Quests & Challenges

@Galehaut @TrashMomma @Spectator @moonlitknots @Jetdrana @CirrusAscending @Tynethyne @Drachenschwinge @nekopallet @MisterMylez @Venusian

Sorry, but no post tonight. I'm too stressed thinking about work stuff, and don't want to add onto that by trying to get a post out tonight with everything I had planned in the plot at the moment. This week may wind up being a mini-hiatus week with how work is going if I'm honest. It's not looking good to say the least. I will also add that the apartment move will be happening very soon so when that happens, this will be going on a small hiatus anyways while we (boyfriend and I) move in and adjust to the new place.

I do hope I am able to get a post out tomorrow, but no promises.

[center][b]Day 88[/b] [item=Desert Scrub][/center] Zylen was up early that morning. After a day spent with little luck towards finding any leads, he was thinking their best bet would be in either the early morning or some time after dark. He’d rather find clues with barely any sunlight than none at all. Especially in a place like this. Who knew what shady dealings and individuals lurked around after the sun went down? Concealing himself with Shadow magic, he left the tent he shared with the other two. Remembering the advice given to the three of them, he made his way towards the side of the marketplace closer to the Tangled Wood. There he hoped to find a stall that he and the others were informed, or rather, warned about. They only appeared at dawn and dusk to serve dubious magical object, and while their word was as trustworthy as their wares, Zylen was certain he’d be able to squeeze some answers out of them. The stall was a shoddily put together thing. The cart storing goods had seen far better days, a mish-mash of wood and metal repairs that made it hard to tell if it was old or simply cobbled together for the express purpose of saving money. Same could be said of the display put up, crudely painted wood that hardly looked as though it would remain standing for the morning, let alone the weeks they remained there out of the year. As the Fae revealed himself to the Bogsneak at the counter, a broken-toothed grin greeted him back. The pudgy dragon had clearly been in a fight recently, sporting fresh cuts and bruises across his hide, “Well, well, you sure you aren’t lost? ‘Ardly a look to sport among these parts.” “I know why I’m here,” the Fae shot a glare, lowering his smaller pair of fans, “You have information that may prove useful to me and my friends.” “What? That Banescale and Tundra?” He chuffed, “Like I’ll tell the lot of you anything. Those two are looking for a fight and-” “Silence,” Zylen cut off the larger dragon, twitching one of his lowered fans in frustration, “We’re looking for a group and there’s a good chance you have seen them.” “Oh and ‘oo do I owe such a favor?” The question was more of a joke, the Bogsneak’s gaze narrowing as he continued, “Sorry pal, but I don’t let information out for free. Pay up or get out of my sight.” “Or what, your Spiral cohort will take me out? Sorry, but the covers are doing quite a poor job hiding his garish wings. Such a shame. Might have possibly gotten the jump on me otherwise.” Zylen grinned, raising his lowered fans. He had seen the lengthy dragon as he approached, looped around one of the branches of a dead tree. If not for their bright blue wings peeking from under their outfit, they blended right in. “I don’t care if you know about ‘em,” the Bogsneak rose up from his spot, “I’ll throw you out of ‘ere myself.” “Now, now,” Zylen revealed the pouch of coins he brought along with him, “I know how your kind works. All information has a price. The right secrets and rumors are more valuable than any discount half-broken item you could ever possibly sell. I was taught well by others in my group before I could make that mistake.” The Bogsneak was amused by his antics. While his eyes didn’t hide his interest in the gold, it did little to stop him from laughing. It was loud and echoed through the otherwise quiet area, and he turned his attention to the Spiral hiding away, “You ‘earing this Jerm? Mister Fancypants ‘ere thinks ‘e’s got us figured out! Like that would buy any favor from us!” Attention was drawn back to him, “What? You think you’ll get some stupid discount for becoming buddy buddy with good ‘ol Lockjaw?” “No,” Zylen narrowed his eyes, fans lowering almost fully as they shifted almost completely behind him. He knew how to handle this thug, “Take it as a warning. You lie to me, and I [i]will[/i] find you. And I will [i]kill[/i] you. You won’t so much as get a name out of me. And if you do, it’s a lie. At most you’ll have a month before it just becomes another title thrown into the wind. [i]I[/i] came for information. Do. You. Understand?” The little hints of the group the Fae had been a part of once was enough. The shopkeep had obviously dealt with the cult once before as he watched fear cross his face. Shooting a glance back at his cohort among the trees, he made a gesture that likely was a sign to stand down. Regardless of if he believed Zylen to be alone or having ‘allies’ closeby, his confidence was shot and he hurriedly cleared space for the money that had been offered earlier. “Oh good, you’re a smart one,” he raised his fans up, pleased. He placed the bag on the counter, “Now are you willing to answer a few questions? Or are you going to insist I don’t possibly know a thing about you and your tricks?” “R-Right,” the Bogsneak took a moment to look around to ensure no one else was in the area. Again he looked up towards Jerm, making another set of gestures, “Now, I can’t promise I ‘ave what you’re after. But I’ll do my best. J-Just don’t go putting me and my partner out of business, alright?” “You’re cooperating. That’s all I need to know not to shut you down.” Zylen perched on the stall, taking a moment to compose himself, “Now, my buddies and I are looking for a group. While they haven’t the slightest clue to go about gathering information, I [i]do[/i]. They didn’t bother following a hint and I did. We’ve been hired to track down a strange object that was stolen from a prestigious institution. Supposedly dangerous in the wrong hands, and our employer wants to get a hold of it. We don’t know if he plans to sell it to a member of these ‘wrong hands’ or use it for some sort of ransom against the institute. What we do know is we’ll be paid handsomely for our efforts.” Zylen played with the decorative claw he wore, “Enough so that I might be able to escape this group I’m in. Settle down and make a life for myself. I heard that you can bribe them to be let out without needing to commit their form of identity theft. So,” he grinned again, “Care to help me out?” “What’s in it for me?” The Bogsneak countered. He lowered his fans once more, “You already know. Don’t make me repeat myself. And before you even think of using my words against my friends, think of who you’ll be trying to convince. My word against yours. They’ll never believe you.” The shopkeep gritted his teeth, defeat in his eyes, “Very well. I might just know ‘oo you’re talking about. Need more details though.” “They’re led by a Skydancer, and the object they were escorting would likely be kept protected or hidden. Either way they do a poor job concealing themselves, so a sharp-eyed observer such as you and your pal would be able to spot them in any crowd.” “O-Oh,” there was fear in the Bogsneak’s eyes once again, “You’re after [i]them[/i].” He reached a claw out to grab the payment offered to him, “Listen kid. I know you and your buddies are likely well equipped, but be careful messing with the lot of them. A bunch of night lurkers Jerm’s heard talking about some sort of ‘night goddess’. Whatever they’ve got’s for ‘er for certain. Couldn’t tell you much else though. Besides this Skydancer leading them wearing a blindfold.” “Now,” the Bogsneak carefully hid the bag of coins behind the counter, “That enough for ya?” Zylen rose from his perch, “It was plenty enough. If you see any more of them, please do keep me in mind. I may be back if I don’t find them myself.” Remembering his prior threat, the larger dragon swallowed nervously, “Pleasure doing business with ya.” “Pleasure doing business with you.” -------- @Galehaut @TrashMomma @Spectator @moonlitknots @Jetdrana @CirrusAscending @Tynethyne @Drachenschwinge @nekopallet @MisterMylez @Venusian Man, being part of a cult at some point sure has its perks, huh? Anyways, battle team was Jeremiah, Howl, and Micah, with both Micah and Howl gaining a level. I had a very tense moment where I misclicked a heal and Micah had 16 hp left, but thankfully he wasn't targeted. Other than that, battle was smooth sailing. I debated splitting this day into two parts, but decided I'll make it two separate days since I have ideas that work with that concept better than a two-parter. That said, I [i]will[/i] be attempting to get another day posted tonight. Want to make up for yesterday since I got a bad headache and proceeded to pass out. Speaking of my absence, I just didn't have a good week in terms of mental health. I'm doing better now though, and will be posting regularly the best I can. As mentioned multiple times, I will be moving soon and that'll greatly effect my posting schedule until I'm fully settled into the new place. Until then, I'll try and keep this updated!

