Carja, in the past, would have blended in with the cold grey environment perfectly with her naturally grey scales. But with the silver dyed armor she wore, courtesy of Attikias, she wasn't so obvious as she would have been. She shook herself out and snorted, walking through the snow easily.

”I'll help with the ice part,” she said, hissing as she saw Comet.

Idly, she tried to gently crack the ice so she could at least move, but she was a bit too big to do that gently, ”Um, hang on, okay? Uh... can someone help please-”

She tried to cast the spell to at least get going on the ice spikes, only for the exact same thing to happen to her. The snow that had fallen onto her scales turned to ice, and suddenly she found it very hard to move. Oh great, apparently their magic thought it was funny or something.

”Um... little help?”, she asked meekly.

So much for being proficient in ice magic...

Giggle grunted past narrowed eyes. Canis got cool at times, damp, but never like this. Snow was a fairly new experience for the hyena--she'd encountered it only once or twice--and she already hated it.

"I don't have a lot that I can do," she told them; "There's no way spores will survive the cold here, and all I've got is mushrooms, really."

She cast out her senses nonetheless, trying to feel for what might already lay around them.

"...I don't sense anything too close," she said at last, and turned toward-... the iced-over wolf. She stared at Comet for a moment, nonplussed, then plodded over and began to pry at the ice with her teeth. After a moment she paused; "...You okay in there?" she asked, in a rasp.

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

The Queen finally made her way down the tunnel, carrying bags of items. Some freshly killed lessers, fruit, jars of honey, and of course... her plague. It was carefully encased in wax containers, and she gently set them aside before pulling out containers of sweet nectar.

It was easy enough to create the counter-plague in herself and then start spitting into the containers, though in all honesty it was less spit and more like honey in of itself in consistency.

"I have the counter-plague!", she cried out, "Everyone must gather around and take just a tiny sip of my nectar or else you'll be exposed to my regular plague."

Not that there was anything regular about it. It was the pinnacle of biological warfare, and she couldn't wait to see the effects it had on Mother's troops.

Everyone who wants to live should probably take a sip of Arwen's nectar! She's also brought provisions, namely honey, fruit, and meat for eatings.

Pallas had hung back from the show and tell event, quiet as he hovered around the back of the group. He knew what he could do- and what he could do was not for them. He was a scout. He would record- He shut his eyes as he paced behind them, trying to flush those thoughts from his brain. As much as he abhorred magic, he feared it, too, afraid someone would randomly decide to try and pick through his mind randomly as they walked.

Hopefully, he didn't look suspicious. There were others here, others that destroyed his home and could potentially recognize him. There was that ring, though- they were there, and they were trusted, it seemed.

So, maybe nobody would try to pick him apart.

As he trailed behind them, he ran through different ideas in his thoughts. How could he sabotage them? Create weak-points that were supposedly secrets for the group, only to report them to Mother? Make faulty structures that would spring on them? Muted excitement ran through his pelt as he trudged out into the snow, staring into the dark wastes before turning back to the group.

Already, everyone had gone to work. Traps would be laid out- okay. Open air for fliers to go through? Ooh. Now, that could be exploited. Surely not all of Mother's family were so ground-locked, right? And trenches, he peered into the fissure Pride had made, curious to see its depth and store it away in his memory.

He'd have to take in all of this, just to remember what they all could use.

After taking in his fill, Pallas paced more inwards, behind the wall and looking over behind the scenes of the operation. Two of the gembound had already found themselves trapped in their own ice (so much for magic, huh?) and leaving the supposed wall simply not built. "Why don't you try not using magic?" His tone was level for the most part, but underlaid it was the hints of a vocal sneer. "Ice'll just melt with fire, anyways. At least something like wood will burn and won't fall down right away."

And, with wood, he could figure out a few ideas for a few weak points. Thin wood, maybe, a load-bearing piece that would set the whole thing tumbling down- ooh, he could just taste the disappointment that'd come from all of the assaulters now.

