The alligator faced the others, still billowing his throat with a rumble of pride and contentment. He was proud--proud of himself, proud of them, proud that Aquarian had seen fit to give them all his blessing--and his protection.

When he spoke, his voice still boomed with the thrum of energy he'd maintained during the chanting.

"He will protect us. We will serve him." He inhaled deeply, looking over the others. "We will each have our roles to play. Each have contributions that we can make--regardless of our size," he added with a soft growl of amusement, eyeing Tal'at, Willow and Eve. Then he took another breath, continuing.

"I ask now that we share our knowledge, so that we all know what we each know. We should go to the wall, and begin work on a drawing, carved into the stone or a tree, to map the cave. Share what we know of each place, gather knowledge. Perhaps tell the secrets we each know. I will tell you mine, once more: I know that the pools in the cave of jungle plants, when I swam too deep, filled my mind with evil things that wished to drag me down and kill me. The water ran cold. What do you know? Tell us."

He then continued, apparently intending to make a bit of a speech, first.

"Then. When you find time. When it suits you--but soon. I would ask that the small ones leave Cetus, and seek treasure. Seek that which is unusual. Seek information. Seek more knowledge. More! ...Seek new food, seek the things that Aquarian will treasure, will reward us for. The big ones perhaps can accompany them to protect--or stay here, and test our mettle against one another. Train for combat. Or begin a hunt, to seek offerings for our Father. But Willow--remain with me. I wish to speak with you." He swished his long, thick tail from side to side, allowing the others to make this decision.

What secrets did they have to share? And what would they choose to do?

{ art by dark } ~ { table by aura aka rare . edited by banshee and dark }

[ OOC. -- I figure this is a good time to just jump in and get started! Thread takes place just after the formation of CoR.Tal'at could gather up those seeds/plants to start his garden, if he wants. If Eve/Tal'at want bodyguards they could ask Ghan or Czernobog to do?! Or Ghan/Czern could want hunting/sparring! It's up to you guys! :3 This thread is meant for Children of Rot members only, but if someone else wants to spot us and hop in, that's okay too!

@Czernobog @Willow @Eve @Talat @Ghanyarah ]

Tag for mature language :O

Ghanyarah couldn't truly feel at ease until the snake-like water creature had disappeared beneath the surface of the marsh again. He watched as his long, yellow and teal body slid back into the water, receding to the mysterious depths until they would call upon him again. Once the monster had gone, the komodo turned his attention fully to his brother-leader. Dragon started talking again, launching into the discussion that had apparently been planned for the coalescence of this group. He nodded as the alligator spoke of serving Aquarian, yes - that had been their goal all along, hadn't it? It was what Ghanyarah had agreed to. Maybe his intentions were different from the alligator's, but they all planned to live forever and learn everything, so what did it matter?

He spoke of sharing their knowledge, and drawing - drawing, that was Ghanyarah's specialty. But he wasn't as smart as the others, like Tal'at and Willow and maybe even Eve. They were smaller, flying creatures, intended to converge all their thoughts and meditation into a common knowledge among the inner circle. Ghanyarah didn't share those thoughts. Hell, he doubted he was even capable of the level of meditation that was expected of them. That didn't mean he couldn't draw though... but maybe he'd just keep his talent to himself. He made a better fighter than an artist, anyways.

Dragon went on to instruct them further, a bid to gain more knowledge. Of course. He would do his duty just as his brother expected. But for now, the komodo had something to say about the Eyes. "I went to visit the Eyes in Eridanus." He spoke up, stepping closer. "I was greeted by a group of cats. They said the Eyes belonged to something called the All Mother, and that when you entered the water, she could see... who you truly were." The komodo dragon spoke this with a measure of obvious skepticism. "I didn't see a creature belonging to the name All Mother, all I could gather was that they thought the pools were her Eyes. I strongly suspect there is no such thing as the All Mother, which already renders our great protector Aquarian far superior to whatever bullshit they were spewing." He rolled his eyes with a sneer.

table and code © chelsea of ORIGIN

Tal'at did not want to fight, he did not want to do anything too dangerous. He had gotten himself mostly cleaned off, listening to Dragon's speech, and he tried to figure out where he best belonged in this group of strong, powerful creatures. He was way under the baseline of toughness that the group had.

Perhaps he didn't belong at all. Yet they hadn't shooed him off, so he tilted his head... He supposed he could look for new food. Perhaps grow and harvest food-- he was no plant user, but he could see Green now, and he understood it.

"Would anyone like... To help me? Look for food. Plant a garden. Create food source," he spoke up softly, timidly, his voice much more quiet compared to Dragon or Yara-- but he had put himself out there.

He shuffled in the mud, ears straining for the sound of feathers. Perhaps he should fly up to the tree branches and seek Eve, but perhaps she had already left. Oh dear. He felt so unsafe on the ground, but that was where all the tough characters were. Perhaps one of them would help him. If it wasn't too much trouble. He supposed he could always do it by himself.

"Would anyone please?"

And as he waited for a reply, he reached out with his magick, trying to see the Green around him.

!!! ...
@Czernobog ? :3

It's in the eyes!
I can tell, you will always be danger!
We had it tonight! Why do we always seek absolution?

