Group 3 consists of: Levi, Araxina, Gilgamesh, Fable, Luminosa



The adventuring party gathers in The Shimmering Shore, and as soon as they come together the world begins to shake violently. The dirt tunnels begin to collapse around them, and everyone begins to panic and scatter, splitting the group up- and trapping them temporarily underground. They can no longer leave the tunnels, nor can they post in any new event threads until this thread concludes.

Levi, Araxina, Gilgamesh, Fable, Luminosa find themselves lost in a winding labyrinth of smaller tunnels, all seemingly connected to one another. Getting lose here seems easy, if not probable. Stay close! As they move through the tunnels, which appear newly-created due to the small earthquakes, they find something strange.... bones of assorted prey animals lie in small piles throughout the tunnels, and often found nearby, other partially digested remains.

Post and uncover more! No time limits, no posting order, but progression may be based on posting frequency! Danger is imminent!

At one moment, Fable was pressed tightly to Noor's side, determined to forge ahead with the gathered group to find some answers - or fresh air. The next, the ground all around started to rumble and panic immediately ensued. She tried to stay close to Noor, shouting and cursing in the dark, but it quickly became a writhing mass of bodies as everyone gathered attempted to scatter. Fable thought she heard screaming, but couldn't tell from where - it was all so dark. So stupid. Of course this would happen. Of course, of course.

Once the dirt settled, she was breathing hard and standing completely still. Clods of dirt fell off of her back from the cave in. She whipped her head back and forth, eyes roving the tunnel erratically for Noor - no such luck. Only strangers were gathered in the darkness. Amongst them was... a deer? Her nose twitched with interest, but everything else took precedence. They had to find a way to get back to the others now. Fable groaned and took a shaking step forward, shaking off the rest of the dust. "Is anyone injured? I'm Fable, and - and we have to get back to the others, please, let's work together," she said with grating certainty. This was not a kitchen, but she was used to barking orders... down here, though, she was completely out of her element. Her eyes were nervous and wild. If someone else stepped forward and took control, she would certainly let them.

"Speech"

One minute she felt her brother Ludo at her hip, startling her with his sudden presence. She was about to playfully snap at him for following her when everything collapsed and her vision went dark. She barely remembered running, calling for her brother, trying to find his half white face in the confusion of the roaring and tumbling sands.

When everything went quiet she sputtered and spat the sand out of her mouth. And rubbed her eyes to get the particles out of her eyes. She huffed and puffed until she felt like she could breathe and see properly.

She was surrounded by strangers. Well strangers and maybe a meal on legs. Where was Ludo? Was he alright?

She pressed her paws against the wall of sand where she swore she had come from and called out
“Ludo!! Brother! Imma find you I promise!” She called into the wall, unsure if he could even hear her. She pressed her ear to the wall but looked back at the gathering strangers as one spoke up.

Her nose wrinkled at the woman as she pleaded weakly about working together. She can do this on her own! She doesn’t need any one!

“Speak for yourself! I’m strong enough on my own!” She snapped while stomping forward. She tripped and fell on her face as her legs got caught in a few scattered bones.

“What the-“ she had seen plenty of bones before. Her territory was rimmed with corpses. Who would be so inconsiderate to leave a mess of bones where you can trip on them? “Who did this?” She growled with abject accusation.

Just as Wake was settling at his side and Deluge on the other, the tunnel around them trembled. From trembling to shaking, everything collapsed and within moments, he was separated from his children. Dirt clung to his fur as he stood, shaking the remnants off and clearing his vision. A rumbling growl echoes in his chest as he glances around at who was left with him. Not far ahead, a rather Ignis-esque looking pup was scrambling over bones, a tiny Fatalis stood looking disgruntled (because when did Levi not?), a fucking deer (what?), and then a vaguely familiar woman that requests they work together. If he recalled correctly, she was Fable? The one who made the bowls with him. Unlike the others, Gilgamesh was a natural born leader. Had actually led a pack and still did - at least on the side now that he'd given the main job over to his not-wife.

Clearing his throat, Gilgamesh looks to the group and nods in the direction the pup had tripped over a pile of picked-clean bones. "We'll start this way. Better to keep moving in case something comes for us." He wasn't so convinced that they were alone down here. Something had to have made the tunnels and it was clearly larger than them. "Speak up if you see something," his tone is gruff as he gives one last look around at the others, daring them to challenge his take charge attitude.

"speech"

In the chaos Levi found himself bundled into a group with strangers, none of which he personally recognised or cared to get to know, frankly. He squinted in the darkness, crumbs of dirt tumbled off his shoulders as he straightened up, ears flicking as the others spoke. His paw ached a little but it was fine enough, he did not need treatment and would've refused it if offered anyway. He wasn't against the idea of working together, certainly since he knew full well going alone probably wouldn't end well but- he found himself bristling at Gilgamesh's presumption.

