Quests & Challenges

[center][font=lucida console][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3164327/1#post_3164327]top[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3164327/1#post_52081729]rules[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3164327/1#post_52081730]jobs[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3164327/1#post_52081732]table of contents[/url] [size=6][b][color=#484854]d[/color][color=#474D52]a[/color][color=#475250]w[/color][color=#47584F]n[/color][color=#465D4D]'[/color][color=#46624C]s[/color] [color=#466D48]s[/color][color=#457247]o[/color][color=#457845]r[/color][color=#457D44]r[/color][color=#458342]o[/color][color=#448840]w[/color][color=#448D3F].[/color] [color=#44983C]J[/color][color=#439D3A]K[/color] [color=#43A837]N[/color][color=#43AE35]O[/color] [color=#42B832]M[/color][color=#42BE30]Y[/color][color=#42C32F]S[/color][color=#41C82D]T[/color][color=#41CE2C]E[/color][color=#41D32A]R[/color][color=#41D928]I[/color][color=#41D32A]O[/color][color=#41CE2C]U[/color][color=#41C82D]S[/color] [color=#42BE30]T[/color][color=#42B832]I[/color][color=#42B334]T[/color][color=#43AE35]L[/color][color=#43A837]E[/color][color=#43A338]S[/color] [color=#44983C]T[/color][color=#44933D]O[/color][color=#448D3F]D[/color][color=#448840]A[/color][color=#458342]Y[/color][color=#457D44]![/color][color=#457845]![/color][color=#457247]![/color] [color=#46684A]A[/color][color=#46624C]A[/color][color=#465D4D]H[/color][color=#47584F]A[/color][color=#475250]A[/color][color=#474D52]H[/color][color=#484854]A[/color][/b][/size][/center] -----[center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/74036098][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/740361/74036098.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80183193][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/801832/80183193.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/68540921][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/685410/68540921.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/74855688][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/748557/74855688.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80679097][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/806791/80679097.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80593848][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/805939/80593848.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80629950][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/806300/80629950.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80901519][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/809016/80901519.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80923850][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/809239/80923850.png[/img][/url][/center] [font=lucida console]Egon squinted up at the afternoon sun, a decently large cage held in her talons. She, Yora, and Madock were flying back to the farm from a 'hunting' trip-- they'd caught a few deer, and Egon had been in charge of capturing a few wild chickens. She squinted down at the cage, seeing four bundles of feathers fearfully curled up in the corner. The kids would enjoy that, she thought. Fresh eggs every day! As the farmhouse came into view, Egon looked back at Yora and Madock. They were talking in low voices- about what, Egon didn't really care. Her wings were aching and desperately needed a good preening. However, she was greeted with a tearful cry as she landed in the front yard. "Egon, Yora- Madock!" Glue called. "Saturn's gone too!" "The Skydancer?" Egon's yellow eyes widened. Two hatchlings disappearing in less than 24 hours? Madock was quick to respond, landing heavily by Egon. "I will handle this," she gruffed. "Go put the chickens in the coop." The Coatl looked up at Madock indignantly, then at Yora. He had gone on ahead, talking rapidly with Arliin. Two magic nerds couldn't be separated at times like these. Well, she couldn't object. She would wheedle the scene out of Yora later, she decided, hoisting the cage of wild chickens on her back and going around to the chicken coop. ... "Miss Egon?" The green Coatl looked around, eyes narrowed threateningly. Her look immediately softened when she saw Nikulas, the teenage Ridgeback that had showed up in front of her the night before. It had felt like an eternity since then. "What's up, buck?" Egon leaped down from her perch on the chicken coop, where she'd been coiling a few pieces of wire to patch a hole. "Well, everything is up," he groaned with a roll of his fuchsia eyes. "I wanted to come out here and help you. The grownups are being grownups, and Caddock is playing with the other Banescale." She looked up at him- he was about a head taller than she- then she cracked a smile, her tongue flicking out. "You're my assistant for the evening, then. Just about right- I've been setting my electrical equipment up. I'd like to make a set of motion-detecting lights out here, so that we'll know if some animal comes to eat the chickens at night." "Sounds complicated," Nikulas remarked, crouching low to squint at a bluish-black hen. "It is- which is why I need your help! Come, come, I'll need you to hold some wires for me." ... Nikulas and Egon worked on the light system around the coop for what felt like a few minutes. In actuality, it had been hours- but Egon's obsessive hobby was beginning to take hold of her once again, and Nikulas was more than happy to be the muscle behind the operation. His Arcane curiosity had overwhelmed his regular teenage stubbornness. "Phew, look at that! Does it work?" Nikulas crept over to one of the sensors, waving his talon in front of it. After a couple of seconds, a string of lights lit up, startling a couple of the chickens in the coop. "Works," he said over his shoulder. "Fantastic," Egon sighed. "Have you noticed how late it is?" "I was hoping you wouldn't notice. It's way past my bedtime," the Ridgeback grumbled. The Coatl laughed. "No bedtime out here on the farm, buck. You've gotta do what you gotta do out here." He shrugged, saying nothing as he waggled his claws in the chicken wire. The rooster Egon had picked up strutted over, pecking at his knuckles a couple times. This was to his amusement, but Egon came over and gently reprimanded him anyway. "We want them to get used to being around dragons. No teasing- try to feed them instead." Nikulas narrowed his eyes- but he had a newfound fondness for this no-nonsense Coatl. He decided to obey her instruction, shoving his hand in the feed bag. "OI! What's it to ya?!" The Ridgeback jumped, lifting his fist. Yellow chicken feed fell to the ground- and, held tightly in his talon, there was a red, black, and green Veilspun. Nobody spoke, Egon and Nikulas staring perplexedly at the tiny dragon. "What?! Can't a fellow get a meal around here?!" The larger dragons stared at him, then each other. Egon burst into giggles, Nikulas shaking his head and eyeing the captive Veilspun weirdly. "You were... eating chicken feed?" "It's good! But now that you say it, I'm [i]parched,[/i]" he groaned. "You got any water?" "Yeah, yeah," Nikulas sighed, letting the dragon go. He stayed in his talon, though, his tiny talon on his tiny chin as he inspected the large teenager in front of him. "You look funny. What's your name?" "Oh? [i]I[/i] look funny? You look like a hybrid between a fly and a horse," the Ridgeback snorted. "I'm Nikulas, and this is Egon." "Delphiki," the Veilspun announced in a grand voice, shaking Nikulas's dewclaw. "My pleasure. I'm going to go talk to whoever's in that house now. Good impressions make for good benefits!" The Ridgeback watched Delphiki salute to them, then buzz off, going into the house through a window. He stared for a few moments, utterly confused. "You guys are so weird." "Tell me about it," Egon giggled. [center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80606216][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/806063/80606216.png[/img][/url][/center] ----- [font=lucida console]rolling for babies- 3, 6. they live! now for the engineer thing. uh, how did that go, again?... flip a coin, and on heads, a random dragon gains a life. roll a d20 each day, and on a 1, an explosion occurs. heads! rolled a 10.. Delphiki, the new dragon, already has two lives! Dude's here to stay, heheh! now, that d20.. rolled an 18, phew. thank you, Egon! I'll totally be able to tie this into lore. >:) pinky gave me a... ...an armored colony. a familiar. more dragons. MORE DRAGONS!!! AAARRRRGH!!!!! rolled an 18, that's a veilspun. welcome, Delphiki. ...i [i]really[/i] need more lairspace.

