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+---- Thread: [KQ] i wanna give you back the open sky (/showthread.php?tid=1284)
RE: i wanna give you back the open sky - Amalia - 06-27-2019
She places her hand upon the hill, and beneath them feels...
...nothing. Only mundane grass and dirt: no life, no pulse of radiance, no secrets to be found. Frustration pulses through her, and remorse as well, guilt and anger and sinking dismay. [say]"It was here,"[/say] she repeats again, as much to the earth as anyone else. For a moment she is paralyzed, frozen by her own ineptitude, utterly lost as to how to proceed, drowning beneath the weight of her own remorse-
- Then Deimos is there, a mask in his hand, his presence beside her a stalwart comfort, an anchor to the world. She accepts the gift gratefully, slipping it over Delah's one of dirt, her fingers lingering a moment on his before she steps back to let the fae do their work. [say]Jigano, do you think you can find the source of the water? Maybe we can rinse this place out.[/say] She wishes she could do more herself, could actually contribute magic or ability to this venture. To Deimos and Vai she turns and murmurs, muffled, [say]"The fae will move the earth off the tulmhainar. I'll help. If there is something you can do to get rid of the gas... and you should keep this. It can heal."[/say]
So saying, Amalia passes her staff to Deimos before shifting into leopard form, padding over to use great paws and help reveal what lies beneath.
Amalia suggests Jigano look for water, then gives Deimos her staff and suggests he and Vai try to manage the gas. She shifts to leopard form to help dig.
RE: i wanna give you back the open sky - Court Official - 06-28-2019
Remember, no actions can be taken that occur prior to the Court Official's post, once it has been posted!
A culmination of factors...the air grows increasingly more disastrous to your health just as Deimos creates the masks. A few sips of air might have gotten by the fae's masks until the Reaper's soon blocks them out. The balance is stable...for now. Just as
The wall that
As
It is no hive mind...not really, but it also isn't, either. The soupy-earth, the aggressive insects, t hey move with a unified goal.
To make you get the fuck out.
Ending HP
Earthen hoard thing: 200 HP
Amalia: 75
Jigano: 200
Deimos: 66
Vai: 66
Delah: 58
You have 48 hours to reply. Posting order (randomly decided) is: Jigano, Deimos, Delah, Vai, Amalia
RE: i wanna give you back the open sky - Jigano - 06-28-2019
I’m sorry,
He wanted to shout a warning to Vai, but he had neither the vocal chords nor spare breath to do so as he slithered swiftly back towards his endangered friends. Amalia, Deimos, and the Fae were all under attack from a swarm which might have been susceptible to a blast of fire… had any of them had that capability. The swarm was nothing he could grapple with or bite, but its tiny soldiers were the kind that would go either squish or crunch under enough surface area.
And he currently had a fair amount of surface area with which to do both, and scales to protect him from the larger biters and smaller stingers.
Without pausing to change forms, he flung himself into the fray, literally throwing his weight around as he thrashed about with his heavy length, attempting to use speed and momentum to crush the non-flighted bugs either beneath him or between his coils as he writhed, doing his best to knock some of them away from his friends and the Fae in the process.
Snake-gano tries to crush and flatten the larger clumps of non-flying bugs and knock at least some of them away from the others!
RE: i wanna give you back the open sky - Deimos - 06-28-2019
The digging was left to the others – likely far more capable as they shifted dirt, loam, and soil – but he took hold of Amalia’s staff, the eerie, crimson light flickering against his eyes, with an assured nod and a motion backwards. He could hear Vai’s suggestion, turning his head towards the poisonous plants, but was completely, utterly distracted from any other task when the mound began to move.
The hill was suddenly buzzing – insects unfurling from their home, either irritated by the shifting of the earth or simply by their presence, seeking them all out like a barrage, infested, enraged. He growled as some bit into his skin, attempting to bat some away on reflex. It took a few moments for his mind to process possibilities and potential ways to scourge success from the infernal siege; but no sooner had he thought of a notion, did it appear in his hands, a medium-sized net, weighted slightly on the bottom, holes intentionally woven to be tiny, in hopes it wouldn’t allow insects to escape, or at the very least, buy them some time until they could come up with a better solution. [say]“Fire would be beneficial,”[/say] he intoned, proffering some sort of monotone advice as the world rained down upon them in plagues.
