Group 1 consists of: Isa, Ulfr, Noor, and Gavroche II



The adventuring party gathers in The Shimmering Shore, and as soon as they come together the world begins to shake violently. The dirt tunnels begin to collapse around them, and everyone begins to panic and scatter, splitting the group up- and trapping them temporarily underground. They can no longer leave the tunnels, nor can they post in any new event threads until this thread concludes.

Isa, Ulfr, Noor, and Gavroche II find themselves in a nearly pitch-black tunnel. Light filters in through some holes from above. This section of tunnel is long and narrow, and as their eyes begin to adjust they can start to see strange dragging marks in the upturned dirt- as though something has passed through the same way they're heading.

Post and uncover more! No time limits, no posting order, but progression may be based on posting frequency! Danger is imminent!

Noor had nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat and preparing to join the group that had started to form with Fable. And then the ground had started to shake again and all hell broke loose. Noor tried to turn to look at Fable but bodies started frantically fleeing and she found herself buffeted, bounced off of so many wolves bigger than herself and with the ground under their paws unstable she found herself having to also start running just to not fall over, a deep instinctual fear overtaking her.

When the tremors finally subsided again and Noor stopped her own running to gasp for breath she wasn't sure where they even were. She hadn't exactly bounced back from nearly starving and drowning in about two days, this was killer on her body and she could feel it. Panting heavily Noor lifted her gaze and started scanning, then searching, then doing so frantically. Fable wasn't there. No, no, no, nonononono! Noor had been holding her fear back, holding back a dam of anxiety for Fable's sake but now? Now it was overflowing. Noor was hyperventilating. Not exactly the most observant state to be in.

"Talk"

If the ground forgot its job one more time, Isa was going to lose it. The earth had crumbled again, thrusting the old woman into deeper darkness. The first fall had been bad, but this one was worse. The amount of dirty that fell atop her was heavy and damp. It took the elderly wolf a bit of time to claw herself free. By the time she was standing in the tunnel, her old body was sore and bruised.

It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the darkness but Isa could still hear, despite the dirt in her ears. Shallow, quick breathing as though someone was panicking. With a grimace at her groaning bones, Isa moved towards the sound.

Icy blue eyes had adjusted to the murky darkness by the time Isa arrived at the girls side. She could see that the younger wolfs eyes were wide and she was struggling to regain her breathing. The motherly old wolf gently shushed and murmured, stepping forward to gently pat one paw. "In through your nose and out through your mouth, " she instructed. "My name is Isa. What's yours? " she sought to distract the girl.

Now that her vision had acclimated to the dark, Isa inspected the giant tunnel. Had they really fallen from that high up? Large furrows were cut into the earth as though something had been dragging itself through. It reminded Isa of worms tunneling underground... but this would be a gigantic worm, if so.

"Isa"

As Úlfr headed toward the older woman and winged man others had gathered. Before any plans could be decided the earth suddenly shook violently. Úlfr leapt to the side as rocks and earth cascaded down. One of them grazing his shoulder and kicking up a cloud of dirt and dust as the world around began to settle once more. Úlfr coughed sharply, lowering his head as he hacked from the dust that had suddenly swarmed his lungs when he'd taken his most recent breath.

Peering about in the dark tunnel he could see a few strands of light filtering down from holes in the earth above. He could see a few other forms in the darkness and quickly made his way over to them. The older woman was there as well as another pair. He did not recognize any of them but he heard the older woman call herself Isa. "Well… that was certainly something. Name is Úlfr, please let me know if I can be of assistance." He noted the rapid breathing of the young lady, noting she seemed near panicked but he was not the most comforting of sorts and he knew it.

His eyes flicked to the walls, noting the furrows along the walls of the tunnel. One of his ears flicked back and he glanced to the older woman once more. "Are there… any large tunneling beasts in the lands of Auster? It seems like something massive made these tunnels by moving through the earth. Perhaps its digging is also the source of tremors and destabilization of the ground?"

