The Unraveling - Going Deeper
The world, once again, begins to tremble. It happens slowly at first, then all at once. The frozen ground shudders under the strain of the quaking, shattering the quiet of the north with echoing cracks and booms that fill the air with each subsequent tremor. The series of earthquakes causes the frozen ground to splinter, cracks appearing in the ice and branching out as far as the eye can see. Shards of ice erupt into the air, mixing with clouds of dirt and snow and obscuring the vision of everyone nearby.
When the visibility begins to return, a gaping crevasse beneath the surface of the ship's hull is revealed. Cold rushes up from the deep depths, carrying with it an eerie, unnatural hum- something from deep below. The sound is rhythmic, almost enchanting in its repetition, but this much is obvious- there is certain danger lurking deep beneath the ice.
Danger is imminent! Posting in this thread can cause minor or moderate injuries, up to minor/moderate maims, or other bad, temporary effects to characters. Only one character per player; characters involved in the deeper shimmering shore exploration threads cannot attend.
If he was going to be traveling out to where the nasty infected animals were, he should probably bring more than just a raven or two of his mothers, but where was the fun in that? He’d been to this boat before anyway, and he was growing up… He might not be a year yet, but he was already bigger than some of his siblings and certainly capable of taking care of himself! Well, that’s what he liked to think anyway.
As he approached the shore the ship was beached on, although still a ways out, the shaking of the ground was unmistakable. Dracun braced as the ground roared, gritting his teeth in mild annoyance but his ominous eyes read nothing but curiosity. What was going on? Did it have anything to do with the ship? Dracun waited for the world to stop rattling before closing the distance between himself and the ship just in time to see another descend into the cave. He tilted his head briefly and looked around, for any other signs of strange happenings and when he found nothing of immediate interest, he followed the unknown man into the cave.
He’d never seen anything like it and the only time he felt the world shake so strongly had been when those spires erected themselves. Was this all connected? It had to be. Approaching the other now, but while still a few paces away, Dracun let out a soft sound to announce his presence before speaking. ”This is new, yes? Wasn’t here the last time I came to the ship,” he said as he looked around and came to stand next to the stranger.
Ririka
Beginner Hunter (0)
Beginner Healer (0)
1 Year
Female
9
Seadragoness
Ririka had finally escaped the paws of the beast that had taken her. She fled without looking back, racing across the earth as if the hounds of hell themselves were after her. Her heart beating wildly in her chest, until a gaping crevice in the ice calls to her. She dove inside, and finally took a moment to take stock. She had made it, she had made it.
She gave herself a short moment, and then started to move again. Encountering two other wolves as she did so. The once brave, adventurous girl flinched at the sight of them. Could either of them be there on behalf of her monster?
Rumor spread fast as wildfire through the land. First the underground tunnels in Auster, then the spires in Boreas that soon led the reveal of sickly animals. Not just sick, but really sicker. Sicker than he had ever seen an animal be before. Even if he hadn't participated in the hunts, he watched from the shadows. His heterochromatic eyes near unblinking as animals were pried open to reveal worms, rocks, bones, and dirt. Various stages of death and decay sweeping over their body. Scald would have believed it could send shivers down his spine if the ground itself hadn't began to tremble. Leaning firmly against a tree as the ground continued to quake and dust obscured his vision, Scald waited. He waited until the snow and ice and dust cleared to reveal the large crevasse now below the ship's hull. He waited more, against that tree, to see who would approach. Brave souls curious to where it led. Part of him screamed to leave, but the other part of him told him he needed to figure it out too. Stepping forward, Scald made his way to the large opening. His eyes sweep over the others gathered, a silent nod in their directions. "It appeared suddenly. It is new," he speaks in fluid, accented tones that are holding back what he truly feels. Fear. With a clearing of his throat, he continues deeper. Always looking, observing, seeing the formation for what it truly was. A trap. |
Beat, old and tired, followed his paws north, coming upon a group of wolves moving towards an old shipwreck that he'd visited in his youth. He'd slept through the explosion that he heard the others talk about. It was something you did when you were old. His old teal and purple eyes did see the gaping hold beneath the wreck, however. Padding forward, the wiry old man peered down into the hole. "It's definitely new," he replied, agreeing with the colorful brute. Beat's dark nose quivered as he scented the cold, musty air drifting up from the tunnel. Then, without further ado, he stepped into the tunnel and began moving down underground. The ground thrummed beneath his paws and there was an odd sound emanating from deep within. Reckless to press on, but what did he have to lose? "Beat"
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Ravana crouched low to the ground, her wide lilac eyes narrowed as she waited for the ice and snow and metal to settle. Chaos, the shuddering, breaking beneath her paws; it was as if the world itself was cracking open just to entertain her. Or this ship at least. Her heart quickened at the sight of the gaping crevasse, the dark abyss below, chilling and irresistible. Wow…
As the mist of ice and dirt began to settle, she noticed, faintly, the presence of strangers gathered around, their bodies tense and their eyes fixed on the black pit. But what caught her attention next was not them—it was a voice, familiar, slicing through the echoes.
