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A Giant Egg; Okay, giant is an understatement.
Topic Started: Aug 15 2015, 07:24 PM (1,803 Views)
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Rules

Challenge Guidelines

Challenges are character based, and thus must be met for each character. Each character will have an accumulation of points based on them beating the challenges. Each post, the challenge will change, locking all previous challenges and opening the new one.

First Challenge - Versatile Vernacular - Finished and Closed!

Current Challenge - Click Here
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A cracking wind blows throughout the weyr, carrying with it the smell of acrid granite. Beyond that sharpness that enters your nose is also the scent of ancient and stale air, like something long-forgotten unearthed, new again. Of course, all of this follows the tremendous quake that rattled through the town just seconds before. In the forests, on the shore, in the sands, the town itself, and even the veiled shrine, animals went silent as they sensed the impending tremor that would shake the world to its core.

On the eastern horizon, a normally docile mountain now trembles as snow cascades down its sides toward the plains below. The jagged cliffs that formed over thousands of years now tumble toward the ground in streams of grey, white, and orange. As that ancient canvas of life and death fades below the tree line, the forest between the village and the mountain range covering the final impact, you see what once lay beneath all that stone - a massive egg.

The Egg

Massive is a considerable understatement when describing the egg. Even from the village, it is an overwhelmingly large thing. Bright green makes swirling patterns along a dark, midnight-blue shell. From this distance, that is all that can be said for it.

The Ruins

Riddle along the mountain range, now exposed from the collapsing shift of earth and granite, is an ancient ruin built in tiered layers from the foothills to the peaks. Many entrance into the crumbling structure of old have now made themselves visible as well, and who knows what lies at the base of this magnificent structure - if its not all covered in debris and ruined by falling mountainside?
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First Objective


The first posts are about getting to the site itself, which is not an easy task! Aside from all the dangers one might face crossing through the forest to arrive at the mountainside, smoke and dust now fill the air from the collapse and breathing will be difficult initially. Get your characters to the site in any way you see fit - flying via dragon back is acceptable.

Feel free to have some interactions along the way!

Once there, you'll discover the following:
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Base of the Mountains

Piles upon piles of earth, rock, and detritus have collapsed here, making a steady incline of unstable hills leading toward what appears to be city walls. They are broken and dilapidated, leaving several means by which one could enter the ruins. Inside the walls are structures much like modern buildings, but with unique architecture - the likes of which none have seen here in the Weyr before. More unsettling, are the skeletons, preserved like fossils, of the inhabitants of this city - as though it were frozen into the mountain so suddenly as to trap them in their stony tombs.

A long, slender, treacherous stairway winds back and forth along the western face of the mountains leading to an internal platform that wraps around the bottom of the egg, like a nest. Climbing these stairs to investigate the egg is no small or easy matter.

Finally, many of the chambers of the ruins, and the buildings themselves, lead into dark, mysterious places buried into the side of the mountain leading to unknown dangerous, and perilous treasures.
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Second Objective

Explore the debris, the ruins, and all the surrounding area. Think and look before you leap. Interact, make friends, communicate, and find out where this all came from, and what it means! Just remember the ground is crumbly and dangerous, the area is very unstable, and the higher you go, the stronger the wind and the thinner the air!

Feel Free to PM me with any special requests, questions, or anything else.
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It was quiet, much too quiet for Foxie's liking, and the scent of acrid granite that accompanied the breeze that swept into the weyr without warning made him wrinkle his nose. The tremor earlier had been quite a shock, and if not for Rose suddenly grabbing him seconds before the quake hit, he would have fallen over. What was that? Mangle asked incredulously. Something big must be happening. Go look out the window, Foxie. After convincing Rose to let them go (which she did, albeit reluctantly), Foxie approached the window and looked outside. He couldn't see anything unusual, but that didn't mean something hadn't happened. His thoughts immediately drifted to the two acquaintances he had made in his short time thus far on Teragaia: Cassandra and Kage. The foxlike male hoped they were all right, but there could be no harm in checking up on them, could there?

"Rose, we should probably go."

Immediately catching on to the note of worry in Foxie's tone, Rose tilted her head but nodded. She didn't know her ward's friends personally, but she did know that they were important to him. The Stiletto Sharplade and the fox shifter left the hotel they were staying at to look for Cassandra and Kage to ensure that they were all right. Judging by the crowd of villagers milling about in confusion and worry after the unexpected tremor, it might be a bit more difficult to find them. The variety of scents wasn't a problem for Foxie, however, as each person had a unique scent, and he should easily be able to easily distinguish Cassandra's and Kage's scents from the other townspeople. Unfortunately, such a thing proved to be much easier said than done, and Foxie was forced to rely on his vision and sense of hearing in order to try and pick out their voices, should either of them even be in the crowd.

******************
Challenge: Numbers
Word used: Two
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Raferties
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The quake had been quite unlike anything Anari had ever experienced before.

The former watch lieutenant had been through a lot - guarding her city, apprehending criminals of all stripes, defying Dragon Highlords, and even enduring torture - but this took the cake. Never before had she seen part of a mountain come tumbling down to the ground below.

