Dr. Smalls - "I do, in fact! I'm starting to wonder if we'll find people in need of all of the extra costumes..."
Javert - "He just got here via kidnapping.. and escaped?"
Arl - "I know him too! Hello Vivian! I'm Arl. The monster bird is actually Cee!"
Cee - "If he was some kind a magical imposter assassin the book would have mentioned it."
Esyllt - "Although we shouldn't rely too much on what it 'would have' said, I agree with Cee in this case."
Javert - "... ... ..FINE. But then that means he didn't have to fight his way through UNDEAD ARCTIC HELL? And if you can just escape like this why hasn't anyone ever left the.."
Dr.Smalls - "Undead Arctic hell, I'd wager."
Arl - "Lack of boat?"
Javert - **Groan~sigh** "I don't care anymore. Vivian, you know where they keep children? The night house or whatever these monsters call it."
**While crossing the ravine, Darby notices three petrified eggs on a landing on the group’s side of the ravine (about six feet below the top of the opening).
Dr. Smalls tries to right the bridge itself while Tratorious summons some plant vultures to help Darby do something with the cables.
Esyllt likewise summons a pair of plant spiders, the creatures spinning amber webs as needed.**
The tunnel eventually opens up into a sizable cavern that appears to have been reinforced with crystalline pillers rising up out of a large ravine running through the center. The large, 30’ wide, magma-filled ravine. At least the magma is a good 70’ below the group. There is an iron cable bridge as well! One of the cables has snapped and the other doesn’t seem to be in very good shape, but it’s something!
Dr.Smalls - "As soon as we finish dawing these costumes. Which..appears to be.." **Finishes slipping on his own disguise** "Right now!"
And so the group sets off into the tunnels, Smalls creating a small light to guide their path. The first several minutes prove uneventful, but the group soon notices a small cavern off to the side with some carvings on the wall. The language is understandable enough – for some reason Notawhere’s common lounge is very similar to the Bakaran standard – and the message goes as follows:
Sam.
Charsi.
You existed.
I -------
You know.
I wish I was more
than I am.
The angle of the writing is strange, as though someone was writing it at an angle; the easiest explanation would be that the writer couldn’t fit through the roughly 3’x3’ opening, although that would beg the additional question of how they managed to write on the wall 6’ in.
Dr.Smalls – “Hrm.. I wonder how recent this inscription was...
Javert – “Do you think someone is living in these tunnels?
Dr.Smalls – “Perhaps, but I wouldn’t count on it! The Book didn’t mention anything that would imply it, although it did note that we should avoid entering the city through the large iron door that’s somewhere in these tunnels.”
Javert – “Wonderful.”
Further investigation revealed little of use, and soon enough the group found themselves going ever deeper into the earth as they pass under the mountains. It starts getting hotter as well, although the suits that kept them from freezing to death earlier keep them cool now.
Anyone who didn't note their costume, please do so in your next post on thread.
Dr.Smalls - "Hrm.. You remember Acair? He was a Belmaestrocucito. You'll need to be humanoid to pull off the disguise, but aside from that I suggest pretending to be around fifty years old. A lower-rung hunter that doesn't stay in town much. Personality-wise I'd suggest being proud and unkind; like you have a chip on his shoulder that won't go away."
Esyllt - "You should act refined as well. I think acting like a lesser noble who feels he has been slighted - but does not yet have the power to rise above the others - would cover it pretty well. You should probably make sure to learn and remember the power structure within the city as soon as possible, since a Belmaestrocucito would be expected to keep up with all of his rivals."
Javert - "Hrmph. Everyone, then?"
Dr.Smalls - "I'd think knowing the biggest names along with some made-up immediate rivals would cover most conversational needs."
Cee - "Couldn't he just be a surly, prissy jerk and let people think he's in a particularly bad mood?"
Dr.Smalls - "That could also work! Although he's not likely to have many conversations acting like that."
