"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.
10-23-2016, 01:47 AM (This post was last modified: 10-23-2016, 01:47 AM by Tembovu.)
The King’s long steps walked along the tall, lengthening shadows that stretched as fingers in Orangemoon’s shortening days. There was a trench, now, that stretched along the Edge’s borders. It had been dug by members, with long hours of back-breaking work. His stifle still twinged from the deep wound Rohan had inflicted with the glass spears during their spar. And the glass targets—his eyes landed on the single, small remaining target that had withstood their tests.
His pale ivory hooves arrested in the dried forest floor. He still avoided the scorched remains of where the thicket had once stood. Not because he was ashamed of his decisions, but because he did not wish to revisit his the painful memories he and Elsa had created on that day. A deep breath expanded his slabbed sides, broad chest filling with the evening’s brisk, musky air. And then he let it out, long and slow, blinking leadenly. Instead of feeling relieved that they had accomplished the Goddess’s commands, he felt heavy. As if some further weight had been placed on his tall, massive withers—was this the right decision? Had he wasted his herd’s time, effort, and energy in pursuing these spikes for protection?
His navy gaze turned upwards, seeing the peppering of precious stars in the dusk-lavender heavens. A nearly full moon (was it waxing? or waning? As King beneath the Moon Goddess, he should know, but he did not) made herself known in the inky blue, eastern sky. She was not to be outdone by the day’s fiery, vibrant sunset that still clung to the western horizon. And, with the moon reflected in his dark navy gaze, his low voice called to the heavens.
“Goddess! We have done as you required. Will you grant us our request?”
Set along the Edge’s border, at the clearing with their glass targets! All are welcome!
@Mythical Request
Turning in the herd quest, granted here. Here is a link to the organized threads/requirements of the quest. Here is a link the spreadsheet of herd members post/involvement. Each "x" is a post!
WE had 17 general members post and the WE has averaged 46-47 members during the Quest! (We just had an influx of ~6 new members in the past week-ish).
10-23-2016, 02:28 AM (This post was last modified: 10-23-2016, 02:29 AM by Erthë.)
E r t h Ë
Under the moonlight, under your moonlit gaze I know I'd take a million bullets, babe
Rose-colored lips traced the jagged lines that marred her skin, deep indentations carved into shoulder, side and flank like pink chalk against the pale coat. The healers efforts was paying off; though the fresh skin remained tender to the touch it did not look to be in any real danger of re-opening, and with a bit of luck the scarring would be minimal. The hairs of her silken hide might not grow to cover the cuts and slices completely for some time, but come spring and the shedding of the winter coat Erthë would look as good as new again.
More important was the question whether she would ever be rid of the nightmares. Ever since her mothers death - no, wait. It had been longer than that... since the beginning of the Rift War, right? In short, for the better part of her life sleep had been uneasy and restless, riddled with dreams that frightened and agitated her. Rare was the day when she got more than a few hours worth of rest, when body and mind finally wore down enough that her sleep more resembled a coma, such was her exhaustion. Winding up on the receiving end of the Time God's wrath - she still hadn't seen Kiuaji since then, was he alright? - and being molested by a stranger while unconscious had left deeper scars in her mind than those inflicted upon the body. Unfortunately mental wounds were harder to heal too...
Along with the deep tremors that shook her each time she heard the howl of wolves at twilight the girl now found herself in deep mistrust of anyone with even the slightest hint of red on their person. It was all she recalled from her attacker; a mocking voice that she thought she recognized in every stranger she met, and a memory of red leaning over her while wave after wave of pain broke over her...
Shuddering at the memory, the filly sighed and folded her wing back down over the side. She was just about to return to her grazing when Tembovu's voice came drifting to her on the nightly breeze, clearly enough that he must be close by. Woolly ears pricked as she recognized the Lady's name; without even pausing to question what the Elephant man was up to she began to move in his direction, deftly picking her way through the woodlands until the king appeared before her in the midst of a clearing.
Why was he calling the Goddess on his own, rather than have Alune do it? Was the Seer away? But that couldn't be, she had seen him not too long ago... So why wasn't he here to do the summoning? At once concerned for her teacher, Erthë stepped out into the clearing and went to stand beside Tembovu, the long tail coiled around a slender leg as if to comfort herself - surely nothing could have happened to the devout man. Surely?
"Where is Alune?" she asked him, straightforward to the point of brusqueness; this was no time to beat about the bush. "I thought only the Seer could summon our Lady... Why are you the one to do it?"
