Quests & Challenges

[item=manticore screamer] [quote] [center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/83712686][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/837127/83712686_350.png[/img][/url] [/center] They took their time packing up and planning a strategy for venturing into the spire. Truth be told, they were dragging their feet a little -- they all suspected once they got inside, they might not be leaving. There was a very distinct chance that a roving pack of hungry ghouls was the least of their problem. But Cora was here to investigate, and Lorel was deeply curious about the magics that were still working their way over her pelt. And Zikel was...well. Zikel didn't want to be lonely if they all left him behind. So they made slow progress onto the grounds of the ancient school ruins, taking care to move quietly and not disturb the ghouls who wandered the area. They kept bits of meat on hand to entice them with if any came too close. So far, so good. Except... "Hey. Do you guys see that?" "See what?" "That...glowy...thing." Sure enough, there was a dim violet glow emanating from a dark side hall. Cora and Lorel exchanged curious glances, but Zikel shimmied forward, his brow furrowed as if deep in thought or trying to remember something. He turned the corner. He screamed. Someone else screamed, in a high-pitched female voice. The obelisks darted forward to see what was happening, grimacing against the threat of curious ghouls drawn by the sound. They turned the corner, expecting to see Zikel flayed alive and murdered, but -- -- he was just fluttering here, talon grasping his chest. Sitting splayed on the floor of a crumbling, dusty old classroom was a female tundra, dressed in ninja gear -- hood, mask, gloves, even a dark cape. She had a hat pulled over her face. Scattered all around her were glowing orbs and crystal phials and tools Cora vaguely recognized as alchemical instruments. "You scared the ever-loving bejeezus out of me!" The tundra chided. "Who do you think you are?" "Who do I think *I* AM?" Zikel sputtered. "Who are YOU?! You're not a ghoul! Or a ghost! Don't you know this building is super haunted?" The tundra gave him an exasperated look, then seemed to realize there were other dragons nearby. She climbed up to her feet and dusted herself off, arranging her wings and trying to recover some dignity. Then she started picking up her fallen tools, stuffing them one by one into a pouch, playing the whole thing off very casually and as if she certainly had not been squealing in surprise a moment earlier. "My name is Morningstar," she said, not looking up or addressing anyone. "And this is my home. This was the home of my ancestors. It is my duty to stay here and guard this spire." There was a certain rhythm to her words, as if she'd memorized them by rote. Cora's eyes narrowed. "Your home is an ancient condemned haunted building?" She asked. "Just to clarify." "Look, we've all got our jobs to do, right?" Morningstar huffed. "Are there...a lot of you?" Lorel ventured. "I....no. I don't think as many, anymore. Maybe. I kind of...I am very busy, okay?" Her hat slipped sideways, and the others were able to catch a glimpse of her face between its brim and her mask. Instead of eyes, she had a face full of blistered, glowing pustules, clearly a curse mark or some kind of sentient fungal infection. "There's something kind of familiar about you, now that you mention it," Zikel said. He tilted his head. Frowned. "You...you kind of remind me of my old buddy Storm." Morningstar hesitated. "...yeah?" "Yeah. He was...kind of nervous and twitchy and had that same patterning. And those same tools, come to that..." The tundra's oozing pustules quivered. Was that a blink of surprise? "They did tell me these tools were passed down by my ancestors...that at one time a great-great-great uncle was a legendary hero of the magic war..." Cora wanted very much to hear all the details about the magic war, but before she could press for information, Zikel had darted forward, squealing with sheer joy, and enveloped his whole noodle body enthusiastically around the stranger for a hug. It wasn't his oldest bestest buddy, he mused as the tears welled up in his eyes. But, well, it kind of was? And he'd never wanted to see a familiar face so badly in his life. [/quote] I was starting to worry I was NEVER going to find a familiar and be able to buy a perma dragon lmao. I spent a long time trawling through all the hatcheries I have saved and sales threads looking for the perfect dragon and nothing was quite right. So I started playing around in the auction house, looking at crackle dragons for lore purposes, and this lady jumped out at me. Isn't she precious? @TheAwesoMew @TwilightStars @Foxe @TropicalDiamonds @BlueJaysFeather @RadientAngel @FinalValkyrie21 @Morigan @MysteryGyn @Everburn @Nargeorgicorn @Jaspernoir @smeen @Amezrou @BarbaraFett @OceanPuppy @JadeDragon18 @KrazKitCat @Weredogalism @Rosesinger @Bxy26 @Snaphance @Dragonaxew @Juneau @AloVra @InkedMyths @Ninazu @Lanturn @Aetherstorm @Tynethyne @bluelikechase @naranciag @MysteryCookie @ash2app

