"Where brilliance is good and madness is better..."
Helovia Info
Helovia opened in February 2012! We are an active fantasy equine RPG
Where once the world narrowed into naught but gray dust and desolation, the gods called for life. Wielding the elements of fire and light, dark and wind, earth and water, spark and time, they have created Helovia. The realm is set within the mythical globe of Loorien, a planet rich with all variety of creatures and blessed with all manner of magic. Originally populated by nomadic, tribal characters, they've since grown into massive empires saturated with culture and history. Separated into four distinct segments of Helovia, called "The Regions," each band of horse strong enough and capable enough, took up the power and responsibility of leadership. Unicorns, old, wise and mysterious, took to the north, hidden in forests of mists and shadows and rarely making themselves known beyond their cliffs of the World's Edge. Equines, vast, organized and militaristic, split into two, one group went north to the Windtossed Foothills and the other group went south to the Dragon's Throat. Pegasus remained nomadic, making their homes in various parts of The Wilds in a migratory manner. For many generations, the land was peaceful and calm, but peace was never the way of the gods. With a clash of argument, war and bloodshed massacred Helovia, and in the aftermath, the realm was eerily quiet. Now, as newcomers sweep into this land, they are met with the lingering bitterness of the gods and the struggle to reclaim what was lost. Nothing remains safe or certain while sorcerers and soldiers alike brood and bide their time for revenge, honor and glory.
Site Wide Plots
Kaos :: The Beginning of the End ☼ - 6/2017 - Kaos placed Helovia in a time-bubble for a short period of time, but the Helovian gods are fighting back. But Kaos is powerful- far more powerful than anyone thought. This may be the beginning of the end of Helovia as we know it.
Kisamoa :: A New Kind of Kaos ☼ - 3/2017 - Kisamoa asks Helovians to help him restore the Spectral Marsh. Which side will you choose?
Invasions :: All Out War ☼ - 5/2/16 - New layout and the brand new invasion rules are up! Thank you for your patience and we look forward to getting started with this new adventure.
The Rift :: Gods Do Die ☼ - 8/2015 - Helovia Gods are saving the Rift from corrupt gods! Can Helovians band together against these foreign deities?
The Literal Ship ☼ - 2/8/15 - Oh no! You have to pair up for Valentine's day!
Sky Island :: Murder ☼ - 10/25/14 - Vesta has been found dead on the island, and the gods have called to you to solve the murder!
Sky Island :: Peace ☼ - 7/7/14 - An island has appeared in the sky! Clouds carry Helovians from the Veins to the sky.
Restoration :: We Welcome the Dawn ☼ - 9/21/13 - The sun has finally risen on this day, giving the land new light, but the Time God and the Sun God have yet to be seen.
Endless Night :: Broken Magic Plot ☼ - 8/30/13 - The earth god has returned and is walking across Helovia to heal the land. Every area can now be considered lush and prosperous, but the sun has still not risen.
☼ - 7/19/13 - The moon has risen in the sky, heralding the return of the Goddess of the moon. Lamp trees which light the paths have grown brighter, moon flowers which grow in dark places have begun to grow and prosper and the world is brighter, filled with a new hope.
Endless Night :: Dead Magic Plot ☼ - 6/22/13 - The gods of Helovia, in order to protect the world, have disappeared into the rift, leaving the world sunless, moonless and magic-less in their absence. Only the herdlands have a source of light, but lamp-trees with glowing leaves and branches sporadically line the popular roads and paths from place to place.
Doppleganger Plot ☼ - 6/20/13 - The God of Time is still struggling to close the rift though which the dopplegangers have come. He has requested that his brothers and sister assist in closing this hole, but without knowing why it opened, the task is proving difficult. Magic still remains faulty and hard to control, but the herdlands continue to be places of refuge for those who are fortunate enough to call these lands home.
ORANGEMOON cools off the lands with a a viscious force. Colder than normal, a sign of things to come during Frostfall, Helovia is bathed in a rich tropical lushness - albiet a cold one. The coastlines of the Dragon's Throat are pelted constantly by tidal waves, and the desert climate is humid but chilly. Ice begins to form early in the Aurora Basin leaving the winding trails slick and dangerous. The mists of the World's Edge coat everything in a glistening crystalline shine which encourages mould to grow everywhere. The Spectral Marsh is the only area which remains fertile, blissfully temperature and lush.