[center][b]Day 89[/b] [item=Lost Lute] [b]Content Warnings: Insignificance, Helplessness, Diminution, Megalophobia[/b][/center] “You sure this is the place Howl?” Jeremiah whispered from the group’s hiding spot. “I’m certain,” Howl returned, “You managed to find them and give me a scent. Same scent is here. Now, quiet.” “Zylen, you-” “Yes,” the Fae revealed himself briefly, “I’ll be getting in position momentarily.” The Fae looked over the spot they had stumbled across as he moved to a tree hollow. At a first glance, the three of them saw nothing out of the ordinary in the clearing. It was a fair distance away from the marketplace, and had been used in the past as a spot for dragons to camp out for the night based on the litter filling a nearby tree stump. Initially, he and Jeremiah dismissed the Tundra’s conclusion, thinking maybe the group had stopped for the night and moved on, but a bit of searching around proved this false. There were carvings etched into mundane objects scattered in the area. On the inside of a log, on a rock by one of the trees, on the inside of one of the hollows, and a few others. None of them recognized the symbols on the objects, although one resembled the symbol from one of the strange books Zylen had locked away. The first one to be exact. The interlocking circles were closer together, and the ‘halo’ around the two broadly encompassed them instead of following the contour of the shape. The others found were completely foreign to him. Now safely hidden, the three of them lay in wait. Before they had settled into position, Howl convinced the other two to move on from the clearing. If he could pick up on the scent of this group, they could do the same with them should they also have a Tundra among them. So, the trio continued along until hitting a second clearing, taking flight there to make it appear as though the previous clearing wasn’t large enough to fly off from. They then looped back, landing in another clearing to the west and walking from there. It was nearly an hour before the group arrived. Most members were cloaked, save for the Skydancer among them. Dressed far more formally, it didn’t take long for Zylen to spot the blindfold, blank save for the symbol of an eye in the middle. Holding his breath, he watched as a Tundra among them caught on to their scent, putting others on the defensive as they followed the trail with two other members. The Fae watched his companions exchange glances, debating whether to strike now while numbers were lower or wait it out. The three of them had yet to spot the object they were after. In fact, none of the members among the group were carrying anything that could be considered dangerous. Luckily the other two sat still, trusting the information would be revealed to them soon enough. As those that scouted ahead returned with news of the path, the group had fallen for the trick. Stating whoever was the source had flown off from a larger clearing, they all began to set up. At first Zylen suspected it to become a campsite, only to watch them split up. Some went through the hidden symbols, supposedly activating them. Others began to focus on drawing more symbols in the clearing before them, connecting them with intricate lines. As they finished, they took positions behind each of the symbols. It was only then that the Fae caught the symbols decorating their robes, matching those they stood at. [center][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/dressing-room/dragon?did=71014509&skin=0&apparel=613,2969,23723,17907,2971,24061,17916,24062,24066,2972,475,17889&xt=dressing.png[/img][/center] As the Skydancer took his position centered around the rest of his companions, he spoke up, “Dearest apprentices, tonight we prove if our endeavours have not been fruitless! For months we have sought this tool to further our goddesses goal, and finally our foes have let down their guard enough for us to retrieve it. Tonight, under the absence of Echo’s presence, we may harness its full potential. May our goddess smile upon us!” Zylen froze in fear as the Skydancer now began to chant. He watched the runes illuminate briefly before they darkened to a black even his vision could see through, sucking in light around them. As this abnormal darkening continued to spread out from the center, he watched as the dragon at its center raised what Zylen realized was a bowl. Made out of obsidian or other dark stone and inlaid with an equally dark filigree and the occasional pearl, the user continued to chant as he moved it above his head. He watched as more impossibly black liquid poured from the vessel, and in larger amounts than what the bowl could carry. After a few seconds, the Skydancer suddenly quieted, stopping the flow of the liquid and lowering the vessel once more. He flared his wings, alert, “Children we are not alone. I sense that which is hidden, and there are strangers among us. This land is to be ours, and I shall not disappoint our goddess. Eliminate them so we may complete this divine ceremony.” He had no time to figure out how the dragon had figured out their existence as Jeremiah burst from his spot among dense bushes. Still covering his bright colors in a cloak of Shadow magic, he started attacking the member closest to him. Howl emerged not long after, aiming for the Ridgeback in the group. Still having yet to be revealed himself, Zylen stayed still as fighting broke out, waiting for his chance against the leader. All they had to do was gain possession of the bowl and then…. The Skydancer’s attention turned directly to his spot, “I was talking about you little one, but I suppose knowing your friends are here as well doesn’t hurt. You have a lot to hide and I’d love to pry every last bit from your writhing body. Perhaps you’ll make a decent sacrifice to our goddess in the end.” Revealed, Zylen uncloaked himself, plan ruined. Instead of heading towards the Skydancer or any of his cohorts however, he took to destroying their circle. Aiming for the symbols, he watched his bolts of magic quickly be absorbed by whatever was powering the strange carvings. Stuck with plan B, he moved to spots out of reach of members, attempting to scrape them away in any fashion. This was a mistake. Pain erupted through his body almost instantly as he made physical contact with the drawn lines. Barely having time to retreat into the trees, he collapsed not long after, breaths heavy as he attempted to recover. He watched his vision go dark as he lay recovering, blinded by whatever magic now coursed through him. He could still hear fighting nearby, and luckily it didn’t sound as if he was pursued. That was, until he heard the Skydancer speak up again, “I should have known the institute would send you before any of their own. A shame, but at least that means I don’t have to deal with…” he trailed off. Zylen could make out a tinge of surprise in his otherwise monotonous voice, “Well I’ll be damned. I’d never think one of you would have fallen so soon. Especially with the news of how new all of you are. Guess you’ll be spared for sacrifice after all.” Despite knowing his own fate if he failed, Zylen didn’t come there to die. Pain fading but still unable to see, he relied on his hearing to locate his opponent. Knowing turning invisible was of no use against the Skydancer, he waited for any sound of movement. Before he had a chance to strike, he heard Howl’s voice ring out, “Run Zylen!” Hearing a pained grunt from what the Fae believed to be the Tundra tackling the group’s leader, Zylen took off towards where the fighting was. Expecting Jeremiah to still be fighting, he hoped to find safety with a companion near him. Soon enough, the sounds of combat began to die down, and he felt himself snatched out of the air. Feeling a familiar gentleness to the grip, he was relieved to find himself with the Banescale, both of them fleeing the circle. “What about the bowl?” Zylen cried out, remembering what he heard. “Forget about it Zylen!” As his vision returned, he spotted that his coworker was coated in blood and his own injuries, “I’m not losing my life over a damn bowl. I understand what we witnessed now, but I’m not falling to whatever the hell that was either.” “What about Howl?” Zylen asked, desperate, “We can’t leave him! He’ll die!” “He accepted