She had arrived, where? Well Hestia had no particular idea; the water had led her here of course. Though- her curiosity had as well, truth be told. She had heard murmurings in passing here and there through the caves, of a Blacksmith in need of help. From gembounds in particular- hey she was one of those! And just like her mother she knew she could do something to help, she was strong after all; she was her mother's daughter of course.

Granted she hadn't quite be around so many gembound for a task such as this but- if her mother was here well, she'd be reassured that she'd fit right in; that much she knew. Even in her age she was at time nervous and unsure of herself; but she knew she had something to offer this group on their journey. And she knew her mother would be proud- if not maybe just a bit worried-she was rather protective of her. But! That didn't matter much right now! Hestia would come home safe and sound with many stories to tell her! She was sure of it!

So she waded through the water towards the ever growing group of gembounds. Her skin slowly oscillating like that of fish scales beneath the calm tide. She began pulling her mass to land with slow and seemingly all too relaxed muscles. Each step gently shaking water from her rough hide that would soon dry to that of a powdery white sheen among her grey living armor.

She loved the water more than land; felt better for her size- and the element well it just felt right; it felt like home like that of calm fire. She knew not how to explain it but- to explain it well that wasn't why she was here. She didn't speak up, she felt no real reason too. Only gently nodding to any who looked her way; a soft smile across her features in welcome and a silent gesture of 'I'm here to help'.

Esther didn't know what was going on. That is to say, they didn't know what was going on most of the time. Still, when they noticed a large grouping of gembound, they moved to see what was happening. They didn't make it to see the entrance or the exit of the master, but they didn't have to. Clearly the group was there to do something important - if it had nothing to do with the stupid storms before than Esther would be fine with helping. Tahi-shei's group had done nothing but seemingly fail (Esther, too, but not in the same way) that they would not be helping that cause in the future, not unless the lot of them figured out what they were doing and left Draconua alone. This was far different, water covering everything in a way that told them they might have to swim.

Esther could not breathe underwater, nor control it. Fire was more their thing, and they supposed they should have seen something like that coming from an area with ocean.

"I'd like to help - if I can." Esther brought up finally, glancing around through muddled eyes to see who would explain things. If no one did, then well they would figure it out themselves.

Khavur was here now. Lo and behold, the Reaver of the Dark Above. There was no hope of hiding to begin with, what with all the wild shapes and colors it donned, and, among such a crowd, why would there be reason to? The beast was one among dragons, demons, and giant angry crab ladies. For what purpose had Khavur come? Honestly, who knows. Most likely curiosity, since it had the ability to roam freely and had just seen a large amount of creatures gathering into this one room. It was the simple, unassuming kind of curiosity that Khavur would be liable to regret once it noticed...

V-Labradorite-One. Hanging back, seemingly prepared for something. Shoot. Even with cycles between the then and the now, tensions were still too high to close that gap. Thus the gash remained, a festering wound. What I mean is, they avoided each other. That was for the best. Would they be able to continue that here, in this now? That depended on what the labradorite was ready for -- what everyone here was ready for. Khavur had missed the crab, so now its only context was the people offering to help with something. Khavur, too, could probably help, if the labradorite could.

Khavur would attempt to maneuver itself to stay out of the way of everyone around, especially the labradorite. Settling itself where it could, the Reaver would then try to gather more visual and audible information about this scene whilst adamantly refusing to look anywhere near the labradorite with either head. It wasn't entirely successful with either goal. Still, what it gathered was that there was something important about the body of water since everyone was either facing it or inside of it, and there was a whole pile of trinkets that no one was touching yet so they probably weren't allowed to. There were two strange figures in what could be considered "the spotlight"; one masked and shrouded, the other strangely shaped and equipped to move in water.

Were they going to go in the water? Oh, oh dear, uh... Well Khavur had little experience with water, that was naturally more Labradorite-One's thing, but... there were a surprising amount of draconic creatures here, similar to Khavur in a few ways. They had wings that appeared to be made for flying and legs made for perching or walking on land. If they could move beneath water as well then couldn't Khavur? ...Maybe this would be better to watch than to participate in, but- hm. If the labradorite had some sort of commitment to this then- hm. If Khavur could report back to- HM. Hmmm...

