Artorias had set out for the strange new land while Dusk was out on patrol. Internally she was livid that he'd gone without her, but externally she was cool, calm and collected. She'd learned that showing her anxiety physically upset others and made them worry, and making others worry about her was the last thing that Dusk wanted.

A few others had been late to the party as well and had wanted to join her. Dusk had already strapped on her armor and donned Whisper. She was ready to head out and wasted no time, throwing herself into a distance eating lope. Perhaps they could catch up with her father's party.

The land changed and, before they even came close, Dusk could see the spires reaching up into the sky like giant, boney spikes. Her pace slowed as they neared. Coming to one of the stone spires, Dusk gave it a sniff. It didn't smell like much of anything other than old, musty earth. Lifting her prehensile tail, the obsidian woman cast a cutting blow towards the stone with her weapon, Whisper creating sparks as metal scraped over the stone.

"Dusk Carpathius"

If Vendrick had asked, they probably would have said no. It's the reason he hadn't left with his father's scouting party, hell, the reason he hadn't even inquired about it. Ven would wait it out, see if there was anyone else going. While he wouldn't explore the strange happenings alone, he was more than curious about the strange skies and tremors in the night. Catching Dusk donning her armor, Vendrick is quick to leave on her heels. He wraps himself quickly in spares from the armory, the leather cuirass admittedly ill-fitting. Cinching it down as tight as it would go, he still feels out of place in it. Better safe than sorry.

The borrowed dagger feels strange in his grip as well, but Vendrick pushes the thoughts from his mind. Moving in stride with his sister, he keeps a steady eye on the yawning maw opening before them. There's a deep sense of foreboding in the air, the young man sticking close to his sister. Head on a swivel. Something is happening here, and he doesn't like it. Not at all.

A deep pit in his stomach forms as he tries to conceal the flinch that follows as Dusk swings on the spire. Trying to steady his breathing, trying to remind himself that they're here for data. His father's party wouldn't be far off, either, if things really hit the fan. Carefully, he moves to sniff at the blasted earth. It's musty, and it seemed that nothing grew here. "It doesn't smell... new. Doesn't look it either. But here we are." Vendrick speaks softly, tone hushed. It felt oddly necessary, even if they were in the midst of chaos. Studying the soil with great intent, but still holding tightly to his finesse weapon.

"Vendrick Carpathius"

His work in the green house kept his attention a little too long and by the time he was leaving his plants behind the scouting party his father was leading was already well on their way out of the territory. At first he just told himself that it was probably better that some of them stay behind to guard the castle anyway, but then he spotted Dusk getting ready to head out herself and he made that his excuse to go and satisfy his curiosity. By the time he grabbed Firekeeper and his armor and ran down to the courtyard Vendrick had fallen in with Dusk as well and the siblings were on their way to see what all the fuss was about. Everything was definitely unsettling and spooky, that was for sure.

He could see the towering spires of stone before they even reached the edge of this new place. Or was it new? When they began to get closer and slow down their pace to examine the area everything looked old, but from what he had heard no one had ever seen it before. Vendrick looked more nervous than he felt, but even he had to admit that this was the first time he felt like he really needed to pull his axe from its holster on his back. He glanced over toward his brother as he mentioned how the smell of this place didn't smell new and Solaire had to nod in agreement. "It's like it was here all along, but we didn't know it somehow," he said softly back, stepping forward cautiously and keeping a keen eye on their surroundings.

"Solaire Carpathius"

Solaire and Vendrick spoke softly as though afraid to make too much noise in the odd place, but the strangeness only made Dusk angry. It felt like some sort of trap. Wolves from near and far had come to this place to investigate. What an easy way for someone or something to ambush them and take them all out. Needless to say, Dusk was on high alert.

"Stay close," she warned her brothers, obsidian coat bristling slightly as another unearthly wail worked its way towards them. "We should keep moving towards the center to see if we can find the first scouting party." She wanted to tell them not to touch anything, but she wasn't their mother. At the moment, she was simply their protector, their sister.

"Dusk Carpathius"

Solaire completes their little party, and Vendrick would be hard pressed to admit that he didn't feel at least a bit safer. The three move carefully through the strange environment in time, though he's careful not to stray. Jumpy. He's a bit jumpy, to be honest, but put on his bravest face for the occasion. Carefully moving around the spires, getting the best look he can at each detail. He'd draw them later, commit them to memory, and this is the first step.

The carvings are grotesque, like something out of the scariest books in their library. Deeply unsettling, especially as Vendrick looked closer. Leaning in, peering at them steadily. It's not until the infernal shrieking splits the eerie calm that he looks up, hackles rising under the ill fitting cuirass. Close behind Dusk, the boy gives a nod. "The carvings, they're like something out of a freaky book," a shiver coursing down his spine, taking a moment to sniff at the earth beneath their paws.

"Tracking sucks in here." A low grumble, though he pads after Dusk. His voice remained hushed, like he was afraid to make too much noise, or draw too much attention to them. Who knew what lurked beyond the shadows, within this strange, blasted land.

"Vendrick Carpathius"