Roshek - The Great Census of 1305

[Chasmfiend#1]

24 minutes ago, Vargo Seldon said:

Algorath started down the tunnel, shoulders squared to face this thing.  Suddenly the shadows around him lengthened.  Algorath cried out in alarm, but they were surrounded by a solid, writhing wall of darkness.  He slashed his claws through it, but they just sank in.  When he pulled them out, the wall reformed behind him.  He looked around, and the wall began to slowly encroach.  

@Steel Inquisitive @Sorana @Invocation @Turtle373 @kenod @ZincAboutIt @Chasmfiend#1

Mutig spun and leapt towards Algorath, snapping and slashing at the inky shadows. He found himself, side by side to Algorath.

 "Welp, looks like the plans screwed!" He growled, snapping at the wall of darkness. His mouth caught nothing, but suddenly he felt it rap around his throat, cutting off his intake of air, he threw himself up, but it disappeared, letting him throw himself off balance.

@Sorana @Vargo Seldon @Turtle373 @Steel Inquisitive @ZincAboutIt @kenod @Invocation

[+Sorana she/her]

Quote

It's not the wisest thing to leave your healers alone in a dangerous quarter without any protection 

The little man coughed, swallowed the water, then after a few more sips he took the cup in his own hands, emptying maybe half of the cup, the he splashed the rest on his body.

"Thank you."

He nodded at Lilia.

"Do you know where the closest river is?"

Amara looked over her shoulder, to find the others gone.

"Lilia."

She whispered.

"What do we do now?"

@kenod

[kenod]

5 hours ago, Sorana said:

The little man coughed, swallowed the water, then after a few more sips he took the cup in his own hands, emptying maybe half of the cup, the he splashed the rest on his body.

"Thank you."

He nodded at Lilia.

"Do you know where the closest river is?"

Amara looked over her shoulder, to find the others gone.

"Lilia."

She whispered.

"What do we do now?"

@kenod

"Not sure," she told the spirit. "Maybe you can find one if you leave the Fens?"

She looked at Amara, then realized that the two of them were underground in a dangerous area. "I guess we should try to get back to the others?" She asked, tilting her head a bit.
Shrugging, she unfolded her vines, making sure they were ready if she needed them.

[+Sorana she/her]

1 hour ago, kenod said:

"Not sure," she told the spirit. "Maybe you can find one if you leave the Fens?"

She looked at Amara, then realized that the two of them were underground in a dangerous area. "I guess we should try to get back to the others?" She asked, tilting her head a bit.
Shrugging, she unfolded her vines, making sure they were ready if she needed them.

The spirit got to his, swayed a bit, and then regained its balance.

"Thank you. I think I will find a way out."

Amara watched it fly away and got to her feet, lifted her pinnate again.

"We should. So maybe that way? Did you see where they went?"

[kenod]

2 hours ago, Sorana said:

The spirit got to his, swayed a bit, and then regained its balance.

"Thank you. I think I will find a way out."

Amara watched it fly away and got to her feet, lifted her pinnate again.

"We should. So maybe that way? Did you see where they went?"

Lilia shook her head. "I didn't. I guess we'll either just have to wander around till we find them or just give up and leave." She tapped her chin. "The previous time we found each other by tracking the other group's smell. I can probably enhance your sense of smell, if you want to." She shook her head again. "No, that wouldn't work, you wouldn't have enough practice with it, and the same goes for me as well." She smiled. "Well, I guess we'll just have to wander around until we find them in that case,"  she said happily.

[+Sorana she/her]

1 hour ago, kenod said:

Lilia shook her head. "I didn't. I guess we'll either just have to wander around till we find them or just give up and leave." She tapped her chin. "The previous time we found each other by tracking the other group's smell. I can probably enhance your sense of smell, if you want to." She shook her head again. "No, that wouldn't work, you wouldn't have enough practice with it, and the same goes for me as well." She smiled. "Well, I guess we'll just have to wander around until we find them in that case,"  she said happily.

Amara nodded.

"Let's throw a coin for the direction?"

She asked and pulled one out of her pocket.

[kenod]

3 hours ago, Sorana said:

Amara nodded.

"Let's throw a coin for the direction?"

She asked and pulled one out of her pocket.

Lilia nodded. "Heads for left and tails for right?" She asked.

[Vargo Seldon he/him]

Algorath watched the exchange curiously.  He had a vague sense of being attacked, but it was gone now.  Curious, a mime.

[Chasmfiend#1]

Mutig blinked, looking around. what was that? He shook his head, banishing whatever it had been he thought had happened.

 

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

1 hour ago, Chasmfiend#1 said:

Mutig blinked, looking around. what was that? He shook his head, banishing whatever it had been he thought had happened.

 

"Feels weird down here," Aldred muttered, watching both Algorath and Mutig shake their heads as though trying to rid their ears of water.

