ORIGIN - [Quest] AEON EWER

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As the rains and storms began to strike throughout the caves, Fornax seemed to feel it most of all. The ocean of water frothed and roared, all furious waves and rising tides. Rain and mist frequently filled the cave, and its cracks of thunder could be heard a mile away at the beginnings of Tunnel M.

For the most part, the land masses were obscured by the floodwater--and most Gembound would have no reason to venture into a cave of ocean at a time of such climatic violence.

Yet, a strange odor, too, leaked from the cave: something strong, sweet yet somehow rotten, as if something were being dredged up from the ocean depths by its violence.

Now and then, at intervals of low tide, it might be safe for those wishing to investigate to skitter out onto the largest of the stones: Moon Island, across a water channel from Fornax's entrance. The stone would be slick, and wet, and they'd need to be careful not to be washed away by the violent tide or to remain, unaware, until said tide washed back in. If they did, the rising waters would first trap them out there, and then consume them.

Adèlaide

I'm rotten to the bone, but my heart's still beating

Every step took her somewhere new, she was still not done with her exploration. Perhaps it would take her the rest of her life to visit every crevice and see every sight, she sure hoped so for it brought great joy and wonder and new information! From magic to masters (she still did not know what they were) and an ambiguous spire that wasn't what it is now but what was it before then? Whatever it was, before or now, she wanted more information before she even stepped close to its vicinity again.

Such thoughts taking over her mind had brought her here. Gasping for breath at the entrance to another room having just climbed up what was probably a mountain, stopping every now and then to catch her breath and not tumble down. Now she was at the top she didn't know if that had been such a good idea, but she was there now and couldn't back down! She had been following the sound of a monsters screams, tearing down at her and crashing into her mind, it had jarred her bones with every step up the tunnel but it was just so curious! Something that loud had to come from something big, what was it doing all the way up here? Was it lonely? Did it need help? Not that she would probably help it, but she did want to know what it was. Yet, now she was up the top, she could see that there was nothing there. Not in the sense that she was thinking, instead she found water battling itself, as if it was in a war of its own, crying at each other in incomprehensible screams. There was no monster beating its voice down on the creatures below, she didn't know what caused the noise, but it was enough to almost send her toppling back down the tunnel when it reared its head again. Barrelling straight into her ears and echoing through her bones.

It was accompanied by an odour.

Sweet and sour at the same time, it clung to her throat and made her want to wretch but it also tricked her brain into thinking that there was something worth it under the horrible rotten core. Perhaps she shouldn't try to find out what it was. Or perhaps she should. There was an island that she could see, the only one so far, if only she could get there. It wouldn't take long for a path to open up a way, the water slowly receding to let it emerge, and there was little time to think after that. The girl sprinted straight away across the slick, still wet, surface, Too wet! Too slick! Her back legs slid from under her, both falling to the same side, the rest of her body falling down onto the surface just after. Her legs were scrambling to let her stand again, yet it only served to push her closer to the raging waters, her back paws were just starting to drag her into the water when her front legs found some surface and she pulled herself, as quickly and frantically as she could, back to the entrance of the cave to watch, panting and heaving, with wide and frightened - yet determined - eyes, at the water's surface. Well that didn't work, she could still smell the scent, hugging the roof of her mouth, but she was no closer to finding out where it was coming from.

falling victim to your fantasy

Serendipity was on the never-ending hunt for the Blacksmith, but considering the noises she heard in the pitifully cold tunnel below and the rising waters, she concluded he... probably wasn't here. Or if he was, he was some kind of deaf fish, and that didn't seem to be the case based on what the Collector said.

Climbing the steep incline here had been the least of her troubles for the day. Siren stood, leaning on the entrance to Fornax as the child fought to catch her breath, scanning the frothing waves and the other gembound-- whom, for now, she decided not to bother other than offering a brief nod in greeting.

She had a feeling no one really came here unless it was for business.

