ORIGIN - [Quest] The Black City

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Attikias had much more experience in preparation than his daughter, but unlike the world weary, exhausted father, Hunter was filled to the brim with excitement. Simply put, he couldn't help it. He had his own spear, his hair tied back, and for once-- for once!-- Attikias didn't tell him to stay home.

His tail swept back and forth as he crossed the sandy beach, glancing around at all of the gembound gathered. He hadn't seen this many other folk in cycles, and it made his nerves even more jumpy. He wiggled his fingers, giving a sheepish smile to anyone who glanced his way. It was like the Olympics, but...

This time, well, it felt serious. He was a proper adult now; his other father's pendant had been tied into his hair, where it would be safely secured. He eagerly scampered forward to get something that would aid him underwater, and found a pendant that would go well with Fisher's gift, and promptly got to work tying it in with his hair. It felt weird to not have his scarf, but it would definitely be ruined by the water.

Oh! His father was offering up flashlights, and well, he wasn't sure how many other gembound had opposable thumbs. "I can take one, dad!" He practically barked, scampering across the sand to take one of the flashlights. He immediately turned his off for now, and thankfully his dad was smart enough to have a strap on them, so once Hunter tied it to his wrist, he could free up his hand. Considering the other would be keeping a hold of his spear, he would need it for mobility. He had done some swimming here and there, but never a deep dive like this.

First time for everything. He reached out his hand to touch Attikias's shoulder, and give his father a big, brave grin, and then into the water they went. At first, the sea water felt heavy on his thicker fur, but once he was in a bit deeper he felt his natural buoyancy from his natural animal fat. His father had already dove into the water, and with a laugh, Hunter swallowed a breath and leaped in after him, propelling himself under the waves.

He held his spear close, blinking against the unusual sensation of water on his eyes until he adjusted. He found his lungs doing fine thanks to the water breathing trinket, and his eyes glistened as he saw even more gembound under the waves.

'Hey everyone! Wow, there's a lot of us!' His thoughts immediately started to project once he understood what was going on, filled with wonder and awe. 'I hope you're all ready for this! It's gonna be awesome!'

hunter is claiming:
a flashlight, light and dark pouch, and a pendant of water breathing!

Hey, wasn't she supposed to join this communion?

Madhukar had been here for this journey during her time of being disguised. Now she considered that a disguise might not be the wisest thing to take underwater. That was okay now, since her appearance was no unusual surprise at this point.

So they were following Patrick... Patty, an insane servant of Master Farina, underwater? To get "Artio" back from some city far below? Interesting. Interesting as in Madhukar was beginning to regret her decision to participate in this. Ah, well, she had practiced swimming and bathing and a few water-based things for this very purpose. She could paddle around pretty well. Would that be... enough? She knew for a fact that her most of her magic wouldn't be good down there -- storms were based on having an environment, an atmosphere. Lightning may not even travel underwater (she hadn't wanted to test it), and magical wings would be utterly useless when there was no air for flying. But she did have a spell for healing, which would probably be useful.

Still didn't seem like enough to entice Madhukar. She could go down as a one trick pony type healer who only sort of understood underwater combat, or she could stay up here and maybe ask Carja what happened down there. There was no reason to commit! At least, not until "Patty" mentioned the Army of Order. That made Madhukar's whiskers twitch. Coming off the Ursa Raid with such an aggravating end... Tahi-shei might love to know how the City survived. And he wasn't here at the moment. Hm...

Madhukar probably definitely absolutely should've given this another thought, but she didn't! Instead, the felinoid made a B-line for the little creature with the bag of gel balls. A calming gel would be magnificent for Madhukar, and a halluceno... hallucen... the second one offered would be good for throwing any sort of beast off if necessary. Madhukar didn't think they'd have time or patience to wait around for a poison to work.

Next on the (free) shopping list was a water breathing item. Madhukar would pull one out -- a little collar, she chose, just to make sure it wouldn't fall off without her noticing -- and get it on. She would also take a Baubled item, a ring she could secure around one of her stiff fingers.

