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Post by Reiqua on Jun 14, 2018 7:38:10 GMT -5
Muuri looked forlornly at the dead deer. Move him to his home land. But where was that? She hadn't even known him. A large taniwha stepped forward and addressed her. Muuri was confused. His home land had not been on the island? Her heart felt a fresh pang of grief for the departed deer, alone, in a land that he was unused to, unable to rest in a place of peace. But the taniwha's suggestion held merit. Perhaps he did have a favourite spot somewhere on the island where he would rather have rested. The kaprosuchus also spoke now, also pointing out mundane practicalities. Muuri felt her face flush under her fur. Of course, that was a much better way of approaching the issue. And it gave something concrete to work with. Vine. Where would she find one of those? Not in this clearing, she told herself sensibly, vines grow on trees. She physically shook her head to clear it. There was far too much noise in this clearing for her to think straight. Somewhere off to the east a fire bird was screeching about a creature she had never heard of before. He called it 'humans'. Muuri was familiar with most species of animal on the island, but this was new. She decided not to worry about that now, though. Her priority was Recaito. Vine. That's what she was up to. Until something else drove the thought entirely out of her mind. Muuri had heard stories of wandabaa before, but come to think of it, she had never seen one with her own eyes. This one drifted into the clearing and walked right through a few creatures before stopping in front of the tiger and speaking. The wandabaa had taken the form of a thylacine. Thylacines had walked the old land with them, Muuri's grandmother always said. Muuri always felt a special connection to creatures from the old land, and thylacines were no exception. Then she realised with a jolt. This must be the one the birds had mourned for this morning. Her gaze transfixed by the wandabaa before her, Muuri listened closely to every cold word. It was as the others had been saying. The tiger was not in her right mind. She was under a darkness. And it was not of her own volition. "But who is responsible for this darkness? And how can we stop them?" Muuri pondered. When several animals looked at her a moment later she realised she must have voiced the sentiment aloud. She mentally shook off the slight embarrassment that she felt for having spoken so incautiously. It was a thought worth sharing after all. Muuri hears Kohimu's ( Thorn ) and Quicksnap's ( Shinko ) contributions to her suggestion of moving Recaito. She is momentarily distracted by Svar's ( Celestial ) terrified cry about humans, but then decides to go find a vine. That is until ghost!Beech shows up. Thankfully ghost!Beech provides the distraction I needed to take Muuri's mind off the all-important task of relocating Recaito. Muuri then very helpfully voices the sentiment that the darkness/Makell's illness must be someone's fault. And asks what they can do about it. (Since I don't think anyone else had done it yet and we probably need to conclude that a lynch mob is the only viable way forward fairly soon...) Glossary of Gamilaraay terms: Wandabaa - ghost/spirit As this is a concept that is closely connected to Muuri's beliefs, she's likely to think of ghost!Beech as specifically being a wandabaa rather than just a generic ghost. East This is obviously not a Gamilaraay term as such, but I headcannon that the way Muuri uses language doesn't have left and right in it. Instead of measuring position relative to herself, she measures positioning relative to the land (or rather, relative to sunrise/sunset). So to say that Svar is to her east doesn't mean he's over yonder in an easterly direction, merely that he's a bit to her left since she happens to be facing south at the time of this post.
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Post by Thundy on Jun 14, 2018 10:43:19 GMT -5
1/7/█ █ █ █
We've been continuing the experiments. Time taken to solve the food box puzzles has dropped another 30 seconds. However we've begun to notice a few side effects that Algernon appears to be experiencing. He occasionally appears to experience what might be described as acute physical pain, generally resembling something similar to a migraine. Treatment for these has proved rather ineffective, but curiously the symptoms only appear to last a few minutes to an hour at most. Dr. █ █ █ is investigating, but as administrator █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ pointed out, the easiest way to figure it out is to simply terminate Algernon and perform an autopsy, then use the knowledge on another test subject. I'm not prepared to go to this length just yet, we've only just begun our work. We CAN succeed. I won't let them stop me.
***END OF ENTRY***PRESENT DAYThe moment the ghost of Beech began speaking, the pain returned to Algernon, sharp like an ice pick through his skull his joints felt like they were on fire and the ground lurched at a sickening angle. He grabbed his forehead with a free hand, gave a grunt, and seemed a little unsteady on his feet. René flew over in haste. “You okay Al? You look like you're having another attack.” “Yes...” Algernon remarked, grimacing, but almost as soon as the pain started, it stopped, the world around him stopped spinning and he regained his footing. “...it's okay. I was just...back there...for a moment. I'm fine, René.” “You should get some rest.” “No, no, you heard that voice?” “We all did Al, I'm struggling to find an explanation.” “Well, it makes sense to me. Something's afflicted the Tiger, caused her to act this way.” “What, like a split personality of sorts?” Algernon scratched his chin again. “Nooo. Something -different-, I can't put my finger on it. It's almost as if this state's been induced in her by some outside influence. This darkness. Now that's what I can't figure out.” René stared back at the Tiger and gave a whistle. “What do you think, is she the only one?” “It's hard to say, but I don't have a good feeling about this, René,” Algernon stared at the Tiger too. “I think we'd better watch our backs. Physical combat is not something I'm very adept at. At least you have the luxury of simply flying away.” “Can't fly forever, how am I supposed to sleep?” “There are only two types of creature, René; the quick and the dead.” The two seemed uneasy. Without warning, Algernon yelled out to the crowd. “What are we going to do about this? We need to find a solution.” Algernon has a relapse of side effects he experienced in the laboratory, he recovers, and he and René discuss what Beech's ghost just said. Algernon then appeals for ideas for a solution to the creatures gathered.
