Click here to see Part I

Tunnel P was scorchingly hot. Blasts of wind blew and curled through the tunnel, carrying clouds of dust, and tugging at the robes of the Masked Merchant who made his way slowly down it. He passed the bones and skeletons displayed at Canis' entrance, ignoring them.

He hiked his way down the broad expanse, shuffling down over ledges of stone, avoiding the dust devils that would threaten to throw him bodily into a wall.

At last, he reached it: the entrance of Hydra, abandoned for eons. And there he turned, standing to face back toward Canis: waiting. Behind him, the entrance to Hydra was blocked by a shining wall: magical in nature. It was a barrier of some kind, but through it, beyond, one could see the desert stretching for what looked like miles. Lined up just before the barrier stood a row of nine or ten massive gemstone chrysalises of different shapes and sizes, shining with various colors.

Once there, he turned, and waited for the others to arrive: and as they did so, he once more began to speak.

"Hydra... the cave... of trials. Now the trial... begins again. An ancient rite. Those who wish... to partake... face death. Those who survive... will come away with their rewards. The rules... are so: you will enter together... you will cross the Dunes. You will climb to the top of... the Crucible's mesas... and kill a Vulture there. You will then cross... down to the Marsh... across the Flats... and return. There are no... other rules. Work... together. Form... teams. Sabotage... cheat... kill... steal. The only rule is... survival. The survivors... will be forever touched. The winners... will be forever changed. And you will not... be alone..." The Masked Merchant turned, gesturing to the chrysalises--which now seemed to hum and pulse, twitching, cracks appearing here and there. "The Champions of the Past... will join you... will compete. Who... will take part?"

The Quest The Trials - Part II has begun. Anyone may join at any time.

IMPORTANT: Hydra is a DEADLY, dangerous cave. DO NOT partake unless you are willing to face a (likely) character death. The stones of those who die in this Trial will be UNRECOVERABLE. You may enter more than one character. Those who do not wish to risk this may choose instead to adopt ONE of the prior Champions.

Players will only know the type and size of the gemstone, and upon adoption, will be given information about the Gembound, its appearance, its element, and its personality. Past Champions will be advanced to Pupil, Brawler or Strategist level at the adopter's choosing, and players will have one week to purchase spells for, and otherwise prepare, the Champion. However, if adopting a Past Champion, be aware that they are also likely to perish in the Trial, and that only one character, the Champion, can be entered into the Trial by adopters. In other words, you cannot enter both your own character, and an adopted Champion: this is meant as an option for those who wish to partake, but have no character they want to risk dying. Those wishing to adopt a past Champion may click here to see available Chrysalises. (Already adopted: Black Opal, Eye Agate, Smoky Quartz, Star Rose Quartz, Garnet, Labradorite, Desert Rose) The largest are over ten feet long; the smallest barely two feet in diameter. These are first-come, first-served, and information will be sent within two days. If adopting a Past Champion, be sure to post ICly with any character, and include an OOC section clarifying which chrysalis you would OOCly like to adopt, so that others may see which are already spoken for!

Rewards for this Trial will include an out-of-character achievement and an in-character Hydra-Specific Mutation to be selected from a list or, alternatively (by player choice) a single incident of assistance from the Masked Merchant on a Give Life spell, allowing the Gembound to have one guaranteed Give Life success regardless of the gemstone's prior owner's Magic Level.

@Thothaga @Wilder @Skeena @Yoosung @Mayngo @Eythan @Kalama

The Fossa followed the Masked Merchant, glad for his own mask. It kept the dust from his face, kept it from entering the raw flesh of his face. It was warm, and vaguely reminded him of Monoceros, although only just. He could see a desert, endless piles of sand. Beautiful, massive chrysalises that made him wonder what they had come from.

But then the Merchant was speaking, and so he sat, staring at him through his own mask. It sounded like an incredible challenge, crossing the dunes, a marsh, climbing a mesa (he had no idea what that was) killing a Vulture. His eye went, then, to the Chrysalises, looking near to hatching.

The Merchant asked who would take part, and Mayngo spoke up without moving, still as a statue, voice rattling around inside his skull mask, "I will."

The dog had grown over the cycles.

What had once been a chubby little pup had filled out, becoming an absolute monster of a dog. He towered over most of his breed at almost twenty eight inches, muscles bulging beneath his gleaming pelt. His ears had been torn away into shredded points, tail bitten into a nub.

