Methodical waves, crashing against the shore at the base of Moontouched Cliffs, are intermittently broken up by something... unusual. Something large stirs beneath the water, sending massive waves cascading violently toward land.

Something monstrous begins to slowly surface from its depths, a dark shape swelling beneath the surface, water spilling over its head in a wide fountain as it rises.

A nightmare, dredged from the bottom of the sea, rises. Its head, smooth and thick like a beetle's exoskeleton, is encrusted with ancient barnacles. The smooth purple-blue surface of the creature's head reflects the moonlight in a shimmering array of colors. Thick, tangled strands of kelp and algae dangle from its antennae, some sliding down into the water as it continues to rise, towering as tall as any tree near the cliffside.

Its two beady eyes glisten with interest as its gaze finds land. Its gaze reveals a mindless hunger- it seems drawn toward the shore, and it moves with mindless impulse toward the shallows, unaffected by the waves that crash against its slick body.

With it comes a stench that can only be described as putrid. The reek of brine and rot fills the air, the nauseating scent of decomposing fish and seaweed rolling off its body in waves with each movement. Sludgy algae breaks free from its every crevice, worsening the already-pungent aroma as it draws closer to land.

Its spindly legs twitching and grasp blindly at the air, searching for something- anything- to grasp onto.

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 other worm fight threads cannot attend.

There'd been talk of worms. Everyone seemed to be afraid, but why? Senua knew worms. She knew how to get rid of worms. Everyone should know how to get rid of worms. Didn't their mothers teach them anything? Who knew how many days ago Senua had heard of worms. Could have been two days. Could have been a month. Who had told her anyway? Not me. Not you. Someone. Somewhere. The sillies were frightened. Scaredy kittens running from squirmy wigglers. Well, she could fix that.

It took some traveling and pilfering and sneaky sneaky business, but Senua crafted a nice little gifty for the raw and wriggling wormies. Into a cloth bag Senua stuffed her rather eclectic mashup of items. There were pumpkin seeds, thyme, mint, turmeric, chamomile, coconut fibers and more. The crafty little minx had the bundle soaking in apple cider vinegar. Tied up nice and tight, she meandered off in the direction that she thought one might find a worm.

A steady stream of creatures were moving in both directions like traffic. Some were obviously fleeing while others were making a beeline towards some place in the distance. With a little chortle, the wiry little wolf picked up the pace, her back paws not exactly paying attention to the rhythm of her front paws, thus making her movements look more like she was doing a jig than running. Up up up the cliffs she goes!

Having neared the scene, Senua's eyes went wide and she released a little cackle. "Ohhhh, it's a big one!" Shufflefooting up to the worm, she waited until it was distracted by some other creature and had its mouth opened wide. "Here ye go, wormus. A snack for ye!" Pulling the cloth sack of goodies out of the pot of apple cider, Senua chucked it with all of her might into the mouth of the warm, cindery wormy. With that done, she kicked the pot into the lava just to watch it melt, then cackled again and did a little shamble to take herself out of the worms reach. Only then did she sit down, pale eyes narrowed, and stare at the beast as though waiting for her magic to work.

Worms were... new.

Fireflies still interested him from time to time. Always a question at the back of his mind if the figure in the cloak will reveal himself. Thankfully he had yet to come across another stature. Ghoul wished to never see another one another day in his life. Never again. But worms? Giant, buggy, monstrous, putrid looking worms? Definitely new.

His bold ruby gaze stares at the thing with a wrinkle to his nose. The way it stares listlessly around it, searching, seeking for its next meal. Drool and goop dripping from its mandibles as if its hunger could not be satiated. Slowly, he walked toward it. Through the field of dying wildflowers, it all felt so surreal. Blood red sky, no moon drifting upward from the horizon, and that beast rising from the shore. Was this truly reality or merely a nightmare?

The pixie wolf that appeared nearby nearly spooked him, making him realize that this indeed was real. Frozen, watching, unable to look away, Ghoul sees the sachet of herbs sail through the air toward the worm's mouth. A brow raised, head turning toward the witch. Did she truly think that something such as plants would kill the worm? He nearly laughs.

It clearly wants to snatch one of them and eat it. That much is obvious. But how could he rid the world of this beast without killing many? It was a conundrum. A thoughtful hum lifts through his throat as he watches it for a moment longer. Perhaps... if he could get the worm back into the water, it would leave the land alone. Could it even go onto land or was it restricted to the water? Question after question.

