Fantasy Well of Wishes | Main IC | [Closed]

[Arcanist]

Pozou Artith
Mentions: - | Interactions: Sarahspn (Jane/Rose), Jet (Kadar)​

It was clear that his outburst had done nothing more than amuse Kadar, rather than placing him as a worthy verbal sparring partner in his eyes. When he burst out into that obnoxious laughter, Pozou felt his face grow redder, not out of embrassment, but out of growing anger. He could imagine that was due to the squawking - damn that condition, the squawks always came out at the worst possible times!

Even when Kadar stood over him, as if trying to intimidate him, he still puffed his cheeks out with an intense rage. He was grateful, mind you, for Rose stepping closer, knife in hand, should things get out of hand. Somehow, Kadar's cheery disposition straight afterwards only seemed to make his blood boil even further. You're insufferable! You fool, you...! He wanted to so desperately tell him, though, he imagined Kadar got that reaction from his glare, and didn't need to hear it from him.

Pozou flinched though, when he felt the hand suddenly clamp onto his shoulder, as he continued. He narrowed his eyes at him and his words, before he replied, "What? That doesn't even--ah, forget it! Why would I want another drink with...?"

Though, he felt himself slow, stumble slightly. Damn, he must have been more tired than he thought, else those were some drinks he had. Though, he was surprised that Kadar, who must have been a seasoned drinker out of all of them, was slurring too, practically swaying on his feet. That was when he cried out something about poison, stumbling, and ending up face-first on the floor.

And it wasn't long before Pozou felt his legs betray him, and he collapsed, barely clasping onto the table for some support. He felt the same warmth rush through his body, his sight blurring and growing dizzier. He groaned, hearing something about not being poisoned, but drugged. "M...mah bag..." He slurred, his hand patting the table as if it was there, though, turned his body sluggishly towards his chair, trying to reach it. There had to be something in there for them to counteract this, right? Even as Pozou managed to get from the table, and crawl on his hands and knees, his body grew much heavier, so much weaker. He just about made it to his stool, but he hadn't the strength to reach for his things.

Pozou squinted as he heard Rose shouting, but the words were muffled, like being stuck inside a glass box. "So...schleepy..." He mumbled, resting his head against the stool. His mind screamed at him to keep awake, but he felt so weak, so warm...another nap wouldn't do any harm, right...?

 

[BriiAngelic]

• Dorothea Angelos || Roland Marek's Alias

• 
  
  
  
  Tags:
  Doctor Cash ( Taigakitt ) Kuma / Korina ( Lost Echo )
  

  ~ Hospital ~
  Ideal and The Real [End] || Roland's CS File
  
  He didn’t much like being proper, even back when he was young he was more used to a nomadic peasant life. If he had to say the one thing he disliked about the posing and posturing it was the stiff disconnect he saw Helena do with such ease. It was because he was so heavily disgusted by this behavior that he mimicked day by day that he saw clear as day when Miss Kuma reflected it. He couldn’t help the sad expression that fell onto his own face. It was for the best that he wore the hood even now. If it wasn’t his unmistakable elven features then his own horrible control of his facial expressions would quickly give away their act.
  
  Without realizing it Roland brought his hands up to clutch his hood pulling it even further over. Soon he went to looking at his feet. He didn’t want to be here, he wanted out of the cities. He knew Helena both loved and hated the cities but he was stuck in a hate-hate relationship that only got worse with each city they passed. He had Helena, he had Lorrin now too, and even Miss Yo and Miss Freya were great. So what did he need a home for? He was terrified with every mile they passed as they approached the desert. The only saving grace would be that they would leave it quickly, but soon was not now.
  
  He felt Helena skim to his side brushing against him and realized he was looking too common. He straightened up his spine and let his hands fall to in front of his waist folded before him. Luckily the woman ran off fast. He looked up to the doctor that made her way back to them.
  
  “Hello Doctor.”
  
  He curtsied quickly before he looked back to the other two. Helena had a smile that didn’t reach her eyes before she tilted her head in the doctor’s direction. Oh he had to do the talking. He should have expected that, after all she brought him here to keep up with the medical training.
  
  “My cousin… Nielos. He has a popil- no.. a deep femoral artery nick. Our healers did the best they could at the time but magic alone will not treat it. Neither would on the road treatment…”
  
  

 

[Taigakitt]

Champion Lodge Server
Involved: Sarahspn Arcanist Jet ​

The woman stood there, smiling, a drink still in hand. That is, until Kadar started slurring and crashed to the floor. Letting go of the drink, it crashed to the floor, alcohol splashing every which was as she gasped. “Oh no!”

She looked back at the bartender, her expression hidden. The bartender could be seen going wide-eyed as they placed a cup they were washing down.

When the still-awake sister turned her anger towards the server, she whipped her face back around, her expression serene despite the chaos. “Wasn’t me!”

She took a quick step back from the sister, rubbing her hands down her exposed ankles, since they had been splashed with liquor. “We need to get them a doctor! Barkeep! You best not move an inch! You know drugging people isn’t patron-friendly!”

While Jane had only half a drink... she'd be going down soon too.

 

[Taigakitt]

Entertainer
Involved: Colorless Spectrum Arcanist Anne Boolean
​

The dancer sighed, the sound coming out almost sad, though they kept an upbeat expression on his face. “Oh, I understand.” Dramatically, he put a hand up to his forehead, “No one wants to spend time with a man like me! They see purple skin and run off! It’s so hard to make any money lately that I resorted to this, and even then…”

Words fell on deaf ears as Jace and Aedzel went up to the stage. The elven man took a seat next to Amalia, watching. Of course, he had cheered loudly and proudly after their performance.

When they returned, it was as if lavender eyes sparkled, “Ooooh! I would just love to learn how you play such beautiful melodies! Is there a way I could do so from you?”

Then, the actor from earlier, Valentine, had approached the group, and he playfully messed with his own pointed, purple ear, “Hey gorgeous. I haven’t had a chance to ask you yet. Fancy any time with me? I can even just keep a person company if that’s all they’d like. I’m running specials today~! Those who perform get a special on the special!”

 

[Sarahspn]

​

Jane’s brow furrowed when she saw the expression of the server. “If it wasn’t you then, who was it?” she asked, looking around again. She spotted Pozou collapsed on the floor, reading for his medical bag. “You’re right. I know a doctor that can help us but she’s at… uh…” Jane had lost her train of thought, stumbling a little. She leaned against the table and shut her eyes.

“I can’t remember. W-What’s happening?” Falling back into her chair, she looked over at Rose. Her heart broke a little seeing her sister helpless like this. Rose was always the strong sister that watched over her and Jane felt as if she failed to protect her. She glanced at the bartender behind the counter and frowned. “You won't… get… away with this,” Jane mumbled, her head falling back as she slipped into unconsciousness. Her hand that was reaching for Rose fell limp and she let the warmth wash over her.