Javert starts to comment on the group finally having some sense before Arl rolls passed him in her own post-feather delirium. The especially observant might notice a mildly flailing Tratorious briefly appear near a particularly large mound of snow before becoming invisible once more.
Cee – “I still think you shouldn’t have risked it!”
Once everyone finishes messing around with the feathers Kaia makes some *adjustments* to the hidden door; it was now a two-way affair. The monsters could thank her later.
The tunnels beneath are about as cold as the tundra above, the temperature modulating suits the groups wore beneath their clothing or on their feathers being the only thing keeping them from painful frostbite. The path leads towards the mountains and deeper into the earth.
Dr. Smalls – “All right then! I think we should don our disguises.”
Smalls lights a flame and soon opens the smokey door to the group’s excess gear (and binge, the regular crow, the children they are trying to save, etc). Among the piles are several monstrous suites, complete with magical see-through eye coverings to complete the disguises. Damek notices they even change smell, and those that try to speak while wearing one notice a small voice change.
Javert – “How do you have these things, and HOW did you know what they should smell like!”
Dr. Smalls – “We don’t know if the smell is right, but it doesn’t smell like any mortal race Binge knew about. And this is a case where the book proved exquisitely helpful. We have a few extra suits as well – although I suspect we will need them yet – so take whichever ones work for you!”
You may look like:
A) Binge’s race – a lower-class bruttezzaavanzi. They are assumed to be not that bright. Although goodly specimens are unheard of, bruttezzaavanzi tend to be more amoral than outright evil. They are also somewhat laid-back as a whole.
B) Percival’s race – a higher class (or wannabe higher class) belmaestrocucito. They are assumed to be a more culturally knowledgeable. A merely amoral specimen would practically be a saint; belmaestrocucito tend to be sociopaths. Extremely competitive as a whole; having a significant hobby besides power-hungry scheming is generally the purview of powerful nobles.
C) An Unihakka. Although Unihakka have the most variance in morality and demeanor, and are the most likely to be ‘quirky’ and/or downright bizarre, they also stand out and are more memorable. Some denizens of the city will likely wonder why they’ve never heard of you (granted, this latter point is also true in some very specific cases for the other choices as well). Remember, however, that the above describes OLD unihakka. ‘Newborn’ Unihakka are nearly mindless killing machines and young ones tend to have very unstable personalities (Which, unfortunately, means anyone around when/where a fake one claims to have been ‘born’ will REALLY wonder why they don’t remember you).
---
Another thing to think about is the possibility of acquiring contacts in the city. Although it is a vile place, and working with the system will take an amoral guise at the very least, it should be noted that there are could be a couple potential allies that might get turned off if you blend in too well. Pros and cons.
**Upon initially eating the feather Damek feels the same as before. Then everything explodes.
Or seems to, anyway - the wolf prince finds himself adrift amidst endless possibilities, rising and falling with the sun, sparkling in the heavens like the stars, swimming through the oceans like a fish, with incredible vivid sensations of his environment periodically filtering through like what the smell of the snow on his nose.
The others feel none of this, although there is initially much concern over Damek suddenly spasming across the ground while shrouded in a possibility cloud reminiscent of the older crows. The effect ends after a few moments however, with Damek feeling like some immense force had tugged him back in the direction of sanity. A swirl of sienna briefly flows over the exhausted wolf's fur.
Soul of the Precipice – Damek’s state of being as become.. slightly blurred. This state is not easily observable, and often manifests as an unexplained air of mystery. His hair, nails, and on the rarest of occasions even his flesh sometimes deepens in color and swirls with a faint sepia tint; as though his body was a slightly transparent window to the stars. In times of great emotion, Damek’s pupils widen and deepen beyond the confinement of their irises, the bands of color themselves becoming a ring of light set before a black concave that seems to go on forever.