One moment they were gathering together and the next the tunnel was giving away. Gavroche scrambled away, desperate to find an escape, but he was soon falling, dirt and rocks striking him on the way down. Thankfully he's only received bumps and bruises from this collapse, but it took him several long moments to drag himself free. Shaking dirt free of his coat, he made his way over to the other three. Ulfr had given his name, and Gav spoke quietly. “Gavroche.” His gaze turned to the tunnel.

The dragging marks were concerning. Something huge had to be here. “It did not appear to be Auster specifically but..something strange like this happened before. I ended up in an ice cavern, and a great worm awaited me at the end.” He furrowed his brow. “My grandmother encountered one in lava… I can't say for sure if this is related… there are no guides here as there were before, either. But given the dragged marks we will want to keep our guard up…” He was focused more on the tunnels than the group. If something came back this way he wanted to be ready to fight.

"Speech," 'Thought.'

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Ouch!

The air is filled with dirt that doesn't seem to fully settle before the section of tunnel they had stopped in begins to shake. The ground beneath them suddenly buckles, dirt and debris shifting and sending Noor plummeting down a few feet. Though she manages to catch herself on the edge of the floor and pull herself upright- hopefully with the help of her companions- a sharp piece of stone strikes her on the right back flank, creating a sharp gash there that oozes blood and will surely scar.

It's obvious to the group they cannot wait around, but must keep moving further.

Another wolf joined their group, a little winged creature named Gavroche. He'd explained that he'd come across strange worms before. One in ice and his grandmother meeting one in lava. Ice worms he could maybe believe but lava worms? A brow raised uncertainly. Well, either way it did seem there was some large creature making these tunnels and a large worm wasn't out of the question. "Can't say I fancy the idea of becoming worm food." He started to head to the side of the tunnel when the ground suddenly buckled. He froze instinctively, head whipping toward the others as he saw the woman his age start to fall.

Úlfr leapt forward, attempting to grab her scruff so he could hopefully help pull her back up to where the others were standing. The longer they waited the more unstable it seemed these tunnels would get. They needed to find a way out of here quickly.

As the quartet stood there, pondering and trying to figure out where to go, the earth rumbled beneath their paws. Again the ground collapsed, taking the frightened girl with it. Úlfr leaped forward quickly, his reflexes better than Isa's. The blue woman was right behind him though. As he fought to pull the girl back to the surface, Isa was ready to grab her as well once she was within reach.

Seconds ticked away like an eternity and the old fae once again felt that sense of finality. "We need to get out of here. Perhaps we should find a way to dig up and out?" Icy eyes looked at the roof of the tunnel before she cut her gaze towards the winged boy. "Stay close, Gavroche. With things going as they are, it would be easy to get separated from the group."

"Speech"

The group cautiously advances forward, though before long the tremors begin once again. Gavroche II speculates on the cause, and it isn't long before his worst fears come true; an explosion of dust and debris is sent airborne just ahead of them in the narrow tunnel. The vibrations grow stronger, until the air begins to clear, revealing an absolute monstrosity to the group, one that stands far taller than any of the adventurers.

Its body undulates as it emerges. Its head, adorned with a ring of fleshy, petal-like appendages, twitch toward the group. The pupil of its massive, glossy eye spins erratically, as if searching desperately for something to focus on. Finally it grows focused, the air momentarily growing still and silent.

The worm begins to move toward them, scraping along one edge of the cavern wall and sending a dreadful sound echoing in the enclosed space. Its movements are slow enough, but its intent clear- it means violence.

Noor startled as a paw reached out for one of her own, wide eyes swinging towards the older blue woman. It took a moment for her words to actually process but as they did Noor tried her best to follow along, to try and get her breathing back under control.

"Noor."

She managed breathily after everyone else had already introduced themselves. She was starting to get her panic under control, focusing instead on paying attention to what the others were saying. Yes, they needed to get-

The ground shook beneath them and Noor felt herself falling again, debris scraping along her body, a hot flash of flame along her right flank. Noor more felt the grip on her scruff than see any of the others jump to action, she tried to push herself back up, tried to help her rescuer instead of hindering them. Once her paws were back on relatively solid ground Noor gave the man who'd called himself Ulfr a thankful nod, not trusting her voice right now. Noor swallowed the lump in her throat and pushed forward with the group, trying to ignore the red hot pain in her flank even as she was keenly aware of the warm sensation of blood.

