[Origin Cave]

Quest: The Strangeness of Cetus (Part 2)

In the very center of this tunnel, it seems a large hole has been opened up in the roof. Snow and ice have fallen away and water is pouring into the tunnel. The leak doesn't appear to be too bad for now - it appears the hole had been patched up before, albeit very hastily. It is very likely that the leak will worsen if left untouched and the tunnel will very quickly become flooded. If you wish to save this tunnel, you'll need to find a way to repair the hole. You may also notice that the humming of the marsh has moved from Cetus to inhabit this tunnel, but you can not locate its source.

Join This Quest

If you would like to participate in this quest, post with your character in this thread. Completing this quest will require some teamwork, so don't be afraid to roleplay it out! Feel free to request a GM when you feel you may be ready to proceed.

Participants:
Part One: Fisher, Aster, Remy, Ecthelon, Fallah (Read Part 1)
Part Two: Delilah, Fisher, Louie, Fallah, Mau, Black

Curiosity tugged at the fluffy pup, leading her deeper and deeper into the caves. She left behind the other gembound she had met before, since they had wished to meet up with their friends and Delilah felt the need to go the other way. So young and already full of so much wanderlust! Everything she saw on her way was long and dark, but each large open room that the poodle past through was so one of a kind and filled with it's own mysteries. Her nose was pressed down to the cave floor, taking in all the new scents that rushed in. Where did these smells come from? Or whom? The deeper she went, the colder the air become and before she knew it, Delilah's nose touched something so cold it caused her to almost jump out of her fur. "That's COLD!" The cry escaped her, jumping back to get a better look at the tunnel that was ahead of her. Where was she? How far had she gone? The pup was a little worried, but there was no time to turn back now. Something was interesting about this new place she found, why was it so cold? Inching closer, she did her best to ignore the cold under her paws but it was to much. "Cold cold cold cold!" A spring was in her step as she rushed forward, doing her best to ignore the icey floor of this tunnel. Deeper and deeper she went, until she saw a spot that wasn't covered in a layer of ice. A large rock, making a B-line, the poodle parked her rump right there. Still cold, but not ice cold! Taking the moment to relax, she looked around, wondering if there were others near by. Maybe if she listened closely? edit after roll And nothing, the female let out a rough breath. Childish frustration. She was sure that she could hear someone, but maybe there was on more near by? Ether way, it seemed she might not know for sure but now she left light headed. Was the poodle thinking to hard about the whole thing?

Fisher had almost, almost forgotten the hum that had entered his brain as a small, gembound baby, still in his crystallise. But he hadn't forgot it completely, and as the small mammal continued to explore, he heard it. The hum. It had returned! He had almost forgot his home, of Cetus where the water swirled and where the mist was thick-- but now he remembered his birth place and he remembered the Hum. It was distinct, particular, and although the fisher had learned to be cautious, he also knew he was stronger and braver than ever before.

The furry mustelid wiggled in through the small crack of the cave, his ears pricked alert at the noise of the hum. He had found it, and out of habit he began to hum as well, as if he was resonating with the noise. He also, however, heard water, and that spurred him on. He began to run through the narrow tunnel, his textured pads fit for the icy climbs and falls of the winding tunnel as it began to open. He never lost his footing once, he was so determined, although he almost ran straight into another furry animal. He recognized the scent immediately-- Dog! But it wasn't Isaac. The fisher put on the breaks, sliding to a stop next to the pup.

His ears pricked. Water. The roof! His dark eyes, filled to the brim with dilated pupil, stared up at the hole where the musty, misty smell of Cetus water began to pour in. "Here! This is... You found it! Who are you? You found the BZZZ noise!" He yipped excitedly, wagging his tail in exactly the doggish way he had learned, although so enthusiastically that the rest of his body wiggled right with his tail. Fisher wouldn't admit it, of course, but he didn't like the look of that hole and the leaking water and the louder than ever humming.

"We have to plug up the hole," he decided firmly. "It's escaping its home, and... And that's bad. We need to find the BZZZ too though.." His ears drooped, and without waiting for the pup to respond to him, he set off, tromping closer to where the water was coming out. How did you block a hole off like that? He didn't have any idea, nor any useful powers in this situation, and jeez he couldn't even REACH the hole himself. Huffing, the small fisher began to look for some rocks or gems or even fungi that they might be able to use to plug into the hole.

Tunnels were required to connect all of the separate caves but the fox had never really paid much mind to them, rather he made his visits brief as he passed through into the next room. This time however, the sounds of rushing water and the occasional shattering as snow shards fell to the ground caught Louie's attention as he made his way deeper into the bowels of the system. Before he could even cross to the other side, he was met with a vast amount of water. Lights no on, he could see where it was coming from specifically but he was unsure how deep the water had become and if it'd even be safe for him to continue across.