that so we could escape. Unlike me, he was prepared to potentially die protecting others. We agreed going for the leader was the best bet if we wanted to escape with our lives. Be happy we have him to protect the two of us.” Zylen was in no position to argue. As the two carried on towards the portal they had come from, the Fae’s heart sank. Tonight, they would lose another member. He wished he could do something, [i]anything[/i] to rescue him. But there was nothing he could do. Nothing that wouldn’t result in his own death in the end. He could only pray that Howl would find a way to make it out alive. And by the Eleven did he pray that night. ----------- Tulukaruk was on high alert. Or at least, he was. After Jeremiah and Zylens rushed arrival back, both were taken to the infirmary to be cared for. With how late it was, and with Howl’s absence, he was the manor’s best line of defense. He had attempted to wake Clancy as he was aware of the brute force she could exert, but her hostility towards him was enough to change his mind. He lied to her, saying he had spotted the pest roaming the halls near her room, taking his leave not long after. Speaking of the pest, he caught the creature rummaging in the library when he passed by earlier. It let out a shrill cry before gathering a couple titles, running off into a hole it had carved for itself to avoid further pursuit by the Wildclaw. With two potential dangers to attack the manor, he was on the lookout for any danger for hours. Pacing the perimeter for nearly three hours, and even standing guard at the portal room for thirty minutes after the two returned for any sign they’d been followed. As the night drew out, he slowly calmed, suspecting that if any danger were to show up, the time to do so had long since passed. Taking a moment to relax at the training grounds, he sparred with the training dummies set up. Every one of his shifts started with a warmup against the straw dolls, mimicking small, medium, and large dragon breeds, as well as various Beastclans. Some were even set on high up posts for him to practice archery and aerial combat. Of course a nearby armory allowed him access to a wide array of weapons. With such a variety of armaments at his disposal, he was beginning to take the time to learn new weapons, starting with small battle axes he could use with his shield. All was well until he felt as if he was being watched. He turned his attention away from the dummies, scanning the area for a more real threat. Not spotting anything at first, he kept his shield raised as he entered the nearby forested area. With his knowledge of the grounds, if there was any sort of threat, it would reside there, where game had once been regularly stocked. Perhaps some of the now local wildlife was attempting to brave it out, choosing him as their first target. All was quiet as he pressed deeper into the wooded area, but the feeling of being watched remained. Whatever was keeping an eye on him was still present and close enough to watch him. On guard, he continued until hitting a clearing, some place where he knew he’d be able to spot his attacker with enough time. As he stepped out into the clearing, he was prepared for a fight. Only, something was wrong. It took a minute, but he realized his surroundings had suddenly become brighter. Knowing the source had to be magical, he raised his shield closer to his face. That way he was ready to deflect a magical bolt that may be sent his way or protect his vision from any used to potentially blind him. However, no attack sprung out from the treeline, and he never spotted a foe from among it. Yet the feeling of being watched remained. Then he dared to look up a second time. There, he saw Sornieth’s two moons. Or so he thought. Then he remembered that the second, smaller moon was in the midst of its new moon cycle. He stared at this second moon that shouldn’t be there, contemplating why it was visible. Thinking of any reason his eyes couldn’t possibly be betraying him. Maybe this was some sort of light magic? Maybe an illusion cast by a powerful Shadow dragon? Maybe an astral display by an Arcane dragon? He was grasping at straws thinking of an explanation that fit what he knew about the flight and their magic, unable to come to a satisfactory answer. And then the second moon blinked. He knew it to be a blink. There was nothing else he’d be able to describe it as. He watched this ‘moon’ move before his very eyes, looking down upon Sornieth from an impossible height. Every now and then he could see more of its form as crossed the moon that was there. As its massive form blotted stars from the sky. He couldn’t tell if what he was seeing was a limb or a tendril. Part of a head? Part of a wing? Perhaps a tail? The incomprehensible form amongst the night sky was as impossible to grasp as its size. And the entire time he stared at this beast, it stared [i]back[/i] at him. Somehow, amongst the surface of Sornieth. Across every bit of its surface. Every clan. Every structure. Every tree. Every individual. Every single thing on Sornieth was not worth its attention. Save for him. And as he continued to stare back, he remembered the nightmare. Of the thing that reminded him of how pathetic and useless he was against such threats. It didn’t have to be a gargantuan threat like what he was looking at now. It could be an Emperor, a massive army, anything that he could not overcome. He was one dragon in a world filled with millions. There was only so much he could do. But this [i]thing[/i] above him knew more than that. That he was one dragon. One pathetic individual who would never amount to anything. No matter his achievements. No matter what he lived or died for. No matter who remembered him fondly or poorly. He was [i]nothing[/i] to this beast. Only something to focus on like an ant in a colony, scuttling about fulfilling its menial task assigned to it by the queen until it died. This revelation froze Tulu in place. Everything he stood for. Everything he hoped to become. Was it all really meaningless? Was he doomed to amount to nothing? As he watched the beast move once again, he noticed that it was approaching [i]him[/i] now. Reaching out and giving him enough interest to squash him then and there. Terrified at what was happening, the Wildclaw dropped his weapons. He did not fight back. He did not try to run. Instead, he collapsed, curling up tight as to not watch his imminent doom any further. He wasn’t sure if he ever fell asleep or passed out. Only that at some point he noticed it was morning, and that he had made it through the night. He shakily gathered himself and his weapons, trembling as he made his way back to the manor. No one would know of what happened. Perhaps it was best it remained that way. --------- @Galehaut @TrashMomma @Spectator @moonlitknots @Jetdrana @CirrusAscending @Tynethyne @Drachenschwinge @nekopallet @MisterMylez @Venusian Quick Edit: Kinda forgot a dragon image because [i]that's important you dolt[/i]. I'll add him to the NPC cast soon as well. Second part of today done! Really happy with how this turned out. [s]Hope the content warnings are better.[/s] I am so angry at my marks once again messing with me. It's been [i]two days[/i] (as in, Pinkerlocke days) since my last mark, and not only did I get Vast [i]again[/i], but it once again targeted Tulu. Please. I don't need [i]another[/i] Avatar just yet. I already have enough to deal with between Zylen and Clancy. As for what happened to Zylen and the others, I'm not confirming if Howl is dead or alive yet. I feel like that would ruin plot things if I told you guys, "yep, he ded" or "nah, he can't possibly die cause Pinkerlocke rules". Dragons can very much die in terms of lore events and I personally haven't decided whether or not I want to keep him alive or not. We'll see tomorrow (if I post). Finally, Zylen has his first 'post-avatar' mark! I think I've said it before, but Avatars can only receive marks from lore interactions now. In this case, Zylen has been marked by The Dark. While he can receive [i]more[/i] marks from The Dark, it will not worsen as with normal markings. Yes this also means he can get over three. [s]Also you can bet that if Howl returns he'll have at least one from this. Don't think he's not escaping unscathed.[/s]