Noor didn't like how long the tunnel seemed to stretch before them, unfortunately they were about to have their path be interrupted. It almost happened faster than Noor could understand, one moment the dark tunnel, the next debris and dust and something large and moving. Noor hadn't really put much stock into the worm idea, that would be ridiculous... Right? Now as it spun an eye towards them Noor felt the panic starting to rise again. She froze for a second, then instinct took over and a growl ripped through her throat, fangs bared and body settling into something that spoke of violence in turn. Though she darted her gaze around, knowing she wasn't really a fighter and waiting for a signal, a sign, something.

"Talk"

The tunnel shook again, more violently this time, and thankfully Ulfr and Isa were fast enough to catch the fae, Noor, before she plummeted to her doom. Unease stirred in Gavroche’s belly, and little did he know that danger was just waiting to surface. The tremors come again and the tiny wolf braces himself. This time, he has a gut feeling, there will be no negotiating passage. His fears come to life as a beast emerges.

This one is different from the worms he and his grandmother faced. Gavroche rounds on it with a growl. This one seems a threat and immediately Gavroche’s gaze hones in on its eye. “Fall back, watch its movements and if you get the chance blind it!” It would be dangerous to simply charge ahead, but if he got an opening he was going for it. For now he backpedaled, ears pinned, eyes narrowed, and teeth bared as he growled at the beast that advanced on them.

"Speech," 'Thought.'

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After Ulfr has successfully pulled the younger fae back to the surface, a name was given. Noor. Isa offered the gold marked fae a reassuring smile but all of that was soon washed away as the tunnel rumbled once more. Pebbles and chunks of dirt danced along the floor of the tunnel, vibrations rippling through the ground. The reason why soon showed itself.

Erupting from below came a massive... something. It looked kind of like a worm, but there was a flared opening at its head and a great eye within. The orb roiled and shifted, looking about until it settled upon the quartet of wolves. Surprisingly, Noor stepped forward, a growl rippling from a throat that had formerly been frozen in fear. She'd just met the fae, but Isa was proud.

The cobalt and ice woman stepped forward as well, her own growl ripping from her throat as hackled raised. She wasn't the most skilled fighter, but she could do it when necessary. She would fight now if her old bones would cooperate. All thoughts of finding Sirius were gone. All that she had was here and now. She would protect those around her to the best of her ability, or she would die trying.

Hefting one of the many stones within one paw, Isa chucked it with all of her strength at the worm. Her aim was true and it struck the beast in its big, peering eye. Isa danced to the side, trying to pull the worms attention away from the other three and onto herself. They were young and still full of life. She was not and had lived a good, full life. If she could save them by sacrificing herself, then she would do so. Hopefully none of them were feeling brave and realized what she was doing so that her efforts wouldn't be wasted.

"Speech"

Úlfr managed to catch the girls scruff and with the aid of the older woman, pull her back onto solid ground. He gently released his grip and nodded as the elder spoke. "Agreed. No good can come from going deeper in these tunnels, we need to get out." He turned to start navigating up the fallen rocks and debris toward the thin shaft of light when the ground shook violently once more. This time the echoes of shifting rock seemed much closer. Deeper in the narrow tunnel a massive, grotesque worm with one eye emerged. "Fucking shit!" He snarled as he stared at the beast, swiftly moving to join the women, his hackles and fur standing on end as he tried to make himself look as big as possible. The corner of his lips turned up just slightly. "What horror do the gods place before us? What challenge do they ask us meet?"

He stepped forward, ears pinning to his head, shoulders rolling forward as his neck scrunched back. The older woman cast a stone at the creature, nailing it in the eye. Her motion of self-sacrifice went un-noticed for Úlfr could hear the songs of his ancestors and he kicked of hard, darting in the opposite direction of Isa, hoping the worm's attention would be on her.

Úlfr leapt for the right-most petal of the worm's head, aiming for the base of it by the hook. He aimed to get a hold and forcefully pull it back. At the same time his ravens swooped in, aiming to use their talons to slash the eye in a hit and run attack.

