=>[MINI-META] The Catacombs

[DraconicFeline]

Sephos Arbola

"... Thanks." Sephos said, flinching as the tealblood tended to his arm. It didn't hurt as much as it was supposed to, which was concerning to Sephos. He knew how much salve of all sorts was supposed to hurt - boughs knew he'd used his own healing items.

He knew the little troll, he realized. He'd seen her at Four Fronds. The bandages she was using made him cognizant that he probably should use some bandages, too. Once the arm was no longer impaled, he got out his own paltry healing items. They were on his person, but were old, forgotten until he'd felt them shift around in one of his pockets. They were rudementary bandages and salve, not effective, but they wouldn't hurt (metaphorically) to use, and it might stop the bleeding.

They had begun to move, and his face creased in discomfort as he followed behind and tried to wrap himself up. It was awkward and ineffective, but less dark green dripped from the bone-deep gouge on his arm to the ground. As for the other wounds on him, they were either still bleeding, or were clotting unhappily.

Nothing was very happy. Not here. The terrible spectral sensation had subsided slightly, but returned in force - it had an attention, it had a focus. The Beast? was the first thing to come to Sephos' mind. He'd heard the Grove Warden and its child mention such a thing before. Maku had told him not to be concerned with legends and lore - the only thing that needed attention, the treebeast had repeated, over and over again, was the cycle of the world. It's seasons, it's weather, the cycle of growth and death.

But suppose the force behind them was the Beast? Suppose the Beast was something outside the cycle? Something there to consume it, to break it, to tame it into a different kind of order? Or to destroy it? He held his injured arms close to him and followed the lead of others.

He had no idea where he was - this was not a part of the catacombs he'd been in before, and he needed to orient himself. As of yet, there was no gust of wind to guide him - only landmarks and strange things on the walls. He'd lived in tunnels and woodlands his whole life, though. He knew he would get it eventually.

"I see white up ahead?" he said, attempting helpfulness. That could well be a lusus.

((Group: Quella, Chiara, Flydra, Sephos, Eiylas))
GRP Will: 9/10  

[Sypon]

nepsah

You advance past some charred furnishings, rotting fauna bones and damp furnishings before something grabs you and drags you into the darkness! Re-roll D8 and start again at your result. You lose 1 WILL.

Gl!tch~

You barely advance past the melted jetsam before you black out and find yourself in a new location! Re-roll D8 and start again at your result. You lose 1 WILL.

ImaginationsParadise

You advance past some charred metal bars before hitting a wall. You may attempt to move again from your current location.

Skyli Peep

You advance past a charred fence post and some rotting crustacean shells before a piercing scream makes you black out and find yourself in a new location! Re-roll D8 and start again at your result. You lose 1 WILL.

 

[zeflamigo]

Landmark nearby: Melted Fence Post
I am running... R, L, R, R, R, L, R

Odette took a look around at the trolls she had fallen with. Two bluebloods, it seemed. One very little, with a lusus in a poor condition. The other, a scarred blueblood that had an energy that made Odette at least a little nervous. He seemed to be alright in the moment, carrying the littler blueblood on his back and missing a shoe. Odette was kind of surprised he wasn't one of the military trolls. Scars, highblood, willing to help out a kid? Perhaps he was just strange.

Either way, the threat was still upon them, and they had to try and make their escape. "Can you all run? I can move fast, but I don't want to split up!" Odette asked. She nervously eyed their surroundings for a good path. "I'll clear a path, follow me!" She added, kicking up some wind under her and using some gusts to help pave their way through the junk and debris.

Will: 10
Group: Odette, Acteon, Guouli  

[Sypon]

So far, what the purpleblood said had checked out. "Looks like less damage here..." Reisio mused. "Perhaps the ocean is close-by." They wrinkled their nose. It smelled like old high tide in here. Fortunately the ground was still just damp and slightly squishy, and not completely waterlogged. Reisio noted a couple of landmarks that they had passed, including a full set of fowl bones that made them shiver.

Suddenly, the troll found themself snagged on something. No - being pulled. "O-Oisier!" They shrieked. The blueblood stumbled backwards and grabbed onto Aligaa, before losing their grip and tumbling backwards into another tunnel. In the distance, their small voice could be heard.

