Quest: Wharrgarbl! Part 2
As the next surge of water eases away, leaving behind trickles of icy cold water crawling along the ice and snow, the traveling Gembounds are met with the very end of the tunnel. However, this isn't just any dead end. It seems that this wall has been deliberately crafted... in fact, it looks like the entire wall is some kind of strange, complex mechanism! Set into the ice is a thick stone slab reaching eight feet high, and there appears to be a small opening at the top between the ice and the rock about an inch thick. However, peering through the opening will yield no answer to what lies beyond - it is dark. On the ground in front of the slab, the floor dips down into something of a siphon in the center, small enough to step over, but intriguing none the less.

This door appears ancient and tracks are worn in the thick grime coating the stone. It seems that another creature has arrived at the door just barely before the Gembounds. The great shifting and churning blackness that is Totum is seen inspecting the door, only turning its head to acknowledge the approach of the Gembounds with two sets of eyes, but notably weary about the possibility of another surge of water.

In order to join this thread, your character must roll Barely Successful or higher to avoid the water surges in PART ONE.

Participants:
Part One: Carrie, Booker, Ghanyarah, Makyna, Arkrael, Diot, Eve, Kerberos, Cadence
Part Two: n/a

δεξιά . κέντρο . αριστερά

Kerberos stumbled into the opening, finding it dark around him. He was chilled to the bone, but since he was sort-of leading the way he knew the solution. If he could get his magic to work, anyway... Which it didn't. The canine let out a sigh, unable to bring fire through his body to light the way. He would try again in a moment, but a shadow caught his vision even in the murky, cold air.

For a moment, the canine could only think of the terror that had haunted Canis. It wasn't until he realized exactly who was there-- the creature who had fought the centaur. The one who had given him the tablet, scrawled with unknown writing. The dog felt conflicted as always upon seeing Totum, but he let out a soft bark.

"Hello? What is all this?" He asked, trying to make out the space-- the door, the mechanisms, and Totum-- in the dim, damp light.

i'm ready to start
the conquest of spaces

Goodness. He was beginning to regret this entire trek. While the cold air was soothing on his bones, it significantly slowed his muscles and made walking a lot harder. The more he thought about it, the more he actually wasn't surprised when the water swept him away and off his feet, because it was difficult to really stand his ground in the cold. But he had made it this far. There was no point in turning back until he figured out what was at the end of it, and he had offered his services to the Gembounds on his back anyways. They were small and could easily be taken away by the water, so it was the least he could do to keep them afloat. The great three-headed dog had charged ahead of them all, but the air was growing cool and dark, and Ghanyarah kept his pace up until the dog barked out.

Ghanyarah narrowed his eyes and raised his head, searching for the one he spoke to. His eyesight wasn't very keen in the dark, and he flicked his tongue, tasting the air, only to receive really nothing but the Gembounds he had been traveling with this whole time. He made his way up next to Kerberos, craning his neck to stare now at the mess of shadow that shifted within itself, lingering by what looked like... a doorway? But made of stone, lodged into the ice. Ghanyarah cocked his head but he remained silent, tentative of the shadow.

table and code © chelsea of ORIGIN

His daughter had barely made it, but since Leon had managed to hold his ground against the water surge, he was able to catch her before the water really swept her away. With a sigh of relief, the bear had plopped her back on his shoulders and hurried off after Kerberos and Ghanyarah. They reached what seemed like the end of the tunnel before long, with the great stone door worn into the ice and a mysterious black creature poking around it. Leon hung back, allowing the dog and lizard to take the helm of the exploration group. The last thing he wanted was this malicious thing turning on him... but as Leon craned his neck to get a better look, it did seem to match the description of a creature Makyna had encountered once. What was its name... She had called it Beast once. And then... Totum? Totum was two of them smushed into one. Weird.

Leon didn't say anything, though. Kerberos had eagerly taken the lead, so he sat back and awaited an answer, at the ready to protect his daughter against anything - another surge, this shadow beast, or whatever lay behind what looked like a door up ahead. This certainly was turning out to be a great adventure and he found his curiosity nagging at him. Cold from the water, he felt his magic burning at his skin and slowly the bear allowed the heat to take hold, gently glowing from his eyes, nostrils and mouth, bringing a subtle yellow light to the tunnel.

After being slung onto Leons' back the little happily sat up top, grinning down at all of the other creatures. Her Papa Bear sure was big! And she loved it! Maybe one day she'd be as big as him and she could look down at all the other gembounds! A girl could dream right? The little laughed to herself as they approached a strange thing... A sort of... door? The word seemed to come naturally. However, a word didn't come for the thing next to the door. Some tall shadowy creature. Frightening though he was Cadence refused to back down and instead stared up at him, trying to convey bravery.

Everyone was silent except for the large dog thing and to echo his words and not be left without a thing to say she said, "Yeah! What's goin' on? An' who're you?" Because that second part was something she was dying to know. Was he friend or foe?

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Quest Part Dos
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6/10

"Talking looks like this!"
Thinking looks like this...