Damek possesses 4 Shift per encounter that can be used in the following ways, although only one such ability may be used in any given post:
> Accept – Damek can extend his existence towards anything he is aware of, striking at ghosts or other beings in adjacent realms while simultaneously still effecting his current realm. Effect lasts for one action. (1 Shift)
> Reject – Damak can partially phase his existence away from his surroundings, converting blows both dealt and taken to phantom pain. The Damek's phased form naturally pushes away from solid overlapping objects, making it difficult for deep overlaps to occur. Lasts for a few moments, no more than a post. (2 Shift)
> Release – Damek can become a cloud of possibilities, his existence expending and retracting in an instant to effectively teleport himself up to 30’ in any direction. He benefits from the Reject ability upon his arrival (whether (s)he wants to or not), and anyone within the 30ft instinctively feels where Damek arrived. (3 Shift)
Dr. Smalls - "Well, that was something!"
Javert - "...Fine, I'll ask. Does that make you crazies less or MORE likely to eat the magic feathers some monster bird gave us?"
**Kaia undergoes a similar experience when imbued, although there thankfully isn't any spasming. The limbs of all present surely appreciate that.**
In times of great emotion, the sword deepens in color to the extent that the the black blade seems to be a sword-shaped hole to an empty sky, the navy hilt like a grip made of solid light. Even in calmer times, the sword's blade occasionally swirls with an internal, sometimes sienna-tinted, nebula that somewhat belies the term "Starless". Perhaps a name change is in order..
Kaia gains the following abilities, although she cannot use more than one of them in the same post:
> Kaia can interact with phased beings, whether they reside partially/wholly in the spirit realm or otherwise. The only restriction is that the she/her wielder must know what/who they are trying to effect. This effect applies to all of the Kaia’s other powers and abilities as well (except nebula form).
> Kaia can partially phase away from the world, converting all blows dealt or taken to phantom pain for a few moments. The Kaia's partially phased form resists overlapping, making deep blows difficult. This effect applies to all of the weapon’s other powers and abilities as well. (except nebula form)
> Kaia can teleport and reposition herself to a distance of up to 6’. She is naturally phased away from the world, as noted in the second ability, for a few moments after the teleportation occurs (whether the she wishes this or not). This ability is only usable once every three posts (in addition to the general restriction on these powers), and does not effect her nebula form.
**Esyllt walks up and gingerly picks up the feather to inspect it more closely.**
Esyllt - "...Yes, I can! I believe it could be used in any number of ways, was this a gift? It's hard to imagine these were just any feathers, they're too perfectly designed to mix with other things - or even people -"
Javert - "So things went well with the giant monster bird then?"
Kaia - <Good. They're here. I'm going to investigate the circle now, Kage. We might need the feathers for the passage.>
**Kaia draws a circle in the snow where the feathers lay and pokes her blade into the center of the circle. She begins to form vortexes shortly thereafter.**
Kaia - <Nevermind, it's just a hidden door. Should I could cut it open?>
**The group had remained at the boarder. Although Arl had resisted the idea, the most expedite method of communication the group had managed to think up was to prick Cee in a certain pattern and let the binding bracelets share the pain with Arl. And there is indeed time enough for such pricking.**
Cee - "So-ow-is anyone else worried about how we're after a monster used to be like that? Back in the old days when it wasn't as strong as it is now?"
**The feathers eventually land in a circular pattern on a patch of snow close to the mountains. The end of their trip is soon followed by the feathers suddenly flashing with a deep sepia tint followed by a small ripple of power that extends beyond the feathers into the surrounding air and earth.**
Conveniently enough for every party member.. Feather Of Atryne - A large crow feather that occasionally seems to deepen, occasionally being indistinguishable from a hole leading to a starry sky. Sudden, swirling flashes of sepia tint sometime color the feather (or tint the nebula within). An apparent gift from the great passage crow, this feather has been imbued with incredible spiritual powers. It could surely be used in countless ways.