"I-I'm... Okay!" They were sobbing. "Puh-please come back!"  

[seekingCylem]

Oisier hummed in agreement. It all looked like garbage to them. They didn't have much choice but to follow the lead of the others.

It didn't take long for them to notice when Reisio fell behind. Oisier pivoted on a heel. Their boots slid against the muddy ground and the nearly fell themselves. "Reisio!" They screamed. Their fingers missed Reisio's by inches.

Oisier scrabbled frantically at the edge of the tunnel that had taken Reisio. They were stuttering on their own ragged breathing. They sobbed in relief at the sound of their sibling's voice. "Hang on! We're coming!" They shouted and slid into the tunnel with complete disregard for whether or not Mihail was actually following.  

[nepsah]

Quote:

Mihail, Oisier, Reisio
Will: 8

Landmark nearby: Melted Fauna Bones
I (we are) am running...: L, L, L, R, R, L, R

Progress- progress- even with it being as gross as it was it was still something. The amount of dead animals down here was frankly concerning. If animals couldn't find their way out, would they? No, no, no time to be giving into negative thoughts. He needed to get back to his hive! He hadn't told Knetic where he was going. Mihail found himself suddenly pulled out of his train of thought when Reisio shrieked (it was Reisio, right?) - he wheeled around moments after Oisier, eyes wide as he searched for the cause. Was it the ghost?

The sobbing voice of the missing twin did little to quell his alarm. He patted at Aligaa, then limped on after Oisier. "Cuh-cu--coming..!" The tunnel gave way to a bit of a slippery slope and he found himself sliding down into a bunch of... melted bones. Oh god. He tried not to look too freaked out, but honestly there was only so much of this running around in the dark while injured a kid could take before panic started to show on his face.

"M--m...maa-mah-" He forced himself to breathe in, scrubbing at his face with both hands before trying again. "M-mmmaybe this w--way?" He pointed to the left, the pathway there seemed more steady than the right? Possibly? He was beginning to doubt his leadership skills here. Aligaa lumbered down to join the trolls, checking them over - especially Mihail - to see if any might need to climb aboard his back.

Sypon

seekingCylem

 

[Gl!tch~]

Guouli raced after Odette, Acteon on his back. He hadn't expected to still be carrying the twerp, or relying on the redblood media darling of all things, but he didn't have much choice. Last he remembered, the feds came in right as the scene was getting real good, then everything went right to s**t. He fell with Acteon still in his arms, and once he got to his feet, one sandal missing, he tossed the kid over onto his back. They were a twerp, but they had gumption, and it wouldn't be fun if they died here because they were a dumbass and got their lusus all ******** up.

And he wasn't going to stop for that lusus's sake, either. If they lost their parent, sucks.

s**t, though, if this Odette chick had anything going for her, it was those smooth moves.

WILL: 10
GRP: Odette, Acteon  

[purplerosesbeauty]

The fall was uncomfortable, without the same cushion provided by their lusus as he had earlier. Guo's arms weren't ideal but it kept them from probably breaking a limb or something stupid. That'd be the last thing they'd need. Steppy, though alive, was weakened, slow, and silent. That unnerved them a little. Why wasn't he talking? They weren't sure what to do about him, not medically experienced at all. Still. They weren't alone. The tall redblood singer was here with them, as well as Guo. Obviously, since they'd been holding onto him as they fell. He carried Acteon on his back and as weird as that felt, it was better than nothing.

Acteon looked behind them at their lusus as he slowly walked behind them. When they got out, they could get help for him. They tightened their grip around Guo, just slightly.

They didn't even have time to feel starstruck about Odette! Quietly, they just nodded. They'd find a way to escape these ******** ghosts.
WILL: 10
GRP: Odette, Guouli

 

[Sypon]

Down, down... Reisio slid on their back, suddenly finding the path sludgy and bumpy. The landing was not a happy one. Crunching into the ground, they rolled over and wailed.

There were bones everywhere. Half melted from the heat, tiny ones - that of trashcreatures, squeakbeasts and even larger bones from who knew what. Their bare hands were sticky. Reisio went stiff; their mouth opened in quiet terror. When they were alone, there was no anchor for them to maintain their composure.

