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+---- Thread: [PQ] Weeding the garden (/showthread.php?tid=11171)
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Weeding the garden - Hadama - 04-19-2025
The Archon of King's End was no longer an agent of the Family, but the region was not yet protected from the creatures of the Void. Safrin had tasked her Tidebreaker with seeing to their eradication from those places they continued to haunt, and so he had come to the labyrinth of roses with his trident in hand and requests sent discretely to a few friends for assistance in his endeavor.
Maea had been an easy choice. The Ancient was both a friend and a fighter he knew he could rely on, powerful in her own right and trusted with his back. Zavien was likewise a staunch ally and proven enemy of the Void and all of its creatures, and Hadama was looking forward to fighting by his side again.
The morning was briskly cool but warmth was starting to seep into the fields and meadows of King's End and Longheat was on the horizon, visible in the riot of green growing things that had sprouted in glorious profusion around the Queen's Gambit. It was, perhaps, a good omen for the hunt ahead when the sun peeked through the windswept clouds, shining brightly down upon the ground below even as it cast the shadows in even darker contrast across the grass. The hedges of the maze were a-rustle with small life and their own ancient vigor as Hadama waited at the labyrinth's entrance for the rest of his hunters to arrive.
This is a PQ to push back the Void fauna in King's End. Please post your character arriving and we'll get this show on the road!
1. Hadama
2. Maea
3. Zavien
RE: Weeding the garden - Maea - 04-20-2025
It was a good point in time to go hunting. As per usual too many things had happened in her life lately and Maea looked forward to getting some frustration worked out of her system. Void creatures were viable and perfectly legal targets, and perhaps because they were nearing the end of the season, her bloodlust was rearing its ugly head again.
Sweeping in on white wings, she shifted while still in the air and dropped to the ground next to Hadama, light as a cat and sure on her feet. In response to the warming weather she had removed a layer of clothing and slimmed down in bulk as a result, but was ever wrapped in black. The velvet dress and ursur-fleece coat contrasted sharply against the pallor of her skin and the long hair, that had been braided back and wrapped up on her head in a crown to be out of the way.
[say]"Hi, Dama,"[/say] she greeted quietly, even as she checked that her chakram were in place and easy to access. They were all she brought today, given the mode oftravel she had chosen. [say]"I'm ready to go whenever."[/say] Quiet and focused, she had left her personal problems at home for the day. Even when Zavien appeared she simply offered him a polite nod and a murmured greeting; she could be awkward later, when they were done.
Maea arrives, bringing the armored dress and her chakram.
RE: Weeding the garden - Zavien - 04-20-2025
Without his trusty navigation device dragon, Zavien was finding it extremely hard to travel around Caido. He took wrong turns left and left, and ended up more disoriented than if he'd done it all drunk and blindfolded. So, when he finally spotted the familiar garden in the distance, he let out a visible sigh of relief.
He ran a hair through his longer-than-normal hair, the light catching the dark ring of shadows under his eyes with the movement. His usually sunshine smile was still noticeably absent, and he gave the Mer King more a of grimace of greeting than anything else, his voice low and rough as he dipped his head. [say]"Hadama, sorry. Got lost."[/say]
Spotting a flash of white hair, Zavien stiffened a little, uncomfortable with her seeing him worse than before; but he wouldn't leave just because of one person. He needed this, the purpose, the structure, the distraction. Which meant he gave her a subtle nod that he'd give any other participant of a mission, succinct and polite. [say]"Maea."[/say]
Zavien arrives!
RE: Weeding the garden - Hadama - 04-21-2025
"Maea," he greeted, quiet warmth in his voice as the familiar pale gore crow dropped from the sky to become the elegant Ancient. He inclined his head to her in greeting, but further conversation would have to wait as a rough-looking Dragoon approached them next. Hadama looked Zavien over, quietly thoughtful as he took in dark eyes and long hair - and, most of all, the absence of a shining dragon at his shoulder.