She'd been actually massaging some of Mishra's cream into her thigh after a thorough workout session when it had happened, throwing her prone and sending objects on shelves in her weyr quarters tumbling down on her. Instantly her mind had become bombarded with inquiring from all her companions as to her well-being and did she have any idea what was happening.

As soon as the quake was over, Anari scrambled into her clothes and hurried outside to find Aegis, Rannegar, and Oroveth, with Caedwyn meeting her part-way. They were all fine, but understandably shaken, and Oroveth had nearly bowled the woman over as she pressed to her for comfort. This kind of thing wasn't something a young dragon knew how to deal with, even if they were a gold!

Together they left the weyr proper, going down into the village where people were scrambling to put their lives back into some kind of order. Families frantically sought each other out, the healers (including Weyrhealer Larandaithiel taking charge as always) tending to those who were injured, dragonriders organizing the chaos, and Weyrwoman Sandasa right in the middle of it all, giving orders and reassuring the frightened.

"Anari!" she called, when she caught sight of her successor, waving her over. Anari quickly joined her, with her posse of companions in tow. "I'm so glad you weren't hurt in all this."

"What happened?" Anari asked, to which the half-elf just pointed to the mountain in the distance, and its very visible new addition. "Wha... is that... an egg?"

"So it appears," Sandasa replied as she pointed some of her dragonriders to another building. "Watch that shop! It's leaning - make sure there's nobody trapped inside." As they hurried to obey, she turned her attention back to the apparent cause of the quake. "From what I was told by those who witnessed it, the whole mountain just sheered away, and there was the egg, with perhaps ruins besides. People are frightened, looking for answers." Anari stared at the egg, and slowly her face set in a familiar expression, something that honestly pleased the weyrwoman. It was determined, and a touch angry.

"That egg... it is the cause of this. It's caused people to be hurt, scared." Sandasa nodded.

"That it has. And although I would like to provide those answers, I have to remain here to lead." It was a subtle hint that Anari scarcely needed.

"Then I will go. This thing is threatening the weyr... and I won't let that stand."

All right! Lets go! Caedwyn cheered with an enthusiastic bark.

"Caedwyn," Anari spoke up, eyes never leaving the mountain, "I want you to stay here."

What? Why? He was so disappointed he whimpered, causing Anari to look at her off-color illaro and stroke his head.

"It isn't because I don't want you to, Caedwyn. But I need you here. Oroveth can't fly me to the mountain; she's too young. And though a dragon might prove to be useful, I think I would rather have her remain here. The pair of you can help Sandasa maintain control here, and protect everybody should something else happen." Aegus nodded.

I can fly you there, Anari, the gryphon volunteered, and help you should you find battle.

I think I should go as well, Rannegar put in, tail flicking slowly. You know I am good with puzzles, and that's exactly what this is. Anari nodded, then smiled at Mishra.

"I think you should remain behind as well. You're very organized - I'm certain that will be useful." Already some of the other drgonriders had taken to the wing, flying towards the mountain.

Be careful, Anari, Mishra murmured, nuzzling against Anari's hands before flying over to settle on Caedwyn's shoulder. Oroveth pushed her head against Anari's chest.

While I don't like the thought of you going without me, the young queen dragon said, I know you are right. It would be best for me to remain behind. Just please be careful, A'ri. I can't lose you. Anari stroked the dragon's head and neck, letting her eyes close. Had she ever thought a dragon could care about her so much?

"I will be careful - I have too much to lose, to take foolish risks." After a final embrace to them all, Anari climbed onto Aegis' back, and both he and Rannegar took to the sky, four wings beating steadily as they flew.

The closer they got to their destination, the more difficult flight became. The air was choked with dust and difficult to both see and breathe in, and Aegis mentally urged Anari to press down against his mane to protect herself. Finally though, they broke through and saw the Egg and the ruins that surrounded it.

"What do you make of that?" Anari wondered, looking over the scene below.

I do not know, Rannegar replied as they circled slightly to maintain altitude. But we should go find out! Together the group of them descended in the first space large enough to handle the gryphon and sphinx doing so, then Anari dismounted, checking to make sure her flail was loose in its holster before they began looking around.

((Word Count: 939, Words for Egg Challenge - Numbers - four, Astronomical - sky, Down to Earth - Mountain, Words for Writing Challenge - Game On - Lose))
Note: Until further stated, Scarheart, Belial, and Cassandra have standing permission to powerplay Raferties or Anari.
Raferties and his Shinies ~~Anari and her Shinies~~ Keldos and his Shinies~~Cobalt and her Shinies~~Taki and her Shinies~~Kemori and his Shinies
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Cassandra had been in her shop at the time that the earth shook and had been slightly annoyed by the shudder. Liquid Wishes being an alchemical shop, you can understand that it was not a thrilling idea for such a sudden quake to topple several of her potions to the floor before she could do anything to prevent the shattering. Thankfully, her quick reflexes had managed to save a majority of the potions, yet still around ten were lost. Briefly.

