"I'm Comet and um, I have water magic. I succeeded in Emuh's trail too." It seemed that a few others here have too, namely James and the other one. It certainly wasn't easy. "Same with renny, I will be there to help cleanse those who have been infected and stay in the back to help the wounded." It didn't make her feel good to know that both she and James would be helping while leaving behind her siblings, but Peggy was fully grown now and Sun was incredibly capable of protecting her other siblings. "I have a healing spell too."

Nemo

Nemo is... out of his depth.

He knows that right away, looking around at the menagerie gathered behind the deer, and as he follows Giggle he becomes acutely aware that one he spots the odd lighting of the cave.

Then registers that it seems like its... breathing.

He can't look at that shifting, changing thing in the middle of the room but he also has a hard time tearing his gaze away from it to look up and up at the Leviathan who they had apparently come to do battle for... with? The blue raptor tilts his head and lifts a wing to fidget with the bauble looped around his neck as he gazes up at the beast, and he comes to a decision.

When there's a gap between introductions, he bobs his head to Vargas - while he stands as tall as he can, so it comes across as a sort of bow - and opens his beak. "I go by Nemo, I can shape winds to my wings and I've studied fungus in Canis, so I can also help with drawing the fungi out of anyone who we can help. I can also carry anybody my size or smaller above any combat that may occur, with my wings or magic."

The feathers along his spine and around his face sort of ... prickle, as he speaks, feeling the gazes of whomever chooses to stare at the dyed and glowing ground bound bird.

Mentioning his fear of heights isn't a good thing to show when you need to keep up with legends, some of whom seem to be less than half his age... so he stays silent.

Hopefully that doesn't bite him in the tail feathers later.

Giggle's approach was wary, to say the least. She did not get on well with crowds, for one thing; and for another, the bones had been quietly ominous about this assault. The First Readings of her children had indicated that they'd each wind up with one another and not their mother, which was worrisome enough. But when she'd consulted them on Ursa, they'd been... mysterious.

They'd said that the group would bring their light to Ursa. Cleansing it? Perhaps. That they'd at last see the fruition of their efforts, once inside. But what did that mean? The bones had ended with whispers of things hidden in the darkness, of ignorance of the truth. Of hidden allies. It wasn't the first time they'd seemed to be steering her toward Mother, toward the fungus. And Giggle had tried to communicate with the stuff before.

It had been clumsy. Brutish. Without a driving mind behind it, the fungus was nothing, really. But was there something more beyond that-? Giggle didn't know, and she was worried to find out.

The others were speaking, and she was keeping her dark eyes fixed on Vargas, black lips thinned. She didn't like him; he was one of those who asserted authority and was willing to back it with needless violence. The presence of so many Gembound, the looming figure of Vargas, the unpleasant and strange look of Draco with its voidlight, and breathing entrance, and glistening oilslicked shadow of a Spire, were all churning within her mind. She wanted to leave. But her children-... She wanted to not be here. And there were cats, at least one cat and one... cat-like creature. Ugh.

She grimaced, and paced back, and to one side; she looked away, and then to the otheres, and then to Vargas. Her thoughts flooded madly, and Omen--perched atop one shoulder--began to gently preen behind her ear, as if to soothe her.

Then it was Giggle's turn to speak.

"We've met," she managed, a choked and snapped-off pair of words. "I won't be fighting. I can control the fungus."

That was all she said; that's all she could say, and her gaze was sliding sideways, regarding the crowd of strangers in this unknown cave, her heart hammering in her chest.

rain stock: D Sharon Pruitt wiki commons; hyena Benjamin Hollis on flickr

Pride came in near the back, pristine white coat blinding white in Draco's strange light. When the rest shuffled nearer the Black Spire, he followed, his pale eyes trailing up to trace its alien shape. It was... unsettling, but beautiful--powerful--in its own way.

He listened as the others spoke, and lifted his head a little when it came his turn.

"Pride. I think we've met, in Orion," he began, with an incline of his head toward Vargas. As for his abilities--where to begin..? He hesitated, thinking of how to summarize. It wasn't arrogance to say that his abilities covered a rather wide span of things. "My magic is... adaptable," he began, "but primarily magic of the mind. I have also passed the trial, if that is worth anything. I can move things without drawing near, throw them, lift them. I can purge the fungus, though I haven't been able to learn to sense it. I can change the snow to boiling steam or flowing water, if need be, though I can't control its flow. I can control the movements of a body," and here, he hesitated, because the extent of his power was ultimately rather grim: "and I can vaporize anything I see." Rather a big deal, that, but his ears flicked back as he said it, and as he looked around.