Arcanist Taigakitt Jet

 

[The Regal Rper]

Vaaltari of Jata​

Frustrated Vaal discarded his last attempt as the liquid sizzled and disappeared into the air against the metal of window frame.

At this for minutes upon minutes, and yet not a dent. The wards for this building were like the wards for the churches back home, or the general type they used to fortify their buildings. It was the sort of thing he would never know how to break, not being a part of the builders caste.

I will have to find a different path was the thought. But he had no idea where to begin. Vaaltari knew that this sort of protection was designed to be hard to breech. While his home's wards were designed to defend, these were similar- in theory he believed, and as such, would not be easy to break.

He had to think about what was possible in this moment. Rising, standing up on the wall as if it were regular floor and he wasn't parallel to ground, Vaaltari looked at the church below his feet and focused his darkened five eyes. Searching. Looking.

And that's when he found it.

Just beyond, South, down below. At a distance just over several or more meters away, there was a door. A door connected to a tunnel and a tunnel that connected to within the church. It bypassed several of the hallways beloe the main hall floors from what he could see and led to a private, currently empty entry grounds that connected to a service stage.

Seeing this, the Matugna beamed. He looked for familiar signatures, and upon spotting his group, crouched, charged up, and then launched himself into the air, soaring towards the others.

Mentions: Taigakitt Jet Lost Echo



Interacts: n/a

 

[Jet]

​

Tammond was about to explain the wonders of companionship when another guard appeared, making him suddenly shout "OHHWHATNAHELL??? The hell are even you?" sounding horror-struck when stumbling backwards, promptly tripping and landing square on his backside. He winced and grunted on impact before scooting away, stammering out "Y-You two should b-back away from that... that thing! Now!"

Tammond wondered why everyone was so bloody cool and collected, seeing their strength shamed him. Whatever. He slowly accepted the ghoulish person's unnatural appearance, nervously questioning its mental state instead. He wondered why the guard swapped cadences and made strange voices, leaving a dangerously unstable impression. "W-why are you talking like that?" Tammond weakly managed, watching for something, anything that would reveal information about the strange guard — but there was nothing obvious.

Then he remembered his own dishonesty about a deathly sick person, and feeling more responsible than usual, he stood and hesitantly spoke. "There's no dying person here... that was... that was my lie to get the other guard to come back. I wanted to... to ask him why we're here. My apologies." He sounded unsure, wavering with every word, praying no offense was given. Because angering the insane guard could spell immediate death — an unfortunate ending to weeks of underground imprisonment.

Anne Boolean
Fred Colon
Taigakitt

 

[Taigakitt]

The Dungeon and the Doctor
Involved: Anne Boolean Fred Colon Jet BriiAngelic Lost Echo Mook-LandStrider Arcanist Sarahspn ​

The shadowy figure tapped their fingers together methodically, pinky finger to pointer finger, the smile upon their face seemingly going wider.

“Can’t have you dying of sepsis! No siree! Yes, we can get someone to look at you, maybe heal you, maybe chop your leg off. We do not know! Cash knows, yes. Cash knows indeedy,” they giggled and pushed against the cell door again, whole body, as if they were trying to get through the bars.

The reaction of the long-standing prisoner had them shift their gaze to him, their head tilting and finger tapping their chin, “Now… Mayhaps it’s also best to get you some fresh air, sir. You’re seeing silly things again, aren’tcha!? Calling us a thing. We’re so obviously a person!” The figure puffed their chest out, though that only meant pressing against the bars. With the movement, half their body seemed to phase into the cell, “Talking like what? Like we normally do? Oh right right, you have not met us yet!”

Then, they phased the rest of their body through the bars, in the cell with the others, “We can tell you why you’re here! Safety, yes? It’s dangerous above ground, yes. That church is the most dangerous of all! We are saving you from the religious clutches and bringing you under our wing!”

They draped an arm across Kiel’s shoulders, though Kiel wouldn’t feel the weight at all. “Now, let’s get you off to see Doctor Cash. OR!” They sprang a pointer finger in the air, “We can bring them here!” They went silent for a moment, their head tilting.

~*~​

“It seems your cousin is in luck, then. I am quite capable of taking care of such things. It is why this hospital has been so busy as of late. I cannot ignore a noble plea, so please, lead the way, and I will follow you to your cousin,” Doctor Cash responded to Dorothea as her eyes shifted to the trio in front of her. She held her hand out to the door behind them, “We can discuss payment after I get a looksee.”

~*~​

“Doctor Cash is a busy business right now. That’s okay. We can take you to them! Yes, to them we can go. It seems a cousin is asking of you, after all.”

~*~​

Now that the server felt safe from the clutches of an angry sister, she smiled lightly, “Sorry barkeep!” She crouched down, patting Jane’s head, “We must bring you to safety now. It’s not safe up here. Especially here.” Her face glanced in some direction, as if she was insinuating whatever was in her mind’s eye was the danger. “Barkeep, come grab two, please!”

And thus, Jane and Rose were carried over the shoulders of the server, and Pozou and Kadar were carried over the shoulders of the barkeep.

~*~​

Footsteps and a splash resounded in the tunnel, causing the shadowy figure beside Kiel to perk up. They squealed in delight, “Oh! It seems we have saved more! Yes! Beautiful! We will save everyone yet!” They pulled Kiel closer to their body and moved to the cell door, “Ah. Right. Your body cannot phase. Must open the door.” They rapped a finger against the metal, which caused the cell door to open just enough for them and Kiel to slip through before slamming shut. Even if Tammond or Daisy were to try, they would have been met with some invisible wall against their face, preventing them from advancing.

Once out of the cell, the invisible wall would have disappeared. Down the tunnel approached the server and barkeep with four bodies total over shoulders. Keeping a grip over Kiel, they smiled down. “Ah! Great! Stash them with the sleeping loner. We don’t want them lonely, else they become this old man!”

Thus, the door to Amalgahsett’s was opened and in went the wet Jane, Rose, Kadar, and Pozou. The door would be closed and the barkeep and server would walk away without a word. Everyone’s wrist would be sporting some strange cuff or bracelet, and it does prevent the use of magic, it seemed.

 

[Taigakitt]

Yo, Stone, and Church Dude​

At Leone’s statement about being an upstanding citizen, the Church man sighed softly, “I agree with you! You must be an amazing person… This is why I must be able to get inside and repent!”