"H-heeeelp!" They bawled again, and soon after the sound of Oisier and Mihail above filtered down. Thank goodness, they were in earshot. The blueblood could still hardly move, holding their soiled arms out from their body - not wanting to touch themselves or feel the sensation of the awful... Situation that they'd found themselves in.  

[Sypon]

nepsah

You advance past charred furnishings and rotting jetsam before you reach an incline that forces you to backtrack! Re-roll D8 and start again at your result. You lose 1 WILL.

 

[Sypon]

Kimbley Kitty

You barely advance past the melted fence post before you see a bright red light appear before your eyes, and before you know it you're in a new tunnel. Re-roll D8 and start again at your result. You lose 1 WILL.

 

[seekingCylem]

"We're heEE-UGH!" Oisier overestimated the length of the tunnel and crashed into the detritus mid-sentence. Oisier pushed themselves up as quickly as possible, indicating their lack of injury. However they continued keening in discomfort. They sputtered madly, spewing a mouthful of what they could only hope was dirt onto the floor.

"Gross! Gross! Gross! Reisio!" They cried, as grateful to see their twin as they were for the distraction from the taste of bone dirt. "Reisio! Are you unharmed!? We need to keep moving!" They latched onto Reisio's arm for both physical and emotional support.  

[Gl!tch~]

Landmark nearby: Instruments
I am running... L L R R L L R

Something blinded him, making him go "******** what he expected. And, with the suddenness and weird color, he could only guess some sort of ghostly bullshit caught up with him. Game over, man.

But his vision started to clear again.

And as it did, and once he was sure that he was indeed in one piece, in a physical body, Guo noticed something off about his surroundings. The tunnel looked totally different from before, but not in the way the tunnel was changing because of Odette clearing their path. So, they could only be somewhere totally different. He huffed. Doing great already!

"Balls," he grumbled. What happens when you let some lowblood lead, even if she was impressive in some ways. "Okay..." He started to look around, adjusting Acteon on his back as he did so. Options, options... Just had to pick one and commit.

"This way." He chose a direction and kept on trucking, not really caring if Odette kept up.

WILL: 9
GRP: Odette, Acteon  

[nepsah]

Quote:

Mihail, Oisier, Reisio
Will: 7

Landmark nearby:
I (we are) am running...:

Thank goodness they at least seemed mostly unharmed, just... Terrified. He picked his way carefully through the next series of tunnels, passing by some charred furniture- that was something to note... And then the nauseating smell of rot caught his nose. He wanted to cover his mouth and nose with his hand but thought better of it. Who knew what sort of germs were on there? The next turn took them to a steep incline with no real path up. Mihail turned to look back at the twins, confidence dwindling. "Duh--don't think we c-can go up th--that way." Looked around, wringing his hands together as distress started to well up in his chest again. Where to next? He couldn't see anything worthwhile here. "Uh, we should- we should go back. Ma-maybe to the uh, the furnishings?" That seemed promising, anyway.

Hopefully they'd remain patient with him. Aligaa began to shuffle backward with a snort. "W--wish we had a c-cah-compass.."

Sypon

seekingCylem

 

[Green Minuet]

The last thing they remembered was sitting on the floor of the trophy block, watching the backs of Hemera and Lorata, as the charred vestiges of the wall's taxidermy collection watched them in turn. It seemed strangely a long time ago, a fuzzy memory blurred with static and loss of colour. The scenery had changed since then. They found themself facing an endless void, all dark, all quiet.

Kerras stared up at the ceiling, listening to the slow trickle of water drain through the tunnels, unaware for several minutes that they were awake. Time seemed nonexistent, and their place in it even more so. When the pains from all the bumps and bruises returned to their body, they lurched upright with a gasp. Frantic, they patted themself down. The journal remained safely tucked into their belt. Kerras breathed a sigh of relief, and then examined their other belongings. Everything seemed to be in place except...

With wide eyes, Kerras peered around the gloom. The podling was no where in sight. Not that they could see much. From somewhere down the hall behind them, voices approached.

Quote:

Party: Sarcel, Hemera, Lorata
Will: 8