ORIGIN

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As a few of the Gembound children already knew, Cetus was a spooky place. The mist that hung so close to the cave floor, winding its way between the irregular tree line, only made the area moodier; that, and the fact that there were trees inside a cave, only made Cetus all the more unnerving. The center of Cetus was soggy and disgusting, holding very little allure. The constant humming had died down in recent days thanks to a few curious adventurers, but the quiet that settled upon the marsh was hardly any better. So when the marsh began to bubble and shiver as if truly alive, it was only a little surprising. The murky water of the swamp seemed to become animated, almost explosive, as quite suddenly a patch of the heartland gave way. It didn't sink in to the marsh, but rather, it erupted; a wave of nasty water and plant matter sprayed across the floor of the marsh-room, and like a whale breaching the surface, a massive chrysalis was suddenly there, settling among the muck. The hematite surface, with its metallic sheen, looked more alien because of the water dripping from its surface, but as it came to rest in the wet soil, it was suddenly at peace. Sinking in to place like a black boulder, netted by a few uprooted plants.

It was pretty easy to hide himself away from the rest of the world when he was still a relatively small creature. Ghanyarah didn't seem to grow as quickly as the others, most of whom loomed over him with their sharp bright eyes and their teeth, casting shadows as long as the world itself. It was even easier to hide when Ghanyarah found himself an entire room to get lost in, rather than trying to make a home in the narrow tunnels. He learned that the tunnels were actually far busier than the rooms, a stark contrast to his initial thought. But that was because the tunnels facilitated movement between the rooms. All he had to do was find a room that he could nestle into.

What would he do then? Wait? Sit in silence, observing, learning? Such a boring lifestyle it promised to be, but Ghanyarah wanted nothing more. He had no qualms with the other creatures of the cave. They could live their lives so long as he lived his. In truth, he feared them. He did not know what they were capable of, be it harm or help. One of them had once tried to take the gems embedded on his skull. All he wanted was to be alone. It was all he ever wanted.

The dragon had found himself content, laying in the humid moisture of the swamp. Beneath heavy hanging ferns, Ghanyarah nestled in the mud, soaking up the moisture and reveling in its natural heat. The thick mist hid him well from others, especially as he lingered so low to the ground, and though the water was dark and dangerous he always kept himself far from its reaches. Despite the promise of danger the water held, it tugged him towards it, intrigue fed by the low rolling of its rhythmic waves. Eventually, he would rise up from his hide and slowly draw towards its edge, wanting to touch the water, to feel it; it beckoned him.

But it would betray him. The surface shuddered and erupted, spewing forward an oblivion-black egg. The act startled Ghanyarah. He hissed instinctively and bolted away, hiding again under the ferns. There, he watched the chrysalis, so far still unbroken.

Perhaps in more prosperous times, the cave of origins would have been more lively upon discovering a new chrysalis. Birds may have jumped from the trees and flocked to safety, or something to that effect. Aside from the very obvious disturbance of the hematite egg, there was nothing. Ghanyarah's movements were so quick - and obscured by the mess made by the egg - that they would've gone unnoticed had any other Gembound been witness to the arrival. The silence which had recently consumed Cetus took another bite, sinking in to the swamp like a dead weight.

For a while, the chrysalis lay dormant. Whatever sat inside did not seem too eager to hatch. The water dripping from its exterior gradually found its way back to the wet soil, and had there been any light, the egg would have baked within the glow. There wasn't too much light within Cetus - it was dim and melancholic, far from the perfect nursery for any newborn. Maybe this lack of light and warmth was what delayed the process. Eventually, the shell quaked, as if kicked. Then the heavy back-end of the arrowhead chrysalis shuddered. It took a blast of power from inside the egg to do any real damage - a side effect of the hematite which sealed the Gembound inside.

(ROLL EDIT:)

The sleeping Gembound was coherent enough to summon great strength, but it was not enough of a push to do any lasting damage to the heavy carapace. The egg rocked slightly, and then sat still once more.

Nyx Dawnwalker It always seems impossible
until it's done.

Nyx hadn't been in in Cetus before and it was a great adventure to see this part of the cave, because it was constantly engulfed in thick white mist. It wasn't the doe's favorite part of the cave-system, but it wasn't as dark and eerie as others.
The atmosphere in Cetus may have been scary or uneasy to some, but Nyx found the silence of the forest calming. A few steps away from Tunnel H and further into Cetus, water began damping the ground. The fawn had no problem finding her way through the mud thanks to her long legs and loved the sound the mud made when she pulled her hooved legs out. Slurp, slurp A high, childish giggle erupted from Nyx' throat, the sound traveling and loosing itself in the mist.

It wasn't easy to see in the room. There could be someone a few feet from Nyx and she wouldn't even see them! But she knew a trick to help her with that. The doe stopped and focused on her sense of hearing and sense of tough, seeking out the familiar thump-thump of a heartbeat.