It stank, too-- but the smell reminded her a bit of the small, dead banana that Azure had summoned some days prior.

Serendipity crinkled her nose as she pushed up off the wall, trudging through the low tide and onto the moon island. The advantage of having hands, she found out, was that she could use them to grip onto rocks to stop herself from slipping over her feet.

Though, if only she had the nose of a dog. She took long, slow deliberate breaths as she scrambled along the slick rock, trying to find the source of the potential rotten banana.

NURGUL
honestly i thought that i would be dead by now

Fornax was rowdier than usual. The currents rolled stronger and the waves tumbled higher. The undertow was deadly force to be reckoned with for anyone without gills. As for Nurgul, well, it was cakeswim compared to flood he endured in Hydra. As a matter of fact, as a moist-skinned creature, he reveled in these new, wetter conditions. Truly, he had been blessed.

The same could not be said for those crawling around on Moon Island.

Nurgul knew it was only a matter of time before the tide rolled in and the rocks would vanish under the waves, but that wasn't his problem. What was bothering him, was that Vargas-awful smell permeating the air. Nurgul nose was hardly keen-- he relied more on his eyes-- but even he could tell it was coming from Moon Island. It must be what the others were investigating.

A purple eyestalk popped out of the water and moved towards the rocks like periscope on a submarine. It swiveled around, checking out the others climbing the island-- or perhaps it was looking for danger, maybe for Masters and Overseers.-- then vanished beneath the waves.

Nurgul rose from the deep blue depths and slithered onto Moon Island. Black claws clicked on the slick stones as he climbed higher and higher towards the peak. His eyestalk flicked towards the two other gembounds, keeping a weary, bulging, yellow eye on the. He squinted in disgust. Ugh, it's definitely around here somewhere. Nurgul stretched neck out and weaved it to and fro, sniffing the air.

And he got a good whiff of it.

"Oh! Disgusting!" He shrieked, covering his nose. Suddenly the school of fish he ate today wasn't agreeing with him. Cringing back, he retched. Found it...

Sergei
Jul 14 2019, 12:57 AM

Sergei had been fishing in Fornax when the rains began. He had continued fishing when the floodwaters had begun to rise, and kept on fishing even until very little land was left for him to fish from. Only when water was lapping at his paws from all sides, the thunder roaring overhead and the rain making vision difficult, did he at last shake himself, give up, and pad slowly to the tunnel mouth to wait it out.

There he'd rested, sleeping like a rock--a big, dark, wet lump indistinguishable from the other small boulders nearby. Now there were voices, and he lifted his big head blearily.

The odor was obvious to him, as well: sweet and rank both... like fish, but not. Carrion, maybe. He trundled back out, though he found that the rushing waters flowed violently between he and the small land mass now visible ahead. Low tide, perhaps, but he wanted to know what that odor was, even if he had little time to check. He could always swim back, assuming Fornax's tides did not take him.

Out he trotted, lumbering with eyes squinted against the driving rain, huffs escaping him in little puffs of misty breath. He found others, out there--strange things he'd never seen, before. He didn't bother to look at them too closely, intead sniffing over the pebbles for the source of the odor.

Game Master Dark
Jul 14 2019, 01:09 AM

Those investigating would find the odor almost ubiquitous in Fornax--as if it came from everywhere, all around them. It was stronger here, on the island, much stronger than it had been at the entrance to the tunnel mouth.

Opal was the first to find one of the sources of the smell, though Sergei, after some inspection, would find a smaller one himself.

The source were tiny, pale structures of unknown origin. They were like flowers, or perhaps leaf-like bracts, layered like a rose but not quite plant-like in appearance. All were hard, rough to the touch, grainy even--and though soaked, somehow soft as if a fuzz coated them that might be visible once dried out. All were a waxy grey-white, darkened through by the wet. None were larger than a fist, with the smallest perhaps as small as a dog's nose or a cat's paw.

