the Rift


[OPEN] oh gods, don't eat that [HERD QUEST]

Rikyn the Puppeteer Posts: 549
Aurora Basin Lord atk: 7.5 | def: 11.5 | dam: 4.5
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 16.3 :: 4 HP: 70 | Buff: SWIFT
Duir :: Royal Cerndyr :: Earth Spirit Bunnie
#1
 
Rikyn

 
Duir has found the wolves.
 
While, at first, he’d shared my deep fear of them, he had slowly gained an affection for watching them function as a family, especially with so many of the herd seeming so interested in them as of late.  Though I’ve explained to him why we’ve been hanging about the flea bags so much, I don’t think its really stuck; the idea of changing a creature to such a degree as I’d claimed we were going to do seemed infeasible to the stag.  Nature, he had proclaimed, this single word somehow encompassing every single thing he had ever seen in his short life that was green or made by Earth, is made as it was meant.  Cannot change so much.
 
It seemed, now, however, that he had thought about it some, and as I arrive alongside him on a pine needle laden rise, overlooking a rocky outcropping with a grassy clearing spread before it, a small creek running along its side, I tilt my ears forward to hear the yips of the pups, hidden beneath the shadowy awning with their protector.  The youthful female that had been in charge of them when the trolls attacked seems to have lost her job; she sulkily snoozes along the banks of the creek, noticeably thinner since I’d last seen her, and, however it is with them now is but a shadowy glimpse from time to time, as they skillfully pull a stray babe back into the den.
 
They will not be them, he sternly tells me, no sooner than I’ve stopped.  I look over at him, a bit thrown off by the sudden change in his mindset.  They be new then.  What if… What if they not family, then, too?
 
My eyebrows make their way down over my eyes, the hurt this concept causes him welling inside me through our bond.  Touching him with my muzzle, I smile, and hope to gently ease him into the idea that, surely, the Time God wouldn’t have agreed to change them at all, if it would take away part of their very natures.
 
They’d not be wolves, I reply, and wolves are what Uncle Deimos asked for, isn’t it?
 
Duir doesn’t know, because he wasn’t there.  He snorts softly, but some of the tension inside him eases away.  Obviously still not okay with the idea of taming them, he is going to say something else when the pack returns, and, nervously, even his mind falls into complete silence as the alphas trot in, the strong or aging adults filtering in after them.  The same pattern, as always, I’ve noticed that the largest male, a silver coated thing with black tips and striking blue eyes, leads the foray, while a wolf whom appears to be his son follows after him.  Between the striking males and the tail of the line are the older wolves, three, and all female; scared on their faces from antlers, some sporting slight limps, their fur sags in the ways the youthful wolves pelts are taught and glide across honed muscle.  Alongside these elders are the hunters, those in their prime, who are not quite socially as high on the pillar as those who walk with the alphas, and they are numbered four.  Most are female but for one male, who eyes the alpha’s son with envy from time to time.
 
At the tale is the Mother, as I call her.  She is snowy white, with golden eyes, and she always knows I’m here, even if I’m invisible.  Even now she looks through the foliage and seems to grin at me, her two daughters, both steely gray with milky undertones, following at the tails of the elders into the clearing, while she pauses to see me.  It makes my skin feel cold, but, also like always, she carries on, making a small bark of greeting.
 
Like a cascade of fur and yelps and paws, the pups move from the den like the brook alongside them.  The omega jumps to her feet, and the oldest male wolf I’ve ever seen slowly follows after the thunderous onslaught of puppies returning to their mothers.  With grunts and snarls, they butt their heads against their bellies and heads, and begin to lick wildly at the corners of their mouths.
 
What’s all that about? I wonder, having never watched mother wolves feed pups past nursing age before.  Duir, alongside me, mentally guffaws, too afraid to utter any real noise.
 
Oh, you’ll see, he taunts, already aware of the horror that is going to ensue.
 