Now all ready to go, Madhukar would start paying attention to the vast amount of words that were clearly not her own going through her brain. Gah, mental talking could be annoying if it was forced onto you, but at least it was easier to talk through. Madhukar liked the idea of hanging onto someone more equipped for swimming -- she was definitely small enough to. And she did feel ready, in some part, since everything she needed was usually already within herself. And as for awesome... maybe, but Madhukar doubted it. Unfamiliar dangers were not usually what she would classify as "awesome".

Now, what to send? Madhukar supposed if there was any question in her mind, it was who to hold onto and how good the group's protection was. "Like the idea of holding onto someone. Who can be held onto? Also, how many healers, how many fighters?" That should be good.

Madhukar is claiming: one Water Breathing Collar, one Baubled Ring, one Light (Calming) Pouch, and one Dark (Hallucinogenic) Pouch.

Madhukar said via link: "Like the idea of holding onto someone. Who can be held onto? Also, how many healers, how many fighters?"

Oh. Things were moving along with surprising speed. First and most importantly: context! One of the ones who orchestrated "this" was... Nemean? So now whoever that was, Master Farina did not like her. Their guide was alive, and they were all to follow that guide to open the City. The City? And find Master Artio's lost stone if it was there. ...Okay so Kaimana had missed a lot.

Who were these characters in this play? Why were some called "Master" and others not? From what Kaimana could remember about her childhood encounter with all of this, a storm of Fornax had washed up a key, a chain, and a fish. The fish made people sick, the chain... um, and the key! The key was important. They had taken that to Polaris, looking for a door. There was a potent child, and someone had been trapped...? Was that Master Artio? Alright. Okay. So this was, in essence, a rescue mission. There had been a city down there, all this time...

With each piece of information, Kaimana could feel her excitement sharpen further and further. Soon enough her eyes would be twinkling and her smile would be radiant as ever! Levi would miss this... but not completely. I mean, he could certainly stay underwater for a long time. Kaimana was surprised he and Comet hadn't already discovered some kind of city down there.

Kaimana would tell him all about it when she got back. Yes! It was all coming together! There were a lot of memories coming with all of this, memories of her childhood spent collecting shells and building little things and spending time with Orarian, who was here(!), and Glaive, who was not... The nostalgia almost hit a little too hard. Well! Now to get ready to solve this gargantuan mystery!

Kaimana would take from the pile of trinkets a pendant enchanted for water breathing. Oh, she had always wanted to know what it was like to be able to stay down there for as long as was desired! She was pretty darn good at diving and holding her breath, but it was nothing compared to Levi's lurking, and-

Oh! Words in her mind, coming from their guide, Patty. Patty was a fun name ~~that rhymed with smatty~~. Patty seemed really, really enthusiastic about all this... Kaimana liked it! She fed off of such enthusiasm, especially when it related to something cool and ocean-related. More words came; these didn't seem to be Patty's. She couldn't pinpoint a source, but based on the non-sequiturs, it wasn't just one person. Someone suggested holding onto capable swimmers if needed -- that was good, they would all need support and there appeared to be some strong swimmers here. Someone affirmed they would all find Artio. Someone appeared very excited -- didn't seem Patty level of excited, just anticipating kind of excited, which Kaimana could understand. Someone wanted to know who could be held onto and how many fighters and healers there were.

Kaimana didn't really count as... either? She was just a good swimmer. She would probably need help at some point, but she could also help out others. If needed, she could work out a puzzle or talk to somebody, but yeah... Well, she supposed with a regenerative pouch from the kind little puffball over there, she could be a pseudo-healer. Anyway, she didn't really know how this thought-speaking thing worked. Clearly it wasn't picking up everyone's thoughts at once or they all would've heard more by now, so it had to be voluntary... Ah, there wasn't really anything Kaimana could add yet. Verbally, she could offer herself as someone for smaller creatures to hold onto for at least a little while of their journey. It would be better to say that aloud so that people could actually pinpoint who was talking, wouldn't it?