[center][font=lucida console][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3164327/1#post_3164327]top[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3164327/1#post_52081729]rules[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3164327/1#post_52081730]jobs[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3164327/1#post_52081732]table of contents[/url] [size=6][b][color=#484854]S[/color][color=#474D52]O[/color] [color=#47594E]M[/color][color=#465F4D]U[/color][color=#46644B]C[/color][color=#466A49]H[/color] [color=#457646]H[/color][color=#457C44]A[/color][color=#458142]P[/color][color=#448741]P[/color][color=#448D3F]E[/color][color=#44933D]N[/color][color=#44993B]E[/color][color=#439F3A]D[/color] [color=#43AA36]A[/color][color=#42B035]N[/color][color=#42B633]D[/color] [color=#42C12F]I[/color][color=#41C72E]M[/color] [color=#41D32A]G[/color][color=#40D929]I[/color][color=#41D32A]G[/color][color=#41CD2C]G[/color][color=#41C72E]L[/color][color=#42C12F]I[/color][color=#42BC31]N[/color][color=#42B633]G[/color] [color=#43AA36]T[/color][color=#43A438]O[/color] [color=#44993B]M[/color][color=#44933D]Y[/color][color=#448D3F]S[/color][color=#448741]E[/color][color=#458142]L[/color][color=#457C44]F[/color] [color=#467047]A[/color][color=#466A49]B[/color][color=#46644B]O[/color][color=#465F4D]U[/color][color=#47594E]T[/color] [color=#474D52]I[/color][color=#484854]T[/color][/b][/size][/center] -----[center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/74036098][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/740361/74036098.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80183193][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/801832/80183193.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/68540921][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/685410/68540921.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/74855688][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/748557/74855688.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80679097][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/806791/80679097.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80593848][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/805939/80593848.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80629950][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/806300/80629950.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80901519][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/809016/80901519.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80923850][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/809239/80923850.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80606216][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/806063/80606216.png[/img][/url][/center] [font=lucida console]"Calm down," Yora reprimanded to Glue. She had been stammering frantically to him- and turned away, clamping her talons over her snout. Arliin cleared his throat. "Saturn's mom poked her head through the door, and snatched her. She seemed to be in a different location than this." "You didn't check to see if it was an illusion?" The Fae opened his mouth to confirm that he'd done everything right- but paused. He hadn't actually run all the tests that Yora had instructed him to. Nothing had [i]felt[/i] wrong about Saturn's mother, but that was saying little, considering how inexperienced he was with magic. "I thought so," Yora murmured. "Listen, I need to accompany Madock to hone in on a perimeter here. Make sure nobody goes in that room with the door- I'll be able to handle it when I'm back." Arliin lowered his head, nodding dimly with a droop of his frills. He'd failed once again- and, while he was only just getting used to telling other dragons' emotions by their expressions, Yora's flattened ears were telling enough of his frustration. The Pearlcatcher let out a soft sigh, nudging the Fae with his wing. "It's alright, Arliin. I don't blame you. This is a lot for even me to deal with." "I suppose you're right," he replied nonchalantly, though his frills reflected his sudden relief. Yora nodded once, then swept off, his shining pearl held in his tail. Glue let out a shaking sigh. "Phew. Now, why don't we check on the chicken coop? Egon said she wanted to set a little electrical system up down there." "I'll be there in a moment," Arliin replied, spreading his wings to fly up the stairs. Glue assented, heading to the back door. Once the blue Fae was up, he peered into the room within which the tiny enchanted door resided. It was closed now, and looked dormant- it hadn't been active since it had swallowed Saturn the night before. Was that really her mother, or were more malicious forces at play here? And why hadn't Egon and Yora been able to leave, despite how far they'd flown? He shook his head with a shudder, pulling the door to the room shut and locking it with a key Madock had given him. "Arliin?" Achalendra's fearful voice was heard behind him. He turned, looking up at the adolescent Banescale with an attempt at a calm expression. "Yeah?" "I can't find Caddock." ... "Yababa!!!" "What was that?" "I don't know," Madock grunted, her voice almost lost in the whistling wind. "However, I feel something.. squirmin' around in my mane." Yora tilted his outspread wings, gliding closer to Madock- and he saw a flash of dark blue and peach. That was one of the babies!! "Madock, you have Caddock with you. How did that happen?" "Knew it was only a matter of time 'til one of the buggers crawled in there," she grumbled- though she was smiling as she looked down at the little Banescale. "You comfy, little one?" Caddock nodded vigorously with a big grin. "It's dangerous to take hatchlings with us on this operation," Yora shouted against the whistling wind, his whiskers flailing and his pearl clutched to his chest. "We need to turn back." "We're almost there," Madock shouted back. "Let's just get it over with. I'll keep an eye on the hatchling." Yora shook his head, though his disdain didn't last long. He pointed downwards, to a patch on a hill that stood out among the dry, dead grass and tumbleweeds. As the dragons dove, they saw that this patch was a small, abandoned campsite. The early morning gloom cast the site in a gentle gray-blue light as the investigators landed, Madock sniffing for dragons and finding nothing. Four tents were here- ripped, disheveled, and with their contents scattered here and there. "This isn't familiar to me," Madock grunted. "I've passed here a thousand times. Something's awry." "Maybe there are some hints here," Yora replied, glancing at her before riffling through a bag. "I'm going to see if I can find a journal, or anything else useful." "Alright then," Madock gruffed, sitting back and surveying the situation. The firepit hadn't been put out- it had fizzled out about a week prior, approximately. How it didn't set the fields alight was beyond her. She also noticed a small pearl nestled against the inside of a blue tent, and a jab of sorrow pricked her heart. "Ababa." She turned- and Caddock had dove into a rather ornate-looking pouch, somehow having untangled himself from her mane without her knowledge. She watched as the next events almost happened in slow motion. The blue and peach Banescale yanked a silver chain out of the bag, each tiny link engraved with who knew how many runes. An odd crystalline charm hung on the end, and glowed softly. Yora turned his head, his eyes wide. Madock knew that look by now- he sensed strong magics. Caddock tossed his head back, flinging the necklace into the air- and swallowed it with a satisfied [i]snap[/i] of his jaws. Yora's jaw dropped. "Wha- Caddock, spit it out!" The Banescale sat down, licking his lips with a big, toothy grin. "You could have cursed yourself! Come, now, let me-..." The Pearlcatcher had begun to approach the hatchling, but slowed to a stop. Madock watched in silent horror as the tiny dragon blinked a couple of times, his expression contorting into one of mild, knowledgeable perturbation. His mouth opened, an icy blue glow coming from within- and he spoke. He spoke with the grandest, mightiest voice that had ever reached Madock's ears. "[i]I am Glacidel, great mage of old. I live again- and by what means, do I stand and spread my wings?[/i]" The hatchling stood up, narrowing his white eyes at the pair. "[i]Why the horror? You are in the presence of one of the most experienced magic-wielders Sornieth has come to know.[/i]" Yora and Madock looked at each other. Their faces both said the same thing. [i]What in the Eleven is happening here?[/i] ----- [font=lucida console]sheesh, lots to do today. Caddock grew up, so i just need to roll for Nikulas... ...2. PHEW. CLOSE CALL. he grows tomorrow, too! aw, i love him, so i'm happy for that. now, engineer thing. got a tails. rolled a 4- no explosion. nice! pinky gave me... jar of side scales. hm. 18. royal quest. okay, that's good for lore! let me do that, then let me see what happens. caddock and yora were chosen- hahah, caddock's gaining levels already! WOW, caddock is leveling fast. this is really good for me, actually- i believe madock is already the highest level dragon of all of them, so leveling her up once gives her accompaniment sizable hunks of exp as well. hooray to yora and caddock heheh yora hit level 5, he's a name scribe! huh. cool, i guess it fits! not too useful, but.. hm! we'll see where he goes. (i'm very tempted to change glue's name, but the only one that comes to mind is... tomato. i'll sleep on it LOOOOL) ...caddock hit level 5, too. umm. he's a TEACHER. A TEACHER??????? IN THE LORE HE'S A LITTLE BABY BUT NOW HE'S A... ok. i can totally make this work. i'm also going to rename him, having a madock and a caddock is confusing. OKAY. that allows me to level two dragons (under the royal's level) per day, by one level, rolling a d20 to see if they're lost or not. cool! might use it if i feel the need for extra levels, but i'm VIBING right now. everyone's doing GREAT. edit, rolled an 8 for the royal quest. nobody died!

