This thread is somewhat backdated to before Raheerah's return, if you want to include his emergence's ripple effects in one of the first few posts. Or, not. Up to your call!

ATTIKIAS
violence for violence
is the rule of the beasts

Attikias had been tired, as of late. Of what, well, he didn't know- of growing? He looked.. Odd. So unlike anything he hunted, naked and covered in fine suede while things fled from him when he made himself known. He'd flown under the radar for some time now- he'd been but a boy when he last spoke to someone, anyone, and he was, honestly, alright with that. As with any being, if he stepped out into the light, he may as well be placing himself on a serving platter for the predators of the caves.

He'd seen them- he was one. Some in the trees, some hunting, some emerging from gardens with their claws blunted below them. Attik found it best to avoid them altogether. Who knew how they would interact- yes, the monster (the name was lost to him, now) was... Kind to him as a boy, but now? Now, the man may come off as a threat, with his developed muscles showing under his lack of covering.

He'd made his home in the darkness of trees. It was good here, covered from the rain and prying eyes. Intricate, hand-made ties showed signs of wear and tear and of living creatures. A patch of leaves indicated a sleeping spot, with an area for fire in the middle and a way to direct the smoke out.

He'd learn that one the hard way. Sparks of his spear against hard rock let him light dry wood, let him heat up food for him to eat. Sure, yeah, he could eat it raw, but his taste-buds seemed more keen on the burnt flesh. Plus, it helped prevent his stomach from aching so much.

But, well, right now he wasn't concerned about creeping about to hunt. He'd eaten earlier, had fixed up his own little hut, kept everything in check. Now, he had... Not much to do. This was average at this point in his life- usually, he'd sit home and carve something with the bone knife he'd fashioned. As of late, though, it was a bit boring. There was only so much material; the purple beast often found its way into his creations, followed by the various felines he'd spotted about the jungle. Prey items followed, usually in running stances, or with depictions of life in the hands of what brought their death.

He found himself returning to the twin pools often. They were fascinating to him. Sometimes, he'd just sit there and watch himself, studying his various facial expressions and watching his body move as he grew and changed. That's where he was today, wooden figurines and working knife in a bag straddled against his hip. Its leather wrapped above his non-burdened shoulder. He should do... Something. Nothing came to his mind, though; he didn't need to do anything, either. A rare case of calm came over the tall humanoid as he stared blankly into the water.

It was good to be alone, sometimes. A sigh escaped him as he leaned back and propped himself on lanky arms, mismatched eyes staring between the leaves at the baubles high, high up on the ceiling of the cave.

There was the quietest rustle of foliage from a few yards away, and Arsu stepped into the clearing. He did not, at first, see Attikias; he was preoccupied with his faint thirst, and thinking over the conversation he'd been having with his brother. Delicate hooves carried him through the moss, and a maned white neck lowered--and then he froze, as lips touched water, blinking.

Attikias was not easy to see. He was dark, for one thing--velvety, even--and sat quite still in the grasses by the water's edge. Arsu lifted his head again, surprised, and glanced back to Azizos before looking to the elf again.

"Ahh--hello?" he offered, in a soft voice. And then, polite, and with a thoughtful flick of his lion's tail--"I hope we aren't interrupting?"

Another creature, near-identical to the first, stepped quietly, regally after his brother. Azizos flicked his ears as they came to the water's edge. The breeze drifting over it was cold, but not nearly as icy as the Eyes might be. It was enough to make his mane puff up, his legs twitch slightly with a shiver. At least it was refreshing compared to the persistent humidity of Eridanus.

Once his twin froze on the spot, the kirin lifted his head higher, pale eyes scanning. His horn and antlers swung through the air as he tracked Arsu's line of sight to the underbrush and — ah, there! A strange sort of creature, all darkness and length. Waiting, watching… hunting?

Azizos took a step forward, almost protectively moving to Arsu's side. "I've yet to see you," he called, too, politely curious. There was no childish softness to the silhouette but sharp edges and corners. Unless, this creature, whatever species it belonged to, had particularly grown-looking children.

@Attikias

ATTIKIAS
violence for violence
is the rule of the beasts

Lost in his own thought, it's possible Attikias may have never even noticed the pair if it weren't for voices approaching him from the lakeside. No- he'd've wrote them off as a particularly brave pair of stags, or he was just getting better at blending in. Either way, the moment he'd recognized a voice he startled. Voiced things- well, yes, they thought like him, but they were hunters, he'd learned as a boy. Voiced predators may be few and far between the caves, but here? Here was fertile ground for creatures of many types. Whatever was addressing him- despite the soft voice- could be a danger if he didn't take care now.