"I am Kaimana! I can be held onto by smaller creatures for a little while if necessary. I've been swimming all my life, I can hold extra weight if needed." Her voice wavered a bit. It had been a long time since she'd used it in front of a crowd. Despite that, all she'd said was true, there was no hiding anything in her words. A little proud of that fact actually.

With that out of the way, Kaimana would pad over to the little fluffball person who reminded her of Mayfal. She would take one regenerative pouch with a smile and a "Thank you." Kaimana realized she had taken two objects now with no plan of payment, but her idea of it was that she would give back the pendant and hopefully use the regenerative pouch for another's sake. Maybe, if she could find their gel supplier again later on, she could prepare them a gift.

Ta-da! Kaimana was set. All that was left to do was wait.

Text. "Speech." Thoughts.

Kaimana is claiming: one Water Breathing Pendant and one Light (Regenerative) Pouch.

Kaimana did not speak via the link, but she did offer herself aloud as someone smaller creatures could hang onto temporarily if need be.

@Forgraves (littol bit of interaction; she thanked him :] )

If Blight was here, it was here.

It hadn't really thought this through. What was the point? It didn't think anyone could really predict what was going to happen. The Blacksmith had pretty much done all the pre-thinking that was needed. What magic did it have that could have prepared it better than the enchantments he offered? (This bothered it more than it would've liked to admit, even to itself. But at least it and Blight were in it together.)

It pawed through the pile of enchanted objects, eventually selecting the smallest metal orb it could find and swallowing it. (In its defense, that seemed like the safest option. Pendants and other trinkets could be dropped or ripped off, but it figured that if a monster got around to ripping its orb out of its stomach, it was pretty screwed anyway.)

Then, just to be safe, it took two others: a collar and a pendant, which it slipped over its head one after the other. What if one's magic ran out, after all? It wanted backup plans. Then it took a green orb from the fox's pile of pouches--it didn't trust itself not to accidentally eat a harmful one.

But it lingered a while longer, a delightfully thoughtful look on its face as it considered the orbs. Others would be eating these, wouldn't they? Or using them against their enemies... but where was the fun in that? No, it would help Forgraves add a little spice into his magic food. With a faint grin, it pushed its magic into an orange orb. A little zap would be just the thing to up the energy boost.

It had to admit, Patty the seahorse was terrifically funny, and its unbridled enthusiasm loosened the tension in Bedlam's shoulders. It let its signature grin creep over its face, waddling over to sit beside Blight. It ignored the thoughts from the others--as far as it was concerned, they were all irrelevant.

Haven flew alongside Electrum, glad to feel the sea breeze on her scales again. She'd cooped herself up when she'd tried her hardest to put their den back together, but now that it was nearly done, she was comfortable going out.

"The Keystone? The rock that snow leopard was so interested in?", she asked, and then grumbled under her breath, "Oh Telesto... goodness if she'd have told us I would have offered to come! Whatever's going on sounds like fun! But she lied, that's not okay."

Haven swooped down after Electrum and shook her head softly, "Let's do neither. We'll talk to her after all this about lying."

She winced as she felt the static coming off of him, sniffing at him gently before turning to the others, "People are saying we need trinkets to breathe underwater... I'll get us some and a few lights."

She galloped over to the pile and took two trinkets and a bauble, ferrying them back to Electrum. She couldn't remember if Telesto could breathe underwater or not, but hopefully she could.

@Electrum
Haven has taken two water-breathing trinkets for her and Electrum and a bauble

Carja approached Attikias and nudged him from behind, her tail waving behind her, ”Hello!”

She didn't have her saddle on at the moment, having been rather occupied raising both of her children and having no time to fly with the other recently.

”Those are cool,” she said, touching her nose to one and snorting softly, ”I glow too.”

