Author: Scrubble, Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 7:09 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

Scrubble stood over the little girl, which was not normal as Scrubble rarely stood over anyone. As Scrubble was not known for being particularly tall. Though despite the novelty of standing over someone it was soon apparent to Scrubble that the most holy healing of Scrubble was not working on the young girl. After Scrubble stopped using healing magic the girl turned to and began staring at Scrubble. As she stared Scrubble began feeling a weird sensation like something was wriggling through Scrubbles brain trying to find something. As it continued it increased in speed but eventually the feeling left and the girl now went from blankly staring at Scrubble to confusedly staring at Scrubble.

"What do you fear"? The girl asked Scrubble with a voice that seemed to echo through Scrubbles mind. "Scrubble fears nothing for Scrubble is Scrubbles shield" Scrubble then dramatically pointed the holy blade of Scrubble toward the sky. Which would've been quite the pose if it weren't for the fact that Scrubble was wounded and started to go off balance once the sword was in the air. By this point the rest of the holy party of Scrubble had arrived, with the noticeable exception of the mysterious man with no name. Who must have slipped away while Scrubble wasn't paying attention. While this would've been a time for a celebration of the holy party meeting back up Scrubble was interrupted when a fair few of Clergymen of the goddess Angela arrived on the scene.

"Where is the child" The one in the front asked. Scrubble pointed to the small girl who Scrubble was now in a staring contest with. "We've come to take her away, she's dangerous here. Hopefully however we shall be able to heal the girl in time or at least help her control her strange powers". How dare these people! They have the nerve to ask for Scrubble to give this girl into the custody of a lesser god. If Scrubble couldn't heal this girl Scrubble sure wasn't gonna let these poor excuses for followers take her. After all if the most holy lord Scrubble couldn't heal this child then some lesser god touting bunch of pansy ass clergymen had no chance. So Scrubble looked at the girl then at the gaggle of clergymen that had assembled. Then Scrubble took the most holy blade of Scrubble and while staring the clergymen and lopped off the girls head. Then after the initial shock had passed through the clergymen Scrubble took the girls head and threw it at them saying "You can have this part".

Author: Scrubble, Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2016 7:21 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

Scrubble after suffering some injuries from the free fall was walking slower than usual. Though that was still a lot faster than Scrubble should have been walking with the injuries that Scrubble had sustained. Scrubble followed the strange man who seemed to know the way when a question arose. "Scrubble is wondering where the dragon came from. It almost roasted Scrubble alive"! Scrubbles armor was scorched with dragon fire leaving it a rather dull shade of black. Scrubble managed to keep pace with the strange one though and this led to a small passageway.

The passageway was cramped dark and smelled horrible. It reminded Scrubble of the goblin caves that Scrubble lived in when Scrubble was young. That was until the sounds of many voices began echoing through the passageway and wind began trying to push Scrubble away. So Scrubble Drew the most holy sword of Scrubble Stopped moving for a few moments then charged forward screaming "SCRUBBLE". After pushing through something that gave some resistance Scrubble was blinded by a bright light which led to Scrubble tripping and falling. This did not do wonders for Scrubbles broken ribs.

After Scrubble could see again Scrubble pushed up off the ground and dusted off the scorched armor. After regaining some bearing of what was going on Scrubble saw the strange fellow who had never told Scrubble his name was opening a floating curtain. Scrubble was unsure what to think of invading someones privacy, which is extremely hypocritical as Scrubble enjoyed breaking into peoples homes. Though this was justified as necessary for Scrubbles holy quests. Either way once Scrubble saw the man step through the now open curtains Scrubble followed close after.

The room was very fancy not what Scrubble expected to find at the end of a stinky, windy, and loud tunnel seemingly carved using brute force and cursing. In the center of the room there was a little girl. Though little was relative as she was almost as tall as Scrubble. She had surrounded herself in paper and complained of a headache "Scrubble can help with headaches". Scrubble walked over to the girl stomping over many of the papers on the ground around her. After reaching her Scrubble took off his guantlets and cast a healing spell on the girls head. 

Author: Century, Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2016 11:54 AM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

Entering the niche was like walking into a thick woollen blanket. Sounds from outside were suppressed and there was a claustrophobic sense of closeness in the dark that lay beyond. It took a moment for Mendean's eyes to adjust, but once they did he realised he was in a narrow corridor that had been cut into the rock with primitive tools. Running a hand along the wall he could feel every chip or nick in the smooth stone. As he became aware of the passage's dimensions, it had an organic feel about it. Old. Very old, from what he could tell. Every crack in the lozenge-shaped corridor seemed to leak memories from times long-past, before Tarishitar had been lifted into the vaults of the sky.


And now this, and other tunnels like it served as home to many of the dwellers. Still living the subterranean life, even though the true land lay far beneath them. Most would never see the surface, but they knew in their core. Walking carefully now, the god moved in the dark, following the sound of whispers up ahead.


The voices were human, but in multiple languages. Some harsh, others softer, others still were pleading. As he drew closer to a source of light up ahead, Mendean became aware that there were dozens of voices and growing in number as he approached. A wind pushed against him. Grey light ahead. Hundreds of voices, all whispering, maddening. Snatches of conversation. Half-formed anecdotes, like the whispered thoughts of a crowd, the sound building to a roaring crescendo. Wincing, he pushed himself against the whispers, as though they were a soft barrier forcing him back. Gritting his teeth, he placed his hands against the walls and pulled…


…himself into brilliant light.


The glare faded. Looking for the light source, he found none. Just an empty grey sky, a grey flat landscape that seemed to stretch on forever. Dull, rocky, little in the way of any features. Squinting as he peered into the sky, small black shapes circled far above. Crows.


In the distance, something caught his attention. A curtain, suspended seemingly from the air itself. A he approached, he could see it was a red velvet drape, about as wide as cottage and almost as high. When he walked around it, it stayed facing the same way. That came as no surprise to the deity. Clearly he was in a dream-like aspect of reality. The source lay behind the curtain, of that he was certain. It had its own rules. Rules he was bound into. He noticed two things. The whispers had died down and the curtain had a split in the centre. Taking a deep breath, Mendean reached out and pulled the split open, then stepped through.


A chessboard floor. Red velvet drapes on all sides except one. A black lacquered door covered in relief images depicting scenes from Tarishitan mythology. Walls plastered white and featureless. Mendean's eyes widened. He knew this place. The reliefs on the door were different, but every other feature was the same. If he pulled the drapes aside on the walls to the left and right, he would see two more doors. Bronze sconces would be holding unlit torches. Beyond that door would be a library. But how? How was this possible?


He had not noticed the child on the floor. Had she been there a moment ago? How long had he been standing here, staring at the walls? She was one of the gulley folk; a dweller, of that there was no doubt. Short and stocky, pallid skin, dark hair cut in a bob that ended at her chin. Clothes sewn from ragged patchwork materials, a brightly-coloured sash around her midriff. She could not have been more than ten, probably younger.


She was squatting in the centre of the room. A white tile broken diagonally. The triangle pulled away from the floor by tiny fingers to reveal ground beneath.


Except that as he approached, he saw paper. The girl had torn off multiple layers of the paper, laying them out before her in no particular order. Beneath each layer was more paper. Painted upon it in ink were letters he did not recognise. They were strangely familiar characters, but beyond his understanding. Something ancient. So ancient it made his stomach churn in response. As he tried to memorise each symbol, it appeared to look different each time his concentration lapsed, filling him with a great sense of unease.


Realising the god was standing over her, the girl looked up, showing no surprise. “My head hurts. Have you come to take the pain away?”


Staring back into those large dark brown eyes, Mendean knew for certain the child was the source of the vortex. What was worse, was that he had come here to kill her.

Author: Ramla, Posted: Sat Jul 9, 2016 6:24 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

Ramla froze and stared at the large beast with wide eyes. Stunned that the creature could even fit into this crevice that they were in. But when its jaws came close to Nihr she winced and let out a horrid scream. Clutching her hand to her chest she sighed in relief, when the beast did not chomp her master. Her knees trembling from the adrenaline and stress. This world and its inhabitants were going to be the death of her. Speaking of inhabitants, what happened to that girl that was straggling along, and the Goblin? Looking around she couldn't spot either of them right away, so instead she ran towards Nihr crouching down beside him and patting him across his body to make sure he was alright. 'Thank the gods." she said to herself more than him. Worry and relief was clearly written on her face, and Nihr saw this. 

She quickly wrapped her arms around him when he pulled her into him for protection. Curling up into his side when the dragon spread its wings, wondering if it was going to harm them or not. Ramla was briefly confused when Nihr forced her to look at him, but she quickly understood it. Emotions. He was still new to them, always fascinated by the concept of emotion. She didn't care much for his affections however, for various of reasons. Pulling her gaze away from his and bringing her chin back down. Right now she'd rather focus on the task at hand then being lovey-dovey with her master who's having a once-in-a-blue-moon, tender moment.

Ramla's gaze shot up when heat spread above them, flames bursting from the maw of the beast. "Why is it that we constantly attract the wrong people?! Bugs, Holy magic, now fire? This world wants us dead!!" She frowned and punched his sore arm when he laughed at her. "It's not funny! We could actually die here!" She looked up when he was ignoring her now, more interesting in the dragon than her. Squinting at the beast as she started to recognize something about it. Her. Helanaii. A pang of jealousy struck her unexpectedly. Giving the giantess a glare before following Nihr's lead again. Down the crevice they went for potential doom.

Author: Nihr, Posted: Wed Jul 6, 2016 5:00 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

Nihr didn't have the time to react when the ground suddenly shook underneath. The moth blocking his view but not for long. Suddenly a set of massive and powerful jaws took its place, snapping shut and crushing the insect just inches away from his face. It made him shudder to think if he took the bug's place. When Helanaii pulled back he was stunned to see a dragon amongst their midst. How did this thing even get here?? He got distracted when Ramla got by his side, fussing over him. he noticed the worry in her eyes. Something he doesn't see very often. 

He grabbed her hand and pulled her into him as the dragon began to growl and roar. Extending her wings over them they both watched how Helanaii spewed forth flames. Nihr chuckled at Ramla's comment about their choice of companions. He looked up at the large beast and nodded in recognition and gratitude. He got up and dusted off his clothes before glancing around to see if the others were okay. At first side everyone looked fine so he turned to Ramla again, gently lifting her chin. Mostly to memorize what she looked like when she was worried about him. 

"Alright then, let's keep going. The amount of resistance we're getting means it shouldn't be very much further." with that he took Ramla by the hand and guided her as he followed Mendean through the gap of the wall.

Author: Century, Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2016 6:01 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

Looking up, there were others rushing in past him, mostly ignoring him. It seemed being attacked by moths was something that really got the blood pumping in the hearts of these other mortals. He watched from his recumbent position for a while before rolling over, dusting himself off and standing up. The threat from above was not such a danger, especially now some kind of dragon had gotten involved. Giant fire-breathing lizards had a tendency to end conflicts somewhat rapidly, in his experience, so it came as no surprise when a number of flaming giant moths thudded to the ground around him. Casually, he sidestepped each one, before stopping to adjust the paths of those falling from the webbing with a subtle push of his mind, then cushioning their falls with that same power.

