ORIGIN

As Gembound gather to investigate the mysteriously appearing reef, it is motionless and unchanging, void of all life. It is like slice of a barren wasteland. As Sabor lunges for one of the stones embedded into the so-called stones and succeeds in finding a hold on one, it all changes. A small groan echoes through the waters, before erupting into a keening roar as the reef shifts and churns, rippling. Each convulsion sends another plume of dust into the air as the reef rose, the shape changing.

A monstrous Gembound was awakenening. Lifting its great head, the monster unfurled a set of ragged and torn "winged" fins. A scaled hood snapped out on the great leviathtan's neck, a hiss bubbling from its ragged and ugly maw. The beast was at least 30 meters long as it emerged to it's full length. The gemstones jammed between its scales glimmer and sparkled in the new light once the dust settled, and some even glowed, if you looked hard enough.

With a massive, earth-shattering roar, Leviathan cast a spell. The waters vibrated aggressively, and cracks began to bubble in the rock nearby. However, this seemed to affect the beast itself.

Leviathan has 747/750 HP
It attempts to use Earthshatter! — Critical Failure!
Leviathan, Iris, Sabor, Maya, and Penelope took 3 points of damage!

Iris has 197/200 HP
Tolani has 200/200 HP
Orarian has 200/200 HP
Sabor has 197/200 HP
Macawi has 200/200 HP
Eve has 200/200 HP
Maya has 197/200 HP
Penelope has 197/200 HP

Rounds will consist of 5 posts, and new characters can hop in at any time!

All was going great! Sabor had successfully swam far enough down to the crystals, eyeing how truly strange they were. Reaching out he had succeeded in grabbing a hold on one. Only it was stuck, before Sabor knew it a groan shot through the water. Erupting upwards something rose, shape changing past and Sabor withdrew the best he could on short notice.

Upon closer inspection he realized this was a beast of fables, a leviathan! And boy was it pissed! A snarl escaped Sabor's jaws.

"RUN! GO NOW! GO!"

Sabor cared for all the gembounds, but Tolani was top priority. He wanted to give them time but he couldn't attack the beast while the water pushed him to and fro. Gasping for air he hissed at the beast, eyes bouncing across its form and the glistening stones.

And just like that the world seemed to explode in a shower of water and dust and noise, and Macawi was instantly alert. Part of her — the animal, coyote side — wanted to instantly flee. This was no place for the likes of her. But the braver, crazier side of her wanted to stay and help, and at the end of the day, Macawi was a good Gembound. She would never turn her back on those in need, even if it got her killed. Unfortunately, she didn’t know all that many spells. The Great Hibernation, as she had come to call it, had caused a lull in her Magical learning. She only knew one spell that could possibly help, and she called on it now.

She tried and tried to will the Light Orb into existence, but nothing happened. Perhaps it was fear that stayed her Magicka, she didn’t know. All she knew was that nothing was helping, and that in terms of physicality, she was far too weak and useless to go up against a creature that size. She frowned up at it in concentration, wondering what the hell she could possibly do to actually help.

"Speech"

Wherever he was, it was a long, long way from home. Warm air ruffled his fur, the feeling unnatural and odd, and the massive pig grumbled, twitching in his sleep, leaned up against the wall of Tunnel M in an uneasy respite. His search for the missing members of the Rot had gone in vain, with his family now down to Tal'at, Merrow and Peanuts, his own daughter still nowhere to be found. The hub of his mind, filled to the brim with memories, lay flat and cold, the beast at its center lashing out at any flicker of color that came too close. Once treasured memories had been kept like valued pets, swimming around and through the many-eyed monster's black form, but now they were kept locked away, more orderly and destructive than ever before. It was a good way to go about it - locking unnecessary thoughts down before they could drive him from his course - but it had kept him away from Cetus for weeks now, with no luck in his quest. Legs twitching, the boar was shocked awake by an unearthly screech, and he stumbled to his hooves in a heartbeat, hesitating at the tunnel's middle.

A battle... perhaps that was just what he needed.

Mind made up, black eyes narrowed into slits, and the massive pig took off like a shot towards the yet-unknown cavern, nostrils flaring as he rounded the corner into the massive, cloyingly humid place. Hooves dug into rock, prepared to charge towards whatever had made the ungodly noise - but his eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the watery beast, and a fierce grin made his tusks glint in the light for an entirely different reason than a need to defeat the beast. "Piękny..." The scaled God was raining its wrath down upon the ants on shore, and Czernobog hummed, head lowering in respect. "Ojciec mnie chronić, jak chronić wolę bogów."

Jeweled tusks raked through the air, and he charged down the beach.

The fight raged on, overhead and in the water, and he squealed, skidding to a stop at the shoreline, turning his back to the raging beast of the ocean and glaring out at the forces attacking it, hackles raising as he saw... the girl. The little pup he had seen hatch, that had helped him during his Trial. The hog grunted, hurt and angry, and shouted out to the coyote. "Frieeeend? Whyyyy do you huuuuurt?"

Upon its failure, the monster was quick to grow furious with itself and everything else about it. It cares not about what the Gembound say, for it cannot hear. Leviathan hunts by sight and smell, crystal-clear vision cutting through the water. Whipping its head around to the side, it easily shakes off Sabor and surveys the scene for a second, waiting the failures of those around it as they try to launch an assault on it.

Once again, a groan escapes it, the sound intensifying into an ungodly screech of pure fury as it attempts to cast Earthshatter once again. Once more, the monstrous Gembound fails, gemstones dulling to their original hues.

Leviathan has 712/750 HP
It attempts to use Earthshatter! — Failure
Nobody takes damage.

Iris has 197/200 HP
Tolani has 200/200 HP
Orarian has 200/200 HP
Sabor has 177/200 HP
Macawi has 200/200 HP
Eve has 200/200 HP
Maya has 197/200 HP
Penelope has 197/200 HP

Rounds will consist of 5 posts, and new characters can hop in at any time!

Sabor was focused on the hulking leviathan first and foremost, but being shaken off quite easily wasn't too much of a confidence boost. And it seemed something or rather someone else had wished ill thoughts upon him. Inexplicably Sabor grew ill, attempting to anchor himself to the shoreline waiting for his head to clear. Claws dug in deep he snarled, focusing on the rising nausea in an attempt to stop it.

Too late, bile began rising in his throat and he could only purge out the sudden onslaught of sickness. What was happening!? A snarl escaped his maw as his watched a new gembound enter the cave, a large boar; one who he didn't feel too great on.

Another wave hit him and he purged again, emptying his stomach as he fought through it. He needed to get back into battle! He was no stranger to such things but why was his body rejecting the idea now!? He knew little of the hidden gembounds beneath the surface poised against him.

Macawi tried to cast her Light Orb spell again, but got nowhere fast when a voice from her past broke her concentration. She spun around and spotted Big Pig immediately. “What?” she yelled to it over the noise of the Leviathan. “No, no, Macawi is not hurt! You must help her! This creature will kill us! Help Macawi distract it! Kill it! Something!” That was all she said to the pig before she turned back around and stared in horror at the creature. She caught sight of a brief flash of bright light from the crow, aimed at the Leviathan. Good. At least someone had done something to it. Though she knew that little flash of light wouldn’t be hardly enough. Little did she know Czernobog wanted to help the Leviathan…

"Speech"