"It's the...thing," Karl said, voice low, eyes darting. "Makes it strange down here sometimes. Sound echoes sometimes, stops other times. I'll end up in a tunnel and I don't know how I got there - then the memories start to come back. Like a dream."

"Like a nightmare," Reiner said, voice still strained with panic. 

Aldred rolled his shoulders, trying to get rid of the itch between his shoulder blades. In the back of his mind, magic thumped insistently, pulling him towards the center of the Fens. It's there, down in the depths somewhere.

"Does it have any weaknesses?" Aldred asked Karl.

The boy shook his head, seeming almost baffled at the very idea.

Aldred chewed his lip. The gangs down here had clearly begun to worship this thing, or at the very least revere it. Terror was a particularly motivating emotion when it came to tribute, though hard to keep up for long. It was powerful, that much was clear, and every day the legend grew, feeding the thing. Still, all legends had a weakness. 

"Is there anything you are forbidden to bring before this thing?" He said. "Something that it hates, something you must hide from it, or risk punishment?"

Reiner looked up at Aldred, then down again. "Light," he said. "At first it was hard, movin' around down here with no light. Easier now - we're used to it, I s'pose."

More likely they are drawing power from this thing and don't realize it yet. That was good. It was always easier to turn a group against their little gods before they realized there was something to be gained from them. Still thinking like a Sayer.

"Doesn't like coins," Karl said suddenly, as though the realization were only dawning on him now. "We gotta keep 'em covered up, always."

Aldred's attention snapped back to the boy. "Coins?"

Karl nodded, chewing on one filthy fingernail as he did so. "Hates 'em."

"Is it the sound - the jingle?" Aldred asked. Some spirits were frightened by the sounds of metal on metal. Windchimes were often used to keep away small sprites or pixies.

Karl shrugged, then shook his head. "Don't think so. Doesn't like the look of 'em."

"'The blighted shine'," Reiner said. "That's what is calls 'em. Hates the newest coins most of all."

Aldred considered this, musing in the dark, listening to the quiet slosh of water and the persistent, deep thrumming of magic.

Quote

Seeding the beginnings of everyone realizing its weakness is reflection.  

 

[+Invocation]

"Hmmmm, so light is an issue? Perhaps I should be bioluminescent for the fight, hmmm?" Janim considered, reflecting upon the words.

[+Sorana she/her]

9 hours ago, kenod said:

Lilia nodded. "Heads for left and tails for right?" She asked.

Amara threw the coin into the air.

"Tails. Right it is."

She looked right, down the narrow alley and sighed.

"Doesn't look exactly like a place where I want to go. But the the whole quarter doesn't."

[Chasmfiend#1]

When Mutig felt mostly clear minded again, he glanced at Karl. young, still has a good future, if he could break off from this gang... Suddenly an idea came to him. He slowed his pace, coming in step with the kid, leaned close to his ear, and whispered.

 "Once we leave this place, I want you too leave this area, head to the upper city, there is a tavern named the Half Moon. I want you to ask for work. The owner will see to it you get work in exchange for food and a place to sleep. Do not go anywhere near this gang, or these Fens, again."

 Karl looked stunned, but silently nodded. With that Mutig began thinking on what they had said it hated.

 "If it's truly made of shadows, than it would certainly hate light. It could be that the coins had a shimmer to themselves?"

@Steel Inquisitive @Vargo Seldon @Turtle373 @ZincAboutIt @Invocation

 

Edited April 14, 2019 by Chasmfiend#1

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

Aldred raised his brows, considering this. "Not a bad idea," he said, looking over at the bear. Then he looked at Janim.

"A glowing form would be excellent, by the way. Good thinking."

@Chasmfiend#1 @Invocation

[kenod]

On 4/13/2019 at 7:37 AM, Sorana said:

Amara threw the coin into the air.

"Tails. Right it is."

She looked right, down the narrow alley and sighed.

"Doesn't look exactly like a place where I want to go. But the the whole quarter doesn't."

Lilia nodded. "This place feels bad," she said in a softer tone. "It makes my leaves itch."

She started walking into the alley, vines moving around her.

[Vargo Seldon he/him]

Algorath strode beside Mutig.  He overheard his little talk with the young man, Karl, and shook his head.  It often wasn't that simple.  Kids who had been part of a gang didn't just leave.  They usually weren't trusted for work, making them turn back to crime.  Often they didn't want to leave all they had known, striking out for the unknown.  Sometimes they were addicted to a substance that they could only get in the slums.  There were various reasons, but one didn't just "leave".

[+Sorana she/her]

7 hours ago, kenod said:

Lilia nodded. "This place feels bad," she said in a softer tone. "It makes my leaves itch."

She started walking into the alley, vines moving around her.

Amara walked next to her, looking around carefully. Was there something moving? No it had to be her eyes tricking her. They moved further down, took a few steps, when she paused, grabbed Lilias arm.

"We're not alone. There is something."