The worm's eye rolls around, eyeing each wolf in turn. Most stood, startled, snarling, trying to come up with a course of action. Sneaking around, planning.

Isa did not wait.

The worm did not wait.

The stone thunked against the glistening orb. The eye, or so the wolves thought. What they took for an eye was glistening lips, folding back four-fold to reveal a mouth with circles of sharp, hungry teeth. The real eyes remained, small, beady, innumerous around the edge of what was now revealed to be a mouth.

Úlfr launched onto the right petal, the skin thick and blubbery, bending, but not yet breaking against his fangs. The ravens clawed, but the worm, unfettered, launched at its initial assailant.

It curved down towards Isa. She'd have seen every one of its eyes, the drops of digestive fluid on its true mouth, its sharp, voracious teeth.

All four petals snapped shut, tossing Úlfr onto the ground, his teeth ripping through the flesh. Inside the closed quarters, a terrible crunch, grinding.

Was that the rocks?

The worm righted itself, both sets of petaled appendages flinging open again. Hungry. Unsatisfied.

Isa was gone.

It focused its attention on the wolf and its ravens. It shrieked and the caverns rumbled with its might.

Rearing once more, the beast launches at Úlfr, teeth dripping, deep red with slate fur. It was agitated, no- now it was truly angry .

It had all happened so fucking fast, she was finding her nerve the next thing she knew the older woman was rushing towards the worm trying to draw its attention? A second body leaped into the fray and Noor was working up the courage to become the third when it happened.

One moment Isa, the kindly older woman ,was drawing the worm's attention. The next she was simply... Gone. Viscera the only sign she'd even been there before. And then the panic hit. Noor fought to stay standing as her legs felt like they had lost all their bones and her stomach roiled. Fable would never forgive her if she puked up the little decent food she'd had up until a day or so ago.

An instinct stronger than aggression, than a desire to defend herself was kicking in and Noor was moving before she even registered what she was doing. She was running. Turning tail and fleeing. Her mind was a blind panic, she just needed to get out, had to flee until that thing couldn't find her anymore. She was running. It was what she knew best. She'd been running for a long time now. Didn't make her any less of a coward. Just made being a coward who she was. And like always she couldn't help the guilt, she was abandoning the group. Selfish.

"Talk"

His call for them to fall back, to watch before acting, fell on deaf ears. He’d mentioned fighting a worm before; wouldn’t the others have trusted him to know they were dangerous? To not charge in willy nilly? But no, both Isa and Ulfr charged the beast and Gav called out in warning. “Don’t!” His eyes went wide in horror, watching as what they had all thought was an eye opened to reveal rows of teeth. His blood ran cold, everything seeming to slow down as he watched the beast descend.

One moment the slate fae was there, and the next… she was a bloodstain…

A mix of feelings arose in Gavroche then, but the dominant one of anger boiled to the surface. Isa was gone, Ulfr tossed to the side, and Gavroche wasn’t about to let another wolf become a victim if he could help it. With a roar, Gavroche lept headlong toward the worm as the other femme turned tail and raced past him. He couldn’t run now. One life had been taken, and it was clear they would either fight or die. “Bastard!” Gav screamed, hoping to draw the beast’s attention to him.

He was a smaller target. It left him vulnerable if caught, but that also made him a harder target to pin down. Gav kept himself low, lunging for the beast’s body where little lumps - legs perhaps? - were spread out along the body on either side. Grasping one of those with dexterous front paws, Gavroche snapped his jaws down onto the beast’s thick body and bit down as hard as he could. First he was going to get his hold, then he was going to shred this damned beast for what it’d done to the poor woman.

Her sacrifice wouldn’t be in vain if he had anything to do about it.

"Speech," 'Thought.'

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Úlfr's fangs latched onto the right petal of the worm's flesh. His paws scrambled to get him stabilized but the bite was far from satisfying. It's thick, blubbery skin wasn't pierced and suddenly he was moving. The worm dove down and before anything coudl be done it curved down around the old woman and in a moment it petals shut violently, tossing Úlfr down. He hit the dirt and immediately rolled back onto his feet, ignoring the bruising that would surely form down his back. His teeth had managed to rip through the creatures flesh from the momentum, but it was too little too late. The older woman was gone. No doubt ingested by the beast.