Slowly approaching toward the edge of the cliff, Ghoul remains quiet. His steps are near silent as the wind rustles the grass around him. He nears the edge, staring at the worm who is practically as tall as the cliff. Looking into those beady eyes, he feels both terror and adrenaline surging through him. Nothing left to lose, nothing left to live for. "If you are hungry, take me," he growls loudly, shifting into a defensive position, ears folding back and fur bristling. If the worm takes the bait, he'll aim to leap and do something drastic.

GHOUL

table coding by bunni ♥

for clarity sake: ghoul and senua are at the TOP of the cliff - nyx has confirmed in discord the worm is roughly as tall as the cliff but the bottom of the worm is at the base of the cliff in the water.

Empousa headed in the direction of the cliffs, her memories her had been made rather fond as she thought of the sweet looking brown woman she had met last time here. Who was quick to warm up to her and how they had made their way to the island across the way, a small smile appeared on her lips. One that quickly faltered as her eyes locked onto the beast before her and the two wolves that had already engaged it. Empousa was usually keen to sit back and wait to see if it was worth advancing on something so dangerous. But tonight she threw caution to the wind, (just slightly) as she approached the pair and the rather odd-looking worm before them. She had heard passing whispers of strange things happening here, but this was the first thing she had really seen; that was actually worrisome anyway. Her ears pinned to her skull as she waited for the worm show any sign of descending upon any of them, staying a little further back then the rest. Trying to find a sign of any weakness, or blind spots it may have. "Speach"

Strange happenings continued throughout the world. When he'd finished setting up his latest experiment he gathered his things to do some exploring. It had been awhile since he'd explored the shimmering shore and he couldn't help but wonder if other areas along the ocean were experiencing the same phenomena, particularly in Boreas. Samiri clung to his back while Aster flew overhead, suddenly calling out to him as he arrived at the Moontouched Cliffs.

A massive, stinking creature, rose up out of the water. It as huge and seemed to be a type of invertebrate. The worm like creature had huge glistening eyes and algae clung to its frame. He'd never seen such a beast. He'd heard of the large and impressive creatures that dwelled in the ocean but this one he could not place. There were a few other wolves present and he approached cautiously, defenses set just in case.

He stopped near the earthen, marbled woman, his head tilting just slightly to the sighed as he eyed the creature before yelling out. "Greetings! Do you speak the common tongue?"

The small woman couldn’t help hanging around the cliffs where the unnamed man had perished since she has felt responsible for his death. Which means that Seere isn’t too far from them when the waves change as something underneath them disturbs their natural rhythm. Following the wolves who are already making their way up to the cliffs, she watches in silent horror as a strange head appears over the grass, its shiny beetle like exoskeleton reflecting the moonlight in a beautiful array of colors.

It is striking and terrifying, horror and beauty wrapped together in one massive body and, above it all, the putrid smell of death greets them. For a moment, Seere wonders if this the revenge of that man that had been condemned to death underneath the waves and she remembers how she wished for the gods to damn that entire group. Mismatched eyes watch as the different wolves approach it and throw things, offer themselves up, or just simply try to speak with it… and she knows what she has to do.

Small form is moving before she has time to talk herself down, slipping past the other wolves with easy as she moves up close to the edge, some distance away from the others since her words are not for their ears. Skidding to a halt, Seere looks up at the creature as its horrid aroma brings water to her eyes yet her voice soft and gentle as she says, “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you but this is not the answer. Please, please don’t do this. I cannot allow you to hurt anyone.”

With her piece said, she waits since she has connected this angry beast with the dead wolf in her own mind. Maybe this was the punishment of gods or maybe, it was just one doomed soul’s final curse on the land. Either way, the small monochrome woman is here to stop it.


"Seere Klein-Destruction"

Hala was always hearing about strange happenings taking place in Boreas and Auster. Although the woman rarely visited Auster, Boreas was her home. She had watched others gather and venture towards the cliffs. She decided why the hell not. What was going on to make everyone act strange. Some alliances being formed even if unspoken. Firey eyes dancing from face to face as she drew closer to the group. Her hair rising as words slipped out a little louder than she meant them too. "What the fuck...." The woman's ears laced back, as the females attention was trained on this what ever the hell you'd want to call it. Maybe her past was coming to haunt her but not in the way that she wanted it too? Who the hell known. Moving closer she seen the gigantic size of the creature who was just as tall as the cliff. Attention turning from wolf to wolf then the creature before them all.