[center][b]Day 90[/b] [item=Granite Chunk][/center] Zylen was worried and afraid. He couldn’t help but think about Howl. The Tundra’s fate had filled his thoughts since last night, and as he tried to push them away with work, he only found himself worrying even more. There was no way for the guard to escape with his life. Not with that Skydancer alive. What he dreaded more was if the furred dragon [i]did[/i] escape with his life. He would undoubtedly be sacrificed, and the Fae’s stomach dropped even thinking what that entailed when it came to that group. Oppressed by his thoughts, the Fae decided to pay a visit to Micah. He had yet to give his part of the report, so hopefully that would ease some pressure off his chest. There was no way to confirm if Howl was alive or dead, but he and Jeremiah were still required to provide information. As Zylen tried the door however, he found it locked. Confused, he figured the Veilspun was either at lunch or on a stroll. Still seeking a distraction, he turned to the archives next. Elanor would be more than happy to take his report. In fact, in this particular situation he preferred the archivist to the scribe. The Tundra knew about the cult he was formerly a part of, so he didn’t need to work around lying to hide what happened between him and the shopkeep. She’d probably make something up for him to compensate. Fans splayed out joyously, he found his way into the main area, unsurprised by Jeremiah’s absence. The Banescale was taking the day to recover, which meant spending plenty of time lounging outside. Wearing a few bandages, the Ancient had escaped any major harm, even joking earlier about how Zylen ‘should have seen the other guy’. Finding the door to Elanor’s office open, he quietly knocked on the door before entering. It didn’t take long for him to spot the manor’s pest on the other side of the archivist’s desk, tensed up as if ready to pounce. Meanwhile, the Tundra stood still, eyes coldly glaring down the creature as she awaited its next move. His knock did little to disrupt them as they continued staring, the room completely silent. Thinking fast, Zylen moved to intercept the Mirror doll. Magically grabbing one of the heavier books and tossing it at their head, he managed a solid hit. Startled, the pest flared its damaged cloth wings out, shrill cries ringing out as it prepared to fight back. Elanor took the moment to strike herself, leaping across the desk without a second thought to batter away at the insectoid creature’s neck and face. The creature returned the assault, battering the Tundra to the ground before grabbing something off her desk and fleeing. Zylen stared dumbfounded at the archivist as she recovered, “You okay?” “As okay as I can be,” she brushed off her tunic and affixed her scarf back around her neck. Assessing herself, she sighed, “Escort me to the infirmary would you? Afraid they managed to break the skin.” “Of course!” Zylen began to follow Elanor out of her office and back into the mansion, “Care if we chat along the way?” “About the mission? Sure. Micah’s out with Thorn currently. Apparently Thorn asked him to help formally document some of the plants for Saile. He won’t be back for a while.” “You’ll hide the cult stuff from him if I tell you, right?” Zylen lowered his fans as the tone of their conversation shifted, “We wouldn’t have been able to find the group’s whereabouts without my knowledge from them.” “I’ll do what I can.” She sighed before groaning some at the increasing pain she was doing her best to hide, “You and I both know that you can only keep this secret for so long. The others [i]will[/i] learn of it eventually. If I were you, I’d explain myself before someone like Clancy sticks her nose where it shouldn’t be.” “Like you’re one to speak,” Zylen scoffed, fans flaring briefly, “Your own secrets need to come to light eventually as well. Can’t be all happy and cheerful forever. I saw how that one employee at Alcor Industries looked at you.” Something about this knowledge caused Elanor to scowl, and she failed to keep her normally soft facade intact, “Do not speak of that place around me. As for [i]my[/i] secrets, I’ll say when I feel all of you are ready. I’m afraid Clancy is an annoying wrench in all of that currently.” “She’s a wrench for both of us. Last thing I need is to make an enemy out of her with revealing I was in a cult and had to murder my way out of it.” His fans lowered as he remembered how the two of them used to get along, “I wish we could be friends again. We promised to look out for each other. Now, I don’t think she’d care if I died tomorrow.” Elanor’s expression softened, “Don’t worry, all of us feel that way. I don’t think she’s intentionally making enemies, but she better learn to cooperate soon. Not saying we’ll turn against her, but if she continues to be hostile like this, we’ll have to report this to Saile.” “Did she…?” Zylen trailed off, fans lowering, “Forget it. She did tell you. She’d want the others to sympathize with her. Or at the very least, you.” Elanor winced, limping a little before speaking up again, “And personally, I don’t care. I saw how you were acting prior to that. What happened that day was a series of poor circumstances. I’m happy you’re back to your usual self. Means you can be productive.” “But what about-” “Quiet. You had a mission to debrief me on, right?” “W-Well yeah, but while we’re on the topic, shouldn’t we-” “The mission comes first. You can tell me more about this event later in my office.” She winced again, “And once this pain is gone. I know it won’t kill me but damn do I feel sick. First time in years.” Zylen feigned a chuckle, “You [i]really[/i] need to tell us more about yourself someday.” -------- @Galehaut @TrashMomma @Spectator @moonlitknots @Jetdrana @CirrusAscending @Tynethyne @Drachenschwinge @nekopallet @MisterMylez @Venusian Okay, so there was probably three or four things I wanted to do for this day, but I realized very quickly I had room for only one, so I went with this. Not because of it being the most important or jarring, but because it worked best for my roll with the pest, as Elanor was attacked today. Zylen's slated for a confrontation with Clancy again, and I have something else planned between him and Jeremiah, but again, space. I don't need this becoming seven or more pages in length Howl is still MIA. Not confirmed dead or alive. Thinking of letting my pull tomorrow determine if he lives or dies. The only one I'm giving away now is if I pull a Battle Stone. If I do, I still perform the coin flip. If it lands on a Death Streak, Howl's dead. No battle streak to roll a team for. If tails, I'm critically marking him. All other pulls are a secret in terms of if he lives or dies. Of course this depends on if work doesn't kill me. I'm surprised I had the energy for this entry. Sorry if it's a little blegh because of that. [s]If anyone asks, Jerry's in denial at the moment.[/s]

