"AHOY, mateys!" Captain yelled, cheerful as ever. "Yer all here to help me heartie Astraea improve Hydra, then? Be careful! Plenty of sandworms and other beasts that'll drag ya straight down to Davy Jones's locker if they can! HAHAHA!" Despite his boisterous laughter, Captain immediately quieted and listened dutifully to the Merchant's instructions when he began to speak. This would affect the future of his hatchplace--his original home! He would make sure to complete the tasks like a true pirate!

Stepping back into the familiar heat sent a visceral shiver down Captain's spine. Hydra... at last! "Stay near each other, mateys!" he warned, before launching a massive stone disc into the dunes with a powerful toss of his head. Such was the force of the toss that he scrambled to keep his balance on the shifting sand and fell over sideways, thudding heavily onto the ground. "Err-!"

Apart from giving a tired-looking nod to each new arrival, Jim did not attempt to socialize with the other trial-goers. The instructions were short and to-the-point; the threat to each of their lives obvious. He would need all his concentration for the trial going forward.

"Stay with the group," he tried to warn them as they entered Hydra, though he didn't know who would listen. "We'll try to help each other. Especially the Gembound with the pearl mask and the gray horse--they've got experience." At least, he hoped. They did seem to give off the correct demeanor for people who knew what they were getting into, but...

Jim shook his head. No point in worrying now; all they could do was their best. He cast out his Jim Sense as he walked up a dune and buried the vibrating stone disc in it, feeling for the visceral reaction that would tell him if any Gembound not part of the group, and therefore quite possibly dangerous, were nearby.

fox credit - dash huang on flickr

Jim is staying with the group.

Zhusha had considered wearing the armor he acquired from the Wishing Stone all those cycles ago, but considering how hot Hydra was, he eventually decided the metal armor might be more of a hindrance than anything. So here he was, in the plain white and black plumage he'd had for all of his adult life, ready to risk his life for the greater good.

(Maybe. Who knew if Vargas and the Merchant were really planning to use a safer Hydra for good plans? Still, if fewer normal Gembound just trying to live their lives could die here because of their actions today, it would be worth the struggle.)

"I will also help and protect whoever I can," he announced after Warrior, giving the horse a respectful nod. "Hydra is dangerous. It's about time we made it safer--but remember that it's still deadly right now."

He took flight as they entered Hydra, swooping down on monochrome wings to deposit his disc in the dunes before ascending again to scan over the crowd below. Already some were falling into danger--he would help whoever he could, however he could.

burn me to ashes and scatter me in the flooding spring river
that i might drift with the fallen flowers to a place no one has known

Zhusha is staying with the group.

It was time, at last.

Ruby-Beta remembered staring out at the sands of Hydra as a child. It remembered the tunnel before it from its earliest memories. Orthoclase-Alpha's growl as it knocked the smaller gembound over. The sound of their parents - no, - life and stone givers speaking in quiet tones. It had been too young to be in the snowy trial and the ome after that....well, it would be a stretch to call that a Trial.

But now it was time. And Ruby-Beta surely felt ready. Training for many cycles perhaps would now pay off. Would it prove itself to the Forge where it's stone giver had failed?

There were lots of Gembound here for sure, but it did not see any other of the Chaos Forge. That was alright, all the more reason to feel special. It grunted and lifted one of the satchel, struggling to get it around its body until it was sitting mildly comfortable over its shoulder, hanging by its left elbow. Good enough.

With the other, it set out, the warm forbidden sands of Hydra like fire under its paw. Senses alert and ready, it quickly felt the soft vibrating under the ground. Sandworms.

It would be fine. The others would distract them well enough. Perhaps it was arrogance beginning to take root in Beta, but it was unconcerned with the present danger, taking a disc from the bag and lressing it into the sand, giving it a few good pounds to get it nice and stuck in there. Definitely not making vibrations. None at all.

Morpho, admittedly, wandered into hydra without much of a thought. Though upon wandering in, hearing the words of a stranger, the competitive streak kicked in. Rewards? Yes, this mantis can be tempted by rewards. To go ahead, or stay with the pile until later? Good questions... It allows the satchel to be placed on it, rather heavy for a bug nearly as thin as a twig. Still, Morpho does not deter its confidence.

Some of these gembounds are rather small, surely they will be put to the back first. Or not... If these worms they speak of are large Morpho itself is in more danger. Larger food larger creatures... it will keep that in mind.

Morpho will stick with the group

The gigantic insect was lured to Hydra by the premise alone. Life or death fight for survival with possible reward? The Huntsman was more than intrigued, even if it was unsure what the 'reward' was, or if it was real at all. It had even painstakingly peeled back it's molt- removing it's protective wooden exoskeleton, but freeing it's claws and teeth. It was doing a lot, for a reward it knew not of. But that was fine.

The Hunt would be reward enough.

It would take it's satchel from The Masked Merchant with a polite clack of it's mandibles. Sure, it could play /this/ game, too. As long as it didn't hinder it from playing it's favorite game.

Huntsman didn't bother to stick with the group, despite their sappy declarations of protecting and helping eachother. It was sure that would all dissolve once the first sandworm breached the surface- and besides, Huntsman didn't need the help anyways.

Huntsman is moving ahead.

Why was he doing this again?

This was the second time he'd had ignored the threat of death because of a reward he wasn't even sure he wanted. The second time he'd seen Vargas looming above, watching the carnage with that toxic, burning gaze. The second time he was somewhere he absolutely shouldn't be.

But he had nothing particularly to lose, right?

So he hobbled among the crowd of WAY more gembound than he'd ever expect willing to give up their lives. Taking the bag from The Masked Merchant, listening to all the strange tasks they would have to do while surviving this horrible cave. Yeah. Fine. Okay.