**A few of the eldest crows start to caw wildly at the sight of the pins (and some of the smaller ones seem to enjoy Kage's bungling attempts to get the rest out with his wing-arms), but Atryne herself remains composed. Cee also speaks up during Kage's offering**
Cee - "Kage, we need the pins to kill Yue-Yue! I-I mean she can have a pin but she'd rather have us free them, right? We have a bunch of other people that will be crossing too, lots of relics and such, great Atryne."
**Atryne takes a single step, and looks more closely at the Jakari and his offered pins. How close is, of course, rather hard to determine. Just how far she rises back up immediately thereafter is also unknown, but the sky unveiled by when she spreads her wings is impressive all the same. She flaps, and the world seems to ripple.
Kage and the others find themselves alone - and a pin lighter - amidst the snow. All that remains to speak of the crows' presence are a few of Atryne's feathers dancing in the wind. Soon they too are blown away; slowing floating away towards the mountains.
The actual wind had completely died down about five minutes earlier."
**The wind begins to slow, and soon enough the group finds themselves near the ground. They had made fantastic time, however - the mountains were likely no more than a mile's walk. The crows circle overhead as several figures fly out from the edge of the mountain range in the distance, breaking into two groups with the larger continuing to approach like a black tsunami.
The tsunami breaks further apart as the imposing murder splits up into ever smaller groups that seem to take various tactical positions when cawed at by the larger crows - crows the size of horses and even a few a bit larger. The latter crows appear to have six eyes instead of the usual four, with the front two pairs having an hourglass shape and the back two pairs the diamond.
The crow that lands the closest, however, is about the size of two story house. This crow, seemingly the leader of the flock, is also the only one with seven eyes; all of them are hourglass-types, albeit ones that look more like hourglass-shaped nebula viewed in the night sky. Her feathers - Cee notes she's obviously female, humans are so inept when it comes to noticing that - likewise have an otherworldly depth to them; each one a little window to the stars. Waves of sepia tint continuously clash, fade, and form again in a celestial dance throughout the plumage. The bird's legs periodically switch from cloudy grey to a momentary brilliance reminiscent of a thousand lights igniting within a patch of smoke.
It isn't until a few moments later that the adventurous group realize that they aren't completely sure where the giant crow is at any given moment. Well, she's clearly in front of them, at least.**
**Olus' attempts do help a little. Not much, but a little.
Kaia - <Hrm.. Cee can project his voice, so I suppose if the elders at least come to inspect us from a distance we'll have a chance to talk??
**The crows finish positioning themselves around the group - mostly high above and behind - but don't appear to be interested in acting further. If the group chooses to wait, things continue peacefully for the next two hours of gliding.**
**The crows do not come any closer than about 30ft, with the larger crows (about the size of big dogs) maneuvering to keep the smaller ones from coming closer.
The smaller crows typically have two eyes, each one with a golden iris in the shape of a diamond with two triangular pupils fitted within them. A few smaller crows, and all of the larger ones, possess four eyes, the back two identical to those of the small and the front two possessing overlapping, hollowed-out triangular pupils whose iris seems to be inside the hourglass formed by the triangles. The whites of the eyes are instead beige in color, with the hourglass eyes occasionally swirling with gold in a manner reminiscent of the starry sky. The black feathers of the four eyed crows occasionally swirl with gold as well, although it is very faint.
What is not faint, however, is that four eye crows seem to be... blurry; it's as though each movement they make is instead several possible movements that only a moment later decides which one it actually was.
Also not faint is the way the crows are glaring at the duo, particularly Olus. Cee whispers (via projection) that the big ones seem to be a little afraid, or at least worried about the small ones. In this too, Olus is the main target of the emotion.