The man was quick to shoot up into an uneasy squatting position after a few stumbles and curses under his breath. His breathing was quick as he looked over the twins, taking them in quickly. Ah, they're... Deer? Caves, he must look like a feral beast. Calming down the beating of his heart with a heavy sigh, Attik shook his head as his tail curled defensively around him. "Ahhah.." The laugh was one of deflating surprise. "Sorry- sorry, you're fine. I was just coming here to look."

They reminded him starkly of the deer he hunted, albeit with the loveliest coats he'd ever seen. Their forms were sleek, streamlined, delicate with the faintest hint of power under their white pelts- at least to Attikias's eyes. But he was getting off track; he turned his head towards the pools and glanced in, reflections of both parties shimmering back in the still water. "Kind of just wanted to relax. You're free to join?"

An apologetic glance was offered to the second twin. "Sorry- I don't like to make myself known." Says the man who has a crude collection of weapons strewn about the forest floor. It was true, though. As much as he built up his own little hut, he went out of his way to avoid trouble or, well, any interaction that could prove sour anymore.

His long, lanky limbs found themselves curling about his form, knees drawn up towards his chest with his arms resting out perpendicular on them. These deer didn't seem like hunters like he was; he could allow himself some level of comfort.

@Arsu

Arsu listened with a mixture of proud and gentle attentiveness. His demeanor was one of confidence, but no hostility, and after Attikias had spoken--after he'd looked him over with only curiosity--he responded.

"You don't have to apologize," he offered. "I am Arsu," and here he paused, leaving a moment of empty air for Azizos to fill with his own introduction, as if he expected it, as if it were habit.

"I have only come to drink, though I urge you to be wary of the waters," he added, softly. His head lowered again, and he quietly quenched his thirst with long drains of the pond. His eyes swivelled down to watch the water as best he could--he'd heard stories of it, stories that didn't bode well, to him.

As he drank, his mind briefly flicked to his magicka, and after a moment's focus, flowers began to bloom up around his hooves. Where he stood, and behind him, they slowly uncurled; petals lifted skyward, various bright colors gleaming.

When Arsu finished, he lifted his head and looked to Azizos. It seemed to be some unspoken question--perhaps asking if his brother was all right.

@Azizos

Azizos watched with an avid - but wary - curiosity as the figure seemed to grow, standing atop a pair of spindly limbs and seeming to balance particularly well. There was no second pair of legs to account, and the lion-stag didn't think its tail was nearly long or weighty enough. Peculiar, indeed. The Morning Star wasn't too familiar with humanoid anatomy. Or, at all.

Attikas then invited them to lounge by the Eyes - a peculiar invitation, given the haunted nature of the pools - but Azizos turned to his own brother, calling softly across the waters, "I am Azizos." The notes were simple, crisp, clear. Well articulated by his confidence and rather noble pose. Pale antlers and horn swung through the air as he fixated on the dark elf again. "Be careful that you don't fall in," Azizos bleated.

Gently bumping his rack against Arsu's, (and brushing the blooms with a small smile) the lion-stag murmured quietly to him, "not much harm could come to us from relaxing with him. I will protect us if necessary - I am curious about him."

Then, with still-wary self-assurance, Azizos strode around the pool with a loping gait.

@Attikias

ATTIKIAS
violence for violence
is the rule of the beasts

Well, sure, he didn't have to apologize, but it felt like the kind thing to do. However, Arsu and Azizos- already, he was mixing them up a little, but he'd do his best to commit the names to memory. "I'm Attikias." He felt rather rough compared to these... Brothers? They were elegant, with lovely forms and-

Oh, dear. He wanted to carve them. Not in the hunting fashion, caves, no, in the wood fashion. A piece of birch? The light wood would do well to emphasize their coats. Oh, if only he could figure out how to make a lighter stain permanent in the wood.

Attikias let his muscles relax into a leg-crossed position as Azizos- the more protective of the two, it seemed, approached. The elf, well, he tried his best to look non-imposing, holding his shin with one hand while patting at the grass with another. "What's up with the water? I've been here a little bit- it's nice to come rest after a long day and just relax. Is it deep or something?" For all he knew, Attik didn't know how to swim so the latter portion of the question was accented by the smallest lilt in his voice.

His mind wandered, though. It didn't take much root on the worries of water- nothing bad had come of it yet, so why give much concern on it? No, right now, he was reaching to his bag and folding the lid of it over, a dark arm rummaging about inside for a few specific items.

First, a carving knife. It was small- perhaps it was a dagger in its last life- but it did its duty well. He laid this on one thigh as he retrieved a dark block of dried out wood and a second, smaller knife, more akin to a flattened needle than anything. "Ah, but, uh, you guys don't mind if I do a little carving? I just- my hands need things to do and this keeps them busy." He chuckled out that last bit as he looked to the approaching stag, paraphernalia laid out in his lap.