The god's head throbbed. He realised his vision was blurred. Rubbing the back of his head, he felt a slickness and his hand came away wet. He grunted, closing his eyes, moving cells around, straightening the skull plates, fusing them together with incantations whispered under his breath. The pain receded and the double-vision he had been experiencing returned to normal. It would not do to wander around in a state of concussion.

Wait. How had he hit the back of his head? Hadn't he fallen on his front? Checking behind him he saw a smouldering corpse of one of the moths, the human face now unrecognisable. One of the legs outstretched. Divine vision allowed him to detect traces of his blood on the end of that chitinous tip. He frowned. Clearly he had not evaded the plummeting bodies as well as he had believed. But how had he not noticed?

Once again his vision clouded and he felt nauseous. His skull still healing. That must have been quite a blow to block even the memory of it. If he were a mortal, he probably would be dying on the ground right now. The thought made him shiver as the pain receded. It seemed relying on his divine abilities was not such an assured thing as it might usually be. Concentrating on helping those who had been trapped in the webbing must have distracted him from the immediate danger. The effect of being in this dream vortex was clearly taking its toll on him.

And that vision had bothered him. Those eyes; that voice. So familiar. He had his suspicions, but did not dare to voice them, not even in his thoughts. What kind of warning was that? The Devourer? what kind of threat was this? He had only known one devourer before, but that fiend was dead. Were there others?

It was something for later. For the present he had a task to perform; to locate the source of this vortex and close it down. The others were useful as defenders, but would they be capable of helping him deal with what lay in the centre? Sending out his senses like invisible feelers, Mendean saw a gap in the wall. One of the many tunnels bored into the rocky walls of the subterranean ravines. Feeling a little better, he began to make his way across the clearing, taking extra care to avoid the enemy from above. Meanwhile, those freed from the moths' clutches made their way back in the direction from whence he and the others had come.

Author: Scrubble, Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2016 9:43 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

Scrubble was falling quite fast now though the reflection seemed to be disappearing. Truly it must have feared Scrubbles holy might. As much as Scrubble wanted to celebrate another victory Scrubble couldn't as Scrubble was in midair which was not the greatest place for patting oneself on the back. Now Scrubble was committed and Scrubble would complete the holy journey that had been set before Scrubble. With shining blade in hand Scrubble prepared to fight whatever may come at Scrubble. When Scrubble hit the spot of the ravine that appeared to be reflecting everything it felt like passing through water.

Then pitch blackness Scrubble had appeared to have passed through some strange gateway. Now Scrubble was just falling seemingly infinitely the only light coming from the holy blade of Scrubble. Throughout this entire time Scrubble was still shouting Scrubble at the top of Scrubbles lungs. Scrubble was alone, actually that's a lie Scrubble was never alone as Scrubble always had Scrubble to help guide Scrubble in times of great turmoil. With unwavering faith in Scrubble Scrubble continued to fall for what seemed like forever. That was until Scrubble saw a small white dot in the distance. Truly this would be Scrubbles time to shine! So with one last bellowing cry of Scrubble Scrubble aimed for the white dot and knowing that Scrubble would keep Scrubble safe.

As the white dot grew larger and larger Scrubble could see the ravine that Scrubble had dived off of, but from above. When Scrubble finally arrived at the threshold between the darkness and the ravine it felt like smashing through glass. Scrubble was now diving towards a thin platform going at essentially terminal velocity the glass shattering that brought Scrubble back to Revaliir barely slowing Scrubble down. However Scrubble managed to hit some giant flying bug on the way down. Which helped slow down Scrubbles descent it also killed the moth instantly. As it seemed the trials of Scrubble were drawing to a close a dragon begin shooting fire up towards Scrubble.

It was soon after being bathed in fire that Scrubble hit the ground with a resounding thud. At this point the glowing of Scrubbles blade stopped as the spell had worn off. Scrubble had gotten off lucky only suffering from minor burns, breaking five ribs, spraining Scrubbles right ankle, and finally breaking Scrubbles shield arm which Scrubble had used to help lessen the impact. But Scrubble would not let such minor things as being gravely injured stop the holy quest of Scrubble. So Scrubble managed to just barely get up, hold out the holy blade of Scrubble and shout "Scrubble has returned onward holy adventurers of Scrubble". With that Scrubble began limping across the rest of the pass wanting to continue the holy task laid before Scrubble without delay.

Author: Helanaii, Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2016 6:43 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

Helanaii snapped out of her own partial place of lalaland when a male turned back to her, she flashed him a warm smile, which quickly turned to a light laugh when he became entangled in the sharp foliage again. "Watch your step!" It was evident that though her clothing may of have been torn, she had very few scrapes from an odd thick skin.

The lighter mood began to lift the fog a slight amount in her brain, though she winced and reacted when a flash of light practically blinded her. She quickly shielded her face to prevent any damage to her vision, but still had to blink a few times to return her eyes to normal.

Something was wrong. 

Helanaii froze up immediately and began to scent the air, a smell of death lay ahead of them. It made the hair on the back of her neck stand straight up. She remained still, keeping her senses strained ahead of them as her protective nature was slowly creeping over her body. It wasn't until the sound of struggling did she drop into a crouch and tense up, it was the voice of the same friendly man as earlier. Her green eyes almost seemed to glow with radiance, and she shot forth with an abnormal burst of speed. Four feathered wings with clawed hands instantly ripped through the back of her dress. Helan was still at the exit of the tiny cramped halls where her large span could not do any good, so instead she leaped up onto the wall, the talon hands kept her balance giving her time to push off the wall with another burst of speed. She jumped with her arms extended as a form overtook her. Her mind had cleared and focused just barely enough for the transformation to complete itself. In mid-air the body grew into a massive beast, her soft gentle fingers turned into savagely clawed paws, her hinds equipped with curving sickle claws. Her head turned reptilian with two long under-curving horns; a beast for battle. Being of the Guardian breed, she was prone to do exactly what she was designed to do even on impulse. It was instinctual, and defending was right up her alley.  

The open area was large enough to contain her mass, and she curved down to meet the ground with a shattering thud a short distance from the entangled man. The ground shook under her 7 ton body, only enough to blow the dust away. The animal lunged to the side with her thicker neck, extending downwards and enclosing her powerful jaws around the now much smaller insect creature, her beak only inches away from the man's face while snapping shut.

CRUNCH

Helanaii pulled back, releasing the pierced thing from her conical teeth as it leaked a displeasing black liquid over her jaws. When she turned her skull heavenwards, she took notice of other similar insects falling down upon them. In the cocoons all she smelled was the same insects or partially devoured flesh, nothing left to really save and if there was she was too dragon to care. It was obvious that one of her wings had been severely injured before this journey, leaving her unable to fly a very long distance, but it didn't stop her from swiveling around to swat them out of the air. After a few seconds of becoming littered with these biting insects, Helan froze. From deep within her chest cavity rumbled a hideous noise which traveled up her thinner skinned neck. The bites these fly-sized things were beginning to drive her insane. 

She craned her neck back, braced her body, spread her wings over the ground and the group, and exploded a powerful blast of blinding fire to shoot from her mouth into the sky. It seared anything in its path and left the satanic creatures to drop to the ground in heaps of charcoal and burning cadavers. The enormous beast continued this action until she slowly drew out of breath. When she ceased, the webs had melted and the moths, now had a nice crispy roasted smell. A deep snarly growl released while they continued to fall around her, twisting her skull to check that her little humans and… others.. were still safe beneath her wingspan.

A loud snort exhaled from her body, and she stepped back folding her wings neatly. She gave her loosely skinned body a good shake, throwing off the still burning insects that had bit into her sides. A few had actually impaled themselves on her spines. Now she blinked at them blankly like any appearingly dumb animal, sliding a long pink tongue over rows of black teeth waiting for orders or commands on what to do next.

Author: Nihr, Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2016 1:46 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

While Nihr waited for Scrubble to finish swinging his sword, he just stood there looking around idly. It's like he was going anywhere and unlike Ramla he didn't freak out when the level of Holy magic rose in the little critter. Sure, he didn't like it either but it's not like Scrubble was the kind to turn against friends unless they gave them reason to. Or so he'd like to think. He looked over his shoulder, his purple gaze turning to Helanaii. Briefly admiring her womanly shape before asking, "You okay back the-" Nihr almost fell when the brambles were cut away, making the mistake of letting them carry his weight. 

The brambles no longer shielding Scrubble's shining beacon that was his faith in…uhm…Scrubble, Nihr squinted when the Goblin came back into view. Pulling his hood a bit further down. Nihr had just finished pulling off all the cut off brambles that were clinging to his arms and legs before they returned anew. "Oh for the love of…" He groaned in frustration. He looked at Ramla and followed her gaze when she asked him what Scrubble was doing. He was just as confused as she was… "I…think so." After a silent pause between the two he chuckled. " Well there's your reason why the Dream doesn't affect him." He said jokingly. 

When the group was FINALLY freed from the passage Nihr stretched himself, brushing off any remaining flies off his clothes and stepped out of the passage. Ignoring both Ramla and Mendean as he walked past them. He saw how the clearing was covered in thick sheets of cobwebs, the bodies hanging in cocoons. "Please, don't let it be spiders…" He whispered to himself. Looking up he spotted the giant moths with the humanoid faces. Faces he nor Ramla had ever seen but that didn't make it any less disturbing. "Okay…Not spiders, but still disturbing." He said right before one of those things tackled him to try and lift him into the sky to cocoon him.

The moth dragged him by the feet but Nihr was struggling so hard that the insect had trouble lifting him into the air. He tried to repeatedly kick the moth in hopes that it would let him go but instead it curled its lower body and began to spin him into a silk cocoon. As soon as Nihr realized what was happening he straightened himself to try and punch the moth in the face. "If anyone has a plan?! Please hurry up!?!"

Author: Ramla, Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2016 12:57 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

Neither Eldritch was going anywhere. For every branch that they ripped off, another ten replaced them. Ramla couldn't even move anymore, and the thorns were digging into her skin. Small nicks of the skin but with her healing ability it was a constant cycle of healing and reopening the wounds. It was exhausting her body and the ability wasn't something she could turn off as it was a racial trait of theirs. Ramla looked up however when Nihr asked for Scrubble's aid, she grew anxious. Tugging on the brambles some more as the thorns dug deeper into her skin. 

A bad experience has left her distrusting of any Paladin, or any person who relied on faith to perform tasks and battles. So when Scrubble came to the rescue swinging his sword she immediately tried to hug the wall to stay as far away from the weapon as possible. His entire aura reeked of Holy magic and staring at him was like staring straight into a flashlight. Their eyes didn't work the same as humans so the effect was blinding to say the least. However his slashing did help with the brambles as they started to loosen, Ramla took the opportunity to move forward and leave this passage as soon as they could. 

However, their freedom didn't last long as the brambles returned. And it seems Scrubble focused his attention to a mirror? She tilted her head and asked Nihr, "Is he fighting his reflection?" Nihr confirmed her worries. She hummed and nodded at him. "Well…Now we know why he's so…special."  Neither of them were aware that the boy that traveled with them was talking to an entity, in fact they lost track of him because it seemed the brambles swallowed him whole. But then all of the sudden there was a burst of magic energy coming from where the boy was and the brambles simply 'flew' away. "Finally." Ramla muttered to herself as she looked up to watch the cloud disappear while wiped her clothes off of any remaining flies still lingering. She didn't know how this happened but she wasn't about to complain either. She saw how Mendean fell to the ground. She pushed past Nihr and Scrubble to help him up. Reaching out for him and gently pulling on his arm to help him up. But as she did she heard the heavy flapping of wings and a shrill sound. She looked up and saw the giant moths. Great, more insects she thought to herself.