[center][font=lucida console][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3164327/1#post_3164327]top[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3164327/1#post_52081729]rules[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3164327/1#post_52081730]jobs[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3164327/1#post_52081732]table of contents[/url] [size=7] [b][color=#484854]L[/color][color=#475C4D]O[/color][color=#467147]L[/color] [color=#449A3B]O[/color][color=#43AF35]K[/color][color=#42C42F].[/color][color=#41D929].[/color][color=#42C42F].[/color][color=#43AF35].[/color][color=#449A3B].[/color] [color=#467147]:[/color][color=#475C4D]([/color][/b] [/size][/center] -----[center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/74036098][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/740361/74036098.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80183193][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/801832/80183193.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/68540921][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/685410/68540921.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/74855688][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/748557/74855688.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80679097][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/806791/80679097.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80593848][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/805939/80593848.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80629950][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/806300/80629950.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80901519][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/809016/80901519.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80923850][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/809239/80923850.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80606216][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/806063/80606216.png[/img][/url][/center] [font=lucida console]"[i]What is with the long faces, fellow dragons? Come, come, I sense misery and witchcraft the likes of wish must be defeated![/i]" "I- I- Caddock...? What- what happened to you?" "[i]So the name of this body is... 'Caddock',[/i]" the Banescale hatchling grumbled in his new deep and ghostly voice. "[i]I will be sure to use it in full. I feel small, but the Ice elemental energy... it flows within this body.[/i]" Madock and Yora both gawked down at the little dragon. He tilted his head up at them, then leaped to his tiny feet. "[i]There is danger afoot, in a house, in a dwelling many wing-flaps from here! We must vanquish it, for it will spread! Come, come![/i]" As the blue hatchling clambered back into Madock's mane, she met Yora's eyes. He looked perplexed, and somewhat terrified. "I've never dealt with something like this before," he mouthed softly. "Well, if anything, we should listen to him," the Obelisk murmured as 'Glacidel' stuck his head out of the woolly orange curls. "[i]ONWARDS! Don't dilly-dally!!![/i]" "Okay, okay," Yora laughed nervously, spreading his wings and leaping into the air. Madock followed, and they were on their way home, Glacidel yammering in his new, grand voice all the way. ... Glue and Arliin stood out on the back porch, gazing at the electrical light system that Egon had set up with Nikulas's help. The Coatl, Ridgeback, Guardian, Fae, and Achalendra the Banescale sat together. Peep was sweeping the front porch, and as such, wasn't attending the vigil. Achalendra was fighting back tears that welled up in his eyes. Nikulas's head was lowered, and Glue sniffled softly. Caddock had just disappeared, presumably swallowed by the tiny door that had taken Haneuel and Saturn. Achalendra had just taken his eyes off of him for a few seconds- he felt crushed, as did Nikulas, who felt responsible for the hatchlings that had shown up at the farm some time before. "Achalendra," Egon said calmly, "Did you hear any talking? Or did you hear the door slam? It does that when it takes hatchlings." "N-no," the Banescale stammered. "I heard the front door slam, but that's... that's all. The door to that room wasn't even open. I don't know what happened." "Then, maybe he left with Madock and Yora," she soothed. It clearly didn't help much, but Achalendra nodded profusely at the attempt at consolation. "Yeah- yeah. Yeah. Okay." "Either way, we're going to figure it out," Arliin replied. "We'll make sure the hatchlings are safe where they are- or get them back. Yora and Madock are gauging right now to see what sort of curse we're dealing with." Silence settled once again. The sun had set by now, a dusty, cool breeze blowing across the chicken coop. Occasionally, coos or clucks were heard; aside from this, though, the five dragons remained in vigil over the next lost hatchling. "So, um... no idea what's going on here, but I sense danger," a ratty voice called. Nikulas looked around, to see a little red form sitting by Arliin. Delphiki was there- and he seemed anxious. "Well, welcome to the club," Glue murmured, wiping a tear with her wing. "Always feels like danger 'round here now." "No- I'm serious. Look!" The Veilspun pointed over a hill. Egon was the first to catch sight of it- a dark form, strange, finger-like tendrils wavering in the night's gloom. It could have been some kind of cloud. She took a step back, anxiety rushing down her back. "Achalendra, Nikulas, Delphiki- go inside." "Why?" Achalendra asked, sounding fearful. "What's wrong?" "I don't know," the Coatl replied, drawing a small blade. "Glue, Arliin?" "I can't tell," Arliin murmured, hopping on Glue's back. She lifted her head, digging her talons into the dirt as she readied to rise to the oncoming challenge. The porch door closed behind them. Egon looked behind her to see Achalendra's fearful eyes in one window, Nikulas gazing out of the other