But, here he was, standing around and just being a bit of a dick. He needed to do work. "How about I make some places for medics to hide and recoup?" Translation: places for the essential people to get cornered and converted. He'd like to get it to lock from the inside, just so the little 'medics' could trap themselves while Mother waits patiently outside, but he couldn't be sure if that would have others suggest get-away routes.

He huffed. Without waiting for an answer, Pallas made for a place where the wall would go and converge with the tunnel mouth, divvying out a planned area in the snow. "If you want to make a wall of ice or rock or wood or whatever, this will be big enough for larger people to get treated. Use the existing wall- and whatever wall you're gonna put up- and maybe a bit of a roof. So, you know, they don't drop down on it from above." Or, so people don't escape out top.

Unfortunately, for everyone else, he was both too small and too adverse to magic to help with anything else. So, he sat in this little place he made for himself, watching quietly.

At least, he had, until Arwen had made their appearance. Pallas stretched forward, his ears perked in interest as she spat- gross- into the containers. Counter-plague? Right, that's what they were talking about. Even if he hated the idea of putting some vaccine in him, it would be for the best if there were no other harming features of it. "I'll take one," Pallas announced as he slinked forward, reaching for Arwen's offered container. Holding his chosen bit back with one paw, he looked down at the gusher, then back at Arwen, thinking.

"I think I have some other people I could convince to come and help, since it's looking pretty good so far. You mind if I take a few extra for them?" He hoped he could carry the bits while he looked for Mother, anyways. It's not like he could just steal them outright. Could he? Looking to the display that Arwen had given out, he mentally shook his head, definitely clearing that thought from his head.

(note: this is before his search for mother!)

Comet was unable to nod, but managed to pull her mouth into a smile at the arrival of Carja. Unfortunately the dragon wasn't the best at it, but the next thing she saw was that Carja GOT FROZEN TOO. This was hilarious. It wasn't a time to be laughing, but Comet couldn't help but give a laughing rumble in her throat. But she wanted to get out of this now! Her eyes darted around to see if anyone could help break them out of the ice.

"Yep." Comet managed to say at the arrival of Giggle as the hyena started trying to get her out. She was starting to feel the chill sink in from all around, and tried to wiggle her body to break out of the ice. It took a lot of wiggling, but a crack appeared, which soon widened. Wiggle, keep on wiggling. Crk! The ice broke apart, and she shook out her legs. "Thank you." she said to Giggle, who had helped pry off some of the harder chunks in the beginning.

@Giggle (mentioned)
@Carja (mentioned)

Nemo

The lammergeier's dense feathers helped a bit, in the wind - although he was up to his chest in the snow with how he was walking, only his talons and lower legs felt the bite of frost.

He stayed quiet, oddly enough. Or not. He was just observing, walking from Sharp's pile of offerings to Attikas, recognizing the elf from the chaos with the sled long ago... but everyone's attempts at defenses make him blink, more than he usually does. The ... whatever it was, he had no idea, but we know this Gembound as Pallas, had his gaze as it wandered around, and he had a sudden thought as he made his way over to accept some of the Counter Plague.

"Thank you." he offers a beaky smile up at Arwen, and a gust of wind whips past to ruffle his feathers and swing the bauble around his neck, causing him to fold a wing over it as he remembers that the light may be compromising. "Maybe after this, may I ask you for some advice on how to make these containers? They seem great for holding things like paint as well." Time to take the medicine, and he does so, before tilting his head and half addressing Pallas as he speaks again. "I don't think the cure should leave the camp. We don't know how well Her people would blend in with us. I sound horrible saying this, but it's better that he address this with a total lack of mercy."

With that, he waddles off, before noticing a dragon and Giggle prying at a hunk of ice on a very familiar shape - OH! Comet!

With a chuckle, he flaps his way over, scattering snow and offering some muttered greetings to the nearby Gembound before addressing the wolf. "Seems like you and I have bad luck with ice kid- here, lemme pry at this, I have to groom ice out of my feathers if I'm not careful." Nemo pulls at his magic and starts a low humming in his chest, hoping to pitch up the whine to help loosen the clumps of ice rooting the young wolf and dragon before him. The buzzing sounds almost like a dentists drill, mixed with angry hornets, and he's able to direct it into the frozen water with a decent amount of efficiency and create some cracks and destabilize the larger chunks in fur and on hard scales.

