[Origin Cave]

Quest: The Strangeness of Cetus

Something is amiss in Cetus. Entering this room, one feels a buzz of activity, but it seems almost unnatural. Despite the strangeness of the sensation, the boundless life within the room appears to flourish. Still, the sensation is unsettling, and the new Gembounds are dying to get to the cause of it. It seems an investigation of the strange sensation must be underway. What could be causing it?

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

Head on over to Part Two!

Well, the brown-black Fisher was starting to get used to the fog. One would think having only known the fog, his eyes would adjust. It was just as bad as the dark, but having them both was a huge pain. He hadn't stopped feeling nervous since he hatched, which felt entirely wrong. What was there to feel? Why was his fur always on end? He was absolutely sure that this wasn't right-- yet he could not, would not, bring himself to leave until he had gotten to the bottom of it.

So instead of heading out, away from the fog and the tall trees (to be honest, he felt safe around the things he could climb) he headed deeper, watching his paws for the damp, murky water. He didn't trust the ponds, he didn't like the water. His fur was thick enough to keep him warm in the chilly mist, but his heart was still racing. He simply wanted to stay calm!

In a burst of frustration, Fisher let out a tiny, frustrated yelp and then a screech, slapping his paws around in the mud. He huffed and put his haunches down in the marsh, taking a huge breath. Tapping into a power he didn't even know he had yet, the young Fisher pup tried to steady his heartbeat so he could continue deeper into the mist and figure out just what was going on... and why he had come to be born here, and who he was. Okay, he had a lot of questions!

But first thing was first. Fisher was trying his first Internal Control. Hopefully no one would come and interrupt him, because it was his first time and well, it could be a disaster if he messed up!

A little jackdaw hopped into the cave room’s entrance, feathers ruffled. They’d been hopping through the branching, gusty tunnels for quite awhile, and were really glad to find somewhere a bit less…lost-looking. But as they hopped in, hoping to see someplace as green and wonderful as where their chrysalis had been, they saw a lot of mist. It was very unsettling, but curiosity and a need for somewhere to rest pushed the fledgling onward. The name-flower, clipped fresh before they had ventured out, was still held in the gembound’s beak.

The water was murky, and dipping in a toe proved that it was also chilly. The fledgeling clumsily managed to flutter over the wetness by alighting on stones and floating logs. The humming was odd, made the little bird uncomfortable, but they kept going. Maybe they could find a suitable bush to perch in and rest, at least.

Yes, there was a sturdy little shrub, thriving despite the oppressive feeling of…whatever it was. The jackdaw got themself up in it and situated, feathers all fluffed, and let their attention be taken by whatever was splashing in the mud up ahead - the mist and darkness made it hard to see.

The humming was still very hard on the fledgeling, and they tucked their beak down and squeezed their eyes closed, hard. Something in them stirred, there was something they could do, however small...

(edited in post-roll:) No. Whatever it was fizzled out the same moment it left for the air, leaving behind only the same discomfort as before, plus the sting of disappointment.

Fisher wasn't paying much attention to anything but his racing heart and the humming. He didn't hear the bush only meters away, obscured by the thick, oppressive mist, rustle with a creature landing in it for a rest. He didn't notice a bird try and fail to use magic, of course, he had been to busy using his own. To his astonishment, a prickle went through his chest and his heart slowed, the pounding drum of blood in his ears clearing. He took a deep breath and felt what he thought was calm.

The fog had a funny way of making everything feel cold and damp, but it absorbed smells and carried them in odd, swirling patterns around the cavern. At least, that's what Fisher thought as the wind whistled by, and he inhaled what he was sure was Food. Now, the young, dark brown mammal felt torn. He still felt quite hungry, and in fact he was sure he would never not be hungry. His tummy demanded a feast and he stood, mud clinging to his haunches, and shook out his thick fur. Was eatting more important than the questions he had? Certainly not. Maybe the Food could help him figure out just what was going on.

Craning his head towards the scent, his ears twitched and he prowled closer, until the dark lump of bush came into vision. "Hey!" He barked at the bush, trying to figure out where the smell of tasty bird was coming from. He didn't know for sure what the scent belonged to, or if it would taste good, but he adored the smell now didn't he?

Fisher wasn't the kind of critter to ask for help, but he came up with something to say without making himself look dumb. "You looking for the stuff making the VRRRRRR noise?" Hopefully whatever smelled so tasty could be useful... And not, jeez, too big for him to handle. He already knew he wasn't the biggest thing in this cave, but he hoped he wasn't the smallest. At least he had calmed down, the hum almost soothing against his slow, cautious heartbeat.

A thick rolling low cloud cluttered the poppy hued vision of the young girl. A low grumble of lament spilled forth as the tiny paws of the feline searched for a sturdy location to land. There was a oozing of damp slimy mud filling between her toes. It was unpleasant to say the least and so the girl's vision moved upwards. Perhaps there was some other path for her to take. The tree were sparse here and there was little change the the girl's legs were powerful enough to propel her from one tree to the next. Oh well, she finally figured, she had to wade into the murkiness.