At the question of sewers and tunnels, they tapped their finger to their chin, “There is a sewer system! Maybe the church’s catacombs connect with them somehow? Though I fear that the Master Mage didn’t neglect to seal all entrances and exits. It may not hurt to try.”

Stone’s ears swiveled around, “My sense of smell is decent. This village smells similar to others, so I can’t help but also think there is a sewer system. Before we… drudge around in filth… maybe we should check the cemetery first?” His reasoning was that cemetery and catacombs seem to be connected in one form or another, so he’d rather check less disgusting places first.

Just then, Vaaltari dropped in. Yo beamed, “What did you find out? I think we were about to either check the cemetery or… the sewers. Though, I’m a little nervous about sewers after Liam got injured back in Whaleshale."

Mentions: Jet Lost Echo The Regal Rper ​

 

[Anne Boolean]

Kiel Shan​

Kiel shot a glance back at Tammond at his reaction, surprised at the fear he had suddenly shown. He looked back at the jailer in front and had to admit they were certainly creepy but looks could be deceiving, right? Wasn't there a saying about it? 'Don't judge a tome by its binding?' The old man then went on to comment on their way of talking, which, even Kiel had to admit, was indeed strange. But through his travels, he had met plenty of people with odd quirks. It made them unique and memorable. The only difference with this person was it just added on to the eerie air they had about them. His brows furrowed when Tammond backtracked on his plan and even went on to explain his true intentions. Although, when the jailer mentioned chopping his legs off, his eyebrows shot up and he was trying to backpaddle with him.

"N-no! There's no need for that!" the desert man pleaded. "He's telling the truth!" He motioned towards Tammond. "It was all a ruse! I'm not actually injured!"

His eyes widened as the person effortlessly phased through the bars. The pained expression that came on his phase as he tried to scamper back made it evident that even though Tammond's reasoning may have been true, Kiel had been lying about his injury. Although he would have agreed with what their jailer said about the church and maybe reconsidered their alignment, the light blue haired man was too focused on trying to save his leg, even if it was no longer fully functional. "No! You don't need to call Dr. Cash! There's no need to waste their time! I'm perfectly fine!" he continued to plead. He winced as the arm was put around him, though had a hint of confusion in his eyes when he felt no weight on his shoulders.

His state of perpetual fear was lifted for a moment with a curious look in his eyes as he heard more footsteps. Sadly, although it seemed to distract the jailer for a moment, they were still hellbent on taking Kiel to this Dr. Cash individual. "N-no! Please! Let me go!" Kiel said, ineffectively struggling to get free of the jailer. He tried his best to squirm, flail, hit, kick, and even bite the figure holding him. Aside from his injured leg, it seemed for some other reason he was completely powerless against the jailer as they dragged him out of the cell down the hall. "Stop! Please! I'm fine!" he continued to plead until they came across another two people each carrying a body on either of their shoulders. Only when they were placed in the cell among the unconscious person the other jailer had brought a short while before did Kiel recognize them. "Jane! Rose! Pozou!" he called out helplessly as tears welled up in his eyes. "Help! Please! Someone help!"

Interactions: Jet Taigakitt Fred Colon
Mentions: Arcanist Sarahspn

 

[BriiAngelic]

• Sigurd Stellan Rask || Human Schoolmaster Mage

• 
  
  
  
  Tags:
  Hubyr ( Taigakitt )
  

  ~ Church Basement ~
  Snow in Summer || Sigurd's CS File
  
  Hubyr did not know what they were doing. That was fine moving anywhere was still good, every moment they spent away from the group was more lost wages for Henrietta. He followed down as his weapons hit his hips with every step down. He didn’t prefer the things, too clunky, but some situations magic wouldn’t drag him out of. He could hear the screech Skadi let out at his blasphemous thought. Okay some things his magic couldn’t drag him out of. He’d spent too long out of his church and his own magic was weakening.
  
  As they reached the bottom stairs Sigurd looked to the boarded up door. He laid his hand on it as he watched Hubyr start to dismantle it by hand. With a frown he heard Skadi push at his consciousness to destroy it, she was unusually violent today. He did his best as he pushed with his magic separating the door and parting it like waves.
  
  “It was unusually hollow? Perhaps it's just centosian building but that would not stop a baby Drauttir.”
  
  He examined the opening now left in the wood as the egg shaped opening he left in it was smooth and big enough for them to pass through. Without thinking he began speaking in a whisper.
  
  “Skadi could have handled this herself no wonder she was so angry…”
  
  The poor wood would never hold the same carving again. It was sad but they themselves had chosen to destroy their history. He himself never saw the purpose of pretty imagery in the first place even if he did now enjoy its life as a mere observer.
  

 

[Colorless Spectrum]

Aedzel Phriln

Aedzel's heart was still racing after the performance, it never fails to give her a rush no matter what kind of music she performs. Amalia greeted both of them with a compliment the moment they got back. "As proud as I am of being a fantastic musician, I'm afraid it's my only defining talent." She said getting rather sentimental for a split second and a smile was already painted on her lips. "But thank you for the compliment, for the most part, I just followed Jace's singing."

When the purpled-skinned entertainer excitedly showed interest in playing music, Aedzel couldn't help but give a huge grin. "You mean... you want me to play?" She asked failing to realize what the entertainer really meant. "I could sometime if we'll be staying for a while." But she wasn't really sure.

A tap on the shoulder had taken her attention, turning around she found the person she was dancing with earlier. She wasn't able to take note of their appearance earlier but now she can't deny how easy on the eyes they were. "Hello! Peregrine, right? Although I'm sure that isn't really your real name." Her eyes seem to sparkle at the sight of the actor. "Performing in front of a crowd is always a pleasure. I'm glad to hear that you enjoy it."

Just as she was about to introduce herself, the man from earlier interjected with an offer that Aedzel still failed to see through. How rude! She thought to herself as her eyes narrowed slightly at the other man. If she wasn't keeping up an act of being the talented and nice amnesiac friend of Pozou she would have pushed the entertainer to the side and continued on with her conversation with Peregrine without batting an eye.

mention: MythyDW || interaction: Anne Boolean Arcanist Taigakitt

 

[Fred Colon]

Daisy launched herself at the shadowy figure, but was met with a wall of invisible force. Daisy smashed her head into it and was sent reeling back, snarling.

"Get your hands off of him!" She wasn't expecting this to go well, but this was even worse than she'd expected. An invisible wall of force? That was just frustrating. She couldn't even be given the chance to fail on her own. "Save your bullshit talk of 'saving us' for someone whose been concussed. Maybe then they'll believe you. Or at least stop pretending to care about his leg, because you sound like a buffoon. I'm a student of anatomy, if not a doctor, and his leg isn't in any immediate danger. The charade is tiresome." Or mayhaps the creature was insane enough to believe what it was saying, Daisy didn't know. That could certainly be the case.