I hear your heart beat to the beat of the drums,

What a shame that you came here with someone...

Barnett stayed steady, standing up and leaning on Ghanyarah's gemstone crest for support, one paw raised in a sort of salute, straining his good eye to see into the distance. Finally, the end of their journey came into view... but it was even more confusing than the beginning, and the hair along the numbat's back stood up in alarm at the sight of a towering, shadowy figure. "Who the hell is that?" The harsh whisper was directed down towards his boat-like acquaintance, along with Diot and Eve.

Thankfully, it seemed the giant three-headed dog was taking the lead, and both he and Leon combined could certainly protect them all - or at least draw attention away while he and the rest of the smaller folk fled. Still, the door beyond the figure, with its strange indentations and shape, kept Barnett from fleeing then and there, leaning almost off of Ghanyarah's snout in his interest. "And what in the caves is it tinkerin' with?"

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Remaining within Pisces would certainly have served him better. Jumping down off the rock, he sloshed in the melted snow as he made his way towards the group. Both of his ears, and tail, were tucked in complete understanding that he was indeed the youngest here. Childish curiosity continued to push him forwards and as he came up behind Ghanyarah and Barnett, he remained behind them trying to peer past the thick scaled tail of the komodo dragon.

There was something odd fiddling with a strange portion of the wall. Blinking in confusion, he tilted his head and barked quietly, "What is all this..." Pushing close to the ground, he no longer felt safe as he found himself wriggling closer to the backside of the lizard.

@Jack

Diot was rather wide eye'd and full of excitement as always. Though it could be mistaken as high alert, especially with what sight was in store for all of them. Squinting slightly the tamarin could make out something, no; someone. They were rather tall, shadows making up their mysterious form. Occasionally they glanced back at the group of gembounds; but seemed preoccupied with what mechanism was before them. The harsh whisper from his father caused the tamarin to compress himself closer to Booker. One hand safety on his shoulder as Diot watched the shadows.

"They don't seem too...aggressive...more concerned about that mechanism than us..."

Diot kept a good hold on Booker, not wanting their father to fall off of the Komodo's snout.


"Speech"

Slowly Arkrael followed after Kerberos, her eyes searching the walls and even the floor as she moved along. When her gaze landed upon a familiar form a grin caught the edges of her features as she began to sway her tail to and fro in just the slightest. "Totum," She spoke kindly, padding up closer towards them as she glanced to what they seemed to be looking at. "Do you know where this door leads?" She questioned curiously. It was an intriguing idea of what could be hiding behind this door. speech OoC: Sorry it's small. Don't have a lot of time, but I wanted to get Rae in here :/ table code © rasta 2015

The massive, swirling shadow had reclined onto their limbs and found themselves waiting patiently for the group to all coalesce at the end of the tunnel. Few of them must have charged on ahead, including the three-headed dog, the lizard with the small ones on its back, and Arkrael, while others had lingered behind. Once the majority of them seemed to have made it, Totum nodded and took in their questions one by one. "We are Totum." The twin voices spoke, ever entwined, masculine and feminine all the same. "You have noticed that the tunnel is flooding with periodic surges of water." They pointed out. "We have been trying to find a way to impede these dangerous surges, lest someone get hurt. But we cannot."

The twin gaze soon moved to Arkrael, looking her over. There was a sense that the stibnite had yet to be revived; an idle thought that they would stow away for later. "Yes. This door leads to a place of water." Their attention cast out to the rest of the group in explanation. "This is a drainage gate. Water once traveled through this channel into Canis. But recently, the channel eroded, saturating the tunnel between Pisces and Orion. The dry spell in Canis... I could fix that. Now the channel wall has eroded away, and the water surges have begun to flood the tunnel. They are too powerful for us to simply freeze the wall back in place." They spoke slowly, gesturing down the tunnel - though the Gembounds may not have realized it, the tunnel was a steady incline, rising up from Tunnel M and many of the caverns they usually traversed. They were higher up above most of the rooms at this point. The channel was another tunnel that broke away from Tunnel M at the point of its conjunction, eventually leading to Canis, though the channel itself was treacherous and slippery - it's purpose as a drainage tunnel made it too dangerous for traversing.

"We would blast the door open." The female voice growled indignantly. "That is too destructive. We must preserve the door." The beast's voice countered. "The door must be open. Then the water will drain slowly, and we will be able to repair the channel." They had ultimately decided, though it was apparent that this argument had been made earlier. The female voice had a surly edge to it, and was sure to insist upon the destruction of the door, but the masculine voice persisted. "Perhaps you will be able to help us." They finally added, stepping aside to allow the Gembounds to investigate the door. "But be wary when the water begins to seep from the top, as it will bring another surge."

(ok you butts, get your dick jokes out now before you post because i promise that despite the phallic shape of the mechanism it has nothing to do with sexual organs *STARES AT BANSHEE* )

@Kerberos @Booker @Diot @Cadence @Arkrael @Jack @Eve