Was it out of order for her to ask this? But the king was her friend, and a patient enough man - he knew her, knew that she meant nothing by skipping the niceties. In fact, considering the knots of worry that quickly formed in her gut the slender girl was being positively formal.... a testimony to her respect for the Elephantine, no doubt.
Quietly, she wondered whether the Goddess would deign to answer this request for an audience. It was highly irregular, and from what she had seen of the heavenly queen so far, the Moon loved ceremony...
Then again, their Lady was also a fickle being, terrible and lovely as she was unpredictable. It was hard to predict the outcome of anything when She was involved.
"I am here, Thero'shan." Came his boomed voice out of the mists, the blue hued stallion stepped forward with a questioning look upon his features, though it was soon masked for one of kindness toward the young mare. He stood off to the side in lagoon of mists which pooled at this particular spot in the Edge, he had spent many nights glancing into their silvered tendrils, looking for snippets or perhaps companionship and comfort to soothe the slow nights. Mane pulled into a bun upon his neck, loose strands falling like liquid starlit over each side to twist and lightly coil at the tips, his tail was also similarly braided and tied against the leonine whip of his tale. For all tenses and purposes, it was Alune's 'off-hour' look, the kind where one would slip into the comfiest pair of pajamas they owned, poured themselves a healthy glass of wine and settled down to read a book for the night.
"Do not worry for me." He smiled, indeed, it was curious to find the King attempting to summon the Goddess without his company, though he was a stallion that did not like to jump to conclusions or accusations. Perhaps it was better that the King summon her, had he not been the one to ask for this Quest? "A face as pretty as yours does not need to be marked with such lines, my lady, especially upon my account." He added after a moment, as though the added compliment and jovial comment would detract from the irregularity of the moment.
Still, it would not hurt to have the Seer pitch in, to see that the King's quest be paid some kind of mind. Pale eyes turned upwards toward the moon, as magnificent as always within her infinite court of stars and majesty. Part of him wished he could have a moment to at least get out of his 'pajamas' and look somewhat ready to be face to face with a Goddess. It didn't do a stallion any favors when trying to make good impression, after good impression afterall. The Goddess did not strike him as the mare who opened the door to men with just their boxers on, sporting half-opened chocolates and a bargain bin bouquet of two-dozen roses.
"My Dark Lady," he rumbled reverently, "it seems our King has completed our task, and now wishes to request but a moment of your time." His eyes turned back to Tembovu, their infinite pools of swirling mist and stars pinning him with an unblinking stare. It is neither one of condescension or judgement, though the lack of pupils he had been born with presented him with an eery, trance-like look which could be read as anything one wished it to be read as. Alune had condoned what needed to be done within the bramble patch and crooked thorns. The damage however, outside the thorns and the wicked tendrils of the dark wood was something to be concerned about. "I hope your heart is not heavy this night, My King." He offered in a supportive tone. "Heavy is the crown, tender is the heart, and wicked are the things which crawl in the deep places."
Fight the darkness,
It lives inside your heart,
It's not your fault my dear son,
It is simply your past.
Before they had joined the Edge, it seemed that the herd had been on a quest to add defenses around the border - a change up from the odd glass wall that had been in ruins for years now. Mesec was curious to see exactly what they had asked his mother to quest for - wondering if it would be as extreme as the removal of the land bridge leading to the Throat.
It was sheer luck that he happened to hear Tembovu’s voice and the others along with it - cringing at the idea of seeing Erthe and hearing her accusing words but the chance for his children to meet their grandmother outweighed the discomfort the girl caused him upon every meeting.
Circling back to where he thought he left the twins, Mesec whickered softly to them both. “You guys want to see my mom? The herd is starting a summons, we can go watch.” He had little doubt that they would be eager to - they both seemed to light up with curiosity, though in slightly different ways. He then turned and wandered back to where he had seen Tembovu, noting that someone else had joined them - a blue unicorn that spoke to the Goddess in a way that reminded him of Maren. Perhaps this was the Edge’s Seer?
Wary of negative reactions, Mesec lingered back instead of joining the growing crowd - standing beside a tree and hoping that the shadows there would at least help him not to stand out… even if his silver markings were glowing softly beneath the moonlight and making true invisibility impossible. But he had told them they would get the chance to meet their grandmother and… well, this was going to be one of the chances that they could. Even if it was just to glimpse her while she was conducting business with the herd.