And there were half a dozen visible, now that Opal and Sergei would know what to look for: rising from the waters as if disturbed by the floods and storm, floating along the surface, some landing to lie abandoned on the pebbles. The pale, unidentifiable clusters were beautiful, yet somehow eerie, as if there was something just not quite right about them.

To Sergei and Opal, it would be clear that these items were rare, perhaps special, even valuable. They would feel a strong desire to take them, to share them with others--but never to lose them, or to give them away.

Now that they were visible, Adelaide and Siren could easily find clusters of their own, if they so wished--but should they inspect them closely, touch, or sniff them, they would feel the same urge as Sergei and Opal have.

New characters may still join this thread at any time.

@Opal Three-Seven-Six @Adèlaide @Siren

Adèlaide
Jul 14 2019, 12:16 PM

Adèlaide
I'm rotten to the bone, but my heart's still beating

"Stupid waves. Stupid paws. Stupid little island." She was muttering to herself when others began arriving, perhaps checking out the noise like she was or maybe they knew the land better than she. The first, tall and slender and odd-looking but she was growing to expect that, skittered along the barely open pathway and Ade watched her flow along the rocks that were slick with water. The next was smaller, although still odd-looking, and climbed up on to the island just as easily. The last, large again and shaggy with fur, although it was supposed to be a rock, animals changing their shape now was definitely something she had to learn, that would be very useful in future endeavours! For now, though, she merely sat at the entrance of the room and watched how they moved along, if she was going to get across she would not embarrass herself. Perhaps that was what she was supposed to do first, sit and watch so that others could do the hard work and then she could copy.

That was how Ade got over to the island, dark paws pressed between two rocks and body edging low so not to slip off and into the water. She waited there, patient as ever, watching two of the animals - for they seemed more focused - searching around, perhaps following the scent which she herself had trouble finding the origin of, although the scent itself was obvious; lingering in the air like an unwanted guest you can't quite get rid of, and you didn't know if you really wanted them to stay or not. Climbing as high on the rocks, whilst still being safe, as she could to have the best vantage point, the young pup watched the two animals with careful eyes to see where the scent might take them. Then her eyes got caught on something else, they were close to something, something small, bumping slightly against the rocks below, pushed by the water. Was that what caused the scent? Or were they just pushed up from the bottom of the ocean by the aggressive water? Her body was eager now, bristling with excitement, her breath was caught in her throat (although, whether that was because the stench was horrid or because she couldn't contain the burst of excitement flowing through her who was to tell) and her body rushed down to where she could just barely see the thing.

It was a dark grey, almost blending into the oceans lapping waters, and small, only just smaller than the pup's paw, the same paw that reached out to scoop it up. She could feel the water drip down off her fur as she attempted to press the thing against her chest, keeping it close, whatever it was it was soft like her, and so beautiful, perhaps the weirdness of it added to its beauty. She didn't need to know what it was, or what it did, although...perhaps she could quickly run to one of the other gembounds before they found one themselves to show it off to them, shove it in their face, obviously they wouldn't be able to touch it. It was hers and hers alone.

With a quick look around the girl scampered off in search of more of the curiosities.

falling victim to your fantasy

Lamia
Jul 15 2019, 12:01 AM

The waters twisted beneath the surface of the waves - while calmer in the deep then in the shallows, the furious currents and undertows managed to jerk Lamia from her sleep. Within a crevice she'd been hiding, barely big enough for her to fit - cozy, dark, and undisturbed. Until now, when a sudden burst of force flooded in and pulled her right out. An echoing shriek came from her body as she lost control of her swimming momentarily, tossed through the water like a leaf in the wind. She managed to right herself quickly, but she was breathing fast, globular eyes bulging with terror. She looked up, wondering what was causing such a commotion.

...Why did the surface look so far away?