She snapped her fingers and murmured a couple of words that reconstituted the delicate vials onto her counter with the liquids once again inside. Narrowing her eyes, she nodded and smiled slightly. All the right concoctions in their appropriate containers. Cassandra mostly worried for her master, Scarheart, who had been in the back room setting up some of the shelving he had made for her. Figuring that he would be capable of handling himself for a brief moment, she called out with a tip of her head, her hand already opening the front door to slip outside. "Scarheart? Did you feel that?"

The scent hit her rather abruptly, causing her nose to wrinkle a bit. "I think something happened you might be interested in." As she had glanced around the horizon, her eyes had finally found their final destination, the blatant "thing that didn't belong" in the weyr. Well, with how the illogical field worked, anything belonged, but that didn't mean that they should be there in the first place.

"How do you feel about eggs?"

I do not find them thrilling. Elsharaz padded up beside his Master and stared hard at the egg. She guessed he was attempting to make it disappear. It was the Djinn's Dragon that retorted first:
Then I suppose you can tend to the shop, now can't you?

Cassandra ignored the bickering as it continued and she took a couple additional steps out to watch excess pieces of clay tumble down towards the base of the peak. Out of the corner of her eye, the Djinn noticed a familiar figure darting in and out of the coalescing crowd that was gaping at the same thing she was. She gave a faint wave and called out to him.

"Foxie? Did you see what happened?" Cassandra gazed back towards the egg, then the sky, wondering if the egg fell or if it had been beneath all the dirt. She concluded it was probably the latter, by the looks of the matter.

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Word Count :: 414 // Earth ** Sky ** Ten
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~*~

Relaxation. At least, that's what Ashyana was attempting whenever she saw the debris fly from the mountain. She had been lying on a hillside relatively near her forge, a good walk away, to be honest. It was a serene location, one with an odd shaped tree atop it that she had never before seen... white bark with the particular type of leaves and branches was an entrancing sight and she had been just wanting to take a breath of fresh air after her most recent bout in the forge. It was nothing like her first endeavor in the heat; instead it was more lax and would take a manner of months potentially.

Nonetheless, now her attention was shattered by the rumble through the ground, the appearance of the egg that had once been buried, and the scent that washed over her. She, unfortunately, was close enough to be blasted by a bit more than any else had been as a wave of aftermath rolled its way downhill to where she had been at peace. Coughing and rolling, Ashyana took several moments to recover, her body discolored from the grey dust and she was forced to pick bits and pieces of only-Gaian-knows-what from her kimono. Ugh.

Ashyana grimaced and brushed her clothing off, wiping her face clean and shooting a quick glance to the tree at her side. Pristine. The Selu managed a smile as she adjusted her gaze back towards the protrusion. She had to get closer. A hand on her katana, brushing that free of sediment as well, she began her path towards her grandiose quest.

It took an unfortunate amount of time to reach the base of a footpath that Ashyana's elven vision had been able to pick out, but finally she was there. Sighing softly, she sat on a boulder and took a breather. The break was quite brief and did not quite give her ample opportunity to relax, but if she was to get to the ruins with any form of expedition, she was not going to have too much time to dawdle. She could already see bits of the ruins sticking up around her, but she paid little attention to these bits. The notion on her mind was the singular hole she could see higher up the mountain in those ruins.

Dusting her hands off, she smiled again and continued her jaunt. She knew that a good deal of people from the village that may be interested in this event had companions and that eventually the debris remnant in the air would bother even her own senses... any fragment of assistance would be lovely. She had several ideas of means to assist those that would follow in her wake, should it be needed.

Soon in her ascent, Ashyana began to feel the excitement building up inside her. The stairway was steep and sometimes she was having to divert her path to either side to ensure she didn't slip and fall all the way back to the bottom. At times, she hesitated and left markings along the way to indicate to any future passers where would be a wise location to step. A bit of hopeful aid.

The newfound youth that the elf had acquired at entering the world was beginning to take its toll on her demeanor, making her still the calm and wise entity she had been for centuries, but the giddiness of a child wanted to spring forth and cause her to run. However, she knew that running up the dilapidated steps would be too hazardous, so she managed to quell such desire.

Finally. She had finally reached her destination.

She knew that she was not the only person that would be arriving without any form of flight means and even those that may be in the air perhaps could use some indication as to any other persons upon the mountainside. So, a plan in mind, she wandered around the general area and collected an armful of scattered wood. A couple minutes later, there was a fire with an array of natural plants she had easily found that would cause the smoke to shift in colors, a galaxy of hues to help guide any that may wish, find another soul to accompany them. Getting lost in these ruins would not be a pleasant task, she figured.

A smile came to her lips as she turned and sat on a step nearby to the fire. Here. Here the Selu'ani would wait for whoever else was coming.

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Word Count :: 752 // Mountain ** Galaxy ** One
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Word Challenge :: Game On! => Quest Word Count Total :: 1166
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Tidesweep
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Tide floated in the water as she looked up at the sky. She had been swimming when the quake hit and it was only her connection to her companions that had alerted her to what was going on. That and the giant egg that suddenly appeared in the sky. Okay. Not exactly the sky, but she figured that was a moot point as she swam back to shore.