@Galehaut @TrashMomma @Spectator @moonlitknots @Jetdrana @CirrusAscending @Tynethyne @Drachenschwinge @nekopallet @MisterMylez @Venusian

Sorry, no post tonight. Work was far too rough on me and I'd like to just rest for tonight. Doesn't help that I'm not feeling physically well beyond the work exhaustion and soreness.

[center][b]Day 91[/b] [item=Emerald Webwing][/center] Zylen’s peaceful day was brutally interrupted by Clancy. The Pearlcatcher not only stormed into the library, but also nearly broke down the Fae’s locked office door trying to get in. When he finally mustered up the courage to unlock the door between bombardments, he was quick to retaliate, striking the much larger dragon with multiple bolts of magic. Fans flared out in aggression, he didn’t waste time with the historian, “Alright, what the hell do you want with me today? Gonna try and blame Howl’s death on me too now?” “Oh how I [i]wish[/i],” scowling, she spat on the floor as she recovered. As what was normal now, it was dark and oily, reflecting a rainbow of colors in the library’s lights. “I’m here because I know you’ll [i]talk[/i] to me.” “And what makes you think [i]that?[/i]” Zylen glared back, “Because we’re both [i]cursed?[/i] Because we made a [i]promise[/i] that [i]you[/i] refuse to keep your part of?” “Well at least one of us has a handle of whatever this is,” she retorted, waving her unbraced claw at Zylen. “Oh [i]I[/i] don’t have a handle on myself? At least when [i]I[/i] lose control [i]I don’t actively attack others[/i]. I’m not breaking down doors to have a conversation. I’m not making others fear conversation with me. I’m not being avoided like [i]you[/i] are.” He tensed up, ready for another attack. This was the exact thing that could set her off, “Have you even lost control? Is this all because of Mariela?” The last remark was enough to set her off. He found himself caught in her braced arm this time, nearly thrown into one of the tables as she did so. Pinned before being lifted into a crushing grip, he did his best not to lose his composure, “Oh so this [i]is[/i] about her still. Well, get over it!” His sneered, fans half raised and fluttering with building rage. Before he had a chance to continue, the Pearlcatcher interrupted, “What, like you got over Meir?” Her grip tightened further, threatening serious harm, “Oh that’s right, you [i]haven’t[/i]. You think I don’t see you wander off on your own to that damn hedge maze? To sit there and talk to a dragon that’s no longer here? You can hardly get over a [i]friend[/i]. How could you even begin to feel the same way I do?” Cast aside again, he lay motionless as he caught his breath. Struggling back to his feet, he wasn’t going to let Clancy’s brute force best him out of talking, “At least I don’t take my grief and frustrations out on [i]others[/i]. And I [i]talk[/i] to others about it.” He chuckled quietly, “Oh the irony.” “Shut. Up.” “No, I won’t!” Zylen picked himself up off the floor, “You barge into [i]my[/i] workplace, [i]harm me[/i], and then dare to tell [i]me[/i] not to speak [i]my[/i] part. You want to hear the truth, you're going to hear the bitter truth. Every. Last. Word.” The instant she attempted to attack, he retaliated in kind. And he did the same whenever she began to try and make her way towards the exit. She’d lost once before, and while he was physically aching, the Fae had plenty of magic to fall back on. “You tell [i]me[/i] to not go and harm others. To not fall prey to whatever the hell this is. You tell [i]me[/i] to not do this, and [i]you[/i] immediately go against not [i]your[/i] word, but the word of the very person you made this promise to.” The two locked eyes as Zylen took up guarding the door, “So, Clancy. I don’t want to see your accursed face until you learn to listen to [i]yourself[/i]. At least I still hold on to what my lost friend left behind. It’s the least I can do for him.” Tears beginning to fall down her face, Clancy finally was granted escape. She wasted no time bolting away towards the outside, nearly running into the wall as turned the corner. The Fae returned inside, collapsing in exhaustion as he entered his office once again. It was becoming more difficult to keep her physically down as of late, but Zylen still knew her better than she believed. What worried him most was her arm however. Her outburst had allowed him to see the braced one in full since Mariela began to care for it. Or rather, what was the formerly braced arm. The brace had fused into the arm entirely, scales torn away on her hand to reveal more shining metal. It wasn’t clean and smooth either, filled with small cracks, knicks, and rough patches. From what he glanced at, her entire hand was lost, and more skin was beginning to peel back on various parts of her forearm. His worry was short-lived as another knock rang out, this time Jeremiah’s voice following, “Zylen, you there?” “Yeah,” he grumbled, fans raising slightly out of instinct to show he was awake. “It’s unlocked if you want to peek your head in.” “You doing okay?” the Banescale sat outside the door as it was pushed open, “I saw Clancy running from this direction.” “Yeah. I’m tired is all. Thinks she can interrupt my day as she pleases and I’ll show her otherwise until she stops.” He raised his head, “So, why were you headed this way?” “How did…” he shook his head, “Right, reading expressions and whatnot. I’m here to talk about, well, you know what.” “The mission and Howl. I get it.” He sighed, “Any news?” The Ancient shared the sigh with his coworker, “Well, the courier we sent back to try and investigate found nothing as expected. Certainly signs of our scuffle with old blood, but no Howl and no bowl. Not even a body from the one member I did manage to kill.” “So…” Zylen flipped through the empty papers on his desk, trying not to accept the worst, “He’s either dead or will be soon. Not that we’ll be able….to….” Zylen trailed as he watched Jeremiah’s attention turn towards the library door. “What’s up?” “There’s a commotion. I can’t tell if good or bad. There’s a lot of shouting though.” “Probably best we get involved then. It could be the pest. Maybe Apollyon finally caught them?” Nodding at each other in agreement, the two made their way towards the source of the sounds of shouting. It didn’t take long for them to find they were headed towards the main entrance, and the two prepared for an attack. Was the cult back for them? Not wanting to be caught off guard, they