The larger crows begin to lead the flock slightly above and behind the duo, staying a few dozen feet away from the adventurers at all times as they do so.**
Kaia - Kage, Cee says we're surrounded by angry crows? If they don't lead us, or attack us, how are we going to find the elders? If the wind changes~**
There is no time travel in EW. This is not a temporal effect, hourglass eyes aside (felt I should clear that up.) Anyway, have a crappy rendition of the eyes:
**The cold, clear air rushes against the sky team's faces as they glide across the tundra. Olus, painted black by some dyes the Dr. had brought along, lags behind his associates but manages well enough. The lighter Kage takes point, the bird hidden near his chest carefully projecting “Caw, Caw” from his allies’ ‘beaks’. Cee dearly hoped he was properly mimicking the crow they'd been traveling with earlier. A fourth member of their crew, a faceless blade, hid silently between Kage’s back and his cloak. She hoped that, for once, things wouldn't take another eventful turn.
The plan had already brushed with failure - the wind had gone still in the ship graveyard. But soon after the gliders crossed the boarder into the tundra it was as though the sky itself had smiled upon them; a strong wind, thick and true, had mercifully filled their wings and even now continued to carry them towards the mountains. Why this happened is a mystery, although the massive pillars that seemed to loosely mark the boarders of the frozen waste might have been involved. The quartet hadn’t had the chance to study the pillars in detail – perhaps their allies that had decided to remain outside the boarder would be able to fill them in later (although the pillars DID look a little like that one on the farm island..)
They had little time to ponder architecture, however; hardly three minutes pass before the gliders see a small murder of various-sized crows flying in their general direction.**
Dr. Smalls - "I do, in fact! I'm starting to wonder if we'll find people in need of all of the extra costumes..."
Javert - "He just got here via kidnapping.. and escaped?"
Arl - "I know him too! Hello Vivian! I'm Arl. The monster bird is actually Cee!"
Cee - "If he was some kind a magical imposter assassin the book would have mentioned it."
Esyllt - "Although we shouldn't rely too much on what it 'would have' said, I agree with Cee in this case."
Javert - "... ... ..FINE. But then that means he didn't have to fight his way through UNDEAD ARCTIC HELL? And if you can just escape like this why hasn't anyone ever left the.."
Dr.Smalls - "Undead Arctic hell, I'd wager."
Arl - "Lack of boat?"
Javert - **Groan~sigh** "I don't care anymore. Vivian, you know where they keep children? The night house or whatever these monsters call it."
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Javert - "Could this be a trick?"
Esyllt - "The book didn't say anything about this."
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Dr. Smalls tries to right the bridge itself while Tratorious summons some plant vultures to help Darby do something with the cables.
Esyllt likewise summons a pair of plant spiders, the creatures spinning amber webs as needed.**
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Also, the ceiling is only 15’ above the ravine.
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And so the group sets off into the tunnels, Smalls creating a small light to guide their path. The first several minutes prove uneventful, but the group soon notices a small cavern off to the side with some carvings on the wall. The language is understandable enough – for some reason Notawhere’s common lounge is very similar to the Bakaran standard – and the message goes as follows:
Charsi.
You existed.
I -------
You know.
I wish I was more
than I am.
The angle of the writing is strange, as though someone was writing it at an angle; the easiest explanation would be that the writer couldn’t fit through the roughly 3’x3’ opening, although that would beg the additional question of how they managed to write on the wall 6’ in.
Dr.Smalls – “Hrm.. I wonder how recent this inscription was...
Javert – “Do you think someone is living in these tunnels?
Dr.Smalls – “Perhaps, but I wouldn’t count on it! The Book didn’t mention anything that would imply it, although it did note that we should avoid entering the city through the large iron door that’s somewhere in these tunnels.”
Javert – “Wonderful.”
Further investigation revealed little of use, and soon enough the group found themselves going ever deeper into the earth as they pass under the mountains. It starts getting hotter as well, although the suits that kept them from freezing to death earlier keep them cool now.
Anyone who didn't note their costume, please do so in your next post on thread.
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Esyllt - "You should act refined as well. I think acting like a lesser noble who feels he has been slighted - but does not yet have the power to rise above the others - would cover it pretty well. You should probably make sure to learn and remember the power structure within the city as soon as possible, since a Belmaestrocucito would be expected to keep up with all of his rivals."
Javert - "Hrmph. Everyone, then?"