After his attempts with Comet and Carja, he looks out over where Vargas had gestured where they should set up. "Uh. Master Vargas, sir? If I can make it rain over here, we could shape the wet snow and let it freeze instead of depending on casts entirely. We could also have a bit of a trick set up under the powder- ice is slippery with snow or not."

Small swirls of smoke rose from her nostils as she wiggled, trying to break free. Nemo managed to break open the ice on her body but her limbs remained stuck to the ground and ice stuck to her scales. She glanced at both Comet and Nemo and snorted herself, breaking into hysterical giggles.

”Magic, right?”, she joked, before trying again.

She inhaled and heated the ice up instead, watching it melt and fall to the ground. She shook herself off and kicked a leg to the side to rid herself of water before snorting out a cloud of steam and walking forward.

"Thank you so much," she said to the vulture, grateful.

”Oh! Good idea!”, she said down to Pallas, overhearing his plan, ”I can make like a curved wall? James was talking about staying out of the fight but in the tunnel, so the healers can stay here too. It won't be any good if our healers end up hurt or worse. We can leave the back open so people can bring supplies and anyone really injured can go back to the Spire cave.”

Carja immediately went to do that, preparing to make a huge wall of ice to section off a bit of the tunnel, a grin on her face. She stopped next to Arwen first for a dose of her vaccine, opening her maw willingly before wandering off afterwards.

@Pallas :0

The Queen stared down at Pallas, eyes narrowed under her mask. She drew her hood back, revealing pointed ears and golden hair, her crown made of sharp bones and canine teeth. Her head cocked and she laughed suddenly, hand over her face.

"I'm so very sorry- you must be a healer or a spellcaster, right?", she said in amusement, "You're so.. small! And cute! Like my little Smallwing, she's my companion. Why don't I send her with you to help you carry it, actually..."

She looked around and suddenly called out with a shrill cry, "SMALLWING! Come here my darling~!"

Then she dunked her hand in the nectar and slapped it into Carja's mouth, making sure she swallowed it before sending her off, turning to Nemo next. She tapped his beak and plopped a blob into his mouth, shutting it and sending him on his way too. She was methodical in her movements, like a nurse who'd been one for far too long.

Then, she tilted her head and smiled down at the vulture, "Oh dear, you won't be able to. They're made from my own bodily fluids!"

With another smile, she turned away to continue her business.

"What's your name, tiny one?", she asked down at the other, "And open up, I'll give you some right now."

The Queen offered a finger of it, looking around for her companion, "When she arrives I expect you to take good care of her, alright? Oh, and tell me how many friends you have, I don't think I made enough for more than who's present, so I'll give you all you need and then go and make more."

She had only a few combs of it, and with so many large gembound present who would need bigger dosages, she didn't have much to spare because of it. All of it was hidden within her cloak to keep it warm with her body heat, for it wouldn't do to have it melt.

"Master Vargas!", she called out, "Make sure you get some of this too, and you as well, Fungal Prince! It wouldn't do to have you two fall ill, hm?"

@Marshmallow @Tahi-shei @Pallas @Nemo and Vargas

James walked over to the Queen and took his dose of vaccine, a bit wary at trusting this odd gembound with his life. At least he'd be here in the tunnel and far away from the fighting. He was powerful, yes, but he was also a pacifist at heart and couldn't bear the thought of the war.

He was afraid of the casualties, of who would be hurt and who would die.

He didn't want to think of it.

Marshmallow heard the Queen call and flapped her little wings as hard as she could, zipping over the heads of the gembounds in a white blur, going so fast that she didn't feel the cold atmosphere of the place until she landed on Arwen's shoulder. Once she did, the chill started to set in. Cold... cold... but she would do anything for Arwen! Even in this cold!

"Here! Here!" she announced, scolding herself for not being able to arrive by her Queen's side instantly. Marshmallow continued keeping her wings flapping to keep warm, as her fluffy white fur was no protection in this weather.

@Arwen
@Pallas