Her exploration soon took her into an area where a humming filled the air. It was more unsettling than the muck collecting on her pelt. The girl's cranium tilted to the side and then towards the other as she listened closely. What was that strange sound? What was that bizarre sensation that tingled through her body? Instantly and without hesitation her body shook, a shiver running down her spine as the power crept over her. "Who's that!" She called out, her voice echoing into the darkness. The only reply she heard was the buzzing of the cavern.

The girl was frozen, stuck in her stance as she listened, overcome with the power that washed over her form in waves. It was not until she finally heard a hey in the distance that caught her attention. A voice pulled her from her trance, she did not even know the owner of his voice but she did not care, it was at least something familiar to her in this strange environment. Tiny paws kicked up through the swampy waters as the girl took off towards the voice. Through the fog she began to make out that there were indeed shapes of animals up ahead. "Helloooooo" She cried out, letting her voice roll out in a sweet charm. Bounding along she finally came to a stop once she could make out the two shapes. One was a... well she was not really sure what he was, maybe a cat like herself, or a canine? It didn't matter, she knew the other was a bird and she'd take 50% on this test.

Apparently something else had smelled the tasty feather Food because just as soon as Fisher spotted the small bird, a giant kitten came prowling out of the fog, meowing loudly at him. His pelt puffed up and he scurried under the bush, his copper eyes showing only the big, black pupils of a scared animal. Now, Fisher wasn't one to be scared normally, and once he saw that the cat wasn't that much bigger than him-- taller, maybe, but not quite longer, he regained some of his composure and snorted loudly.

He crawled back from out under the bush as the ocelot came forward, saying hello. Mud clung to her just as much as him and the pair of them looked quite messy, which made him wish he was actually clean that way he could have won. Whatever he wanted to win. Look, Fisher just wanted to be the best and that was as far as his logic got him.

He raised his head and tilted it to one side, his small ears flopping to one side. At least his heart rate was still calm as he spoke evenly to the cat. "I'm Fisher!" He barked, poking his nose to his own chest, tail swishing. "Who're you?"

He was determined to know, and also to get a move on. "Looking for the BZZZZ stuff?" He repeated, firmly, keeping his claws tucked away in his paws even though he figured he could take the ocelot in a fight and, indeed, have the Food all to himself. He had to keep reminding himself that he wasn't here to eat, he was here for the buzzing noise.

If the bird wasn't here to look for the humming noise, then maybe they could eat him, but to be honest the weasel-like creature wasn't inclined to share the first tasty smelling thing he had found. (Plants, while edible, were not very tasty. The moss that grew in this marsh was rather bitter, and he didn't like it one bit.) It would be nice to have three sets of eyes in the thick, oppressive fog though.

Two bodies, but only one that seemed to be in the same realm as the girl. Perhaps the buzzing and pressure of the energy around them had the bird mesmerized. Remy thought about it for a brief moment and concluded that was what it was, or that the stranger had no interest in the two felines. Speaking of which, when the dark furred male noticed the newcomer, he slipped away into the fog and underbrush. This caused the girl to slow in her step, her head tilted to the side in confusion. "Scared?" She asked as the boy scurried back out from under the brush. He snorted, expressing his embarrassment. There was nothing to be afraid of when it came to Remy, at least not yet. The world was too new, too innocent for the girl to even think of harming another.

"Hi Fisher!" She exclaimed, pushing forward onto the tips of her paws as her tails flicked back and forth. Her jaws parted in an awkward open mouthed smile before she answered him. "I'm Remy! It's... It's nice ta meet you!" The girl seemed to yell everything. She was not screaming, but her voice had not found its self and therefor, she didn't know exactly what volume control meant. "Who's that?" She asked as her eyes moved to the bird. Maybe they could wake the birdie up, or get them to talk or... something if they tried to play with them...

Her attention didn't linger on the feathered one for very long. Golden eyes turned back to the fisher boy and his question. Oh yes! The buzzing, it sure was annoying and if Remy knew how to get it to stop she would. "Yeah, it's weird and hurts my ears." She shook her head, sat back and lifted a muddy paw to swat at her ear. Then, in mid swipe she remembered she was covered in mud. "Yuk!" She tossed her paw away, shook her head again and returned to a standing position. "I think it's playin' hide-n-seek, maybe if we look under the bushes we can find it." She turned to look around them. There was a lot of placed in the thick fog that anything could hide. For the moment, danger of the unknown was not on her mind. Fear had no place in the girls heart, at least not yet...

the cave was something to be learned, something to be explored. the colt needed to know every inch. since his awakening, he'd taken his time in leaving Pisces. but, there was a sound. low, a reverberation that spoke to him. it summoned him from the neighboring tunnels, and further into what he'd come to know as cetus.

there, a group seemed to have gathered. their voices joined in the din, and the gembound colt ambled towards the congregation.

