⇨ EDEN

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 79 - Day 85
Where: Eden
What: Everyone arrives in Eden with their new animals forms - unfortunately, the welcoming party is a bit more intense than expected, with a ritual called 'The Anointment.' Better get this place figured out before anything gets any crazier.
Warnings: Hopefully no ritual sacrifice!

FLAME OF INSPIRATION↴ So it begins. After everyone has been given their new animal form and have had about an hour to readjust to it, the Ringmaster begins the infiltration. You don't see a lot of the specifics of the magic - all you know is that Pru's sword, the Hand of God, is somehow involved. It alone can tear through the wardings of Eden's realm, and once that entrance is made, the teleportation is instant. Everyone will find themselves in an open grassland overlooking a dense forest, with buildings and lights poking up out of the leaves. Behind you, there is a darker place - the barrens, the Ringmaster has explained. It's were the Outcasts are sent after they're banished. You are scattered across the area as if you've been dropped in with nothing. You've been given specific instructions - act as if you have no memory besides the vague life of being an animal. None of you know each other. You don't know how you got here, you've just been suddenly found yourself enlightened. Hopefully feigning ignorance will be what the residents are expecting, as what information the Ringmaster could find suggests it should be. Before the beasts of Eden come to claim you, you'll see the Ringmaster once last time, in the form of a giant serpent. With a nod of her head, she slithers away towards the barrens - she'll be in touch. ► THE WELCOMING: It's not long until you're discovered. The first to find you is a pigeon, who seems rather surprised. She'll ask the first few new arrivals she sees a couple questions - 'did you just get here?' 'did you meet the great Lilith?' Regardless of your answers, she'll hurriedly say she's going to go get help, and will fly away back into the forest. A short while later, an entire welcoming party of different animals will have come to greet you, sweeping out to find every straggler and explaining that you are the newest of the chosen. After they are sure that nobody is being left behind, they will invite you into Eden. ► THE GARDEN: Eden is a beautiful place. Every street, every structure, is surrounded by flowers and vibrant plant life - every bit as idyllic as its mythos would imply. The architecture is ambitious and creative, as if the residents have been perfecting the art for thousands of years, which they almost certainly have. There is the sweet smell of perfumes and incense on the other animals are you are led into the city. This is your home now, the locals will explain. You have been chosen by the Creator to serve Her cause. You will become one of the Honorable, one of Her artisans working towards the Divine Clarity. But first, of course, you must be sanctified. ► THE ANOINTMENT: On that first night, everyone is brought to a vast cathedral, covered in unknowable writings in a shining script. You are brought in through several gorgeous hallways lit with shining crystals and blue flame torches, only to emerge in a great hall built around a circular, sparkling pool of water. There are several braziers around its circumference blazing with fire, with sets of tools hanging out of them, like iron pokers. All of the new arrivals are gathered into the grand hall, and scriptures are read in the background that you can't really make out the specifics of. You will all be made to stand around the outside of the pool, and the local animals will gently explain to you what needs to be done. To become a new Honorable, you must be Anointed with the Flame of Inspiration - that is, they are going to brand you with the metal pokers they have heating up. If you go along with it, they will burn the mark into a highly visible part of your person (they have smaller brands for smaller animals), and then cool it off in the pool of water, where you are encouraged to bask until you are comfortable again. There are obviously a couple concerns with this. The biggest one is that it's sketchy as hell. The second one is that the brand is definitely made of medium grade iron. While the painful difference it makes won't be super obvious from the outside, long-term veterans and those with superlative fae qualities will find it very uncomfortable, and it will blister for a fair while afterward, which is seen as unusual. If your character refuses, or tries to get around it somehow, please explain in reply to the post down below. ► THE DAYS AFTER: After everyone is branded (or isn't, as the case may be), you'll be given the opportunity to dry off and head back into town. All of the fancy structures here are communal, they will explain, and you can choose wherever you'd like to sleep. There are a few buildings that are mostly empty that newbies seem welcome to hole up in, though the locals assure everyone they will be nearby in case they need help. In the days that follow, everyone will be welcome to explore Eden and find their bearings, and begin to discover what gifts the Anointment has bestowed on them. Whether or not you were good at a creative pursuit before, you will find yourself filled with inspiration for something - any artistic talent will do. It's like a creative talent will have been born in you overnight, or like an existing talent of yours has been boosted to near perfection. This effect will last as long as the characters are in Eden unless you are told otherwise. You won't feel the need to eat, but there is breakfast available, if you'd like it. The locals are very courteous, though they seem a bit confused. Something about your entry seems to strike them as different than usual.