When the shadowy figure left, Daisy checked, with her sense of the earth, to see if he was really gone. If he was, she would tie a rock to the end of her long rope. Perhaps the weight could be used to latch onto something. Probably not the shadowy figure, who seemed capable of phasing, but perhaps someone else. She'd felt others on the stone. She wish she hadn't shown any aggression. Now they might be careful interacting with her, she wouldn't be able to play sick and have someone try to move her to another cell. But what else could she have done? They took Kiel. She wasn't going to preside over any funerals, even in absence of a body.
Anne Boolean Jet Taigakitt

 

[Jet]

​

Kadar lay unconscious on someone's shoulder, grunting when loud voices disturbed his sleep. They sounded close but smothered nonetheless, and he wondered what was said, who was speaking and why they were so animated. But mindless questions were all he could manage. A state that only changed when hearing "Help! Please! Someone help!"

He vaguely understood that danger was present, and self-preservation instincts forced his eyes open. For a confused moment they rolled around, then sharply narrowed when he pieced together what was happening — just in time to be tossed in a cell. "Fucking cowards... drugged me" He groaned, stopping when his stomach nauseously knotted and contracted, pushing contents the wrong way. And holding back vomit he scampered across the room, before retching down the cell's latrine.

Then he panted and precariously stood like a newborn deer, breathing deep before stumbling to the door and shouting down the tunnel. "Come back! Come back you piece of shit! You know who I am? You know who I am you piece of shit?" He ranted while aggressively banging steel bars, continuing his tantrum a moment later. "When my people find out you did this, they'll sell you to the Calaban Company! You slaving fuck!" But the guards were gone, along with the screaming prisoner.

Kadar guessed the screamer would see brothel work — but there were worse fates, ones the smuggler would face unless escape happened. But the bracelet around his wrist casted doubt. It was a dangerous piece of enchanted gear, designed to stop magic use with agonizing shocks. And he knew the device well, having used them on prisoners years ago. "Don't cast spells, those bracelets will shock you into next week" He warned, looking over the others. They were in various states of disarray, having experienced the same severe poisoning. The only exception was another Quetzola who sported physical wounds instead.

"More Quetzola eh?" He murmered, holding back because they needed to work together. Even he understood as much and said "I know you people don't like me and I don't like you, but we scratch each other's backs for now no? Then we go separate ways and never meet again... good?" He would honestly help them unless his capture was a mistake, and based on his cellmates that was possible. They were more valuable slaves than him, meaning he was probably abducted because of proximity. Merely a case of wrong place wrong time. That meant he could negotiate a price, then purchase himself and leave the rest behind.

Some companies were harder though, where prisoners stayed prisoners no matter what was said. He would need help escaping in that case, and the others would need his assistance too. But no matter what happened, he would leave a free man then destroy the slaving company, and with him there would be no negotiating.

Sarahspn
Arcanist
Mook-LandStrider
Taigakitt
Fred Colon (neighboring cell)

 

[Mook-LandStrider]

Amalgahsett
Mentions
Sarahspn
Arcanist
Taigakitt
Jet

Having been awake for a good bit of time Amal kept herself mostly unmoving on the floor of the cage. Using her wings as natural cover she kept them draped over a good portion of her body almost like a person would use a blanket for warmth. Underneath the cover though her hands were moving and acting with a large amount of purpose. Cooing out a light hymn the lock on her box slipped open causing a wave of cold to emenate out as the void that filled its insides was exposed once more to the open air. Moving her arms under her wings she relished in the fact that the others in the cages around her were keeping whatever was talking busy.

In an almost cartoon fashion her form shifted as she plunged her hand into the freezing void that was the object attatched to her side. Reaching deep inside she reached around before grabbing ahold of something icy to the touch. Pulling it out slowly she set it on the ground before reaching inside one more time to take out a small bag of thieves tools. Leaving them on the ground she began to shift her weight, bringing the long tool's blades close to slide painfully between her skin and the metal of the bracelets.

Rolling over with minimal noise it looked like she was just starting to come to as she placed her rather meager weight on the arms of the took to make leverage. Shifting her weight once, twice and a third time a small bit of the metal got chewed through by the cutting tool before the sound of the gate opening stopped her dead. Thinking she was caught she froze up dead but didn't move. Luckily for her though, the influx of people made her job alittle easier as there was now more cover than before and them bumping into her caused her to slip and crush down on the handles. The tool slipped, sliced through more of the braclet but in doing so also cut her making her wince and let out a gasp of pain.

"Idiots!" Amal suddenly spoke up to those that were pushed in. "You made me cut myself... now I am bleeding on the bracelet and there will be more chance for slippage. Make your bumbling selves useful and help me with this and I can probably get us out of here. Unlike you they seemed to leave me with my belongings." The Neberu hissed, her normally song like voice distorted through gritted serrated teeth. "You, man who looks like thief, take these and screw with the door." She continued on before using her foot to keep the small bag of tools towards him. "Unless your bulk can cut through the rest of this bracelet. That would be very appreciated...." She trailed off, waiting until they were unseen before revealing what she was working on.​

 

[Arcanist]

Valentine
Mentions: Anne Boolean (Amalia), MythyDW (Jace) | Interactions: Colorless Spectrum (Aedzel), Taigakitt (Entertainer)​

View attachment 804850

Valentine laughed at Aedzel’s comment, shaking their head. “No, no, it isn’t. But the whole troupe called me Peregrine instead of Valentine for a week instead. We tend to do that with the characters we’re playing,” they smiled. It was a nice tradition on the run-up to a play. It kept your mind on your character, on the performance ahead. It also made for interesting improv scenarios.

They were glad to see the sparkle in Aedzel’s blue eyes. Most cringed at the sight of actors. Aedzel seemed to be a different case, on that Valentine had appreciated. They would have been happy to continue the conversation with her, if not for the interruption by the...entertainer beside them, who had targeted them next.

It seemed that hoping they wouldn’t notice or maybe even ignore them wasn’t going to happen here. In all honesty, he terrified Valentine. Not because of their skin or their attitude, but because of...well...their services, they supposed.

But they didn’t want to act all scared and timid in front of Aedzel, Jace, or Amalia. What kind of an actor got scared by another entertainer? They were entertainers in the same vein after all. Just...some slightly different job responsibilities.

Valentine turned to the Entertainer, managing a smile, swallowing back the fear crawling up their throat. “Oh, I, uh, didn’t realise,” they started, hoping their confidence would grow from there. “That’s a nice deal, I suppose. Though, I hadn’t expected to really leave my troupe after the performance...” Not the entire truth, since their parents had practically pushed them off to go speak to Aedzel, but...he didn’t need to know that.