ROLL EDIT

Soon, the silence of Cetus was filled with a few different heartbeats. There were those of small creatures, none of them gembounds, their heartbeats soft and vague. And then there were two others next to Nyx' own. Stronger, though one of them sounded..muffled? Right now, Nyx could only assume why, but didn't come up with any logical solution. "Hello?" The fawn called out, carefully treading forward. "Where are you?" Nyx added, black eyes trying to find the gembounds that produced the heartbeats. Following the sound of their hearts, the doe came to a thick and murky swamp. She stood in front of a black chrysalis that rocked lightly, even if only for a moment. That's where the heartbeat was coming from! The other one was nearby too.
Curiously, Nyx smelled the chrysalis and found that it smelled the same as the muddy water around them. Ew.

"Listen to me."

table by lisa

His muscles tensed, rigid beneath his thin scales. Ghanyarah observed the chrysalis with indignity, offended that it had so much as breached the water in his presence - daring to startle him and then proceeding to do absolutely nothing. Fortunately, it seemed no one else had noticed. The dragon raised his head and looked left and right, scanning for any other life forms, but none could be found - suddenly, a kick rang out from within the chrysalis, startling the dragon once more. He jumped and froze, breathing quickly while he watched the chrysalis. Alas, it only shuddered, rocking to and fro before falling still again.

A voice called out through the mist nearby. Ghanyarah turned his head and backed further away, into the cover of the ferns. From there he observed a fawn. She must have been looking for someone, or heard something. Ghanyarah could only blame the chrysalis for its raucous eruption from the water. He flicked his tongue, testing the air and tasting the scent of the doe. In silence, he watched her still - watched as she inspected the chrysalis, watched as she sniffed the mud. Her long legs intimidated him. Perhaps she wouldn't mean him harm. But Ghanyarah couldn't trust her, not yet. He remained hiding in the ferns, beneath the mist, watching to see what would emerge from the glistening black egg at her hooves.

Maybe the creature inside the chrysalis was weak. Or the chrysalis itself was so sturdy, so strong with its layers of hematite, that no beast could break through it. After that initial blow - and failure - the egg just sat there, as if to compose itself. It was during this stillness that the fawn crept in, and for a few minutes only her strides, her sniffing, her inspecting, were the only movement in the mist-choked marsh. She came close to the shining shell of the chrysalis, but before she could do so much as touch it, it gave another shudder. As if aware of the presence of magic, or of the other Gembound. But maybe it had nothing to do with her at all - maybe the massive creature inside the equally huge egg, was just waking up.

The creature made a small noise, like a deep grunt, which whistled out of his hidden throat and hit the hematite wall of his prison, which blocked most of the sound. Really, if any sound permeated the metal surface, it would've been very faint. And then, having gathered some energy, the creature tried to break open the chrysalis again - with more fervor this time.

(ROLL EDIT:)

There must have been more oomph to this blow. As soon as the energy (or maybe the gembound's head) slammed in to the chrysalis from inside, the egg gave a violent shudder. Dirt and plant matter which had been pleasantly settled across its muddied top thusly scattered, becoming a cloud of debris that may have worked its way in to the lungs of any observers. A crack formed across the curving top of the rock-egg, and splintered out in clean lines across the surface. But the creature still wasn't entirely free; the shell was too heavy for the Gembound to move, and it was starting to get tired.

it had become something of a home, this section of the cave. upon his release into this world, he'd done little in the ways of exploring it's reaches any further. sure, he had found the place of his hatching ideal, but there in cetus spoke something that kept him there. he was content, and it seemed less traveled at that point. life was stirring within the cave system, but cetus. well, cetus was it. he was enjoying mists, his teeth scraping lichen from stone. grazing, quietly and keeping to himself. a familiar sound had seemed to lift from the dredges of the area, and it stole him from his meal.

he knew what it was, there was no need for some great, grand announcement. he could almost feel it in his cheek, the one weighted by the shard of covellite. the crack, the splintering of stone. curious, and in need of excitement, the little war pony wandered towards the sound. ecthelon found the gathering soon enough, but felt his heart drop. concern, if anyone cared to truly find him behind the veil of mist and din, soon took residence on his countenance.

he'd speak, though quietly. "is it--" there came a pause, splintering the thought as the colt grasped for the word. he'd lifted his eyes to the other gembounds gathered. his lips splayed, prying lose a word he somehow knew to fear: "dead?" the colt huffed, still a distance from the group, the chrysalis, and what he'd assumed to be a half-formed neonate. he was wary to step nearer, and instead, pricked his ears forward. it was almost as though he were awaiting an invite, or least some display that the thing was still rattling around within. there was a feeling of urgency to drift closer, to inject himself further in the situation. instead, he'd hang back, head tilted in curiosity. an audience.

Perhaps it is the commotion in the swamp that awakens it, or maybe it is the natural reaction to the chrysalis upon the grounds; but there is a new sound within the silence. A cracking, like the snapping of roots and the tearing of grass, gradually rising out of the marshland and echoing between the trees. It is slow to start, and then quick to finish; muffled in those last moments by the many trees, and the thick mist. And then, like a distant drum beat, the sound of lurching steps begins. The sluggish dragging of heavy feet. While the gembounds are distracted by their concern (either for themselves or the newly cracked chrysalis), the sounds get louder and closer - and before long, a trio of crudely composed golems has arrived upon the scene.

