Alfrun took step after staggering step away from her den. Crystals clustered thickly around her eyes and mouth, trailing down her cheeks in little pebbles of crystal. The thickness of the growths showed the numerous attempts to remove them despite the pain for they grew back thicker each timeand she methodically began again. Now her eyes were jearly crusted over entirely by the crystals, and the leaking blue liquid stained the white of her face all the way down her shoulder. Even now as she staggered out to find water to assuage her burning thirst, she rubbed her scaled eyes against her foreleg, trying to losen the crystals as she stoically ignored the pain like a proper viking. She wasn't watching where she went, but between her normal poor sight, the leaking fluid, and the crystals she was for all intents and purposes blind anyway.

ooc: this will be before Valdís and Pyralis pass away

Úlfr had kept mostly to himself as the strange phenomena moved throughout Boreas. He focused on hunting and sharpening his skills all the while trying to avoid hunting prey affected by strange afflictions. Glowing liquid poured from the eyes of some where as mushrooms and crystals grew out of others. As much as he tried to put on a brave face he was deeply unnerved by the changes he was seeing in the world. When he saw a fellow wolf suffering from a similar affliction the fear seized him enough to push him homeward to Fireside. He was eager to check on his parents and make sure they were alright. As far as he knew the pirates were allowed within Fireside borders but he paused long enough to let out a call announcing his presence.

To his horror he saw his aunt staggering through the knolls, crystals growing on her face and a strange goo leaking from her eyes. "Alfrún! Oh no, what has happened to you?" He approached but kept a respectful distance.

A last staggering step brought Alfrun to an unsteady halt, where she stood with her head weaving back and forth slightly in confusion. Pawsteps came to her, muffled by the crystals near her ears. The voice was likewise muffled, but she moved her unsteady head to follow it. "Ulfr?" she murmured. Her sister's adopted son, her nephew. What was he doing back here? Had he come to see her sister? Or was it her? She smiled a gentle smile at him. "My nephew. What can I do for you?" She hadn't quite understood him, but he seemed upset about something. She'd help him however she could, as long as it didn't risk the lives growing within her. She had sacrificed much for them.

Úlfr grimaced as his aunt swayed and spoke. Nearer now he could clearly see the crystals growing from her ears and clustering around her eyes. How awful! He immediately wished he could do something for her but he hadn't the faintest idea what. He was no healer, no wolf of notable intellect. He fought, he hunted. That was really all he was good for and it clearly wasn't enough. "Yes, Aunt Alfrún it's me. I've seen many animals and other wolves infected with this strange illness. I had hoped it had missed Fireside as well as my family but… it seems that is not the case. Please, if there is anything I can do let me know and I will do it." If this was a curse set by foul beast or spirit he would do all in his power to set this right.

Alfrun dug a hindclaw viciously into the side of her face, jaw clenching with the agony as it dug under the crystal in one ear, trying to clesr it so she could hear her nephew better. The crystal cracked, and clowing blue liquid and blood gushed from the wound as the crystal let go and ripped from her skin. She let out a panting breath and staggered. Oh that was... better? She could hear, for now. "Do not be worried on my account, Ulfr," she assured him, patting his shoulder soothingly with a blood and blue soaked paw. "If this is the price the gods require of me, it is one I am glad to pay. And if this is Ragnorok there is naught to be done but to endure until the final battle."

Úlfr fidgeted as his aunt clawed at the crystals in her ear. He could read the pain on her face but without direction how to help he was at a loss. Alfrún seemed resolved to her fate and spoke of Ragnorok. He shuddered. "You think this is it then? This is indeed Ragnorok?" He was afraid to even speak the words. His parents had taught him of Ragnarok and the idea that it could be something that would happen now in his life time was a prospect that hadn't crossed his mind. Still, he could understand why Alfrún believed it to be. How long had it been since he'd seen the sun? Some days it felt like years. Still, he did not want to disgrace his family and would seek to stay strong and make his family proud in the final battle.

Alfrun

The sickness deepens... You feel as if there's something in your ear that you need to get out. No matter how you scratch, the item won't budge. You scratch harder, eventually flinging the crystal free. Unfortunately, your ear was damaged in the process, with a half inch notch being torn away from the edge.