Perhaps Alysanne didn’t particularly agree with the quest that Tembovu had asked of their Moon Goddess, but it had been undertaken before she was queen and, as she well knew, her opinion mattered little to him when she was just an ornery Moon Doctor. If the glass wall had crumbled, what would stop these glass spikes from doing the same?
But, despite her reservations, she knew she should still attend this summons - she was queen now, after all, and she had never actually been to a summons before.
Would her presence even be missed if she did not show up?
Doubtful. So long as Tembovu was there, his fans in this herd would be satisfied.
Still, she arrived in the night all the same - nodding her head in a silent greeting to those who had gathered because she did not wish to interrupt the proceedings with words. As her head moved, the amethyst and glass halter and necklace she wore made gentle twinkling noises, though she was gradually getting accustomed to it. Her green eyes focused on Erthe for a moment, standing beside Tembovu where she had been heading. Either the girl was bold or this was not as formal of a meeting as she had been expecting. Still, without a hitch in her step Aly moved instead to his other side, only thinking it right that they stood near each other during official matters.
Though that wasn’t to say she did not keep a couple feet between them. They were partners, not friends - let's not get too comfortable.
Once settled, her soft gaze looked around and up to the moon and she wondered how the Goddess might appear to them tonight.
*ALYSANNE lying on the edge of a star
please tag Alysanne in replies
made by the lovely tamme
non-life threatening physical force is allowed at all times, but preference is to be checked with beforehand for any injuries
"WHEN YOU'RE SOARING THROUGH THE AIR, I'LL BE YOUR SOLID GROUND. TAKE EVERY CHANCE YOU DARE, I'LL STILL BE THERE WHEN YOU COME BACK DOWN."
It hadn't taken me long to get used to living in the Edge. I felt like I was doing a pretty good job of memorizing the important faces, and there were lots of others here around my age which made the adjustment even easier. The mists had been relatively easy to get used to since the subtle glow cast by the silver on my coat seemed to burn away any mist that touched it and made the air around me glow - almost like magic! I knew it wasn't, really, it was only a reflection - but it certainly seemed magic. I found that my heart didn't miss the Basin, but it did miss Mama, and the clear nights where I could see the stars made me miss her the most. But life here was busy and I had little time to dwell on the melancholy that sometimes found me at night.
Today, the Edge was stirring. At first I wondered if the Elephant man was calling another meeting and I wondered if something else had happened. Papa seemed to know what was going on though, and my heart leapt up to my throat when Papa mentioned that we’d finally have the opportunity to meet Grandmama. Well, maybe not meet her officially, since she’d obviously be busy taking care of her herd. But in the very least see her.
I’d spent many of my nights dreaming of what she’d be like; wondering if she looked like Papa or if she simply glowed brightly like the stars did in the night sky. I’d find myself staring up at the moon wondering if she ever wondered about Virga and me, or if she even knew of us. The thoughts usually abated with a sigh, as I simply filed away the thoughts to a small part of my mind reserved just for dreams and for wondering. I trusted Papa when he said we’d meet her one day, I just found myself wishing that that day would come sooner rather than later.
Of course my knowledge of the Moon was untarnished. My worship of her was pure in that sense, and that my wonderment came not from her power but from her relationship to the Papa that I so adored. I did wonder if Virga had similar thoughts of Grandmama, he’d seemed curious when Papa first mentioned her - but did he dream of what she looked like too? I’d have to ask him.
I followed eagerly behind Papa, undoubtedly standing out with the evident spring in my already energetic step and the constant glow from the stars that blanketed my body and wings. Somewhere in the back of my mind I registered that this was an important part of the politics of the herd - something that I didn’t yet understand. However, such things were lost on me today. I practically vibrated with excitement next to Papa.
I knew there was a reason that we were staying out of the way, but I just couldn’t help myself. ”Papa,” I practically begged, with wide eyes and dancing feet, ”Do you think we could stand a little bit closer?”
Maude had refused to go to bed at her normal hour this evening, having heard of the coming, hopeful meeting with the Moon earlier that week. Eagerly pacing about the clearing and over the roots of her hometree to keep from growing too bored in the time it was taking for the afternoon to become the glimmering dusk, the sun had no sooner begun to sink and dim then she was off running to see the events unfold.
Having never seen a Goddess, she finds her enthusiasm and overall giddiness about the evening to come seems to have no bounds; like a cream bolt, she dashes through the forest, her short, rippled hair flying wildly behind her as she makes her way towards the meeting spot.