It wasn't exactly something to be proud of, being able to smash someone's stone into white fire; and he had done it before.

"I am here to help freely, and I will follow commands within reason," he added, pointedly. He'd thought hard on that phrasing: a way to assert himself, without being outright rude. If Vargas had a problem with that, the terms of which Pride considered quite fair, then the Master could do without his help.

He came when called, a slithering hiss--then froze in the distance as his toxic eyes spotted the intruders.

Or--no, not intruders; his gaze darted to Vargas, spotting the Master's calm, always-overbearing demeanor. He was standing before the Black Spire, looking over the group, and Nidhogg took the opportunity to scurry up behind him.

The black serpent wound rapidly to the Black Spire's base, twisting through the short chasms left by the chaos of Draconua's birth; then he was up and over, and around, quickly scampering up onto one of the lower Oilstones jutting out like some malignant crystal. There--perched just behind and above Vargas--he studied the group below.

He couldn't tell a damn thing. He'd not really studied the body language of other creatures, nor had he ever seen so many so unlike his own monstrous "family." Were those grins, or snarls, or just their faces? Threat postures, or attentive listening?

They were... talking, he could tell that much, at least. He turned his attention to the Black Spire behind him, regarding it for a long moment; it was close, reassuring, and he mentally expressed his solidarity with its wicked spines and looming darkness.

He could be like that, too. He curled over the crystal's edge, turning back toward the group below, and hissed to announce his presence.

"Massssster Vargassss," he offered (a lesson that had taken quite some time to learn), then flicked out his tongue as he'd seen the real snakes do. It didn't tell him anything, but it looked cool. And Nidhogg did love looking cool.

brief black spire 'prayer' and proximity for +3 corruption points

- THE LEVIATHAN -

He took up his spot beneath the Black Spire, a little bit out in front of it, and he listened. He had been Overseer for a very long time, and so now Vargas was truly in his element; listening to and observing each individual creature, gauging their strengths, their weaknesses, the use to which he might put them. Any plans he held were adapting moment-by-moment as he assimilated the new information that each provided. Some of them he briefly addressed individually, to begin with, as they spoke.

Sora he took immediate note of. She was one of the few to survive the feeding in Hydra, which--despite her perhaps-understandable rage afterward--was impressive. He found himself curious as to what she'd been through since, what she'd survived. Perhaps her shape was worth his while-? Something to mold, something to work with? "I would speak with you after we are done here," he told her; but as for the assault itself, he was unsure how useful she'd actually be. Physically she was small, more suited to flight than combat, particularly against the enemies that 'Mother' might be fielding. But he tucked her information away nonetheless, considering it.

He noted James's skills in silence: flight, strong magic, the ability to purge fungus. To him, he offered a nod; there wasn't much to say, only things to take note of. And when Arwen spoke, he found himself first wondering what the fuck are Fae? and then what a plague bomb was. "What exactly is this plague bomb, and how does it work? Do you have some way to end its effects during the fight on those of us that might be hit? How long do its effects linger, and what are those effects?" He considered, for a moment. "It might be useful to strike in advance, if you cannot immediately cleanse it from our numbers--it would be foolish to use it in the fight otherwise. But I doubt we will find our targets out in the open." He tilted his head one way, then the other. Depending on if Arwen would be present and able to cleanse such a mishap, he was deeming them too risky to use. But if she could, and she was, they might be very, very useful.

Attikias's skillset had his attention sharpen. He remembered this one, if vaguely, and looked it over with a mental nod of approval. It had grown. "Traps. Good! Then we will prepare a staging ground, just inside of Ursa and into Tunnel E. We can do that in advance, so long as we ensure it remains guarded against sabotage; just be careful about speaking of our plans in Ursa. He will overhear, and that would be idiotic." Vargas considered, then nodded to Attikias again. "I would suggest that when you have time--now, or after this battle--you see the Blacksmith in Leo if you have not. He can train you further in crafting armor, or even enchanting it with magic."

Carja he eyed in appraising silence; he approved of dragons, despite having come into conflict with them more often than not. This one looked sleek and fast, and powerful; he hoped this was the case. When she had finished speaking, he had two remarks to make: "Good! That is promising. As for the 'plague bombs,' I will need more details before I authorize or plan their use."

