Event

Bobbing in and out of the water at the will of the river’s flow, the otter pup refuses to let go of the egg, even if it means he can’t use his paws to keep his head above the current. Calling out when he can, he spies the horses coming to his rescue during one of these numerous glimpses, and waves one of his paws fretfully at them, before clutching greedily back onto his egg, and rolling under once again.

The father otter (grabbing his hesitant son about the waist) is more than happy to clamber up onto Wessex’s offered back, and away they set off. Quickly among the others, reaching out over the water, or delving in themselves, to help save the pup and egg, the adult offer leaves his scared son on the unicorn’s back, and splashes into the river to swim to his boy.

Though, surely, one of the others would have caught the child with their various tools and methods, were the pup truly in danger, it is Yael, flying overhead, who catches the first assault. Suddenly splashing up out of the water, changing shape as it does so, the pup reveals itself for what it truly is: a shapeshifter! Having deviously watched the real pup wander off, the creature had boded its time, waiting for an opportunity to gather together a sizeable feast such as this; slowed by the water about their legs, and lured by the promise of a prize, the greedy beast is obviously not satisfied with the egg it already has.

The vile trickster rises up out of the water in the form of a dastardly black dragon, obsidian scales shining in the light, its violet eyes scanning about savagely. With a shrill cry of fear, the father otter recoils, and his tiny children cry out, too, shivering in place when the sky born beast rears its head back, and roars violently at everyone gathered. With the egg still held fast in one inky dark foreclaw, the large reptile swoops down towards Aelfwine and the pup on her antlers, striking at them with its free claws, after its initial bludgeoning leap towards Yael; the otter shrilly squeaks, and clings fast to the mare’s antler in terror. Sweeping its tail about behind it, the shapeshifter then attempts to slam the barbed ends of its long appendage into Vertigo, and turns its foul face towards Pip, unleashing a sizeable fireball in the direct of the small warrior.

Meanwhile, astride Wessex, the small, cowardly male pup has begun to cry, while the clever pup is dumbfounded, with wide eyes full of fear.

Coming over another nearby rise, the real otter lad (shoulders slumped) and his rather grumpy mother are returning to the family resting place, the female having discovered her wayward son quite befuddled about where the river was, some good ways from the river itself. Having practiced her speech for her husband on the way home, the otter mother quickly finds all of her carefully constructed threats and logical what if’s are quickly thrown from her mind. With a motherly squeak of concern, her ambitious son at her side, the two streak towards the river, to help the horses, and her family (were they riding the horses?! she thinks) to help ward off the beast.


[ Wait... it's not an otter?! At least some real ones showed up, too, I guess...

Participants have 72 hours to reply to the drop!

Characters who took damage from the shape-shifting creature rolled odd numbers: Roll ]

pure randomness