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Post by Jennycallie on Aug 11, 2017 14:27:52 GMT -6
It was not a particularly long tunnel. It might have seemed otherwise, for the dark plays tricks on even the most practical of minds. The dark, and the echoes of hooves, magnified by the stone walls and yet muffled somehow, as if a veil has dropped between the call and response, a shifting of reality.
The deep and lovely dark is an entity of its own, one of change.
And though the walk may have seemed agonizingly, terrifyingly long, it did not branch. There was but one path to take, one inevitable destination.
Icabod and Clarke would have noticed it first, the way the air suddenly seemed to expand, to move freely, no longer confined but low ceilings and pressing walls, freed into what must be larger room. Hoof beats that had been echoing faintly into nothingness as they traveled down the tunnel were suddenly returned, bouncing off a distant, soaring wall.
And if any doubt remained, a sudden dull glow suffused the room, softly illuminating stone walls. The light emanated not from torches, nor stones, but… a length of polished, ivory wood… the unmistakable glint of metal, and polished, razor edged stone…
Weapons. A double-headed axe, a war hammer, and a dagger. They were the source of the glow, a soft green light that grew steadily brighter, pulsing as if with a heartbeat, slow and steady.
As more of the group crowded into the ancient room, the light suddenly flared, as if in alarm, or warning.
Then the weapons exploded into motion, still emanating their own light, so similar and yet so different from an equine’s telltale telekinesis. With nothing but a soft whir, the weapons careened towards the standing, staring equines. The hammer soared towards Khala's slender legs, the dagger Clarke's ears, and the axe towards Liam's neck.
These strange weapons seem hell-bent on attacking you, and telekinesis has seemingly no effect on them! Find another way of subduing them if you want to survive!
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Post by annowre on Aug 11, 2017 18:55:47 GMT -6
Liam | Scout
I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory...
The tunnel was dark and enclosing. It felt like every step they took was a step deeper into the bowels of a great beast. A sense of foreboding overwhelmed the stallion, and he stepped closer to Khala. Something inside him just didn't sit right. It was strange. When he was younger he'd jump headlong into situations like this. But perhaps his years had afforded him some wisdom, or at least caution. The same couldn't be said for his childhood friend. She'd just barreled on in like it was nothing. The stallion snorted again, following closely behind Clarke and the others.
When's it gonna get me? In my sleep?
It was pitch black in the tunnel, but he could sense when the cramped space felt like it opened up. The tunnel was much shorter than Liam had anticipated. The echoes of their steps reverberating off of walls further above and around them. They all clustered to a stop when they entered the larger chamber. It was like the whole group was holding their breath, eyes gaping, trying to catch sight of anything in the oppressive darkness. Liam shuddered slightly. Something just felt so wrong about this. He was about to say something when the room slowly illuminated. The light emanating from what looked to be three weapons laid out on a table. The scout took a step back.
Several feet ahead of me?
Suddenly, the light pulsed, flashing and causing Liam to wince back, his eyes still adjusted to the darkness. When his vision cleared slightly, something unbelievable laid before him. The weapons were animate, flying toward the group. All his brain was able to register was the large hammer flying at Khala's legs. Khala. His dearest, oldest friend. And this massive weapon was flying at her. She had a daughter. Horses who loved and needed her. And no one would bat an eyelash if something happened to him. He had to help her. The stallion reached out with his telekinesis, but there was no response, so he leapt forward. But in his moment of blindness and concern for his friend, he didn't see the massive axe barreling toward him.
I see it comin', do I run or do I let it be?
Dark brown eyes caught it too late. They turned to the mare he was jumping for, his momentum making it impossible for him to stop or dodge or do anything to stop the inevitable. Eyes filled with remorse and sadness. His hooves hit the stone floor just next to the chimera mare and he softly smiled at her, tears forming in his eyes. He wasn't ready to die, but he didn't have much of a choice. At least he had tried to be heroic.
There is no beat, no melody.
The unyielding axe tore through his throat. Falling to his knees a chocking gasp escaped his mouth, shooting blood outward and more poured from the gaping wound on his neck. He shook a moment, his body fighting against the shock of what had happened. But there was nothing it could do. The light evaporated from his once warm brown eyes, body slumping onto the cold stone floor. Lifeless.
