There were many in the caves who had, in recent days, learned the strange new spell that summoned phosphorescent ghostlight wisps. These foxfires could illuminate an area, yet seemed to dance and flit about at times, almost as if they had minds of their own.

Some Gembound had learned this magic from a series of horrific attacks by shadowed monsters throughout the caves. Others learned it after, as if once the wisps had arrived, they were here to stay.

Whatever the case, anyone who could cast the spell would find that, on occasion, it would seem to cast itself... a wisp appearing before them, and trailing away. Should they choose to follow, the trails of wisps would all head, eventually and in eerily inconsistent paths, to Monoceros. Some would go down side-tunnels, and then double back; others would float away into the air, and vanish, only to reappear again later. These questionable guides would, however, eventually lead past the deadly Twister and deep into the Gorge.

Within the Gorge the wisps would float, past the creeks and rivers that veined the bottom, and the dry patches of wind-smoothed rock. Eventually they would reach the broad entrance of a pitch-black cave with stale, hot air blowing forth in a steady, ominous groan. This gaping mouth is half-hidden by dead, smooth trees, and the wisps curl around them before vanishing altogether.

The quest Ignis Fatuus has begun. Anyone may join in, though only those who know the Will o' Wisp spell will be led here. They are welcome, however, to bring friends along--and anyone may acquire the spell and then take part.

@Septiezal @Iris @Shango @Yoosung @Charoite @Pride @Dragon @Wilder @Ejder @Mosaic @Selena @Acheron @Aequum Regem

Curiosity was what killed the cat but Wilder, unfortunately, had never heard this phrase and probably wouldn't have listened to it if she had. She had followed the wisps all the way from Polaris to Monoceros. She hadn't even known that the caves were this big! How cool! Now that she was this far from the Spire she felt a lot more at ease but the howling winds of this cave made it a little difficult to be thankful for that.

It took her a little longer then most probably would have taken, considering that she was both small and a baby, but she eventually made it to the pitch black cave that marked the end of the path. She froze and stared at the opening, a horrible feeling of foreboding rising in her stomach. For once she was not bouncing around. She stared ahead, a little afraid. "That's really dark," she squeaked to no one in particular. She didn't want to go in alone, though, and sat in front of the entrance, looking around to see if anyone else had gotten the message.

Being a very heavy, squat alligator lame in one once-broken leg was not particularly good for intercave travel.

Dragon, luckily, was an alligator who just so happened to be able to fly. With magic, of course, but so it was. He liked to imagine that he was draconic--after all, the wings were batlike, black and blood-red; and there were ethereal, spooky horns twisting back from his skull. Shadows even coiled around him, like fire, but in the negative. Unfortunately, he didn't look very draconic at all; his body was too heavy, his massive and ridged tail a counterbalance in water but just a weight without it. As a result he hung in the air almost vertically as he flapped his way along, looking rather ridiculous. But even had he known, Dragon wouldn't particularly have cared. It served its purpose, and it was power, of a sort. It meant he hadn't had to slog here, dragging himself on three legs over dry land, for most of the route. Granted, he'd needed to stop and rest a few times, and recast the spell, but the last stretch had been surprisingly smooth.

Down he glided--careful to stick close to the ground, in case the spell suddenly gave out--into the Gorge. The wisp would appear sometimes, vanish others, and he was wary about their source and their potential motives... or the motives behind whoever might be controlling them. Now, though, the strange ghostlight appeared to be heading somewhere in particular.

"Ahead," he growled back, as quietly as he could, to Septiezal. He wasn't sure about all of this--he certainly didn't feel safe--and so he slowed on the approach to the cave. He lowered himself down, and began to crawl forward--but he could only see a small, black cat there, and so on he plodded.

The wings and horns faded in a puff of black, and he stared at the cave mouth as he hauled himself into full view of it.

"Tell me, brother," he muttered. "How does diving headfirst into a black, unknown cave sound for the survival prospects of we, who are bent on survival at all costs..?" There was dark humor in his tone, and he followed it with a quiet guffaw, before looking to the young cat. "Are you the one who controls the lights?"

Since their encounter with the Shadebeast, Septiezal dreaded the motive of the this wisps, but this phenomon was too bizarre to ignore. In his case, the ghostlight had appeared before him, and did not leave him alone until he followed. He was thankful for Dragon's presence. With the bull alligator by his side, Septiezal felt a little braver, or, perhaps foolish was the right word. He followed is scale-brother on the ground as the wisps led them down various paths and dark, foreboding trails, and hated every second of it, however, a part of him felt.. ready to face whatever danger it lead too. This threat must be banished.

