the Rift


[OPEN] Legends of the Falls

Syrena Posts: 207
Dragon's Throat Forger
Mare :: Hybrid :: 16.1 hh :: 7 years
Thelxiepeia :: Royal Rougarou :: Water Kyra
#1
Syrena
let the water take me
She has been, perhaps, avoiding this. Not entirely on purpose. She had actually tried to spend some time in the Threshold – not that she is any good at recruiting, given her whole lack of social skills whatsoever. She’d also been slightly distracted by the appearance of Kisamoa. He was home to her. She didn’t worship the Gods of Helovia, truthfully. Respected them, yes. She’s not stupid, and she’d like to not be turned to dust in the blink of an eye. Honestly, she even kind of liked the Earth God more than she might have expected. Like is still too strong a word, but it’s more than most get in her book. But she did not worship them.

Kisamoa though? He was her salvation. The gift of the seaweed was more than she had ever dreamed of, though fear of losing the seaweed pervaded her thoughts now. She could swim beneath the waves and never come up (well, maybe not never, but it felt like it). She could go home for hours at a time, lost beneath the waves with the fish for her friends.

No, she shouldn’t trust him. She’d seen enough in Helovia to know that. But it didn’t matter. She followed him anyway.

But today, she’s in the Falls, hoping to find Isopia. She has not forgotten her promotion, and had spent time in the Basin learning of their history and the God of Time. She had not forgotten the Earth Gods’ admonition to come together as a herd, and was trying to be kind and friendly with other members of the herd (perhaps, somehow, learn to make something akin to friends even, though that seemed like a stretch for her skills). But in the end, she still needed Isopia to teach her of the Falls, and the expectations for her role. There was no one better, after all.

She doesn’t know if she’ll find the Mountain that Knows, or if their Czarina would be in horse or raven form. So she keeps her eyes out for Hubris as well, figuring the golden dragon might be easier to find than his bonded. Maybe she’d luck out, and find no one, and just be able to go back to her pool. Stop it, she thinks. It’s time to grow up.

"words"

darya87 | larfsalot
on deviantart


@Isopia, if you don't mind. But anyone else is also welcome!

Please tag in all posts
Magic use/power playing is okay, but check before serious injury/death
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Isopia the Mountain That Knows Posts: 780
Dragon's Throat Apostle atk: 6.5 | def: 10 | dam: 8.0
Mare :: Tribrid :: 18hh :: 3 - is now aging slowly HP: 90 | Buff: NUMB
Hubris :: Royal Bronze Dragon :: Shock Breath & Frost Breath & Babel :: Royal Gold Dragon :: Fire Breath Odd
#2
Isopia
         in places deep with roots entwined
i live among you, well disguised
Indeed Isopia was in her raven form.

She was perched in a tree, nestled next to Hubris for warmth. Frostfall had come upon them faster than she would have thought. Ice had taken to their jungle world like sand to a wet body. It coated everything, and while the world before her glistened as if encased in crystal, it also permeated a cold right down to her bones.

With pale, golden eyes, Isopia watched as Syrena began to approach from below. Though she would have preferred to stay hidden, she couldn't help but follow the wisdom and the path that her Father had laid out for her; had laid out for all of them.

"If any try to take the gift that Kisamoa gave to you, let me know. And if you feel eyes upon you when you try to sleep, let me know that as well. Such a precious gift will not go unnoticed." Would it surprise her, if after her entire ordeal with the Edge, someone tried to press her policies regarding theft? No it wouldn't. Regardless of that drama, what she had just said was still true. A weed which would let its holder breathe underwater? No matter how terrible the stuff tasted, that sort of power was rare in Helovia. It would indeed be coveted by many who did not receive such a gift.


@Syrena

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Abandon all hope, ye who enter here

Syrena Posts: 207
Dragon's Throat Forger
Mare :: Hybrid :: 16.1 hh :: 7 years
Thelxiepeia :: Royal Rougarou :: Water Kyra
#3
Syrena
let the water take me
She does indeed spot Hubris first. The raven curled up next to him, golden eyes peering out from black feathers, must be the Mountain. There’s only one raven that would be there. Though in truth, she barely spots him. If Isopia had wanted to stay hidden, Syrena is certain she would have managed to just walk by at that moment without ever looking quite in the right location. But instead, the Czarina speaks, her words coming as enough of a shock that something akin to gratitude might actually cross Syrena’s face.