Post 5 | 540 words
exit Liam
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Post by posy-punch on Aug 11, 2017 19:35:41 GMT -6
ANNA BERK
oh hell nah
"Chalk will do I think. Besides, we don't even know how much the tunnel branches yet, we should be fine." Anna said with a short nod towards Otama, then swinging her head around to nod at Amber. It was a good idea to ask about a lantern or light-bringing blessing, but it appeared as if the group would be forced to go without. Anna followed the rest of the group as they walked through the tunnel, her brown eyes struggling to adjust. She'd never liked feeling closed in, it was too claustrophobic, too empty. She did however notice the change in temperament from the front runners of the posse, and as she walked further along she noticed it too. Then the light, not too bright, but again harsh on her eyes, seeing as she had just adjusted to the darkness. The mare was no longer curious, more so feeling a foreboding tension, drawing her pelt around her even further. Just like that, they exploded into motion with a flare of their light. Anna thought for but a moment of telekinesis before she was startling backwards, shocked. In the very same moment, she watched Liam charge forwards, aiming to knock Khala aside. For a moment, the mare attributed the weaponry to him, her mind flighting to the first explanation being that one of the group had snapped. Foolish, and yet, somehow more sensible than the weapons moving themselves. The tear of flesh and the dull swish of the blade put an end to that thought, rather quickly. "By gods!" She whispered. He was valiant and yet, he had failed. Anna had seen his move, however, and though shocked to the core, the medic was not flighty in battle. She'd done her fair share working on bloodied soldiers, dodging injury herself. She shoved forward in the split seconds she could, her head coming to shove Khala's flank heavily to the side, throwing the mare away from the hammer. In the next moment she was avoiding the axe, stumbling backwards again to avoid conflict. "Does anyone have a shield? Force fields?" Anna said quickly, eyeing up Liam, understanding very quickly that she was not going to be able to aide the stallion in any way at this point. words: 382 |
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Post by Royaltrix on Aug 11, 2017 22:09:49 GMT -6
Jade | War-Forged | Weather Witch
Entering the tunnel was invigorating for Jade, restless energy binding itself around every crevice of her being. Her limbs shook with excitement each step down the path, her pulse thundering in her ears. What did it hold? Where did it lead? What will we discover? These thoughts raced through her mind endlessly, becoming almost a mantra of sorts with how much it invaded her mind.
But then, the energy changed once the group breached a wide open room. A sinking feeling in her gut replaced the previous excitement; sudden instinctual fear seeping into every fiber of her being. Confusion flitted through her mind, as her pale eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden glow emanating from the room. Demanding her attention, and yet she couldn't give it. The sudden shock of light from whatever it was, made the chimera mare shut her eyes to block out the brightness. A sudden bright light striking her in the eyes was not good. Please let me be okay...I do not need to trigger an impromptu migraine now of all times...anything but that please... A sharp throb in her temple told her otherwise.
Crap.
Unknowing of the madness folding out before her, Jade waited until the intense light faded...only for the source of light outside of her closed lids to split into three and shoot towards the others and her. "What the--?!" bewildered by the sharp whir of metal, Jade's eyes snapped open; albeit reluctantly. The sight before her shook her to her very core. Three weapons glowing a pulsating green: a war hammer, a double-headed axe, and a dagger. All seemingly controlling themselves out of free-will...and hellbent on drawing blood.
Being so caught up in the sentient weapons, and dodging them as best she could, Jade was unable to react in time as she watched Liam attempt to push Khala out of the way of the impending war hammer darting for her leg. The sickeningly smooth way the axe slashed Liam's throat, with seemingly no resistance, froze Jade right on the spot. Blood gushed freely from every available crevice connected to his throat; his breathing spluttering for a few moments as he was forced to his knees, until it stopped completely as the soft thud of his body hitting the ground marked his last breath.
I can't breathe. Why can't I breathe. My chest hurts. Why does it hurt. My chest feels tight, constricted. My lungs contracting: not working. They aren't working. Head feels light. Not good. Must breathe. But I can't.