determinedly with Delphiki curled up on his head. She nodded with a grin and a flick of her tongue, then spread her wings, darting off into the night to see what had caused that strange visual distortion. She heard a great beating of wings, and glimpsed Glue with a snarl on her snout, flying besides Egon with Arliin on her head. As they approached the dark form on the hill, it seemed to shrink, as if it was some sort of optical illusion or perspective trick. They landed where they'd seen it, sniffing around in the dry soil and drier grass. "I don't sense anything," Arliin said in his monotonous voice, hopping down from Glue's horns and narrowing his cyan eyes up at the murky clouds. "I do," Egon gasped, looking up. "Madock and Yora are back." Indeed, an orange form was flying in- a black and white form accompanying her. An odd, ghostly voice drifted down to them. "[i]Shoot! Now! Don't let it move![/i]" The sky exploded, and something screamed. Huge, shining claws narrowly missed Glue's head as threads split the air. Tendrils of red energy had dashed out of Yora's talons, tiny green pustules shining like some sort of tiny, radioactive fungus. A form opened its mouth, dancing between the eyes of those who watched from below, and a thick tail-like limb hit the ground. Arliin's head swam as he felt his insides swing upwards. Suddenly, he was floating- and so was everybody else, and so were chunks of the dry ground around them. He felt a presence close to him, and squinted, his frills flattening to his head. Whatever they were fighting, it had turned its attention to him. He felt sick. Yora's magic had struck it, and a barrage of thin, serrated ice spines were fired at it- but they merely floated past, subjected to the gravity that the thing had commanded. What even was this? It didn't look real, barely reflected or absorbed light at all. It couldn't exist. It didn't smell like Shade, Shadow, or anything else. It wasn't real. Arliin dropped like a rock, sneezing as his impact brought up a puff of dust. The being had recoiled, a Plague bolt being shot at it- and, just for a moment, light reflected off of it. A grotesque body lacking a head glimmered in what little light there was. Four, maybe six limbs were folded tightly to its grand body, shining as the scales of a fish in the final light of the world. A doomsday from which nothing returned, and yet something sparkled. It twisted, a limb lifting. Slowly, slowly, a long, thin tendril whipped through the stilled air- heading straight for Glue. "No-!!" A bolt of pustuled matter struck the tendril, and the half-visible entity gurgled as it simply snapped in two. Glue flailed, but couldn't move from where she floated-- but Arliin definitely could, and so could Yora. In fact, Yora had something on his head. A small, blue hatchling- that was Caddock! And he was giving the Pearlcatcher rapid instructions, in... a wholly new voice. "[i]It's feeding on your fear. You need to go for where its head may be- there, you can see it. We all see it differently. Come- this way, this way. Slightly higher. And- fire.[/i]" Another blast of red tendrils shot out of his talons- and another screech split the air. Glue flapped her wings as she fell back to the ground, dashing to Arliin and ducking over him as the chunks of dirt began to fall, too. She grunted as a clod thumped her on the back, but she protected him- and he watched with horror. The hatchling cackled in his ghostly voice, leaping off of the Pearlcatcher and landing on what seemed to be thin air. Lifting his tiny pink wings, he inhaled- then fired a concentrated burst of powerful Ice energy into the assailing creature. White light blinded the Fae, and he ducked his head behind Glue's leg, a rumble shaking the ground. The creature flailed, letting out a dying howl, but the fight wasn't over yet. Glue recoiled as a massive set of claws swiped at her, but someone had shoved her out of the way. A grunt showed that Yora was struck, and, while Arliin was blinded, Egon saw him dragged across the dry earth by huge, ugly claws. She dove, her bone-blade held high. Just one properly-timed hit, and he'd be free. Reeling her arm back, she threw the knife. It sailed through the thing's limb uselessly, sticking in the ground before being covered in another lump of falling dirt. Yora roared ferociously, and the possessed hatchling fired off one last Ice spell- but the effort was futile. With a final rumble, the flickering form sank into the earth, Yora going with it. [center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80593848][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/805939/80593848.png[/img][/url][/center] ----- [font=lucida console]okie. all my kiddos are grown up now, so-- no hatchling rolls! i freed up some lair space today, so i can't wait to see if i get anyone new for today's roll. ^_^ engineer flip first tho. heads! life goes to Arliin! he has four now! wowie!! rolled a 10 for the explosion thing. we're safe! pinky.. gave me an etched tusk! rolling a d20, that's a 14 on the challenges... d10 for each dragon, and on a 1, they lose a life. ummm. uh oh. 4, 5, 1, 2, 8, 1, 2, 10, 9, 3. glue loses a life and YORA'S DEAD. YORA IS DEAD. *SHAKES AND SCREAMS AND GROWLS AND CRIES NO NOOO NONONO. now i can't rename glue either. CRAP.

YORA IS DEAD!!!!!!!!!

RIP poor guy. The descriptions of this ghastly creature and how it's affecting the world around it have cogs turning in my head... is this tied to the spatial curse and the portal-door that have been afflicting everyone already? Maybe we just met the BBEG for the first time ... heheh.
Awesome lore piece. I'm sad to see Yora go, he had great things going for him!