Author: Century, Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2016 4:12 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

As the goblin leapt away into who-knew-where, Mendean tried to lift a hand, for his was the gift of moving physical objects with a thought. The twigs had thickened too much and he felt his resolve draining in the ever increasing tangle of thin pieces of stick. They clung to him, inhibiting every movement. No matter, his mind was stronger than his body. All it would take was to…

…Where was scrubble? Come to think of it, where was anything? All he could see was the thick cover of a briar patch closing in on him from all around. Not even the stone walls of the ravine through which he had been travelling were visible. Within his limited capacity to move, wherever he looked there was the thick darkness of woody stems surrounding him, enfolding and encapsulating him. Mendean realised he was trapped.

A glint of silver in the darkness between stems. Smooth, curved, like the inside of a – don't think about that – the silver gave way to the glint of eyes in the dark. Mendean heaved, bringing up a leg and pushing it forwards, twigs snapping all around him in protest. He grimaced, peering into the gloom, attempting to make contact with those eyes. Eyes that were almost human, almost sympathetic.

“Who is that? Answer me!” Another grunt. More twigs gave way and he moved forward. Clothes fraying and tearing, skin lacerating. Barely enough to draw blood, but enough to sting. The eyes blinked, looked away for a moment before returning the god's glare with a steadiness that unnerved him.

“I…am…”

“Shh!” Concern in those eyes. A whisper, urgent. Mendean frowned. “Do not announce yourself in the presence of these mortals. In this place, there is no guarantee the mental fog will work on them.

The god raised his eyebrows, answering in a harsh whisper of his own. “How do you know who I am? Is this your doing?”

“I am of the Dreaming, like you, but far less of me remains. I come with a warning. Only here am I strong enough to break through. The Devourer is coming. He will look familiar, but he will not be who you think he is.”

“What? What are you talking about? What Devourer? What does he devour?”

“Everything.” The eyes withdrew. With a roar, Mendean called upon his divine might, a nimbus surrounding him and flaring for an instant, before fading. Twigs immediately surrounding him transformed into neatly stacked columns of flies, occupying the exact same dimensions as the twigs. For a moment they remained there inert, before surging into life as one and launching themselves as a black cloud that spread outwards and up the sides of the ravine, following the traces of light from above. The droning sound echoed off smooth stone was as they rose and dispersed.

Mendean fell forwards, landing on his front. He rolled onto his back and lay there, looking up at the world from an upside-down perspective. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, but his other senses had told him what he needed to know. The stranger was gone.

What lay beyond the ravine was a space where the rock opened out. Tunnels covered with rough doors made from anything available and lashed together with dried-out vines. But it was not the tunnels that fascinated the deity. Rather, it was the slack sheets of cobwebs that hung from above. Strong enough to have captured over a score of the denizens of this realm. Some moaned, others wriggled in their silken prisons, but most simply stared vacantly outwards, all the fight gone from them.

He was about to roll onto his front, when he noticed movement above. Something was moving up there. A spider? No. Spiders did not have wings. These were moths. Silk moths; each one twice the size of a man. Each one with a twisted caricature of a human face. Mendean recognised them all: prominent figures from the city above. There was guildmaster Chow of the scrivener's union, Lady Heran of the order of flowers, Vice Chancellor Pengra and others. A who's who of the great and powerful in Tarishitar. As they began to circle downwards, the bottoms of their faces opened impossibly wide, allowing for serrated mandibles and tubular tongues to emerge. They emitted a high keening sound as they descended, intent on feeding.

“Who said satire couldn't be deadly?”

Author: Helanaii, Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2016 9:02 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

Helanaii held her posture in a bit frightened manner, her dark brown hair fell in places in front of her face while she stared at them wide-eyed as they responded. A woman spoke now, she seemed incredibly annoyed, making her own presence feel completely unwanted in their ranks. Helanaii's eyes fell to the cobblestone ground, crestfallen. Being a Guardian, rejection really hit home easily especially one who had been used to only themselves.

"O-oh. Maybe you are real, I guess." Her small, shaky voice replied with the invitation to continue with them. "Thank you." 
After those few words, she remained silent. The odd group seemed to turn quickly and head into the direction of a narrow alley way. A gap separated her from the group, but it was there she felt the most in comfort with strangers. Her pace was cautious, as theirs were rushed. When they entered the narrow pass, her body became erect in the sense of mild claustrophobia which was not helped with the branches that reached out to greet her soft skin.  The clothing she wore hung a bit loosely from her frame, they were tattered and heavily worn and easily caught on the brambles that hadn't been broken through by those ahead. She was completely barefoot, her feet soft while they plodded upon the ground so gently as she followed after them.

She continued at her own pace through the brambles tried to break her layers of flesh. They failed and instead continued to be pushed aside, though some caught at her clothing. Her arms remained at her sides, her feet lead as if she walked upon a tightrope and did not seem bothered at walking atop the prickling walkway. Her eyes focused on those ahead of her, occasionally darting out at an odd sound coming from behind her. 

Do not look back. Do not look back. It's false. Do Not Look Back.

The young woman pressed on, now forcing herself to gain confidence and not completely give into fear. She had fallen a distance behind the group, but as their interest to leave increased evermore, so did her pace. She eventually met up behind them where the green little creature cut down the warped barbs with a sword. Her eyelids narrowed in response, not quite sure if she felt comfortable with that. 

If anything jumped out at them, she might be able to take partial form; having reptilian qualities with claws and her four wings, but in this tight area she would be a useless fighter which made her even more frightful, what if they turned on her for something random? For now she would just remain an average little human female, useless in every form and the most invisible out of those around her.

Author: Scrubble, Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2016 3:46 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

Scrubble marched forward with complete faith that Scrubble was leading Scrubble in the right direction. Apparently one of Scrubbles companions agreed with Scrubble and people began following Scrubble. As Scrubble walked people began talking about crows, Scrubble had no time for crows! Scrubble was on a holy quest from Scrubble! Though a much larger distraction was a woman, with wings! Humans didn't have wings or at least none Scrubble had met had wings. This must be a sign from Scrubble that Scrubble must stay the course. Wait did she ask if Scrubble was real "Of course Scrubble is real how else would Scrubble be Scrubble"?

As Scrubble walked Scrubble noticed that Scrubble and the most holy adventurers of Scrubble as they would now be called were walking through brambles on a narrow pass. Truly a test of Scrubbles resolve, Scrubble would not fail though! As Scrubble walked now just ignoring the brambles the shrouded man behind Scrubble asked Scrubble to get rid of the twigs. "Scrubble will get rid of the brambles for Scrubble"! After that Scrubble consecrated the holy blade of Scrubble with Scrubbles holy powers and began slashing at the brambles. Cutting down every bramble that came near Scrubble with extreme prejudice.

But while Scrubble was wildly cutting through the brambles Scrubble noticed something. A reflection, it looked like one of the holy adventurers of Scrubble. However it was making rude gestures, THIS WOULD NOT STAND! After clearing away some of the sticks that were trying to attack Scrubble. Scrubble sprinted and took a dive off the pathway into the ravine screaming at the top of Scrubbles holy lungs "SCRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUBLE"! Diving directly at the reflection which at this point was looking extremely confused about what was going on.

Author: Nihr, Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2016 7:07 AM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

Nihr looked up at the swirling dance those crows were making, trying to make out what the voice was saying but alas. Super hearing was not in his set of skills. Nihr watched Ramla's display of facial expressions, smirking a bit when she stared at him. He simply shrugged. He already figured it out that Scrubble was a Paladin when the little critter mentioned 'Righteous headbutt'. Nihr wasn't as worried as she was though, as long as the goblin didn't direct its Holy powers towards them then it was fine. Let the thing swing its sword then. And about Naota, he already forgot about the young male. It was for the best however, the less people there were the easier he could work.

They had to pause again when another person seemed to be in need. A persistent little thing too. Nihr looked around himself and the others before nodding at the girl. "Yes. We are real. If you wish to follow try to keep up, if not. The exit is that way." He said as he pointed for a set of stairs behind her. Nihr chuckled when Ramla complained about 'saving' people. Didn't she just try to save the two boys? Perhaps this woman wasn't child-like enough, or seemed too old for her. Ramla always had a soft spot for children and youngsters. It bothered him though, she should stop playing mom so often. He followed the group again but waved for the girl to follow them if she still wished for it. "Keep up!" He said.

He shared the same opinion about the passage as Ramla did, but now wasn't the time to doubt. The dream was spreading fast so they had little time. So he walked in front of Ramla, tearing off the branches as they tried to cling to him. He looked over his shoulder and saw that she too was struggling. When she reached out to him he took her hand and helped her closer to him.

"This is getting frustrating!" He grunted loudly as he tore another coiling branch from his arm. But it's not like they could use their powers or whatever to try and break free, Like burning the branches away or something. They'll get caught in the flames as well if they did it. And neither Nihr nor Ramla had any weapons either. He yelled for the Goblin instead then. "I don't suppose you can use your righteous powers to rid ourselves from these damned twigs!"

Author: Ramla, Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2016 6:43 AM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

Both the Eldritch Princes heard a voice echoing through the ravine, but they couldn't make out what it was saying. Ramla paused in her tracks when Scrubble said that he knew the way. There was something familiar in the way he acted. The praying, the blind faith. Ramla grew suspicious until she realized what it was about him. Her eyes grew wide with concern. A Paladin. Slowly she looked over her shoulder and stared at Nihr before she followed the little goblin. Massaging the back of her neck, she must've pulled a muscle or something when fighting the giant rat She thought to herself with a grunt. Naota vanished, following his own path. She didn't know where the young man was going and frankly didn't care for it, but he'd be on his own then from now on.

Ramla only managed to take a few more steps in following Scrubble when another voice was heard behind them. She sighed heavily, almost grunting in annoyance. She saw the woman but grew tired of all these distractions. They've been lingering here for too long already. So she just continued to follow Scrubble, the others will just have to keep up. "We'll never stop the dream if we keep stopping for every person in need. Let's just go already." She spoke in her native language Kemehu directing it to Nihr.

When they reached the narrow pass Ramla didn't like it one bit. This was a perfect place for an ambush or to be trapped in, and god only knows what kind of spawns the dream will conjure. Nihr took the lead then and she followed. They were the last in line. As the branches kept getting tighter and thicker it was getting more and more difficult to move freely. Ramla reached her hand out for Nihr to grasp it, never letting go as they struggled through to passage.

Author: Century, Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2016 2:25 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

Pushing forward, Mendean could feel the change. A subtle thickening of the air, crackling against the skin, the familiar tug of the other. For a dream god like himself, it was akin to immersing himself into a deep bath of warm water. The familiar embrace as reality began to part company with itself.

And yet, this was not the dreaming. It was some kind of interface region, where one world intermingled with another, never becoming wholly a part of the other, yet entwined to a degree that it became difficult for a mortal to tell the difference.