What do I do?
I can't do anything.
Liam's dead. DEAD. Not safe.
Flee. Run. Hide. LEAVE.
Falling to her knees heavily, black spots crowding her vision as her lungs struggled to grasp for air; Jade was failing to comprehend her current reality. Her mental fortitude crumbled, years of bottled up emotions tumbling out in vicious waves, unrelenting.
Why did he die. He didn't deserve it. No. Not at all. It's not fair. Why did he have to die. He didn't deserve it-- This became an unbroken mantra in the chimera's mind, becoming chopped and blurred as her thoughts raced faster and faster; as her mind tried to cope with the onslaught of feelings and thoughts from many years prior to now finally surfacing. All it took to unlock her mental safe guard, was seeing another protect someone they loved and cared for.
As she continued to fight for breath, among the whirlwind of thoughts, a memory of her prior to her mission wiggled its way through all of it. Mom. Reese. My Family. They are waiting for me. I won't die here. I will go back. Won't let it happen again. Not this time, Not ever again.
Inhaling deeply, despite the smell of blood and fear tainting the air, Jade calmed her rampaging thoughts and feelings; attempting to return to a semi-normal state of mind. With oxygen finally pumping through her lungs, Jade shakily stood back up on all four limbs. She wasn't quite 100% okay (especially after that intense panic attack and the inevitable migraine coming soon), but she blinked away all her unshed tears and brought herself back to the hellish situation she currently was in. No matter what, she had to survive.
And she was going to make sure the others did as well too.
Words: 722
Post Count: 5
Side note: Memory she speaks of will be my written chapter piece I'll upload sometime this weekend, for those who are curious about it c:
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Post by cogaidh on Aug 11, 2017 23:28:54 GMT -6
Otama | War-Forged | Valkyrie
Valor is a gift. Those having it never know for sure whether they have it till the test comes. And those having it in one test never know for sure if they will have it when the next test comes.
Ignoring the strange looks that she got for having so many odd things in her pack, she preferred to be prepared, the mule walked over to the cave entrance and marked a message on the outside wall with her chalk so passerby’s could see where the group had gone. Then as the group moved into the tunnel she kept to the back, not liking the closed in feeling that seemed to settle on her as they traveled down the seemingly endless tunnel. Veka was pressed so close to her that the young mare nearly tripped on the snow leopard several times in the trip. Her eyes strained in the darkness trying to pick up any faint trace of light, her blessing told her where the walls of the tunnel were but to not see them was… unnerving.
Her long ears pricked forward as the echoing of their hoofsteps began to spread out, indicating a large room ahead of the group. Good, even with her connection to the earth, she disliked tight spaces. Her relief soon turned to foreboding when the group entered the large chamber and she saw the glow of the weapons that seemed to hang in the room… that… was worrying. The glow hurt her eyes after so long in the dark and she kept a firm grip on the hilt of her sword, releasing the straps that held the blade in its sheath. Her foreboding turned into shock and alarm as the weapons seemed to blaze to life and head for the group. She was at the back, forced to watch as Liam rushed forward to protect Khala from the war hammer only to see his throat ripped open by the axe.
No. She watched as dark blood gushed in the dark room. No. his body thudded to the ground and the Valkyrie burst into action. “NO!” her battle roar echoed in the room as she launched herself forward, sword drawn. She hurtled past all the others and parried the dagger heading for Clark with her own sword. The reverberations that rippled through her at the contact of the blades had her shuddering at the power she felt. She reared up, her blessing bursting from her in the form of writhing stone pillars pulled from the ground around her hooves. These thick stone pillars attempted to confine the weapons, wrapping around hilts and steel. Something in the aura around the weapons had her stone slipping away from them but that didn’t stop Òtama form throwing the pillars at them again and again.
Between her own sword and her blessing, she attempted to keep the group safe from the weapons. The harsh sounds of bronze on stone shrieked through the chamber as she fought the weapons possessed by some unknown force. The immense exertion of using her blessing in such a way was quickly draining her, she hadn’t tried to use her blessing in such a way before, and she didn’t know how much longer she could hold off the attack. The dagger whipped by her head, leaving a gash running from temple to nose that barely missed her right eye. She fought on, she was a Valkyrie! A daughter of Kaia! With her blessing so completely connecting her with the earth she called out to her Goddess, a mental cry for help that she hoped would reverberate through the stone.