As she comes upon the gathering, she scans the crowd for her friends, and finds none. She does, however, notice a very pretty, night colored filly, on the outskirts of the gathering. Though the stallion she is standing with makes the filly’s belly fill up with cold fear, his appearance very dark, and drastically different than her own loved ones, she swallows down her trepidation, and prances over to the trio. Putting on her best, lady-like smile, she nods her head respectfully, trying to keep her voice politely low but audible.
"Hello!" she cheerfully greets, turning so that she can keep her eye on Tembovu and the Seer while talking to the filly, "I am Maude. Have you ever seen the Goddess before?"
She asks the question with her innocent, citrine eyes wide and gleaming, her features growing bemused and distant as she imagines just how wonderful the Moon must be in person.
She had heard her father’s call ringing through the wooded growth as her and Khairi finished up capturing a meal for the white vulture. Immediately, she wanted to know what was going on. Was it another meeting? It didn’t sound like it from this distance – but she couldn’t be sure and she knew she’d rather be caught dead than miss something interesting to say the least. As Khairi mentally protested, she assured the bird that he could carry it with him but they needed to leave now. And so, Khairi’s protests died down as he grabbed the little rat between his massive beak and swooped up to land on her withers, and they set off.
Kiada made her way to the call, her bright oceanic gaze dancing across the faces of those that had gathered as Khairi settled along her withers trying to make a place to keep the bleeding animal. It dripped along her withers, encasing her appaloosa blanket with a little hint of red as she made her way toward her father’s side. Her darkened head reached up to press gently against The Elephant King’s leg as she offered him a brilliant smile. “What’s going on?” She questioned quietly, turning her attention to Alune and Erthe, then briefly to Maude with a small smile and a nod to the younger filly.
Then, her attention turned skyward as Alysanne’s did, looking upon the moon with sheer curiosity. Khairi mentally tugged an annoyance her way as he situated the rat he caught a bit more, slowly and inconspicuously doing his best to pull the flesh from it and drop it to the ground beside the filly. All he wanted was the bone and a few of the things beside it – perhaps something else might appreciate the free flesh meal more than he would.
"Talk."
She had been involved in so little of the herd quest, and even her small part had taken its toll. The work just to clear away the debris had been exhausting, and she’d had no magic to aid her, no horn to use. Just her wings and her head and her hooves. Not that she minded – particularly now, when she could call on her own magic to heal the glass cuts in her wings. There hadn’t been many as she’d been careful to keep the glass on the feathers, but still, a few pieces had gone stray and slices into tendon and muscle. Not deep, but enough.
The rest she’d only heard about. Spars and targets and actually digging a trench. For what? Spikes. She still didn’t know why they needed glass spikes. It seems so…menacing. Like hello, welcome to our home, we’d like to impale you. But there’s so much of Helovia’s history she does not know, and she suspects that life here is not necessarily as peaceful as her time happened to be. There was too much magic in this place, too much divine intervention, for the world to stay peaceful for long. Though really, that was true anywhere, no matter what magic or Gods there might be. Peace did not last. She can’t fault Tembovu for wanting to be ready.
She keeps her mouth shut though, because it’s not her herd to run, and she’s still new here in the grand scheme of things. There’s too much she doesn’t know, and so her opinions feel only half-baked even to herself. She’d never even seen the Moon God – this would be the first time. So when Tembovu calls to her, and the herd slowly begins to gather, she goes. Curiosity killed the cat perhaps, but she’s not a cat at least.
She’s not the first to join them. Erthe is there, with Alune and Tembovu and Alysanne. She nods to the group, but keeps her distance. Though her only real friends here are in that group, it seems inappropriate for Lyanna to join them. She is not the Seer or his apprentice, and she is not the Queen. There are a few others gathered, though she doesn’t know any of them, she recognizes most of the faces here. She says nothing though, keeping a respectful distance, simply here to observe. Maybe curiosity killed the horse too, but she wanted to see this Goddess that had given her so many gifts.
lyanna
art by yewrezz
Please tag in all posts Magic use/power playing is okay, but check before serious injury/death Image by Kiki
When Tembovu first offered us a home here--even though we refused--we still chose to ignore the problematic bullshit that lingered in the background, the pale, glowing white elephant (lol) that stood around eating and shitting and creating deeper piles that everyone pretended they couldn’t smell. And then we came back, and we still ignored it, and then Mesec came here and there was a whole buncha loud happy things shouted every which-way but we still couldn’t bring ourselves to face the thing that was creepin’ closer and closer to us like a shadow.