Isopia may or may not know just how important the piece of seaweed is to Syrena. She simply may care that it carries a powerful magic, or she may simply care more on some principal relating to whatever just happened with the Edge (the details of which Syrena does not know, and does not really care about – though she should). Whatever the reason though, Syrena is grateful. The thought of someone taking her life, her freedom, her piece of home away from her is enough to actually make her consider fighting. She might be willing to touch someone (any by touch, she means pummel) to get her piece of seaweed back.

Though she’s perfectly willing to admit that Isopia is far more suited to that task than Syrena ever will be.

“Thank you,” she says, meaning it, though the words lack emotion as they so often do. “I will.” Because she cannot lose this piece of joy she has earned. Not that she did anything particularly painful to earn this one. Swimming to visit a reef and think thoughts of the surface at them was, as far as tasks in Helovia go, quite a good one. Hell, in truth, even if she’d just found it lying on the beach, she didn’t want to give it up.

“I also wanted to thank you for the chance to serve as Storyteller,” she says, pausing for a moment, trying to figure out the right words. That seemed like a key thing, with Isopia. To use the right words, and also not to bicker about the differences in meaning. That, clearly, wasn’t going to do any good. “Will you teach me what you know?” Another pause, before she remembers to add, “Please,” the word rolling off her tongue in a foreign, strange sound even to her own ears. But she is trying.

"words"

darya87 | larfsalot
on deviantart


@Isopia

Please tag in all posts
Magic use/power playing is okay, but check before serious injury/death
Image by Reli

Isopia the Mountain That Knows Posts: 780
Dragon's Throat Apostle atk: 6.5 | def: 10 | dam: 8.0
Mare :: Tribrid :: 18hh :: 3 - is now aging slowly HP: 90 | Buff: NUMB
Hubris :: Royal Bronze Dragon :: Shock Breath & Frost Breath & Babel :: Royal Gold Dragon :: Fire Breath Odd
#4
Isopia
         in places deep with roots entwined
i live among you, well disguised
The Raven queen seemed not to hear Syrena's offer of thanks, or if she did, she gave no notice. Isopia would protect Syrena and her property even if the mare wasn't thankful, and so her expression of such meant little. Similarly she gave no response as Syrena thanked her for her recent promotion. That too would have been done regardless of whether or not Syrena offered thanks for it. However as the water-based woman below indicated she would like to learn the things Isopia knew, the raven's skull tilted and her golden eyes flashed.

"I guess that depends on what it is you would like to know." The Mountain replied. She certainly could not impart all of her knowledge of everything into the mind of another. Although that would certainly be an interesting ability... Trying to be cooperative (though likely it wouldn't seem that way), Isopia continued. "Though I take it you wish to limit the scope of my knowledge to that which pertains to your knew rank as Storyteller?"

The raven peered down from the perch in the tree, waiting for Syrena to either confirm or reject this assumption. It was possible that she kelpie mare did want to know everything Isopia did. At her side, Hubris chuckled to himself. He always appreciated when Isopia went out of her way to 'try', though he knew as she did, that most wouldn't consider her efforts to be genuine. She probably only seemed more difficult. Still, that she would make an effort put a smile on his bronzey face.





@Syrena  

Image Credits

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here

Syrena Posts: 207
Dragon's Throat Forger
Mare :: Hybrid :: 16.1 hh :: 7 years
Thelxiepeia :: Royal Rougarou :: Water Kyra
#5
Syrena
let the water take me
She does not expect some acknowledgement of the thank you, at least. So she does not mind when one doesn’t come. Though it is for different reasons that she does not expect one (not that she knows this, of course). She doesn’t offer thanks because she thought the protection of her seaweed or her status in the herd were conditional upon it. Isopia may not care if Syrena says thanks or not, but in truth, she offers it merely because she is trying, because it is the right thing to do and she’s never been very good at that. But she needs to be. Or at least, better than she has been.

But she does not expect a “you’re welcome” or any other such nonsense because there really is no point in that. At least a thank you is an acknowledgement of gratitude, even if gratitude means little. You’re welcome is repetitive. The protection and the position have already been offered; the “welcome” is implied. Or at least, that’s what she thinks. Perhaps pleasantries can serve some purpose in the world, though she still isn’t sure what purpose exactly, there’s a limit to them.

The response is perhaps not shocking. Syrena really was going to have to work on specifics with Isopia. They were not her skill, because words in general were not her skill. She spoke a little as possible, didn’t waste words with specificity. But the Mountain That Knows doesn’t send her away, or make the request difficult. And if Syrena is being fair (and she is trying), it’s a valid question. The Mountain, as her name suggests, probably knows quite a lot. But Syrena has no desire to know the gossip she might know, or the skeletons in her closet.