But they were undertaking dangerous work today, and it would have been understandable for small and vulnerable companions to be left somewhere safe for the duration. Hadama did not comment on the lack, only tilted his head in acceptance of the apology. "Thank you for coming."
And because he was looking Zavien over so closely, he noted the stiffening of his Breaker friend's shoulders as he spied the Ancient who had preceded his arrival. A question for another time, the Tidebreaker decided. They had a job to do today, and it was best to get underway.
"The Queen's Gambit shifts. Stay close so we do not become separated." Into the labyrinth he led them then, and as the walls of vivid young green leaves and swelling rose buds closed around them a sickly sweet fragrance wafted through the hedge walls. Shadows seemed to slither at the edges of sight, and eyes blinked and then vanished behind curtains of green.
After walking for a short time within the maze, surrounded by the green of Flowerbirth, there was a visibly brown patch of dead ground ahead of them. Zavien spotted it first, while Maea was distracted by the ominous flicker of violet petals nestled thickly among the young roses, their simple, narrow configuration a mockery of the flowers that were such an integral part of the Gambit.
Round 1:
Zavien has spotted a suspicious change in scenery: the ground ahead of them looking dead and brown in spite of how green everything else around them is.
Maea has noticed purple flowers woven through the nearby hedges that are out of place among the roses.
What do you do?
RE: Weeding the garden - Zavien - 04-22-2025
With greetings finished, Zavien followed Hadama into the labyrinth, letting Maea pass before him so he might bring up the rear out of habitual instinct. The darkness that slithered along the edge of his vision reminded him of his first time back in Stormbreak when he'd thought every shadow might by an agent of the Family sent to finish the job. After months with no signs of retaliation, he thought he'd been over the irrational fear, but with Sol missing... Zavien pulled out his sword, letting the glow of the blade push back against the black tendrils, trying to slow his breathing so that the others might not hear the internal struggle.
With his eyes on high alert, he spotted a strange patch of brown patch amidst the green, the oddity of him striking enough to make him pause, looking for a source. When he didn't immediately identify one, he called out to the others. [say]"Hey. There's something weird going on with that grass. Be careful."[/say] Holding his sword out, he looked closer at their surroundings, eyes scanning suspiciously.
Zavien points out the brown patch to the others, his Starblade at the ready.
RE: Weeding the garden - Maea - 04-22-2025
Casting Zavien a glance as she passed him, she was undecided about her feelings when it came to trusting him with her back. He looked disheveled, like he'd had a hard time getting here, but on the other hand she had seen him fight well enough in their excursion with Deimos, what seemed to be ages ago. Deciding to worry more about her own role as support for the both of them, she scanned the surroundings and frowned at the incursion of void flowers among the budding roses.
[say]"Noted. Keep away from the hedges – they're infested with void. No idea what they do, but it feels nasty."[/say] Fingering her chakram, Maea examined the brown patch on the ground, then looked for the next intersection in the maze. When it didn't offer much, she pointed up. [say]"I'll go above, see if I can spot anything from the air."[/say]
Shifting easily,the woman shrank into the pale form of the gore crow and took to the sky. Making sure to remain above her companions, she turned her pale eyes to the path ahead, hoping to find a clue as to what might be waiting for them.
Maea shifts to the Gore Crow and scouts from above for a sign of danger.
RE: Weeding the garden - Hadama - 04-22-2025
Hadama glanced over to the glow of Zavien's blade with a glint of approval in his eyes, and he inclined his head in a slow nod of appreciation for the sword and its originator. His own eyes had been cast upwards, ensuring that they weren't approached by anything with wings while their movements were hampered by the confines of the maze, but at the Breaker's warning he glanced down, frowning slightly as the patch of sickly ground was pointed out.
Maea's warning gave him no time to study the ground in detail, however, as he followed her indication towards the places where purple Daisies peeked from between the roses. "We cannot leave them here to spread." His rumbled words were met by the flapping of pale wings as the Ancient rose away from the two ground-bound members of the group.