He did manage to spot one familiar, somewhat welcome face- well, welcome because they weren't trying to kill each other this time. However, he didn't have a chance to say anything to Galleon before she disappeared beneath the sand.

Looks like the race had begun.

And he had already lost.

Glory swept into the tunnel, his gold and silver armor flashing brilliantly in the bright lights coming from Hydra. He landed among a gathering of Gembound - presumably they’d heard the same thing and were here for the same purpose. Reclaim the caves for the sake of the gembound! Ah, such a noble goal, for the good of other! But as he listened he wondered at the safety of this task. Yes, sure it was said to be dangerous, but he had never stepped foot in Hydra. Some of the others looked nervous and there was a frightful energy coming from the cave ahead. Ah, well…what was life without risk?

Still, this was not the place for his armor. The satchels looked heavy and the bright hot lights would soon cook him alive in a heavy cage of metal. He carefully began to strip the enchanted plates off of him, laying them in a neat pile next to the wall. The helmet was last, laid on top of the rest and a thought occurred to him. What if he perished? He doubted e would, but the possibility was real. Of ourse, it would be for a noble cause, but his armor would waste away here, then.

He looked up, glancing at Vargas ad he Merchent, taking a step towards the. ”If I do not return…would one of you be so kind as to deliver these pieces to the dragon-hound known as Ember? I believe you might find him with the Seven, in Orion.” He paused for a moment, hesitating. Genuine regret welled up in his throat and the emotions suddenly coursing through him kept him from pushing it down. ”And…could you tell him I’m sorry?” He could do nothing but trust one of them, or perhaps one of the Gembound that survived, would pass it along if he didn’t make it back.

After a moment, he shook out his feathers and stood tall, nodding curtly before trying and trotting after the others into the heat of Hydra.

Barely anytime isn’t the vast desert, he could feel the danger beneath his feet. Soft vibrations under the sand alerted him to the presence of…creatures below. His magic flared up, sensing for gemstones beneath the sand. Pulling the disc out of his satchel, he opened his wings and fluttered to a spot a bit away from where the densest of the gemstones were gathered. He carefully laid it in the sand. If one attacked, he would not be afraid to fight, but better to avoid bloodshed when possible, especially this early into the journey.

Round Two

It was almost as if the discs attracted the beasts, rather than repelled them. Then again, the Merchant hadn't exactly explained their precise function, had he-?

Almost as soon as they entered the Dunes, distant towers of sand began funneling along the surface, diving deep...

Grains shifted, entire dunes fell away, pits opening to drop into tunnels below. And as the Gembound paused, here and there--or even hovered in the air--enormous maws erupted, dusty and fanged, savagely rushing to engulf their prey. To bite, to swallow, to drag down beneath the hot surface and into the waiting maws of death. It was like the whole desert had erupted--and there were far too many worms, more than one could ever have imagined.

Dozens of them like twisted grass sprouted from the sand, waving high, snagging and plummeting back below.

The Gembounds would be exceedingly lucky simply to escape this place with their lives... and this was only the first step.

Characters who failed their rolls are under attack by Sandworms. Ivory, Reverend, Star, Wisperia, Galleon, One, Whistle, Captain and Ruby-Beta may all roll to save themselves.

Those who succeeded but stayed behind--Warrior, Kaizer, Fiver, K'cil, Conleth, Ketur, Jim, Zhusha and Morpho--may choose to roll to attempt to each help one of those under attack.

Those who moved ahead may, if they choose, roll to attempt to sabotage someone else who also moved ahead, or can post simply to react or chat. A character may post and roll separately to defend against each attack roll made against them. (Those who moved ahead do not NEED to post, and cannot further advance this round.)

Anyone suffering a Critical Failure--to save themselves, or help another--will find themselves taking a serious injury (lacerations, broken bone etc.) that will slow them down by one placement. Whistle, Captain and Ruby-Beta will each suffer such a wound from their attacks, and if they survive this round will likewise fall behind!

Placement:

First: Corsair, Hymn, Duck Duck, Fleas, Anselm, Aran, Spinnaker, Huntsman
Second: Warrior, Kaizer, Fiver, K'cil, Conleth, Ketur, Jim, Zhusha, Morpho, Ivory, Reverend, Star, Wisperia, Galleon, One, Whistle, Captain, Ruby-Beta, Glory

This thread is now closed to new entrants.
The next post will take place around 6-8pm EST on the 28th.

@Wisperia (Hymn, Star) @Galleon (Fleas, Anselm) @Ruby-Beta (Glory) @Whistle (K'cil, Duck Duck) @Ketur (Morpho, Aran) @Zhusha (Captain, Jim) @Conleth (Huntsman, One) @Reverend (Spinnaker, Kaizer) @Warrior (Corsair, Ivory) @Fiver

Ruby-Beta paused when the ground seemed to shift even more. It looked up just in time to see sand bursting into the air not far away and then barely a moment later, it felt the ground drop away next to it. It had no time to react before it felt razor sharp teeth tearing into its side. It let out a screech and immediately flung itself forward to escape the teeth that had latched powerfully into its side.

But the sand beneath its feet was collapsing and the worm had an unbreakable grip on its flank, tearing deeper into flesh and fur, blood already staining the ground red. Unable to get any kind of grip on the sand beneath it, Ruby-Beta only flopped to the side under the overwhelming strength and surprise of the sand worm that had already bested it.

Panic had it struggling wildly, everything but blind terror fleeing its mind immediately, but it did nothing but fling up more sand and let the worm grip harder. At this rate…it wasn’t going to last.