Cotm
Character of the Month for
June, 2017
WEAVER, Corporal of the Aurora Basin, is a relatively recent addition to Helovia and has taken it by storm. Branded with the seal of Death on her chest, intrigue and interest follow both her past and present. Though she is assuredly beautiful, her sometimes sharp personality reveals that there is more to this uni-peg hybrid than meets the eye. Proving herself able on the battlefield in the Basin’s warrior ranks, we can’t wait to see her test her mettle against the looming Kaos happenings! Congratulations!
Helovia RPG was created by Tamme and Blu and coded by Tamme also known as Schwartze. All coding, palettes and imagery are copyrighted to the website and are not for use outside of Helovia. Thank you to our ServerMaster for hosting Helovia. A special thanks goes to Neo for all of her coding help and fixing Tamme's errors, Boom, for her loyal service and creation of the Time God, and to Ali for her consistent contributions and dedication.
Ophelia had found Ktulu and Roskuld. The emptiness in her soul was partially filled once more, but that did not cure the itch to wander, discover, find all of the subtle nuances in the herds again. Was this what boredom felt like? She missed being a spy, missed knowing nearly everything. Perhaps she should go look at the herds now. Her sister was living in the land of Mirage and Rishima, two mares she had found to be pleasant enough.
What of the north then? Was Psyche still in power? Torleik lived there... Mauja was gone, as far as she knew. The last she had laid eyes on him, he had parted ways at the Veins of the Gods. Couple that with the information from that fucking, half-crazed pegasus with the snake, and she was certain he had left them all forever. Either he threw himself into the ocean in suicide, or he had simply left without saying goodbye.
Anger.
Maybe that was what this feeling was. Maybe the depression of being the Forsaken had finally started to thaw, turning into something much more furious. Maybe, for once, instead of drowning in herself at her life of "this is unfair" and abuse, she was going to stand up, let them know it was not okay, yell a little. Her first thought was to go yell at the God of the Sun, but she honestly doubted that would have much effect. If he was comfortable with throwing balls of fire her way, he was certainly comfortable with ignore a tempestuous rage.
The anger was also directly internally. How much time had she ruined between her and Roskuld? She had to stick around now, had to be there for her daughter. That meant that she needed at least some stability, a reliable trajectory. Ophelia was not used to being able to be found, and something about that was unsettling - just as it had been when she lead the spies of the Grey.
South, to the Dragon's Throat? She had been there before. The World's Edge was beautiful, so she turned to the west, aiming for the northern coastline. Cloven hooves lightly padded in the spring grass, and Tinek flew along at her side in the mid-day sun.
OPHELIA
Faith shattered and decays as frosted blood flows in my veins
sdrcow @ DA
@[Gaucho]
Undertow has come to take me. Guided by the blazing sun. Look at everything around us. Look at everything we've done.
Please. Anyone. I don't think I can save myself. I'm drowning.
Gaucho simply didn't have the mental ability to know what was the truth, and what was a lie. Were Gaucho able to accurately describe what it was he was experiencing, he might say that it was the problem of testimony. Afterall, what needed to be the case before one's testimony could be considered reliable? He recognized none of the faces who named him, and Mara as inhabitants of Helovia. They provided no evidence that he had ever been a leader here, much less of any 'throat of the dragon', so why should he believe them? Well, you might say, of course you shouldn't. You shouldn't just accept the testimony of any old bag of bones you meet, there are other qualifications of course. Qualifications, of which Mara met every one. That made everything harder for the dun; Mara. She flashed images of those he had met - Silk and Aurelia - showing them in what appeared to be caves, and in the sands. Of course her perspective, almost always in his antlers - did not show Gaucho, but the snake insisted that the images were in fact memories that Gaucho had. Or ought to have. Why I no remember? He would ask her, after searching her mind and finding no attempts to deceive him. At this, she would remain silent, but Gaucho's intuition was that she had an answer - she knew more than she was letting on.
She would ask him probing questions - Where did you get your markingssss? The stripesssss? or Where did the flamesssss come from? hoping to force a memory to emerge, but always without success. She had hoped by guiding him here, the dun would remember on his own. Thus far, her plan was unsuccessful.
Of course, all of this explanation was out of Gaucho's reach. He merely had a tingling and dark feeling in his gut, that had caused him to seek the silence of the meadow.