Chico hadn’t been born when the Moon murders took place, but he had hatched around the time I’d been stuck in a mental dungeon, and he remembers that time well. The world had been so fresh, so new, so fun, and I had been the only shadow cast on his cheeky new world, and honestly it’s a wonder he didn’t turn out any more fucked up than he did (oh what) considering the awful place I’d been in when his egg was presented to me. But it was a thing I couldn’t, wouldn’t, forget and he was way too close to me mentally to not not see the root behind all those god awful growing experiences.
It...was hard to think sometimes, that Chico would never, ever get to meet Big Toto.
Welp. Now we’re here, and we’re living in her land and now Tembovu was doing his thing and summoning her and there was no choice but to stand there, not quite a part of the gathering, grappling with that notion. It shocked me somewhat that he was apparently able to call her forth like that (I tried, but I couldn’t remember a single instance where Ma had called on a god while she was Chieftainess of the Foothills) but it wasn’t enough to quell the uneasy…something that was bubbling in my stomach.
This would be the first time I looked at the Moon Goddess since that day. I was painfully aware of Sparkmarrow pressed against my shoulder, and I knew without consciously thinking about it that it was able, and proven, to kill a god.
And I wasn’t sure what was gonna happen, honestly. Except I wasn’t gonna run.
The Goddess appeared, but as with most things, she did so in her own time. This had nothing to do with the summon she received from the Elephant King as opposed to the Oracle, but because she did not plan on arriving to this little gathering unprepared. She knew the ends that the herd had been working towards, and she intended to know whether or not they had succeeded in their efforts prior to materializing before them.
And so, after gathering the information she required, she made her decision.
In a gentle plum of violet mist accompanied by star-fire points of light, the Goddess appeared. Her coat glistened, highly reflective as if the stars shone only for her, and upon her. Pupil-less silver eyes scanned the ... the rather small crowd who had gathered. Her gaze fell first upon her son, offering him a warm smile. Next she looked to the small dark creature at his side - a grandchild - and that smile deepened for a moment. She was an infinite being, and would never really think of herself as a grandmother, and despite how thinly her blood actually ran in the veins of the small child, it was there nonetheless. Next her silvery gaze fell upon Erthe as she nodded her head gently. It didn't surprise the Goddess at all that the frosty mare was here. Could the Goddess even recall a time she'd stepped down from the sky since Erthe had been born, without the girl's presence? She didn't think she could.
Then there was the King and Queen. Was there a little bit more distance between the pair than normal? Hmmm, the Goddess mused to herself, mentally counting off the number of ruling partners who hadn't worked out alongside the Elephant in the past few seasons.
"Fret not, Erthe. Is it not the King's quest that brings us all here today? I do not mind his being the voice that brings me down from the stars-" Her silvery eyes turned to Alune. Though a smile was on her face, her eyes appeared colder for a second as she spoke directly into his mind. You certainly kept your hands rather clean during this quest, Seer. It does not surprise me that it was Tembovu who had to call me down from the heavens." Her eyes narrowed, almost like a cats. I do like my men a little rough around the edges. Clean hands, do not make for interesting bed-fellows. Try to remember that, won't you? She almost purred, her eyes widening again with a cold amusement. Alune had done the bear minimum of what she had required the herd to do, while Tembovu had championed their cause. And while she would not air this dirty laundry for all the herd to hear, she hoped that coming at the summons of the King, rather than the Seer, would be enough to steer the periwinkle stallion back on track.
"Before we get right down to it-", the Goddess said outloud, smiling and casting a stare around to all assembled. I must say I found your reactions to what occurred with that nasty thicket rather interesting." Her eyes found Alune again, but this time she was smiling. "Only Alune had the good sense to merely follow orders, rather than arguing with an illusion." Now she looked to the King, who, had ultimately done what was required, but certainly had taken his time getting around to it. Most of them had, actually.
"My instructions were quite clear on that point" She almost growled, before setting her face back into a pristine mask of beauty. "Tell me King - was anything learned from these tasks? Or were they merely means to achieve the ends that you asked for?"
11-07-2016, 10:07 AM (This post was last modified: 11-07-2016, 09:00 PM by Elsa.)
your faith was strong but you needed proof
The quest.
