[Quest] The Trials - Part III - Printable Version

The crunch of sand underfoot was audible as the Merchant carried onward, hands held before him, gazed fixed on the distant ravines. Just barely he could pick out the specks that were Gembound climbing along the canyon walls.

"Master Astraea..." he rasped. "Master Nemean... You had gone long... without a test." It was an observation, rather than an accusation--perhaps an explanation of what was going on. "I came... to see it done."

As he gradually grew closer, he could see the lizard Amazon, the creatures Shango and Imp, the Lapis number Ninety-Five, and the fossa Mayngo all struggling to keep up with the rest. Wounded, falling, bitten. He kept striding unhurriedly forward, masked gaze on the distant fight for survival.

It was then that a far-off screech ripped through the ravines--and the Merchant knew it. He knew it would be deafening, perhaps terrifying, for those within the canyons. A massive shadow swept over the top, and then vast wings folded, and the shape dived: a black Eyehook Vulture, fully twice the size of the rest, its rending claws aiming to grab those who'd fallen, to rip and to tear at them, to fling the wingless high into the air to let them fall to their deaths.

The black shape shot skyward, wings spreading. Blood red-tipped feathers flared and she again folded herself for a screeching dive, massive hook-like talons splayed.

The Vulture Matriarch had arrived.

_________

While the others finish their ascent, the Vulture Matriarch launches a rapid, deadly attack on Shango, Imp, Amazon, Mayngo and Lapis Ninety-Five. These Gembound must roll to attempt to get to the canyon top while avoiding her attacks. Those who fail and who are not rescued will perish. Quartz Eight-Six-Zero may attempt a rescue on Shango, Amazon or Lapis Ninety-Five should they fail to evade or survive this attack. Mayngo and Imp may be aided by Quartz Five-Two-Four, Asimona, Agate Two-Three-Six, and Styx.

This round is only for the attacked, and those who can aid them. The rest are too far ahead to react in time.

Lapis Ninety-five

Oh, you fool, there are rules, I am coming for you
Darkness brings evil things, oh, the reckoning begins

Having chosen her route, Lazuli once again began to scale the cliff. She struggled up, soon hearing the vultures’ keening cries, and feeling her heart pounding all the more strongly. She struggled up the cliff face, fending off their talons and beaks with keening screeches and lashes of wickedly sharp claws.

She climbed and climbed, hearing clatters as they collided with the cliff face behind her. Still she inched higher. Until finally, the great bird’s head poked over the edge of the cliff. With a final flex of her legs, she threw herself onto solid ground, heaving panting breaths and glancing up as the vulture matriarch soared overhead.

"Speech."
"Thoughts."

RE: [Quest] The Trials - Part III - Mayngo - Jun 10 2019

Laboriously, the fossa staggered to his paws. It took him a minute, he was already struggling with the heat, panting to catch the breath that had been knocked out of him. The dry air rasped in his throat, stinging his lungs.

There was a screech, and he stumbled, shaking his head. It echoed painfully in his head, rattling around in the skull, and he looked up to seek the source of the sound. There was a massive red and black blur streaking towards him, and his fur stood on end. Oh, oh shit.

His eyes widened, and he coiled his legs, aiming to leap up and land on its back, let it carry him to the top of the plateau. But he wasn't sure why, maybe the tears that still stung his eyes, that blurred his vision, or the disorientation from the sounds echoing in his mask, but he missed.

The vultures wings tore at his shoulders, digging into the flesh between them and trailing down along his back, sending blood flying as they flayed him open. He screamed, this time not in mourning but in pain, as he was flung to the ground, his blood splattering the sand.

RE: [Quest] The Trials - Part III - Asimona - Jun 10 2019

As Asimona slowly made her way to the top of the cliff face, a horrible, terrible screech stabbed into her ears and she looked down. The straggling gembounds were under attack by a vulture, far too big to be natural, or at least too big for anything natural in the other caves. This must be the vulture matriarch that the Merchant had told them about. Perhaps she could veer off and try to pluck her trophy now...no, it was going too fast. And, as she watched, it began to tear into the skull-bearing fossa.