"hey!" parroted, the word itself something borrowed from the strange-different, leon. while the colt had found himself deeper in the thick of things ( more than his pounding little heart would have liked ), he'd say little else. instead, he would turn his attention to the two strange-differents ( having yet to find a word for predator, this would have to suffice ). a hoof reached from beneath him, striking stone though he was not sure why. the hum had seemed to draw fisher, and the almost-fisher as well.

so he wasn't alone in this adventure, and he found a mild feeling of comfort in knowing they shared a goal. ( would they eat him? could they eat him? ) "the BZZZZ stuff!" the baritone soon added, as though confirming this to be true for all present. why else would such an odd collection be gathered? "i'm ecthelon." joined, these two made sense, although he couldn't be sure entirely. a piece of him still believed it was just another borrowed string of sounds from the strange-different leon. they were rather familiar, weren't they? but it felt right. it suited the meld of his tongue, and made the appropriate click in his mind.

but, that was a debate best suited for another time. after all, they were intrepid explorers! this, this made his blood roll forward in a far more pleasurable way. he liked this climb of excitement, this prick of anxiety. there was something more, something yet to be tapped. he knew it was a strength, knew it to be something useful. perhaps it could help? perhaps it had purpose.

he'd reach. not physically, not with his corporeal weight. no, it was something more than that. something less tangible ...

Scared? Fisher? Never! His fur puffed up more as he stood as straight and tall as he could, whiskers twitching with his flustered air. Startled, maybe, but he wasn't scared. The feline was quite loud, but so was Fisher himself-- it might have been the buzzing, the constant deep hum, that made them speak so loudly. He didn't mind the noise anyway, because it made it easiest to hear.

The girl introduced herself as Remy, and even said it was Nice to meet him. Nice. The floofed-up cub wasn't sure what to think of that, but it made his pelt settle down a little. He blinked his large, pupil-filled eyes and a smile crept across his maw as a huge, lanky monster came running over. He recognized the shape, because he had seen a deer just after he had hatched and a fawn wasn't much different, really. He hated how tall they could be, because even on his hind legs he couldn't come close to beating their height. There was a crack, like a small thunder, but little Fisher didn't know what it was, only that Ecthelon had caused it. The small omnivore shivered, but made a point to nod bravely. "Heya!" The horse mentioned the bzzt stuff and therefore was also going to join this mission of sorts, apparently. Fair enough!

Fisher took the time-- When Etchy was doing his magick thing-- to answer all of Remy's thoughts as best he could. With one small ferret-like wiggle-run-and-bounce, the dark furred boy came up to the cat's side and leaned his nose as close to her ear as he dared get. "I think it's Food," he chittered softly, his voice under the hum of the cavern. "But I don't know, somethin' wrong with it, maybe. Or is smart and scared cause I'm hungry." He shook his head furiously and laid back down on the ground, his body pressed together like a compressed slinky.

"The BZZZZ thing is hiding? And we have to seek!" He understood, nodding now as his eyes darted between the cat and horse a few times. "Split up and look? Shout for each other, come back to this bush?" He suggested, tail twitching in a nervous, excited manner. He could hardly- no, he couldn't wait. The weasel-esqe creature sported a grin before zigzagging off into the fog-- only a few paces, close enough to hear the others, but not see them. If something happened, he could always come running right back.

And then he looked, in a nearby puddle and in a bush, and around the area he could see. His ears tried to hone in on the buzzing, but it really felt like the entire cavern was making the hum. As long as he found something, any sort of clue, he'd be pretty proud of himself! It would show that cat, for calling him Scared. He could show them all how brave and powerful he was, ehehe!

Fallah ambled towards the buzzing. Still new to walking, Fallah’s steps were a bit wobbly. The darkness became misty and Fallah took deep breaths. Since breaking free of its gem, the lynx hadbegan to wander. Occasionally spooked, Fallah found that water would sometimes pull from its skin. When it happened, Fallah became extremely thirsty and needed to drink water. Being in such a room of water now felt good… except for that buzzing. The buzzing, oh the buzzing, was sharp and not at all like the hum of Fallah’s gem. It made the lynx’s body shiver and its ears draw back. Fallah squinted and drove forward, searching for something- anything- that might be of help. All others were mostly ignored as the lynx made its way around. They didn’t seem to know what the noise and feeling was, so they were obviously no help, the child reasoned. Bumping around and sniffing things as it could, Fallah was determined to find something. Would the cat tell the others? Maybe, if they would help, but for now, this was a solo effort led by the wobbly gem baby and no one else. Maybe, just maybe, Fallah would request their assistance later and maybe, just maybe, they would make friends. "speak"