A bitterness rose within her throat that even the Gods could not cure. It seemed permanently affixed there, unable to move and a painful reminder of just how horrible this quest was. Even with as much hate as she held for the king, she didn’t want to blame him.
But in the end, it was all his fault.
The goddess had given him a quest, and he had the ability to reject it. But what did he do instead? He accepted it, and murdered a family who needed protection in order to gain personal protection. That was the biggest paradox of all time, and yet he still was trying to justify his actions. Elsa, though not easily swayed, was left with a sick taste in her mouth following the aftermath.
Yet no one else seemed bothered by horrific acts that had occurred. There was no uprising, no anger, just silent agreement. Who else was supposed to protect the exposed?
The goddess of the moon appeared then, even questioning what had happened at the thicket. Elsa’s ears fell flat against her head, but she held her tongue. Illusion or not it felt real and killing anything that felt as such was a horrid rule to follow simply for orders. But Elsa could not hold her tongue. ”But it seemed all too real are we simply supposed to kill ourselves should you bid? Death metaphorically or literally is not something to be toyed with for amusement.” Her voice was neither friendly nor venomous, but instead dead, cold, and almost challenging. Elsa just knew how to get herself into trouble, and Edgar himself cowered in the presence of the goddess.
The boy had spent some time being alone. That was not out of the usual, but today he was looking for something new. Zubari wanted an adventure, sometimes life in Edge got boring but that was not the case today. There had been some things happening around Helovia with a weird new person, and people were swimming in the water. He was finally able to spend time with his new friend Verro, and everything was looking up for the boy; besides the fact that he craved more out of life. He wanted to meet new people and adventure to new lands. Being the son of the king never made it easy on him. The boy felt like he was under the constant scrutiny of the other others in the herd. He loathed the fact that he could never voice his opinion. He had to sit back and be a " Good kid ." Huffing and stomping forward he stumbled across a gathering, and but who else would be in the center of them other than his godforsaken father...
he wanted to turn away and run from the group. Why would he want to be a part of anything he father was involved in? Well, the boy had no choice, so he trudged forward with a fucking smile on his face. Golden eyes looked upon each being that was standing around. Then his attention fell upon a woman. She was the most magnificent creature that he had ever laid eyes on. A supernatural being in the presence of mortals, her royal orra filled the air with a black mist. She was something special; she was nothing like his father. This woman demanded the attention of all who was around; she was a real leader, whoever she was. Her sweet voice echoed in the air, and the chocolate boy squeezed and squirmed through the crowd to get a closer look. Finally, the boy could see all of her. His small hooves came to a halt next to his father Of course ... His jaw slightly dropped looking upon the mystical mare in front of him. "Wow.... she is so pretty, she is beautiful, she is powerful! " His thoughts trailed right out of his mouth, and he could not stop them. When he finished he looked down in slight embarrassment."I am sorry Father I did not mean to interrupt." How he loathed telling his elephant of a father sorry, but he never wanted to be rude in the presence of such a powerful woman. Golden eyes looked to his father and almost rolled as he looked to a white mare that stepped up speaking about death. Quietly he stood and waited for others to respond, hoping he did not anger the beautiful godly woman. Oh, or his father...
11-28-2016, 12:13 AM (This post was last modified: 11-28-2016, 12:13 AM by Tembovu.)
Many came, a few sending him questioning voices or looks: Erthe, Alune. Though, instead of answering her question, his great skull dipped quietly in recognition of her words but a simple smile told her an answer would come later. More appeared: Mesec with his children; Alysanne with a purposeful distance set between them; Maude with her cheerful gaze (for which he was surpassingly thankful when about to face their daunting Goddess); Lyanna with her quiet, but calm and sincere presence; Ros with more spark than usual in her electrified face; Kiada, his daughter, with her feeding companion (the King still dipped his head to gently ruffle her forelock, despite the blood).
And then the Goddess appeared, answering the many questions for him. His great skull dipped in deference, though his navy eyes never once left the Moon’s feminine, beautifully cunning face. Though her body gleamed with starlight, the King managed to limit his apprentice look to a mere glance across her lavender curves before returning to the silver gaze has his head slowly rose.