Climbing up and out, she quickly put her top and shorts back on before running towards the village. She had to make sure her companions were okay. And what about Anari? Lost? Raferties? Any of the other villages? The closer she got to the village and the mountain range, the more the smell became sharper. It left a bitter taste on her tongue as the smoke made it hard to see. Suddenly Sinet was there beside her and doing her best to help Tide see through the smoke and falling ash.

We need to go to the mountain. It wasn't so much a demand as a statement of fact which surprised Tide more than anything. Maybe having her form shifted improved Sinet's mood. Maybe it was the fact that the former Umbra was no longer the bottom of the pack technically. Either way, it seemed she was mellowing out. Slightly. Nodding her head, Tide scrambled aboard while reaching out to her other companions. Stay safe. Keep each other safe. And if you can find Lost and make sure him and his are also okay.

With that being taken care of, Tide and Sinet set out. The smell got worse the closer they got the Egg and the ruins. The smell of ancient things and decaying ones also joined in. It was such a weird mix that it had Tide in a sneezing fit as Sinet just wrinkled up her nose.

Suddenly Tide tensed as the smell of burning reached her nose. Feeling her rider tense up, Sinet looked toward the sky and noticed the smoky hues forming there. Since there were no other things like it around, she figured it had to be a guide. She also knew it was fire and Tide wouldn't be going near it. Would you like to try? Tide's head shaking was all that was needed and Sinet nodded. Keep an eye on that necklace of yours. If it grows cold, I took a wrong step. With that said, Sinet started to pick her way carefully through the rubble, keeping on eye on the smoke and another on where her feet were going.

After all, if she could intersect and put the smoke directly behind her, that would be like them starting from the smoke and following whatever path the smoke marked out. Right? Right.

(Word Count: 460 Astronomical: Sky)
"Death has a bone to pick with you and I'm here to help out." -Cain Skelington

"The waves have their own music...Are you listening?" - Tidesweep

"Don't take my silence for agreement. That would be a mistake."- Gertude Weavian

"I will protect what is mine with a will forged like a diamond."- Mildred Fresi

"Healing can take time. Lucky for you, you should having nothing but it for awhile."- Jeremi Kgute
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Raferties
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Before the quake, Raferties had been relaxing in his weyr with Belial and Kaya, the erinyes playing with Aurae while the adults cuddled with each other on a couch.

As everything began to shake, however, Guardian instinct snapped to the fore, so that even as Kaya wrapped herself around the firelizard to protest her, Raferties was diving to his knees beside Kaya to wrap arms and wings around her, then Belial was beside them as well, his arms encircling his family and his much sturdier wings making a final barrier against harm.

Thankfully it had not lasted long. The instant it was over, Raferties' mind was bombarded with the voices of the shiny component of his family, asking about his well-being and that of Kaya and Belial, and reporting that the Lorekeeper's six-winged brother was fine - he'd been outside with Girith, soaking up some of the warm sun like any respectable Solarian angel did from time to time.

With the initial crisis averted, it was now time to get down to things and figure out what had happened.

Departing the weyr, the egg in the distance was easily visible from where it had shattered through the rock that had once encased it (or had it fallen to its new location? It was impossible to know). Regardless of how it got to where it was, Raferties had long developed a standing practice when it came to events that were likely caused by the IF: When something strange happened, look for the newest thing to have appeared, and that is likely the cause, purpose, or answer for the riddle. Keldos joined them by this point, and it was quickly decided what they should do.

Kaya would remain behind, protected by the rest of Raferties and Belial's companions, while the angel brothers and devil would ride upon Girith and Kivalth to see about this egg. It appeared that others were already en route, so if they needed it there would be ample help about. That was good.

Raferties had a feeling this thing couldn't be tackled alone.

((Word count: 347 - Numbers - six, Astronomical - sun, Down to Earth - rock

********

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Keldos had to shake his head. The more he stayed here on Teregaia with his brother, the more and more he couldn't help but gape in shock at the strange things that happened.

And this took the cake.

Basking in the warmth outside with Girith, enjoying just relaxing and for once taking a little time for himself... then suddenly the ground shaking hard enough to nearly bounce him from his feet when he'd gone to stand. At first he wondered if a meteor had crashed down somewhere, when he saw it.

The egg.

For a long moment the Firstborn Firstborn had just stood there, staring in shock. Then he'd rushed to find Raferties, make certain he was okay, then just as swiftly he, Raferties, and Belial had rushed off upon dragonback to investigate.

As they flew, Keldos' mind rushed through all the things that he thought might be the cause of all this trouble. Unfortunately, even were he to only count the mundane options, he could easily get results well into the thousand point mark. Factoring in the Illogical Field... well, that number multiplied exponentially. By the second.

It seemed the only logical thing to do was to wait and see what they would find when they got there.