Gaucho's grazing was interrupted by the sound of gentle hoof falls. His primitive mind immediately began to form a mental image based on the stride length, as well as amount of sound being emitted. Raising his antlered skull, he watched as Ophelia - a creature of white splashed with red - continued to move in his generalish direction. She would likely see him any moment, just as he had seen her. Pierced-nostrils flared, as his stormy gaze feel instinctively upon the curves and happenings of her body. With interest, he helped himself to her practiced and fluid movements, approving of the easy way she moved. She was tall and lithe - not so tall as he was, but not a dainty creature either. Gaucho -
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS Loudly Mara hissed, mouth opening wide as venom began to immediately collect at the base of her fangs. Throwing her body left and right to try and break Gaucho's fixated stare, she began to thrust images of Tinek, and the harm that the dragon had done during their last visit. The final image, was of Tinek attempting to drop Mara off of a cliff. An unjustified anger bloom in Gaucho's mind, as if his emotions recalled the event even if his conscious mind did not. Flaring his flame-tipped wings open to make himself both known and visible Gaucho loudly called across the meadow to the white creature, wanting to halt her pace.
Tossing his nose, the WildFire began to move in her direction, animatedly trotting across the grasses. He did not recognize her, nor Tinek. But something in him reacted to Mara's images, even if he did not know what. "You!" He called out to her roughly, as he came to a halt.
05-31-2014, 10:11 PM (This post was last modified: 05-31-2014, 10:11 PM by Ophelia.)
Tinek was the first to spy the stallion before them, and the vehemence she felt through the bond was overpowering.
BASTARD! FUCK THAT. HATE. PHI RUN. HATE HATE HATE.
The sheer force of his emotions caused her to come to an immediate stop, her dual colored eyes wide open as she watched her silver dragon fly straight for the stranger. Her jaws gaped, and she turned to chase after him until the vision of just who he was chasing came through. Oh, no, she did not want this fight again. She had no interest in limping her way back to nurse her wounds . "TINEK NO!" she screamed. Ophelia wanted to run.
The silver dragon only stopped because Ophelia wanted to run, so after one furious glance at that snake, he spun in the air, returning to his bondmate. She watched as the cruel stallion snapped his wings over and started trotting her way, his hooves making firm impact with the ground in his animation. Ophelia turned tail quickly and made to run, getting only a few strides before she heard his voice, firm and clear.
Why was she running? Now they were on turf which she could use to her advantage, to run out over the fields without fearing the deadly drop of the Heavenly Fields. So, the Forsaken skid to a stop, rear hooves popping up and down a few times before she spun, raising herself to full height as she lifted her neck. Pale ears flattened against her neck, and she bared her teeth in warning, tail flashing around her haunches.
Tinek, angry now with both of them, circled low, letting out a roaring cry of warning before taking perch on her back, growling deeply. Ice frosted from between his open jaws, and static arced, making her mane fray slightly in his direction. Why now, honestly? Why did she have to run into him now? Throw in Deimos, The God of the Sun, and a few others, and everyone who had tried to kill her would all be in one, fucking spot.
"What could you POSSIBLY want?!" she yelled at him, the normal, soft tones replaced with a yell of rage. He had stopped, which is the only reason she was yelling at all. Before he had only screamed at her and attacked. Well, how did it feel now, asshole? "Care to try to run me off a mountain again?" she hissed, eyes flashing with anger and perhaps more than a hint of fear.
OPHELIA
Faith shattered and decays as frosted blood flows in my veins
sdrcow @ DA
Undertow has come to take me. Guided by the blazing sun. Look at everything around us. Look at everything we've done.
Please. Anyone. I don't think I can save myself. I'm drowning.
As the dragon neared, the flames on Gaucho's wings burned brighter. Even if he couldn't recall how he had come by these powers, he certainly knew how to use them. One beat of his wings would cover the ice-snake in flames, so long as it was stupid enough to continue approaching. In this instance, perhaps it was best that Ophelia had called out verbally to her creature. For had she not, Gaucho might have thought that Tinek's suddenly retreat and Ophelia's movement away was some sort of ploy. Was she in on this too? Vacantly, Mara hissed no into his mind, and on this occasion, he believed her. But that only compounded the confusion. Why then, was she running? Why had she screamed? Why had the ice-snake come his way at all? Why did he feel such anger, fear, and loss at the images that Mara projected to him?