Catalyst slinked in, near the back. She still had a hide on her, even though the cave was warm enough she didn't need one. She was worried that, beneath the hide, spots of mold might be visible. She aimed to stay quiet, keep attention off of her. She didn't recognize anyone, save a vague familiarity with Carja and Esther. She perked up, seeing the Blacksmith. She still had her dye from the last time she'd seen him! She wanted to greet him, but her caution warned her against it. The last thing she wanted was for Carja and Esther to spot her--they'd been there when she first met Mother.

But safety was within the herd. If she stayed quiet, stayed oblivious as Bone had, she'd be fine. This would be useful reconnaissance for Her. She watched Farina quietly, although unnerved. She'd never seen a creature like her. Massive, with purple carapace, and angry to boot. Catalyst sent Mother a wary thought about her. Did she know her? Was she an enemy, or an ally to the family?

By the time Fahl made his appearance, the Master Farina had already came and went, the disturbance left by her disappearance barely a stir of bubbles due to time's passage. Regardless, he wouldn't have been able to perceive this vestige anyway, the immense swell of the crowd enough to hide it from view. It was an intimidating sight, the sheer scale of participation, with Gembounds of great size upon land and some already treading water. He feigned any ignorance of unease though wading through the multitudes, head aided in its prideful tilt by a new shining shield of dye.

"I am here!" he called out, voice rendered hoarse by the force behind it. "What is it you'll have us do now?"

Fahl waited—expectant, bold, and hopefully ready.

THE BLACK CITY

The Blacksmith turned, hands quietly clasped before his sea-damped robe, and looked over those who had come. Quietly, he replied to those who addressed him--and took note of them--one by one. Whale's protest was a quiet one, and his alarmed gaze slipped to Farina--but the Master had not heard. "The guide is... alive," he confirmed, but nothing more, gaze cutting to the strange seahorse-beast. The Labradorite gained special attention. The creatures of Chaos were dangerous, but formidable allies, too. And this one looked well-adapted to the water. To Dragon he spoke quietly: "Nemean was... one of the ones who... orchestrated this, I am told. Master Farina thinks so. We will... see, but... Master Farina... does not like her." She'd sent assassins. "Does not like" was putting it mildly. The "chaotic but hopefully useful" glances were cast over Khavur and Esther, too, with light nods their way. He appreciated them, but he wondered what they were like; and Esther--she looked odd. Chaotic but not as much as some-?

The Orarian and Telesto went unseen, his back to the water, but others were given nods of gratitude, as well. Cerilaine and Hestia, Catalyst and Fahl, and the dragons, Blight and Carja. The Blacksmith began, once they all seemed ready, by answering Fahl's question. "What is next... is that you follow our guide... and open the City. Then find... and retrieve... Master Artio's... lost stone. If it is there. We must... hope that it is." He did not want to imagine what might happen if it were not--if Nemean had done something with it.

"You will be... going very deep. It will get very hot... and then very cold... The pressure will be... harsher down there. Stronger. It will be... harder to move. If you cannot... breathe, underwater... take one of these." He turned, and gestured to the pile of enchanted items. Some were enchanted with Water Breathing; some were simply Baubled. And their shapes were many: simple pendants, rings and metal orbs, crystals and earrings and collars, and more. There were no weapons, no armor, but enough that someone could find something to carry or wear, no matter their size and shape. "Take a light... if you need it. But more light... will be provided... by your guide. By Patrick. And he will... provide you... with communication." For a moment, the Blacksmith turned to regard the seahorse-beast warily; its almost-equine face split into a grin, revealing rows of jagged sharklike teeth.

The Blacksmith drew closer to the Gembounds, lowering his voice warily. "He is a... servant of Master... Farina. But he has... a gift: an open mind... a link to all near him. It is so... her visitors... beneath the waves can speak, but... it has driven him mad... in her absence. He had no way... to shut it off. Things may be... confusing. But it should be enough... to coordinate yourselves." ...He hoped.

As if he'd overheard, 'Patrick' shoved forward. His body sagged on the shore, and now scar tissue was visible where it littered his massive flanks and spine-finned limbs. "HEYA!" he screeched, and those close would begin to hear his voice reverberating in their minds. "I'M PATTY! WE'RE GOING REAL DEEP!" he assured them; "AND WE CAN ALL HEAR EACH OTHER! -HOORAY!"