[center][font=lucida console][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3164327/1#post_3164327]top[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3164327/1#post_52081729]rules[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3164327/1#post_52081730]jobs[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3164327/1#post_52081732]table of contents[/url] [size=7][b][color=#484854]L[/color][color=#475450]O[/color][color=#46604C]L[/color] [color=#457845]C[/color][color=#458442]O[/color][color=#44903E]N[/color][color=#439C3A]F[/color][color=#43A837]U[/color][color=#42B433]S[/color][color=#42C030]I[/color][color=#41CC2C]O[/color][color=#41D929]N[/color] [color=#42C030]I[/color] [color=#43A837]G[/color][color=#439C3A]U[/color][color=#44903E]E[/color][color=#458442]S[/color][color=#457845]S[/color][color=#466C49].[/color][color=#46604C].[/color][color=#475450].[/color][/b][/size][/center] -----[center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/74036098][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/740361/74036098.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80183193][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/801832/80183193.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/68540921][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/685410/68540921.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/74855688][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/748557/74855688.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80679097][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/806791/80679097.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80629950][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/806300/80629950.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80901519][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/809016/80901519.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80923850][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/809239/80923850.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80606216][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/806063/80606216.png[/img][/url][/center] [font=lucida console]"[i]Ah... the joy of constructs. While they are rare, they vary tremendously, and it seems you've got a very bad case of them.[/i]" Madock stared down at 'Glacidel' perplexedly. "You know what just happened?" "[i]No, of course not. I know this energy- but not this instance. This creature was made with malicious intent, and there are more scattered across this land that is yours! Much extermination to be done, much, much. Very much.[/i]" The Obelisk shook her head slowly, lifting her eyes from the blue Banescale to survey the scene. The dragons that had taken sudden residence on her farm were inside of the house now- well, all except she, 'Glacidel', and Egon. The green and orange Coatl had been prying at the dusty soil where Yora had been dragged into the earth with the construct. Tears shone in her eyes, though determination graced high in her voice as she growled. "Come on. You can't be dead- you [i]can't[/i]. What has all of this been for, huh?" "[i]Egon, dear... he's not dead,[/i]" Glacidel called, hobbling over to the Coatl with his tiny legs. "[i]Even now, he grapples with the construct. He fights for us all. He may be separate from us, but he's not gone from this world.[/i]" "Sorry, but what? Caddock, what are you saying?" Egon narrowed her gold eyes at the hatchling. "[i]I am Glacidel, how many times must I tell you, dear? Anyway, I have had much experience with these organisms. There will be much work to be done to dispel the vengeance wrought upon this land, but for now, you must rest.[/i]" Egon blinked at the Banescale, then looked up at Madock with a mix of quizzical curiosity and fiery anger. "I'll explain once we're all inside," Madock whispered. The Coatl shook her head, swatting Madock's side with her wing as she stepped past. She turned to look over her shoulder at the Obelisk as she got to the door, the yellow light of the porch lantern making her sparkle dimly. "I won't stand for this insanity, Madock." Then she went inside, gently shutting the door behind her. Madock let out a long sigh, and Glacidel climbed back into her mane with his own curious mutters. "[i]Very comfortable in here as always. Very comfortable. Ooh, I'm going to need to augment my form to better fit my abilities. This poor body almost collapsed under my magic![/i]" ... "Egon? Madock? Where am I?" Yora rose to his talons, looking around in absolute darkness. He felt some sort of cool liquid lapping at his ankles, and it felt like there was silt beneath his claws. He shook his head, feeling droplets fly off of his scales and fur. To do so pained him, for he was wounded. "Anyone?" His voice echoed down what sounded like an endless space. With a grim shudder, he held a talon up, summoning a quick spell of light. The liquid beneath him was clear water, sparkling gray silt dancing beneath the surface. He breathed a sigh of relief, letting the scent of fresh water fill his lungs. However, his peace was short-kept, for something was watching him. About five or six paces in front of him, a huge, dark creature surveyed him with no eyes. He could feel its attention on him, fighting the urge to run in the other direction. His small light did little to illuminate its grand form, let alone tell him what it could be. It turned, then began to walk away. He watched it go with an expression of disgust- but then it stopped, turning to look at him again. It wanted him to follow, he realized. What else could he do, really? He had no idea where he was, his wing felt bent wrongly, and pain kept his breath shallow. When the thing had grabbed him, it had probably cracked a rib. For now, he had to cooperate. And, who knew? Maybe he'd get to the bottom of this. With a dim sigh, he followed the dark creature, praying that he would find a way out of the mess he was in. ----- [font=lucida console]*sigh. okay, engineer thing. tails- no lives. RIP. rolled a 6, though; no explosion today. pinky gave me some plant food- which just means 10-20 matches. hmm... time to make a recovery lorepost, in that case. peep, glacidel, and nikulas get some action in coli.