"No!" she roared. Without really thinking, she angled herself back down and dived. She reached forward with her arms and grabbed at Mayngo, flaring open her wings to stop her descent. She cringed at the pain that it caused around the edges of the ice, but she didn't care. As soon as she had him, she called upon winds to help her this time. Warm air twisted beneath them and pushed against her wings, lifting her into the sky, with Mayngo grasped in her front claws. She strained to make it the rest of the way, but at last, she dropped Manygo on the top of the rocks and set herself down, panting heavily, looking around for her two allies to join them again.

"Can you hear their voice?"
"Find the one who'll guide you."
To the limits of your choice.

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RE: [Quest] The Trials - Part III - Game Master Dark - Jun 10 2019

At the top of the mesa, the heat was once again intense. A wind blew now and then, sharp gusts dangerous to the unwary who strayed too close to an edge. Tufts of scrub grass and tangled, thorny brush dotted the red rock. Massive nests were scattered here and there, twisted together with dead grass and sharp, dry twigs, littered with feathers, the bones of prey, and shards of egg and gemstone.

The vultures all rose as one, screeching with violent protest at these intruders--but they did not yet attack, because one twice their size had just swept back down. The black vulture with the red-tipped feathers, with a fully forty-foot wingspan, landed with a screech that seemed to rip the air apart, her wings spreading as she faced down the Gembound. The other vultures circled, adding their screams to the fight.

_________

Round Three

The Gembound now face the Vulture Matriarch. They have choices: they may use their roll to attack the vulture, and perhaps attempt to kill her as a group; to steal a trophy and flee; or to sabotage another Gembound in the chaos, perhaps attacking them.

Placements will not be changed in this round. Gembound who succeed this roll will succeed at their task; those who fail will take injury from the Vulture Matriarch or a diving attack from one of her smaller brethren, or may even be knocked off the cliff. Gembound whose rolls fail will as before have a chance to save themselves from death in a follow-up round, and any Gembound who are successfully attacked by another Gembound will also post in that follow-up round to try and save themselves from whatever is being inflicted. Gembound may only sabotage, or be sabotaged by, those in the same placement as they are; the groups are still somewhat spread out. The Vulture Matriarch will attack them each in turn.

A Critical Fail on this roll will result in a severe wound from one of the vultures, or from a fall.

Please post & roll only once.

Click to view current placement rankings.

1. Yoosung, Reseda, Garnet Five-Seven-Nine, Desert Rose Thirty-Five, Labradorite Five-Four-Six, Opal Three-Seven-Six
2. Shango, Amazon, Quartz Eight-Six-Zero, Lapis Ninety-Five
3. Quartz Five-Two-Four, Asimona, Imp, Agate Two-Three-Six, Styx
4. Mayngo

@Yoosung @Amazon @Shango @Opal Three-Seven-Six @Quartz Eight-Six-Zero @Labradorite Five-Four-Six @Agate Two-Three-Six @Desert Rose Thirty-Five @Lapis Ninety-Five

RE: [Quest] The Trials - Part III - Reseda - Jun 10 2019

As Reseda clambered onto the top of the cliff, she found herself faced with all sorts of nest and, of course, vultures. She immediately tensed up, ready for a fight, when a swooshing sound behind her made her glance back. She narrowed her eyes at the massive vulture that rose from the edge of the cliff. This must be the vulture matriarch that the Merchant instructed them to take a trophy from. Hm. Easy.

She glanced at the others. It would be so easy to rid herself of potential enemies now. They were all distracted. She could just...grab one by the ankles and sweep them off the cliff but...no, that would paint a target on her back. She would simply continue on as always.

She focused on the giant vulture, narrowing her eyes at the feathers on its body. One of those would suffice. With a flick of her magic, one came lose and came hurtling towards her. She opened her mouth and caught it, setting it beneath her tongue safely. She immediately took off again without a care for anyone else behind her.

Reseda is grabbing a feather and moving on