Comments

[chronosynthesis]

They haven't dove into the cavern itself yet, at least, though Syr is squinting in.

Either choice could honestly be a waste of time, si since they're already at the caves and Steven thinks it's safe enough they might as well look around. If it doesn't look likr anything more than her home, they'l redirect their efforts.

He's not expecting to communicate with her, but there might be something or someone else there who can give answers.

[periphrasing]

That logic is sound enough for Peridot. They're running on limited time here; it would be foolish to not at least take a look while we're here.

Before they go anywhere, she's going to warn everyone that if Steven's right, and this serpent is like a corrupted gem, they need to be extremely careful not to look hostile. That means no weapons! She's looking at you especially, Jasper.

She'll ask if Syr can still throw a portal up in front of the entrance (just in case), and then take the first step in. LET'S INVESTIGATE THIS TUNNEL SNAKE.

[stompadour]

THAT'S PRETTY RICH COMING FROM SOMEONE WHO IMPALED HER WITH A METAL ROD WHEN SHE WAS CORRUPTED, IN JASPER'S OPINION

[periphrasing]

Look she hadn't had the character changing lesson episode yet, OK! Geez.

[chronosynthesis]

Syrlya can still handle a portal at the entrance, which he'll go ahead and place a little to the side before he heads into the tunnel as well.

⇨ DIGGING DEEP

[ringleaders]

The tunnel starts off pretty straightforward, though a bit thinner than you'd expect the serpent to be able to fit down (because snakes), but eventually it diversifies and forks into a few different paths. Still, its relatively easy to navigate, as it's all going in one direction: down.



A bit less than an hour into their travels, they'll start coming across magical pedestals with some kind of magical force emanating from them. They are ostensibly harmless, and have no reaction to the presence of anybody walking past them. They also conveniently cast light that would otherwise be absent down here.

About an hour into their travels, they will start to hear the sounds of things moving in the distance, like paws or hooves on stone. The sounds never actually get much closer, however - that is, right up until things start to get really weird.



The caves smooth, flatten, and eventually become decorated with intricate patterns. The architecture is abstract, with joints built into the stone that seem like they would be able to shift and flex in the right circumstances.

It's while on the border of this odd environment that the movements from before will grow close. There are unseen creatures in the dark, stalking you, and now they are starting to close in around you - leaving the only safe way forward the weird geometric tunnels. You are at the two-hour mark in your journey.

What do you do?

[periphrasing]

Peridot-- still a bat, at the moment-- lands in front of Lapis and eyes the surrounding animals warily. Her fur is on end, eyeing all the shapes in the dark. Is it just her, or are these guys trying to herd them forward...?

"Um--" She swallows. "Should we try talking to them?" She hisses frantically to her companions.

[chronosynthesis]

Syrlya's mostly been silent since their descent. Holding a portal open this long is hard, it's harder for him to focus on what's around him and he's getting a headache. It's becoming hard to feel the other end, and he's largely relying on the guidance of the light and his companions.

"What?" He turns his head up then squints around at the shadows. They're... different, aren't they. "Oh. To establish we aren't a threat?"

[moonfang]

Interesting architecture. It seems like the barrens maybe weren't so barren after all -- life had just moved underground.

The darkness holds no secrets for Zangetsu, who senses perhaps a dozen separate souls in the caves.

"We're surrounded, and outnumbered. I can't tell if they're sapient or feral, though. "

[stompadour]

Jasper tosses her mane in impatient irritation. "Probably corrupted, or they would have asked what we're doing here," she mutters. Admittedly, the underground structure they've passed into doesn't seem like the work of a creature with the intellect of a corrupted gem, but... Well, perhaps that came later.

[mirrortide]

"We should keep moving. They haven't attacked us yet." Which is weird, but Lapis would really rather not linger, and if they're all behind them, that means the only way to go is forward, right? "Maybe we can keep ahead of them?"

[ringleaders]

Without warning, one of the beasts leaps forward out of the darkness, trying to hook its jaw around Peridot's throat with an obvious intent to kill. All at once, the creature still lurking begin to shift - this first strike is the beginning of a tidal wave of violence.