A pressure from far above in the city, where a different kind of madness was starting to take hold of the population. Different, and yet related somehow. Mendean felt the presence of another divine being up there. He did not need to look to know the identity of the watcher. He had not encountered this god before. That came as no surprise. Gods had risen and fallen over the past year, but Mendean had paid little attention to any of them. Not even the fall of the Knights had come close to touching the threshold of his world, which in retrospect, surprised him a little. Had he disengaged with the pantheon so thoroughly? It certainly seemed so.

The new god did not hold his attention for long. Perhaps under different circumstances he might have stopped to acquaint himself with this sapling, but not today. He cared little for the fate of Tarishitar above. Those beneath their privileged world were more important. Mendean had always favoured the underdogs of this world. It was in his nature.

Sensing the trail in the aether, the god nodded at Scrubble. “The senses of a goblin are formidable indeed, for this one has sensed the way instinctively.” Without waiting for the others, he began following the tiny paladin, feeling in his element. Madness. Flux. Chaos.

A narrow pass in the ravine. No steps to higher levels. Figures half-embedded in the rock face, children's carvings coming to life in the shadows, looking down, he could see his reflection looking back up at him from a perfectly mirrored floor. The reflection winked. Mendean winked back, then carried on. Spindly branches kept springing from the walls, brushing against him annoyingly. Swatting them aside, he noticed that they stuck to him. The further he walked, the stickier the twigs became. He looked down again. The reflection was unhindered and was making rude gestures at him.

The god sighed. It was going to be one of those frustrating dreams again.

Author: Naota, Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 3:07 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

(( OOC: Natsumi is his buddy so it's quite possible he might leave and try to go to the other location, feel free to keep going either way, this post isn't meant to draw away from what's going on, it's just what he would have done @_@ ))

The fellow thrown through the wall acted as if he’d merely tripped over with how he was handling himself and his eyebrows raised.  Was he human…?  It was hard to tell, a fact he wasn’t used to, he couldn’t get a good enough lock on his scent.  His lips parted when he answered him in his own tongue but they broke into a smile from his words as he nodded.  But the smile was short lived and soon faded when the realization of what he’d said finally hit him full force.  It wasn’t just a hallucination or memory of a dream or nightmare, it was there…it was actually happening.

As more people came near he regarded them all individually…None of them seemed to be enemies, but all of them appeared to be real.  While there was a part of him that wanted to test that out by touching them, he didn’t want to possibly offend.  He also didn’t like the chance that any of them might crumble and flake away just as the washed out people in his nightmare had.  It still chilled him to think about, more so than waking in a cold sweat from that very dream: this was real.  He’d felt the man crack and blow away under his hand, smelled it…breathed them all in.  He wasn’t keen to experience that again.

There were so many questions but he kept his usual silence as he walked alongside him to the others, his mind and eyes were constantly at work though and it didn’t take an observant person to realize how varied their party was becoming.  His lips parted when he heard a possible explanation for all of this though.  Something bigger was at work here and he followed the man’s previous gaze upwards.  There were so many swirling ravens it was almost like looking up at a convulsing night sky and for a moment he was in awe…it was beautiful, but so terrifying.  Torinasu was practically buzzing at his hip from the amount of energy everything was giving off…so much negativity.

All of that though, all of it, was stricken from his mind when he heard a familiar voice.  His blood felt as if it had run cold in his veins and a new fear formed in his mind: Natsumi.  That voice he’d know anywhere.  Since her ascension his worry for her had increased tenfold.  She may be more powerful than him now by leaps and bounds, but he’d forever have the image of a young brown haired girl sweating and dying to be born again in an inn…Whatever was happening here, as important as it was, he couldn’t ignore that she was up there and instantly turned to go towards the sound of her voice…not once even considering that it quite possibly could have been another dream.

His slow pace picked up to a run, and then a sprint, and when that wasn’t enough he took to teleporting in dashes meters ahead of himself to try and reach her.  Just as he was getting close enough to actually see her far off form he stopped dead in his tracks as a fast moving cloud washed along a barrier he hadn’t even realized was there.  What was she doing?!  How could she just be standing there when it came?!  The green of his eyes flashed to black and his teleporting sprint started up again but by the time he even made it to the barrier he could tell she was gone.  No, more he could feel she was gone.  W-Where did you go…?  Why did you just go?!  He didn’t know where she’d gone but he knew he wouldn’t be able to figure that out if he stayed here.

Author: Helanaii, Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 7:57 AM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

The lean body of a woman clad with a glistening violet and sky blue silken transparent cloak stood frozen at the side of a towering oaken made gate. It was embroided and laced with smooth flowing gold, etched with the name of some shop that was unimportant to the female at the moment.

She wound up here completely on accident. A long flight had been her current trial, but her wings had cramped after striking a large rock that hung from the sky city. Now she was forced to land and rest until her body healed itself. The woman was just beginning to realize the doomed atmosphere that clung to the air, the people that seemed to go one way even though they meant another. Through her life, she has managed to avoid most conflict, and now she's here. 
Lucky me.

Helanaii continued to stand unmoving in her spot, her body was completely perplexed while she continued to look about directly ahead of her. Her brain seemed to grow with a dim fog that interfered with her train of thoughts. Something began to hiss next to her.

Whirling around, she was now facing the looming door. The gold was indeed flowing. Snake-like figures began to slither their way up the door out of the floral design, their scales etched in the fine soft gold reflected the dazzling sun. One noticed her and began to stretch out towards her, flickering its thin tongue in her face.

Now she was completely unnerved. 

Helanaii quickly took a few steps back and the door turned still once again. She shuddered ripples of undulating goose flesh and quickly turned around.
"I need to get off this cursed rock." 
She muttered beneath her breath.

Her eyes kept their focus on the cobbled ground as she made quick strides forwards, not wanting her mind to give way to another horrid play of tricks.
She noticed a shadow only a split second before she slammed into something enormous. It sent her sprawling onto her back and left her head spinning. She scratched around the stones before being pulled up by massive hands. Her eyelids widened in a terrified manner while she stared into the body of a half-breed that cast a shadow over her. She looked up in his large golden-red eyes and almost lost her breath. It was a dark-grey species of dragonmen. He released her when she stood and she quickly pushed herself away from the figure and turned back around to wander with a shocked manner towards the more middle of the street. 

Helanaii didn't think it was real at all. However when she glanced behind her, he was still standing there watching her go.

Her hallucinations were getting a bit stronger. 

A short distance away and a new thing appeared. A small group of, people? With a booger colored creature shouting and leading the way? Highly unlikely. She approached them and stood directly in the path of the little green thing.

"….. You guys aren't real are you?" She asked them all plainly, trying her hardest to conceal the shakiness of her tone.

She continued to stand there and stare at them wide-eyed, demanding a response. There were plenty of people scattering about here and there she could've asked, but she needed to find out if what she was seeing was real of not, so asking the most unlikely of them all seemed logical.

Author: Scrubble, Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2016 9:15 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

After the Scrubble had headbutted the man for the second time Scrubble just stood there watching him. The man was talking to himself, or perhaps Scrubble was talking to the man. Probably not though as the voice did not sound like the voice of Scrubble. After the man finished talking to himself he began asking Scrubble questions. "Scrubbles faith in Scrubble protects Scrubble from the dreams as Scrubble is Scrubbles shining shield in the darkness of not Scrubble". The next question was about whether Scrubble had seen a girl. "Scrubble sees all however Scrubble has not seen her". At this point a man started shouting at Scrubble and the veiled man about something. The man began walking towards the group and Scrubble followed close behind. It was at this point that Scrubble saw a woman! "Scrubble has has found the woman" declared Scrubble even though it was obvious that the man could see her as well.

After the man and Scrubble walked over the man introduced Scrubble to the woman AS A GREMLIN! Though he soon began profusely apologizing "Scrubble will forgive you this time". At this point the lady known as Ramla introduced herself to Scrubble "Nice to meet you too. Scrubble is a holy paladin of Scrubble"! At this point Scrubble took a moment to look around. There were two other men besides the two that Scrubble knew. Scrubble recognized neither of them however one of them probably did the shouting that summoned Scrubble over here.

It was at this point that someone mentioned leading the way. "Scrubble will lead the way for Scrubble will know where to go"! Scrubble then began walking in a random direction assuming the others were following him. Scrubble then began to commune with Scrubble for directions "Scrubble where must Scrubble go? Scrubble must go left to get to where Scrubble needs to go". Having gotten directions from the most reliable source Scrubble shouted to the people "Follow Scrubble friends for Scrubble now knows the way". With that Scrubble began walking left, continuing to assume everyone would follow him.

Author: Ramla, Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2016 4:25 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

Ramla walked several steps ahead but paused when she noticed neither boy was following her. Staring at them she wondered if Tarishi wasn't the language she should've picked to communicate with them? She glanced around and stared at the carved out tunnels of the gulleyfolk, this place reminded her a bit like a hive. A memory she shouldn't have accessed right now because the walls and left over rats began to transform once again. She immediately recognized the insect-like creatures that spawned. 

The Narzjun is what Ramla and Nihr call them. A cosmic insectile race, with a ravenous hunger for magic and life. Magic is what draws them in, like moths to a flame. Feeding off it to bring more power to their so called 'Master Race'. Burrowing in the deep earth as they drain the planet of its nutrients until it is depleted before they move on to another world. And then another, and another…. The very reason why the Princes had to flee from their home. Each new generation because stronger and smarter, and more numerous. Ramla and Nihr may have lost the battle, but they have not yet lost the war. 

Ramla listened when Mendean spoke up, making a note of the language he used to talk to them. Well, if she had known she wouldn't have used Tarishi. Her accent would still be thick but she'd have an easier time speaking. "If that is true…" She spoke from behind her red scarf. "Then that means that the Dream is not strong yet? If this is the damage it can do now, I hate to think what will happen when it is at full strength." Her voice trailed off when she noticed how Mendean was staring off in the distance. Frowning she looked over, she looked relieved when she saw Nihr talking to a Goblin. 

She waved at him as he headed this way. Smiling softly behind her scarf, she never doubted him for a second. The man always seemed to attract trouble but he could just as easily find a way to escape it. She gave him a small bow out of old habit. A habit that made Nihr's eye twitch in irritation before he introduced her to Scrubble. "Nice to meet you." She said to the Green man as she led him walk in front of her. Not wanting him to be left behind with his short legs. Now they both awaited the instructions of this young boy who seemed to hold more knowledge than he led on.

Author: CodeNat, Posted: Thu Jun 9, 2016 9:04 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

Tarishitar: the glorious floating city. Once thought untouchable by the other nations of Parvpora, this country's capital now falls under the eye of forces beyond its control. Dreams rose up from the depths, tormenting the untouchables and threatening to engulf the surface. The thought was all consuming to the council of guilds, but not because of the compassion of their hearts. No, like arrogant kings from many a fable, Tarishitar's leaders cared only for themselves.
 
While Mendean and the four mortals explored the depths, eager to shut down the source of madness; the most powerful guilds, including representatives from the Len Shang Dow, met in the center of the city to discuss current happenings. They were bickering amongst themselves in the chambers of the tallest building in Tarishitar for most of the morning, and only stopped when a guard could be heard arguing outside the main entrance.
 