The first is stout and wide-set, with two sets of arms eagerly reaching for the hematite; its feet are hidden by its oblong body, and there is no head in sight. The mere presence of magicka is what draws this three-foot amalgamation of crystallized intent so close.

The second is even slower, and appears to lack legs at all. A rugged triangular shape makes up some kind of torso, with the point wedged in to the mud. It propels itself with one strong arm, which appears to have dulled after years of effort. Behind this golem is a trail of soft earth, a path created by its spade-shaped body.

The last is tall, but top heavy. It skitters along the path behind the second golem, with six irregular legs (and two more which appear dulled or shattered, shortened by one event or another in the past). Its steps are irregular, with the longest of its limbs sinking in to the mud each time it tries to vault closer.

As these creatures advance upon the chrysalis, their intent is unclear - although as the first of the group reaches the hematite, it does appear more interested in the stone than in the creatures just beyond.

Nyx Dawnwalker It always seems impossible
until it's done.

No one answered Nyx' call, her weak voice lost in the density of the mist and the loneliness of this area of Origin Cave. But she wasn't mad or anything, just curious why no one answered. Maybe they were scared of her, though the thought made a tiny giggle escape from the fawn's mouth - she really wasn't someone to be scared of! "You don't need to be scared." She said with a huge, dorky smile.

The muddy water around them and the chrysalis in it still smelled really weird, the scent itching in the doe's nose. Nyx was surprised when the chrysalis moved, rocking stronger than before and causing dirt to fly at her. "Ew!" She gasped, her beige fur now speckled with mud. While Nyx was definitely displeased with her fur being dirty, her curiosity for the egg-thing overpowered the urge to clean her pelt immediately. There was a clear line on the chrysalis where it broke, but the gembound inside didn't seem like it would attempt to get out of it. Always the helpful being, Nyx was about to lean in and nudge the broken part off of the chrysalis and free the gembound inside, but a sudden voice reaching her ears made her stop.

A foal approached her and as soon as Nyx saw the the gembound didn't mean any harm, she smiled at them. "No, no! It just needs help, I think!" The fawn explained, the dorky smile returning to her face.

Suddenly, loud noises tore through the silence of Cetus. It sounded like something snapped and there was rumbling too, but Nyx couldn't see anything. Whatever it was, Nyx thought the sounds coming closer and closer sounded like footsteps. They were heavy steps and must come from a huge being - in comparison to Nyx at least.
And she was right in her assumption. Three golems broke through a line of trees, made from stone and looking like nothing the fawn had seen before. "Oh!" They didn't pay any mind to her or the foal though, walking straight towards the chrysalis. Nyx heart sped up, she could feel it pulsing in her throat and the instinct to run run run swelled up in her, but the doe stayed where she was. She'd protect the unborn gembound! "No!" Nyx said, voice wavering more than she'd hoped it would. "Don't hurt them!" Did the golems even understand her? They didn't have any heads after all, so no real ears either.

"Listen to me."

table by lisa

He watched the happenings of the little gathering from his hiding place. The fawn called out with assurance that he needn't be scared, but she didn't understand. She was so much bigger than he. She could be so much more powerful; he'd seen magic in action, and what did he have? Nothing. Every time he tried, he got nothing. Unbeknownst to Ghanyarah, his magic was quite functional, only lacking in visible effects. Still, the lizard feared he was no more than a potential snack for anybody bigger than him. The dragon viewed her with quiet resentment, knowing that she didn't understand. She may have known that he was here, but that didn't mean he was going to come out.

His attention shifted back to the glistening black chrysalis as it violently rocked again, sending a spray of mud in every direction. Ghanyarah flinched, dropping closer to the ground. The movement had caused a crack to break down the side of the chrysalis. Whatever was inside was going to emerge soon - then it was probably time for Ghanyarah to get out of there. However, he'd come to realize that the three of them weren't alone. A fourth Gembound appeared, curious about the chrysalis and asking if it was dead. The dragon flicked his tongue, tasting the air thoughtfully. He didn't know what dead meant, but the colt seemed apprehensive about the idea. Dead must have been a bad thing then. Bad for the chrysalis. In that moment, he found himself hoping that the chrysalis was dead, because then maybe that would mean the other Gembounds would leave.

Alas, he was wrong; the deer corrected him and seemed determined to help whatever was inside the chrysalis break free. The dragon laid in the moist soil, watching quietly - then the sound of the vegetation moving had caught his attention. Steps. Not just steps, but... rocks moving against each other. Something crashing through the trees. Ghanyarah had only seconds to get up and flee from their path, watching as golems burst through, lumbering towards the chrysalis. In the process, he had revealed himself to the other Gembounds. Ghanyarah panicked. He froze, unsure of what to do in the face of two Gembounds and a collection of golems.

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Ovid

Ghanyarah

Ovid

Nyx

Ghanyarah

Ovid

Ecthelon

Origin Cave

Nyx

Ghanyarah