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Post by Superior-Caesar on Aug 12, 2017 0:12:10 GMT -6
Icabod | RaiderIcabod had a certain pep in his step as he led alongside Clarke into the darkness. He wasn't so much leading as getting overly excited ahead of everyone else. It kind of sucked that they were in such darkness. Luckily, the path seemed clear. He could tell relatively well that nothing was in the way with the use of his blessing. There were no vibrations but that of his companions hoof steps. It was almost unsettling, but he was certain something of greatness would cross their path eventually. That was not what came next. The stallion took in the change in air. Strange. They'd found a more open space, but nothing was visible. Then, as unexpectedly as the openness had come, so had the light. Icabod had no chance to take in what was happening around him until it was too late. Three weapons hurtled into their group, baring no telekinesis of outsiders. The stallion quickly turned to watch as an axe embedded itself into the soft flesh of Liam's neck. Horror flashed across Icabod's gaze. He'd seen death so many times before, but this was different. All he could hear was the sound of blood pulsing in his ears. Immediately, all of his thoughts were filled with regret. I... I shouldn't have been so eager.He didn't want to come in here in the first place.So much blood.The weapons are moving of their own will.Why would Kaia show us this dreaded place!?Help.Help the others.Icabod turned back to see Otama slamming rocks at the weapons. He... He couldn't help. He didn't have any weapons of his own. This was supposed to be a peaceful trip up to the shrines. Why would the gods let something so wretched happen to them. Liam was gone. The raider felt so helpless. What could he do against unmanned weapons that were filled with blood lust. The stallion quickly backed away. He needed to help somehow. "W-we h-have to get out!" Icabod shouted. He knew it was no use. It couldn't be as simple as turning back. He neared where Amber stood, keeping an eye on each weapon as best he could. "I'm so sorry..." He whispered to her. He couldn't help them and, in his mind, if he hadn't been so persistent they wouldn't even be in the situation. They should have listened to Liam. Liam. He was dead, because of this mess. Icabod began to quiver and forced back tears at the awful helplessness of the situation. Word Count: 420
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Post by Royaltrix on Aug 12, 2017 11:26:21 GMT -6
Jade | War-Forged | Weather Witch
Even though exhaustion was evident on Jade's face, and in her sluggish movements, her mind was racing to come up with a way to subdue the raging weapons. She may not be the best of help physically, but her mind was still as sharp as a blade. Which, that was better than nothing in this situation. As she took the chance to gather her senses, and observe her surroundings; her thoughts went into overdrive as she collected information about the weapons, all within the safety of Otama's lashing pillars of earth.
Seeing the others attempt to control the weapons with their own teke, and failing to do so, removed any chances of them controlling it. So if their teke alone couldn't control or overpower the weapons, "then the best option would probably be trapping them within something, or embedding them and weighing them down to prevent their erratic movements..." Jade muttered to herself unknowingly, deep in thought about how to solve the situation. But how could they do that? Seeing a flicker of movement in the corner of her eye, Jade would have surely been dead if it hadn't been for one of Otama's earth pillars deflecting the dagger from its path.
An idea sparked to life in her mind, slowly becoming a wildfire of ideas to subdue the sentient weapons. That's it! Approaching Otama carefully, Jade spoke with her quickly, yet with caution. She didn't want to overstep her boundaries during the heat of the moment. "Otama, I think I have an idea on how to subdue the weapons..." She paused, ducking out of the way of the dagger once more. "But it requires your blessing. Do you know if anyone else has been blessed with earth manipulation in our group? I do not wish to strain your energy anymore than possible."
After she broached the topic with the Valkyrie, Jade's eyes caught sight of Icabod and his current state of mind. His body language was showing her that he was...shaken. His unshed tears only convinced Jade even more of what he was feeling. Concern for him welled in her chest, but she pushed it down. Afterwards, I'll speak with him. If I don't get this potential plan laid out, who else will suffer from this selfish desire to explore the tunnel?