Dr.Smalls - "I'd think knowing the biggest names along with some made-up immediate rivals would cover most conversational needs."
Cee - "Couldn't he just be a surly, prissy jerk and let people think he's in a particularly bad mood?"
Dr.Smalls - "That could also work! Although he's not likely to have many conversations acting like that."
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Cee – “I still think you shouldn’t have risked it!”
Once everyone finishes messing around with the feathers Kaia makes some *adjustments* to the hidden door; it was now a two-way affair. The monsters could thank her later.
The tunnels beneath are about as cold as the tundra above, the temperature modulating suits the groups wore beneath their clothing or on their feathers being the only thing keeping them from painful frostbite. The path leads towards the mountains and deeper into the earth.
Dr. Smalls – “All right then! I think we should don our disguises.”
Smalls lights a flame and soon opens the smokey door to the group’s excess gear (and binge, the regular crow, the children they are trying to save, etc). Among the piles are several monstrous suites, complete with magical see-through eye coverings to complete the disguises. Damek notices they even change smell, and those that try to speak while wearing one notice a small voice change.
Javert – “How do you have these things, and HOW did you know what they should smell like!”
Dr. Smalls – “We don’t know if the smell is right, but it doesn’t smell like any mortal race Binge knew about. And this is a case where the book proved exquisitely helpful. We have a few extra suits as well – although I suspect we will need them yet – so take whichever ones work for you!”
A) Binge’s race – a lower-class bruttezzaavanzi. They are assumed to be not that bright. Although goodly specimens are unheard of, bruttezzaavanzi tend to be more amoral than outright evil. They are also somewhat laid-back as a whole.
B) Percival’s race – a higher class (or wannabe higher class) belmaestrocucito. They are assumed to be a more culturally knowledgeable. A merely amoral specimen would practically be a saint; belmaestrocucito tend to be sociopaths. Extremely competitive as a whole; having a significant hobby besides power-hungry scheming is generally the purview of powerful nobles.
C) An Unihakka. Although Unihakka have the most variance in morality and demeanor, and are the most likely to be ‘quirky’ and/or downright bizarre, they also stand out and are more memorable. Some denizens of the city will likely wonder why they’ve never heard of you (granted, this latter point is also true in some very specific cases for the other choices as well). Remember, however, that the above describes OLD unihakka. ‘Newborn’ Unihakka are nearly mindless killing machines and young ones tend to have very unstable personalities (Which, unfortunately, means anyone around when/where a fake one claims to have been ‘born’ will REALLY wonder why they don’t remember you).
---
Another thing to think about is the possibility of acquiring contacts in the city. Although it is a vile place, and working with the system will take an amoral guise at the very least, it should be noted that there are could be a couple potential allies that might get turned off if you blend in too well. Pros and cons.
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Or seems to, anyway - the wolf prince finds himself adrift amidst endless possibilities, rising and falling with the sun, sparkling in the heavens like the stars, swimming through the oceans like a fish, with incredible vivid sensations of his environment periodically filtering through like what the smell of the snow on his nose.
The others feel none of this, although there is initially much concern over Damek suddenly spasming across the ground while shrouded in a possibility cloud reminiscent of the older crows. The effect ends after a few moments however, with Damek feeling like some immense force had tugged him back in the direction of sanity. A swirl of sienna briefly flows over the exhausted wolf's fur.
Damek possesses 4 Shift per encounter that can be used in the following ways, although only one such ability may be used in any given post:
> Accept – Damek can extend his existence towards anything he is aware of, striking at ghosts or other beings in adjacent realms while simultaneously still effecting his current realm. Effect lasts for one action. (1 Shift)
> Reject – Damak can partially phase his existence away from his surroundings, converting blows both dealt and taken to phantom pain. The Damek's phased form naturally pushes away from solid overlapping objects, making it difficult for deep overlaps to occur. Lasts for a few moments, no more than a post. (2 Shift)
> Release – Damek can become a cloud of possibilities, his existence expending and retracting in an instant to effectively teleport himself up to 30’ in any direction. He benefits from the Reject ability upon his arrival (whether (s)he wants to or not), and anyone within the 30ft instinctively feels where Damek arrived. (3 Shift)
Dr. Smalls - "Well, that was something!"