Turning sharply, she spotted Dracun among the strangers. A slow, curious smile crept over her muzzle as she padded closer to him, her footsteps light, half hoping to sneak up on him. She tilted her head, her voice a murmur only for him, "Isn’t it pretty?" Ravana took a step closer, her fascination with both Dracun and the strangers momentarily sidetracked by the rhythmic hum seeping up from the depths below. The sound was hauntingly beautiful, calling to her in a language she barely understood, and she wondered if Dracun could feel it too.
Rhazien knew of the earthquakes occurring in the South and Auster- tremors strong enough to swallow a beach whole, trapping wolves in an abyss of subterranean labyrinths. A crimson sky had persisted for weeks now, and a new domain appeared overnight in the South, boasting strange, spear pillars with markings etched into them. The events were ominous no doubt- perhaps, even foreboding. As if the world around them was about to evolve into an environment unfit for life.
But for the majority of the season, the Northern region had been spared from the ethereal occurrences in the South- but that didn’t last long. Sources informed him of diseased herds running ramped around the hull of the S.S. Antiox- an ancient landmark directly above the Spare Pines. Which was worrisome, for obvious reasons. Morbidly curious, and protective of the kingdom they’d built, Rhazien set out that morning, searching for answers.
He’d just left the Sparse Pines, and entered the tundra when the tremors started. They were subtle at first- a faint hum of thunder rolling in the far distance. But then, a deep, rumbling growl resonated from the earth, shaking the silence of the frozen world. The ground heaved beneath the weight of centuries-old ice, the tundra groaning and splitting, ice fissures tearing open, sending waves of snow cascading down from the towering ship. Shards of ice erupted into the air, clouding the area's visibility. Rhazien braces himself, leaping across fissures and dark plumes of powdery dust, until he finds himself standing in front of the ship's hull.
Other wolves were congregating inside of the ship's hull- and two of them, were pups from The Syndicate. Dracun and Ravana. Rhazien doesn’t hesitate- he enters the hull with a sense of purpose, gravitating to the pups until he is looming beside them. The instinct to protect them is visceral- or, perhaps, he is simply possessive over The Syndicate’s next generation of prodigies. Especially Ravana. "Dracun, Ravana.” He hums, moving in closer, his stance widening, as he angles his body toward the pups. Asserting himself as their protector. His gaze shifts to the gathering crowd, and he assesses them, one by one, focusing on details others might miss. Searching for any indications of danger.
Sedna
Master Intellectual (240)
Master Healer (240)
Chaotic
8 Years
Female
35
NachoMumma
Staying in the North seemed to make the most sense for now. Sedna had run into Víðarr and decided to stay in the same general vicinity. Something was off on a more global scale, but it didn't stop her from holding a soft spot for the old viking...
Not that she could talk, she was no spring chicken herself anymore. The cold wasn't the kindest to her joints but after the hunt she had stuck around, keeping half an eye on the prey animals in this area to try and get to the bottom of their affliction. It hadn't been maggots to crawl from the wounds of the downed but fully formed worms, and the stomachs of many of the animals were filled with dirt. When the earth seemed to shudder again, the cracking of ice ringing out across the field like a chiming bell, she made her way towards the ship, where others were already gathering.
Less interested in the appearance, and more captivated by the musical sound that came up from the earth, she forged on, ears turned forward and toes splayed to try and give her some purchase on the icy ground. The risk of future quakes was high, but the crevasse seemed sturdy enough... for now.
"speech"That eerie feeling becomes a lead weight of horror.
Cracks spiderweb their way out across the ice, reaching their thin tendrils out to where his white gloved paws hold fast to the ground. In the distance, he can barely make out the dot that marks the spot where the ancient metal skeleton lays beached when suddenly, a plume of dirt and snow shoots into the air and obscures the area. The rumbling subsides and Zeke releases his death grip on the icy ground while his sharp duel-toned eyes lock onto the area that is now hidden from view and he knows that he must inspect it.
Charging toward the cloud of debris, he notices several dots all having the similar idea and converging on the unknown. Having been further off, Ezekiel arrives after many wolves have already gathered and he notices Dracun and Ravana being watched over by Rhazien. A rhythmic sound is emanating from a new crevasse that opened and the soft groans of the fractured ice make him feel uneasy about staying out on it for too long.