Czernobog, still paddling in the shallows of the murky swamp water, was oblivious to much of what the adults were saying. Big ones. Protect. Train. Hunt. The last words caught his attention, and the piglet swam to shore, hooves tapping across the muck, shaking his short, pitch-black wire coat free of the muddy water. Hunt. He knew that word, what it meant, and the boar swallowed back a wave of hungry salivation, the taste of spider clear in his admittedly primitive mind. Still, the thought hit - was he a "big one?" Peering down at his own body in befuddlement, the beast-in-training was stunned to find that he had, indeed, grown. The boar, tusks glinting in the mellow, foggy light, was at least one hundred and fifty pounds, now, legs short but powerful, hooves and teeth sharp and dense, enough to break through bone.

A pleased snort escaped it, and Czernobog glanced about, wanting to find some way to prove that he could, indeed, help in some way, that he was "big" like Dragon wanted. The little bat, who had fallen from the sky after the grand-boat had left, was nearby, and began to speak up, voice soft. The pig hopped forward, completely unaware of just how intimidating the playful action might be to someone so small, ears pitched forward and tail wagging. "Heeeeeeelp?" Apparently the words plant and help had caught the monster's attention, and he shook a hoof in example, showing off the sprout bursting forth from his skin, rooted deep into muscular tissue. "Help!"

post roll:
Jaw hanging open with excitement, it was easy to see that the boar's tusks seemed to glow a mellow sea green - if you had eyes, that is. As soon as the glow receded, the plant within the babe's leg began to grow, almost seeming to dance towards Tal'at, burrowing out of the hog's skin just long enough to tap playfully at the bat's ears and cheeks, as if in some odd greeting.

Evening

The crow squawked briefly, nodding at Tal'at. "I can help you! There's tons of fruit and seeds in Eridanus, right?" The crow squawked as she hobbled down Dragon's nose. "I can look there, for seeds and shinies."

Idly the crow scratched the side of her head with a talon before she abruptly fluttered off without even waiting for any one else to speak, croaking as her wings carried her out of Cetus and presumably into Eridanus.

The owl was wholly silent as she watched Dragon, waiting with a tilted head. She was not sure how much information she had would be of use to them; there were many places she had not been to yet.

With a soft sigh the owl stepped off to the side, fluttering up onto a root to nestle herself on top of it where the dull white feathers wouldn't be stained with mud. Only briefly did she decide to peer at the others gathered around, before she set her silent gaze back onto Dragon.

@Dragon

The world of Green told him of the trees stretching up to the sky, of the reeds in the water-soaked soil of the marsh, and to his surprise, a moving living plant. The one that spoke to him. He turned his head towards it, his ears twitching as he watched the vines dance closer and closer, until they touched his very skin. He froze, instinctual.

"A-a-are you made... o-of a p-plant?" He managed to stammer out, before shaking his head, stumbling forward to find the center of the plant-monster that had reached out to touch him. What he found was something a bit more furry... Another gembound, one with plants entangled in his body. It was a weird thing, whatever it was, but Tal'at wasn't one to judge necessarily.

This one wanted to help him, and he would need all the help he could get. First, they had to find a proper spot for a garden, one that was large enough to host the plants they would grow... Then there would be a lot of holes to dig. Thinking about it, the task seemed monumental.

"Alright-- come with," he told the half-plant hog. "Help me find... Find the place. To put plants. Flat and wide. Come with me," he repeated once more, then paused as he went to take flight. He brought his voice down to a whisper, "Don't laugh when... If I hit, fly into trees." And with that, all said and done, the tiny bat flew up into the sky with a few brief flaps, and dove off, thankfully through the trees, not into them.

!!! ...
Tal'at Exit @Czernobog ~!

It's in the eyes!
I can tell, you will always be danger!
We had it tonight! Why do we always seek absolution?

He grumbled in agreement and in approval, nodding his massive head.

"When you are done, come and find me. Ghanyarah... brother. I think between us, we can make a map--if you can create such... art?" he asked with a swish of his tail. Then the alligator turned, waddling up toward the edge of the cave. He'd find a safe place, a good place, where they could all come back to--to meet, to live, and to hide. It had to be not too far from the black Heart and Aquarian; it had to be close enough to the Divines for hunting. He'd look, perhaps, for a cave, a crack in the wall, where all could hide in safety should danger threaten.

And there, he would help Ghanyarah to create a map; and ask Eve to make this map glow. And Tal'at could create, perhaps, a garden nearby, where their plant-eaters could find food easily, and where they would keep seeds to regrow the marsh should something terrible befall it.

The alligator was thinking ahead, after all; he'd have to... if they were going to live forever.

{ art by dark } ~ { table by aura . edited by banshee and dark }

((Exit Dragon - @Czernobog ))

Made of. Plant? Czernobog blinked, utterly confounded. Was he made of plant? Well, they lived on him, in him, he could feel them with every breath, as easily as he could feel his tail and his pointy hooves. The boar shrugged, grunting. "Plaaaant!" The little fluffy thing stumbled forward, patting at the piglet's chest, and he leaned down to snuffle at Tal'at's head experimentally, as if saying hello - the only way he knew how.

Come. Help. Find. Put plants. The black ball of fluff nodded eagerly, careful not to knock into the tiny brown hat, grinning already. He could do more plant stuff! And with a new hat, too! Although, the black hat had kind of already taken that title... Czernobog thought about it for a moment, before nodding a settling on a name. Small. Small friend. Tail wagging, the pig almost went to step forward, before the bat's whispered words stopped him. Don't laugh. Hit. Trees.

Czernobog blinked, puzzled, before watching as the small took off in flight, bleating out a cheerful bellow after his fast disappearing form, as enraptured as ever by the concept of flight. "Chuuuuurn!" A tiny dance, and the boar was off like a shot, racing through the swamp after his flying friend, eager to prove his worth.

[ exit czernobog ]