But he was not to revel long in the Goddess’s beauty or craft, for her words quickly cut to him in a growl of near-disapproval as she questioned his motives in his hesitation to destroy the bramble thicket. Before the King could formulate any response to the Goddess, Elsa was there and coldly challenging their patron. His ears tilted backwards, gaze sharping darting to the fallenabdicated Queen. A soft snort of disapproval pushed out of his lips—not because he did not want those in his herd to hold their tongues (on the contrary, he wanted them to speak their minds). But it was that Elsa, who had relinquished her throne, should speak out against a quest that was already completed, that rankled him.
But his annoyance shifted quickly to paternal amusement as Zubari’s thoughts flowed out of his mouth. “That is alright, son,” his deep rumble was quiet, a slight lopsided grin cast across his lips as he answered Zubi’s apology, “Our Goddess is a lovely sight.”
And then his attention turned to the ‘lovely sight’ in question, lips parting once more to answer her questions, “I have learned of both the strengths and weaknesses of your glass, Goddess. And the pain that its sharp edge can inflict on others. Some of us have learned of, and other reminded of, the hard labor required to earn our wants while digging trenches. The thicket—” his deep rumble paused, navy eyes for once probing the Moon’s silver, searching for answers rather than defensively watching for whatever the goddess's next move might be.
“I cannot claim to know why you chose to withhold all the information about the Thicket from us,” only once did a shadow cross his face as he spoke, a slight anger at the possibility of him unknowingly endangering herd members, before he continued, “But it showed the value for life so many of our members have, an advantage to any herd. But also showed how far we will go—I will go— to protect the Edge.” His low voice ended on an ominous note as he fell silent, awaiting the Goddess’s approval or disfavor.
With a gentle turn of her head, the Goddess regarded Elsa with a patient smile. "Of course it seemed real, Elsa. Had the illusion been obvious, there would have been no real test, now would there? Such was not done for my amusement however, much to the contrary. How often is it that I am called down, my magic and attention demanded? In comparison, I ask very little of all of you." She eyed Tembovu now, but her gaze was ambiguous, and almost murky as it scanned the deep lines of the King's face. "I never find the taking of a life amusing." She continued solemnly, her mind replaying the events of the past few years. All the lives she had taken, and never once did she find the act pleasing. Necessary? Of course. Pleasing? Never.
" It was a choice. Do as I say and take a life to get what you want, or don't. The choice was always yours and it was always clear." Her attention now fully fell upon the King, the shine in her eyes appearing almost proud as she regarded him, taking in his words. "So it has." She agreed with a dip of her skull. " There are many who would doubt your actions, but a King who would take a life and later waiver in his decision, is no King at all. You have done well, Tembovu. The glass spikes you have asked for, are yours."
A rumble permeated gently through the Edge, as the Goddess' magic wrapped itself deep within the ground. Spires of glass, sharpened and deadly, appearing below the surface of the soil. Invisible, until they were called upon.
"The power to call upon them cannot be weilded by all. I would not have careless foals or words of anger causing undo harm to my herd. Only the King and Queen, and your top warriors shall be able to whisper the spikes from the ground."
Congratulations on finishing your herd quest! The Goddess has created the spikes you asked for, and they are now hidden under ground. Only the two leads and your warriors with rank magic can raise the spikes.
The King’s apprehension of the Goddess’s reaction to Elsa’s outburst was assuaged by the patient smile the Moon gave the Icebound. His brows raised slightly, in relieved surprise, at the tolerance the Goddess showed. Thus far the Elephant King had seen many things of the Goddess: power, wit, potency, mystery, vanity. But never had he seen tolerance. His great head cocked slightly in silent valuation and musing. The Edge’s patron Goddess was forever surprising the King.
And then, after her answer of taking lives (the murders Mauja had mentioned when he first came into the Edge briefly crossed his mind—though he was not left long to dwell on that because the Moon’s entire attention was now wholly focused on him). In subjoincious reaction, his body swelled and stiffened, as if he was preparing to enter a battle or spar… or standing at attention before a particularly beautiful mare.
Regardless of the reason, he words of approval sank deeper into him than he expected. They curled with dark smoke into his chest and pervaded his barrel with warmth—when had he begun to crave the approval of deity? Or perhaps it stemmed from needing some type of affirmation that he was, in fact, succeeding in his role as King. For all that, the Elephant could not help the small grin that curved up the corners of his black lips as the Moon Goddess both complimented him and granted the Edge its spikes.
“Thank you, my Goddess,” was his simple, deep rumble, companied with a deep bow of his great, thickly horned skull. They had been successful. The Edge’s borders were no longer littered with glass, but protected by it. His small grin grew to a full-fledged smile.
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