She stared at the shadows, they were moving, they were coloured, but the colours looked strange, as if she was staring through a window that had never been cleaned once during the last twenty years.

[+Invocation]

On 4/14/2019 at 0:01 AM, ZincAboutIt said:

"A glowing form would be excellent, by the way. Good thinking."

"Excellent." Janim made the change, shifting to a bioluminescent version of the same form of snake.

[Chasmfiend#1]

Mutig heard a noise, but no one else seemed to notice, than he heard it again. He looked back, and almost stopped dead in his tracks. Standing in the deem light, kneeling next to an injured animal, a bear. Tiana? She looked up at him, then silently placed her hand to her mouth, than her heart. Mutig blinked, and she was gone, nothing but shadows. He turned and moved on, now thinking of her, and the day he lost her.

@Steel Inquisitive @Vargo Seldon @Turtle373 @Invocation @ZincAboutIt

Edited April 15, 2019 by Chasmfiend#1
Forgot to ad names

[kenod]

16 hours ago, Sorana said:

Amara walked next to her, looking around carefully. Was there something moving? No it had to be her eyes tricking her. They moved further down, took a few steps, when she paused, grabbed Lilias arm.

"We're not alone. There is something."

She stared at the shadows, they were moving, they were coloured, but the colours looked strange, as if she was staring through a window that had never been cleaned once during the last twenty years.

Lilia nodded, and her body grew tense. She stepped in front of Amara, vines spread around her. "Styrkja," she said, feeling the spell course through her.

[Vargo Seldon he/him]

Algorath smelled a strange scent, but then disregarded it.  He followed the group into the tunnels, shadows lengthening around them.

[+Sorana she/her]

14 hours ago, kenod said:

Lilia nodded, and her body grew tense. She stepped in front of Amara, vines spread around her. "Styrkja," she said, feeling the spell course through her.

Amara stayed close, stared into the darkness.

"There."

She whispered and pointed at a dirty, dark part of the shadows. Suddenly the shadows rushed forward, wrapped itself around her hand. She yelped in surprise and tried to pull her hand free.

[kenod]

10 hours ago, Sorana said:

Amara stayed close, stared into the darkness.

"There."

She whispered and pointed at a dirty, dark part of the shadows. Suddenly the shadows rushed forward, wrapped itself around her hand. She yelped in surprise and tried to pull her hand free.

Lilia saw the shadows snap forwards and grabbing Amara. Immediately she whipped her right hand's vines forwards, slashing at the shadows. However, at the same time shadows wrapped themselves around her left hand's vines.

"Niðurbrot," she shouted, the spell activating, but doing nothing against the shadows. Starting to panic she started tugging with her vines, trying to get them loose.

[+Sorana she/her]

6 hours ago, kenod said:

Lilia saw the shadows snap forwards and grabbing Amara. Immediately she whipped her right hand's vines forwards, slashing at the shadows. However, at the same time shadows wrapped themselves around her left hand's vines.

"Niðurbrot," she shouted, the spell activating, but doing nothing against the shadows. Starting to panic she started tugging with her vines, trying to get them loose.

"Lilia!"

Amara shouted her name, grabbed her arm and held on to her, afraid to have to face the thing alone.

"Mutig! Help!"

She screamed, observed the darkness coming closer and closer, wrapping itself around her legs, drawing her along. Her hands clung to Lilia, to stay with her.

"Aldred? Anybody?"

She tried again, her voice breaking, when something like a dark cloud wrapped itself around her chest.

"It's alive, somehow. But the colours are wrong, I don't know."

She talked, mostly to hear her voice, to sense something apart from the creature.

[Chasmfiend#1]

24 minutes ago, Sorana said:

"Lilia!"

Amara shouted her name, grabbed her arm and held on to her, afraid to have to face the thing alone.

"Mutig! Help!"

She screamed, observed the darkness coming closer and closer, wrapping itself around her legs, drawing her along. Her hands clung to Lilia, to stay with her.

"Aldred? Anybody?"

She tried again, her voice breaking, when something like a dark cloud wrapped itself around her chest.

"It's alive, somehow. But the colours are wrong, I don't know."

She talked, mostly to hear her voice, to sense something apart from the creature.

Mutig snapped out of his thoughts. was that? Another scream confirmed his fears. Amara. He stood on his hind legs, letting the sounds echo towards him. He charged for the screams, releasing a deep, guttural roar. He came around a conner just in time to see it. The creature, blotting out light and making itself known. Then he saw Amara struggling against it, and finally he snapped. Bent up anger, hatred, and his drive to protect. He rushed into the shadows, and it pulled away from him, seemingly surprised to suddenly being attacked. He snapped at the shadows around Amara, forcing it to release it's grip. He set one paw over her, forcing it's retreat to a halt, forcing it to face him if it wanted it's prey.

@Sorana @Steel Inquisitive @Vargo Seldon @Turtle373 @Invocation @ZincAboutIt