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Post by Liou on Jun 14, 2018 11:26:30 GMT -5
Aside from protectively tackling friends, he had liked to paint. His den, which Dara had insisted on making a detour to see, was beautifully decorated with patterns on birch bark. He hadn't dared to ask the octopus for ink. That was something Dara could understand - asking another creature to secrete one of their bodily fluids for you was always a delicate matter -, and so they'd practically begged Recaito to make something good, something dazzling, using their ink. Dara had promised to ooze a supply of it for Recaito and to show him the artistic swirls marking their own den, some time after the meeting. They had never even switched from Inara's back to Recaito's, so distracted by the conversation, while their arms softly continued to pet the silky unicorn long after the last blotch of ink had been wiped off. So when the tigress pounced, the huemul pushed Dara, too, out of the path of her jaws. He had moved so fast. She had moved almost as fast. There had not been even half enough time for Dara to pull out a sharp tool, let alone for aiming at the tigress' eyes or reaching inside her throat, or for squeezing back out of her mouth, which might not even have been of any help to Recaito, for Dara was only a mollusc and the tigress a very large mammal who could probably kill even while choking on treefood. Why had the sharpened rock not been in their arm the whole time? Why? Curled into a ball, the octopus had rolled off and landed near Inara. This time there was no ink - they'd had no intention of escaping. “Recaito! Recaito, it’s okay, you’re going to be okay,” said Inara as she got her magical horn into position. Moved by a tiny spark of hope, Dara crept a little closer, watching Inara from between two of their arms. “No no no no no! Don’t worry, I’ll try again. It will work this time, just hang in there!” The magic soon flickered off and the unicorn fell silent. Hesitantly, Dara set an arm on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. You did your best," they said. Before they could try to comfort her any further, an arboreal predator came alarmingly close to them and the octopus shuffled away again. Dara had never got into trouble with this marsupial lion and did their best to keep it that way. As far as Dara knew, the sensible reaction to someone's death was "doing one's best to avoid the same fate", but in this situation, it felt far more urgent to stay and support their distraught friend. Dara was not sure, however, that "sitting near the deceased and screaming" would be a preferable course of action. They could only stare at the wailing marsupial lion from a safe distance, while more animals joined her chorus. (For a moment, they wondered how it might sound if their hatchlings reacted that way to Dara's own death, before remembering that their body would probably be disposed of before the eggs hatched anyway.) The echo of the wails gave way to an even more chilling sound. Dara twisted in all directions in search of its source, and flopped into a squirming pile of arms when they caught sight of the thylacine-shaped thing. The thing's voice seemed to flow up and down as if mocking Dara's own movements. "Oh my spirit," they whispered when the apparition came near enough for them to see better, "is it just me or does she have no scent at all?" Dara turned to Inara, but the unicorn seemed transfixed. "Beech," the solemn boar crocodile had named her. Of course Dara knew who Beech was. They had heard her name many times that morning, and they knew that she could not be here, for she was the reason why they were all even here. The reason why the dead never came back was because they could not, under any circumstance. Not just because they didn't want to meet you. Right? The agitated predators sounded more subdued after the apparition's entrance. Dara took advantage of that to step a little closer to the tigress - walking on two arms and holding the rest in a tight bunch around themself. Not sure if they'd heard the previous conversation correctly, they grabbed a passing coelophysis and gave it a few shakes and nudges until it had spilled enough snippets of information. So everyone else had noticed that the tigress did not seem in her right mind. The octopus spoke as loud as they dared. "Excuse me? Did the tiger say she'd been feeling faint before it happened? What if it was some kind of venom? A non-lethal dose, but harmful enough to make her lash out? Could somebody please ask if she remembers being stung by anyone?" You know, when I decided to write a tree octopus, I expected a lot more "I'm a mollusc swinging from branch to branch, wheee" and a lot less "my parents died before I hatched and I will die before meeting my children" angst. Dara had been bonding with Mostly Harmless (flufflepuff) over art and ink before the murder happened. Recaito indirectly saved them, too, and Dara feels bad for not being fast enough to stab the tigress. D: They try to comfort Ginz ❤ when her magic is not enough to save deer frien, but Reiqua scares them off a little, and her ritual is kinda perplexing to them. Shinko 's ghostie creeps them out much more and they mention that they can't catch her scent (I assumed >.>) Dara does not like the idea that the dead can choose to come back. After quickly catching up on Radio Dino (thanks Tiger ), Dara expresses the idea that Makell's condition may have been caused by venom - something nice and non-ghostly! - and asks people close to Makell if they can check. Xsabaskis, Thundy , Kozma , maybe?
