THE BEGINNING
iiiiiGaleblast, Apsalara and Wyrmrot all came to Shady Grove with the intention of exploring the Hewn City. They each decided to spend some time living in Shady Grove, taking their time to get to know the area before they set off on their perilous expedition. It's in this downtime that the three came to know each other, eventually deciding to form an exploration team. "The Hewn Hellions", Galeblast once suggested jokingly with a sly grin. And so they were named.
iiiiiAfter they had decided to be a team, even coming up with their own mock name, the three compiled all they had learned. It wasn't much, only what they could glean from the forest guards and some local rumors, but it was better than what they had started with. The Hewn City is a dangerous place, plagued by a dense dark fog even the Lightweaver can't dispel. It is largely uninhabitable, what grows on its soil is inedible because of the omnipresence of poisons there that even leech out from the city into the surrounding area. Dragons that breathe its air for too long grow sick and twisted in mind and body, aberrations manifesting in them akin to the effects of the worst diseases to come out of the Plaguebringer's virulent cauldron. The city is encircled by a ring of trees and wetland which, when combined with the techniques and energy of the forest's guards, are able to purify the malignance that seeps out of the Hewn City and restore the land to its normal state. The process, however, is extremely slow and can only stop the Hewn City from claiming more land at this point. Completely purifying the Hewn City will take lifetimes of consistent effort. Luckily, the forest guards seem to be as long-lived as the trees they tend to- not to mention quite fecund- so the city will, eventually, be made safe to explore.
iiiiiThe Hewn Hellions, however, weren't satisfied with leaving exploration of the Hewn City to some far off generation. They wanted to get inside the city during their lifetimes, see ruins, plants and animals no other dragon had before. They may even find, in their travels, a faster method of purifying the city. The research that would come out of such an expedition would be invaluable!
"Imagine what adaptations we could find in the bacteria in the depths of that place.", murmured Wyrmrot, her many eyes closed dreamily, "From their DNA we could create a generation of super dragons, able to swim about the Wyrmwound with ease!"
"Yes," agreed Apsalara excitedly, "and think of the plants that are able to grow there! Something adapted to so inhospitable an environment would surely withstand even the harshest freeze the Icewarden could muster. We could create food so hardy that no dragon would ever go hungry, no matter where they live."
"Let's not forget what history is in the ruins themselves.", Galeblast smoothly added, "Perhaps we can find a missing piece of history between the light and shadow flights in there, something that may help soothe the relations between the Lightweaver and Shadowbinder."
iiiiiThe three excitedly talked about what they might find in the ruins as they prepared their belongings and said their goodbyes for a final time. Wyrmrot left behind a small fae, Cosette, who she'd helped raise from childhood. The two bid their goodbyes, Wyrmrot handing Cosette her cape to keep Cosette comforted while she was gone. Galeblast had settled into a steady relationship with Cazin, an artist, and hatched one last nest with her before he left. He hugged his family for a final time before waving goodbye as he made his way to the forest. Apsalara had no familial ties, and set off early to let the forest guards know what was going on before her teammates arrived.
iiiiiThe three met up at the edge of the swamp the Moonportal creek fed into, as agreed upon. They each carried enough to feed themselves for two weeks, mostly sticky grain bars obtained from Egnaro, as well as some bedding and water purifiers. Most of their pack weight came from papers and writing utensils, but even still, their packs were relatively light. When Wyrmrot and Galeblast arrived Apsalara had been sitting attentively, watching for them, with a large gaoler covered in dried flowers at her back.
iiiiiThe gaoler silently led the way to a wall of entangled branches which parted as they approached. The gaoler stopped at the entrance and turned to look at each of them.
"Risky. Might not return.", it rumbled solemnly.
iiiiiGaleblast nodded in acknowledgement, "Thank you for the concern, we'll come back the moment we sense trouble. Two weeks is our limit."
iiiiiThe Gaoler nodded pensively and stepped back from the entrance, letting them pass by.
iiiiiThe Hewn Hellions entered the Hewn City for the first time, disappearing into the shrouding mist as the branches entangled once more behind them, sealing the city and explorers inside away from the world.
iiiiiAt first, things went well. The trio spent hours cataloguing all sorts of fascinating new plants. Some were black and tangled, others dark red and bleeding sap, a few even were royal purple with glistening leaves that glittered in the dim light. The ruins they found were mostly delicate shards of stone, ancient but unweathered, sculpted into intricate shapes. Even the animals, though often hostile, were so fantastically different they were almost alien. The dragons found themselves enraptured in what things they saw, scribbling down everything they could into their notes.
iiiiiEventually their supplies ran low and, as they agreed to pack up and head back, they noticed something else. Apsalara had developed a hacking cough that wracked her whole body. Galeblast was fatigued, unable to lift his wings off his body. Even Wyrmrot, with her plagueborn constitution and large body, had a runny nose and blackened eyes. A feeling of dread rippled through the group as they finally paid heed to the symptoms they had put off in their excitement.
iiiiiThey hobbled as quickly as they could back to the wall of branches they had come from. Anxiously they waited for a forest guard to open the way and let them out into the light they sorely missed. To confirm it wasn't too late. Finally, the branches parted. The three rushed out only to be greeted by another wall, this time a wall of gaolers. The light floral scent of dried flowers and herbs wafted through the stagnant air of the clearing as the two groups stared each other down. A guard stepped forward, expression somber.