She is! Super pretty and pulls of a very interesting gene combo amazingly. :D

[center][item=ringmaster's bellwhip][/center] [quote] Morningstar showed them to her quarters, which appeared to be an old lecture hall that she'd fortified and turned into something resembling an apartment. There were edible plants growing in the thin shafts of light that cut through ruined windows and crumbling stone. "There are rats and insects, too," she said, "if you get hungry. I fortunately don't have much use for them so there's a lot." Oh, rats and bugs, what a treat! Cora thought, but kept her eye-rolling to herself. Her host was attempting to be gracious, after all. "So you live like this? All the time?" Lorel clarified, drawing her fine shawl around her shoulders. She had never felt so out-of-place before. Morningstar shrugged. "It doesn't seem that weird when it's how you grew up, I guess." Cora looked around at the seemingly empty living space. "Where's the rest of your family, then?" "There are more of us around," she said, and frowned. It was kind of hard to tell her expression for certain, given the mess of fungus that had taken over her face. "There used to be a lot of us. But our numbers have been...dwindling. No one wants to live this life anymore, so they leave when they come of age. And there are...dangers." "Like the ghouls." "For example." Cora flopped down on a dusty chair and withdrew a notebook from a coat pocket to start scribbling field notes. Zikel wandered the perimeter of the room, deep in thought. Since neither of them seemed to volunteer to carry the conversation forward, Lorel continued. "So what is it, exactly that you do here? If you don't mind us being nosy about that." Morningstar shook her head, readjusted her hat. "Not at all. I am part of a sacred order who helps to maintain the boundaries. We keep the magics contained." She paused, frowning. "What do you know about this place, exactly?" "I know I was a statue for like a hundred years before anybody managed to undo it," Zikel grumped. "While you were containing things, couldn't you all have done something about that?" "We try not to awaken anything here. We would, frankly, advise the opposite. A lot of our duty comes down to keeping things asleep so they do not escape." "...Things?" Cora looked up, pen poised over the notebook. "If you venture upstairs, you'll see a great many Things." Of that, no one had any doubt. [/quote] @TheAwesoMew @TwilightStars @Foxe @TropicalDiamonds @BlueJaysFeather @RadientAngel @FinalValkyrie21 @Morigan @MysteryGyn @Everburn @Nargeorgicorn @Jaspernoir @smeen @Amezrou @BarbaraFett @OceanPuppy @JadeDragon18 @KrazKitCat @Weredogalism @Rosesinger @Bxy26 @Snaphance @Dragonaxew @Juneau @AloVra @InkedMyths @Ninazu @Lanturn @Aetherstorm @Tynethyne @bluelikechase @naranciag @MysteryCookie @ash2app

[center][item=otherworldly aura][/center] [quote] The adventurers spent the night -- at least, they assumed it was night, it was a bit hard to tell in the dim hall -- with Morningstar. They slept in shifts, not quite trusting the odd dragon to keep watch with her quivering fungal eyes. The next day, they resumed their journey toward the staircase to ascend the second story of the tower. But before they got far, they were accosted by a pair of strange dragons, both dressed in mage wear. The male, an obelisk, wore a pointed hat identical to Morningstar's. The female, a skydancer, wore a bright red coat trimmed in gold cloth. Neither of them had glowing fungus for eyes, which seemed like a net positive. [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/84978885][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/849789/84978885_350.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/86082918][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/860830/86082918_350.png[/img][/url] "Halt and state your business," the obelisk said. "You are not ghouls," the skydancer said, then tilted her birdlike head as if this were an amusing but curious surprise. "They're with me," Morningstar piped up from the rear of the party. "They're friendly. Their names are...um..." she frowned, and drew a nervous talon around the hem of her rogue mask. "Uhh..." "Cora," she offered, stepping forward. "These are Zikel and Lorel. We are paranormal investigators." "Speak for yourself," Lorel muttered, wondering not for the first time exactly how she got roped into this. Cora ignored her. "I see you're dressed like our new friend Morningstar, here. Are you also guardians of the ancient magic?" The two dragons blinked, surprised by her directness. They exchanged glances. The obelisk nodded. "Something like that." He glanced over at Morningstar, like he wanted to say something but didn't want to say it around her, then said with a careful measured tone, "We were not born here, and do not suffer the same...affliction...as those who do. There are dangers in spending too much time here, so those of us in the order have a tendency to take our work in shifts of a few years at a time. We're surprised to see a party of adventurers bold enough to walk right in. Generally the ghouls keep people out." "We're looking for ghosts," Zikel offered. "Although I can't remember why. Also I used to be a statue. That was weird." Cora resisted the intense desire to facepalm at captain non sequitur. But the skydancer smiled, hiding her expression behind an elegant gloved talon. "Well. We should be grateful for the company. Be nice, Karobi, we don't get many visitors." She returned her gaze to Cora. "My mate here is right to be skeptical. Many who venture this far are ill-equipped, or else have dark motives for reaching the spire. But you seem goodhearted. I'd be curious to hear more of your journey. My name is Gwilym, and this is Karobi." She beckoned them forward and soon they found themselves in another old classroom, this one also decked out with plants growing in window planters, twisted and gnarled under the pale shafts of stolen light. There were also cages of birds and conspicuously rotting bits of wood teeming with bugs -- presumably a rather tasty treat for a skydancer. There was a low ember burning at a hearth, and she busied herself there with a kettle, putting on water for tea. "So," she said conversationally, after everyone was settled. "Explain yourselves." [/quote] Well! This works out very well for me plot-wise, lol. Two-for-one special here because I wanted to work my fodder-fail Karobi into the mix. I think Gwilym is gorgeous without the skin, but it looks so unique on her and the colors pop so well that I figured I'd leave it on her. They'll have cute kids if I can think up a good reason to breed them down the line :3 Speaking of breeding. Ghost project is going sloooooow. I'm getting close with ghouls, though. I think I should have a breeding pair of banescales very soon, and I've got a few really interesting pairs of gaolers. @TheAwesoMew @TwilightStars @Foxe @TropicalDiamonds @BlueJaysFeather @RadientAngel @FinalValkyrie21 @Morigan @MysteryGyn @Everburn @Nargeorgicorn @Jaspernoir @smeen @Amezrou @BarbaraFett @OceanPuppy @JadeDragon18 @KrazKitCat @Weredogalism @Rosesinger @Bxy26 @Snaphance @Dragonaxew @Juneau @AloVra @InkedMyths @Ninazu @Lanturn @Aetherstorm @Tynethyne @bluelikechase @naranciag @MysteryCookie @ash2app