"See if you can spear them with your sword," the Tidebreaker suggested to Zavien, nodding towards the largest patch of Daisies. Following suit, he used his trident to jab into the side of the hedges, avoiding the roses as much as possible while attempting to impale the Cursed Daisies and pull them out by their roots onto the path. The sickly sweet aroma of the tainted flowers wafted around them even more thickly in response, sending a deep sense of unease and increasing paranoia through the two men closest to the source.
The Gambit did not seem particularly pleased with Maea's 'cheating' as she rose above the walls. The living wood moved more swiftly than usual with the quickening of spring sap flowing through it, and a latticework arch of vines and branches began to writhe over the top of the section of the labyrinth they were currently in. The Gore Crow slipped past them, but the way ahead was already becoming obscured and in a few more heartbeats she wouldn't be able to return.
Round 2: The Gambit doesn't seem to appreciate cheaters who try to spy the route from above! It begins to close up over the top of the group, both to prevent Maea from seeing what lies ahead and to keep her out if she doesn't move quickly!
Hadama begins attacking the Daisies and hits!
But both Zavien and Hadama are affected by the Daisies' aura...
Cursed Daisies: 115/150
Cursed Daisies (Common): Once the calming Sweetgrass, these void-corrupted daisies emit an unsettling aura. Instead of attracting pollinators, they draw in void insects that feed on the life force of anything nearby. Their sickly-sweet scent now conceals the stench of void decay.
RE: Weeding the garden - Zavien - 04-23-2025
His eyes followed where Maea said, realizing that the purple hadn't been a trick of his mind, the Void flowers interspersed amongst the roses in the hedges. It unsettled him enough to make his breathing shallow, cautious and rimmed with terrified anticipation.
They're just flowers. They're just flowers. They're just flowers.
The words repeated through his head like a mantra, trying to convince himself there was no reason to panic despite being surrounded by the Void. His head still moved back and forth in a scanning motion, worried they might suddenly become sentient and reach out to snag at them. Soldierly instincts and his protective nature kept him from running, shoulders tense and grip iron tight against his sword hilt.
Hadama's voice helped keep him focused, reminding him he could do something about it, and he raised his sword to begin stabbing at daisies. The moment his sword hissed and sizzled against the first set of purple petals, an oppressive, near debilitating dread settled on his chest. Zavien squeezed his eyes closed against the violet hues that spread over his vision, shifting into the image of a roaring yeti that sent his pulse racing faster in his ears. A sharp pain hit his side like a branding reminder - a reminder of what happens when facing the Void. Was this going to anger the Family? Was this going to be the final straw that convinced them to finish him off? Were these flowers going to get him killed again?
He staggered with the force of the emotions, his free hand reaching to clutch at his side while his eyes opened to see the sky slowly closing above them. Only the fear of being trapped with the daisies had him hastily swinging his sword at the hedges. His face was scrunched in a grimace, green eyes shining with the force of his paranoia as he attempted to stop the spread.
Zavien struggles to attack the daisies and keep the vines from trapping them.
RE: Weeding the garden - Maea - 04-24-2025
Gore crows, as it turned out, had a very good vocabulary for swearing. Seeing the maze try to close on her gave Maea cause to try a few of the particularly juicy ones, and they trailed her as she darted back down to join her friends before they became separated.
Landing and shifting back, she took one look at Zavien's frantic hacking at the hedge, gave Hadama a searching glance to see if he too was losing his mind. [say]"It's alright, boys, step away from the flowers and take a breath."[/say] Summoning a mote of flame she began guiding it from flower to flower, picking up where Zavien had missed a spot and expanding the reach until a good thirty feet of the flowers laced into the hedge was ablaze. Hopefully the maze wouldn't try to move on her again; it might be difficult to prevent all of it from burning if it slipped past her reach.
Maea returns to the others, tries to talk them away from the flowers and sets the Void Daisies on fire.