Javert - "...Fine, I'll ask. Does that make you crazies less or MORE likely to eat the magic feathers some monster bird gave us?"
**Kaia undergoes a similar experience when imbued, although there thankfully isn't any spasming. The limbs of all present surely appreciate that.**
Kaia gains the following abilities, although she cannot use more than one of them in the same post:
> Kaia can interact with phased beings, whether they reside partially/wholly in the spirit realm or otherwise. The only restriction is that the she/her wielder must know what/who they are trying to effect. This effect applies to all of the Kaia’s other powers and abilities as well (except nebula form).
> Kaia can partially phase away from the world, converting all blows dealt or taken to phantom pain for a few moments. The Kaia's partially phased form resists overlapping, making deep blows difficult. This effect applies to all of the weapon’s other powers and abilities as well. (except nebula form)
> Kaia can teleport and reposition herself to a distance of up to 6’. She is naturally phased away from the world, as noted in the second ability, for a few moments after the teleportation occurs (whether the she wishes this or not). This ability is only usable once every three posts (in addition to the general restriction on these powers), and does not effect her nebula form.
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Esyllt - "...Yes, I can! I believe it could be used in any number of ways, was this a gift? It's hard to imagine these were just any feathers, they're too perfectly designed to mix with other things - or even people -"
Javert - "So things went well with the giant monster bird then?"
Kaia - <Good. They're here. I'm going to investigate the circle now, Kage. We might need the feathers for the passage.>
**Kaia draws a circle in the snow where the feathers lay and pokes her blade into the center of the circle. She begins to form vortexes shortly thereafter.**
Kaia - <Nevermind, it's just a hidden door. Should I could cut it open?>
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Cee - "So-ow-is anyone else worried about how we're after a monster used to be like that? Back in the old days when it wasn't as strong as it is now?"
**The feathers eventually land in a circular pattern on a patch of snow close to the mountains. The end of their trip is soon followed by the feathers suddenly flashing with a deep sepia tint followed by a small ripple of power that extends beyond the feathers into the surrounding air and earth.**
Feather Of Atryne - A large crow feather that occasionally seems to deepen, occasionally being indistinguishable from a hole leading to a starry sky. Sudden, swirling flashes of sepia tint sometime color the feather (or tint the nebula within). An apparent gift from the great passage crow, this feather has been imbued with incredible spiritual powers. It could surely be used in countless ways.
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Eizen - Collected
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Cee - "Kage, we need the pins to kill Yue-Yue! I-I mean she can have a pin but she'd rather have us free them, right? We have a bunch of other people that will be crossing too, lots of relics and such, great Atryne."
**Atryne takes a single step, and looks more closely at the Jakari and his offered pins. How close is, of course, rather hard to determine. Just how far she rises back up immediately thereafter is also unknown, but the sky unveiled by when she spreads her wings is impressive all the same. She flaps, and the world seems to ripple.
Kage and the others find themselves alone - and a pin lighter - amidst the snow. All that remains to speak of the crows' presence are a few of Atryne's feathers dancing in the wind. Soon they too are blown away; slowing floating away towards the mountains.
The actual wind had completely died down about five minutes earlier."
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Tanya
The tsunami breaks further apart as the imposing murder splits up into ever smaller groups that seem to take various tactical positions when cawed at by the larger crows - crows the size of horses and even a few a bit larger. The latter crows appear to have six eyes instead of the usual four, with the front two pairs having an hourglass shape and the back two pairs the diamond.