Paying the other strangers no mind, he moves to join Rhazien and the pups, ears pinning back and head lowering slightly in a show of submission for the older man as he comes to stand with the little group. Softly he says, “Rhazien. What the fuck happened here?” Warily he keeps his eyes on the other strangers ready to intervene if they try to mess with any one of them.
Enyo prowled through the frozen landscape, her massive frame moving with a silent, ominous grace as she investigated the area around the ship. The bitter chill of the north was nothing compared to the simmering heat of her frustration. Their hunt had been a failure. She seethed inwardly, silently cursing the insolence and recklessness of the others. Had they simply followed her lead, the musk ox would have been trapped, studied, and properly disposed of. Instead, it had escaped, leaving her with nothing but the bitter aftertaste of failure.
There was a strange hum that rumbled through the ground, a haunting sound that seemed to echo from some unseen depths, and it piqued her curiosity despite herself. As she scanned the landscape, she noticed the other wolves gathering near the wrecked ship. A few familiar faces stood out in the group. Katsuro, with his fiery mane. Some others. She would pad closer, recognizing the pup.
The scent of Syndicate was thick in the air, and her sharp gaze shifted between the wolves, noting their presence. It seemed that brute Flare wasn't here so she had no reason to expect any drama. Besides, there were bigger issues at hand.
Yet, beneath the surface, Enyo felt an unsettling sensation gnawing at her. Her body was restless. It was as if her instincts were trying to warn her of something lurking just beyond her reach. She dismissed the feeling, her pride unwilling to admit any vulnerability. Perhaps it was her estrus cycle, but she wasn’t about to entertain the thought, especially not here, among Syndicate wolves and other strangers.
Ignoring the discomfort, she approached the gathered group with her head held high, her posture exuding confidence and authority. Her eyes swept over them, taking in the tension and curiosity reflected in their stances as they peered into the icy depths of the newly formed crevasse. The hum seemed to call from below, a haunting melody.
"Seems the earth itself is restless," she observed, her thick, velvety voice breaking the silence as she addressed no one in particular.
But as she looked down into the gaping maw of the crevasse, the unsettling feeling within her grew stronger, almost like a warning. The hum was louder here, almost palpable, vibrating through her bones. Whatever lurked below was unnatural. And though she would never admit it aloud, it made her uneasy.
Turning her attention back to the others, Enyo narrowed her eyes, masking her unease with a commanding stare. “Whatever lies beneath,” she murmured,"it’s no friend to us. This was where I saw the musk ox scratching."
"SPEECH"
ENYO IS FOR MATURE AUDIENCES! SHE OFTEN DEALS WITH SEXUAL THEMES, VIOLENCE, GORE, AND ABUSE.
Enyo's companions Foberos, a large peregrine falcon, & Atromitos, a large snowy owl, are to be assumed as with her at all times unless otherwise stated
Epimethius
Intermediate Fighter (55)
Advanced Hunter (75)
2 Years
Male
193
Medilic
Epimethius had followed Enyo, he had been disappointed in how the hunt had turned out. He wished he had done better, and wished the others would have listened. Let Enyo plan more, instead of rushing into it. He shook his head as he trailed up to her right, silent as he looked over the group gathered. Noting the familiar fire-colored wolf that had rushed into the fight. He did not hold grudges, and would simply shrug his shoulders as he looked over the rest of the group. There was a rancid scent that hung heavily on the air, a pack he did not recognize, but the scent wafted heavily in this space. He had come by it here and there but never took notice, until now. His eyes followed the scent as he took in the cluster, they weren't threatening in themselves but still. It made him slightly uncomfortable being around so many wolves from the same place, this wasn't a place that demanded you be respectful, peaceful, or at the least tolerable of one another. He listened as everyone spoke, catching the tail end of the conversation. He waited, flicking his ears to Enyo and listening to her as he continued scouting out the situation. The ground had shook and then a cavern had opened, which he concluded wasn't the strangest of things. It was rather normal for glaciers to be cut open, and it could be entirely too dangerous as well. His gaze cut back to the group after he assessed the cave as not being too big a threat. Right now at least. He took a step closer to Enyo, not quite brushing against her but close enough to whisper to her, "Are we to go inside the cave, Enyo? I will follow if you do." It was a silent way for him to show his loyalty to her, to show her that he was dedicated, and willing to do whatever the beast told him to. And that he would support her in any endeavors she found meaningful, no matter the danger or possible cost. "Talk"
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You're not feeling so well...
Medusa
Wraith
Master Fighter (699)
Master Hunter (325)
Saboteur
Bloodletter
7 Years
Female
206
Dragon Mod