It was impossible to talk over the beating of wings, unless he nearly shouted in Raferties' ear from where he sat behind his brother, but when he sighted the colored plume of smoke breaking through the cloud of stone dust he tugged on his brother's wing to get his attention, then pointed past him. The Lorekeeper nodded that he'd seen it, and a moment later Belial looked that way as well, alerted by the bond shared between angel and devil. While making for it might be a valid idea, there were also others that had a head start and would likely beat them there. Raferties had gone silent and had a distant look on his face, likely in communication with Belial, so Keldos just checked to make sure his sword was loose in its scabbard and that his armor was fitting him securely (it was, as always), to brace for the battle ahead.


(word Count: 365; Astronomical - meteor, Down to Earth - stone, Numbers - thousand))


((Scarheart said I could post Raf and Keldos' together, since they would be acting together. Each segment for them will be up for the challenges.))
Note: Until further stated, Scarheart, Belial, and Cassandra have standing permission to powerplay Raferties or Anari.
Raferties and his Shinies ~~Anari and her Shinies~~ Keldos and his Shinies~~Cobalt and her Shinies~~Taki and her Shinies~~Kemori and his Shinies
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Foxie shook his head. "Afraid not, sugar plum. Might it have anything to do with the rather large egg over there?" The egg in question was indeed huge, and Foxie could hardly imagine what kind of creature would hatch from it, if indeed anything would. "At least there aren't any more, right?" he asked with a smile, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "Either way, we're glad you and your friend are all right. We were afraid you might have gotten hurt in the quake."

Rose tilted her head as she observed Cassandra. She seemed nice enough, but if this young woman put her ward in danger inn any way, shape, or form, she couldn't guarantee what would happen. Just in case, she wrapped her tail protectively around Foxie's waist, keeping a sharp eye on Cassandra, Elsharaz, and Qarath. The Hellhound pup was too small to do any real damage before being stopped, but the dragon was rather imposing despite being a youngling. Foxie blushed a bit, only slightly embarrassed but at the same time touched that Rose cared so much for the two of them.

"It's all right, mother," Foxie said quietly. "I doubt Cassandra wants to hurt any of us. If she had, I'm certain she would have done so when we first met." Rose glanced down at him, and seeing Foxie's reassuring smile, finally relented. It is not that I don't trust you, youngling, but my ward comes first. I'm sure you understand, Rose said, gazing at the Djinn before her. I do not wish for any harm to befall him.

"Us," Foxie corrected Rose gently. "We just happen to share the same body, that's all."

Rose nodded. She still didn't completely understand the idea as to how two souls could share in a single body, but she supposed it was something she would have to get used to eventually.
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Cassandra grinned, understanding the bonded's unease. "Well, thank you for your concern, Foxie. We're both alright and I was even thinking of heading up to the egg to see what the whole debacle was about." Glancing over her shoulder, she tipped her head and called out, "Master Scarheart, will you join us?"

At noticing the unease that Rose appeared to have, especially with Cassandra's companions, she shifted slightly and mildly addressed it, "That is, if you want to go, as well, Foxie.. I'm thinking that we could walk up to the base and see if there's anyway to get up safely. And darling Rose, neither Qarath, Elsharaz, nor myself mean any harm whatsoever to you or Foxie. In fact, I tend to not like harming people in general."

Pausing, Cassandra summoned a couple slabs of meat and offered some to the hesitant companion. "A peace offering?"
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Raferties
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The problem, it seemed, with being a creature as big as the dragons was that when they were flying, they had to draw in exponentially large lungfulls of air. When said air was choked by dust, it quickly became more than they could handle, even with their respective prides factoring in.

I believe this is as close as either of us can get! Girith called out openly. If we go lower, we may cause harm to the ruins or kick up even more dust and debris with the downdraft.

"Then we will simply go down the rest of the way ourselves!" shouted back the Lorekeeper, wings half-spreading. Already acting on the idea, Belial had leaned over his red mottle's side and tumbled free, shapeshifting as he went into a bird with the dragon quickly arcing away to not interfere with his flight by her wingbeats. A moment later, and Girith was also banking away, with Raferties and Keldos gliding and flapping through the air, momentarily buffeted by the gusts from the blue mottle but the archangel quickly compensating, then reaching out to help his brother whom, as he would freely admit, had never been a strong flier when it came to cross-winds.

The pair of angel landed beside Belial in a clearing in the ruins. Being finally among them, it was clear that they would have needed to perform that maneuver anyhow, as there was no place large enough that they could see for the dragons to land. It was time to get a look around, and see if there were any clues to be had on their way towards the plume of colored smoke a few 'blocks' away.
Note: Until further stated, Scarheart, Belial, and Cassandra have standing permission to powerplay Raferties or Anari.
Raferties and his Shinies ~~Anari and her Shinies~~ Keldos and his Shinies~~Cobalt and her Shinies~~Taki and her Shinies~~Kemori and his Shinies
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"Do you mind if we go with you? There is safety in numbers, after all," Foxie suggested, glancing back up at the huge egg. He just hoped that whatever hatched from the egg wasn't going to bring about the end of the world...though that was probably just a silly idea on his part. Nothing like that could really happen, could it?