Eventually, the wisps led them down into The Gorge of Monoceros, and Septiezal found himself staring down into the throat of a yawning cave. He gave an uneasy chuckle at his brother's little joke. "I think we need to reevaluate our priorities, if you ask me." Septiezal pointed to the cave and turned to Dragon."Has.. has this cave always been here?--Oh, hello." He had almost missed the black cat in the shadows, if it were not for her body heat.
"speak"

as a maiden she tiptoes shy with her light...

Sitting high in the trees of Cetus, cloaked in mist, the spider witch spun her silk. She had made a holey, blanket-like mantle. It resembled her own webs, and was meant to drape over the body of an arachnid. As she fashioned the garment to her abdomen, Thothaga plucked at the webbing between two limbs above her.

What light shone in through the canopy danced as the strands quivered. The Collector's words replayed in her mind. "It is a twist of magic, something darker, and foreign to most of you. You will soon have a visitor--if you have not already--and he aims to throw the caves into chaos." If the Bone Reader had taught her anything, it was to listen and what the glinting web told her, The Collector spoke the truth. He had come and with him, tricks and games, cruel ones even, and for those that won, there was a grand reward, but for the loser... the outlook was grim. Then the realization hit her, the battle with the shadow-creature and the magick that hung around her afterwords, his magick. That was no random trick. It was a test.

Thothaga stood back, the webbed canopy stretching under her weight, and raised her voice to the air, as if she was speaking directly to this entity, and summoned the foreign, lingering magick. "Mind-Trickster, whoever-you-are, I wish to speak with you!" It was a long shot, but if this being had a whiff omnipresence, maybe it would hear her call. Suddenly, a crackle of strange magick sparked through her gem with a pop! and vertigo seized her head like massive claws. The spider stumbled, nearly tangling herself in her own web. Her her world spun merciless, and before she blacked out, she saw red, flickering eyes watching her from the shadows.

When she finally came too, Thothaga found herself collapsed on the silken canopy. Her gem throbbed. Weakly, she lifted herself up, and found to be somewhat stuck in her own web, but something else had grabbed her attention first. An eerie phosphorescent light flooded the nest. A wisp floated before her, as if it had been silently waiting for her to wake up. Thothaga perked up a bit, thrilled at its appearance. It is of the strange magick! The blue ghostlight bounced around the web, as if beckoning her to follow. "I will! I will! Patience!" Quickly, she cut herself lose and crawled around the webbing, plucking her things from the silk. She did not know what she needed for his test, so she took everything: Oliver's baubled token, the glass orb, the rusted breastplate, and the two gemstone, and spun them into her garment's strands. She had almost left without the Fate's Throw. "Can't leave this! Might need it most." Thothaga said as she snatched it up and flung herself down the tree. Despite the danger foretold, she hardly felt afraid. The promise of a great prize lured her in, if she was deemed worthy, and Thothaga though she was pretty worthy herself.

The spider witch followed the wisp rather diligently as it led her down its path, and deeper and deeper into the caves. Eventually, it guided her into Monoceros. Its wind played with her senses, and she could have sworn she was being followed. Eventually, Thothaga found herself crawling down into The Gorge and thankful to not be buffeted by the wind.

Suddenly, Thothaga stopped in her tracks. She heard voices up ahead, and two of them sound familiar. As the wisp led her closer, she recognized the alligator and the clawed serpent, but the small cat was new. They all stood at the entrance of pitch black cave, discussing whether to venture into it or not. Thothaga wisp vanished at the cave's mouth. He wants us to enter. The spider peered into the dark cave. It was black like the void from the she wouldn't be able to see her own feet in front of her. Good that I brought light.. but might need to bauble more. She then turned to the two reptilian gembounds and the cat. "We meet again, Big Lizard and Charred Serpent, had the wisps led you here too?"

"Thothaga speaking."
Thothaga thinking.

Where are you off to this time?

Days had passed since the light of the Spire had mutated her glow into an entity of its own. Days of wandering and days of training. The blue lights within could still be kindled but here before her was a spell with a spirit of its own. Such a whimsical thing- a cool flame with core like mist. Its light radiant enough to illuminate the corners of reality and its intuition keen enough to move before conscious thought could even arise.

Also, of course, an invaluable hunting partner to tracking and flushing out mice.