Then, attempting to kill two birds with one stone, he continued to back up until he was in an area by the plants, but far enough from friends, to unleash his lethal, deadly invocations, allowing the life draining magic to fan out almost like a shield. He strove to bat away any more insects coming his way with the noxious enchantments, as well as siphon off life from the poisonous vectors.
--
Deimos creates a medium-sized net, and tries to drop it over a hoard of insects by the mound, suggesting fire magic be utilized as well. He then backs up, and using his life drain magic, attempts to rid himself of any insects nearby, and siphon away at the poisonous plants too.
RE: i wanna give you back the open sky - Delah - 06-30-2019
In a language of the woods and the forest (though most definitely a series of curses), Delah and her warriors reacted instinctively and with total aggression against the sudden onset of bugs. With hands turned into claws and teeth Delah swipes viciously at the creatures attempting to block out her vision, hissing with feline fury as they attack her eyes.
[say]"Got any?"[/say] Delah snaps towards Deimos. Had they any fire, they likely would be using it to light the interior of the cavern, instead of relying on the dark-eyed girl's strange staff.
With words that sounded more guttural than anything Delah had spoken before, a dark sparkle of light suddenly shines in the corner, manifesting into a Tsuchigumo. The massive spider immediately set upon the bugs with utter delight. With a warm hiss it covered the ground in a fluid motion, devouring all it came into contact with.
Meanwhile, the warchief takes the respite that her conjuration has hopefully given her to refocus on the task at hand. [say]We must not linger[/say] She thinks pointedly, as the earth begins to rise up and around her creating a small dome. If
Delah summons a Tsuchigumo (big mythical spider) and then creates an earth-hovel for she and Amalia to continue to dig.
RE: i wanna give you back the open sky - Vervain - 06-30-2019
Well this all went to heck in a handbasket, didn't it? As the earth lurched and moved, and insects spilled from the scars it created, Vai hissed a curse under her breath. She lowered her bow - arrows against this many were little more than a waste of time. Deimos's voice rang out - as did Delah's - and she took a deep (clear, hopefully) breath before nodding.
[say]"I can do that, but I'll need to drop control over the air,"[/say] she called, crouching low and removing flint and steel from her pack. A few strikes against each other created sparks, and unlike with traditional means, sparks were all Vai needed to coax her fire magic to life.
Not nearly as skilled or controlled with fire as with the air, she directed the flames in an arc around her, aiming for the flying bugs whilst the others dealt with those on the ground. Hopefully the masses of insects would spread the burning gift to one another - and it gave the rest of the group an opportunity to create torches or other burning mattter.
Vai drops her wind shield for this round, engaging her fire magic to attack the flying bugs!
RE: i wanna give you back the open sky - Amalia - 06-30-2019
And then there are insects.
Amalia howls her pain and displeasure as small creatures begin to swarm around her, biting without mercy at delicate paws and stinging beneath her fur. Behind her she can hear discussions, plans being made and action taken, but she is wholly preoccupied for the moment, caught in her own struggles against the unexpected onslaught. Snarling, the leopard half-shifts back in an attempt to get them out of her luxurious coat, hair retracting into her arms as she aggressively shakes and swipes at the creatures, before re-taking her feline form. By the time she regains a little composure other measures have been taken, nets and fire and thrashing snakes and a giant spider all making an attempt to halt the swarm.
Feline eyes turn to Delah, wonder and apology written within. At the warchief's silent instruction she does not hesitate, dipping in beneath the dome as it rises about them, intent on continuing to dig. Guilt stabs deep at a part of her as she thinks about those left without, worried as ever for the safety of others. But the baker has faith in Deimos, and Vai, and besides, perhaps any future attacks will be better contained, less likely to harm her friends and loved ones if they dig them up beneath a roof of earth.
