Things felt strange - off. And he felt uneasy. But he tried to push it off, nodding, his gaze turning back to the Pearl, or whatever it really was.
”I think we should put it under watch.” He started. He gave a flick of his tail, as he continued his case. ”Cascade wants us to know about this - for whatever reason, we can’t say, but I think we should keep it close, and try and figure out what it is. Even if that may only be revealed in time:” He looked up the horses around him. ”I’m not sure if it would be better to have it in the vault, or to take it away, though.” It as long as it was monitored, that was his main concern.
A passing thought wondered if some blessings would work on this pearl - perhaps clairvoyance or retrocognition could reveal some more information. But he didn’t speak that thought aloud.
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Post by Prismaticlysm on Aug 12, 2019 21:54:15 GMT -6
Ilhuicaatl | Talori Philosopher Ilhuicaatl was baffled. It didn’t make any sense to her.
She and Daemyn, among three others, had been lured to the depths of Kiephis and told to find the pearl...to bring it back.
Wait...except Cascade hadn’t actually told them to bring it back. All she said was for them to find it and they assumed that they had to bring it back.
If she could pale anymore than she was, she would have just then.
“Maybe we do need to return it...Maybe we were simply supposed to ensure it’s safety.” The Philosopher began to pace, sending her tentacles bouncing about her head. “But there is no possible way I can see that that could be done. How would we protect it? Surely it could protect itself against those toxic waters, but it was Cascade's blessing that we not only made it down there safely but also come back sans poisoned.”
The girl paused her pacing to look to Faris, and she gave him a hurried nod in agreement. “I agree that it needs to be watched. Cascade didn’t want us to find it for nothing.” She began pacing again, her ears twitching as she thought.
“Bringing it to Kiephis could pose a danger to those making the journey unless Cascade herself chooses those who are to do the job. I say that only from personal experience, we were gifted with...magic bubbles to keep the poisons from our bodies. And even then, we could tell it wasn’t going to last forever. Time was of the essence, as it is now.”
She looked up to Nebula again. “If this is indeed...a child of Ignacio and Cascades, then surely the most appropriate place for it would be in one of the birthing pools. Perhaps one that can be sectioned off from the rest of the citizens.” She scrunched up her brows, thinking. “...But maybe the safest place actually is the vault...that way, we can protect it.”
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