Such a wild spirit could not be contained however, and similarly to how it moved before thought it had a tendency to manifest even without prompting. Having no eyes to focus a lens upon its soul such oddities would remain a mystery, however with its origins Miru was inclined to trust its lead. Through the past hours she had chased it throughout the cave system in a lovely game of tag. Through the hours she had only managed to catch it a few times before it fizzled out and reappeared elsewhere. Perhaps the game would grow dull eventually but for now Miru was having a wonderful time.

Winds howled above as her chase led her into the depts of Monoceros. Lights ahead indicated she was not alone. Her wisp moved forward to join the others, illuminating four figures among which she recognized one.

Fur stood on end as the frightful scene lay before her. A pledged kitten whom she called friend standing before the maw of darkness. Surrounding her a terrifying menagerie of forms- a giant alligator, a monster of black and orange, and a spider with proportions to dwarf them all. Her own crimson eyes narrowed as she looked between them all to try to look any of them in the face, but the angle was all wrong. She had to assume the worst...

Warmth filled Miru's soul as the circuit of her magic sprang to life. Air like fabric rippled around her as in an instant paws and ears and tail began to glow with radiant heat. "Minions of the deep, step away from the fated one!" she called out with as much intimidation as she could muster. Compared to the Dreamstalker these creatures would surely be nothing. "This child is not alone and its life is not yours to claim."

---

Though my thoughts are my own
"This is my greatest tool to hone"
Tags:

Pride had warned Mercurius that he was leaving.

He wasn't sure what sort of magic this was, or what it was doing--but it seemed... sentient, or almost so. Given his encounters with the Spire, he couldn't help but wonder if it were trying to tell, or show, him something. And so he'd followed it all the way here, wary and with dreams of revelations. He was worried, and studiously thoughtful about it, but despite his already having overthought the situation a great deal, he wouldn't have predicted this.

He hadn't expected anything in particular. His mind had toyed with the possibility that it was a trap, that the lights led to another of the great, black beasts as it had in Cetus. Or that some old and withered Ancient would be waiting to bestow upon him its wisdom. Or perhaps he'd find a source of magical disruption, to which these balls of magicka were attracted, moths to a flame.

He had not, however, expected to find a cluster of Gembound sitting and standing outside a black cave mouth. The caves were huge--and he'd only been in Monoceros once before--so he could see how this particular hole could've gone unnoticed in the myriad other caverns and dips within the Gorge, particularly being shrouded by dead trees. But perhaps it hadn't gone unnoticed. Perhaps others knew of it, or had come here, entered, and vanished, never to be seen again.

The stag walked up quietly, coming to a halt somewhat near Dragon. He knew Dragon, at least, and Septiezal--not well but, to his surprise, they were two who had also fought the Shadebeast of Cetus with him. They had, in may respects, and along with others, saved his life.

Pride's approach was also not silent--he was wearing somewhat rough and jagged diamond plating, thin, in armor over his neck and back. Further plates protected his belly and throat, and hung hooked into the upper pieces, so that he had serviceable protection. Whatever they were doing, if they hit another Shadebeast he certainly didn't want it tearing him apart.

Pride arrived just too late to have heard Miru's exact words, though he saw her smoldering feet. He glanced at her quizzically, and then to the others. "I take it you've all seen the wisps, too?" he asked curiously. "It's been quiet, bar that Naskital fellow, ever since. I had thought we were done with it. Do you think this is another Shadebeast..? Those wisps--I don't know what they are, precisely, but I know that they ruin my magic casting when nearby. Perhaps they are spheres of chaotic magic, become manifest as visible forms, once magicka is thick in an area?"

He puzzled over this, and then shook his head. "Though perhaps then Polaris would be full of them-... unless the Spire has some sort of mitigat--ahh. I apologize. I hope you are all well," he cut himself off. He doubted that anyone wanted to hear his magical theories, at the moment.

No, they'd all be far more concerned with the gaping blackness ahead, and the wisps disappearing down it.

The hybrid glided in in a graceful manner, arcing down from the top of the gorge--but he landed in a clumsy, bumbling, dust-billowing way. He couldn't properly fly, only fall relatively smoothly, and the way his long claws scuffled on the rock and his thorned pelt nearly tumbled him could hardly be called "graceful."

He was following a wisp of his own, snarling and snapping at it, and the moment it was gone he looked sharply, angrily around. White-green eyes glowed bright against his golden fur, and he snapped his eyes to the gathering present.