Glacidel, you let that poor kid go! Man, way for me to get attached to the hatchling who gets their body snatched from them ... I guess it has something to do with how I wrote a character like that once before. I wonder what the 'other' constructs are that he's implying exist, though.

Yora! I'm actually really happy he's still alive! What exactly happened to him when he disappeared? Is he in another reality now, or some kind of pocket dimension for the construct?

@Murvax heheh... you'll see. also, i had no idea that anyone was attached to caddock, i basically did NO establishment with him... i might give him his own brain back in the future! way to go for changing my plot slightly in the far future, hahah!

as for yora... his story will be parallel to what's going on, is all i can say. i'm kind of barred from getting him directly involved now since he's 'dead', but he's my plot armor. my narrator. he will help me shape my story. as for where he is, i don't want to spoil it (totally havent just left it unestablished so i can see where pinkerton takes me).

[center][font=lucida console][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3164327/1#post_3164327]top[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3164327/1#post_52081729]rules[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3164327/1#post_52081730]jobs[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3164327/1#post_52081732]table of contents[/url] [size=6][b][color=#484854]A[/color][color=#475151]D[/color][color=#475B4E]U[/color][color=#46654B]L[/color][color=#466E48]T[/color][color=#457845]S[/color] [color=#448B3F]R[/color] [color=#439F3A]S[/color][color=#43A837]O[/color] [color=#42BB31]D[/color][color=#41C52E]R[/color][color=#41CF2B]A[/color][color=#40D829]M[/color][color=#41CF2B]A[/color][color=#41C52E]T[/color][color=#42BB31]I[/color][color=#42B234]C[/color] [color=#439F3A]S[/color][color=#44953D]O[/color][color=#448B3F]M[/color][color=#458242]E[/color][color=#457845]T[/color][color=#466E48]I[/color][color=#46654B]M[/color][color=#475B4E]E[/color][color=#475151]S[/color][/b][/size][/center] -----[center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/74036098][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/740361/74036098.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80183193][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/801832/80183193.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/68540921][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/685410/68540921.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/74855688][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/748557/74855688.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80679097][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/806791/80679097.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80629950][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/806300/80629950.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80901519][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/809016/80901519.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80923850][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/809239/80923850.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80606216][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/806063/80606216.png[/img][/url][/center] [font=lucida console]The nine residents of Madock's farm sat together at an old table in the backyard of the large house. Madock the Obelisk, Glue the Guardian, Peep the Obelisk, Nikulas the rapidly-growing adolescent Ridgeback, and Egon the Coatl sat around the round table. Arliin the Fae, Delphiki the Veilspun, Achalendra the Banescale, and 'Glacidel' the Banescale hatchling sat on the table itself. "Yora and I had stumbled across a camp- unknowingly, Caddock here had hitched a ride in my mane, and upon swallowing a strange blue necklace, he donned a... new voice and demeanor." "[i]It's Glacidel, Madock. How many times do I have to say?[/i]" Nikulas shook his head slowly, scratching the back of his neck. "I... I don't know what to say. Is he... is he alive?" "[i]The hatchling you speak of is fine,[/i]" Glacidel responded. "[i]He is in a dormant state. I will allow him access to this body once my job is done.[/i]" "Your job?! What job?!" Egon had spoken up irritably, slamming her front talons on the table and leaning over. She leered over the tiny hatchling- which would have been a terrible gesture had it not been for the hatchling's demeanor. The tiny dragon straightened up, regarding Egon with white eyes that bespoke of times none of the spectators could begin to fathom. "[i]This moor is accursed. Madock has been imprisoned in her stretch of land for many years, and, without help, she would remain here for eternity. Alone, forgotten, crushed by the weight of her own sins.[/i]" His ghostly voice had hushed all of the other eight dragons. He turned slowly, affixing his frigid gaze on each one in turn. "[i]You are all here because it wants you here. Whether it is a being casting spells, or it is malevolent magic feeding off of the soil and the sky... none of you can leave. At least, not via... conventional means.[/i]" Nikulas barked out a laugh. "How do you know all this? Give us Caddock back and leave him alone!" "[i]A hundred years ago, I was chasing the dragon who swore vengeance against this bloodline. I was to stop him in his endeavors, but I was slain at his talon. My being has been passed from dragon to dragon, never leaving this curse-stinking moor. That is, until I was given a new chance at correcting my age-old mistakes.[/i]" He lifted his head. "[i]I am here to help. This situation may be hard to grasp for even the most experienced mages, but I am far superior than any mage or analyst. I am GLACIDEL, and I will bring freedom upon these lands again![/i]" As the tiny Banescale closed his mouth, the expressions of the spectators turned from hushed fear to awed curiosity. Egon lifted a claw in the silence, pointing it at Madock. "What do you know about this curse? Tell us. [i]Now.