So she tells herself as she sets back to digging, snapping out with snarling teeth every now and then to crush another insect. She cannot cast magic to assist with the swarm, cannot heal or help or hurt in any way. She can only do this: try to make the task end sooner, unearth the thing that they have come to rescue and accomplish some small feat on this day.
Amalia half-shifts back to human to try and get the bugs off, then returns to leopard form and joins Delah's warriors in digging beneath the earth dome.
RE: i wanna give you back the open sky - Court Official - 07-01-2019
The bugs are numerous, but they are not strong. As
Fire is clever against the bugs. It is not so clever against the gas.
As
Ending HP
Earthen hoard thing: 90 HP
Amalia: 69
Jigano: 189
Deimos: 35
Vai: 54
Delah: 49
You have 48 hours to reply. Posting order (randomly decided) is: Jigano, Deimos, Delah, Vai, Amalia
RE: i wanna give you back the open sky - Jigano - 07-01-2019
Seeing Amalia head into the earthen structure after Delah, Jigano flung a single, desperate look to Deimos and Vai, unable to communicate with them to even wish them luck before he lunged after the Fae and the leopardess, determined to protect the sister of his heart and trusting in Vervain to keep his giant friend safe. His serpentine body slipped through a crack in the rising earthworks at the last moment, his tail barely falling in with him before the structure closed above them.
Unfortunately, the moment of disequilibrium left him easy prey for the vines that coiled and wrapped around him in a most unpleasant embrace. Is this strange enough for a Tulmhainar? he tried to ask
Snake-gano tries to thrash himself free of his own vines using his weight to crush and roll on top of them, while biting one of the plants holding Delah and trying to rip it from the ground.
RE: i wanna give you back the open sky - Deimos - 07-01-2019
There was only one brief, beatific moment where he watched the bugs withering, dying, before him, and felt a sense of triumph. He’d contributed. He’d done something.
It was gone on the shimmer of fire mixing with gas – and a rippling blast sending him against a wall, clashing into the interior with a ferocious, voracious pain assaulting, grinding, clawing up and down his sides. It scalded and reached on the tips of intermingled fire, scarring tissue and piercing his flesh, his hands going over his clothing to try and pat it out on instinct, the searing, blistering heat intermingling with his senses. He could do nothing but growl, hiss, and groan, throwing his head down and contemplating his next action – genuinely surprised he was still alive while his body was tormented and anguished.
Was he doomed to die here too, lost in the fumes and smoke?
[say]“Nevermind,”[/say] he coughed and sputtered, hinting about the fire, trying to salvage some bitter, broken, part of him, blue eyes drifting over to Vai and waving off her ember incantations - no more it begged and pleaded, and then his gaze drifted elsewhere, desperation seething behind his aching head. There was a notion of exhausting just behind his gaze too, a hint, a strain, that he’d pushed himself too far, that the enchantments, the invocations, coursing through his veins were nearly spent too.
A crimson glow flickered in his vision. Amalia’s staff had been thrown in the blast, but had landed near his left knee, a bright, incandescent red billowing back at him. Without any other words, just obvious bouts of pain, he reached for it – but didn’t have any idea how to work the staff. Please, he begged, because he didn’t want to meet his demise (again), here in these crypts and dungeons. Perhaps he should’ve promised not to continue wandering into these ridiculous traps and snares, but it was too late now. He waved it above his form, over pulsing wounds and punishing lacerations, over his lungs that seethed and burned despite the mask. Please.
His gaze landed on vines nearby, threatening to strangle Delah and Jigano. From his current distance, he wasn’t certain if he’d be able to command precision, much less even launch his intentions from a necessary height, but it was worth a try. He grabbed hold of two throwing knives still managing to remain on his belt, and tossed them at the vines, hoping they could either stab into the plant life, or at least be useful to those fighting them off – then the Reaper threw his head back against the wall and merely tried to remain.