Patrick then turned--their guide, and their guiding light, his body flaring up in pulsing bioluminescence. He dragged himself back into the sea, and began to float into the breakers. "JUST SWIM WITH ME, AND EVERYTHING WILL BE DANDY! Y'KNOW, THE ARMY OF ORDER TRIED TO TAKE US ONCE. THEY CHARGED THE CITY! THEY DIDN'T GET FAR," he said, sounding for all the world like an overenthusiastic tour guide. He submerged--ready to dive deep, awaiting those Gembounds who would follow--but his voice kept ringing in their minds. Those close to him would find that they could concentrate to send their thoughts to one another, without the need of a physical voice! "WE GOT A LONG WAY TO SWIM, BUT I CAN'T WAIT TO SHOW YOU..."

______________

This is the final round in which new characters may still join. After this round, the quest will be closed to new entries! Characters may use this round to make any preparations, including taking items enchanted with Bauble and Water Breathing from the Blacksmith's pile.

Characters may still "speak" while underwater. Communication is done through Patrick's open mind-link, which includes all those near him; those straying too far (50 yards or so) may find the link weaken, and eventually cut off.

Players may also choose to have their characters accidentally broadcast some or all of their thoughts. These thoughts can be noted in your post; it would be best to use this font code or similar to note these thoughts. Characters will not be able to tell whose thoughts these are unless there's major clues in the thoughts themselves. Players can also choose to DM their character's thoughts to Game Master Dark, to be included as mystery thoughts in the next GM post...

Subsequent GM posts in this thread will be much shorter!

Code:

<SPAN STYLE="text-shadow: 0px 0px 8px #ef78ff;color:#deb8ff;"><b>Thoughts font code</b></SPAN>

@Whale @V-Labradorite-One @Dragon (Blight) @Cerilaine @Orarian @Carja @Kaimana @Telesto @Hestia @Esther @Khavur @Catalyst @Fahl (let me know if any tags need condensing so I don't double-tag actual players!)

Another presence observed the gathering--through the eyes of Catalyst. Her daughter's attention didn't go unnoticed, and Mother warned her--wordless--to be wary. The guide--loud, brash--rang in Catalyst's ears, reaching Mother, and a faint flicker of bitterness reached Catalyst's mind before Mother could rein it in.

"Walk with caution, my child," she warned softly. "Join them if you wish it, but it is a risk. Keep your mind guarded. We tried to battle Chaos, here. We failed."

The silence that followed was weighty. Was it grief, or rage, that gave Mother's quiet its heft-?

She had tried to take the Black City, as this strange Guide explained.

She had failed.

@Catalyst

Action. Thought. "Speech."

god, he was almost too late to even show up!

here came the little fox, panting and wheezing, dragging behind him a massive bag-thing, which was really just a bunch of huge leaves glued together, behind him into fornax as he caught up with the group. he was a mess and his fur was coated in different colors, some more faded than others. he hasn't slept in days, maybe weeks, and its obvious in his face.

he finally caught up to the rest. "sorry im late!" he wheezed setting the bad down. "did i miss anything?? doesn't matter, i brought the things i promised!!!"

he sits down, opening the bag, "everybody, i have stuff to help you!!!!" he called out to get everyones attention.

in the bag was several small patches, filled to the brim with *something*. forgraves was quick to explain. "in here are tiny edible gel balls of various elixr's ive made for you all! they should make the journey easier! each are a different color and hold a different purpose! green is regenerative, orange is for energy, light blue is for if you need to calm down, and that does it for the ones YOURE supposed to eat. they should help you all keep steady, i made them as strong as i could, and made sure they wouldnt dissolve underwater too fast, you should be able to carry them with you!" he explained, still out of breath as he moved the bags in front of him so people could get ahold of them easier. "the darker pouches are full of offensive gell, black is poison and pink is hallucinogenic! they should work if you need to fend someone off, just throw them into the enemies mouth or slap it into an open wound, whichever you've got the time for." he said. a few of the piuches had darker green leaves as their material to set them apart. "everyone can get 1 dark pouch and 1 light pouch, please be safe out there!"

he sat down, finally, hoping people heard him. he waved to the blacksmith with a friendly smile. thank god he wasn't going down there!

He's very late.

Not that he was supposed to be here, whatever this is, but it seems he's late, with the commotion down on the beach moving with purpose, now.

Curious, but late. Any gathering around here is his business, and considering that whatever had started with the Key that had been returned to the questing group was still going on, he want's back in. Since Telesto had gone fishing, he'd invited Haven to come with- to go on a flight to another cave together, and fish themselves, spending some time together alone for the first moment in a while. He'd left a small project of his half done in the cave to imply that they'd be back soon, if his daughter beat the mated pair back home.

