Beat felt so small in this strange new world. The home that he once knew had seemed to melt away around him, some odd earthen creation rising in its place. First it had been the stone spires, now there were odd ripples and rises in the land that promised something more was to come. Beat had to know. The black and white brute moved to the Shore, ears flexing this way and that as he listened to the awful churning, groaning sound coming from beneath the ground. It was as though there were massive worms under his paws. His imagination got the better of him and, in his minds eye, he saw massive sand worms forcing their way through the sand and dirt just below his paws. There was a strong compulsion within the old man. Dig. Dig. Dig. Dig. And so, Beat settled his weight and began fervently pulling away scoop after scoop of earth. He would dig until his paws bled if that's what it took to figure out this mystery. "Beat"

Somewhere in all of the mass confusion, Gypsy had lost track of Gem. Waves of wolves had traveled from Boreas to Auster at the mention of some new anomaly. The old blind woman found herself in the company of another elderly wolf and together they made their way to the Shimmering Shore.

Beat informed her of what he saw and the amaranthine fae's brow furrowed, a frown forming on her delicate features. He suggested that they dig, as others around them were doing the same. Gypsy sighed, but came in close enough that her hip touched his. Then she began digging as well, though there was less of a fire lit under her own tail.

"Gypsy"

**Gypsy's past is full of some extreme abuse. Be warned.**

Indigo may enter any of Gypsy's threads as he sees fit.

The general consensus of the wolves around her was to dig, so Taiga dug. The lioness' massive paws made short work of the sandy loam, each scoop of earth taking the feline deeper and deeper into the ground. It seemed as though all of them were infected with some need. Some impulse. They needed to know what lay beneath. Taiga could feel a deep rumbling in the earth and, for the first time, that little tick of anxiety began within her mind, warning her to tread carefully. There was danger ahead. "Speech"

What did a horse know about digging holes? Asa knew a little bit about a lot of things, so of course she was ready to leap in and dig with the rabble, err... the wolves. And was that a cat? Strange place, this. Who was she to say anything against it though? She was digging as well! Asa found her own little place, fiery eyes scanning those around her. Everyone seemed to be focused on the ground and no one seemed focused on one another. Wouldn't it be so easy to just... stampede right through them. Catch a few little doggies on her antlers? Crush a few under her hooves? Ah, but she mustn't. Right? The nightmare reared up, coming down hard upon a particularly pesky chunk of earth. Her efforts busted the hardened dirt and stone wide open and she continued to scrape deeper and deeper into the ground. Oooo, what would they find?! It was all so terribly exciting. "Asa" "Orcish"

Úlfr couldn't turn up much of an answer during his exploration of the spires. He had a few theories but it was hard to confirm any. As if to make things even stranger he heard from his ravens that strange channels had appeared in the Auster lands. More oddities connected with something going on under the ground. Well, he wasn't going to just sit here and wait for whatever was going on to find him. No, he was going to go meet this strangeness head on. So gathering his armor, weaponry, and a small bundle of supplies he headed southward.

It didn't take him long to find others, in fact he stumbled upon a rather motley crew of a pair of wolves, an absolutely massive cat and an antlered horse. "Do you dig to find the source of that sound? If so, please, let me lend my paws. I would like to know what lays in wait beneath." Moving toward the oldest wolf he set his bundle aside and began to dig. His large paws scooped at the earth, claws digging hard as he kicked the earth out.

The strange tremors had drawn everyone out in force. Heading south, it's not a long walk. Surely shorter than whatever the boys were doing around Glowshroom Cavern, Wake turns and heads toward the shaking. An origin point? Maybe. A long sip from his flask as he plods down, anything to make the walk feel shorter. Right, it's not so bad, if he doesn't think about it too hard.

No time for thinking. As he spots the gathering of wolves and... not wolves? Okay, wolves and not wolves it is, Wake moves to join them. "So we're uh. Digging for the source or somethin'?" He shrugged, took another sip from his flask. Good enough. Without hesitation, he joins in the digging.

"Wake"

Tate hadn't been back long when the tremors came. Barely recovered from his last trip to see Sedna, barely pulling himself back together. The weight of it was heavy on his chest, heavy in his head. Was that really the last time he'd see his mother? A grim reality, spreading over the boy in a way he doesn't know how to confront. Hell, he's far more a man than a boy, at this point. Shit. Is that what it means? Is this what it means to be a man?

Too many things going on between his ears, but still so much to be done. Scouting what had caused the tremors, the ones that only grew stronger as he moved north, was at least enough to keep his mind busy. Inland from the water, he finds the strange conglomeration. So many different wolves, predators, prey animals even... they're all digging. Not feeling like his usual, social self, Tate simply finds a spot along the strange crack in the earth and joins in. Digging away.

"Tate"

Kuroki wasn't much a fan of these changes; the whole red sky gave an end of the world vibe he couldn't say he was keen on. But even then he was laid back enough, he'd beaten the snot out of a giant, lava dripping worm this time last year, if he was strong and awesome enough for that then how bad could this be? Though then again, it was kinda odd that things kept happening around about now, almost as if this time of year coincided with some sort of...spooky season. Weird indeed.

During his ambling, not quite investigating cause he wasn't entirely committed, he came across a diggy-group of wolves...and a very large cat. Now, he'd never been one swayed by peer pressure and rarely fell in line but....He felt like he ought to have a rummage too, a niggling thought, not a suggestion but an urge, almost.

"Is it better to dig with toes splayed or not?"" He asked the others as he kicked and scrambled, digging clumps of dirt with each scoopful, eagle talons leaving raking grooves in the earth.

Ouch!

Gypsy digs and digs, and when the ground finally collapses, they fall down to the winding tunnels below, suffering a sprained paw in the process.