RE: Weeding the garden - Hadama - 04-27-2025
Hadama could not know the source of Zavien's tension, but as they set about their grim work side-by-side he felt a creeping unease of his own settling into his throat and clogging his nose. His breathing grew short and labored as the Tidebreaker's pulse jumped and began to race in spite of his foreknowledge of the flowers' effects. Rationality quickly ran into a dead end against the chemical cocktail of the Void-tainted scent and the Mer King's careful, surgical strikes began to grow more brutal as he lashed out against the source of his fear. Beside him, the Dragoon was wreaking similar havoc against their shared foe, but their strikes were going wild and beginning to nick roses and green leaves alongside purple ones.
The Gambit shivered, an ominous creaking of wood rippling down its length in both directions.
Maea's arrival was not a moment too soon. It was very nearly a moment too late, in fact, but she managed to slip through the closing branches overhead with only a lost tailfeather to show for it. Her words reached through to Hadama - indeed, looking affected if not quite so strongly as Zavien - and his stabbing slowed as he followed the familiar sound of her voice back to himself. He hesitated and then shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts as he fire began to blossom with pinpoint accuracy within the wall of green they faced.
"Zavien. Stop--" His voice was a quiet rumble with all the iron of an order to one of his own court guards. He pried a hand from his trident to set it on the Dragoon's shoulder to pull them both back away from the first curls of smoke, his longer stride taking him further--
And directly adjacent to the patch of brown moss that he had forgotten about in his pollen-hazed distraction. It whipped out several tendrils from its main mass to wrap around his legs and one arm, immobilizing his trident as dark energies slithered along its surface. Reacting on instinct, Hadama formed a sphere of gravity above the creature and slammed it down into its main body before the Void corruption reached him. The demigod grunted as the darkness coiled beneath his skin and staggered, bright gaze dimming with shock as the violet shadows crashed into the starlight of his soul.
Round 3: The daisies are burning and the hedges are restless but haven't turned aggressive yet at all the fire. However, the violet flowers aren't dead yet - and Hadama has stepped too close to the patch of brown earth, which has been revealed as a patch of Voidquicksand Moss!
Zavien hits the Daisies!
Maea hits the Daisies and is able to keep the fire from spreading to the roses!
Zavien and Hadama are no longer affected by the Daisies as the smoke lessens their effectiveness.
Hadama has been grabbed by the Moss but scores a hit on it with a Gravity Spike before staggering!
Cursed Daisies: 36.5/150
Voidquicksand Moss: 150/220
Hadama: 650/800
Maea: 279/279
Zavien: 156/156
Voidquicksand Moss (Uncommon): The Quicksand Moss, now tainted by the void, exudes an even more ominous aura. Its brown appearance, once a result of consuming animals, now harbors an unsettling void energy. The moss not only grabs and digests unsuspecting creatures but also ensnares their souls in void-infested torment. Encountering Voidquicksand Moss means facing the dual threat of physical consumption and spiritual corruption.
RE: Weeding the garden - Maea - 04-27-2025
It was a relief to see clarity return to Hadama's eyes, welcome if short lived. Only a moment later he stepped into what seemed like a stray piece of bog, and Maea found herself caught between two equally necessary tasks.
Making a difficult decision, she chose to focus on the task at hand, needing to eliminate the overpowering scent of the Daisies from the equation. [say]"Can you help Hadama?"[/say] she asked of Zavien, hoping he was coming back to his senses. [say]"I'll be there as soon as these flowers are gone."[/say] Her gaze returned to the flowers, her fingers drawing patterns in the air as a mental aid as she guided the flames in serpentine lines to anything that flashed purple or turned her stomach with unease. Careful not to harm the living hedge, the sooner she was done the better it would be for all of them.
Maea keeps burning Void Daisies and asks Zavien to help Hadama.
RE: Weeding the garden - Zavien - 04-27-2025
With his hand still pressed to his side, Zavien swung without bias at the hedge, only aware enough to avoid hitting Hadama or Maea. His breaths came quickly, and he spent an abnormal amount of time trying to blink through the purple fear blurring his vision. It wasn't until he heard the sharp order and felt the stabilizing hand that he went stiff with soldierly diligence. He winced at his lapse in control, dipping his head as he stepped away. [say]"Sorry."[/say] Although soft, he didn't hesitate to apologize, taking ownership of the weakness that had hindered their mission. It was apparent that Sol's absence was taking its toll.