Grinding his teeth together, he could see Fisher and he seemed to have a lot more of an understanding of the situation. Having not been there originally to witness the beginnings of whatever this was, he was left in the dark and so Louie could only provide his own observations, "How are we supposed to stop it?" Having left his stooge back home, he was thankful to not have to deal with the weakling. Even if he did have his uses. All his magic focused on the living, and he was all but useless in this situation.

ooc; ignoring Delilah as she is being adopted out
also wasn't sure what else to say ;^;

Fallah may have followed the other gembound here, or maybe it was just coincidence. The other was one of the more interesting ones the cat had observed. Curious, icy eyes peered over at the long, bushy creature as he ambled about. As interested as Fallah was in the boy, when the buzzing returned it stole the lynx's attention. Aqua eyes scrunched at the noise while rounded ears swiveled to find it, the fisher all but forgotten completely. While the other was much louder about it, Fallah was no less curious to the noise and water that flowed through the tunnel. Springy legs navigated the icy feat until the lynx was beside the others. Dilated eyes surveyed the water falling from the up. Maw parted as the lynx's heart and breath sped up. This was bad. Fallah stayed quiet while the others talked, and maybe even for a moment longer. What do? What do? A chip of ice fell and landed squarely on Fallah's nose, "Ike. I see. Isssse." The cat, still unused to talking much, tried out the words for the cold substance on its nose. Finally, the gembound spoke up, simply stating what it thought and expecting the others to follow in what Fallah considered a simple train of thought, "Ice." That had plugged the hole before, right? So why not again? Or maybe that other stuff in the caves would work. The other walls and up were made of it. What was it, "Walls. Dirt. Roundy hard dirt." the cat mumbled to itself, "Rock. Or rock." it stated loudly, blackened eyes looking from member to member for some form of reaction to the suggestions. "speak"

Danger.

Within a gemstone cell, an unborn life had already met with strife to survive. Its source of magic had been shared with another, but since their departure, the warmth of flow had faded into chilling cold. Days followed and still, that warmth faded into memory. She'd gradually grown accustomed to the chill of lonesome silence...

..but once again, her world changed without any idea of what change, or worlds, were. A solid noise shook her awake prematurely.

A rattling sound the likes of which she'd never experienced suddenly tore her whole world asunder. Blue eyes snapped open behind the glass shell and she watch for the first time as light filtered into her vision, where only blurred darkness met her before. She would've gasped had she known how to breath, as suddenly that light, as quickly as it appeared, was eaten away by some unknown, shadowy thing that crept up the outside of her shell.

Then, perhaps through a tiny crack unseen until now, water started pouring in. A new sort of cold hit her, and she panicked. Noise roared in her ears, a hum, strange garbled voices, the hiss of water flowing around her at an alarming pace. Finally, as that water reached her waist, the cat inside the crystal shell flinched. The movement was restricted and she didn't like it. She needed to be free. It wasn't safe here anymore. The water rose higher. No, no, no! She couldn't die before she'd even been born! This wasn't happening! This wasn't fair! No, she wasn't ready! NO!

CRACK

The cat pushed free of her prison with a loud, snapping sound as the shell all but exploded around her, from the force of her struggling. Pieces were sent flying in every direction and the cat herself, a tiny kitten, sodden wet, flung backwards into the water. Instinct kicked in and that body twisted to get upright, paws kicking out wildly to paddle her back to dry land. She wasn't sure what dry, or land, was, but she knew it wasn't this horrible cold wet.

She couldn't see, couldn't clear her ears well enough to hear, even as she shook herself violently as tiny paws scraped stone and ice at last. Cold! Too cold! Pitiful and scared, no, terrified, the kitten did the only thing her little body could manage. She yowled. The high-pitched note sounded like a siren, over and over, from her tiny, sodden corner. The cry had no words to it, but the shrill tone carried better than any other sound in the cave in that moment. She was trapped, unknowingly, against the cave wall, across the gradually pooling water from the others she didn't know existed yet. The kitten, tiny and vulnerable, was in the greatest of danger- blinded and terror-stricken by the lights and muffled roars all around, the kitten could only continue to yowl for help, whatever that entailed.

She didn't want to die yet! She didn't even know what dying meant, but she certainly didn't want it happening to her in that moment! What a horrible way to come into the world! Such misfortune! And even though her jewel and eyes glowed, albeit behind tightly shut eyelids, no magic could overpower the mighty voice of a kitten in terror. Though the veins glowed, then faded, no magic occurred- fizzling out in her distress just like any rational thought had.

Oh! Good, good. Louie was here! He was a smart fox. Fisher grinned at the fox, his tail going into a wild wag as he thought about the question. He had no idea how to plug a hole, nor would his magic be of much help... But he could look around. Another voice hit his ears, a strange, foriegn one, but a familiar face seemed to go with it. The mustelid's copper eyes widened at Fallah, indeed, this was one of the gembounds originally looking for the BZZT noise. That really set his tail wagging. The three of them could totally figure this out.

It seemed the feline had an idea as well. Ice or Rock. Maybe they could get a big enough rock to plug the hole, but that would be quite dangerous. Not like Fisher had an sense of self-preservation half the time, so off he went to find a rock to plug the hole.

That was went the brown noodle, paws made for the cold ice, almost slipped on a wet spot as a squeal came to his ears. Something was in danger! Looking around for the source, Fisher spotted a smaller Farrah, pure white in color, struggling to land. Curiosity and instinct kicking in (she did look quite like a snowshoe hare from a distance) Fisher bolted towards the water and jumped to the small patch of ice against a wall that was just high enough to not be flooded yet. Soon the whole cavern would be full, and they would all be in danger.