[/i]" The Obelisk met the Coatl's eyes, old and gray as always. "I know very little. The only traveler that I know has left has gone by the name of Andon. He was a Skydancer. After a couple of days' traveling, he came to my door, told me that he couldn't find who he was looking for, bid me a farewell, and sailed off into a tear he'd opened in the sky. Flying or walking will always lead you back here, to this house." "Okay, this is insane." Egon turned away, flicking the table with her tail. A thump startled Arliin, Delphiki, Achalendra, and Glacidel. "I'm going to go verify that this is all a ploy to get me in trouble. Yora is fine, there's no curse- you're all lying!" Her voice had risen to a shriek as she turned to look at the spectators. They gazed at her with wide eyes. With a snarl, she spread her wings, darting off into the afternoon sky. "[i]I believe she has shown her stance,[/i]" Glacidel murmured as the eight dragons watched the ninth fly off. "[i]Those of you who... believe that you can solve old magics with anger, you may accompany the delightful Egon on her travels.[/i]" Nobody moved for some time. It seemed as if all the spectators would take the side of the possessed hatchling. Nikulas stood, spreading his grand wings. "I'm going with her." "What? Nikulas, you-" "I'm keeping her safe," he asserted, glaring at Glue. "B'sides, I really do think this is all nonsense." "I'll come too, then," Delphiki chirped with a smile. "Y'all are boring." Nikulas held his talon out to the Veilspun, who crawled up his arm to his head. Peep, Madock, Glue, Arliin, Achalendra, and Glacidel gawked as the Ridgeback turned away. "Well... see you around." And then he was off, following the green speck that was Egon. ----- [font=lucida console]alright! first, engineer thingy. heads! peep gets another life. he's at 2 now!! my baby boy!!!!!! also rolled an 8, so no explosion. great job, egon! ok. pinky, gimme your best. rich copper ore... i just sold, like, a stack of this yesterday. ok, rolled a 7, which is... ooh, a quest! two dragons are raised a level, and if a d6 yields a 1, they die. SHEESH. ok, let me dooooo that... it says "pick two dragons at random", which is self contradictory, so i'm gonna roll. arliin and delphiki get to level up once. rolled a 2- neither die. nice! they'd have just lost a life, anyway, since they have more than 1 life each. double nice! as for lore... i just kind of want to shape what's going on. this piece feels pretty big to me already, so i'll leave a Yora entry for next time. also. arliin is a .. well, he would be a teacher, but i'm allowed to reroll since achalendra is an artist. he's a gardener... well, let's add that to his list of interests. madock's given him a green thumb! +i also decided to use glacidel's teacher status to level glue up once. glue and nikulas, since they're both under madock's level. glue is now an ALCHEMIST. WOW!

[center][font=lucida console][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3164327/1#post_3164327]top[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3164327/1#post_52081729]rules[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3164327/1#post_52081730]jobs[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3164327/1#post_52081732]table of contents[/url] [size=6][b][color=#484854]T[/color][color=#475151]H[/color][color=#475B4E]X[/color] [color=#466E48]F[/color][color=#457845]O[/color][color=#458242]R[/color] [color=#44953D]N[/color][color=#439F3A]O[/color] [color=#42B234]E[/color][color=#42BB31]X[/color][color=#41C52E]P[/color][color=#41CF2B]L[/color][color=#40D829]O[/color][color=#41CF2B]S[/color][color=#41C52E]I[/color][color=#42BB31]O[/color][color=#42B234]N[/color][color=#43A837]S[/color] [color=#44953D]Y[/color][color=#448B3F]E[/color][color=#458242]T[/color] [color=#466E48]E[/color][color=#46654B]G[/color][color=#475B4E]O[/color][color=#475151]N[/color][/b][/size][/center] -----[center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/74036098][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/740361/74036098.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80183193][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/801832/80183193.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/68540921][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/685410/68540921.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/74855688][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/748557/74855688.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80679097][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/806791/80679097.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80629950][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/806300/80629950.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80901519][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/809016/80901519.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80923850][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/809239/80923850.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80606216][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/806063/80606216.png[/img][/url][/center] [font=lucida console]After the split, the remaining dragons on Madock's farm had gone to bed, disheveled and confused. The next morning, Madock called for Arliin and Glue in the backyard. The Fae and Guardian had opened the door to be greeted with a pile of tools and a determined but merry Madock. A tired smile shone in her eyes as they approached. "Hello again, you two." "Good morning, Madock! Um- what's all of... this?" "Farm tools," she replied. "I figure that, while we're all stranded here, we should make the most of it." Her voice was starkly bland. Arliin and Glue looked at each other, then walked closer, Madock leaning over and lowering her voice to a whisper. "I don't know the full extent of this 'curse', but I suspect it has had an effect on the health of my crops. I'd like to try to grow a few things, see if it's possible." "Ooh, magic and plants! Sounds like it's right up your alley," Glue chirped to the Fae, whose frills betrayed that he was undeniably excited about the endeavor to come. He shook his head with a soft 'harrumph'. "Maybe your alchemy work will come in handy," he snipped pointedly at her. She looked away sheepishly. "That's just a side hobby! Nothing I really... you know, [i]did[/i] anything with." "Right," the Fae drawled, looking up at Madock. She was regarding the two wanderers curiously, but said nothing, picking a couple of scythes up and brushing some dust off of them. "Alright, you two ready? It's a decent amount of work to be done, even for an experiment." "Absolutely," Glue chirped. Arliin nodded. "Wonderful. Now, then..." ... Once Madock had given the pair the basics, she had gone to handle Peep, Achalendra, and Glacidel. They'd been instructed to sow a small plot of land (within eyeshot of the house, instructed Glacidel) and plant some