Both to soothe his emotions and push the pain from his scar, he kneaded a hand against it, watching as Maea began to work on the troublesome flowers. Only when the hand on his shoulder vanished suddenly did Zavien look away, his eyes immediately spotting the brown 'grass' that had grown into a hungry creature that was latching onto the demigod.
He didn't need Maea to tell him help Hadama. It was a gut-wrenching reaction that had him cursing softly under his breath, all instincts and reactivity pushing past the fear that lingered in the fog of his mind. Everything became crystal clear, time slowing as he lunged forward, raising his sword to slash at the tendrils of darkness attempting to consume his friend.
Zavien runs to Hadama's aide, using his Starblade to attack the tendrils!
RE: Weeding the garden - Hadama - 04-29-2025
Maea may have been emotionally torn about where to focus her firepower, but her decision to see through the removal of the Daisies paid off. Her focusing technique and her use of all of her senses to seek out the violet invaders sought out the uncanny flowers and seared them from King's End. Just as importantly, her concentration prevented further damage from coming to the living maze. Though it quivered in the still air, leaves and buds a-tremble, the massive rose walls held still in the face of their ancient foe and didn't shift away from Maea's fire. As the last purple flower shriveled to ash the hedge swelled slightly, rustling as it seemed to breathe a sigh of relief to have the infestation separated from its roots.
The apology the Dragoon murmured would have been welcome if Hadama had not been so distracted by the wrenching grip of the carnivorous Moss. Far worse was the corruption that wrapped around his soul in echo of the tendrils and vines that knotted around his legs and arm. Off-balance and reeling, he was already beginning to sink to one knee when Zavien's sword slashed down, the burning starlight blade slicing cleanly through the extension of Moss that had entrapped Hadama's arm.
The Tidebreaker shook his head against the shadows that crowded his thoughts and leeched the strength from his celestial gifts as they wormed into his heart. With his arm free, however, some of the darkness lifted enough for him to remember his armlet and with a thought he activated the feathery armor. It rippled down his torso, providing some protection from his attacker even if it could do nothing against the spiritual assault. Even as his knee landed on the fresh spring grass he lashed back against the Moss with a weakened Gravity Spike towards its center. He struggled in silence, his focus turning to the battle within as he trusted in his allies to guard his physical body.
But the Moss was not done yet. It curled back from Zavien's blade and if any of them had spoken the language of the green they would have heard its shrill screech of pain. It was a creature of rage and violent violet impulses now, however, and two more tendrils shot out to wrap around Hadama's throat as it grappled with the demigod and attempted to yank him into the far more acidic digestive depression at its hungry center.
Round 4!
Everyone hits! ...including the Voidquicksand Moss.
Maea finishes cleansing the Daisies from the hedge.
Zavien cuts through one of the tendrils holding Hadama!
Hadama activates his armor and drops another gravity spike on the Moss.
The Moss makes a last ditch effort to drag Hadama into its maw! ... er, or whatever the mossy equivalent is.
Cursed Daisies: 0/150
Voidquicksand Moss: 46.5/220
Hadama: 555/800
Maea: 279/279
Zavien: 156/156
RE: Weeding the garden - Zavien - 04-29-2025
His blade cut easily through the tendril of darkness, a soft sizzle sounding on impact as it snapped back. Zavien moved to strike at the next target without hesitation, but before he could swing his sword again, the Moss acted like a hydra, more shadowy arms appearing to wrap around Hadama's neck.
Another soft curse left him as it began to pull, attempting to bring the demigod closer into its clutches. He grabbed his friend's shoulder to slow the descent, hoping it wouldn't make him choke against the force of the creature's hold. If his plan worked, it wouldn't last long, and Zavien shifted his hold on the hilt of his sword, gritting his teeth as he slammed it down into the patch of brown grass where he suspected the 'heart' of the thing to be.
Zavien slams his Starblade down into the center of the Voidquicksand Moss!