slowed their pace as they rounded the final corner to the entryway, tensed for an ambush of some kind. Only to be greeted by a distraught Imperial. [center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/537779856474243072/893344617955745802/Stargazer.png[/img][/center] Wings plastered to her sides and mostly looped around herself, the large dragon did her best to appear harmless. Zylen was quick to catch on that she was fairly young, and very scared as she had already garnered attention from nearly all of his coworkers. Even Tulu stood at the ready to fight, all but Clancy present. “What’s all this about?” the Fae spoke out, “Can’t you see she’s scared? If you’re trying to make a good impression you are doing a terrible job of it.” “Came back with Howl.” Apollyon almost immediately retorted, “Do not trust. Could be attacker. Do not want to be betrayed.” Zylen lowered his fans in disappointment, main pair twitching, “Guys, she’s [i]terrified[/i] right now. Back off and let Jeremiah and I handle this. I’m almost certain she was trying to help and instead of hospitality she was given hostility. If anything happens, you’ll know.” A few minutes of convincing others to leave and soon it was only him, Jeremiah, and the Imperial, the normal greeter Skydancer waiting patiently at the end of one of the halls. Adjusting his attire to appear less disheveled, he finally greeted the much larger dragon, taking a moment to fly up to be eye level with her. “I’m sorry about all of that. We’ve all been on edge the past couple of days. That does not excuse their actions, but I promise we aren’t going to hurt you.” “T-Thanks,” the Imperial still averted her eyes away from the Fae, refusing to make eye contact. “I only wanted to help. If it weren’t for the Tundra being carried off on a stretcher I swore this was the wrong place.” “Well, I promise we’re grateful,” he bowed his head, “My name’s Zylen, and my friend down there is Jeremiah. I’m the manor’s librarian.” “Malakhim Ebondusk,” she returned, “I’m an astronomer. I applied here a while ago. Even got accepted but didn’t have the courage to leave home.” The familiar reasoning wasn’t lost on the Fae, “You’re not the first. I’m sure Saile will still welcome you in if you wish to join us.” “B-But what about my job at Rook’s Coven?” she stammered, “I know that place is closer to home, but don’t I need to inform them first? What if Saile would rather have me there? And what of the others here? Won’t they not like having me around after this?” “I highly doubt Saile would reject having another employee here for one. As for being liked, I already told you. Everyone’s been on edge lately. I promise most of us will take to you fine.” Zylen decided to change the subject, noting the Imperial’s growing discomfort, “So, how’d you find Howl? I take it he told you where to find us?” “I went to the nearby market for supplies I needed for an assignment. On my way there I came across him passed out on the side of the path. Poor thing was covered in all sorts of wounds and looked as though he’d fallen out of the sky to wind up as he was. I couldn’t leave him there to suffer, so I checked to make sure he was breathing, made sure to gather up anything that could be his, and placed him on my back. I carried him until he came to.” “We got to talking, and even in his barely alive state it was obvious there was something he desperately needed done. So, after giving him some food and water, I asked if I could help and he gave me directions here. I made sure he was as still as possible the entire time as to not reopen more wounds, and tried to occupy his mind with ramblings about space. I think he fell asleep again at some point, but I don’t blame him.” “Well, I’m glad he’s okay,” Zylen’s body relaxed as he heard the good news. However, his fans perked up soon after, “Hey, you didn’t happen to pick up a bowl of some kind when you were gathering his things did you?” “Why yes I did!” Malakhim took a moment to shuffle through her bag. Not long after, she clutched the very same bowl that they had all been sent on in one of her claws, “I don’t like the feeling I get holding it, but I figured it must be important. Even more so after Howl nearly fell off my back in a panic asking where it was.” Another wave of relief washed over the Fae’s body, “Oh thank the Eleven. I don’t know how he managed it, but the professor will be incredibly happy to know it’s been returned.” He turned his attention over to Jeremiah, “Hey, can you take this to Apollyon for documentation? Probably best to let Micah know too. Between this and Howl’s input, he’s going to have a lot to add to the report.” Passing the bowl over to the Banecale, Malakhim held confusion in her eyes. Confusion that Zylen tried his best to address, “I can explain later if you want to stop by the library. For now, I think it’s best you get a tour of the place.” He gestured to the Skydancer, who began to slowly make her way towards the two of them, “She’ll show you around and to your room. I know it’s a lot, but I promise you’ll feel at home soon enough.” For the first time since meeting her, the Imperial smiled, “Thanks Zylen. This place might not be so bad after all.” ----------- @Galehaut @TrashMomma @Spectator @moonlitknots @Jetdrana @CirrusAscending @Tynethyne @Drachenschwinge @nekopallet @MisterMylez @Venusian Man, gotta love making a threat to kill off a character via lore and then Pink says nah have the best ending instead. It's not only just getting the familiar pull, which would guarantee Howl lived. It's the fact that the breed I pulled was one of [i]four[/i] that would also allow for the recovery of the bowl. The other three were the remaining large breeds, being Guardian, Gaoler, and Ridgeback. As this is the best result, Howl has only received one mark from the Dark. Another Clancy and Zylen verbal fight, only this time Zylen is having none of it and verbally smacks her down. Will this be enough to finally calm her some? Maybe, I don't know because who knows what the pulls will have in store for me. As for Howl, it'll be a couple more days before he will be back in action, but you can bet he'll be telling [i]everyone[/i] what happened, Zylen included. That said, help I've already fallen in love with Malakhim. I don't want anything to happen to her but she's getting Meir syndrome and that's [i]not good[/i]. Please have mercy on her Pink. I'll be adding her to the roster here shortly after this post.