"You can't come in here!" One of the guards shouted from beyond the oaken gate, causing the chambers to fall into temporary, dead silence. The same man was quickly launched through the door by an explosive punch, sending splinters out into the middle of the room. Still alive, the guard could only grunt before passing out.
 
"Were my notes insufficient warning?" A darkly cloaked Natsumi walked into the room without her mask, just after she had sent her initial impediment sailing. The guards within were quick to react to her fiasco, having brandished blades and magic alike; but the Goddess was ready for them. She locked their movements with her divine powers, causing them to freeze in place until she saw fit to release them. "Is that why you haven't evacuated the city yet?"
 
"You've no right to be here," retorted one of the council members within the meeting once his mind registered the questions being given! No one present tried to tell the guards to remove the fox after this bold reaction, because each one was plenty aware of the fact that the woman in front of them was pacifying violence in the immediate area. They respected her power, but still refused to acknowledge her request even after she adorned her deity mask.


"Prancing about like ants, you believe there are bigger threats to deal with, so you ignore my warning at your own peril." Pausing, the woman summoned several hundred pieces of parchment into the room: one for each note she had sent in the days before her arrival. All of them held the same contents, telling the leaders of Tarishitar to evacuate the city on the 10th of Calor. It was now the 10th, and every last one of them had ignored her. No plans had been made. Not even a hint of concern was given, much to Natsumi's irritation. "You have one last chance, though I doubt you can save everyone now that you've waited so long."
 
It was a dire warning, but the guild leaders were having none of it. They just looked snidely at the masked woman, and ridiculed her out of the room.
 
"God or no, we won't evacuate the city based on your word alone. Besides, you are Secrets and not Fate. You hold no sway over the future." So it was that Tarishitar's elite chose death. They chuckled at their own peril, but Natsumi was already leaving them. She turned around and departed from the chambers, not saying anything more to the proud idiots that ruled the city.
 
"I've given my warning," she proclaimed just before stepping through the threshold, "It's your funeral if you ignore it." The Ice Queen disappeared afterwards, manifesting above the vortex of ravens which loomed over a distant ravine. An invisible barrier formed beneath her feet, suspended without any apparent connection to a grounded construct. From this perch, Natsumi looked down, pondering the fate of those travelers stuck beyond the dreamlike barrier. Behind her, the backdrop of chaos was already beginning. A thunderous roar echoed across the sky all the way from Bakulaw, and the sickly green tear appeared to the northeast: just as she had predicted. The gas would soon be upon the city, but not before the Goddess got in her last word on the situation.
 
Unsure if the five could still hear her in their dream realm, Natsumi shouted downward. "Ladies and Gentlemen! It's time to spread the word! And the word is~" Pause for dramatic effect. "Panic!" The expectant screams and maniacal laughter followed the girl's theatrics, shattering the last vestige of peace Tarishitar's people had. Foul, purple smoke rushed past the fox, held off from her by a personal barrier. The force of the winds was almost hurricane in strength, more than enough to preemptively wreck the streets.
 
All was as Natsumi had warned against. The fumes of the Sirena Huli Secundus had afflicted the floating city's surface with madness, and now those citizens who lived at higher altitudes shared a similar fate to the untouchables they abused. Yet even as the general Mendean had spoken to earlier streaked across the circumference of the dreamscape like a giddy twit, the Goddess knew she couldn't stay to assist. She had done all she could by contacting the Auzial Academy for the Gifted weeks in advance. Already, the guild had people outside the city, and they would see to the fate of Tarishitar in her absence. For her part, however, Natsumi needed to close the breach lest something unspeakable appear from within. And so she disappeared into a gate within the first few moments of the outbreak. The Handler's Gate, which she now sought after, was in the North, in the mysterious, deadly land of Bakulaw.
 
Meanwhile, the general remained behind, repeatedly shouting the same phrase at the top of his lungs as he ran nude across the landscape. "I'm a pretty butterfly! Yay!"

 

Author: Nihr, Posted: Tue Jun 7, 2016 6:43 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

Nihr watched the Goblin talk, insulted because he called it a Gremlin? In his confusion he didn't see the second headbutt coming. This one got him good, the impact of the righteousness knocked him back. So he laid there flat on his back with limbs spread, trying to get his bearings straight. Trying to keep a grip on his sanity. Quickly, think. Do something?! He thought to himself. You got headbutted by a Gremlin. NO! Goblin. A Goblin named Scrubble. "Scrubble knocked you back to reality.", a familiar voice spoke in his head. The hallucinations of the King Nihr towered over him. Leaning down and staring at the floored Nihr who was rambling to himself as he thought out loud. 

"Well it didn't work cause you're still here." He said to the King Nihr before looking sideways and frowning at the Businessman Nihr. "And don't think I don't see you because I do! And don't give me that look!" Businessman was leaning against a wall, his Armani suit as impeccable as always, not a hair out of place. "I can't help it that you look so pitiful. You used to be great. A powerful ruler, now look at you. Hiding from rats, freaking out whenever you lose Ramla out of your sight?" Nihr stared at the man before slowly looking back at the ceiling, which was blocked by the King's face smiling back at him. "I was pretty great. We achieved the unachievable."

Nihr pushed himself off the ground with an irritated grunt and dusted off his clothes and readjusted the scarf around his face to keep his identity hidden from the people. Businessman walked up behind him and leaned to speak lowly in his ear. "Think. It's a dream." Nihr took a deep breath, trying to calm himself as his brain ran rampant. "Dreams aren't real unless you believe they are. They grow and intensify with emotions, desires and fears. But all dreams are born from a person. A sentient being capable of thinking and imagination." Businessman and the King stood on either side as the both asked, "And?…" 

Nihr frowned and shrugged his shoulder. "Well…easy. Dreams don't sprout out of the earth like that, somebody spawned an opening for the dream to escape. A person is its vessel, its portal. Kill the portal, kill the dream." But then Nihr looked up, his demeanor had calmed down now, he looked almost worrisome. "But what if I kill the portal and it unleashes the dream completely?" Both the King and the Businessman nodded in understanding, yes…What if indeed? "He's mad." The King said with crossed arms. "Ob, absolutely bonkers." The businessman said with his arms behind his back. And before they knew it, they both disappeared as Nihr had control over sanity once more.

Nihr shrugged his shoulders, "Only one way to find out." He looked down at the Goblin who he was sure must think Nihr is a nutcase by now…and rightfully so. "Thank you… Scrubble was it? I needed those headbutts." He observed the little green man for a bit and then looked around them. "Why aren't you affected by all this? The Dream doesn't seem to affect you like it does with us." Figures, ancient beings that traversed the galaxy get affected by hallucinations caused by a dream. But a Goblin just waltz through this place unharmed and unaffected. Damn thing might just save the day…

Nihr looked up as the rats that passed them by began to transform into insectoid creatures, it didn't take him long to realize that these things were created by himself and Ramla…Wait. That means she's close. "Scrubble, you haven't seen a dark haired woman walking around, did you? She kind of has a warrior princess kind of vibe right now." Nihr said as he looked around the area for her.

But his search was cut short when he heard a voice speak out to him and Scrubble. Looking over the other end of the road he spotted 3 people, 2 males and 1 female. Correction…two boys and Ramla. Looks like her mother instinct got kicked in gear. Well, at least he found her. And if what this man says is true then he and Ramla should dream up some more about the things they dealt with in a previous lifetime. Nihr walked over to the group and decided to follow them but not before making sure that she was alright.

"Ram-la." He gently lifted her cloth wrapped chin, briefly admiring the feint glow in her emerald eyes. "Well, meet Scrubble the Gremlin, I mean Goblin. Sorry." Nihr said to Ramla while apologizing to Scrubble. He then turned to the boys, "This is Ram-La and I am Nihr. Lead the way." No time for small talk but at least now everyone knew what to yell for when needing help from one another.

Author: Century, Posted: Sat Jun 4, 2016 7:16 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

As he lay there amongst the splintered wood, spilled food and crude earthenware of what had only moments before been someone's kitchen, Mendean considered his options. Fighting was certainly up there near the top, but it was not the priority. Finding the source of the madness around him was the primary task. Finding it and shutting it down. That was what the guildmasters of Tarishitar wanted.


And in truth, while he revelled in the chaos the vortex was producing, Mendean shared a similar goal. A part of the Dreaming was spilling out into the world, like hot treacle, coating and burning everything it was touching. That was not how things should be…at least not at this point in history.


Blinking blearily at the older man who stood nearby and said nothing in reply. Instead, he vigorously brushed rice flour from his head until a small cloud hung around him, then gave up. When he rose from the wreckage, it was as though some unseen force had picked him from the ground and pushed him to a vertical position. Making a shape with his arms, Mendean made a guttural sound, shaking both arms once. The flour burst away from him in an even bigger cloud than before, leaving his dark clothes spotless. Satisfied, he stepped away from the ramshackle dwelling. Silently, the structure began restoring itself, like an explosion in reverse. The god paid it no heed.


He turned to the man, finally registering the words spoken. Ataiyan. Mendean managed a small smile, answering in the same tongue. “Dreams are what they are, but also what they are not. My condition is acceptable, my dignity less-so.”


Seeking out the rat queen, he saw the dream had lost interest in him. Probably for the best, given that it would only serve as a distraction from the task at hand. Besides, he noted the arrival of others. An armoured goblin and two humans. They seemed intent on going deeper, rather than following the denizens of the gulleys…once they had stopped hitting each other. The madness of this place was already getting into their heads.


The woman had shouted something in Tarishitan, but Mendean had not understood its meaning. Something about a mother? He shook his head. Little made sense down here, so close to the source of the vortex. So close, but still hidden from his senses. How could this be? Hidden from me, a dream lord? He rubbed a shoulder, testing the joint. Sore, but hardly an impediment. He would not need to heal himself just yet.


He looked up at the crows. From here, the upper ledges and sky were hidden by a black pall of glistening feathers. It reminded him of his own ravens, but even they never gathered in such numbers. This…this was the product of something else.


Once more he turned his head toward the man nearest him. Gray images of the dead hung around him like ghosts. His presence must have dispelled them, but not completely. It seemed that he still had power over this place, but it was not complete power. Something resisted him. He sniffed the air. Something mortal. A person? Possibly. Theories began to form in the god's mind, like tofu condensing through cloth into the waiting bowl beneath. A wry smile formed.


Mendean peered along the crude approximation of a street. It seemed to deform like melting paint. Colours blending together in strange and terrifying configurations of swirls and raised ridges, catching the dull light of an eternal sunset. He pointed into the unclear swirls and whorls, where some of the swarming rats had wandered. They changed, transforming into insectile hybrids, some crawling up walls, while others sprouted stubby gossamer wings and moved about like enormous brown bees. The dreams of these mortals were taking shape around them, but perhaps their own latent dreams might interfere with the greater dream taking shape over there. “My friends, please do not fight each other. Instead, we must go deeper. Your own nightmares and dreams seem to be creating small pools of opposition within the vortex. Perhaps together we can cut a swathe through the storm?” Mendean spoke loudly over the constant thundering of black feathered wings above in Tarishitan, in the hope that they might understand him better, even if most of them were clearly foreign. It was worth a shot.