Scale-feathered wings folded loosely against his back as he trotted over, his movements almost horselike and his feet clacking likewise on the stone.

"Where are lights?" he demanded, simplistically, and angrily. That anger seemed directed not at those nearby, though, but at the missing wisps; his maned head flicked this way and that, cat's whiskers trembling as his muzzle continuously threatened to wrinkle into a hissing snarl.

He didn't know any of those present, but a glance at Wilder told him that here was some distant relative, and he greeted her with a swish of his fan-tipped tail and a sound like a loud, harsh meow.

________________

I AM THE STORM

The darkness of the cave stood resolutely silent, bar the rush of air that swept down within. It could have easily remained hidden for many years, its mouth half-shrouded by the dead branches and brush; yet now the wind seemed to howl into its mouth as if drawn there.

There was a shuffling, then, a quiet rustle and click, and a figure--robed, masked, and seemingly rather squat figure rustled forth. In the mouth of the cave he seemed almost small, insignificant. To those with a powerful nose, he smelled strangely foreign--as if of creatures, things and places they had no knowledge to name. He wore a bone-white mask at his face, three holes like eyes staring out at them, and deer antlers crowning its top.

Slowly, the figure raised his hand, the skin of the palm retracting like lids to reveal a shimmering eye. It looked like a gemstone--a cat's eye of some kind--but it was wet; was it magic, perhaps? An eye, or a stone? Quietly, the creature turned its hand to look over them all, and then--in a well-spoken voice that could almost be called gentle, though with a strange and breathy rattle to it--he spoke.

"So, you are the ones... to have found me. How very good... to meet you all. I am called only... the Masked Merchant. It has been... too long. And it means that you must be the ones... to have fought the beasts of darkness. For you, then. I have an offer."

The other hand unfurled, splaying out, lifting its long, slender fingers skyward. A wisp burst into existence, hovering in burning phosphorecense above his palm--and was joined by a second, and a third. The three quietly swirled, revolving around and around, until the Masked Merchant turned and flung his hand out. The triple-wisp then burst forward, smashing into one of the dead trees a safe distance away, which exploded in a splintering blast of blue-green. The remains of the trunk quickly shattered and fell, consumed in their eerie fire.

"A reward, and a test. I will teach you this... but what would you offer me, in return..?"

You have discovered The Masked Merchant!

@Septiezal @Iris @Shango @Yoosung @Charoite @Pride @Dragon @Wilder @Ejder @Mosaic @Selena @Acheron @Aequum Regem

The dog dozed.

The fight in Cetus had taken a lot out of him, and he had spent most of his time since sleeping. Only waking long enough to hunt - often, a Lesser that had run right in front of the sleeping Greater - and to drink. But he had lost weight, skin a bit tighter to his bones.

A bright light in front of his eyes, however, couldn't be ignored. He groaned, opening his eyes - they were dry, and he had to blink rapidly to clear away the sleep.

A Will o' Wisp danced before him, and he jerked his head back. He had been quick to learn that he could create them, but had been hesitant to do so. They reminded him of the Shadebeast, and he did not need them to sleep. But it danced before him, flickered and lured, and soon he was following it.

It was a long trip, from Cetus to Monoceros. A lick of lips brought on a sense of thirst, and so he drank, struggling to find a pool of clear water in the swamp. While he was asleep, it seemed, the one he had found had been contaminated by filth. And a grumbling stomach reminded him that he was hungry, and so he ate from the carcass of a Marsh Strider that had recently been killed, already partially eaten.

He licked his lips clean as he walked, movements stiff but slowly becoming more smooth as he walked the sleep out of them. And, oh, it was a long walk. The wisp vanished, replaced by another, and another. They led him down dead-ends and back, making him double back for seemingly no reason.

But it would be impossible to miss the gathering of Gembounds. It seemed that they, too, had been drawn by the Will o' the Wisps, and before approaching he took stock of those that were there. A cat, very young. The alligator from the battle with the Shadebeast, along with the white stag (and Yoosung was glad that he was okay), and the snake-beast. A massive cave-spider that seemed capable of speech. A fox, and a monsterous hybrid.

He walked forward just as the Masked Merchant appeared, eyes widening. His lips peeled back at its display of magic, revealing his fangs, a low rumble growing in his chest. His fur stood on end, and he shifted on his paws. "괴물." he called out. "A test, how so? What would you want?"

I've been on a lonely tripdragging along a lonely shadow