[ OOC:  Lirl we all know what’s coming.  This is an observation thread!  I will be writing the wolves with Rikyn’s posts so I don’t have to log in and out of NPC (I’m lazy k).  This post contains realistic (as far as I understand it, anyway xD) wolf hunt and travel formation.  The actual, erhm, “feeding” will occur in his next post, once a few people join or in a week or so.  Tagging all rank holders who have not joined a wolf quest thread yet!  We also need general members to participate, so if you're curious, poke your head in.  ]
 
’cause we need a little controversy
 @Tiamat @Cassius @Lena @Mortuus Nox @Eldala @Vertigo @Imogen @Toulouse @Oizys

Wishlist - Plots

Force/violence is allowed to be used on Rikyn permitted it does not permanently maim or kill him (PM me!).

Vertigo Posts: 34
Aurora Basin Weaver
Mare :: Unicorn :: 17.2hh :: Four
DarkShadow
#2
Vertigo

She'd been intentionally avoiding this part of the Basin. Vertigo had heard about the herd's newest quest and, quite honestly, she wasn't looking forward to it. I mean, honestly, wolves and horses mixing? They were insane. Shaking her antlered head, Vertigo hoped that the outcome of this terrifying quest wasn't what she thought it would be.

With a sigh, she meanders through the Basin. Her tail swishing against her rump every so often. With her wandering has come the scents of predators. Halting suddenly, crystal eyes search her surroundings for any sign of the wolves. A soft snort and Vertigo inches forward, ebony ears swiveling around her antlered skull. The sound of water babbling reaches her long before any other does.

It's the sound of wolf pups that reach her soon after that worries her. Sapphire eyes hold the expression as she moves forward slowly. For with the sound of those pups comes the smell. That rank, wet dog smell. Ugh, Gross. Her face twists slightly in disgust as she halts again. She's slightly confused as the scents of an equine (and...stag maybe?) reach her as well. Ve searches the pines for those the smells belong to and is surprised to see their newest leader hidden among the trees.

She'd hadn't met him yet, but the Draft had heard of his promotion. A soft snort escaped her as she inched forward, doing her best to remain quiet. She stops again, this time taking in the scene their leader seems to be observing before her. A wolf pack. Swallowing hard, Ve peers at the stallion out of the corner of her eye, not really trusting the pack to completely take her gaze off of them.

This quest was insanity. Why would the wolves help them? She goes back to observing. Vertigo notices the older wolves returning from somewhere, probably their hunting. A smaller group of pups emerges from a den that she hadn't had the chance to notice before. Ebony ears prick forward slightly as they run to meet their parents. Sure, she wasn't a fan of the idea of convincing the wolves to join their side, but it was still interesting to observe them.

As the pale female canine greets her pups, the youngsters stop to lick their lips in anticipation. The anticipation of what? Tilting her head slightly in confusion, Vertigo wonders just what is going on here. There's no meat that she can see. Of course, depending on where the hunt had occurred, it would be extremely difficult for the older pack members to drag the kill back to the pack. Still, her confusion spread across her features as she watched silently, waiting for what was to come.

Easy to remember, harder to move on
image credits
- table by Niki -


OOC - This sucks I'm sorry
Just wanted to get a post in
[Image: ve_chibi_by_hoofbeatdesigns-daya7ew.gif]
Please tag Vertigo in all posts
Non-Lethal Magic/Attacks Allowed
Pixel by me :)

Weaver Posts: 149
Aurora Basin Corporal atk: 8.0 | def: 10.0 | dam: 3.0
Mare :: Hybrid :: 15.1 :: 3 years HP: 61 | Buff: Novice
Raven :: Australian Raven :: Terrorize Kyra
#3
They’d been watching. This was what she was good at. Maybe she couldn’t turn invisible like Rikyn, but she can go unnoticed. Raven and Weaver had taken to the trees, finding a nice perch to watch the wolves as they did their thing. The thing about being a raven is no one really notices you. After all, there a quite a lot of ravens and crows, and it’s rather hard to know when one is a horse. Of all the black birds one might see, how often do they talk back or turn into a pretty little mare? She hid in plain sight, and it was a beautiful trick.