[center][item=Ruche Slug][/center] [quote] Cora explained her mission as best she could to the pair of spire keepers. She explained that she was a paranormal investigator, that she'd come here to learn the truth of some claims reaching far and wide about the unusual powers of the spire and its mysterious history. She explained about Zikel, who had been awakened from a statue. And about Lorel, who underwent a magical transformation when she entreated the spire for help. She didn't mention Ulryk and his vague allusions of a greater mission, because he wasn't here and frankly didn't seem worth talking about. "Anyway, this whole abandoned tower is significantly less abandoned than I was expecting it to be. And I don't mean the ghouls." Gwilym smiled. Of the pair, she certainly seemed friendlier. Karobi had taken to sitting in a glowering heap in the corner, sipping his tea. "It's best we don't draw too much attention to ourselves. If outsiders knew we were here...they would want things we cannot offer, and answers we do not know. The truth is that we know very little about this place, in the grand scheme of things." Cora lifted her brows, running a talon back through her mane. No way this skydancer was getting off that easy -- she wanted answers, real, concrete answers, for a change. "Like I said. I do not know the particulars. What I know is that the sky overhead is a magical portal, a rift in spacetime. it was patched, I'm sure as well as the mages at the time could manage, but it's a clumsy job, and replacing it would mean tearing it down and starting fresh. That is simply not feasible, given the risk that would come of allowing it to fall entirely open." "Why? What's on the other side of it?" "An ancient force of unfathomable chaos. An ancient deity. The legend has it that someone once used this spire, and the magical energies contained in it, to breach reality and summon...something. And then, through a series of sacrifices, reached further and deeper into the chaos realm than anyone should have been able to do." She shrugged. "I do not know all the details. The legend goes that a great and terrible magical battle took place afterward, a duel between wizards whose abilities seeped in to the very stones of this place. When all was said and done, there were many casualties on all sides, but the conjurer had been stopped and the hole in reality mended. The building was condemned, and a small force of mages have been tasked ever since with keeping its energies contained." "Tasked by who?" Lorel piped up. "Who's in charge around here?" Gwilym shrugged. "None alive can say. It's become a sacred duty passed on from one generation to the next. Although..." she glanced over at Karobi. "If it is your intent to venture further up the spire, you will need a guide. We are busy here, tending to the grounds. But I know just who you need." Karobi left, and came back some time later with a spiral in tow. She had a very odd appearance, with glowing patches all along her body -- some kind of fungal rot, Cora thought at first, but then realized they were steaming hot like embers. She carried a lantern and was accompanied by a bony raven who also carried a light. The spiral's eyes were missing. In their place, rivers of thick ooze seeped down her cheeks. [center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/86379458][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/863795/86379458_350.png[/img][/url][/center] "This is Shuimu. She is the lanternkeeper, and knows her way around the higher levels quite well. Good luck on your quest...and come to visit us, sometimes, if you stay a long while?" Well, sure, Cora would follow the burning-while-alive, eye-melty girl and her bone vulture up a dark staircase into a corridor full of magically empowered ghosts. Why not! That's what she was here for, right? [/quote] Pinkerton really out here wanting me to fill the cast, apparently...but hey! At last, some more concrete answers! @TheAwesoMew @TwilightStars @Foxe @TropicalDiamonds @BlueJaysFeather @RadientAngel @FinalValkyrie21 @Morigan @MysteryGyn @Everburn @Nargeorgicorn @Jaspernoir @smeen @Amezrou @BarbaraFett @OceanPuppy @JadeDragon18 @KrazKitCat @Weredogalism @Rosesinger @Bxy26 @Snaphance @Dragonaxew @Juneau @AloVra @InkedMyths @Ninazu @Lanturn @Aetherstorm @Tynethyne @bluelikechase @naranciag @MysteryCookie @ash2app

Yay answers! So the portal has been stitched closed which is the reason why the monsters haven't overrun everything? Checks out! Sounds like it could use some more stitching overtop, though. XD