;; post roll

Fisher missed by a mile. He was a fantastic climber, but less so jumping, and so he plunged into the water. Scrambling, he managed to make it to the island with the kitten, sputtering. It wasn't the first time he had entered ice cold water, and it wouldn't be the last. At least this one didn't immediately pull him in. Shivering, the fisher nudged at the kitten.

"What are you doing?" He gasped, shaking out his fur. "You could have drowned!" Nevermind, Fisher, that the kitten hadn't gone for a swim willingly-- and that he practically had. Nevermind! You absolute fur-for-brains. At least he was with the kitten now, so he might be able to help her out.

As water pours into the tunnel, the buzzing continues - in fact, it seems to get even louder with excitement. The tunnel is beginning to fill up with water fast, making the surrounding ice and snow grow slick and difficult to grasp. The hole in the ceiling of the tunnel remains untouched, and water is beginning to exit the hole even faster. Small pieces of ice and rock are crumbling around the hole, suggesting it may give away if these Gembounds don't hurry and plug the hole soon!

________________

The large mastiff, wrinkled black and ungainly with youth, galloped heavily around the curve in the tunnel and slipped over the ice. As he scrabbled for purchase he found his attention split, half his mind frantically focusing on trying to regain traction, the other warning him of the figures in the tunnel ahead.

In his rush to get to the source of the buzz, he had briefly left He-Who-Had-Come behind. He now found himself alone, rocketing uncontrollably out of a large bend in the cave tunnel, one filled with the deafening rush of water.

And the buzzing. That terrible hum. It was alluring, and repulsive, all at once. The Dog--muscles shaking--managed to stop his slipping, and paused a moment, regaining his strength. He then began to pick his way across the rock to the others, pendulous ears pricked up, morose face intent with interest.

He neared them, and then stopped.

I do not know their sound symbols,

he remembered, fleeting thoughts free of any such mundane boundaries as 'words.' He was too young, yet--newly-hatched just down the tunnel, awakened from his sleep by what he imagined was some urgent need.

He stood, looking over the strange creatures assembled. Small, and red-gold. A brown thing or two. His sweeping, slow gaze took them carefully in, then disregarded them to pass over the hole that gushed icy water, and down, over the rapids to the tiny-white-thing and the strange-brown-thing on the small island of rock.

Black's ears pricked up further, and he straightened, moving to the water's edge. Pale blue-grey eyes locked on the two wet creatures. He tilted his head, staring. He then barked, abruptly, booming young voice emitting the only word he truly knew, his wrinkled face a mask of concern.

"HELLO."

Did they need help? What was this hideous buzzing? What had the Not-Dog brought him here to do--how could he aid? The mastiff stood at the shoreline, eyes on the fisher and the kitten, and waited for a command.

________________

The water kept coming. The buzzing kept happening. Even greater and louder than it happened before, it continued. Fallah's icy eyes darted around, her heart picking up pace, though her mind was able to keep calm for the moment. As the long brown friend climbed about, there was a squeal. Fallah's ears perked and the lynx sprung into action, but before it could get anywhere, the brown friend had already acted. The two seemed safe for now, but that really could have gone badly! The cat's breath had hitched watching the two. Fluffly paws carried Fallah to the two, looking over them for a moment. The new one was so small... It appeared similar to Fallah, but much, much smaller. It was so small, the lynx couldn't help but stare for a moment longer, it's maw slightly agape. Was Fallah that tiny when it emerged from its chrysalis? A bark had sounded out while Fallah was going towards the brown friend and the teeny tiny, but it hadn't really registered until now. The lynx looked and saw a black... something. The water was still rushing, still rising. Fallah eyed Fisher, the long brown friend, motioning towards the small cat, "Safe. Keep it safe. Go." the lynx said, just loud enough to be heard over the water and other commotion. Fallah didn't give much thought to "go" and Fisher could stay if it wanted to, but Fallah wanted to make sure the little tiny white was safe. The responsibility was given to Fisher for now, whether he stayed or went. The large cat didn't know if this would be their parting for now or not, so it double checked it's bases, making sure the brown friend could contact the lynx later. " 'T's Fallah- find me. Maybe later." The lynx dipped it's head and sprung towards the black gembound, again dipping its head in greeting instead of returning the hello. The tunnels were still filling and a few minutes had felt like a lifetime. Fallah had no time to waste, "Big hole. Water," reddened head flicked in the direction of the incoming water, "Stop it. Fill it. Or run." Hopefully that got the point across because Fallah turned and started looking for something- anything- that might help stop or hinder the flow of water. AFTER THE ROLL (omg Fallah): Fallah couldn't find anything. In fact, it was pretty reasonable to say that the lynx itself became lost while hunting for something to plug the hole with. Where did all the friends go, and where was the entrance to this tunnel? Hey, was the water even higher now? Probably, but Fallah needed to make their way back to the entrance before being able to search for anything to help. Now just where was that tunnel entrance? "speak"