“Yes, the information that relates to my rank as Storyteller.” Because she wants to succeed, and it benefits them both if she does. Perhaps then they could have their herd quest, which was only a stepping-stone. What they needed were numbers, active members, those that could grow this herd and their power. Because she felt like a sitting duck some days, complacently waiting for a raid. Not that she was volunteering to touch anyone in a fight…and fighting with a branch was really just a pathetic sight. Like watching a dog.

"words"

darya87 | larfsalot
on deviantart


@Isopia

Please tag in all posts
Magic use/power playing is okay, but check before serious injury/death
Image by Reli

Isopia the Mountain That Knows Posts: 780
Dragon's Throat Apostle atk: 6.5 | def: 10 | dam: 8.0
Mare :: Tribrid :: 18hh :: 3 - is now aging slowly HP: 90 | Buff: NUMB
Hubris :: Royal Bronze Dragon :: Shock Breath & Frost Breath & Babel :: Royal Gold Dragon :: Fire Breath Odd
#6
Isopia
         in places deep with roots entwined
i live among you, well disguised
Unsurprisingly, Isopia's approval of Syrena's response was met with only silence. The demigoddess didn't feel the need to praise the mare for answering her question aptly; then again, she didn't very often feel the need to offer praise at all.

"Although the Gods can hear us at any time of their choosing, there are certain ...customs put in place to ensure the right sorts of rituals are followed." Truthfully, Isopia thought that it was all a little gaudy. Did they really need to put on a show, just to call down someone who wasn't the least bit materialistic? What was the point? Piety? "And so, in order to call to the God of the Earth, you must be near the Storyteller's Pool. From there, almost any conjunction of words will do." In short, if you call him, he will come. Then again ... that wasn't entirely true, was it? Just because her Father had never failed to show for her, did not mean that he would continue to do so. "However there are times when he will not appear, despite your best intentions. There is much under his control, and he is not always able to appear. When this happens, it rarely has anything to do with you. The other Gods might snub their chosen ones, but the God of the Earth wouldn't. If he fails to appear, it is simply because he is busy."

Isopia paused, scouring her mind for information that Syrena might find useful. The job was quite easy in fact. Show up, call out, and listen. That was about the extent of it. "In the past, the leads of the herd would likely accompany me to the pool. I could never tell if it was because they questioned my ability to perform my duties, or if they merely wanted to see the God of the Earth up close, and to speak to him if they could." The Mountain's shoulders shrugged. "I cannot speak for Ranjiri, but I am happy to allow you time to perform your obligations on your own. What point of a storyteller, if you are nothing more than a doorbell to the divine?"

"When the God of the Earth comes, it is your duty to bring before him important herd matters, and to hear and interpret what he has to say on the subject of Helovia. He can be ... quite vague at times." Isopia made a face of disapproval, before continuing. "Then you bring this information to myself and Ranjiri, or whomever your leaders are." Now perhaps it made sense why the leaders of the past joined the storyteller's meetings. That way the information wouldn't have to be repeated ... still. The rank was an easy one, but a vital one. The Mountain saw no need to step into Syrena's territory now.

"Can you think of anything else you would wish to know?"



@Syrena  

Image Credits

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here

Syrena Posts: 207
Dragon's Throat Forger
Mare :: Hybrid :: 16.1 hh :: 7 years
Thelxiepeia :: Royal Rougarou :: Water Kyra
#7
Syrena
let the water take me
She doesn’t think twice about any lack of praise or whatever. Instead, she simply listens, glad to have said the appropriate things, to be getting the information she needs. Isopia simply dives into the answer, which is just fine with the seal-gray mare anyway. There’s a pause on customs, the word said with an emphasis not on the others. Syrena, like always, doesn’t think twice about this. About the fact that perhaps it is all rather gaudy. Isn’t being a God somewhat gaudy, really? Everywhere you walk the earth blooms, or night falls, or whatever happens when they want it to. Being a God is showmanship, just as life is showmanship. Something Syrena still struggles to master, though she should be better at it. Being a siren was showmanship as well, and that, at least, she had been skilled at. But what was the point of luring people to her when she could do nothing but talk at them?

See, there’s no good answer to that. So nothing. The answer is there is no damn point. Except she has to live, and so she does, and that’s that.