You gain:

• Ear Tear- A half inch notch torn away from the edge of one of your ears.
  

Firefly Shoppe- Ulfr

You have been infected with strain 1 of the Ooze.

Your attention blurs and refocuses. It feels as if you are in a dream as you find yourself alone in the mist. Fireflies gather and light the way to a table with a figure waiting behind it. On the table lay three items, with their prices beside them. "Choose w̶̢̧͉̥̻̟͈͙̽̉̆̿̈͒͋̓̇̍͌̇̎͠͝ì̵̢̝̄͐́͆̓̚ṣ̶̛͙̟͎̤̞̤͎̹̙̭̪͔̓̐̾̂͆̄͆͌̈̈́̏̚͜͝͠ȩ̴͔̱̗̜̾̉̀̓̀͆͛̊̂̍̕̚̚̚ͅl̵̢̦̲̼̠̖̜̺̮̜̺͋̈́y̴̧̨̧̪̗̥̘͇̾͑͗͜͠, and only choose o̷͕̭̊̃̌̊̏̀ņ̸̼͚͉͔̒͐̊e̵̮̯͛̔̀̑͜," the figure says, looming over the table as his eyes seem to peer into your soul. Are they... moving? "If you can afford it, that is. Beware, however, for there are many d̷̡̯͉̎̊̈́͐͠á̴̬̪̣̝̞̅̀̈́̄ṉ̸̢̠̤̹̥̙̜͋͆̚g̷̛͍̹̣̬̙͖̝̘̃̈e̷͓͕̖͓̝̤̿͐͐͜͠ŗ̵̤͚͔̟̹̳̽̒͝ş̸̛͓͔̩̥̦͛̊̈̾̐̒̓ ̴̺͔̃̇̆ahead." He does not seem like he's in the negotiating mood...


I̵̜̖͎͓͒̑̕n̸͓̗̘̫͉̗̻͐̔̿̊͆̋͝v̵̦̹̠͉̖̼̮̎̌͆ȩ̸͕̦͔̳̩̈́͜n̶͍̝̙̯̣̹̫̩͋t̶̟͈̟̲̜̙̣̋̿̓̆̅͊͝͝ŏ̶̼͊r̶̖͎̙͔̥͎͙͈̊̍͝͠y̴̧͔̭͒͆̉̕͝:

• Grow Potion- 1 /
  his bottle is shaped like an upside down pear and within it swirls a sparkly gold liquid. The label shows a crudely drawn image of two wolves of vastly different sizes, with a green checkmark over the largest one.
  
• Grow Potion- 1 /
  his bottle is shaped like an upside down pear and within it swirls a sparkly gold liquid. The label shows a crudely drawn image of two wolves of vastly different sizes, with a green checkmark over the largest one.
  
• Xtra shrink potion- 2 /
  It comes in an extra tiny bottle. There’s barely even one drop!
  

Úlfr's vision blurred for a moment and he suddenly felt feint. He scratched at his eyes flinching for a moment as he pulled his paw away and noticed flecks of glowing dust. He had the immediate impression that it was spores. What the hell? He felt his stomach sink but before he could think more on it a shadowy figured with a table appeared. Upon the table lay three strange potions. He had to be dreaming… what on earth was this creature? Úlfr stepped forward, examining the potions for a minute. If one of these could cure his aunt it would be worth gambling on but what if they made her worse. The label on two of them showed crude sketches of wolves with a mark over a taller one. Did that potion make you grow? Following that logic did the small one make you shrink? It didn't have a label. Neither of these items seemed like they might help his aunt.

Úlfr turned to the creature. "It is a most generous offering but I have nothing to give in exchange for your work. I will pass at this time. If I may ask one question though… is this… is this the end times? Is this Ragnorok?"

Firefly Shoppe- Ulfr

"Ah, it seems you're right- you have nothing that I seek. I do not believe I have anything that will help you either, nor your aunt," he admits, apparently reading Ulfr's mind. "Do not fear, these are not the end of times. What comes next may be much, much worse..." With that ominous note he gathers up his things hurriedly and disappears into the night.