Gaucho's stormy gaze fell upon Ophelia's chiseled hindquarters as they flexed appealingly, bringing her to a stop. Her agile spin, too, did not go unnoticed by his approving and masculine gaze. Nostrils flared, he watched her pristine shape rise, and the ice-snake land upon her rump. Did it not hurt, how his claws must surely dig into her? And what of the charge causing her hair to lift? Maybe she like it hurt. He thought with a grunt. Mara, who had no desire to check Ophelia out, was hissing loudly and angrily at Tinek. She had not forgotten their last encounter - how the dragon had snatched her up, and tried to force her body to break, due to the sheer fall off of the cliffs. Venom continued to drip down her pointed fangs, as she wove herself tightly against Gaucho's antlers.
Ophelia's yell broke Gaucho's reverie, starting him somewhat, as his gaze drifted back to her face. Why she angry? He asked Mara - wasn't the ice-snake the one who had hurt her? So why was Ophelia shouting? If it had been during a spar or a battle then...well, Mara was fine. They must have won. Being a sore loser was no excuse for such antics. The thought hadn't even occurred to Gaucho that perhaps the fight was not a just one. He had never had a chance to explain to Ophelia what had happened - though perhaps he wouldn't have even been capable of it. He never told Midas either - too many other things had gotten in the way. With his memories gone, or buried, today seemingly would not be the day that that hatched was buried.
Snarling slightly at her tone, Gaucho shook his antlered brow firmly: No. "Mara say...Mara say ice-snake try to throw her off cliff." He began sternly, feeling the prickle of concern and fear at the memory Mara had sent all over again. All at once however, the stern vacant stare broke, and an unmistakable wave of sincerity molded his features into one of concern and confusion. "...But Gaucho not know - re-mem-burr - that. Gaucho not know you -" Without Mara's aid - for she was still too busy sending mental threats fruitlessly towards Tinek - he could say no more.
Ophelia watched the flames on the stallion's wings rise, and she recoiled, wanting nothing more than to disappear into the recesses of his mind and make him forget everything he knew about who she was. However, it did not seem as if that was necessary at all, since the oaf remembered nothing - only his wicked snake. She was being rude in her head, she knew, but the anger was speaking. Tinek flew back just in time, and she stood firmly, feeling his claws dig into the white fur on her back. The discomfort barely registered, but she mused that it was rare he actually sit atop her, heavy as he was.
The anger rose inside of her like a cold flame, making her muscles contract while soothing her soul into a brutal, blackly violent rage. She felt like her father, in this moment, and could imagine the same look in his crimson eyes in her own, two colored ones. Was this what he felt like when he fought? This power? This... black rage? Suddenly, she understood the appeal of war and battle with no purpose - if it made her feel this strong.
Ophelia heard her own yelling still ring in her ears, and she watched him snort and shake his head, wanting the snake to take a dive with his motions. His voice, with the same primitive sentences, reached her ears, and she scoffed, tossing her head and sending the waves of white and crimson mane in a tangle around her neck. "Of COURSE he did! Your snake bit me!" Ophelia roared in response, still able to feel acutely the sensation of her will being drained away. The feeling was far too close to Deimos' magic, and she hated it with every fiber of her being.
The stallion's expression twisted into one of confusion, a look that normally would have brought on her compassionate side. She knew what it felt like to remember nothing - to suddenly realize that you are not who everyone says you are. The fear of wondering what you were. The pain of knowing that you are incomplete. But, she was not compassionate now. She was furious. "You did not know me then!" she barked angrily. "That did not keep you from trying to kill me without provocation!" Wait, was that word too big? She waited to see, gaze narrowed.
OPHELIA
Faith shattered and decays as frosted blood flows in my veins
sdrcow @ DA
Undertow has come to take me. Guided by the blazing sun. Look at everything around us. Look at everything we've done.
Please. Anyone. I don't think I can save myself. I'm drowning.
Had Gaucho lost some of his primitive aggression, with his memory? Surely that would be strange. If anything, one might think it should have increased. During his time in Helovia, he had made friends, fathered a child, and perhaps even fallen in love. All of those things, including leading the Throat with My-das, had done wonders for his rough and ready way of thinking (well, save for his outburst with Ophelia...an event he was still having to pay for). Even so, deep within Gaucho's simple mind, there was a kernel of trust, that stirred just now, for the crimson-adorned unicorn. Gaucho did not know why, nor even that the feeling was there, but there was some small part of him, that trusted her. That thought she could help. However as her justified shouts of anger continued, that kernel hardened and faded away like the rest of his memories.
"Mara only bite during fight." He grunted indignantly, tossing his head defiantly as if trying to evade the bite of her words. "So if ice-snake try to drop her during fight, that fine."