Neither Weaver nor Raven had much interest in wolves, but she was growing accustomed to their behavior. The more they watched, the more they found themselves curious. She eyes the male that seems jealous of the Alpha’s son, wondering if he’d ever try something to establish himself within the pack. Unlikely, she knows, but sometimes the idea of treachery is enough to interest her. And really, somedays she needs to make up stories in her head to keep entertained. The wolves are interesting and all, but it’s not her forte.

Today though, she spots a familiar form, soon joined by another familiar form. Weaver doesn’t bother to come down from the tree in which she’s hiding, but she lets out a caw to draw their attention. It’s an innocuous sound that shouldn’t draw the wolves’ attention. After all, they hear raven’s cawing often enough, particularly with Raven hanging around lately. He’s not the most silent. She watches her herdmates for a moment before turning her attention back to the wolves. Feeding time was always an interesting sight. Not so pretty, but when has she ever been turned off by things they weren’t pretty?

- weaver -

Image

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

Toulouse Posts: 146
Aurora Basin Impersonator atk: 8.0 | def: 11.0 | dam: 4.0
Gelding :: Equine :: 17hh :: Six HP: 74 | Buff: ENDURE
Boomslang :: Green Ratsnake :: Paralyze Neverrmind
#4

TOULOUSE
FALLEN OUT OF BED FROM A LONG & WEARY DREAM

It did not take long for the two serpent's to catch up to the Lord and his buck, the gilded pair lost to the pine and ice above on their search for the canines. His wide hooves and roman nose was most certainly built for a different landscape, the kind where snow never fell and ice never lingered. Sand and dry grass was where you would expect to see this equine of dunes, not pine forests where you could freeze in place. As he paced up the hill, his breaths laboring as hills became a mountainside, his mind remained unbridled as it wandered to those left below. Manon; how was she? It had been months since they had spoken.

The gelding approached, pulling his mithril cloak tighter over his shoulders as he came to the pine cove by the outcrop, soon to spot the Lord with a woman he did not recognise immediately, though he felt he had seen her before.
"Sister," He spoke in greeting, an ear twitching at the yip of a pup. "My lord" he then continued, taking his place a yard of two ahead of the man. The caw from the treeline caused his nose to turn to the trees, his brows creasing.
"There are no ravens in the basin..." he would observe, suspiciously eyeing the pair in the canopy, not knowing that it was, in fact, herd-sister Weaver.


noot nooot

I AM THE KEY TO THE LOCK IN YOUR HOUSE—
DO NOT CRY OUT OR HIT THE ALARM
YOU KNOW WE'RE FRIEND TIL WE DIE—

EITHER WAY YOU TURN, I'LL BE THERE
OPEN UP YOUR SKULL, I'LL BE THERE
CLIMBING UP THE WALLS

SO LOCK THE KIDS UP SAFE TONIGHT
CLOSE THE EYES IN THE CUPBOARD

Glasgow Posts: 127
Aurora Basin Apprentice atk: 3.5 | def: 10.0 | dam: 7.0
Mare :: Unicorn :: 14.3hh :: 11 years HP: 66.5 | Buff: NOVICE
Skylark
#5
G L A S G O W


Glasgow wasn’t the most observant of events that went on in the Basin. However, on this particular day, she had simply been watching and wandering, noticing a line of equines moving and soon disappearing into the pines. The scent of predators was faint from her distance, and against her better judgement, she figured she should follow them. Perhaps it was for a quest, or for something else? Perhaps someone needed help? As she began to move her old joints that way, she came up behind the gathering. Her stomach dropping as the scent grew stronger and her mind trying to push her toward turning with her tail between her legs, back to the safety of her cave.

But she spotted Rikyn and Toulouse, and nobody in distress, and so quietly she started to fall in line. Making her way up beside Toulouse she nodded her head to him with a soft ghostly smile of hello before looking toward Rikyn and then out toward where everyone else was looking. The Alphas had already shown, and immediately Glasgow is interested. She had spent so many years surrounded by equines, that the idea of other species’ routines and ranks had never really crossed her mind.

What was it like to be a wolf?