 

[Jet]

​

Tammond stepped back when the guard approached, adrenaline pumping through his body. He was desperately scared of getting dragged somewhere horrible, but chance smiled when the younger man was taken instead. Tammond was partially relieved knowing he would last another day, but his own weakness and self centeredness disgusted him, casting a shadow over his soul.

Daisy was so much stronger she shamed him even more, but he wasn't going to match her heroism. Not even close. He knew resistance was pointless, and sadIy watched when Kiel was hauled away. "I'm sorry about your friend" he managed to say, wincing when terrified screams echoed down the hallway, before scowling when another prisoner screamed bloody murder.

Tammond hated hearing tough talk from prisoners. It was pointless and annoying — so he approached the metal door shouting "Will you shut it? The less we see that guard the better.... oh and they don't give a shit about who you are, I already tried that angle kid. So save your breath and shut the hell up." He couldn't see who was in the neighboring cell, but imagined a short balding creep was behind the enraged ranting — the type with a complex.

Kadar wasted no time aggressively answering "Tough talk for someone protected by prison bars eh?" making Tammond laugh and counter "I could say the same to you" sounding more exhausted than annoyed.

Then he looked back to Daisy saying "We need to get the hell out of here, sooner the better... You know there's one thing we started way back, before they took everyone else, check this out!" He pointed down and kneeled, removing a rounded "cover" from the ground. It was made from compacted soil, and concealed a tunnel going down four feet, before curving towards the door. But the tunnel was far from completed.

Tammond explained as much when sighing out "We weren't even close to making it under, not even a little... It was a fucking pipe dream to be honest. But I'm not going to sit here waiting to die anymore. We need a few more feet and then an exit hole... not easy but maybe we can do it?"

He paused a moment when replacing the cover, then stood and spoke down the hallway again, addressing the other group. "We're gonna work on a way out of here, you do the same. Whoever gets out first gets help, savvy?"

Fred Colon Arcanist Sarahspn Mook-LandStrider

 

[Arcanist]

Pozou Artith
Mentions: Sarahspn (Jane/Rose), Taigakitt (???) | Interactions: Anne Boolean (Kiel), Mook-LandStrider (Amal), Jet (Kadar)​

Pozou, from when he had passed out, only heard snippets of voices. The waitress talking to the bartender, Rose’s insistent voice...even though he had passed out, he somehow knew he was being moved, but his limbs were heavy as lead, flopping around like some rag doll no doubt as he was hauled somewhere. He didn’t dream, he hardly thought. Darkness swirled in front of him, and even as his mind had told him to open his eyes, to see, to find out what the hell had been put in his system.

He couldn’t.

Pozou managed to regain some consciousness upon hearing another voice screech with delight. The air smelled thicker, damp, with some even more questionable smells invading his senses. When he opened an eye, and peered lazily around him, it took some time to adjust, for it seemed just as dark as during his black-out.

Pozou shouted as he fell, landing on his back, bringing up the dust of Quetzocoatl knew what around him. A pain shot through his back and wings, and he groaned, rolling onto his front. He must have been thrown down to the ground with Kadar, Rose, and Jane too. He heard a metal door shut and lock, and the only conclusion his mind could come to was that they were in a prison cell.

And yet, that wasn’t even the height of his concern. He could hear someone crying for him, the sound of a body being dragged along the ground and away. And it was getting fainter.

“Kiel...?” Pozou asked faintly, blinking, still coming out of his drugged state. He barely made it to his feet, stumbling into the cell door and banging his cheek against it in a bid to see out of it. A cold pain shot up his cheek, perhaps even leave a red mark, but he hadn’t cared as he tried to shout, “Kiel?! Kiel! I-I’ll come find you!” His voice was weak, hoarse, and he was confused, bamboozled as to why they were all here. And Kiel...just what were they going to do with him?! He had heard Daisy’s snarling too, and had remembered the two of them went shopping together.

How innocent that seemed so little time ago...

Pozou groaned, his hand moving to his forehead - though he wasn’t sure if his cheek or head hurt more - with Kadar’s shouting at the others. Eventually, he calmed, warning them about their bracelets, which Pozou only came to notice on his person. He sighed, rubbing his head together. What is going on?

Pozou, when he regained most of his focus, glanced to Kadar when he made his offer, and grumbled something of a, “Fine.” He was much too concerned about them all, about Kiel, than his trouble with Kadar. He hoped he would keep his end of the bargain.

It was only then that she noticed the other Quetzola. It shouldn’t have been a surprise, they were common, though, maybe not in this neck of the woods like Kadar had mentioned to him previously. Rather than a warm welcome, Amal shouted at them, insulted them apparently for making them cut herself. Pozou’s brow furrowed, and his lips twisted.

“How did we make you cut yourself? We were drugged and just landed here and...!” Pozou sighed, rubbing at his eyes. He didn’t argue with people, it wasn’t like him. The foul mood always made him more argumentative. He just took a deep breath, and walked over to Amal, squatting beside her. “Alright, let me give you a hand then.”

 

[Sarahspn]

​

Rose groaned, raising a hand to her head. She felt an unfamiliar weight on her wrist and slowly opened her eyes. Wincing at a small headache she had, she looked around the dark room. Studying the cuff that was snug on her wrist, she frowned. She quickly looked at Jane and saw she was still asleep with a similar colored bracelet on her wrist. Recounting the hazy events, she remembered Kadar collapsing in front of her and sharing one last look at her sister. She watched as Pozou yelled, trying to get through the metal bars, and Kadar shouting to the dark stone walls. Another man's shout came from a distance, most likely a nearby cell. She then touched the other Quetzola in the cell with them, barking at the men. She was trying to get the bracelet off her wrist but the loud shouting had made her hand slip. Loud men will never learn that shouting does them no good. She let out a huff and stood up, dusting the dirt off her legs. She shot Kadar a cold look and walked to the bars. Looking around she saw the stairs leading up at the end of the hall. Glancing the other way, she saw a dozen cells along the wall. “Pozou, are you okay?” She asked, watching the doctor help their cellmate.

By this time, Jane had begun waking up. Opening her eyes, she let out a groan and sat up. “What happened?” She asked, looking to Rose once her eyes adjusted to the low light. Rose breathed a sigh of relief and walked over to her sister. “Not sure, but we were taken prisoner and now we must escape.” Rose said, fixing Jane's hair. Jane nodded, standing up. “Hmm... Metal bars... Stone walls… and five people.” Jane said, accessing the situation and trying to form an escape plan. Being pirates, the sisters have been in a dozen cells and cages. Escaping had become easy to the pair. “What are you thinking?” Rose asked, leaning against the wall. “It’s a standard town dungeon and will be more difficult to escape but the ground isn’t impenetrable. We have a large group so if we dig a hole big enough to slip under the bars, we can escape even if we face a battle.” Jane said, smiling.