Words: 384
Post Count: 6 |
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Post by hey-stardust on Aug 13, 2017 4:09:26 GMT -6
➢ 
4 | 241
Clarke was able to move faster than Otama’s sword, ears flattening against her neck as she spun away from the dagger’s honed edge. The telltale scream of blades colliding with one another told her that the valkyrie had hit her mark, but the mule had no guarantee that it would have been parried in time to save her from the same fate that had befallen Liam. Utilising the crude pillars Otama had erected, Clarke took in a hasty breath and ducked behind one, taking but a moment to look sadly down upon her friend, blood still pulsing fervently from his neck. There was nothing she could have done to save him, and now was not the time to grieve. Frustrated with the group’s inaction, she summoned Cascade’s blessing once more, dousing Otama’s face in blue light and healing what had been rent asunder in an instant. Enough blood had been spilled on this mountain today. Eyes still blazing, Clarke tried to reach out and snatch at the weapons, attempting to check their erratic trajectory, but was ultimately met with the same stubborn obstinance they all had. “Bury the fuckers back in Kaia’s goddamn earth!” Clarke spat, teeth gritting as she concurred with Jade’s musings. If she did manage to make it out of here alive, the only soul searching the scout would be resorting to now would be from staring at the bottom of an empty tankard.
you know they go too fast, gods know they go too fast.
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Post by RusticForrest on Aug 13, 2017 14:41:19 GMT -6
Khala
[ War-Forged | Valkyrie ]
The chimera smiled back at Liam's reluctance, and she chuckled softly to himself. She knew how he was on these matters. He quite liked to see what lay before his hooves, but today, she was daring, far more eager to see what lay within the cave than some of her compatriots. Passing inside, she slowed as Liam came to walk at her side. "It's not that bad," she whispered to him, taking a moment to look back. And it was then that she saw his eyes widen, the green glow of something from deep within the cave. A WHOSH sounded before them, and Khala turned in time to see an ancient hammer, cast in an eerie light, twisting through the air towards her exposed limbs. Her heart stopped in her chest, all her thoughts bent on her daughter, on survival. The scrabble of hooves echoed from within the cave's depths, and she heard as a blade slid through flesh, the splash of blood, and the collapse of a body, heavy, lifeless. As she caught a glance of her best friend, she was thrown to the side by the blurred form of Anna, who, surely, had saved her limbs.
Stunned, Khala blinked, and lifted her head, a roaring in her ears muting the voices of those around her.
A wail loosed itself from her throat when she saw him. "LIAM!" she shrieked, something within her shattering as she stared into his lifeless eyes. LIAM! And she knew, she knew that he had done it for her. He had tried desperately to save her, and his own live had been the price. No. No! NO! OH, KAIA, NO! For what felt like hours her gaze remained fixed, as chaos brewed around her. In that moment, her valiant heart quailed, and fear, cold, hard, fear threatened to paralyze her. It was unfamiliar, this feeling. For she only felt it for her daughter, normally. Never had she felt the press of life and death as she had then. Always she had strode into battle without regard for her own safety, and always she had come away unscathed.
But today was different.
Resolve hardened her gaze, and though tears threatened to taint her golden eyes, she rose, and with the aid of her blessing, she pulled forth great boulders from the earth beneath her hooves. The hammer seemed hell-bent on breaking her, but hers was not a spirit easily broken. Wrath gave her tired limbs new strength, and another roar of pain and fury loosed itself from her lips. They had to stop them, they had to neutralize the weapons before anyone else was injured. Knocking the hammer aside with one of her rocks, she turned to face the others, trying to catch their words.
Icabod was stunned, that much was clear, and Jade suggested that they use their blessings, earth manipulation to be exact, and Khala deduced her meaning. Clarke's passionate words only served to bolster her strength. "Otama, with me!" she called, another rock rising beside her, "Let us end this!" She turned, and again entered the frantic fray. Weapons blazed by, and she knew others, also were acting, and, as she knocked aside the dagger, hoping to embed it into a rock and hold it in place, she did not see as the hammer, once again, flew towards her limbs.