@Arsu

Arsu returned Azizos's antler touch with a friendly nudge (antler-to-antler) and then lowered his head slightly to drink, again. Azizos held the protective magics, and he, the nurturing; he never held any resentment that his brother would offer to protect him. When Attikias spoke further, he found himself drifting over, head canted slightly to one side curiously. His steps were delicate and gentle.

"They say something lies dreaming within," he offered, his voice softly melodic, "And that if you swim too deeply, you join its nightmares." Hearsay on top of hearsay, but it made for a good legend, at least.

He drew closer to Attikias, though from the other direction. "Do as you wish; we were intruding upon you, after all. May I ask, what is 'carving?'" He came nearer to the elf-boy, lowering his head to sniff--still a couple feet away--at the bag and the weapons. He'd never seen their like. Attikias, he realized, had hands; he was able to manipulate things, to move them, to create in a way denied to those with hooves.

Fascinating. He stretched out his neck, exhaling a warm breath toward Attikias, intending to bless him with the spark of life that he carried within him--a bit of strength, of energy, to carry with him or to use here as he worked. "A gift," he said softly, and then raised his head and moved back several paces. He stood watching, all his gentle, curious attention on the elf.

@Azizos

Ah, what a coincidence — another Gembound with a name beginning with 'A' and filled with somewhat sharp sounds. Azizos paid no mind to this fact, merely bowing his head in greeting. Pale eyes moved to the patted grass, wondering what the strange creature was doing. Does he like the feel of it? As far as the lion-stag saw, Attikias was entirely bare-skinned. except for atop the head and tail's tip; perhaps that offered a new world of sensory input.

Arsu offered myths and rumors, and Azizos meandered towards the more practical: "endlessly deep, and dark, I hear — whatever falls in often doesn't make its way out." He hummed softly, "the cold is shocking, biting… poisoning?" Ears flickering, swiveling curiously as Attikias rummaged around in a brown lump — a bag? Fashioned by himself, surely. What was it made from? The hide seemed to have no fur. "But the shore is long. It would be difficult to fall very deep," Azizos offered quietly, almost distractedly as he paced forwards.

The lion-stag finally took the invitation to sit, however belatedly, if only to loaf and snuff his nose against the bag with his brother. Attikias had made the unfortunate mistake of inviting these two hybrids over — they were curious as kittens. Their eyes glinted at the prospect of discovery, and in Azizo's case, it was his gemstone horn.

Antlers slicing through the air as he lifted his head, the morning star focused a curious bit of magic upon the flatter, more dangerous-looking knife. Lifting it telekinetically to his gaze, spinning it, he marveled. Dull. Old…? What a strange thing — it must be old like the caves, not like Father. Inspection done, Azizos held it up for Arsu to peer at, before placing it near Attikias's hands.

"Can you show us this — 'carving'? I'm curious."

@Attikias

ATTIKIAS
violence for violence
is the rule of the beasts

Attikias would admit, he was rather curious about the two, as well. He watched them with wide eyes as they both approached, pulling his hands closer as Arsu got up close. Thoughts on the water flowed through him- it certainly seemed mysterious, and, aye, it was a bit cold compared to the rest of the caves.Now he kind of wanted to go in. The idea hadn't been in his mind until the two of them planted it there unwittingly. But, cold so cold it's poisoning? Maybe not.

His tail flicked against the grass as they spoke. "Nah, it's not really intruding. I kind of like the company." He'd been alone for a while, anyways, so even just talking felt like a past-time he hadn't delved in for so long. "Carving's, uh." He held up the lump of wood. "It's like the tunnel with the figures on the walls?" A pause came as a flood of positive feelings came through his body. "Thank you?" His voice was soft, but he didn't entirely recognize the magic. Funky- he had no clue beings could do something like that.

"Here, I don't have any done on me, but-" Attik made to reach for the knife and froze as it lifted into the air. "Oh, uh, careful-" He sounded small as he reached for it when it returned, grabbing it in his hand before it was placed down. "It's sharp," he explained, taking the dagger (or re-purposed sword?) dangerously close to his palm as he said this. His thumb rested naturally on the flat edge and guided the point towards the wood in his left hand. "This is just little versions of carvings, like little figurines or something. I've got a lot more back at home."

He spoke idly as he sheared off an angle on the wood with swipes away from himself. "I was gonna try and carve you guys, since I normally just make... Deer. And an Overseer guy, but I forgot his name. And sometimes people like me." The wood was lifted up to the light above. He had the thought of what he wanted in his mind- he'd just do a basic pose for now, yeah. Drawing it back, he began to cut a U opposite of the plane he'd created, peeling it away to create what would soon become legs.

His mind was engrossed in this creation he was making.

@Arsu