Author: Scrubble, Posted: Wed Jun 1, 2016 6:53 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

Hmm this was truly a strange situation Scrubble had never heard a rat talk before. Especially giant rats they were notoriously quiet creatures, according to Scrubble anyways. However Scrubble was without fear for Scrubble knew that Scrubble was watching over Scrubble. So Scrubble charged at the giant rat in the horde of rats. However Scrubble became bogged down in another nightmare; a man was stuck in quicksand and now Scrubble was too. The biggest problem being that this pool of quicksand was engulfing a full sized human. So one full grown goblin was not going to last very long. Scrubble needed a plan and Scrubble knew exactly who to ask. Scrubble would ask Scrubble "Scrubble how should Scrubble get out of the quicksand? Scrubble must hold in air and walk through it".

Truly the genius of Scrubble knew no bounds Scrubble would've never thought to walk through the quicksand. Which probably would've been for the best all things considered. However Scrubble is nothing if not determined and after breathing in a large amount of air Scrubble just started to walk forward. Fun fact people cannot sink all the way into quicksand, as quicksand itself is denser than humans and goblins. So Scrubble just sort of sank half way into it and sort of wiggled to the other side while still not breathing though. After reaching the other side though Scrubble took a deep breath and then found that the giant rat was gone. This was deeply disturbing to Scrubble how was Scrubble supposed to complete the holy quest of Scrubble now!

However Scrubble saw something rather interesting it was man. Well Scrubble had seen many men most of them had been rather rude to Scrubble though. This might be due to Scrubbles tendency to just take things from people because Scrubble needed it for a holy quest. Either way the man appeared to be shouting at a man smoking a cigar and a man who looked just like the shouting man. Scrubble was not enjoying the loudness of the man his shouting probably scared off the rat! Scrubble was gonna righteously headbutt the shit out of this guy. Scrubble sprinted over to the man stopping right before crashing into him. By this point the loud masked guy was on the ground which meant he was at eye level with Scrubble. Perfect Scrubble decided to give the man a warning headbutt the righteousness on this headbutt would be reduced by a large amount. So after pausing for a second to think about how righteously to headbutt him Scrubble craned his head back and threw it forward into the mans face.

The other men around the man on the ground disappeared this perplexed Scrubble. However all of this was forgotten when the man called Scrubble a Gremlin! This was immensely rude. "Scrubble is a goblin not a Gremlin!" after that Scrubble headbutted the man again for good measure.

Author: Nihr, Posted: Wed Jun 1, 2016 4:37 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

"Another dead end." Nihr said as their path was yet again blocked. What was frustrating was not knowing whether these dead ends and road blocks were part of reality or just manifestations from this nightmarish maze. Whatever it was that spawns these creations wants to keep them away from it, that much was clear. He turned around to seek another way into the lower levels when sudden another wave of energy hit them, strong enough for it to shift nightmares again. Only this time it was his… He froze, blinking slowly several times as he pulled his scarf down from his face. Slowly circling around himself as he watched the endless caverns of Tenebris go on and on. 

Impossible…He left, didn't he? He was certain he escaped his prison? He tried to remember his escapement, how he did and when he did. The memories so clear and vivid like it happened yesterday, and yet he doubted himself. "Wait…" He said to no one in particular, taking a few steps back before spinning around himself as he looked for a way out. "That crack, where's that crack!?" His nails dragged across the wet, rocky surface in the growing darkness. Peering through small holes and cracks only to see blackness and not that familiar image of her silhouette. 

"Finally snapped out of it?" A voice spoke from behind. When Nihr turned around he saw his doppelganger grinning back at him. It bit his lip and gave him a look of pity. Its dark hair a lot longer, black kohl lines around the eyes. A gold embroided, black skirt with a gem decorated sash. "You wouldn't stop rambling about being a Pharaoh, the -Black- Pharaoh." He said with a lifted finger, indicating that Nihr insisted the importance of being called the Black pharaoh. Eventhough he himself was white…odd. Nihr grew angry and charged for him with both hands reaching for the figure's throat, "I WAS!" He shouted at him before the figure vanished. But then it reappeared behind him, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "Who's Ram-La? You mentioned her a lot. Was she your imaginary wife? Or daughter? I'm asking cause it gets confusing sometimes. Or is it mother?" 

Both men stared at each other, one at the brink of madness resting his forehead against the cool stone. The other smirking, "Is she off limits? Cause if she's real then I wouldn't mind having a piece of her." Disrespecting his creation, the sacrifices he made for her, the reason for these bindings. HOW DARE HE!? "SILENCE!!" Nihr whipped around and hurled several dark bolts at him, watching them piercing his flesh before he got the chance to jump out of the way. Breathing hard he tried to make sense of it all. It had to be real, he thought to himself as he looked at the burn scars on his arm.

"Hm…Messy." Another voice stepped forward. A dark expensive suit, his hair short and combed back with hair products. His facial hair gone. A clean and professional Nihr, an unlit cigar in his hand. He slowly walked over the pierced Nihr, leaning forward as he fingered the bolts and nodded. "Very messy."  He lit up the cigar and puffed a few times before sitting down on a metal chair that seemed to have been there all this time. "So you're saying that, in the last 8000 years… you escaped Th'natos' chains, played king and god… Created an Eldritch and have her give birth to one as well, which is technically impossible by the way because our kind does not posses the ability to procreate." The businessman stared at him sadly. It was sad to see how his mind deteriorated after being in here for millenia.

Nihr wasn't sure himself, perhaps it was all just an hallucination. A dream, a figment of his imagination… The things he could do if he did escape. Another Nihr in burned clothes and body freshly scarred sat on the floor with his back against the wall. The scent of burned wood and ashes still clinging to him. "Did you really think you outsmarted your brother? Th'natos is a wise being, it takes a special someone to outsmart him." Nihr collapsed on the floor. Disbelief he kept going through all the memories again and again, how could all this be fake? 

He began to chuckle to himself. Well…he was a trickster. Apparently even to himself. He laughed a little louder. The King Nihr looked up and tilted his head at Nihr. "You know… they said that you would be the end of Earth's mankind…But who's to say mankind won't be the end of you…" Nihr continued to laugh hysterically, until something green slapped him across the face. Blinking a few times, he needed to get his bearings straight. He frowned, wasn't he just in the caverns of Tenebris? He looked down a little and saw the green little man, "Gremlin?"

Author: Ramla, Posted: Wed Jun 1, 2016 3:48 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

Ramla sighed when they stumbled upon a wall again. The underclass district was so confusing. She followed Nihr as she tied her hair together before replacing the red scarf. After encountering some gulleyfolk, they both decided it was best if they kept their identities hidden for now. Unsure on how the people would react to their powers. So far the only type of magic they had seen was when that doctor had healed Ramla's leg and arm with the combination of herbs and healing abilities. Not that it was necessary… She paused when she noticed that Nihr wasn't beside her anymore. Turning around she spotted him, frozen with a confused look. She was quick to figure out that the Nightmare got to him.

Reaching over with her hand to try and shake him out of it, she startled when someone else grabbed her wrist with quite the force. Looking up to see whose hand it was her eyes grew wide. "John?" Now Ramla too was trapped in the Nightmare. It seems whoever spawned this vortex wanted to keep them separated. It was the Burning Times all over. She stared at her husband's ghost as he dragged her along the muddy, cobbled streets of Logrono with a tight grip on her hand and hair until she faced the four stakes. Three of them already occupied.

Her beloved servant, Angnieta. A dark girl who was her slave, but truly she was more than that. A friend, a student,… a daughter. She struggled against the men that tried to control her. Why wouldn't her powers work? She could safe them, she could safe them just this once. She broke into tears when she heard her children cry out for her, cry for their mother to safe them from the flames. "Elizabeth! Sarah!" She cried out their names. Slowly the witch-hunters let go of her wrists as she took several steps back. But what she didn't realize was that the dream and reality were loosely woven in this spot. She wasn't paying attention as the flames grew bigger and the heat grew more intense. Shielding her face from the fire she fell backwards, over the edge of a rickety fence as it broke under her weight.

With a yelp she fell, feeling weightless and the wind soaring past her ears she snapped out of it and remembered that this was all but a dream. Nightmare! It was fake, all of it. Just manifestations of people's fears and regrets, or hopes and dreams. Twisting and turning as she fell, she tried to think of a way to stop her fall. Noticing how the vortex of crows pretty much blocked most of the light out, she looked down and from the shaded areas of the ravine beneath her she created a large set of slender, black tentacles. Watching how they reached up to her to form a catching net to break her fall, coiling around her as she made contact. Gently she bounced a little as she looked around to see where she should go from here. It was too far going up, so that leaves down or sideways.

It was there that she spotted two individuals. One was helping the other from being stuck in kitchen debris or something. She arched her brows. By their appearance they just looks like boys. "What are these kids doing in here?" she said with a frown. Granted one of them looked like early twenties but still. This was no place for adventure seeking! And it looks like she got here just in time as well because the sharp shrieks of a furry brood-mother announced her arrival. "I never want to see another rat again after this." She muttered to herself.

As the swarm was getting closer and closer to them, Ramla positioned herself in the mass of tendrils before pulling them back. Much like a sling-shot fashion before launching herself towards the brood-mother. The tendrils dissolved as soon as she was launched, her right fist glowing a deep, dark purple almost black. With a war cry she clubbed the beast with her dark energy infused fist, sending it flying into the wall, cratering it. But she doubted that she defeated it. The things we dream of are often indestructible.

So with a thick and broken Tarishi accent she turned to the young men. "Come! Mother not happy…" She said with a troubled look. It was too late to seek the exit, but with luck she could keep them out of harm's way while she and Nihr tried to figure out this mess.

Author: Naota, Posted: Tue May 31, 2016 10:59 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

There was something foul in the air and he didn’t like it.  What was worst was that it wasn’t a smell…it was a feeling.  Something was wrong, but he couldn’t quite place the source.  To be honest he wasn’t sure how he even knew in the first place.  It was like a buzz right behind his forehead.  Without thought his fingers lowered down to Torinasu at his hip, comforted by the braided hilt.  Just from touching it he felt his stress ease, but not completely.  It would have to do for now.
 
The whole reason he was down here in the first place was for research.  While he didn’t agree with the mining going on, it did open the possibility of new materials to be sourced.  Once you were down here seeing the impact it had on the unfortunate souls that dwelled within, it was hard to keep your mind on track.  In vain he’d tried to think of ways to help, but it would take such a grand gesture that he as one man simply wouldn’t be able to perform.  This was a battle for another day, and in the mean time he’d try to ease the suffering as much as one person could.
 
The earth was filled with untapped opportunity, and his search for different types of stones and gems had led him here.  There was hardly a better land to visit when it came to aid in alchemy, but he wasn’t quite that far in his pursuits as of yet.  For now he needed the base stones, and while his collection had grown in quite some time over the past few decades, it would be a long while before he was satisfied.
 
His footsteps stopped halfway down a deserted street.  Had it always been empty?  That silence hadn’t always hung in the air had it?  His fingers lifted up and he moved to a craggy wall, fingertips tracing along the jagged surface.  There was something amiss here and the second he made contact the buzz in his head was back in full force and elevated into a painful spike.  Like a bolt of lightning had travelled from his fingers into his head.  With a sharp outcry he jerked back from the wall, hand pressing hard to his forehead as his eyes closed against the pain.  W-What the hell was that…?  
 