She opened the vents on her neck, steam rising from them, her inner heat causing her to need them to thermoregulate. They glowed and so did her eyes and inner wings, but if she needed to she could close her vents, flick her second lid across her eyes, and fold her wings up. Hiding her light like the flashlights did.

”I'm excited,” she said softly, ”An adventure! I just hope its nothing like Ursa...”

That had been rather awful. She wasn't even involved!

@Attikias

Indigo hadn't seen so many water-dwelling creatures in one place before, breaching the surface, talking with each other. She hadn't seen so many land-dwelling creatures in one place before, either.

She surfaced slowly, quietly, long after Farina had left. A single, silent nod was passed towards Haven-- who she recognized from childhood --but then her gaze was honing in on Cerilaine.

Emerging from the shore was an ungraceful event. She crawled out of the rolling waves with her hair draped like a curtain over her face. Her upper body went upright and her tail scrambled against the sand like a snake, writhing her way quickly to the leopard.

"I'm here," she said very quietly, in case Cerilaine did not see her. After taking a little look around at the other people dwelling, waiting to go, she said, "wait here."

Anxiety plumed in her gut as she slithered forward to take a flashlight and a bracelet that fit quite neatly on one wrist. She quickly glanced back, then forward, then picked up a second and was quickly moving back towards Cerilaine to hand her one of them.

indigo has taken a bracelet of water breathing and a flashlight (and also one for ceri)

She softly smiled at the nod given by the Blacksmith, was no use for words at the current time so she instead simple listened to them. Items would be supplied- ones of breathing and light; she was quite excited over this! Some new items to add to her collection and new things to show her mother! Though she kept calm, aware of how small a few of the surrounding gembounds were; well she didnt want to accidently step on one or two of them. So she listened to Blacksmith's next words of wisdom, her gaze flickering to the seahorse-beast-guide? She couldn't help but offer a smile in turn to them, ears and gaze flicker back to the Blacksmith as he spoke of the guide's 'gift'.

She wanted to frown at how the guide was alone- went mad; didn't have much time till they spoke up loud and well full of energy! So Hestia listened, eyes perhaps a bit wider than before; they had alot of energy! Good! She watched for a moment or two, till they dragged their body back into the sea. She could still hear them- if only lightly. She would catch up, just needed to collect items for the journey!

Hestia made her way over to the pile, softly nosing through for equipment for what potential mysteries were ahead. She found one pendant of water breathing that particularly caught her eye. It took her a few moments but she managed to nose it up and over the horns she displayed till it was safely around her neck- not too loose and not too tight; lucky! She took her time, looking for a bauble of light; being gentle and letting other gembounds grab what they so desired beneath her as she nudged thru the pile again; soon finding a light to aid along the journey.

Her eyes flickered to a little fox who came running and wheezing carrying a massive bag? They looked exhausted, and covered with colors apologized for being late? She wandered over to the new gembound who spoke up about bringing things to help everyone? How very kind of them! She trotted over, taking care to be aware of any gembound's who might run beneath her feet. She smiled softly speaking up to thank the kind fox as she grabbed a couple bags respectively.

"Thank you, it's quite kind of you! I know everyone will appreciate this!"

She smiled and gently bowed, if only a little to the fox in gratitude. Before she could say much else her ears and attention flickered to well- around the area, it was a voice through the link the Blackmith mentioned. They asked if someone could be held onto; well she herself was certainly large enough for quite a few of the surrounding gembounds to sit down upon her back with ease. So she tried to speak through the link- hoping to reach most of the gathering group with her words.

I'm Hestia, and I can carry a few of you upon my back! Climb aboard, my shell or my tail- or anywhere really! I have more than enough room!

She smiled, hoping one or two of them would take her up on her offer- she could move through the water better than most; and she was more than large enough easily measuring 20 feet from nose to tip of tail. She offered a lot of valuable real estate.

Hestia is claiming:
A pendant of water breathing as well as a bauble/pendant for light and one light and dark pouch!

Hestia is also offering to be a boat/bus for any gembounds who so desire!