It all made sense in his mind now, however cold his words might have sounded. How could he possibly be okay with the idea of Tinek trying to kill Mara? A creature - perhaps the only one - that he actually cared for? Well, it was just as he said: If it was during a fight, then it was fine. Both Gaucho and Mara knew the risks of combat, and each entered into them willingly. The WildFire would be saddened more than he could ever realize should permanent harm befall his companion, of that there was no question. But to die an honorable death in battle, would be a worthy death for the snake.
With this new understanding, Gaucho snapped his nose upwards sharply, causing Mara to wobble in his antlers. Her black gaze shifted from Tinek uneasily, lowering to Gaucho only momentarily, before raising once again, fangs still open. Just as her hissing was about to continue, Gaucho repeated this head-bobbing motion once again. "SHH." He commanded sternly. "You no say it was in fight. You kwi-it now."
Focusing back on Ophelia, Gaucho shifted his weight, trying to understand the latter of her words. "If Gaucho try to kill you, then you be dead." He offered flatly. True, Ophelia was in good shape, but her body was not battle-hardened as his. She did have a horn, and the ice-snake, but if his intent had been to kill her, surely she would be dead now.
Given that he didn't understand the last word in her sentence, as she rightly surmised, he continued on, pawing absently at the ground as he did so. "If we fight then why still mad?" He inquired, still operating under the assumption that it had been a fair fight, or at least one where both parties entered into it knowingly and willingly. Clearly, provocation was a word he didn't understand.
As he awaited her response, his pawing began to slow, and he began to use his the edge of his hoof to make sharp lines, almost as if he was intentionally creating something, rather than absently pawing. But anyone who knew Gaucho - before his memory loss or after - would know that the beast could hardly carry on two tasks at once, much less communicating and drawing. Still, even his fixated stare upon Ophelia did not detract from the shape gradually emerging from his pawing.
The black rage that curled and billowed around her soul like acrid smoke continued to plume, and she narrowed her gaze watching the way he tossed his head. His words were surprising and confusing, and she raised a brow slowly, teeth still gritted together tightly. So if Tinek had grabbed the snake and thrown it off a mountain not in battle, then this would be a bigger issue. But, because they were fighting, the potential death of the snake was okay? In a ways, she understood, and Ophelia frowned ever so slightly, hearing Tinek scoff in her head.
Honestly, he sounded like her father.
Then, she watched him scold his snake for hissing so violently at Tinek, and her eyes widened in surprise. The shock almost was enough to blow the black smoke from her soul completely, but she was no so trusting anymore. Ophelia was still angry, but now, perhaps, she could understand him and still be angry. She did not have any commentary for him on his discussion with the snake that bobbed in his antlers. Tinek seemed rather confused in her head, but he continued to stare at the snake.
Dragon were vain and protective creatures, she had learned. He was not quick to forgive those who would hurt her, and his trust was easy to win once but almost impossible to win twice "He says okay if snake dies?" Tinek asked in her mind.
"Yes, if it happens during combat, he is accepting of her death." She replied from her own understanding. "If you died protecting me, I would think it an honorable death, but I would still kill him for it..." she growled in addition to her previous words. Tinek grinned toothily and snorted a puffy, frosty cloud, pleased with her thoughts.
When he said that if he wanted her dead she would be, her pride smarted. She was still fast, and her magic was powerful. Certainly, she would be mortally wounded, but should could disappear from his mind entirely and slink away with her life and no dignity. The end of the battle between them had been foggy, the conclusion unknown to her (a rarity). So, she had assumed that she had been knocked out, and Tinek confirmed her suspicions. He had guarded her body for the brief seconds of twilight and fog.
Ophelia listened to him, and she snorted in dark amusement. Why still mad? Oh, I don't know - you tried to push me off a mountain? You attacked me with provocation? Your snake bit me? There were plenty of reasons to still be mad. He was pawing at the ground, making some sort of lightning bolt symbol in the ground, and she did not understand what it meant or why it was so important to etch it into the ground now.
"You were on the top of a mountain in a field. I approached you. You were crying out to the God of the Sun god guidance, and I responded by saying that I came looking for him as well." The memory was clear in her head as she saw the lamentation on his face, her own compassionate heart understanding how the Sun God could be so cruel.
"Then, you screamed 'unicorns attack throat', 'sea-king no get sun', 'unicorns no get throat'," she said, grimacing. "Then, obviously, you attacked me, I assume because I have a horn, but I am not a full-blooded unicorn. I was not even at this battle for the Throat. I only knew about it because you attacked me." Also, there was that bit about Mauja attacking Midas and this stallion, and a bit more about Kri having disappeared. Ophelia glared at him, dual colored gaze narrowed.