The crow that lands the closest, however, is about the size of two story house. This crow, seemingly the leader of the flock, is also the only one with seven eyes; all of them are hourglass-types, albeit ones that look more like hourglass-shaped nebula viewed in the night sky. Her feathers - Cee notes she's obviously female, humans are so inept when it comes to noticing that - likewise have an otherworldly depth to them; each one a little window to the stars. Waves of sepia tint continuously clash, fade, and form again in a celestial dance throughout the plumage. The bird's legs periodically switch from cloudy grey to a momentary brilliance reminiscent of a thousand lights igniting within a patch of smoke.
It isn't until a few moments later that the adventurous group realize that they aren't completely sure where the giant crow is at any given moment. Well, she's clearly in front of them, at least.**
Nervada - 98% fat free, high in fiber.
Eizen - Collected
Yack - Walking
Miko Wydberg
Tanya
Kaia - <Hrm.. Cee can project his voice, so I suppose if the elders at least come to inspect us from a distance we'll have a chance to talk??
**The crows finish positioning themselves around the group - mostly high above and behind - but don't appear to be interested in acting further. If the group chooses to wait, things continue peacefully for the next two hours of gliding.**
Nervada - 98% fat free, high in fiber.
Eizen - Collected
Yack - Walking
Miko Wydberg
Tanya
The smaller crows typically have two eyes, each one with a golden iris in the shape of a diamond with two triangular pupils fitted within them. A few smaller crows, and all of the larger ones, possess four eyes, the back two identical to those of the small and the front two possessing overlapping, hollowed-out triangular pupils whose iris seems to be inside the hourglass formed by the triangles. The whites of the eyes are instead beige in color, with the hourglass eyes occasionally swirling with gold in a manner reminiscent of the starry sky. The black feathers of the four eyed crows occasionally swirl with gold as well, although it is very faint.
What is not faint, however, is that four eye crows seem to be... blurry; it's as though each movement they make is instead several possible movements that only a moment later decides which one it actually was.
Also not faint is the way the crows are glaring at the duo, particularly Olus. Cee whispers (via projection) that the big ones seem to be a little afraid, or at least worried about the small ones. In this too, Olus is the main target of the emotion.
The larger crows begin to lead the flock slightly above and behind the duo, staying a few dozen feet away from the adventurers at all times as they do so.**
Kaia - Kage, Cee says we're surrounded by angry crows? If they don't lead us, or attack us, how are we going to find the elders? If the wind changes~**
There is no time travel in EW. This is not a temporal effect, hourglass eyes aside (felt I should clear that up.) Anyway, have a crappy rendition of the eyes:
Nervada - 98% fat free, high in fiber.
Eizen - Collected
Yack - Walking
Miko Wydberg
Tanya
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**The cold, clear air rushes against the sky team's faces as they glide across the tundra. Olus, painted black by some dyes the Dr. had brought along, lags behind his associates but manages well enough. The lighter Kage takes point, the bird hidden near his chest carefully projecting “Caw, Caw” from his allies’ ‘beaks’. Cee dearly hoped he was properly mimicking the crow they'd been traveling with earlier. A fourth member of their crew, a faceless blade, hid silently between Kage’s back and his cloak. She hoped that, for once, things wouldn't take another eventful turn.
The plan had already brushed with failure - the wind had gone still in the ship graveyard. But soon after the gliders crossed the boarder into the tundra it was as though the sky itself had smiled upon them; a strong wind, thick and true, had mercifully filled their wings and even now continued to carry them towards the mountains. Why this happened is a mystery, although the massive pillars that seemed to loosely mark the boarders of the frozen waste might have been involved. The quartet hadn’t had the chance to study the pillars in detail – perhaps their allies that had decided to remain outside the boarder would be able to fill them in later (although the pillars DID look a little like that one on the farm island..)
They had little time to ponder architecture, however; hardly three minutes pass before the gliders see a small murder of various-sized crows flying in their general direction.**
Damek response acquired via OOC means.
Nervada - 98% fat free, high in fiber.
Eizen - Collected
Yack - Walking
Miko Wydberg
Tanya