Rose relaxed a bit and offered Cassandra a slight smile. She would trust this young djinn for now, as Cassandra seemed to hold no ill intent towards her ward. I appreciate your offering, but it is unnecessary. Surely your own companions need it far more, as they are still younglings, she replied, glancing at the young dragon and hellhound at Cassandra's side. Foxie smiled reassuringly at his reptilian companion. "I'm certain nothing bad will happen to us so long as you're around..." he said softly.
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Update

  • Foxie - 1 point
  • Anari - 3 points
  • Raferties - 3 points
  • Keldos - 3 points
  • Cassandra - 3 points
  • Ashyana - 3 points
  • Tide - 1 point
Community Total - 17 points of a possible 21 (based on active participants).

Actual update coming soon (I hope). Once the update is complete, the first challenge will be locked and a second one will begin. I've been trying to squeeze in the time to update - it will be soon.
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Challenge 2 has now ended!
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Vibrations were incredibly powerful for Scarheart. Just moments before the cacophony of crumbling earth and colliding mountain, Hren had felt the gentle sway of the ground beneath the foundation of the shoppe. He could feel that a great tectonic movement was approaching. In that decisive second, he had slipped out the back door of Cassandra's store and made his way toward the source of the trembling. He hesitated little to send Serosa and Larieth back to their wooded home for safety. This was something massive happening, and he'd risk none but himself to investigate.

He was moments away from breaking through the forest into the dry barrens when it all came tumbling down. Being so close to ground zero, Hren was thrown off his feet to his back - which just happened to hit a hillside and roll down into a ravine, off a rock ledge, and into a rushing river rapid below. He was conscious in the cold water only briefly, before the impact into a jagged, rocky shore sent him into the great land of painful slumber...
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Kage could not be reached for comment - who knows what he was doing that he shouldn't have been when the whole event took place? It likely involved a bar maid or gambling or both. He couldn't be disturbed.
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An Ancient Society
Upon arriving at the collapse, the debris and fallen mountainside making a proverbial ramp to the elevation at which the ancient city resided, one could tell many interesting factors. It was not a singular building. Instead, upon close inspection, one would discover it was a walled city with countless now-exposed buildings making up the immediate landscape, with several more still half-buried in the rocky terrain.

Several piece of the archaic architecture have collapsed and are barely recognizable any longer. However, one distinct piece of sculpture remains completely intact - a statue in the center of the open courtyard. Nearly 30 feet tall, a strange vaguely humanoid shape is covered in earthen robes that were, at one point, dyed green. Two thin, lanky arms rest at the creature's side, while two more reach into the sky holding in their grip a bowl that is half-upturned. By the bright green and black algae clinging to the lip of the vase, its fairly evident that at one point, this statue poured a constant source of water into the basin below.

Several of the buildings can still be entered with simple, rectangular open doorways. Holes in the mountains themselves reach ever deeper into the ominous dark beyond. Roads intersect all over the foundation of the structure like a highly civilized, but simplistic, society.

Two large egg-shaped obelisks rest at the edges of the ruins where the natural stone still rests over collapsed walls. They are made of metal with white and silver tracings going along their exterior like lightning bolts. Upon approach, one gets the eerie sensation of being watched. The closer you get to the steel devices, the more paranoid you become as your heart begins to race and the paranoia becomes dread.

Along the cracked, winding stairs that lead up the rocky cliffs to the northern edge of the city, are all sorts of harsh, jagged writing. The steps themselves have symbols on them - each one a different inscription inside of a circle, and they lead all the way up to the egg itself, stopping abruptly and disappearing into the stone.
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Objective
Finish arriving and explore the ruins. You can go inside the structures, climb the stairway all the way up to the egg from the base of the ruins, or if you're so daring enough, approach the strange steel obelisks and find out their purpose.

Your goal at the moment is to interact with one another, share experiences, and as a community, understand why, and even how, this all exists. I will post much more consistently now as people try new things. Hopefully by my next post, we'll see some puzzles =)
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Anari
Upon landing nearby to the ruins, with the debris scattered, Anari's keenly trained eyes as a member of the watch landed upon a piece of bronze glinting up from beneath some shattered clay pots that came along with the rubble. Carefully knocking aside the bits of detritus revealed the bronze object to be a small headband made of thin, woven bronze. The overall appearance was that of three vines entwined together. At the front of it was a simple turquoise stone with a black lettering engraved into its smooth, dusty-but-shiny exterior.

Ashyana
Climbing the stairs would have normally been impossible for this aged Elven woman, but now - her newfound youth allowed such a feat, albeit with its own drawbacks. Upon one random step, Ashyana discovered a piece of vellum, tucked into a bit of stone still attached to the mountain side. The writing on it was entirely foreign, but somehow still seemed familiar. How it had survived for so long in such a harsh environment, would be a question just as valid as what it said. Perhaps some of the others arriving would know the language...