Used to death and battle, Úlfr kept his focus. It shrieked and the cave rumbled. As the worm dove for him Úlfr charged forward, seeking to dive off to his left (the creature's right), his head twisting in toward the beast as he sought to dig into the flesh he'd previously torn, hoping catch flesh and to worsen the wound as the worm dove past.

At the same time he charged his ravens took to the top of the cavern toward a sharp stalactite hanging precariously from the ceiling. They pecked at it furiously, wings beating, talons slashing til at last it was freed and sent spiraling down.

The worm, fully focused now on Úlfr and Gavroche, only pays the fleeing Noor brief attention.

Gavroche II launched at his base, grabbing hold of one of its bulbous little prolegs. Try as it might, it isn't able to wiggle them out of his grasp, letting out a rumbling cry of pain as the two wolves begin to strike with fury. Úlfr seeks to worsen the wound he'd already created, the blubbery flesh finally giving way beneath his jaws. A thick, viscous substances begins to pool out, threatening to choke Úlfr in the process.

His ravens manage to send a stalactite crashing down- it plunges deep into the beast's unsuspecting head.

The pain causes the worm to begin to buck and flail, crashing backwards through the narrow tunnel as it lets out a guttural screech. The worm's frantic movements send tremors rippling out as it thrashes wildly, the ground beginning to tremble.

Loose stones and dirt cascade down from the walls and ceilings- and suddenly, with one massive lurch, the beast crashes to the side, causing a jagged fissure in the cave wall. A slow spout of water begins to trickle into the cave, though the wall bulges against the pressure- a sure sign it could erupt at any moment.

(Gavroche II finds an item, 5% Bonus Fight Score Pass, it has been added to your OOC account!)

Úlfr felt a temporary thrill as his fangs tore at the creature's flesh, finally causing it to give way. Thrill was swiftly placed with disgust as a thick substance began to seep from the wound. It filled his mouth, forcing him to release his hold and spit out the horrendous tasting liquid. As he did so he attempted to dig in the the blades that adorned the back of his bladed bracers deep into the worm's flesh, hoping to stabilize himself for another attack. The move came not a moment to soon for his ravens managed to loosen a stalactite and it crashed into the worm's skull, sinking deep and causing the worm to flail. It writhed with abandon, slamming into the walls, sliding backwards with an echoing shriek.

Úlfr did all he could to hold on, jaws seeking flesh once more if just for the added hold. He could barely focus on what was happening. Rocks were striking him, beating down on his body and all he could thing to do at this point was endure.

Suddenly the worm threw itself sideways, causing a loud crack to echo through the already chaotic space as a fissure raced up the wall. Alas Úlfr was too focused on just hanging on for the moment to realize that water was beginning to leak into their finite space…

Their attacks are relentless.

Úlfr’s ravens send a stalactite crashing down into the worm and with a horrid screen it begins to buck and flail. Though Gav had been attempting to bite and tear through the worm with his fangs, the movement is too much and the winged wolf kicks away from the worm before its thrashing sends him flying. He hits the ground hard, finding it hard to steady himself as the world around him shakes. Loose stones and dirt fall upon him, some hitting with enough force that Gavroche is certain there would be bruising to tend to later. His green eyes flick around to find Úlfr. Thankfully he is still standing. The other wolf, Noor, has seemed to have fled without daring to turn back.

As the earth tentatively settles Gavroche looks back toward the worm and notices the wall beyond it. His ears pin, eyes widening as he notices the slick look of the wall… the stream of water. Shit. The wall bulged, suggesting a great deal of pressure beyond it. They needed to think fast. When that burst it was going to wash them out… and quite possibly drown them. But… the worm was the biggest thing in the room. Perhaps they could use it as a life raft of sorts? A dangerous one, but Gavroche was willing to take whatever chance he needed to survive.

“Get on the worm!” He barks at the other male as he races towards the beast again. His thoughts are on survival. He leaps for the body of the worm and using both dexterous digits and claws he begins to climb. Divinities help him, he doesn’t want to die today.

"Speech," 'Thought.'

table coding by bunni ♥