To Madhukar he paid full attention, too. This one looked feline, and cats were always good, though it held many differences as well. There were several, it seemed, who had passed the trials and so Vargas was hopeful when he asked, "Can you control who your lightning strikes? If you can, it will be useful even in the heat of battle; if not we will reserve it to clear places that we must storm." He paused, staring. Pun intended?

Eyes shifted now to Twisted--also a cat! Good! It offered to fight, or to use its magic. "It would be a waste to ask you to fight. The creatures we meet are likely to destroy you in an instant. But you are agile, and if you hold the power to drive out the fungus you may be of use using that agility to cleanse others, should it be needed, even in the thick of battle--if it comes to that." A nod, then, of approval, and then Comet was offering her information. Another Trial-winner. To her he tilted his head, wondering who the hell 'renny' was; but the rest of what she said held interest. "If you can manipulate ice, that would be excellent--can you? Ursa is bitterly cold, full of snow and ice and if you can wield that power there you will find yourself immensely strong. In fact, when we set up this staging ground, I will ask that you--and the dragon, if she can--set up barricades of ice. Spike them toward Ursa. Leave gaps for us to move in and out. But if all else fails it will be our defensive position--and a place for us to prepare in safety. Coordinate with the Hunter," and he looked here to Attikias, "to ensure it is well-prepared against attack."

Nemo he gazed on with immediate approval. A few of them had wings, and that was fantastic; but Nemo had something the rest had not mentioned and that was power over air. "Good!" Vargas boomed, and his enthusiasm was audible, here. "You must stay in the air, but not too high that you might be attacked from above; your power to manipulate air will be invaluable there. If there are spores on the wind, you can drive them away. And you can stay out of reach, as I assume the winged horse can, to drive out the fungus. You are small enough to make a difficult target--so practice being agile, and casting on the wing, and under distraction, until it is time."

Giggle he paid due attention to, aware of her capabilities with fungus but also her relatively slow speed compared to those who could take wing. "Stay back, yes, and cleanse those who need it. You might even remain at the staging ground, in case one of the others who can cleanse the fungus are infected. We can bring them to you to cleanse. Otherwise, remain at the back of the group and use your magic." And Pride, he was a useful one. Arrogant, perhaps, but Vargas would see if he'd earned that, well... pride. "Remain just behind any front lines and provide offensive magical support."

He looked over them again, and realized this was it, this was most or all of them. And realized, then, that they were missing a key component of battle. "We have no front-line soldiers, it seems," he said, and then glanced back at the hissing Nidhogg. "Except for him, and possibly the Sleepless Chaos, should she deign to join us. If she does, we will need no other 'front lines,' and I would ask that those capable of purging the fungus focus first and foremost on her. I doubt she is weak enough to be lost to his power, but it is a possibility and she will be our strongest asset." Vargas paused, looking at them all. "As I will not be going with you, you will need to choose someone to lead your charge. It will be my duty to remain at the tunnel, and ensure that nothing passes through, unless the situation grows dire. Though if we have Draconua, you will not need me," he added, and for those who did not know her, this might have been a little ominous. "But in case she does not come: I suggest trying to find those who can serve as a physical barricade. Who can take physical punishment and press on, so as to clear a path for those with frail bodies but powerful magic." He thought, briefly, of Orthoclase-Alpha--but nothing could be done, on that front.

"Are there any questions? Suggestions?" he asked, and waited for them--and for answers to his questions, too.

IMPORTANT GM NOTES

- A staging ground/preparation thread can be found here. This will take place just outside the mouth of Tunnel E into Ursa. Characters can then use that thread to train and set up, and the setup will come into play during the Ursa incursion. (This thread will take place after THIS thread's next posting round IC but I'll put it up now so folks have time to IC prep before the assault.)

- Because the Ursa incursion thread will have a risk of character death or Mother infection, it will ICly take place the same day the thread is formed so that there are no issues with backdated threads or impossible timelines. This should also give players time to prepare!

- Please do not join the assault thread if you are not willing to risk true character death (not chrysalis) or Mother infection (including Mother "prisoner of war" captivity) for the characters in question. (Don't join the setup thread if your character might provoke Mother attack beyond setting up a camp, and you aren't okay with the consequences above.)

@Tahi-shei (Sora) @James (Arwen, Carja) @Attikias @Madhukar @Twisted @Comet @Nemo

Tahi-shei cringed slightly when Madhukar spoke, but didn't interrupt her. That wasn't his job, and he needed to let her... do it herself, really. His mind raced a little bit, and he couldn't help but feel a bit dizzy -- so many hadn't introduced themselves, but it was fine, they were fine, they were mostly just there for sheer man power, weren't they? Yeah, yeah. He could handle that. This was going fine.