Considering the existence of beings like Nemean and the other Masters, he shouldn't have been surprised by their designated guide. Nevertheless, the raucous creature took him aback. At first it'd been due to the voice, how it rattled in his brain the closer he squeezed his way to the front of the crowd. Then it was the introductory speech's content, a small degree off-putting in its dissonance to the chipper mood. And to top everything off, this Patty's appearance. If this was an example of what they would encounter below, those sea-dwellers certainly did not fit any beauty standards he knew of on land.

Mind, if they were ugly, what did that mean for someone like him, not of the deep sea but semiaquatic? Fahl did not dare delve into this, too repulsed to entertain the subject further. With a whisk of his tail over the sand, he turned, shuddering, and approached the item pile.

The pendants he decided were too flimsy to risk around his neck, and the collars could not fit on at all, those that could be adjusted having to be loosened to the point of uselessness in order to not crush or be penetrated by his dorsal spines. A pity since something close to the chest seemed the safest option to go with. He rummaged through the selection, casting aside too small rings and a variety of trinkets too large to carry, until a few decently sized armbands were retrieved.

Each he tussled with. The one he finally managed to wear, an unremarkable silver band held in place by a clasp, might not have been his first choice but ultimately was the best.

Water breathing covered, now he acknowledged the fox and the useful pouches that'd been brought. He took his limit, one dark and one light, but grumbled upon realizing the new problem to tackle: where they could be carried. Looking to his armband, he drove a claw beneath it and lifted so that the smallest of spaces could be created. His teeth used to keep the raised side of the armband still, the pouches were crammed into the opening. Everything snapped back into place upon releasing his hold.

To Forgraves he expressed gratitude with a grunt and a respectful nod.

Hopefully that hadn't ruined what was inside. If it had, he'd know soon enough when it was needed.

Finished, Fahl walked to the very edge of the shore and propelled himself into the sea, thoughts fully on the mission. 'This better be worth it. Please be fucking worth it.'

Fahl has taken an armband of water breathing, a light pouch, and a dark pouch.

An oil-slicked being as large as Whale herself whispered a warning. She gave them a stubborn look—she didn't know what was going on with the master-servant terminology (and really, she'd thought she'd understand all the words now that she was older, but it seemed to be a recurring pattern that each encounter brought with it odd vocabulary), but she wasn't going to budge on this.

"We are volunteers," she rumbled gently to Labradorite. "Helpers, risking ourselves in a rescue mission because we wish to help Artio and seek justice. I wish she wouldn't see us as servants." The Blacksmith certainly didn't, though, and she was glad about that.

A second sea-creature rose from the depths, shimmering with blues and silvers. Whale was reminded of the pieces of her chrysalis, but the Orarian was so much more graceful than the massive chunks of gemstone sinking into Pisces' lagoon.

Whale turned to it, singing out a greeting that reverberated through the water. "I am Whale! We're not going to war, but on a rescue mission. There's a person named Artio imprisoned below, and we're here to help free her. That crab Farina was her friend. She was imprisoned until recently, too, and she misses Artio a lot."

She might have said more—condemning Nemean for her war crimes, for example—but the Blacksmith and Patty were speaking now. Whale felt a pang of pity for the seahorse, driven mad by its telepathic powers. Yet another victim of the rebels' cruelty, she thought bitterly. But it was hard not to laugh at least a little at its overenthusiastic speech.

I am Whale, and I can carry smaller beings! I can fight, too, she added, though she had no actual experience with fighting. She assumed she wouldn't be terrible, at least, with her great size. Though--maybe everyone was larger underwater. That seemed to be the case with the Orarian, Labradorite, Farina, and the seahorse. At least I will not be smaller than them.

Oh! She'd nearly forgotten. If it was deep and there would be danger, Whale didn't want to waste time by surfacing for breath. "Someone mind tossing me a water-breathing enchantment?" she called.

@Madhukar @Orarian @V-Labradorite-One for vis

Whale is asking for a water-breathing trinket

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