For the second time his hand moved down to his hip, this time with more urgency…but felt nothing.  His breathing caught in his chest and he looked down at himself.  Torinasu was gone.  A dull ache formed in his chest as his heart raced at a dangerous pace.  Impossible.  He quickly turned around, looking down the street he’d been coming down only to see a mass of people: all of their backs turned to him.  What was going on…?  He swallowed down, trying his best not to show the fear he felt in truth.  It seemed to him that each shaky inhale and exhale he took echoed around him, amplified even more by the silence as he slowly walked forward.
 
Not a single person stirred: all of them still as statues as he walked towards them.  Their clothes had faded, leaving them to all have an unnatural gray pallor.  Even their hair and skin was dulled, as if all color and signs of life had been leeched away.  Mere feet away from the closest individual, a man of his own height, and still none of them had made a single motion.  There had to be at fifty all together, weaving from the street into the alleyways, some on stoops, all of them with their backs to him no matter what their angle to him may be. 
 
Hesitantly, he moved a hand up, reluctant.  Before he could stop himself he rested it down on the man’s shoulder.  The cloth was disturbingly dry, chalky.  There was no warmth underneath the cloth to indicate body heat.  Slowly the man turned his head to look over his shoulder, but where eyes should have been were deep black pits.  His expression was calm, and when he parted his lips to speak a crack spread up from the corners of his lips and up his cheeks: slowly shattering his face as if it were made of ceramic.  He instantly pulled his hand back and stepped away from him but the damage was done and the cracks spread faster until he crumpled: the dust left from him blowing into his face, down into his lungs as he breathed in. 
 
As if on cue all of them snapped their heads, looking back at him over their shoulders.  Their lips were motionless but quick whispers began to echo around him, bouncing off of the walls and swirling around him until he had to press his hands over his ears to block them out.  The ground under his feet began to lightly shake in a rhythmic beat and when he opened his eyes he realized they were all slowly marching towards him in perfect synchronization, the whispers growing louder the closer they got.  He knew this, he’d seen it before…but it had been so long since this nightmare.
 
Their faces, he recognized each one of them: a face for every person he had killed while his body had been taken over by his daemon.  Their lives cut short by his hand while he’d been able to do nothing to stop it.  Cold sweat ran down his neck, under his clothing along his back until all of a sudden a man came crashing through: going through their bodies as if they were made of nothing.  He closed his eyes hard, and when he opened them again…all of them were gone. 
 

He shakily gripped at his hip, feeling the hilt of his blade once more.  Something dropped nearby and he looked over to see a hole in the building the man had been thrown through.  So that was real.  He quickly rushed over, ducking his head in to see a young man against the mortar of a cooking fire.  His lips parted, not knowing what to say exactly before managing, “A-Are you all right…?”

Author: Century, Posted: Wed May 25, 2016 2:01 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

Nothing that happened here was real. He knew that with a certainty stronger than stone. And yet, at the same time he knew the reality of dreams was just as real as the physical world. He understood that with the same unshakable certainty. Two opposing views held within a single mind. How human of me, mused the god as he began to trace the patterns of madness with preternatural senses that defied logic.

Madness. Imagination. Dreams. They were all a part of the same thing. Simple objects that existed within a higher set of measurements going beyond the euclidean, viewed from within the mundane flat plane of Revaliir's consensus reality. It was his domain. It was that which he kept contained, given free reign.

A dream vortex. Those fools from the guilds in the overcity had pushed at the thin membrane of their own understanding and burst an abscess in reality. Somewhere between the cavernous walls of the eternally shadowed ravines of Tarishitar, the source of this imbalance lay. Whatever it was, it had been penetrated and violated by blundering apes with little understanding of the delicate balances they were upsetting. This was the result.

Other mortals had ventured down here. Drawn by the prospect of adventure. Mortals in love with dying. That was how the boy-god saw their kind. Let them come. Let them see. Perhaps they will finally learn the truth? Perhaps it will drive them irredeemably mad? There was nothing he could do about that. Standing on the gravelly surface of an improvised street, the god stood in shadow, observing the twisting webs of madness that permeated the very stones. This was not going to be easy to fix. His power was diminished in Parvpora, after all. He could not simply wave and hand and fix everything. Things would have to be mended in the old-fashioned way. He smiled grimly to himself.

Rats scurried past his feet. A handful at first, then more. The remaining gulley folk scrabbled for cover. They were used to vermin, but these were no ordinary rats. They were the idea of rats. A dream given form. Fear encapsulated. As he stared at his feet, Mendean noted how their fur glistened, sticking out in tiny spikes and giving each oversized rat an oozing quality.

In single deft movement, Mendean scooped up one of the little beasts and held it up, turning it and inspecting it. Whomever had dreamt of these had a fine imagination. The sticky thing squirmed and flailed in an attempt to escape. Mendean sunk his fingers in deeper. It had no organs. It was composed of dreamstuff. Manifestations rarely had time for complication like organs.

“MMMYYY CHHHHILLLDRENNN. WHHHHATT ARE YOOOU DOOING WITHHH MMMYY CHHHHILLLDRENNN?”

Mendean dropped the rat. It hit the stony ground with an almost gelatinous plop, then gathered its form together and ran off, just as the god turned to find himself dwarfed by the ugliest, dirtiest rat he had ever seen.

“Ummm” began Mendean, but before he could answer, he was flung across the street by a whip-like tail, his ascent halted by a badly assembled wooden wall that splintered as he crashed through it. He came to a halt in the middle of someone's kitchen. Cooking pots, a fireplace, chopping board and bags of grain provided cushioning.

Forcing himself up onto his elbows, the god glowered. This was going to be more difficult than he thought.

Author: Scrubble, Posted: Fri May 20, 2016 3:05 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

The underbelly of Tarishitar City, it reminded Scrubble of home. Tight spaces, bad smells, lots of rocks, and very poor lighting You could say Scrubble was in his element but in Scrubbles mind Scrubble is always in Scrubbles element. As Scrubbles element is Scrubble speaking of which Scrubble had received a message from the holy lord Scrubble. Scrubble told Scrubble to go to the under city after hearing of some spooky stories. Armed only with a sword, shield, and undying faith in Scrubble continued the march into the depths of Tarishitars slums.

Scrubble understood very little of what was going on down here other than that it was not normal. This was becoming more apparent as Scrubble continued. Well it became more apparent if you weren't a goblin named Scrubble for Scrubble it was just business as usual. No amount of oddities would Stop Scrubble on the mighty quest which Scrubble had sent him on. As with most of the Quests Scrubble received from Scrubble it was very vague. In fact this most holy quest lacked any real things to do besides go into the under city. Which means Scrubble had completed the holy quest. "Victory for Scrubble"! 

However while celebrating the holy victory Scrubble gained the attention of a giant horde of rats. Not only that but in charge of all of them was a very large rat. It was at this point that Scrubble heard a whisper from Scrubble the most holy deity of Scrubble. "Scrubble you must ride the rat" "Scrubble will do as Scrubble commands Scrubble". Thus began the quest which shall be dubbed Scrubble why do you do these things. By this point the rats had started thinking about how delicious of a dinner Scrubble would make. Scrubble meanwhile unsure of how to tame animals decided to fight the rats thinking that if Scrubble defeated the big rat Scrubble would become leader of the rats. So Scrubble drew the most holy blade and shield of Scrubble and charged at the rats.

Author: Nihr, Posted: Thu May 19, 2016 9:30 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

They had argued all night to decide whether or not they were the cause of the suffering of the gulleyfolk. They weren't sure if something managed the slip through the portal that they came in. Or maybe there were several portals, who knows. Either way they felt responsible for what's plaguing the underclass. The aura that was emanating from the ravines was strong and ominous. Nihr wondered if it was something she triggered, accidentally summoning something during the portal travelling.In the end Ramla gave him no choice but to join her to investigate this aura they were sensing. So when his shift at the docks was finished, instead of heading straight home to their room at the Inn he went to their rendez-vous point. Not having the time to change clothes he stuck with his black pants, and white shirt.

He found her waiting for him by the entrance, a tunnel carved out by the builders of the city. Most likely to have access to the underbelly but he guessed there was probably their influence they held over the gulleyfolk that prevented them from surfacing. Most likely with an iron fist, and fear. Nihr ran a calloused hand through his dark locks as he listened to her concerns. "We're not there yet. We're not even sure if it is our doing so for now we just observe." He reassured her as he took the lead and entered the tunnel first. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He couldn't trust his eyes, what was real here? One moment they were in a flower field and the next they were showered in someone's insecurity and impotence. Watching the scenario made him grateful he had Ramla.

Nihr glanced briefly at Ramla when she suddenly held his hand. It made him chuckle, just like a child. He returned the squeeze and continued to follow the tunnels, noticing how they began to split off here and there. It began to widen which means they would soon be at the edge of the ravines, it should give them a better look at things. He didn't answer her immediately, unsure of himself as everything was very confusing. "I don't…know. Our domain is shadows and darkness. This is something else. Neither of us has access to whatever realm this belongs to." Well at least now they knew that it wasn't Ramla that accidentally summoned something, so that leaves the second and third theory. Something slipped through the portal, or this is just a coincidence and has nothing to do with them.

Nihr paused for moment when he saw something in the distance. Whatever it was it was larger than him, he looked around and spotted an alcove. Quickly he dragged her with him, both crouching down and staying still. Not making a peep as the mangy beast passed them by with soft growls. He frowned when he looked down and saw the swarm just scurrying away. Dreams… to dream was unknown to him. Nihr wasn't sure if he had ever dreamed before? His species didn't require much sleep, hell it didn't even require a lot of food. Sleep was something he did out of boredom or if his body decided to shut down after a battle. But he knew Ramla dreams, and it made him wonder what they were. He let out a grunt as he stood up again, peeking out the alcove to make sure that the rats were gone before heading further. "Stay close." He said in a hushed voice.

He slowed his walking when he saw the vortex of ravens just swirling about. He nodded, "I'm starting to think that too. This is not our doing, directly or indirectly." He pondered and slowly smiled. He placed his hands on the crude wooden railing, looking down into the abyss and around at the hovels and whatnot. "But it certainly is interesting, and the most exciting thing to happen to us since we've been here." For some reason this felt like a game of hide and seek to him and he was itching to play.

Author: Ramla, Posted: Thu May 19, 2016 7:39 PM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

They both noticed how the ravines felt different lately. The slow, dull hum they sensed that was unique to the underclass of Tarishitar, residues of the alchemical waste that clung to the ravines, somehow changed into something more vibrant, and brooding. And it seem to grow with each day. Ramla always had a bit of a soft spot for the gulleyfolk, having been an outcast herself once. She stood at one of the entrance tunnels that would lead down the ravine. Sticking to the shade, wearing a black, harem pants and matching black, crop top with half sleeves. A red saree wrapped around her body, the skirt part would only hug her hips and thighs so she could move around more freely. But the red fabric was still long enough so she could cover her head like a large scarf.