"Hala Indigo"

Corvus hadn't explicitly said anything to his children about the strange happenings going on. These days, Corvus was just happy to still be alive. Though he still felt he was mourning the loss of Twig, he was grateful that some of his children still lived here in Avalon, and he never took a moment with them for granted. He preferred focusing on these positives, rather than the unknowns- he'd felt more than one earthquake in his time, some more devastating than others, but he'd survived all of them. He knew here his family was safe and sound, tucked into the cozy orchard and the range, safe from whatever harm was brewing outside their little safe haven.

Or so he thought.

Something stirred in the back of his mind, disturbing his already-restless sleep. The sun had just barely set, but something felt intrinsically wrong. It was the sort of paternal instinct he knew not to ignore. As he slowly rose and exited his den, he thought of his children. Some had left home awhile ago, but the absence of some others was.. unsuual. He hadn't seen Finch much these days- now that he really tried to count the days, he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her. Days? Weeks? He tried not to dwell on it for long. His children were grown, and had no need to check in with him more often than they wanted to. Surely she was fine, he tried to tell himself. She had to be.

But Jay? Where was she? Her scent led away from the Orchard and to the east, and he made to follow it.

She hadn't expressed any interest in going to investigate the oddities, but it seemed on this particular night she'd made the choice to head away from home. Farther than usual, he soon found, as he began to make the trek to Boreas's eastern coast. He was half-convinced that he was likely worrying for nothing, but he didn't mind an excuse to stretch his legs regardless. The world was peaceful tonight, too. Oddly quiet, the night sky bright despite being void of stars. He wondered if the blood-red sky would ever fade, or if this would be the new normal here.

Nearing the base of the cliffs, Jay's scent grew stronger. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore was loud, and his ears folded back as the sound of cascading water grew. He trekked closer to the water across the sand, taking an astonishingly long moment to register that something here wasn't quite right.

A monstrous thing towered over the water, reaching toward the cliffside. It was taller than any living thing he'd ever seen, dark and looming with beady eyes and strange twitching limbs. He'd never seen anything like it. The thing struck fear into his hard, nearly paralyzing him as he stood and gawked. A few wolves had noticed it too, and he heard some shouting from high above.

He didn't see anything except it and Jay, though, who stood far down the beach. She looked like she was studying the thing, but she was far too close for comfort.

"Jay! No!" His voice suddenly bellowed out, and Corvus broke out into a sprint. His paws kicked up a flurry of sand as he ran toward her, his heart beating hard in his chest. She'd always been so naive to the horrors of the world, so sheltered- surely she didn't know the danger this thing possessed. She hadn't been alive during the Long Night, she hadn't seen the destruction, the suffering...

He didn't want her to see this, either.

"Jay! Go home! Run!"

Everything about this beast was horrifying, even from a distance. The smell- Corvus couldn't even begin to register what it was. It was almost otherworldly, too terrifying to be a thing that existed on this plane.

It needed to die.

The knowledge was enough to rid Corvus of the fatigue that plagued his aging body these days. He ran as hard as his body would allow, his mind driven wild with panic. Jay noticed him, slowly at first, turning and slowly registering that he'd followed her here. The horror was written plainly on her face, only growing as the monstrous beast started to move toward her.

He knew what he had to do. Despite the panic that welled inside him, threatening to overtake him completely, Corvus knew he couldn't let his daughter die here.

"Go- home- now," he hissed sternly at her as he ran past, not stopping to see if she would protest. He knew she'd listen to him- she always had. He'd do anything for his children, especially to keep them safe. He heard his blood pounding loud in his ears, reminding him that he was still alive, that he could protect her. Maybe even all of them. Strangers littered the beach, voices rang out from overhead. He was a protector- it was all he'd ever been.

This was a threat that had to be dealt with, and swiftly. He tried not to imagine this monster making its way west, toward Avalon, toward those he loved most... he wouldn't let it. He had to try. He thought of his children, of his dear cousin, of all her sweet little children who hadn't even begun to really live their lives yet.

It was too soon.

With all the energy he could muster he sprinted into the water, ignoring the frigid cold and the way water sprayed up around him. He ran straight toward the beast, jaws parted as he kicked off and leapt as high as he could. His rage was unbridled and raw as he struck the thing, channeling every ounce of passion into his flurry of attacks, into his gripping claws and gnashing teeth. All the love and heartache he'd ever experienced came back to him. All the friends he'd loved and lost. All the family he'd mourned and missed. The terror he'd felt when he'd first learned Twig was pregnant, when he'd first laid eyes on his children and wondered how the hell he'd ever protect them from the world.

