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

Event

The dragon-creature, savage and bestial, is not the sort of thing to be contended with words, as Vastra is surely soon to figure out. Drawn to her by the sound of her shout, its almost iridescent eyes are wicked as it pulls again on the primordial breath of this powerful form, bundling the flame in its breast into a taut ball, before projecting it towards the little filly.

As the fire pours forth, though, the deadly burst crackling in the humid summer air, the shifter is quite suddenly struck with what feels like the force of the sky landing upon it. Though the beast had been keen to turn its eyes towards Vertigo, next, Weaver’s aerial assault catches it entirely off guard, and with a roar of anguished outrage, the scaled cretin is pushed down into the river.

Meanwhile, the young otters hide behind Aelfwine and Wessex’s offered safety (both the mares likely smelling ever so faintly of terrified otter urine at this point), peering out from behind their tall legs at the ensuing battle. Their parents, sharp teeth bared, and sleek coats shining, leap into the water with graceful arcs, and swim towards the beast that has been pushed under by Weaver’s wild pile-drive. With growls and barks of their own, the creatures chomp down on the leathery scales of the monster, and the father otter even clings to the thing’s side when it attempts to make it to the sky again.

Releasing his vicious grip with a wide-eyed squeak at the sight of the silver dragon (and her reaching flames), the father drops back down into the river alongside his wife, and both proceed to cheer on the equine shape shifters defending their young from, well, a shape shifter.

At the sight of the challenger dragon, the shifter, too, feels fear flood its thoughts. This was not going as planned! Dropping the egg into the water below it, blood dripping from its various bite wounds, and one wing sagging and obviously wounded from Weaver’s bludgeoning drop, the creature attempts to get away from the raven-mare’s sharp beak, and Yael’s even more frightening talons, its shrieks filling the air.

It’s not fast enough, however; feeling the silver’s claws sink into its side seconds after her fire washes over the creature’s left flank, the bloody pecks of the raven fall away into the background in comparison to the sensation of death which now besieges him. The magic that allows the shapeless being this form shudders, the large obsidian shape of the creature becoming a blurry smudge of smoke in the air for split moments, before finally remaining smoke, entangled about the descending limbs of the attacking dragoness.

With a last, mournful cry, the smoke dissipates, and the monster is no more, and the egg which it had greedily clutched in its claws floats down the river bed, landing neatly nearby Aelfwine. The four pups, feeling greatly obligated to honor their protector, quickly make their way towards its round, orb-like form, and roll it towards the dappled mare, their little otter faces smiling.

After the pups give the antlered mare her well earned present, the whole family of very grateful otters moves about the gathered horses, giving them their thanks and praise, before waving farewell to their newfound friends as they take their leave.

[ Congratulations Aelfwine! You have won a Common Cerndyr. Please post to the character record’s update thread to have your companion’s information added to Aelfwine’s profile.

Roll: Here ]

pure randomness