As she watched, pups poured from their den, watches as a line begins to grow toward the clearing with an older wolf following. It seemed peaceful for now, despite all her life believing them to be these rugged, rough monsters. They didn’t seem to notice the gathering as far as Glasgow could tell, or perhaps they didn’t care. She did come after everyone else, anyway. Perhaps she missed some unspoken words between her lead and theirs, however that would work.

"Talk."




what a strange illusion it is,
to suppose that beauty is goodness



image credits


hihi

Oizys Posts: 134
Aurora Basin Soldier atk: 7.0 | def: 8.5 | dam: 6.5
Mare :: Hybrid :: 17hh :: 2 HP: 73.5 | Buff: NOVICE
Ker :: Philippine Eagle :: Curse Snow
#6


She joins in wolf form.

Like the pack that frolics in front of them, Oizys' pawprints are almost silent as she slopes towards the gathering of her herdmates. It doesn't occur to her that she might make them shit themselves with fear when they see her, and if it did occur to her she certainly wouldn't give a damn. This quest they've been set is ideal for somebody with her unique skills, she feels. Who else can shift into a wolf and maraud among them, masquerading as one of their own? Who else can gain an untold and unrivaled insight into their world but her?

Wolf-Oizys' fur is jet black and shaggy, her build large and muscular. The wolf she'd taken the blood from had been a great alpha male, and although the mare keeps her gender when she transforms, she also keeps the alpha's size. Only her eyes remain as they are in horse form; cold, grey, stony. If her herdmates care to pay enough attention, they'll see that the black interloper doesn't carry herself quite as a wolf should; her steps are heavier, her head held too high, her limbs clearly more accustomed to hooves than paws. They are subtle differences, however a rather more obvious sign that all is not what it seems comes in the form of the large brown eagle that sits proudly on the wolf's shoulders. Ker doesn't like to be left out of these things, and she caws obnoxiously at the other Basin members as if to say fuck you all, I'm riding a wolf as her lupine mount carries her through the massed throng.

The gargoyle prowls to the front of the gathering where Rikyn stands. He is her Lord, her commander, her king; he is also most attractive, something which isn't lost on her even in this predatory form. "If you need anybody to go and get a closer look..." She smiles a wolf's smile at her king, her cold grey eyes fixed on his face and her furry black tail swinging loosely behind her.

OIZYS

AS GOD IS MY WITNESS, I'D RATHER BE DANGEROUS
image: dark


Oizys is in the form of a big black wolf, with Ker riding on her shoulders to hopefully let people know that she's not a real wolf come to nom them xD

[ the gargoyle queen ]
OIZYS IS ALWAYS RATED M FOR STRONG LANGAUGE IN HER POSTS




Rikyn the Puppeteer Posts: 549
Aurora Basin Lord atk: 7.5 | def: 11.5 | dam: 4.5
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 16.3 :: 4 HP: 70 | Buff: SWIFT
Duir :: Royal Cerndyr :: Earth Spirit Bunnie
#7

Rikyn


As Duir and I watch the wolves, others come, earning an approving smile from me as they each settle into place. I know almost all of them, except one, who I think is our Weaver (so it’s probably not in my favor to not know her). Trying to meet her eyes, I wonder just what sort of person she is, in comparison to the others who have arrived. Toulouse, slender and slinking as the snake he keeps for companionship, and Glasgow, seemingly more frightful than she truly was, have already revealed small tidbits about themselves which lead me to trust them, as much as someone who trusts no one can, anyway. As Lou points out the raven which raucously calls out, I tilt my eyes upwards to the pair of black birds with a smile; I have an idea who the ravens might be, knowing only two in the Basin with a penchant for the large, clever birds, and Phrixus was white, not black. Still, I enjoy a good game, and can’t blame the woman for not wanting to be easily caught, like us land dwelling creatures will be, if the wolf situation turns sour.

"If they try to fly away, follow them," I quietly answer with a glimmering eye and knowing smile, winking at the twin birds, before returning my gaze to Toulouse with that grin wiped away for an expression of seriousness, befitting a death sentence, "can’t have unwanted spies among us, after all."