Everyone was being polite, and the Hive would be destroyed.

At the question of if Madhukar could control her storms, though, he realized that it would make her spiral. If she wasn't already. He wished he could move over to help her. Suddenly, he changed his mind about not interfering. "Apologies, Master Vargas -- Madhukar struggles to speak after an injury, but she has control over her spells." Regardless of what she might have said in protest, he knew it was true. She'd struggled when she was small and terrified, but now... now she was older, wiser, calmer. She could focus, and she could protect. He knew she was able to control it (well, most of it). He refused to let her sell herself short. "She is also capable of cleansing the infected," he added, and then decided it was wise to shut his mouth. Tahi-shei needed her to be useful -- he needed her to be safe.

He'd sort of hoped Vargas would offer more manpower, but he supposed Draconua was plenty. He wouldn't argue with that assessment. He did snort at his comment about her deciding to show up or not, but otherwise was silent. He mulled over everything the Master said, considering it, internalizing it, and making his own plans.

"Mother-- er, the Hive-- mentioned... tunnels, Watchers, and Drones." He closed his eyes. "I think we should expect resistance from whatever those are. And knowing what I know so far, I'll bet they're going to be infected and deadly. The use of tunnels, plural, also worries me -- not just one, but many. If I were trying to hide my weapon of mass destruction, I'd put a lot of traps and enemies in its way." His blank eyes turned to Vargas -- well, he hoped so, anyway. The lack of spores in this damned place made him well and truly blind. "And I'd know when they were coming. There's this spell that I can do, that if I leave spores somewhere, I can tell you what's going on there -- no matter where I am. We should prepare for Mother to see us coming, even if we take the ambush route."

He considered for a moment. "I think that we should also have someone -- or several someones -- at the other tunnel mouth, Master. And potentially in the water, if there is any -- I've heard that the caves are connected by water routes? It could be possible to escape if we only block off one side. Although, I do not know how aquatically inclined Mother is, and I also have no clue if any of us could withstand the freezing cold of any water in Ursa for long."

@madhukar and vargas mostly

James breathed out a bit at the sigh of relief and looked over at Comet, draping a wing over her. He was glad she was here but he did recall telling her to stay with their family.

He looked up suddenly and swiveled his head to see Pride, relieved that he'd come. He pulled away and went to stand beside him, wings tucked in and his mane braided up.

"Hello," he said softly, trying not to shake, "... I'll admit, I'm... I'm a little terrified."

He wouldn't be near the fray, of course. Not in a million years, but still. It was... it was terrifying. He was still part of the small army marching into Ursa to try and destroy a sentient fungal infection much more powerful than himself and many of the others here. It was terrifying.

He had children to live for, though... and live he would.

Directed at pride mostly :pensive:

The Queen smiled, "I had an idea for that. Everyone here will simply eat some of my counter-plague. I'll put it in some nectar for easy eating, of course. My plague goes through two stages. Identifying and then attack. Once it can identify that my counter-plague is in the body, it won't bother with the target. But if it finds someone who isn't infected with it, then it will commence the attack, reproduce rapidly in the span of a few minutes, and migrate to the head and internal organs where they'll eat through blood vessels and cause internal bleeding and death in less than a minute."

She'd thought this through and it was the pinnacle of her plague career.

"And you don't have to worry about the bodies when everything's said and done," she said, "It has a very short lifespan once it's purpose has been fufilled."

Testing it on lessers had been easy enough, and she'd developed it since the day she'd killed that rabbit via aneurysm. She couldn't wait to see her little plague-child wreck havoc upon Mother's troops.

"Oh and the counter-plague essentially does nothing to you. It of course hides from your body which wants to be rid of it, but it settles in the stomach and will just float around there doing nothing," she added, "If the bacteria somehow does get into your body, the virus will pop up to kill it, so if somehow it mutates- which I've taken measures to prevent against too- then you need not worry. Bacteria can't defend against viruses."

Directed at Vargas

Carja breathed out and nodded gently. Yeah, she could do that...

”I can also breathe underwater if need be!”, she said, ”I'm a pretty good swimmer, too.”

Aside from directing her in flight, that was what her tail was for. Swimming. She didn't know how she'd fare against the chill, but she'd have to suck it up. Her internal fire would keep her warm against the chill of Ursa, at least.

And making ice spikes to defend their base would be easy peasy lemon squeezy! She was glad she was proficient with that spell, at least. But meadow deer didn't have anything on this.