"So yes, I am still mad," she growled. "I was trying to help you, and I am a friend of Kri and Midas. Yet, you still attacked me."
Ophelia paused. "What is that?" she asked, gesturing to the lightning bolt on the ground.
OPHELIA
Faith shattered and decays as frosted blood flows in my veins
sdrcow @ DA
Undertow has come to take me. Guided by the blazing sun. Look at everything around us. Look at everything we've done.
Please. Anyone. I don't think I can save myself. I'm drowning.
Some creatures, like to voice their thoughts aloud. Can you imagine, the implications of where this conversation could go, should Ophelia have been such a one? Ophelia, familiar with having her memories taken from her, likely would have been more sympathetic to Gaucho, past infractions notwithstanding. But even more interesting, might have been in Ophelia's abilities. Were she to dabble into Gaucho's memories, she would see that there wouldn't be a need to erase herself from her mind, because someone had already done that. But there could be other ramifications too. For instance, could Ophelia determine the extent of his amnesia? Were she to prod around in his simplistic mind, would she find his scattered memories hidden under some dark rug, locked away? Or would she simply find vast expanses, ever growing as more and more bits of his past were eliminated? Could her powers bring his memories back? Did she have the ability, while experiencing them, to also pull them to the front of his mind as well?
All of this, they could be talking about. So much could be fixed, were Gaucho not so stupid, and Ophelia not so cross. Alas. Onto yewwneekkorns and the sea-king.
At the mention of the Sun God, Gaucho raised his flame-tipped wings questioningly. Mara had asked him previously where, if all of this was some grand plot against him, his magic had come from. Baffled, he had remained silent on the question, until now. Something about the name, and the heatless flames that lingered on his hooves and wings seemed to lock into place, tied together by some unspoken connection. And if Ophelia had come looking for the Sun God's guide-ants, perhaps their fight had merely been to protect, or attain these ants? The next few words she spoke were meaningless, and the dun's ears flickered with each syllable, not really retaining their meaning. However as she mentioned 'Throat', his stormy gaze ignited with interest. Standing taller, he peered at her intently (and rather awkwardly), as if trying to rehear the words. Those he had met in the Threshold - the dark one - had said he came from a 'dragon's throat'. That he was a leader there. But this new information seemed troubling. It had been attacked? By Yewwwneeekorns? Ah. So it wasn't the Sun God's ants that started the fight, it was the yewwneekorns. And Ophelia was a yewwneekorn.
Inhaling, Gaucho understood now more than he did back then. Ophelia, while horned, had not been the enemy. The names Kree and My-das were meaningless to him, but the implication of the wrongness of his actions were not lost upon him, even in the state he was in. He had attacked her - had he understood provocation linguistically, this would have all clicked for him sooner - and now he understood her outrage.
Leaning back onto his haunches slightly, Gaucho curled a heavily barred knee, pulling his flame-tipped hoof to his elbow, and his chest lowered to the ground. Gaucho's antlers lowered too, as his pierced-nose very nearly touched the grass, as he knelt rather gracefully before her. "Gaucho understand. You yewwneekorn, but not right yewwneekorn,l but Gaucho attack anyway. Gaucho sorry." His words, while slightly muffled as they were directed into his chest and the earth, sounded earnest. To attack without - with Ophelia called provocation - was unacceptable, and the warrior felt shame, even if he failed to recall the actual fight itself.
Rising as Ophelia gestured to the symbol he had created, he hoisted himself back up, retreating a step and twisting his antlered skull, as if also inspecting it. The symbol was like a key - buried deep in the recesses of his mind. It was meaningful, but the dun couldn't articulate how, or why; nor could Mara.
"Need to find that. That make everything better." He advised, swinging his hips towards Ophelia slightly, and stepping sideways towards her, to see the symbol from a different perspective.
Ophelia raised a disbelieving brow as the flame-wreathed foe leaned back onto his haunches and bowed. He bowed to her, and her anger was knocked back with a swift kick to the gut, leaving her breathless in confusion. She blinked a few times, not sure she was actually seeing what she was seeing. Suddenly, she felt very uncomfortable with this stallion bowing to her, and she glanced to the side, shifting her weight as if urging him to stand. When she was a leader, perhaps, this bowing would have been right, but not now. She did not deserve bows and deference.