Tidesweep
Perhaps the Illogical Field was at play for her, but the itchy sensation of the smoke was enough to keep eyes squinted and narrow the intensity of the sunlight pouring through the cloud of dust that was now rising high into the clouds above. It was this nearly-closed eyesight that caused a blurry glance upon a particular rock that, without such attention, surely would have been tripped over. More importantly, however, something was within the rock - encased by the sediment and shifting earth for a number of years vastly unknown. Upon even the most casual of inspection, a small finger bone would be found locked within the encasement. A four-jointed finger bone. Long, slender, and sturdy, it gave evidence that just perhaps... the collapse carried with it many more laid-to-rest, and they were all beneath the feet of the weary travelers. In particular, however, this rock-encased finger bone was the only one visually obvious. Perhaps it might provide a clue later, if one had the notion to carry such a thing...

Raferties / Keldos / Belial
As the trio made their way inward toward the stones that once were something far more magnificent than the wreckage of society left behind, bits of clay were scattered everywhere. Writing adorned each of them, in one form or another, but the language was so lost to time it would take even something truly as old as the ruins a while to piece together what it could say. Gathering pieces here and there would surely help construct a cypher. More specifically, however, Keldos' battle sense would pay off here. He could almost feel the presence of the weapon before eyes would land upon it. Entirely beneath a fallen rock, he'd discover a metal haft of a weapon with a blade on one end. The entirety of the steel (and still sharp) weapon would be in curving lines, creating a sword-like edge that forked into three points, almost like a flame. The other end of the haft, which clearly used to bear -something-, was long gone. Perhaps it might be useful...

Cassandra / Foxie
For now, the worry for Kage would be set aside by the sheer knowledge he was lucky enough to not be injured by such an unpredictably unlucky thing. With Cassandra's ability to teleport, the duo and their companions arrived just outside of the tragic scene.

Upon appearing at the first onset of stone and debris, they would quickly discover the crowd of people gathering along the base of the mountainside. Perhaps some of Kage's luck was on Foxie, for none of them were children. More lucky still, was Elsharaz tripping on a pointed rock that stung his tender paw. A string of expletives escaped his muzzle as he tumbled a bit down the rock uninjured. While it looked sloppy, the land was rather cat-like, though he'd never admit such. Then, his eyes caught upon a small leather band barely big enough to fit around his neck. It was covered in that strange, ancient writing, and almost seemed to call to him. Perhaps he could slip it on and none would be the wiser...
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(Look to the Stars Challenge: Galaxy, 1585 words)
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After arriving in the ruins, the Djinn shaking off the residual frost that clung to her body after the transition, Cassandra started looking around the immediate area. It was glorious being this close to so much history again. Granted, the castle that she had encountered earlier in her stay in Teragaia had been old, but it was also unnatural. This, however, was what remained of some ancient society that no one had experienced for at least hundreds, if not thousands of years. Smirking, she muttered to Foxie, "This place may actually be older than me.. maybe."

Her melodic laugh rang out and suddenly it dawned on her. Elsharaz... he had yet to make any comment berating her joke or poking and prodding about the cold of the teleportation. The jovial nature instantly dropping, she shot a couple quick glances around the general area and extended her mental senses out to attempt to reach the Hellhound. Elsha- As she felt him down a small embankment, Cassandra quickly hurried over to it and dropped to a knee to look upon him. At first she scolded herself for having not noticed her friend's tumble... but then she saw what he was trying to do and lashed out with words - they worked on the pup much better than physicality. "Elsharaz, what do you think you're trying to hide?"

The Hellhound jerked, having not realized he had been seen, and he spun on his paws, scrambling for more assured footing.

What?! He blinked innocently up at his master and tried to pretend to be sinless. Unfortunately, Cassandra knew him better than that...

"What did you find? I'm sure it could be interesting for all of us to see if you bring it back up.."

The gentle prodding did it and, as though he had been kicked (albeit softly), Elsharaz began his re-ascent to Cassandra and the others. As he reached her side once more, he of course did try to make all his efforts seem fully intended. I was simply retrieving it for you... isn't that what a good dog is supposed to do?

Cassandra couldn't help but to smile at his retort. "Granted, pup, but you aren't any dog I've ever met.. I wouldn't like you, then."

She turned back to Foxie, the small band in her hand as she held it out for them both to see. "Do you know what language this is? I'm guessing that no one around here will, otherwise the place wouldn't have been buried in rock and looking like this.. but I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask." She grinned at him, a wild spark in her eyes. "Isn't this fascinating?"

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Chosen Word :: pretend
Word Count :: 443
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Posted Image
~*~

As Ashyana waited at the step by her fire, the scent of the smoke created a lovely aura around her to meditate, to ponder the puzzle that was laid out before her. Literally, in this case. Lying on the ground was the piece of vellum she had found along her path upwards, a couple of rocks lightly holding down the corners as to not damage the material and yet still allow for her to be capable of reading it as much as one could read a mysterious language from an ancient, deceased society.