A flash of white flared behind her eyes as pain shot up her spine. The sound of shattering bone chilled the air. She tried to step away, and collapsed, teeth clenched and eyes watering, both from her pain, and from the loss of her friend. Khala desperately tried to survey her leg, and her gaze was met with that which she hoped would never happen. A gash rent its way through her thigh, her flesh torn asunder by the force of the hammer's blow, and beneath, she could feel the bones of her tibia, splintered, one end split through her skin. Pain washed over her, and the rocks she had been holding aloft crumpled.
I'm sorry, Liam, she whispered in the depths of her mind, for despite his sacrifice, she, still, fell.
Post: 3
WC: 690
*Khala has been (mostly) irreparably wounded, and will no longer be able to fight with her beloved sisters* |
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Post by cogaidh on Aug 13, 2017 15:12:11 GMT -6
Otama | War-Forged | Valkyrie
Valor is a gift. Those having it never know for sure whether they have it till the test comes. And those having it in one test never know for sure if they will have it when the next test comes.
She barely heard Jade as the other mare came up behind her, all her concentration had been on warding off the weapons. But she caught the tail end of the mare’s words, she gave a brisk jerk of her head to show she understood. When the wound on her face healed over she only noticed when the pain left, giving her more grasp on both her Telekinesis and her Blessing. She heard Khala’s command though and she obeyed. She focused on trying to pin and engulf the weapons, force them to still.
Her world froze when the sound of shattering bone rose over all else, her stomach dropped and she felt sick. That sound, oh Kaia, that sound. She turned her head and her horror was realized. Khala was falling, her hind leg shattered beyond fixing. The earth seemed lurched under her as Òtama fought to keep her legs straight, memories flashing through her mind of the night she had lost her leg. All she heard was the roar of blood in her ears as she watched transfixed. Then something in her snapped.
Rage replaced the sick feeling, boiling the blood in her veins as the earth truly did tremble under her hooves. The air was filled with a roar that was barely recognizable as coming from the painted mule. Blinded by the rage that flooded her, she lashed out with her Blessing, all restraint gone. Her sword clattered to the ground, the bronze ringing against the stone, her mental grip on it snuffed out by her rage. The earth around her seemed to explode upward as she flung the Blessing imbued stone at the weapons. Single pillars hadn’t worked, boulders hadn’t worked, so she would smother the weapons with thousands of smaller stones.
The air before her was filled with the whirling hoof sized stones, the weapons battered back and down by the onslaught. She didn’t stop, didn’t slow in her use of her Blessing, she would force those tools of death deep into Kaia’s Earth. Her eyes wild with rage, the afterimage of bone shards sticking out of flesh imbedded in her mind. The cavern floor all around the young mare was pitted and gashed by the violent way she ripped up stones to hurl at the weapons. She would not stop till the weapons were incapacitated or her rage fueled strength failed her. She would not let any more of her companions be harmed.
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Post by Jennycallie on Aug 14, 2017 0:09:40 GMT -6
The first time Otama “touched” the weapons with her Earth blessing, there was very little change. Perhaps, to a discerning eye, the glow surrounding them might have pulsed, faintly, as if faltering. But the weapons did not halt, still whirling wildly through the cavern, still intent on attacking flesh. The axe added a new sound to the cacophony, a drip drip drip of dark red blood splattering the stone as it lifted from Liam’s body and sought a new intruder. Then Otama touched the weapons again, and they flickered, hesitated. When Khala added her efforts to the fray, the effect was immediate. As one, the weapons froze, and the light surrounding them shifted to a darker, more pure shade of green. A pure, rich note vibrated throughout the cavern, heard not so much audibly but internally, resonating with the assembled equines. And as one, the weapons pivoted gracefully, delicately in the air, and laid themselves at Otama and Khala’s hooves. The axe still shone with Liam’s blood.
This "concludes" your plot! Feel free to continue posting in the aftermath and your character's reactions. |
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Post by Jennycallie on Sept 6, 2017 22:50:52 GMT -6
Plot Complete - All Users Rewarded Chapter Bonuses
Stay tuned for a wrap-up journal!
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