As he followed the other Gembounds into the tunnel, he walked tall. Styx was a protector and, so, when he saw the monstrous, suspicious looking Gembound leading them into a new tunnel, he followed. He would never forgive himself if they were hurt, if anyone died. And, as he listened to the Masked Merchant speak, he knew he had made the right decision. Betrayal? Death? No, and no. Stepping forward, he stood tall, and spoke up. "So will I."

Speech. Thought.

Once she had left Monoceros, Asimona realized that she wasn't ready to return home just yet. She still felt that stirring of insanity at the edges of her mind that would return in their full force if she returned to her nest. Stir-crazy was putting it lightly. The hallucinations had been coming back more and more frequently and she couldn't have that. She needed something, anything, that would bring her back to life.

Canis was nearby. She hadn't been there for many cycles so her wanderings into the bone cave was at least a little interesting. But seeing a group of gembounds slinking into a cave that she could have sworn hadn't been there before...that was suspicious and she couldn't help but follow them in.

The tunnel she found herself in was so hot that she could barely believe she wasn't melting on the spot. Her insulating skin and the heat within her stomach were meant to keep out cold and keep herself warm. It did nothing to protect her against the incredible heat of the desert before them. Within seconds, she was sweating but already interested. She had not heard of this cave before.

She listened carefully to the creature that was explaining whatever trial, but she kept getting distracted by the heat. Her natural aura of coldness wasn't doing much to help so she carefully released a bit of magic into the air to further cool the area around her. It helped a bit, but she was still sweating like there was no tomorrow.

At least she understood what was going on. Some kind of trial with an amazing reward, but a great potential of death. Her eyes shone. This was what she was waiting for. Great risk, great reward. Still, it sent her heart hammering. If she died, what would become of her children? Would they be okay without her?

She struggled with the thought for a moment before resigning and breathing out. "I'll take part."

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

tags:
notes:

She still felt adrenaline racing through her body from the visit to Pisces. She was still filled with disbelief that, only a couple of days ago, she was so weak that she could no longer move. But Pride...he was wonderful. Selfless. Amazon wondered if she would ever make the same sacrifices that he did for another's safe. If Luster was the sick one and she was the healthy one, probably, but she was not Pride's daughter. She was moved by how much he cared for her wellbeing.

So now she had another cycle. To live and thrive. To dare, dream, and explore anything and everything. Canis was next on her list, the dreaded room of bones. Her exploration had been difficult - the terrain hard to climb through for a lizard her size, but her adventure had been steered away at the sight of a group of gembounds gathered by a wall. As she approached, the wall opened and many entered within. Curiosity was peaked and Amazon hurried forward, squinting her best to try and see where everyone was going.

The tunnel was unlike anything she'd ever seen before, the room beyond so different from the usual gray tones that she wondered if they had entered a different world entirely.

Whatever the thing was saying, explaining the rules, she felt a sudden thrill. This was it. This was why she had been given extra time. Not to explore, but to face a dangerous challenge. Perhaps her own reward would be more time. A lot more time. The thought made her feel warm inside. She would see Luster again. She would live happily with her for many cycles more.

And if she died, well, she was going to die anyways. Might as well make one, bold strike at life.

"I will enter," she squeaked, scrambling forward so the merchant could see her.

as a maiden she tiptoes shy with her light...

Thothaga followed the Masked Merchant through the hellish tunnel. The sand stung her hairs as the heated wind whipped at her body. Monoceros was tame by comparison. She struggled to keep up. Though the heat was somewhat tolerable for a spider like her, the arid wind was stripping the moisture from her.

The trial hasn't even begun and I feel like death. Not good.
She was curious as to what lie further in, and when she saw it, she was not disappointed. Hydra, a vast hellscape of cavern. It was guarded by magicka barrier. I wonder.. She thought. Is is sealed to keep us from getting in.. or.. to keep whatever's out there from getting out?

Though as fearsomely breathtaking as Hydra was and as interesting the Masked Merchant made the trial sound, her stiffening joints were a grim reminder of her survivability. She wanted more than anything to enter, she certainly thought she was magically capable, but deep down, Thothaga knew that without water, she would most likely perish.