Rose nodded, smiling. “Quetzola over there is attempting to take off her bracelet, if she can get it off, then we all can. Or we can have one of the thieves in the group help us once we escape.” The redhead said, looking at her wrist. Jane smiled at Rose and they shared a nod. They searched their pockets and the brunette pulled out a knife she kept hidden in her top. Walking over to the bars she began digging, hoping her plan works.

Arcanist Jet Mook-LandStrider

 

[Sarahspn]

Gwendolyn smiled as Ayana voiced her theories of The Stone, using her newly bought statue to explain. The elf was right for the most part, showing she was quite the smart one. A raspy voice caught her attention and she turned to see a rather old man speaking to one of their members. She didn’t need a guide but wanted to hear how the locals described their beloved landmark. The guide revealed his name as Calicus and that he was a seasoned local of this town. She made a note to remind herself to ask him about the town, especially the church. She looked back at the towering building close behind them. Her brows furrowed, hoping Leóne was safe or having fun at least.

Turning back to the stone, she saw that the group had started following the guide. Standing up quickly, she followed everyone. They had walked through the streets and came upon a large field with an engraved sign. She listened as Calisus spoke of the history of the earth they stood on. The group gathered around the sign, reading the story of Thuum and Rashem. It was one of her favorite legends because it had brought stars to the night sky. “So Calicus, how much power do you think The Stone contains?” She asked, raising her voice a little so he could hear her.

Ayana stopped fawning over maple trees and swaying grasses, blooming flowers, and the worn wooden plaque. Her focus went to Calicus instead, before she loudly exclaimed "The stone contains magic!?" Her energetic eyes gleamed, containing curious excitement.

The ancient mage paused his scrambling search, hummed a moment and answered both women, sounding calmly measured. "Indeed there's power inside the stone, and rumors of magic events happening around it. There's one about a boy, who spent so much time around the stone he vanished! But for an exact amount of power... hmmm? Hard to say!"

He paused and changed tones, delivering another dramatic rhyme "A scientist once sought the answers you seek, and using magic tools he took a long peek!"

Then he returned to semi-seriousness, wondrously explaining more. "The stone possesses a magic crystal core that could power a thousand strong spells. There's so much contained energy, heat is generated! During winter the stone is still warm to the touch!"

Lorrin wasn't really interested in the stone until it was explained to the magic crystal inside of it. If such a fact is true then that would explain why this town holds it to such importance. A gem this size could easily power a couple hundred spells, maybe even have them last for days, maybe even years at a time. “So much power just sitting there why?” he whispered to himself.

Gwens ears perked and a smile came to her face. “Oh, really? Was the scientist successful in his attempt to siphon the power?” she asked, glancing at the guide with gleaming eyes. If she could figure out a way to extract some of that power for herself, she would be one step closer to her wish.

Calicus shook his head, answering "He wasn't interested in magical power, but the council would never allow that! Anyone caught defacing the stone, best have the greatest lawyer in the land!" He laughed once but was serious about punishments — mining the stone meant imprisonment or death, depending on how generous Magistrate Dredgen was.

Ayana nodded then added even more questions, curiously digging for information. "Have robbers been caught taking energy from the stone? Do they come here often? What happens to them?"

Calicus almost laughed and humbly bragged "Every few years a hooligan comes along, thinking they'll be the one to crack our crown jewel! But we have strong wards and loyal guards here! The fools they've captured end up in the dungeons… or dead!"

Gwen frowned, her forming plan to extract the stone's power had fallen apart. She couldn’t risk being caught, let alone thrown into the dungeons. How would she explain that to the group, especially Leóne? She let out a sigh and crossed her arms, looking around the field they stood in. “Is the church part of the tour?” she asked, taking a quick glance at Calicus. If she couldn’t get power from the stone, maybe she could get knowledge from a few books inside the church. She had always wished to read inside the private library of an Inquisition church. It seemed their warrants hadn’t reached this town yet so there was a possibility she could enter the church with ease.

Calicus nodded and answered "Yes indeed there's a stop at the church! You're very inquisitive, maybe a career as an Inquisitor is in the books for you young lady!" He sounded impressed with her curiosity, and his wordplay before adding "There's a man to meet there, another mage who's been around even longer than me… a true expert! He also has an artifact, connecting to the story of the stone."

“Oh.. yes, an Inquisitor. That would be lovely.” Gwen said, hiding her grimace with a small smile. If only the man knew Inquisition mages were her biggest enemy as a graduate of the College of Arcane Arts. “I would like to meet him. Maybe borrow a few books.” she said, her lips forming into a tight line as she thought of what books she would choose.

Ayana was done asking questions, running her hand over a maple tree instead, but her interest piqued again when the guide casually mentioned "He's an expert on forest elves too, spent many years on the Eloeyn Islands."

She was surprised and somewhat suspicious, not many humans had been around elves, explaining her dubious tone when answering "A rare honor! Your kind never passes beyond our trade posts. He must've spent weeks convincing the council not to kick him out!"

Calicus somehow missed her snark, neutrally saying "I suppose you're right. He'll have much to say about your homeland, and his artifact is quite interesting indeed! I'm sure you'll both agree." Then he looked down and searched his pockets again, digging through random clutter for his key.

“Well it seems like everyone has some curiosity about this man, how do we meet him?” Lorrin mentions inserting himself into the conversation. He looked over the stone with curiosity perhaps it was from him being born on the Luner island that plush him to learn more about this magic rock despite not having the talent for magic. Maybe it's in his blood in some form or another.

Collab with Jet Pik
In scene with Lost Echo Taigakitt Anne Boolean

 

[Mook-LandStrider]

Amal
Interactions:
Sarahspn Arcanist Jet Taigakitt Fred Colon

Gritting her teeth a light grinding noise could be heard as she looked to see the other Quetzola coming to assist. "Yes, put weight here." She pointed out. Once that was done she shifted her own weight as the noise of grinding metal could be heard before a snap. The metal suddenly giving out made her slip off the handle but immediately she felt her body relax "Oh, I am so looking forward to this." She mumbled quietly to herself before looking to the other Quetzola. "You will want to hold still." Amal spoke up as she turned to open the set of tools she had placed. Taking out a small blade she raised it to her face before a long tongue came out to lick the length of it. "Best to lubricate what will be making contact. Do be mindful not to move as it is likely to go through your arm like a hot knife through butter." The Neberu spoke before turning back to Pozou.