Lord, he was so tired of being useless.
--
Deimos tries to heal himself using Amalia’s staff, then tries to toss some throwing knives at the vines holding Jigano and Delah. If they don’t work, hey now you have some new weapons.
RE: i wanna give you back the open sky - Delah - 07-01-2019
[say]Most definitely[/say] Delah replied, and though she was bound and breathless, there was a dark laughter in her voice. Excitement and encouragement too. They were close. They were definitely close, and the warrior was not about to let some vines stand in her way.
[say]Old one—[/say] She called out, her body stilling entirely as her magic moved outwards to try and grasp and magically break the grapple. [say]We are here to bring you back to the light. It is safe now.[/say] And then, in a wordless language neither Amalia nor Jigano would understand, but that they would certainly feel the raw emotion behind it. A softness and intimacy that seemed strange for Delah, and yet rippled away from her in swift waves.
Delah uses her earthen magic to try and still the vines, and tries to call out to the tulmhainar
RE: i wanna give you back the open sky - Vervain - 07-01-2019
Oh fuck.
Vervain realised the error of her ways just as the gas from the plants detonated around them, and she barely got her arms up in time to avoid the explosion catching her right across the face. Her left arm and shoulder took the brunt of it, the witch hissing in pain and coughing through the smog. She squinted, eyes burning, enough to catch Deimos's gesture, and damn if Vai didn't need to be told twice.
Extinguishing her fire (though any bugs or other parts of the cavern still aflame were beyond her control), she forced herself to straighten up. [say]"Are you good?"[/say] she called to Deimos, suddenly aware that she couldn't see or fathom what was happening with the rest of the group.
Drawing deep from the well of her power, Vai called upon the wind once more, pushing up and out, trying to rid the cavern of the oppressive smoke.
Vai digs deep, using wind magic to clear the air around the group, hoping to carry the thick smoke away and improve visibility.
RE: i wanna give you back the open sky - Amalia - 07-01-2019
For a moment everything goes right. The bugs subside, her body relaxes, the net is successful, and then-
-vines snap up in place of the insects, and she watches as Jigano and Dlah are snagged, and then-
-a cry and a loud bang go off, and a burst of fire, and Amalia turns around, her leopard head whipping back as hear blooms through the small space and Deimos is thrown back, and then-
-And then she can see nothing, because th Earth has formed a dome around them, and they are separated once more. For a moment Amalia considers abandoning her purpose, clawing her way back out to Deimos, fear for her lover momentarily paramount, the terror of impending loss snarling at her throat. He can't- he has to- and she can't- but she wants to-
Be okay, she silently prays, tears burning at her feline eyes. Safrin, Vi, let him be okay. Mort can't have him yet. He's still mine.
Then she turns her claws and attention back to the matter at hand. Delah us wild with impending success, and Jigano tells her to keep digging, so she does, claws pulling into the vines, teeth tearing through tangled snarls. She lets her own prayers join the Fae's. [Say]We're going to help you, to get you back into the sun. Vi and Safrin are waiting, and Mort and Rae. I am sorry this happened, but we won't give up. You can have our memories and stories. Let us take you to the light.[/say]
Ama continues digging, trying to break more vines while calling out to the tulmhainar as well.
RE: i wanna give you back the open sky - Court Official - 07-01-2019
As Deimos attempts to wield the staff, it glows a bright crimson for a moment as rivulets of light scatter down through the gnarled wood and into the Reaper's hand. He feels strength restored to him and a little energy too, but not so much as the unicorn once healed him only a few days ago.
Unfortunately his daggers only strike against soil, for Delah's earthen hovel is complete all the way around. They do catch the attention of the remaining bugs, who set upon him like a black wave.
Surprisingly perhaps, it is
Ending HP
Earthen hoard thing: 86 HP
Amalia: 69
Jigano: 189
Deimos: 37
Vai: 43
Delah: 49
You have 48 hours to reply. Posting order (randomly decided) is: Jigano, Deimos, Delah, Vai, Amalia