"I know I promised.. but I..I'm afraid I'm not ready." Thothaga said, crestfallen. She have the Merchant a nod.
"Thank you, for everything." As Thothaga turned to leave, she glanced at the chrysalises, one of which seemed to be close to hatching. Lucky fools. The spider thought bitterly.

She was extremely disappointed in herself.

*Exit Thothaga


"Thothaga speaking."
Thothaga thinking.

OOC: I adopt the black opal chrysalis

When the Masked Merchant had begun to move, so had Skeena.

She had trailed after him, tiny paws scrabbling along the ground. It was easy to move over the bones, considering how many cycles she had lived there, and she scurried over the bones. Even still, she clung to the tiny little bone--it was her good-luck charm, and she felt she would need it. She was excited for this! Excited to finally do something other than sit in her little tunnels and carve away at her bones.

The heat was rapidly drying her fur, which she was grateful for, but she found herself having to move in the Merchant’s footprints to keep from being flung away, dust devils dancing along the ground. This place was dangerous, especially for a small Gembound such as she!

Finally, they stood before a handsome, shiny wall. ’What if we throw someone into it?’ The Other wondered, ’Would they go splat? Or would they sizzle?’ and she ignored it. The Masked Merchant was speaking, and she listened intently. It sounded dangerous, and Skeena was worried, but she stood up on her haunches and spoke up ”I’ll go!”

There's nothing quite so intense as a mother terrified for her child's survival.

Giggle came charging in just after the others in a cloud of dust, barely avoiding a spinning dust devil that hurled a large rock into the cave wall dangerously close. Panting, her dark eyes wide, she skidded up to Skeena from a full gallop.

"SKEENA! What are you DOING?!" she demanded, a thread of fear leaving an obvious tremor in her voice. A dark, suspicious glance was cast at the Merchant as she shouldered her way in front of her daughter. "You will absolutely not go in there! Haven't you thought--look at Canis, look at our home! It's full of bones! What do you think will happen to you if you go in there?!" She didn't bother to lower her voice, instead casting a mad gaze over the rest of those present.

"You are all healthy! You're all alive! What could he possibly offer you that's worse than death!? Don't be fools!" And she swore, mentally, that If I see a single Bonebound headed this way I will haul them back by the scruff of their necks!

"Come on--we need to talk to the bones." She only hoped--desperately, frightened--that Skeena would follow her. She could try to drag her out of here--but then what could she do..? She couldn't keep her kid locked up in Canis forever. Sooner or later, Skeena would slip away. Giggle only hoped that it wouldn't go that far... with any luck, she'd raised Skeena better than that.

________________

ROLL THE BONES

@Skeena

VINNIE THE VOICE

Vinnie lived in Canis--or, rather, he frequented it--so it was only a matter of time before he noticed the goings-on at the cave entrance. He preferred Fornax, of course. Soaring over the ocean, his calls echoing... that was heaven.

But he was Bonebound, and they lived here, so he'd been here when part of the West Wall crumbled, when the gathering of Gembound started to shuffle in. He swept in, following, curious about it all--and, in particular, as to what Mayngo was doing here.

Okay, so first off, Giggle seemed upset. He knew her from the Bonebound, and honestly, he couldn't disagree with her logic.

"Hey, uhh... Mayngo? Buddy? I don't think this is such a good idea," he agreed quietly. "I mean, it's nice to see you and it'd be nice to--ya know--see you in the future? You could come back to Canis with me, maybe? Meet the Bonebound-? I mean, you even got a bone on your head," he pointed out, with a weak laugh.

To Giggle, he spoke once more. "Listen, I don't wanna go in there any more than you do but this guy's my buddy. If he goes in, I gotta go with him--if I don't come back, you tell Aure I said thanks for havin' me, yeah?"

________________

The Orarian itself could not be here, but far away, the ocean currents of Fornax shifted and churned. The caves were about to change forever.

It was a shame that the challenge was impossible for the creatures of the deep, but such was the way of the caves; the barrier between the Orarian and the other world existed for a purpose. The creatures that took part in this challenge would have no chance surviving one that the ocean's children could and vice versa-- perhaps it was fate.

However.

There certainly were plenty who would fill the task for Merchant. Perhaps they would all die. In the end, the Orarian would be none the wiser. If they did know, however, their deaths would bring an unnatural smugness to the leviathan.

ooc: h..hewwo??? i'd like to take on the eye agate bls