Letting out a sharp huff of disapproval, he moved forward with quick strides, punting a bone aside hard enough it skittered and clacked down the tunnel. Judging from the way the sound travelled, these tunnels went deep deep underground, deeper than any wolf ought to. Wolves weren't meant to be here, something else stirred.

"Right, cause we'd keep it to ourselves." He muttered, tone drier than the earth beneath their paws. "I'll take flank."

The world around them began to shake and down, down they fell into a new space, only there were less of them now. Lumi fell on her stomach and remained splayed like a new fawn on the ground while the others began to talk and bicker. Somewhere in the fall, she had gotten a gash on her back left leg. It stung and bled, but she quickly wrapped it with a ribbon from her satchel, scared the smell might affect the wolves around her.

She counted slow breaths, trying to calm her racing heart. As tempting as it was to lay in the cozy dirt, Lumi settled for chewing on a revealed root as she stood slowly. She had no problems with working together. "My eyesight isn't the best in the dark, but I'm good at listening and sniffing out danger." She tried to make herself seem useful, knowing full well that these remarkable creatures may see her as a liability or worse, a meal.

Ouch!

The group begins to move, climbing over piles of bones and rubble as they embark deeper into the collapsed cavern. As Gilgamesh takes charge and moves to lead the group further, it becomes immediately apparent that the tunnel they've ended up in is wildly unstable. The walls of the cavern around them seems to exhale, sending a deep rumble through the ground. The walls seem to ripple, as if something is moving adjacent to them, each tremor sending loose pebbles and dust cascading down. A jagged piece of stone comes tumbling down, colliding with the back of Gilgamesh's head, leaving behind a raw gash that trickles blood.

A thunderous crack can be heard as a massive chunk of rubble dislodges from above. Levi barely manages to react in time as it heads straight toward him. The stone smashes down on Levi's right side, narrowly missing his head but striking his ear, tearing it open. Blood can be felt dripping down the side of his face from his torn ear.

After a long moment the tremors begin to subside, and dust hangs in the air of the cavern. The explorers must press on, no apparent exit in sight.

Fable had almost palpable relief when the large, gruff stranger took point. Stranger... had they met before? It had been so long since she'd been in Boreas, but she did recognize him. That was some small comfort and made it easier for her to immediately fall in line behind him. While she might be experienced barking orders at the head of a kitchen line, she was completely out of her element here. The kid that was stuck with them mouthed off to her, but she couldn't be bothered to respond - there were more important things at hand than keeping a child in line, hopefully she would fall in with the rest of them. Fable wasn't keen on the idea of chasing a kid around in the dark. Strange, how little fear she had, colored by youth and inexperience. Fearlessness made you careless and stupid.

That same fear drove her forward, scrambling over carcasses and bones. The rotting smell was foul, more than enough to turn her stomach. Although it was against instinct, she tried to breathe more through her more than her nose. It helped to avoid the smell of that doe's delicious blood, as much as her hunter's instinct begged her to turn and go for the kill. If they were trapped down here for so long... eventually they'd have to eat. For now, Fable avoided eye contact with the deer - really, she tried to avoid looking at her all together.

She glanced over at the smaller dark wolf who took up their flank, about to speak before the walls around them began to tremble again. "No, no, no, no..." she panted, splaying her legs and ducking down closer to the ground in order to steady herself as the world around them quaked and spun. The walls undulated next to her and Fable bit back a scream as rocks tumbled down around them as a result. She screwed up her eyes against the dust and scree, praying it would settle soon. She heard a few dull thuds that told her rocks had met flesh.

When the tremors subsided, she opened her eyes to see blood trickling from the back of Gilgamesh's head and Levi's ear torn open. The doe, herself, and the child were unscathed. Fable's muscles vibrated with adrenaline and she resisted the urge to just dash forward in the tunnels. "Are you dizzy, nauseous? Is your vision clear?" she asked Gil, her words quick and businesslike, covering the terror that coiled like a snake in her belly. Levi's ear was torn, but the injury seemed less severe. The dust had settled though, and it seemed there was no other choice but to keep moving forward. Fable trudged forward and paused for a moment by Gil. He seemed like a straight shooter, unwilling to accept help. Still, she offered: "I'll watch your back as we keep moving." Fable glanced around at everyone, her heart beating in her throat. Noor. I have to get back to Noor. Were these cave ins happening elsewhere?

"We have to keep going." With Noor in mind, Fable trudged forward, keeping her ears open wide for the sounds of the walls beginning to move again.

"Speech"