His apology was still audible, even if half-mumbled into the dirt. As if the bow was not enough to confuse her, he apologized. Not only did he apologize, but he apologized sincerely. Ophelia was speechless. Rarely, if ever, did stallions apologize for their stupidity, but here was this barbaric creature, one who nearly killed her, and he was apologizing. She opened her mouth once as if to say something, but she did not have the words.
What would she say? "Thank you for the apology for realizing that it was stupid to try to run me off the mountain?" Yes, she was still angry, but now she struggled between wanting to be compassionate and wanting to hold onto this anger that made her feel so powerful. Her lips set into a hard line, and she cleared her throat, waiting for Gaucho to rise. His name was nearly as barbaric as he was. Everything about his appearance spoke of something far more tribal and nomadic - like how her father had once described the pegasus he knew from his homeland. How did he even speak with that bone in his nose? Just the thought of it made her nostrils tickle.
"Ah... thank you," she muttered, not sure if she should believe his sincere apology even though it was an incredible moment. She looked down at the symbol again with more thought and scrutiny, and she furrowed her brows. He swung his hips over her direction, and she stiffened, lifting her pale neck proudly and narrowing her gaze. Still, she remained rooted to her place, cloven hooves perfectly aligned in the grass. After a moment of watching him suspiciously, she slowly returned her gaze to the ground.
Tinek glared at the snake, not quite as forgiving as Ophelia. His intelligent, crimson stare never wavered as he sat on his bonded's back, careful to keep his talons off of her skin.
She closed her eyes, scouring her flawless memories for this symbol. It had appeared in a few places, mostly in storms. However, one stallion seemed to bear this shape upon his very brow, and the thought made her frown with a bitter sadness. "This could be the horn of the God of Time," she murmured quietly, trying to keep the emotion out of her voice. She still had the amulet with which to summon him, somewhere. Tinek was most likely still carrying it or hoarding it somewhere; he liked shiny things. "Or the symbol on his shrine."
She frowned. If he had lost his memories, maybe the Sun God was involved as well. "I can look in your mind and see if you know - somewhere," she offered. Only enemies could be looked inside without warning, but he was no longer an enemy. "I can also take you to where the gods come," she said quietly. If they were to approach his shrine and she were to use her necklace, he should come. But, she would not make any promises. The God of Time did whatever he wanted.
[OOC: OH. MY. GOD. The guide ants.]
OPHELIA
Faith shattered and decays as frosted blood flows in my veins
sdrcow @ DA
Undertow has come to take me. Guided by the blazing sun. Look at everything around us. Look at everything we've done.
Please. Anyone. I don't think I can save myself. I'm drowning.
Whatever discomfort his actions had caused, was completely lost on Gaucho. Perhaps Paladin might have offered his insight to his daughter, on what made the brute tick. Was it really so strange, that a creature intimately related to pain and bloodshed, understood enough to apologize for dishonorable actions, while at the same time finding simple vocabulary confusing? That he could be so observant as to target Ophelia's weaknesses (for she was not a weak mare), nearly immobilizing her and throwing her off a mountain, and yet was completely unaware of her not-so subtle indications of unease now? In another frame of mind, one not so fettered with anger, likely Ophelia would understand this. Though were Gaucho in her position, he might have thought it a trap too.
Still, as Gaucho swung himself towards her, he seemed un-phased by her stiffening and polished posture. All of his mental capacities were focused upon the strange symbol on the ground. His dark ears flicked slightly as Ophelia's words infiltrated his mind. Horn of God of Time he repeated mentally, though nothing in his vacant memory-less mind told him that this was correct. Her offer to take him to the shrines seemed... familiar, in an unfamiliar way. If you think that description was unhelpful, imagine how Gaucho must feel. Amnesia is a bitch.
Raising his antlered skull, Gaucho flared his pierced nostrils as he pondered her offer. Mara was silent on the issue - though if she hadn't been so distracted by her staring contest with Tinek, could likely have offered some helpful advice.
As his mental wheels turned unhelpfully, yielding no decisive information, Gaucho shrugged. "Do what you think best -" His lips remained parted, as if there was more to say. Indeed there was meant to be, but as the words left his dark lips, he realized that he didn't know the mare's name. In fact he did know it - he had met her before in the Throat, though likely didn't realize that it was the same mare. "I Gaucho.." He offered, finally finishing his sentence though letting the words once again trail off as if to say, and you are?
07-12-2014, 11:11 PM (This post was last modified: 07-12-2014, 11:11 PM by Ophelia.)