Inside, I’m choking back laughter. Maybe my lips twitch a little bit, but I think I manage to pull it off. I’m so distracted with pretending like Weaver and her pet are more a threat to us than the obvious danger of wolves that Oizys, in a wolf body herself, manages to sweep in alongside me unnoticed.

"Ah-fuck!" I mutter-shout, not wanting to announce our presence to the wolves, but certainly shocked by the sudden appearance of enemy number one alongside me; stepping aside with wide eyed surprise, my golden orbs narrow when the wolf speaks. Oizys?! Snorting, I shove at her fluffy, smaller figure with my own in a friendly sort of way, assuming by her brusque nature that she won’t mind the physical contact or rough housing too much. "You can’t sneak up on people like that, Oizys. I could have tried to kill you or something."

Our conversation is cut short by the most horrible sound I’ve ever heard. Horses and unicorns can’t puke, so I’ve never heard anything like this, except that one time I caught Kyst up-chucking a wet, gooey ball of fur and bone that looked like a fuzzy piece of… never-mind. What matters is that a similar, but one-thousand times worse sound is coming from the yipping pup vicinity of the clearing. Looking back over with horror writ across my face, that terror expounds tenfold as the purpose of the erratic cheek licking reveals itself to also be the source of the awful gagging.

The adult wolves are synchronized vomiting sticky, blood riddled meat all over the ground, which, apparently, looks like a meadow full of a green clover to wolf pups. With eager growls and equally grotesque slurps, the fur-balls besiege the goopy piles of meat-puke with hungry gulps and snaps, occasionally rearing their heads back to savagely shake the meat shreds back and forth, leaving smears of flesh across their cheeks.

Not sure how long my mouth as been open, I barely manage to close it as I look back down at Oizys.

"You sure you wanna go help now?" I ask, trying to make the best of a truly appalling situation with humor.

[ OOC: As promised, a random roll for a small artwork by me was done, as the opening post for this thread was Rikyn’s 475th! Oizys rolled for the win. Congrats Snow. :DDD ]

’cause we need a little controversy
@Vertigo @Weaver @Toulouse @Glasgow @Oizys

Wishlist - Plots

Force/violence is allowed to be used on Rikyn permitted it does not permanently maim or kill him (PM me!).

Vertigo Posts: 34
Aurora Basin Weaver
Mare :: Unicorn :: 17.2hh :: Four
DarkShadow
#8
Vertigo

Most of the equines that join their stalking are ones she's never seen before. Granted, Ve hasn't really been around long, let alone an active part of herd life. With a snort she watches each new body settle down to observe in turn. The only seemingly familiar being, well beings, are the two ravens roosting in the trees above them.

A caw escapes one of the birds and Ve grins softly. Yes, most definitely familiar. She was glad to find someone familiar in this herd of strangers. If they weren't surrounded by predators, Vertigo would be quick to call back to the raven. However, with the sounds of pack life echoing in her ears, Vertigo bit her tongue quickly, silencing any sound that would escape her throat.

“Ah fuck!” The Shire whips her head around at the outcry of panic and finds a wolf amongst them. Her own sapphire eyes widen before she realizes that their leader is, actually, quite friendly with the beast. Another snort escapes her otherwise silent form. This creature must be another member of their herd, one with similar abilities with her winged friend.

A retching sound reached ebony ears and the Draft's attention is dragged away once more. She was surprised she didn't have whiplash for how often her neck was whipping back and forth. The scene laid out before her was one that Ve wasn't at all expecting. A look of disgust overtook her features and she could feel her stomach tighten with nausea. Thank the Gods she couldn't throw up. Turning her head to the side, the mare gags, trying her hardest not to make the sound loud and apparent. Her eyes closing to try and block out the sight, Ve shakes her large skull. Why? Just why?

Easy to remember, harder to move on
image credits
- table by Niki -


OOC - Bleh x_x
[Image: ve_chibi_by_hoofbeatdesigns-daya7ew.gif]
Please tag Vertigo in all posts
Non-Lethal Magic/Attacks Allowed
Pixel by me :)


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