There is only a moment to act before it's completely unleashed.

[stompadour]

Jasper summons her helmet immediately, which has the effect of making her look like a large orange unicorn built for punching instead of for stabbing. She wheels towards the attacking wolf, swinging the diamond shaped column at its body.

[moonfang]

Well, that answered that question. In an instant, Zangetsu has his sword in his mouth, and energy flaring all around him. The beasts of the tunnel may not be able to see him, but they'll certainly feel him, now.

He was here to protect them, and he would do that.

"So much for that!"

Another attacking animal will meet the blunt edge of his blade, swung with incredible power for such an ungainly set up.

[periphrasing]

Well fuck.

Good thing Jasper acts quick because uh, Peridot can fend for herself fairly well by now but she still doesn't really have a warrior's reflexes. She'd probably have been mincemeat otherwise.

She boggles for half a second, until her brain manages to override the fear petrifying her. It's time to DRAGON UP.

She blasts a wide swath of flame at the ground in front of the approaching crowd, trying to force some of the animals back.

[mirrortide]

And Lapis is just as quick on the uptake, though she didnt! Expect to be proven wrong so fast!!!!

At least it's just a bunch of dumb, feral animals. Lapis is on her hind legs and is swatting with heavy duty polar bear claws. At least she has more than the bear minimum experience of being a polar bear?

She's still sticking close to Peridot in particular, though.

[npcarnival]

The combination of Jasper and Zangetsu is enough to send the first attacked sprawling back with a pained yipe but that doesn't stop the others from charging forward. It's animals of all kinds, but mostly those with big and dangerous statures, and all of them seem to want to do nothing but attack.

What's more, they aren't just attacking the intruders. As soon as the chaos breaks out, they all start attacking each other too - and that wolf that just got put down? It's just as quickly set upon by a few of the other, who immediately move to tear it apart and consume its flesh.

The ones that can't get at the wolf are going straight for you guys, fire or no fire. You can flee now, or you're going to have to start making rolls to avoid getting maimed.

[chronosynthesis]

Well that all gets his attention. Syrlya jerks in the middle of the ground before pointing his talons down and creating a circle of magic under their feet to shock and stun the creatures lunging in.

But they can't afford to get surrounded. "Keep running!"

[moonfang]

Wow. That's intense. And kind of exciting. Zangetsu hasn't seen this sort of pure, primal carnage since he went on his dream safari to Hueco Mundo. It gets his blood rushing and his adrenaline pumping.

The way back seems blocked, but the way forward is clear.

"BOOK IT!"

Zangetsu lingers for a moment, unleashing a crescent-shaped blast of energy from a slash of his sword to knock their would-be predators back into the darkness.

[stompadour]

"Rrghh--" Jasper doesn't like running, but she can tell when it's a good idea. And fortunately, this form is made for it. She puts her head down and charges -- any animal that isn't bludgeoned out of the way by her helmet will have to deal with her huge, heavy hooves. Hopefully she can clear a way for the rest of them.

[periphrasing]

Peridot snarls and blasts a bit more fire towards the animals before turning and following the example of her fleeing companions. "Lapis, come on!"

[mirrortide]

What's that? Running away? That's what Lapis Lazuli's do best. She takes the cue, and instantly whirls around and starts charging away from the animals descending on each other as quickly as her bear legs can go.

[npcarnival]

They make it into the section of strange architecture and, oddly enough, all of the animals stop chasing them as soon as they completely cross the threshold. Regardless of their bloodthirst, they don't want to follow past that point, and instead the sounds of them fighting will begin to fade as more and more distance is put between them and you.

Finally, you can slow down a little. It's quiet in here, for the moment, with nothing but your crew and the wall drawings to draw your attention.

[stompadour]

Jasper slows to a trot as she realises they're no longer being pursued, arching her neck to look behind her.

"Is that what happens to anyone who's out here for long enough?" Her lip curls. "Why did they stop?"

[chronosynthesis]

Syrlya nearly crashes into Jasper as he pulls up at the rear, before taking a last minute twist and smacking into the wall instead. He's tense even seeing the animals cease their chase and turn on each other instead.

And for a while he just stares dully ahead, back against the wall as an awful realization occurs to him, and... he's going to have to tell them.

"I can't complete the portal." So, uh, there goes their quick escape.