Ophelia the Forsaken
Ophelia had never been close to her father, finding his power, eloquence and leadership unattainable. After getting fucked over by the gods on more than one occasion, leading a band of mercenaries and realizing that most hearts were black with selfish greed, she was naturally suspicious. Time and time again, her compassion would leave her broken, Forsaken, and the hardened side of her, the angry side, knew that it was better to be bitter and think all good deeds a trap than be hurt again. A broken vase, even when glued together, still has cracks and it will be easier to break again unless you stick it in an iron cage.
So, she observed the symbol, trying to ignore the heat from his body as she concentrated on the task at hand. When he snorted, she looked up into his primitive eyes and waited on his response, wondering what he was thinking. Did he think in such simple words too? Or did he just have another language that he knew better than this one? When he suggested that she do what she thought was best, she was caught off guard. She had no idea what that even was!
When she had been stuck without memories, she had gone to the gods and been royally fucked over, and maybe she would have been okay with that five minutes ago, but now Gaucho seemed to legitimately want her help. Putting him at the mercy of the Sun God, the same god who had told her never to call on him again, did not seem to be such a wonderful idea. However, the God of Time could shed some light on a few things, and he should owe her something for knocking her up with his kid, right? She thought bitterly, lips moving into a thin line.
The introduction he gave was kind, and she nodded. "My name is Ophelia," she returned, quietly. That name used to mean something, once upon a time. Now, she was nothing, no one.
Ophelia then began the careful task of unfolding his mind, and she was surprised to find that it was more complex than she had anticipated. "I am going to look inside your mind," she murmured, the stare of her eyes going blank as she was somewhere else - inside his head. When she removed whole chunks of memory from another, the lingering effect was a strange, foggy hole - like deja vu. But what was in his head was more like a dark covering, something that could possibly be lifted.
The pale princess was not the type to go ripping and tearing through the delicacies of memories, so instead, she lightly picked at the edge of this covering, pulling it back only to get hit in the face, hard, with a memory of his. His mind was so vibrant! So full of color and life! Did he feel so significantly? So purely?
"You were summoned by your people," she said, her voice in a trance as she lived what he had lived not so long ago. "You were given a task, the specifics of are foggy. I am not sure you remember that at all. Then, one of the herd members gave you a drug to alter your memories." Ophelia felt anger wash through her. Why did they entrust him to complete a task but not trust him to keep a secret? What a backward load of...
Focus.
"I think what they gave you worked too well. Your memories are all sort of... foggy, like you are looking underwater," she explained. The, she sighed, knowing that she could help no more. Ophelia released her hold on his mind and then gestured with her nose to travel at her side.
Undertow has come to take me. Guided by the blazing sun. Look at everything around us. Look at everything we've done.
Please. Anyone. I don't think I can save myself. I'm drowning.
"Oh-fee-eel-ya" he sounded out, extending the vowels in her name awkwardly. Feel-ya; that was fitting, given that she was about to root around in his mind. He waited, wondering what would happen. Would she drop a cloth over his eyes before she began, as Thranduil had? Would he feel something? Cold? Hot? Light? Heavy? Would he know her, in the instant that she entered into his mind? Would the magic work that way, letting him into her, as she invaded him? The thought momentarily unnerved him. Usually he was the one doing the invading or entering - in more ways than one. To be so...vulnerable was rather unnerving. But something about her presence calmed him.
O-feel-ya; it was in her name to do this, and he would let her.
If he was meant to feel anything in the moments of silence that followed, he failed to notice it. That shouldn't be so surprising however, it wasn't as though Gaucho spent copious amounts of time inspecting the inner workings of his mind. As Ophelia recanted what she saw, Mara nodded vigorously, hissing in agreement. Though as the mare suggested they visit the Gods, Mara stopped suddenly. Dammit not being able to communicate with others. The companion couldn't be certain that if they went, Gaucho wouldn't be struck down by the Sun God. It was He after all, who gifted Gaucho with all of his magic. While it was true that it had reappeared once he entered Helovia, she couldn't be so certain that this was not purely accidental. Gaucho had led the Throat, and been a devout follower of the God. But, he also had disappeared, leaving his herd without a leader.
Was that worthy of his aid? Or deserving of punishment? Or unforgivable all together?
Ignorant of this internal struggle (or rather, choosing to ignore Mara's complicated thoughts), the WildFire nodded. "Okay oh-fee-eel-ya."
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