Taking a step towards him she kneeled down and tilted her head as she tapped the blade several times. The last time there was a resonating ringing before she let out what sounded closest to a musical note causing it to vibrate intensely. "As I said, please be still..." She reminded him before coming closer and dragging the vibrating blade across the top of the bracelet. The noise of metal on metal contact could be heard as well as a brief flash of sparks as the vibrating object cut through the metal. The process wasn't instant and the heat was likely to atleast give Pozou a minor burn but the bracelet fell off. "If anyone else uses magic in this cell I ask you to step forward once I get a gauge on what is holding us. I may not be the strongest person in the world when it comes to my physical frame." She spoke up before dropping the blade and letting out what best equated to a screech. The noise would echo around the room, bouncing off the walls and helping her home in one what may be the best approach. "But if there is one thing I understand, it is how to break things."

Walking up to the wall nearest the exit she place her whole body up against it, pushing herself into it before slamming her fist into it. She felt out how the impact sounded before stepping back and putting her palm onto it. A sharp noise rose up as she pulsed the wall with vibrations before pushing herself against it once more. "This whole place is preeeeettttyyy sturdy but I have gotten through thicker material." She continued to say. Running a finger across the bleeding wound where her bracelet once was she used the blood to begin to trace a design on the wall, pulsing it briefly before returning to what she was drawing.

When she was done it looked like a hexagon pattern and while she could just barrel through the wall she was worried about compromising the rest of the area around them and perferred a more detailed and specific approach rather than brute force. Vibrating a stone structure was dangerous enough on its own, but forcing a rigid stone structure to move without containing it would be asking for trouble. She knew she couldn't bring the whole place down on them but it could still go badly.

Humming the vibration started in her jaw before traveling down her arm and directly into one the points on the hexagon, causing it to fracture but not yet fail. She continued doing this to the other points on the diagram before turning to the others in the cell "Im not strong enough to hit the wall so one of you need to either run into it or hit it in the center and that should cause the rest of it to slip and fall out... either into the cell or out into the hallway."​

 

[Taigakitt]

In the Dungeon
Collab with: Anne Boolean
Theatre Involved: Arcanist Colorless Spectrum MythyDW
Dungeon Involved: Jet Mook-LandStrider Sarahspn Fred Colon
​

As they walked down a tunnel, in the opposite direction of where the splash had occurred, the dark figure patted the top of Kiel’s head, “Shh. It’s okay baby. You’ll be safe soon. Shh…” The tone of their voice could probably be described as giddy.

The rocky walls soon turned into proper brick in places, though the flooring stayed the same. Empty, rectangular indents could be seen in some walls, stacked three at a time, in an orderly fashion. As they walked further along, more indents were properly filled, with what could best be described as coffins. Well, that’s because they were. Some indents were filled with a skeleton laid to rest. The air was also slowly getting colder, as evident by frozen water droplets forming the further in they went.

“See? These church crazies! Treating bodies in such a way! Buried in a tunnel, never to see the sun ever again! It’s sad. We swear, any bodies we create would never be treated so harshly like we were. No no. The bodies we create will be treated much better than we were, yes. They must!”

Eventually, they opened into a large room that was entered from the left. If they had kept straight, there would have been another cavern room, a strange light spilling from up ahead that alternated how bright the flow was, almost like a lantern, though the color was definitely not of fire.

In the cavern, it was pretty dark. A scuttling could be heard nearby followed by squeaks, then a rather loud hiss.

“Shh, shh! This one is yours, yes! All yours! We know you lost your other to our great purpose. We got you a new one!”

Something then lunged at Kiel’s face, it’s legs brushing the skin. He might feel what seemed like a tongue brushing across his skin, as if he was being inspected before the strange creature squealed in what seemed like delight and popped into Kiel’s mouth and down his throat.

Kiel moved his hand up to his face and flexed his fingers before smiling at the figure that brought him here, suddenly able to see in the dark.

The dark figure nodded, “Feel any better? The leg should be walkable right now.”

The light blue haired man, who had previously started sobbing at the sight of the coffins and talk of bodies and had struggled when the strange creature latched onto his face, was now perfectly calm and content.

“Indeed I do,” he responded with a smile. To test what the jailer had said, he walked back and forth in the cavern, now no longer hindered by the darkness that surrounded them. “Ah, yes, perfect. Good as new!” he commented, giving the previously-injured leg an extra shake for good measure.
“I’m sure the others will be eager to see me back so hale and hearty!” he said, the smile ever present on his face. “I can’t wait to show them what a great job Dr. Cash did. Surely it’ll convince them to stay calm and no longer escape.” With that, he took the path back down through the tunnels which they came, soon arriving once more at the cell he was previously imprisoned in.

~*~​

“Hello, friends!” he greeted through the bars. “I just wanted to return to let you know I’m perfectly well. As you can see, Dr. Cash did an amazing job on my leg!” He walked back and forth in front of the cell in order to demonstrate. “I can wholeheartedly tell you that all these people want to do is keep us safe! So please don’t struggle and just stay patient for me, okay?

“Now, I’m going to gather the rest of our friends here as well,” he explained, “so when the others wake in the cell nearby, do tell them what’s happening for me.” With that, he gave a bow to the group before once again starting down the hallway.

This time, Kiel followed a new path, which eventually led him to some catacombs. After opening and passing through a certain door, he once again found himself in the open air, surrounded by the graves of the cemetery. “Ah, the theater, you say? Alright, I’ll be there momentarily.”

It wasn’t too long of a walk from the cemetery to the theatre, and soon the light blue haired man arrived at his destination. His eyes fell on a purple skinned man standing alongside a few familiar faces.

“Hello, friends!” he greeted, approaching the groups. “How was the show? I hope you enjoyed it!” He turned to the two new faces in the group. “Oh? And who are these two?” Amalia, somewhat surprised to see her companion make an appearance, wanted to introduce them, but she hadn’t caught the name of the entertainer or the… well, ‘entertainer’. Instead, she stayed quiet and let the others introduce themselves.

The entertainer turned their bright gaze to the desert-dweller, “Oh! My name’s Amethyst!”

~*~​

Not long after Kiel had walked out of sight was when the bracelet commotion occurred. Of course, the dark figure wasn’t far behind from Kiel before appearing. They crossed their arms and tutted, though their facial expression didn’t appear disappointed. They tapped their fingers against the metal bars of the caging that Amalgahsett, Pozou, Jane, Rose, and Kadar were in.

“We don’t understand. You are trying to break these walls without knowing the disastrous aftermath that you cause! The church is above us. Innocents line the streets. You want to kill innocents? You’re no better than a rifter and the church thugs.” They placed their hand against the metal and phased through, joining them in the cell. “I think it’s time to silence this loud one. This one doesn’t deserve the kindness we show Kiel.” They spread their arms out, their left hand appearing dark cards, that same bright smile never leaving their darkened face.