She looked up when Nihr arrived, guilt written on her face as they both entered the tunnel. "What if we can't stop it?" she asked him as they descended the tunnels, switching to their native tongue called Kemehu. Feeling the energy in this place act much like a vortex and hitting them wave after wave, like it's pulsating. But what they saw was stranger yet. They thought that the aura was from something that slipped through the portal that they arrived in. But they didn't expect things that affected the very environment, it was like stepping into another world. No, like several layers of 'world' weaved together. It was worrisome that it happened this close to the surface.

What was first a tunnel dug out from stone soon meshed with a gentle rolling hill filled with flowers of a place they've never seen. It was like the ceiling became see-through all of the sudden as they witnessed massive gardens growing on floating platforms. But as the next wave of aura hit them, the scenery shifted into a misshapen man being surrounded by a bunch of female relatives who were practically nagging him to death, as more and more stress was being piled on him. One could literally see the sweat on his brow and the thumping of his heartbeat echoing through the increasingly widening tunnels.

Ramla stayed close to Nihr as she held his hand and pulled her hood down to get a better look at things. "Did we do this?" she asked Nihr. "They almost look like…dreams…And nightmares." Just as she finished that sentence Nihr pulled her close to him and hid them in a small shaded alcove, covering her mouth. Ramla stayed still, wondering what it was that he saw or heard that she didn't. Her question was soon answered with heavy footsteps of something large, and hairy. A creature that resembled a mangy rat, but picture the rat as a giant rat on steroids. Almost 7 feet tall, fur riddled with fleas, whiskers twitching as it sniffed the air. But the beast was not alone, no. It was accompanied with its brood. Hundreds, if not thousands of small rats scurrying around their feet, it felt more like an endless stream. A few even broke away from the swarm to take a peek in the alcove that the pair was currently hidden in. Neither dared to make a sound, fearing the larger creature's attention. But when the swarm passed by the alcove, they got up again to further investigate what was happening.

When they arrived at a clearing, where the hovels and crude buildings were. They had a closer look at what they were dealing with. A large vortex of ravens just swirled about, deeper and deeper into the ravine. "It's almost as if they are drawn to something?  I don't think this is us." she said as she looked over the edge. When she looked around she noticed how the gulleyfolk were in hiding, these people would already hide and avoid contact with any outsiders, or upper class folk but their district still felt alive. But now, it was just eerie. 

Author: Century, Posted: Mon May 16, 2016 3:51 AM, Post Subject: Afraid [OPEN, R]

[OOC: Sorry for the long intro. Any other replies will be MUCH shorter!]


Mendean smiled at the porcelain mask he held in his hand. It was an elaborate thing, glazed to appear cracked, with criss-cross lines showing a false fracturing of its white perfection. Dark blue swirls and curlicues washed across the surface, resembling the kind of pottery one might find in Ataiyo, hinting at its place of origin. Semi-precious stones, such as jade, ground down to translucency, somehow affixed to the glaze in a series of dark green scales that washed down the sides of each cheek and across the brow. Empty eyesockets stared back at the god, almost daring him to put it on. Not today, thing of beauty. For I am a mask in my entirety. To wear you, would be placing a mask upon a mask How ridiculous! He thought while replacing the mask upon its stand with great care.


Stepping back from the plinth on which the mask had been displayed, Mendean inclined his head to take in the other plinths. Small granite pillars, each of which contained some form of exotic curio, no doubt taken by force in many cases, for this was the palace of a powerful individual. One with a string of great victories tied firmly beneath his silken sash. A general of Tarishitar no less.


Footsteps. Sound of soft shoes on wooden board. Heavy steps. More on one foot than the other. A limp then. The god did not turn to face the heavily-built squat figure of the general, for there was no need. Instead, he reached out to touch an intricately designed wooden device. There seemed to be some mechanism for tightening…


“The fabled cock-ring of Lu Chow. A work of great craftsmanship that supported the flaccid old bastard's libido for another three years before he was assassinated via a poison curse being cast upon the ring itself.”


Mendean withdrew his hand before it could come into contact with the device. The corner of his mouth twitched. He said nothing.


“So, you gods are not omniscient after all.”


A rueful smile from the god in question. “It all depends upon the medium. But where would the fun lie in seeing and knowing everything?” Only now did the god turn and offer a curt nod in place of a bow. The general reciprocated with an almost imperceptibly lower bow. He was testing Mendean.


Mendean responded with a fey wave of his hand. “Let us not concern ourselves with ceremony. I am your enemy because I exist in a land without gods. And yet I am a citizen of this land. My very existence challenges much of what you once believed. You are a brutal murderer, who slaughtered his way into his position and escapes moral justice because your society tells itself that this is proper conduct for a man of your station. And yet, you have had to send for me. Thank you for the gifts by the way. But let us get down to business. Why have you summoned me?”


The question struck the general like a slap. Immediately he straightened up, adjusting his clothing and moustache. “Dreams” grunted the general. “We are plagued by dreams.”


Mendean nodded. “Well it was not my doing, but you already know that. I already know that you have been employing some rather revolutionary alchemical technology in that department. I felt your people tunnelling down into the dreaming. What went wrong?”


The general's hands were placed behind his back and he looked down as he walked alongside the taller man. He did not look up, as Mendean did, fascinated by the gallery of artefacts. “Mining,” he said simply.


“And your ignorant meddling has dug up something…unpleasant?”


“You could say that. We were mining the dreams of the gulleyfolk. The underclass we have here, who live in the -”


“ - In the ravines beneath the city. Yes, I am very familiar with your systematic abuse of those people. It seems those who run Tarishitar have cut out their own sense of shame. You humans seem to be very good at cutting out parts of yourselves.”


The general ignored Mendean's barb. “Taking the dreams of those people, means they are less likely to cause insurrection. They would be less likely to want anything more. And besides, I am told the power of dreams is a very valuable thing indeed. We can advance our whole society, bring us into the new age.”


“Spare me the bullshit, general. You are monsters. You are less than that which the gulleyfolk step in.”


The general smirked. “Typical of a god, to tell us how we should be living.”


“Spare me the propaganda. You see yourselves as gods, over those whose lives sustain your own.”


The remark hung in the air, unanswered.


“So,” said Mendean. “You want me to go in and fix your mess. But tell me something. You were drilling down into the dreaming using alchemical methods, but I know you were looking for something. Something you may even have gotten close to. The dreaming doesn't just erupt into the world without provocation.”


“Honestly, lord of chaos who walks in dreams, we were simply looking for a source of power.”


Mendean ceased his slow walk and looked at the general with a quizzical expression. “And that is all you will tell me?”


“It is all there is to tell.”


“Hm.” Mendean lowered his head, as though watching something on the ground next to him. Someone groaned and fell to the floor behind him. The figure was wrapped in a cloak, that imitated the background. Further along the corridor, two more figures made themselves known; both wearing invisibility cloaks. One fell to their knees, weeping, while the other went into a seizure, knocking what was probably a priceless vase off its plinth. Mendean did not avert his gaze from the general, who returned the look with a reproachful glare. He rubbed his left forearm.


“General, I understand your need for security, but this really is too much. Why should I help you if this is the way you are going to treat me?”


The general backed away a step, the rubbing of the forearm had become an absent-minded scratching. “I told you. We were looking for a source of power. We…”


“DO NOT PLAY GAMES WITH ME!” Another invisibly cloaked figure emerged from behind a curtain, running along the corridor away from them, his knife slashing wildly at something that was not there. Mendean's voice softened. “I bypassed those alchemical wardssewn into your clothing, seventeen seconds ago. Eight seconds ago, I decrypted that arcane sigil you have tattooed on your back and right now I am accessing your secondary aura that the Sleepers guild had stitched over your natural one. Ah. Now that's interesting. A Talshik diamond, physically embedded in the base of your skull. I wonder what darkness is being nurtured in there?”


The general's eyes widened in fear, but he retained his composure. Mendean was impressed on the man's level of self-discipline. The god was confident that he could break him.


“You have been plagued for much of your adult life by a recurring dream. You remember the one? You must do. The one where holes open up in your skin and silkworms emerge. You watch in horrid fascination as they seem to pupate and transform into moths before your very eyes. You taste the dryness of their broken wings in your mouth. Legs…such long legs…entangled in your hair. Why general, what ever could be the matter with your arm?”


The general could not help himself. He had to look, had to tear the blue and white willow-patterned sleeve from his forearm. Had to stare at the painless holes riddling his skin. Trembling, he could feel them. The larva emerging out and onto the arm, transforming into moths. That crunch of wings in the mouth, the itching tickling sensation upon his scalp…


“THE TOWER!”


Mendean blinked. Everything was as it had been., except for the torn silk sleeve that hung from the general's arm. The older man was on his knees, spitting on the floor and tentatively brushing his head with his right hand. “What did you say?” Mendean hissed.


“They – we, were searching for the tower that has no name. The dream of it remains. If we could manifest it, we could - “


“Rewrite reality itself. I know. I was there, remember? You fool. Do you not recall what nearly happened to the world? Do you remember the manifestation of Tawil at'Umr? The death of my uncle, who sacrificed himself to save you all?”Mendean squatted before the general, taking his face in his hands so he had his full attention. “Why would you risk bringing something so dangerous back into the world? Why?”


“The seers,” mumbled the general. “We need a weapon. Something that will protect us from…”


“What? What did your seers predict?” A cold feeling in the pit of his stomach. What could have frightened unassailable Tarishitar enough for them to risk everything on such a foolish endeavour? “Tell me!”


“They call it the devourer. Iok Sotot. Aforgomon. The lurker on the threshold.”


“Tawil at'Umr is DEAD. I saw him die myself! My father died on that day too. It is etched into my memory with irreducible clarity.”


The general raised his eyes, meeting the gaze of the god without fear. He was beyond that now. “There is…another who holds these titles.”


* * *


Mendean stood on the edge of one of the many cliffs in Tarishitar, staring down into the abyss below. A swirling vortex of ravens, drawn to the terrible power emanating from below. One of the sacred animals of his father, and now his father's heir. Dreams were manifesting on the physical plane down there, terrorising the dwellers and causing unknown damage. If it continued, the whole of the floating city would be brought to the ground and thousands would die. He had no choice but to go along with Tarishitar's leaders and attempt to seal the breach. With a wry look, he turned for the last time to look at the general. The general appeared older than he had done, a couple of hours before. He had faced his own fear and been found wanting. He wondered how broken the man would be and if he would ever recover.


It did not matter. The man was a monster. Evidence of his work could be seen beneath them. Mendean felt no guilt about what he had done.


“Goodbye, general. Pray that we never meet again.” And with that he stepped over the edge, down into the ravine. There were hundreds of innocent people down there, living out their lives in shadow, serving the selfish elite who had caused so much suffering for them.


He drifted down for almost a minute, passing the seemingly unending vortex of crows that paid him no attention as he passed them by. They were entranced by forces no mortal could truly understand.


Finally, the god landed amidst the dwellings carved out of the rock face. Facades that hid the tunnels in which the dwellers lived. There were buildings too. Crude approximations of the pagodas far above, but with less of the materials. These buildings were fashioned from stone and detritus dropped from the city. Shapes moved in the gloom. Dream-things. A few people ran past him, away from the vortex. They paid the god no attention.


Right, let's get this situation contained, thought the deity as he began his slow purposeful walk towards the centre of the affected zone.