Syrena continues to listen, truthfully not thinking it much of a blessing or a curse should Isopia or Ranjiri comes when she calls the Earth God or not. Either they could hear him speak directly, or she could report back. Though she does, in some small corner of her brain, appreciate that Isopia is a least letting her have a purpose here. Because her life is, otherwise, without purpose. She is nothing, now. Just a plain, boring mortal stuck doing plain, boring jobs. Though at least as far as Gods go, this was wasn’t terrible.

This time, she does not bother with thanking the Mountain that Knows though. She’s said thank you more than she is remotely comfortable with already, and even if it wouldn’t fall on deaf ears, she’s simply out of thank you’s for now. Instead she nods, an indication that she’s heard the information and understands it. “Yes. Are there things you would like to see from the crafters? I might as well put that magic to use. Smaller items, for members of the herd? Or larger things we can work on together?” She is thinking of the Earth God’s instructions to them, to learn to their new ranks, to be great without his assistance. Not that their magic wasn’t his assistance, in a way, but still. The herd, despite all the changes, felt quiet. And if nothing else, she would do what she could to change that.

"words"

darya87 | larfsalot
on deviantart


@Isopia

Please tag in all posts
Magic use/power playing is okay, but check before serious injury/death
Image by Reli

Isopia the Mountain That Knows Posts: 780
Dragon's Throat Apostle atk: 6.5 | def: 10 | dam: 8.0
Mare :: Tribrid :: 18hh :: 3 - is now aging slowly HP: 90 | Buff: NUMB
Hubris :: Royal Bronze Dragon :: Shock Breath & Frost Breath & Babel :: Royal Gold Dragon :: Fire Breath Odd
#8
Isopia
         in places deep with roots entwined
i live among you, well disguised


"I hadn't given it much thought." Isopia replied with a non-committal shrug. Unlike other leaders, Isopia did not feel the need to give the pretense that she knew what the herd ought to do in all situations. Especially after her Father had denied them their herd quest, Isopia was happy to fall into the same rhythm of uncertainty that many in the herd found themselves in.

"I would speak with Zero." She added, her lips twitching into the smallest semblance of a smile as she spoke her friend's name. "He will have plans, of that I am sure. If the Earth God wants us to better know each other, then I am sure it is not the product of our efforts that he is concerned with, but the process. Whatever it is you decide to do, so long as your aim is to better the herd, you shall be successful, regardless of your output."

Having had it mentioned, Isopia did wonder what it was that the crafters were up to. When she had crafting magic herself, she'd never bothered to help them, but always used the magic for her own plans. They'd been working on ... a jail cell at one point? Though Isopia couldn't understand why. Hadn't there also been talk of a green house? Or some other growing-related device? She couldn't recall.



@Syrena  

Image Credits

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here

Syrena Posts: 207
Dragon's Throat Forger
Mare :: Hybrid :: 16.1 hh :: 7 years
Thelxiepeia :: Royal Rougarou :: Water Kyra
#9
Syrena
let the water take me
She nods, uncertain if she likes or dislikes their Queen’s apathy. But it was not really apathy, was it? Isopia certainly tried, but like those before her, the members of the Hidden Falls didn’t seem very driven. There is only so much any one horse, Queen and demi-god or not, could do alone. Syrena also is, of course, the type of mare that appreciates not having a monarch that breathes down her neck at every turn. She simply wondered if direction would help the members of the Falls feel like they were working toward something. Would that help them be more productive on their own? Syrena worked, but even she would admit she didn’t know what for.

The follow up words from her Czarina are wise, as to be expected from The Mountain that Knows. Again, Syrena simply nods, vaguely recalling this Zero that she mentions. She’d seem him once or twice in herd meetings, though she’d never run into him while she was just out and about. Not that this meant much – Syrena typically avoided others when she was out and about. And she wasn’t out and about much, unless she had a reason to be.

“One last question,” she says, certain Isopia probably has other things she could be doing with her time rather than answering Syrena’s slew of questions. The seal-gray mare could probably go on for days, letting The Mountain teach her everything. Quite literally everything. But that was a ridiculous request to make of anyone, and so she doesn’t. Instead, she narrows her questions to the most pertinent. “How was the Hidden Falls started? I’ve gathered there was another herd before, but I have not found out the details.” And then she falls silent, leaving the rest to Isopia.

