ORIGIN

Round Eleven - FINALE

The final stretch was proving to be the greatest test of all. Not the fangs and talons of the predators here, but rather the brutality of Hydra itself: all feverish shimmering light pummeling the Gembounds with blinding, oppressive, flame-like heat. Vargas, trailing along behind, certainly felt it. He wondered, vaguely, why the Merchant had not included some change to the Flats. A catalyst, perhaps, to form water here, or even a few damn parasols for shade. But no, the Gembounds struggled on, and they were very clearly weary. Exhausted. They stumbled and fell, and-... ahh. The first, ahead, to not get up.

One.

Vargas slowed his pace. He gave the slender little creature time--time to rise again, to struggle on, to fight for his survival. But One did not. Unconscious. Or already dying. It did not matter; a death at Vargas's claws would be a mercy compared to awareness when a stone was ground to dust. His footsteps as he came up alongside were implacable but quiet, a scuffing in the salt. His reach for the limp little body was carefully perfect, a delicate lifting. The death itself was swift: no muttered apology, only the sharp cut of a thumb, and then the wait until any movement, any breathing, had ceased. The next, too, ahead: Star, the surprisingly large bustard (a shame, he thought; it had seemed well-adapted to Hydra's conditions, until this final stretch), laid out on the flats, feathers rustled by the hot winds. He grunted and angled toward her, trying to ignore the beating heat across his own violet hide.

Behind him, the Merchant knelt. Fingertips grasped a gemstone and gripped, and from One's ear, a slow trickle of vivianite dust became a thin cascade.

"You almost made it," Vargas said to Star, and whether that was mockery or mourning, his tone did not betray. Could she even hear him-? The careful grip of fist around arteries would ensure that consciousness was never regained. And when he moved on, and the Merchant came, they would thankfully be unaware of the agony that would have otherwise accompanied the transition of beautiful rose quartz to pale dust.

Hymn--whether by the hands of Huntsman, or Vargas--would be the last to be visited: a gemstone that would never play another trill of music, instead turned in the grasp of black claws to a thread of emerald dust carried by Hydra's winds.

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The rest--those who made it, those who crowded at last the return to Tunnel P and took shelter there in its relative shade--would soon find themselves rejoined by both Vargas and the Masked Merchant.

Vargas, in particular, had noted--from a distance--who had arrived first. But then, so had the Merchant. Both knew that these would be rewarded, in a Chaotic sort of way, but Vargas spoke up nonetheless as he passed through the crowd. (And should Conleth strike him, well, he would ignore that; it was even understandable.) "Those of you who have survived--and those who have done well--may always improve themselves further by finding me in Draco. The Chaos Forge works to strengthen this hive, and some of you," (and here his gaze sought out the winners, and Duck Duck behind them--ahh, a cat; glorious!) "have done surprisingly well. Excellent work, with all that... surviving," he finished, and passed beyond them, pushing for Canis.

He noted the winners in his mind. Wisperia--a creature of Chaos if ever there had been one, built for subterfuge, and she had gotten more than a brief glance. More a stare of thoughtful interest. Fleas, another desert-adapted beast, by the looks of things, admirably tough. And Corsair, a small, black bird, one that had no doubt been able to escape many of the dangers by virtue of sheer... tiny-ness. Ahh--and fourth. The cat. Good.

The Merchant drifted through them behind Vargas, meanwhile, like a shadow. Arms reached outward, fingers brushing each Gembound as he passed. Each was struck with a bolt of dark, painful, powerful magic--one that jolted them right back into a forming chrysalis, there to change, and be rewarded.

THE END

The Trial of Hydra - Reclamation is now concluded! Characters may now post their exits, and then claim rewards as follows.

Rewards

All Survivors should post in Update Me to claim their Champion of Hydra Achievement, and have their choice of free mutation cleared by GMs, as follows:

A. Any single feature from a Hydra lesser
plus
B. Any single feature from any other Hydra Trialgoer (character in the trial)

All Participants (alive or dead) should post in Magicka Market for the following:

1. 300 Magicka
2. Magicka thread length claim for EACH participating character (each may claim until their death/exit point--so a death at Medium thread length = Medium thread claim).

In addition...

1st place - Wisperia: All survivor/participant rewards, plus... Familiar Forge + a choice of a Hydra lesser to forge that can actually leave Hydra (very powerful choices will be somewhat weakened by GM design) + free Mutation to be used during the chrysalis post-thread!

2nd place - Fleas: All survivor/participant rewards, plus... The gemstone of a previous Champion of Hydra (designed by GMs, guaranteed revive) + Give Life spell, + free Mutation to be used during the chrysalis post-thread!

3rd place - Corsair: All survivor/participant rewards, plus... Desert Heat spell + 200 bonus Magicka + free Mutation to be used during the chrysalis post-thread!

Individual Notes: Ruby-Beta and Glory will need to fill out placeholder posts before claiming any rewards. Aran needs to post for last round and this round before claiming. Morpho and Ketur will be handled in a different thread before claiming rewards.

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Henceforth, Hydra's rules will be changing!

- Dangerous Lessers Familiar Forged here will still not thrive elsewhere.
- Players can roleplay in Hydra without requiring danger rolls. (Characters who have already survived a regular Hydra thread prior to this Trial will receive a legacy achievement!)
- The cave should still be taken IC as harsh and unforgiving, but less deadly than before.
- Future Trials will still be deadly, and the cave will become extremely dangerous for the duration of the trial (characters still won't need to roll unless they enter the area around an ongoing Trial, whether ICly on purpose or by accident)

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FINAL Placement:

First: Wisperia, Fleas, Corsair (in that order)

Second: Duck Duck

Third: Huntsman, Hymn, Whistle

Fourth: Spinnaker, One

Fifth: Galleon, K'cil, Star, Conleth

Sixth: Kaizer, Ivory, Glory, Ruby-Beta, Reverend, Aran, Captain

Seventh: Warrior, Jim, Zhusha, Fiver