Curious, she began to climb up, quite slowly, considering how powerfuly the currents were currently pushing against her. Eventually, though, her head broke the surface and she was confused. Because she was still immersed in water. Or...actually, it was rain! Just like how Tenzin had made! She struggled to keep her head above water, but it wasn't a big deal when a wave splashed over her face. She simply emerged on the other side as if nothing had happened.

She stared at the ceiling of the cave for a moment before another breath of water and something....something was wrong. Sweet but rotten and she didn't appreciate flavors in her lungs. She tossed her head, flinching, before immediately swimming in a direction, in the hopes that it would go away. But when it didn't, when it became stronger and stronger, she found herself wanting to find its source, despite the fact that the water just...didn't smell right.

She arrived at the island-place soon after and immediately was enthralled by the many things that were floating in the water. For now, she did not pay much heed to the ones on the shore - land-dwellers did not concern her at the moment. She reached forward and touched one of them...how curious. It was a thing of beauty, definitely something rare! She wanted them all. She opened her arms and directed some of the ones that floated near her close, as if embracing them all. For a moment, she simply floated there, admiring her little trinkets before an idea came to her head. They had a strange vibe to them, but how else was she supposed to find out what they were. Curiously, her tongue snaked out and licked one of them, the texture of its surface already feeling unnatural.

Quentin
Jul 15 2019, 01:24 AM

Q U E N T I N
we'll become silhouettes
when our bodies finally go

Quentin had never seen this much water.

When the faint trickle of water grew to push him from his home, attracting the looks of vultures and other predators among the desert wasteland, Quentin had fled- far, far from the dangerous deserts to retreat to safer lands. He didn't expect to see water falling from the roofs of caves, to see bones and plants and long tunnels. Everything was so dangerously new. A desire to return into his den and curl up and hide took over him as he wandered.

To him, the odd smell emanating was natural. He didn't know better, being so young. All he knew was to follow the odd rumbles and water flowing down a nearby tunnel. The liquid was fascinating to the desert creature. He was captivated in its waves and absolutely enthralled upon laying eyes on the vast ocean of Fornax.

It was a marked difference compared to Hydra.

Quentin found his tail and ears held high, eyes wide as he scanned the waters around. The waves looked too violent to approach, reminding him of times when his stream grew angry among the canyons, and something in his mind reminded him to not push himself. Instead, he stood on the banks, away from the stones among the sea and away from the deep, churning waters below.

Instead, Quentin took to watching the Gembound across the water. They didn't look like predators; they didn't look like much from this distance. He lifted his nose to the air to sniff and only winced at the smell, instead turning his head to the odd, grey-ish things floating in the water. At first, he wasn't sure what to think- really, he felt like it was, perhaps, a natural thing, and it didn't occur to him to investigate any further. His only interest was watching the other Gembound. He paced into the water as far as he dared, water lapping nearly above his gem before he sat, curling his tail around himself.

And so, he waited, watching the others to see what they were doing in a silent interest.

Opal Three-Seven-Six
Jul 15 2019, 06:27 PM

NURGUL
honestly i thought that i would be dead by now

Nurgul blinked at the cluster of strange, white, fuzzy pebbles. They still stunk to high Creator but he no longer felt the urge to puke. Nurgul peered closer, drawn in by its beautiful color.

Funny, they reminded him of the eyes of a Spire spider...

Panic tore through him. WAIT. IS THIS A TEST?!
Like their eyes, everything about this was wrong! However, that thought only lasted for a moment before Nurgul became completely consumed by its charms. He forgot what he was so worried about. Nurgul reached down and scooped up up a claw-full, the lights on his sides flickered happily. The his pupils dilated. These are so pretty, I've never seen anything like it. Nurgul sat down and swepted his tail over his feet, collecting more and more from the cluster until could barely hold anymore.

For awhile, Nurgul stared at the fuzzy rock-things spilling from his claws, eyes sparkling. Finally, he gave a content sigh and nodded to himself, chuckling. "These make me very happy."

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ORIGIN > IC Archives > Year 5 Archives > [Quest] AEON EWER - Fornax