She had honestly spent the last number of minutes of solitude running through as many different dialects, languages, cyphers, and scripts that she had memorized over the centuries, although she was coming quickly to an end of her knowledge. This was not her forte, she was well aware of that, but she knew that many others in the village may have a better chance at such knowledge. In fact, she had heard at the very least that there were some more ancient potentially than she dwelling within the civilization, so perhaps one of them would know. Or the shugenja she heard rumors of.

The Selu'ani shook her head, closing her eyes and breathing in the cooling air around her, causing her entire body to relax and keeping a finger on the paper just in case a cruel wind came about; there was no sense being idiotic about such a matter.

"It looks familiar, yet nothing I can fathom holds the key. Perhaps it relates to another language.. or it collects from a group of languages?" She sighed and opened her eyes to scan the area, still waiting patiently for any others to show themselves. It was a good thing that she was so calm; she predicted that another person that would be in her position would already be up and wandering through the ruins. Then again, they would be at least gaining the knowledge from the untapped resource.

Ashyana gazed longingly, but remained, shaking the feeling with a wry smile. This was good training for her. Calling out softly, she decided that perhaps the smoke was not enough attention or even drove anyone away by chance. "Any that wander by, feel free to join me at my fire after such an interesting trek." The elf stood, brushing her garb free of the dirt and debris. Her anxiety was growing, but she instead took the opportunity to add more flora to the flame, causing the smoke to send a wave of purple into the air to give indication that someone was still by the campsite, returning afterwards to her previous position. Rubbing her temples, she returned to the vellum at her side, scrutinizing it once more. One does not waste the allotted time they are given with idle nonsense of personal dilemma.

As for the others... she'd give them another ten minutes before she would let her youth and impertinence take over.

Maybe five.

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Chosen Word :: themselves
Word Count :: 496
World Challenge :: Game On! "Puzzle" Total Word Count :: 939
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Tidesweep
Shrine Attendant
[ *  *  * ]
Each step that Sinet took was just one wrong step away from having them both toppling downhill and probably towards certain death. The rubble and smoke made climbing treacherous and dangerous. Though the smoke did have the lovely bonus of forcing them to focus their vision on what was in front of them rather than trying to take in everything at once. Which is how they stumble upon such an interesting find.

Sliding off Sinet to peer closer at the rock, Tide made a face of pity, concern and respect as she realized just what they had found. It was a bone. A four segmented bone to be more exact. A bone from someone who had been buried here. Repressing a shiver, Tide sent a quick prayer up to the universe, asking for forgiveness for accidentally stepping on these skeletons graves. "What do you think? Should we take it with us?" It wouldn't be too hard to get it from the rock. Not with Sinet's powerful claws and the force she could put behind them.

I don't know...I feel like we should. I mean, why else would we have found it like we did? I mean, I don't believe in fate and things like that, but you do so... Sinet shrugged her shoulders and then promptly sneezed as the smoke tickled her nose. Shaking free of the sneeze, she moved closer and carefully cracked the rock around the finger bone so Tide could pry it loose.

Handling it with care, Tide dug in her bag to find a cloth. Wrapping the bone up carefully, she tucked it in a safe place in her bag. Scrambling back up onto Sinet, they continued on their way, wondering just whose graves they were walking on and it they would find any more bones along the way.

They didn't which was a relief, but as the city came into view, that relief soon turned into awe and a little bit of dread. The city was magnificent. Just walking the streets, they got a feeling of what the city might have been like before whatever happened to it happened to it. Tide could imagine people bustling down the streets on their way to work or shopping or just browsing around the market place. Now those same self streets were covered in rubble and rocks. What once might have been proud buildings were now nothing but former shells. The ghosts of the past echoed strongly within this place and Tide couldn't help the shiver that went down her spine.

That was before she spotted the giant egg statues. The feeling of terror that shot through her was enough to alert Sinet. Not even knowing what had set it off, Sinet took off running, not stopping till she reached the courtyard with the tall statue. The further away they were from the stone eggs, the more relaxed Tide became until there was nothing but awe in her mind as she looked up at the statue.

It towered above them all and she was surprised that it actually still remained standing given the state of all the other buildings in the area. Whoever made it must have been a good craftsman. Moving off of Sinet, she approached the figure to get a better look at it.

Finding the evidence that this was once a fountain, Tide looked for a way up toward the vase the statue held, she gave up and started to climb over the edge of the lip of the basin. Sure that is a good idea.

"Yes. If anything, there are probably others in the area that you can go get to help out if something happens. Besides, it doesn't look that deep." And with that, Tide pushed herself off the lip so she could and in the other side of the basin. She wanted a closer look and she was gonna get that closer look. Getting wet just wasn't a problem for her.

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The word I picked is segmented
"Death has a bone to pick with you and I'm here to help out." -Cain Skelington

"The waves have their own music...Are you listening?" - Tidesweep

"Don't take my silence for agreement. That would be a mistake."- Gertude Weavian

"I will protect what is mine with a will forged like a diamond."- Mildred Fresi

"Healing can take time. Lucky for you, you should having nothing but it for awhile."- Jeremi Kgute
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