 

[Taigakitt]

Hubyr​

As wood splintered and the door busted open, Hubyr let out a loud “Whoop!” An echo resounded back, insinuating that the room that opened up to them was larger than it appeared. Up ahead, there was a hole in the bricking, large enough to fit a body though, but too dark to see where it led. If a person felt around in the hole before jumping, they’d be able to tell that the ground didn’t line up, and that it definitely led somewhere with a drop. Water could be heard trickling through the room. On either side, there were properly carved tunnels, leading to catacombs of the important people having been buried. The left would lead toward the end that could open up into the cemetery.

Stepping within, Hubyr looked back up the staircase they came from, rubbing his chin, “I am not fond of the underground, but I am also not fond of being stuck within dead-wood built buildings. Let us see if we cannot find our way out of here. Can you tell where an exit may - eh!?”

Just as he was looking at his companion, he felt a tumultuous shake, followed by the hole ahead opening up, stone falling and sounding like the splashed into a body of water. Cracks ran along their feet, cracks becoming more precarious to stand over.

The forest elf looked around quickly, trying to determine what would be most stable, but alas, he could not tell. Another shift in the earth and the ground opened wide for the two muscular males. Reacting swiftly, Hubyr grasped onto broken ground, trying to keep from falling further in.

“Hnngh!” Glancing down, he was only just able to make out the shapes below. From what he could determine, there was definitely some body of water down below, but he could not tell how deep, nor how large it was.

The stone cracked again and he shifted his gaze at Sigurd, looking for his escapee compatriot. With a grunt, he did his best to try and pull himself up, his muscles along his arms and back tensing gorgeously as he did so. “Sigurd? Nngh… You okay!?” Concern reached his sharp features. Hopefully he wasn't talking to air and that one of the splashes he heard wasn't a body splashing water.

Mentions: BriiAngelic ​

 

[Jet]

Collabed with Taigakitt

​

Calicus confidently answered "Fear not young man, I know everyone in town, including the Inquisitors. They'll let us in without too much trouble I'm sure!" Then he crouched down and opened the creaky wooden door, revealing an ancient stone staircase. It was eroded but stood strong nonetheless, and along the sides ran taught ropes for handrails, connected to wooden posts. The nearest one even had an attached sign reading

Bones and Stones Tour Company
NO TRESPASSING​

Calicus gestured down saying "Come come, I have much to show you" and snapped, summoning a lumen spell. Then he pushed his glowing orb underground and promised "Its safe I assure you" before entering the depths. He used both ropes for balance and measured every movement, making sure he wouldn't tumble down the damp stone steps.

Soon the staircase gave way to level ground, and for a couple minutes the group continued until reaching a large rectangular room. The place was ancient, made from weary blocks of carved stone, and running along the walls were everburn torches. They revealed a huge stone podium covered with ornate carvings, holding a massive steel bone measuring ten meters.

Calicus approached the ceremonial stand exclaiming "Behold! The leg bone of a giant, preserved by first age tribes. They covered it in a thin layer of amber, stopping the corruption of time! We don't know why their bones were…." But he suddenly stopped when rumbling reverberated from below.

He considered evacuating the tunnels, but a booming crack echoed through the room before he could issue a warning. He only managed a nervous "Oh dear" before the ground disintegrated into disconnected rubble, casting him down into darkness along with three other unsuspecting people.

Ayana, Freya and Obsidian were the lucky ones, standing where the ground remained stable. But everyone else dropped through empty space instead, crashing into an underground lake. The water around them was almost freezing and smelled of sodium, made mineral-rich by underground deposits. It was far from comfortable, but they were conscious and heard concerned shouting from above. "Where are you" and "Are you okay?" they went, reassuring the soaked adventurers.

Calicus however, was far from reassured and further from okay, struggling ashore with a seeping head wound. He was confused and concussed too, mumbling out "what's going on here…. who are you people" before collapsing. Some creature on the far end of the saline lake sounded spooked and climbed out the water too, but couldn't be spotted. Meanwhile, more huge stones descended from above, and across town there were several collapses that destroyed buildings. Each one shared the same cause — a small disturbance in the dungeons, destabilizing the entire substructure running below town.

The Entertainment District, the Shopping District, all the way to the Reach, cracks were forming along the ground, disrupting the beautiful paving. Manhole covers shifted, some falling in as the crack formed a larger hole than could fit them. The Church may have been the most disrupted, some parts sinking in, almost like a sinkhole, causing buildings in the surrounding area to weaken. Curiously, the cells and hospital were currently unharmed by the earthshock.

Back in the caves stood the three lucky adventurers, counting their blessings. They stood on stone blocks that were literally rooted to the ground, held up by deep reaching trees. Ayana thanked the ancient plants and shivered where she stood, peering down over the edge. Her tearing eyes darted over the pure darkness she found there, and her heart raced when she nervously screamed "LORRIIIIIIN, GWEEEEEN, CALICUUUUS, CELESTIIIINE! ARE YOU OKAAAY?"

Her ragged breath echoed through the room when she kneeled down, mumbling "Please be okay, please" sounding pained and worried, hands clenching because she'd never seen death. Her rare losses were when elders passed away naturally, but those elves were ready for another journey. Losing young people was another matter entirely — one that made her tense and worried sick.

Then, quiet as a mouse she asked the others "They have to be? They have to be okay right?"

Sarahspn
Pik
Taigakitt
Lost Echo
Anne Boolean

 

[Taigakitt]

Freya Hamrammr​

Freya stayed near the back during their tour, keeping a keen eye on Celestine, though she did listen to the guide as they went. There were plenty of stories she’d heard. After all, stories were something the Hamrammr’s loved.

Looking at the hatch that was opened to head down, she tapped her finger to her cheek. Going underneath ground was interesting, but there was probably a good reason for it. The “No Trespassing” sign hadn’t been a deterrent for the northern woman before, but there was almost always a reason for such signs.

Following everyone down, she looked at the structure over them, wondering how old the cavern was, and how stable. Being underground wasn’t something even she was used to. North was home to more mountains than underground routes.

When the ground cracked and opened up, the large woman took a stance to stabilize herself. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to react in time to catch anyone in the fall. The sound of splashing took her over to the edge, looking over as she was one of the people that shouted, asking if everyone was okay.

Ayana’s fear brought Freya over to her side as she draped an arm carefully over the little elvish woman, “If we don’t hear them call back, I’ll jump down there myself. Promise.”

Mentions: Jet Sarahspn Anne Boolean Pik Lost Echo ​