mint, radishes, wheat, carrots, and potatoes- but, quickly, the Guardian and Fae began putting their own ideas into motion. "You see, an irrigation system would likely be the easiest way to keep 'em hydrated. This soil is bone dry! And I don't really want to break my back getting water out of the well each day." "True, and we could set it up with minor effort... if Madock has the supplies," Arliin responded. "A bout of rain would really help us." "It would! I don't know if I'd have the equipment to do some cloud seeding- lest there [i]be[/i] clouds, you know?" Arliin looked up- the sky shone bold and blue, not a single wisp of white or gray drifting past. "It's late summertime now. When fall comes around, we may get some rain." "Emphasis on [i]may[/i]. What if the curse Glacidel was talking about keeps any kind of clouds from coming about? What if the curser's motive was to slowly destroy Madock's farm?" Arliin looked up at Glue as she began to fret- but he had to admit that he shared some of her concerns. "Calm down," he murmured, hopping onto the back of her neck. "She has help now. We're her help." Glue shut her eyes as the Fae clambered onto her head, sitting down and curling his tail around one of her horns to stabilize himself. "I know... it's just scary. I'm scared, Arliin. I never thought we'd be in such a crazy situation when we first flew the coop." "Crazy? We're figuring out a sprinkler system on a quiet farm, right now." "With the looming threat of a flickering curse-beast reaching out of the ground and dragging us in," Glue groaned. "That's true, but Glacidel knows what to do. He's going to be tutoring me- I'll be his assistant. We're not going to just be helping you and I. We'll be helping Madock and anyone else who stumbles across this place, too." The Guardian shook her head slowly. "I know... I was just expecting that we'd start a clan of our own sometime, you know? Like- you and I, gathering a bunch of dragons and making some awesome potion business." "I think this is good training," Arliin pointed out. "I expected nothing when my parents kicked me out." An awkward silence settled over the pair of dragons as they gazed down at their handiwork. Glue cleared her throat. "Why... did they do that, anyway? You seemed to have a good relationship with them." "Something about me being lazy," he muttered. "Not being interested in anything specific and not wanting to go off to study 'cause of the money." "That's not cool." "I know. Thank you for coming with me, by the way," Arliin responded. He'd leaned his head down, looking into Glue's gold eye. To Glue, his head was hanging upside down, cyan eyes glittering in the bright daylight. "Yeah, no prob... not like I had much to do, anyway," she smiled in return. "I thought that, you know, maybe I'd find me a charge on the way..." "Have you?" "I don't know yet," she murmured. "I do like this farm, though." "Me too. Let's go see about some irrigation tubing," Arliin declared, hopping off of Glue's head and into the air. "Oh, and... thank you, again." "No problem," Glue smiled, watching Arliin glide off before standing up and following. That silly Fae was charming in his own little way. She didn't know him well enough to have a properly deep conversation with him, but that time was coming. One day. ... Yora followed the apparition endlessly, the water lapping at his talons. He'd been walking for who knew how long now. Occasionally, it turned, but he neither saw nor felt any walls. He held his pearl in his tail protectively, beginning to feel fatigued. Just as he felt the urge to lay down, the apparition paused. It was still nearly impossible to see, especially in the darkness, but it was very, very easy to sense to an experienced mage like Yora. He felt it reach up, some direction of thought focusing on an item overhead. A soft clatter echoed through the darkness, and a soft reddish light began to shine, cerdae sparkle in a glass sphere hanging from who knew what. Yora saw a glitter of iridescent scales retreat from the light. It had illuminated an item a few paces to his left- this turned out to be an old table with a few trinkets on it. Upon closer inspection, the legs of the table were rotting and had barnacles on them from the water. The trinkets were a few inkwells, some feathers, a couple of scrolls, and a few books. Yora reached for a feather. A rumble echoed through the space, making his head spin. He looked up at where he presumed the creature was, just outside of the reddish light's range. It said nothing, its rumble fading into the darkness. He shook his head, looking back down at the table and hovering his talon over the book. It didn't respond, and thus, he went on, opening it. It was a journal. Within the front cover, a small, hard article was tucked; he fished around inside and pulled it out. It was a tiny silver earring, a teardrop-shaped red crystal hanging from the end. He motioned to put it down- but another rumble from the apparition told him he should probably put it on. He reached up and tentatively did so, clipping it onto his earlobe, and looked back down at the book. [i]Hello. My name is Audrey. I do not know where I am. I wandered into this cave on accident. By chance, I have this empty journal. I will document my findings in here, for as long as I can. I found a table, I don't know where it came from. I can't see. There are globes of Cerdae Sparkle everywhere. No walls to be seen, but tables everywhere, and the ground smells like water. I fear this place may flood.[/i] Yora's eyes widened. He glanced back up at the apparition, which said and did nothing. In fact, he felt its attention meandering. Well, nothing else he could do. Turning his attention back to the book, he summoned another light spell, using its aid to begin studying the strangest journal he'd ever come in contact with. [center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80593848][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/805939/80593848.png[/img][/url][/center] ----- [font=lucida console]okie! here we go. egon, your engineer skills, please! heads!! peep gets another life! rolled an 11, so no explosion. pinky gave me a ghost cockroach, which is 20-30 matches. madock, arliin, and peep get to rove around in coli together! yayayoy. i'll just use this lorepiece to talk about glue and arliin. maybe yora too. egon, nikulas, and delphiki will have their time in the limelight eventually.

@cellspine

I am loving this story! If you have a pinglist, I'd love to be added to it?