@Galehaut @TrashMomma @Spectator @moonlitknots @Jetdrana @CirrusAscending @Tynethyne @Drachenschwinge @nekopallet @MisterMylez @Venusian

No post tonight guys. I've already hit a wall I don't think I can force myself through it without ruining the writing entirely. On top of that, I've done very little grinding for Starfall. I'd like to spend my free time tonight and tomorrow doing that rather than spend most of that time writing. Although tomorrow it was bound to happen anyways due to it being Saturday.

[center][b]Day 92[/b] [item=Candy Cockatrice][/center] Zylen could finally relax. He was alone in the library, cataloguing for the first in what felt like weeks instead of only a few days. Howl was back. The bowl and report were picked up by members of the Corvus Institute that morning. Malakhim was notably unnerved by everything but adjusting well. Even the pest had been quiet save for causing some damage in a hallway when last spotted. Everything was finally calm. He found another strange book today. He could feel the difference in his claws as he picked it up off the shelf, intent on moving it from it’s out of place spot in the section he was working on. It was innocuous, the cover plain, save for the title and a symbol on the spine. His initial frustration when he failed to remember the name correctly shifted to a feeling of clarity as he realized the book itself was doing this to him. It was one that purposefully affected the mind so as to not remember its name. So, instead, he described it with the symbol on it’s spine, being a maze-like swirl of lines, and the author, one Anne Tress. It soon joined the others, on its own shelf so the Fae wouldn’t hurt his head looking at it further. While there, he decided to use the moment to take a much needed break. He hadn’t had one since lunch, and slipping Explorations in the Dark from the shelf, he decided to do some investigating. He was smart enough to know not to delve too deep into the book, or at the very least read its contents, but that didn’t stop him from running a claw across the symbol. The cold feeling from before filled his body, but nowhere near as strongly as he recalled. Gathering some courage, he finally opened the book, hoping to get the answers he wanted. He ignored the text entirely as he began to flip through pages, looking for any illustrations that could aid him. He saw expected scenery to go with nocturnal or otherwise dark excursions, from caves to deep sea diving to deep woods. None of these mundane images were out of place in such a title, making him wonder why it was stashed away like it was. Then he found the lake. The image didn’t belong. At least, that’s what he first thought as he took in the picture of a moonlit lake taking up the entirety of the right page. Certainly pretty, it lacked the deep shadows and dim lights from the images leading up to it. Both moons were present with one behind the other. Both were also full, dating the book some as the occasion was fairly rare. He was sure their newest addition could help him with that later. Still, it was such a strange addition that he dared a glance at the text for context. As he did so, he soon noticed the image begin to change. The moons had begun to shift phases, gradually speeding up until it was almost disorienting to the small dragon. He had no idea how many times he watched the two moons before the entire thing stopped abruptly, now showing both as new moons. The lake remained illuminated as if they were still full, but not for long. The dark of both moons began to slowly fall down towards the lake, spreading until the entire lake was black. Then it began to leak through the rest of the page, and that was when Zylen slammed it shut. Looking up from the title, he found the library suddenly cast in a similar darkness, his eyes adjusting as they would in low-light conditions. Taking a moment to stow the book back the shelf he pulled it from, he slowly moved through the shelves, expecting to be greeted by another member of the cult as he did. As he heard the main door open, he turned its attention towards it, only to blink and find his vision was normal again. Cautiously approaching, he was unsure whether he’d be greeted with a friend or foe. “Hello?” The voice was unfamiliar, the owner stepping through not long after. [center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/537779856474243072/894411492760367104/An_Old_Friend.png[/img][/center] They were a Gaoler, making their strange winter attire all the more unfitting in the environment the manor resided in. Their red eyes darted about in search of any signs of life as they placed a bag filled with what looked like notebooks and writing utensils before calling again. This time Zylen made himself visible to the much larger dragon, who smiled upon seeing him. “Well, hello! I was beginning to think no one was here besides the Skydancer who showed me around.” “Nope,” Zylen spread his fans cheerfully, “We normally work at this time so everyone’s in their offices.” He nodded in greeting, “Zylen Myst. Manor’s librarian. Can I help you with anything?” There was a spark of familiarity in hearing his name, followed by confusion, “Oh, you’re the one Meir talked so much about! Though I have to ask, where is he? I thought he stopped sending letters to me because work got busy, but that’s clearly not the case.” The Fae’s heart dropped, “I….I think you should sit down.” He had no words to describe the anguish that appeared on the Gaoler’s face as he explained that Meir had been dead for some time. How they found him cut up and bleeding out in the very spot he spent so many of his days studying. Trying his best to ease onto this newcomer the dangers they had walked into. Crushing these hopes of a happy and pleasant time with what he assumed was a friend of the Mirror. There was silence before the Gaoler finally spoke up, “.....Rhenine” He swallowed, voice still tight from trying to hold back tears, “Though you and the others can