"words"

darya87 | larfsalot
on deviantart


@Isopia

Please tag in all posts
Magic use/power playing is okay, but check before serious injury/death
Image by Reli

Isopia the Mountain That Knows Posts: 780
Dragon's Throat Apostle atk: 6.5 | def: 10 | dam: 8.0
Mare :: Tribrid :: 18hh :: 3 - is now aging slowly HP: 90 | Buff: NUMB
Hubris :: Royal Bronze Dragon :: Shock Breath & Frost Breath & Babel :: Royal Gold Dragon :: Fire Breath Odd
#10
Isopia
         in places deep with roots entwined
i live among you, well disguised

Isopia listens, looking somewhat surprised at Syrena's query but then quickly disguising this emotion as she fell into contemplation.

"The Windtossed Foothills it was called." Isopia began, scanning her memories and allowing her eyes to narrow slightly, as if visually trying to sort through and find all the information that she had on these lands. "It was perhaps not so different as it is now. Out of all of the herds, the Foothills were perhaps the most complacent and peaceful. There was a time when the Basin was filled by only unicorns, as was much of the Edge. The Throat was mostly pegasi, and the Foothills took up all those who had rebuked the invitations of the other three herds in the Threshold. At the time of the invasion, the Foothills had grown lazy. They were ruled by a man who rarely could be found and who seemingly had little regard for those who dwelt within his borders. It was taken over by a mercenary group, and quickly, history repeated itself, with the Foothills becoming lazy once more. " Isopia paused to take a breath, before continuing. "A plague forced everyone under ground as wraiths began to take over, infecting all whom they touched. Though many tried to fight this disease, it was the Earth God who ultimately proved successful. He changed the landscape of the Foothills, making it the Hidden Falls that we now know.
Then darkness fell over the lands once again and dead bodies - murdered bodies - began to be found. As i'm sure you will have heard, these murders were arranged by the Moon Goddess, and there were many in the Edge who no longer wanted to live under her rule, knowing what she had done. And so, the Edge along with the support of the Throat, invaded these lands. Some, like Kaj and Archibald, remained in the Falls, and others returned back to the Edge, splintering it into these two factions."


Isopia's shoulders shrugged as her gaze re-focused on Syrena. "Is that what you wanted to know?"


@Syrena  

Image Credits

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here

Syrena Posts: 207
Dragon's Throat Forger
Mare :: Hybrid :: 16.1 hh :: 7 years
Thelxiepeia :: Royal Rougarou :: Water Kyra
#11
Syrena
let the water take me
She listens, giving Isopia more attention than she normally gives anyone. But of course, in this case, she’d asked the question and she’s not stupid enough to tune out the answer. She needed stories to trade with others. That seemed to be a thing, Wise Ones and their ranks knocking at her door looking for knowledge. She had so little of it to give, but this particularly story seemed like one she should know. The basic history of the herd who’s stories she supposedly kept.

As the Czarina speaks, it is hard not to notice the similarities between then and now. Hard not to realize how history seems to be repeating itself yet again. It has a way of doing that though. Even Syrena, with her limited knowledge of anything in Helovia, could tell you as much simply from living.

She continues, mentioning the Moon Goddess and her murder spree. This Syrena is vaguely familiar with, though like many things, she has only picked up pieces of the stories. She thinks of the boy who’d run into her in the Endless Blue with his myriad of questions that came tumbling out of his mouth a million miles a minute. What controls the gods? he’d ask. It’s a question she still could not answer, but it’s still a good question. What sends a God on a murdering spree?

The story comes to an end, and Syrena nods at the question. “It is,” she says, not adding a thank you this time. For one, she’s said thank you a lot, and there’s a threshold to how much polite she can take. But secondly, it’s clear Isopia won’t care if she does or doesn’t, and might be more pleased if she doesn’t. Instead, she adds, “If there is anything I can do… but letting the sentence trail off. The Mountain that Knows has made it perfectly clear she neither wants nor needs help. Syrena learned that lesson in their first meeting. But still, she lets the offer hang there. An offer to help the Falls, to fill a void, whatever. Though there were definitely more high functioning, pleasant horses in the Falls to choose from.

And with that slightly awkward ending, Syrena takes her leave, letting Isopia get back to whatever it is demi-gods and monarchs do.

"words"

darya87 | larfsalot
on deviantart


@Isopia - thank you! Unless there was something Isopia wanted to say, we can end there. If there's more though, I'm happy to delete the part where she walks away.

Please tag in all posts
Magic use/power playing is okay, but check before serious injury/death
Image by Reli


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