He loved them too much to let them suffer. It would be his dying wish to keep them safe- and he no longer feared death.

what i wouldn't give to be in church this sunday listening to the choir, so heartfelt, all singing She'd been restless the last few nights, unable to tear her eyes away from the reddened skies above. Thalia had taken to praying more often, more fervently than she had before, and most nights Theory joined her in earnest when before she had simply quietly observed. There had to be answers for why this was happening. She was a pragmatist, but even she had her limits. Earthquakes, wildfires, volcanos - all things she'd experienced in her lifetime. All predictable, natural disasters, borne of the elements themselves. The Long Night had defied her reasoning, even it it still had all of the elements of something borne from nature. Rocks. Mushrooms. Spirits... Her lost memories... Each thing drawing further and further away from the natural order of things. Spirits were comforting. She hoped to one day greet Shaye on the other side of her life, after all was said and done. Who could argue that there was no God in the face of all they had seen? And so the Long Night had cemented her decision. God was real. Abraxas was real. Her children would be raised in the faith and she would walk by their side, guided by the love of her life. They would make sense of this all together, as best as they could. Now that her children were just a little older, she ventured further from Avalon's lands than she had in a long time. It was brought on by Corvus' hurried departure, but she had lagged after him. She'd gone to visit him in the night and found him gone, his den nearly cold. It didn't take long to catch his scent, and she'd woken Thalia and told her she was going after him. Family was more important to her than ever, and she'd been a fool not to see how the last few years had aged them both. They had twin grizzled muzzles now, staring back at them like strangers when she caught glances of reflections of themselves in still water. How quickly time had passed. She still felt like the little girl Shaye had sent to meet her shy mentor for lessons, and so she trailed after him now, some ghost of her younger self joining him on this patrol like they had traveled through space and time back to Abaven. Her heart climbed higher and higher into her throat as the route crystallized. It took them past everything: the Rustling Thicket, Monument Rapids, Serpent Plains... She wasn't prepared for the pain that lurched through her, as if her paws were freshly burned by the wildfire that had raced through the thicket. She felt all of it acutely. Theory slowed her pace to reflect. Later, she would realize this was her first mistake. If she had been quicker, less absorbed by the past she couldn't change, maybe she could have stopped him. As it was, she appeared late at the edge of the shore as if she'd walked through a dream. Distant, still lost in some reverie of all the lives she'd lived until this very moment. She was distracted. Allowed her internal life to consume her. It was how she'd lost Abaven, and it would be how she'd lose Corvus. The scent hit her first. Worse than any low tide she'd ever smelled, it burned her nostrils like wood smoke. Theory's nose wrinkled, lips peeling back in a grimace. It hit her in the back of the throat, heavy enough that she felt like she could taste it - and there it was. The source of all of this, the uneven choppy tide, the crowds gathered at the base and top of the cliff that now came into harsh relief: a monster. Or a God. Her mouth dried out. She caught sight of Jay, already retreating back towards the edge of the beach where she stood, and she stepped into her path to stop her from leaving. That was her second mistake. If Jay had left, she wouldn't have had to see what might come next. "Jay - w-what is happening? What is going on?" She stammered, her eyes flickering crazily across the shoreline to take it all in. That's when she caught sight of him, her brave cousin - forever and always putting himself in harm's way to protect others - streaking across the beach and towards that wretched creature. "Corvus!" She screamed, but her words were hoarse and the wind stole them from her easily. Everything was chaos and stench and disbelief. Theory stood rooted to the spot next to Jay on the periphery of the shore, her mouth parted in abject shock. She'd had nightmares that seemed pleasant by comparison to this. "theory speaks!" god loves you, but not enough to save you so, baby girl, good luck taking care of yourself

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The sailor found himself near the moontouched cliffs when he noticed something strange stirring in the sea. A creature unlike anything else he had ever seen before. He had spent a lot of his life on the ocean. But this, this did not look like anything that belonged in his experiences or stories. It was utterly foul as well.

He glanced up towards the top of the cliff as he heard yelling above. Wolves had gathered up there, but others still appeared where he was below. One such wolf shot into the wood, leaping to attack the sea creature. Well, why not? Something in him revolted against this beast. It was wrong and he knew he needed to right this wrong. So he leapt after the brown wolf, sprinting and leaping upwards as well, attempting to scramble against its strange body and dig his claws in. He’d already lost his family to the seas. What more did he have to lose?


"Speech"