This is... odd. There's the Blacksmith, though, so a fammiliar face at least.

"Haven, dear, there's commotion on the beach- and our old Keystone there as well, with the Blacksmith facing the whole group. Should he see what's going on, or get involved? I admit I'm curious of-" Electrum cuts himself off mid-sentence, a very familiar glittering form in the water below catching his every and drawing out a low groan. "Oh for the love of- Telesto is down there. Off fishing my dorsal fin... He snorts, pulling up and slowing his flight, allowing for Haven to draw near should she choose, and he adds, a bit quieter, "Should we act like we don't know her? Or shall I embarrass her? There will be consequences to her sneaking out... but I can't miss this opportunity."


Depending on Haven's response, he'll either glide down over the water and let his feet skin the top- warning Telesto of his presense and passing right past her- or he slowly buffets his way down to the beach and hearing the tail end of Forgrave's offer to the group, and eyeing whatever the heck the Patrick is doing, and wondering... why there seems to be a low... buzz in his brain.

Of course, when he attempts to pull on his magic and pull a protective layer of static over his body, there is that snapping, swooping feeling of his magic backfiring before he feels all of his muscles seize, locking in place and tail curling low, and he grits out a rough "HRRK-!" as he releases the magic, the unpleasant tingling now filling his numb body making him want to writhe as he comes to a landing.

@Haven
@Telesto

Attikias arrived late, too. A pair of flashlights hung from his belt with a third in his hand, his entire body clad with his titanium-dyed leather armor. A small bandolier was slung across his chest as well with a few provisions- primarily sealed (so he thought) chambers of alcohol, a leather wrap, sewing equipment for wounds. He was prepared. His tent, he trusted, would be fine back near the entrance of Fornax, and Attikias steeled himself as he joined the group.

The Blacksmith started to talk just as he came into earshot, and he strained to listen. He'd missed the Master- or, well, he saw and heard her, but he was far off enough to not make much of a difference in the crowd.

Tensing for a breath, Attikias kept on, watching. His other hand tightened around the spear he carried. His muscles were tight, and he was uncertain- he had to press on. He would not let more innocents die. Perhaps it was the old hunter in him rearing back its ugly head, or perhaps he was simply embittered by his Trial, but he needed this. He needed to do right.

Even if it meant going somewhere that he convinced himself would be too dangerous.

Swallowing hard, Attikias stepped closer to the items, offering out the flashlights. They were wooden, with a baubled rock glued within, vent-like slits controlled by a form of wheel able to cover the reflective surface and bright beam that shot from the tool. "I have these, too. They'll be able to shut off if something's taken a notice to your light," and he demonstrated by opening and closing the vent, the wooden wheel clicking on its limits. Quietly, though, he slid closer to the pile and looked within- there were many shaped, indeed. Eventually, after picking through them, he extracted a simple silver ring, hoping it would have the Water Breathing he needed.

After that was done, he turned to Forgraves, his head tilting. He had no reason to distrust this being- afte rall, it should be helpful, right? Green is regenerative, orange energy (like food?), and light for calming. That would be good. Nodding, Attikias offered a small "thank you" as he took one of the positive pouches for himself, placing the item into a pack of his bandolier.

And he went back, unlatching the other flashlights and offering them to the first other two who asked. In the meantime, though, Patrick made his debut, and Attikias's head turned to regard the strange being. 'So that's what he meant, with the talking being dealt with,' he mused, watching Patrick's eagerness. 'Some of us might be slower, though. Not suited to the water.' Without realizing he was projecting, Attikias's thoughts rolled, his eyes glancing out over everyone. 'Maybe they can hang on to the more equipped...' He shook his head, looking back to Patrick.

Once everything was handed out and the ring was situated on one finger, Attikias came forward, nodding to the Blacksmith. 'We will get Artio back.' His eyes were hard with determination as he deliberately projected the thought, louder than the previous ones. He meant that as a promise. And he would not break this one.

Wading into the water, Attikias held his breath before jumping forward in a dive, feeling his lungs neither deplete nor restore. The ring had worked. Staring around, Attikias flicked on the flashlight he still had and aimed it forward, prepared to follow Patrick into the unknown.

Attikias has two flashlights remaining to claim! He is also taking a light pouch for himself.