call me Rhen.” “How...” Zylen paused, unsure if he should continue, “How did you know Meir?” “We were old friends,” There was a bit of a glow in Rhen’s eyes as he reminisced about the Mirror, “Met him when me and a few other Gaolers decided to visit the Icefield to research folklore and customs and the like. Get in touch with our pasts and whatnot.” He smiled, “Meir ran up to me almost immediately and began asking [i]me[/i] about [i]my[/i] culture. Asked about how we handled diseases and cured them. If we made our own diseases to carry into battle. All sorts of weird questions like that. He meant no harm in the questions, genuinely curious about the information. We hit it off and I even stuck around a few extra days to exchange information. We became pen pals and I would try and find time to visit when I could.” “He sent me nearly a letter a day whenever he found his job here. I’ve never seen him so happy to be somewhere like this. I planned to visit, but then I saw a job posting for another researcher and applied instantly. The letters stopped not long after, and I thought my application was rejected, so I planned another visit. Then I found out I was accepted and ran all the way here to surprise him.” He let out a heavy sigh, “But, after what you’ve said, it all makes so much more sense now. I guess I was so caught up in how I knew my friend that I never even considered an option where anything bad happened.” “Well,” Zylen did his best to feign positivity, “I’m glad to know he saw me in such a way. And that I’m here to greet you as well. If you want to take up residence here for work rather than your provided office, I’d welcome the company any time.” “Thank you,” the Gaoler paused for a while before speaking again, “I suppose if there’s one thing to be grateful for, it’s that you are here. I know we’ve never met, but I’m glad there’s someone here I know, if only in name and what a friend told me about you.” An idea suddenly popped into the Fae’s head, “Wait here. I have something you may want.” Darting out the door, he hurried off to his room. There was something there he knew belonged with Rhen far more than him. This time he watched the Gaoler cry tears of joy as the Fae unfolded the Mirror’s old filet in front of him. “Here,” he offered, “It protected him until the very end. I want you to have it, and I believe if he were here, so would Meir.” -------- @Galehaut @TrashMomma @Spectator @moonlitknots @Jetdrana @CirrusAscending @Tynethyne @Drachenschwinge @nekopallet @MisterMylez @Venusian Edit: Guess who forgot dragon image due to headache I got a headache by the end of this and that makes me angy because the end didn't wind up how I wanted because I couldn't think straight. Still, enjoy yet another new member, starring an idea a friend offered that hurt me. Don't expect Rhen to be as pure as Meir due to being from Plague and growing up there, but he's not going to be like Apollyon and unintentionally creepy either. I'm probably going to update bios tomorrow. Not sure if that'll make a post not happen at all or not, but I'll try and prevent that the best I can. Rhen is also not getting his bio tonight due to aforementioned headache. I haven't meant for these past two to be pretty tame, but I think the group's needed that after everything. [s]Also Pink if you give me another familiar this early again I might scream because this is so bizarre to me.[/s] [s]If anyone's curious, I didn't even pull yesterday that's how long and drawn out work was. I'm not sure if I'll ever post on Saturday again until after Peak at this rate.[/s]

@Galehaut @TrashMomma @Spectator @moonlitknots @Jetdrana @CirrusAscending @Tynethyne @Drachenschwinge @nekopallet @MisterMylez @Venusian

Hey, I'm probably not going to do writing this week. It's partially due to work, partially due to apartment stuff, and partially me just needing a break. I've recently found myself missing doing stuff that isn't writing after work, so I'm going to see if I can set up something akin to a schedule for this. Of course I will not abandon this. I will never abandon this as it's pretty much my lair lore now and I sincerely love writing this. I have simply realized that it's become pretty much all I do in my free time and want to change that.

In the meantime, I'll see what I can do for a schedule to go with this and take the week to decompress and think on things. Also, there's a chance I'll be moving here in the next week or two, so I apologize if that gets in the way of writing as well. I'll be back though, I promise!

@Galehaut @TrashMomma @Spectator @moonlitknots @Jetdrana @CirrusAscending @Tynethyne @Drachenschwinge @nekopallet @MisterMylez @Venusian

Life update!

So, first thing's first, boyfriend and I got the place we were looking at! We'll be hopefully moving in a little later today, but we may not have the keys until tomorrow. We'll be doing the big move-in for furniture next weekend (I say weekend but it's more Sat-Tues based on our days off), so I won't be doing any writing then.

Second, work. We've been warned about this thing called Seven Sundays starting in November. Basically, starting with the first Sunday in November, we'll be working every Sunday until after Christmas. I may or may not be a part of the group working these days, since who will be working the shifts is still up in the air. I am also unsure how these days will be in terms of workload, so I can't say now if Sunday writing will be severely affected in any capacity. Then there's Peak, which may be most of a month spent with me not posting because Christmas season is hell here.

Finally, the proposed schedule for updates. I'm still undecided if I'll set up a strict schedule or not, but if I do, Tuesdays and Saturdays will be days I don't post on due to workload, with Wednesday being a possible third day.

I plan on posting later tonight, but depending on how moving goes (if we move any at all), that may not happen. I do look forward to writing if I have the time though!