"Too late." It murmured. To illustrate its point, it cast a soft glow over the group, illuminating the extent of the Hewn City's poisons in their bodies. Concentrated in their lungs, murky lines trailed throughout their bodies, reaching from snout to tail tip.
"Is there a way to cure us?" Apsalara cried, throwing herself on the ground before the gaoler.
It shook its head silently.
iiiiiApsalara burst into tears, sobbing and retching as she dug her claws in the muck as she realized she wouldn't ever be allowed out of the darkness of the city. The city they had all willingly stepped into. Wyrmrot herself fell down at the news, trembling with tears silently streaming down her face. Galeblast was stunned into silence, having truly believed there was a way to save themselves so long as they had no extreme mutations. He, too, fell, and began to choke up and sob.
iiiiiWyrmrot, calming herself with the teachings of the Plaguemother, steadied herself enough to shakily hold out her notes and a letter she had written. "Can you at least take these to my daughter, Cosette? If we can't be saved, at least what we know...", she shakily breathed in and out, "...may help others."
iiiiiThe gaoler nodded, bowing deeply in respect as it concentrated a cocoon of light energy around the papers Wyrmrot held. They sizzled against her flesh and she dropped them in surprise as the gaoler's long tail swept out to catch the papers before they sank into the muck. Looking up at this, Galeblast began furiously scribbling down his own letter, tears staining the paper as he wrote. He thrust the papers out towards the gaolers, "And mine, too?"
iiiiiThe gaoler nodded again, repeating the process. Apsalara was still despondently sobbing, though quieter than when she first began wailing, now looking around for weakness in the ranks of the gaolers. Wyrmrot, thinking of her own plan utilizing the surprising amenity of the stoic forest guard, noticed this and went to stop Apsalara from bolting at the rock solid wall of guards, hissing "Don't!".
iiiiiAlas, it was too late, as Apsalara bolted forward fangs and claws bared as she mercilessly pummeled the nearest gaoler. The guard had also seen this coming, and merely braced itself dispassionately against her assault before brushing her off with a sweep of its head. Fatigued, Apsalara laid in the mud where she was thrown, waiting for her end.
iiiiiThe slightest twitch came to Wyrmrot's lips as she watched the pathetic display. Much calmer now, she breathed in and out shakily once more, "There is no food there, nothing we can eat yet.", she started, watching the guard who had first stepped forward. It turned its gaze slowly away from Apsalara and towards her again, stepping back slightly.
"Can we receive aid? Food and apparel, water purifiers?"
It nodded slowly, then said, "No escape."
iiiii"No escaping," Wyrmrot agreed, "this is just a lot for us to bear right now. Apsalara should be better behaved next time, and if not...", she curled her lip and shook her head, "... I can't think about that now, but please, we want to survive as best we can." Wyrmrot stared imploringly at the expressionless gaoler as it surveyed the group.
iiiiiFinally, it nodded again. "If it is to survive... We respect you. It is nature's, life's, will to survive. We support you. Every two weeks we bring food, we will open the gate. No escape, we support."
iiiii"Yes, I agree." Wyrmrot replied, breathless. There was a chance. She could survive. Survive. She will survive, she must, it is her will. It is her mother's will. Adapting to unfavorable circumstances is in her blood, a gift from her rank mother. The gaoler turned to Galeblast, who stuttered, then got ahold of his tongue to affirm the guard, "Yes, yes! And can we still send back notes?"
iiiiiThe guard nodded again and, just as breathless as Wyrmrot though still fatigued, Galeblast began to see hope again. His life would not end in vain, perhaps assistance could even come from the world outside. His people were crafty, they would think of something. Finally, the guard turned to Apsalara whose eyes were even icier than normal. She worked her jaw then spat out her response, "Fine! Do what you will, but if I become miserable enough, I will take you down with me." She'd take others down if she needed to, in order not to end her life in this miserable place. She would do what she could to get out, and if playing along was her only option now, it's what she'd do.
iiiiiThis seemed acceptable to the gaoler as it said, "Deal. Now go." Stepping back into the ranks of its brethren, it stomped its paw powerfully once as the rest of the guard followed suit in their agreement. Standing from the mud they'd thrown themselves in, Wyrmrot and Galeblast bowed gratefully to the gaolers as Apsalara stared coldly at her jailers. Then they turned and returned the way they had come, back to their last camp, prepared to start a new kingdom.
~
And that's how my kingdom started! This thread will follow the group as they adjust to their new lives in the Hewn City and struggle to survive. It will get more lighthearted as they settle into things, trust me. If you made it this far, thanks for bearing with me, feel free to let me know what you think!