ORIGIN

A hush fell over Pegasus.

The usual bright trilling of the birds first fell silent, and then burst into the quiet explosive sound of a hundred wings taking flight. They fled to the treetops, to the shadows, under cover.

An eerie silence stretched on, and on... and then a chill began to fill the air. Slowly, gradually, the lights dimmed. Those passing through, during these hours, would note this strange change: something unusual, perhaps unsettling. A thick fog roiled down through the forests, and across the fields, obscuring large patches in mist that seemed to churn and move of its own accord.

At last, a figure appeared: brilliant like a galaxy lit with stars, on great wings of its own, with the flash of a stone gently rotating within itself. This landed gently, like a falling leaf, atop a rocky outcrop at the top of Pegasus' meadows; and then it watched, quiet, for a time. At last it called out, an unnatural summons reaching for those who had aided it in drawing this strange, phantasmic occurrence to the caves:

"It is time." "The Wild Hunt arrives. Aid the Quarry..." "Aid the Huntsmen! And the Hounds!" "Or allow nature to unfurl its own course, and earn our rewards."

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The darkness thickened--not so much as to be absolute, but enough to mimic the cool rush of leaves in autumn, the fog of dusk; a rain began its scattered fall. And from the mist seemed to coalesce The Quarry: a creature vague and wisplike in its shape and its dimensions. Now it was as a hare, swift on the foot; now it was a stag, wheeling for the trees. It appeared to be fleeing, uncertain; lost.

Some distance up the meadow, the Huntsmen and their Hounds came cascading through Pegasus' stone wall. The former were a host of indistinct creatures: humanoid, perhaps, or some as centaurs, some with horns or antlers, astride horses or skeletal-looking steeds or stags of their own. And before them ran the Hounds, as wolves and dogs and other things, like fog made manifest.

In a heartbeat the chase had begun, these spectral figures giving chase through the cool rain and the mist. To pass through them would leave an unearthly chill that would linger for hours, but would not harm. It would seem that physical means would not affect them, but perhaps magic might have more of a pull on such creatures, or perhaps it would not. Perhaps it was the intention that might count: would the Gembounds assist the quarry in its escape, seeking clever plans and routes of escape, as Alnilam would have them do? Or would they work to capture this fleeing treasure, and seek Alnitak's rewards? Or would they simply observe this mystical spectacle, as Mintaka would suggest?

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The Event The Wild Hunt - the Chase has begun! Any Gembound may join at any time.

Gembound may post here, and/or create other threads to attempt to aid the Huntsmen, the Quarry, or simply to observe the Wild Hunt. Other threads must be AW (to allow for interference attempts); however, you need only wait three days before posting if thread partners do not respond. Attempts may be GM-reported for responses. When your attempt has been made, you may post in this thread with a link back to your attempts, so that we may tally who is aiding which side.

This leg of the Wild Hunt will last two weeks. It will be confined to Pegasus, and the Quarry will not pass to other locations. Further Hunt legs will be influenced by the number of supporters for either side in the Chase.