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Post by Tiger on Jun 14, 2018 12:02:39 GMT -5
Xsabaskis didn’t have more than two seconds of relief from the tiger’s struggling before the cat’s body suddenly tensed and she tried to wrestle out of their grip again. Keeping her balance like this was difficult - she was a few wobbles away from using her teeth and getting a grip on a scruff of the cat’s loose skin again. One of the animals assisting - a large, two-legged mammal that might have been confused for a theropod through a heavy fog and over a great deal of distance and if not for the low hanging tail - turned to her and asked, "This is such a strange thing to happen, isn't it? You wouldn't happen to know why this happened, do you?"She side-eyed the animal and his casual tone. He might as well have been discussing an unusually early but mild rain, or a curious thing a hatchling had done. Guess I can’t complain if he’s helping hold back the cat.“No,” she grunted in reply, her tail swishing as she tried to keep her balance again. “No idea. Got here just as she“ - a pause to growl fruitlessly at the struggling cat - “just as she pounced. Must be she’s sick, like Quicksnap said. If we could just - ” "I knoow this shadow."Xsabaskis’ head jerked up sharply, tilting left and right to find the source of the sound. She saw the kaprosuchus she had just mentioned bounce a little, and spin - Taakeyrr just narrowly avoided the arc of his tail with a backwards spring. Xsabaskis growled, her feathers starting to stand on end. A sudden chill had pressed into her, and it felt - even though it was impossible - like it came from that voice. And then, again, clear despite the noise of the disturbed animals and the thrashing and snarling of the cat underfoot - "The striped cat has a darkness clinging to her,"It came out of the trees - glowing like it was made of moonlight, even though it was the middle of the day. Like the pale crystal of the crags reflecting white light back on the water - but the creature wasn’t made of crystal; it wasn’t even solid - Xsabaskis nearly jumped when it passed through the gold cat she’d been scolding a few moments ago. She looked around the crowd; nobody recognized this creature. Naelus was home to many strange species… but this did not seem to be one that belonged here. "Why do I remember this, and yet nothing else?” the animal said to the stripped cat - at the stripped cat? ”Why do I know this fearful darkness?," ”Beech?” the kaprosuchus said. Xsabaskis, still staring at the glowing creature with the missing leg, said, “That’s - that’s the one who died this morning.” How could they be standing here? Dead was dead - the dead didn’t get up and walk, the dead didn’t come back, the dead went on to roost with the Spirit, or why would her mother and Sretash - "It's true. I saw it in her eyes. I’ve never seen anything like it,” said the horned horse who had been the striped cat’s initial target. I didn’t know her, but I could tell she wasn’t herself. She didn't want to kill him. No one in their right mind would. This shouldn't have happened""But who is responsible for this darkness? And how can we stop them?" Another cat, though this one not quite like the other two in a way Xsabaskis couldn’t entirely define. And from a monkey, “What are we going to do about this? We need to find a solution.”What were they going to do? Xsabaskis suppressed a nervous hiss. She didn’t know, she had no idea what as happening! She glanced over at her father, and Taakeyrr, who had both just turned to her. Taakeyrr’s heart pounded. This was getting too much, too much - One of the Coelophyses darted close to the tiger and the glowing thylacine - just enough to dance away in case of a strike. It tilted its long head up and down, scrutinizing the tiger’s eyes. Xsabaskis could just glimpse another one of the tiny dinosaurs near the thylacine’s missing back leg. “Doesn’t look right there,” the first Coelophysis confirmed, sidestepping a paw. “No. Not at all.” Another Coelophysis sprinted up to it. “Tree octopus asked about - “ "Excuse me? Did the tiger say she'd been feeling faint before it happened? What if it was some kind of venom? A non-lethal dose, but harmful enough to make her lash out? Could somebody please ask if she remembers being stung by anyone?"“...That,” the Coelophysis sounded a little put-out. Tuning out the jabbering of the two animals, Xsabaskis lowered her head toward the tiger. “Hey - focus! Did something sting you? Bite you?” Her hopes were not high the tiger would answer, but she supposed they had to try. The Coelophyses snapped at each other and then went silent, waiting with their jaws slightly agape, breathing quickly as they waited to see what the tiger would say. The Coelophysis behind the dead thylacine darted around to the animal’s front. “What about you? Did you get stung?” oh boy uhm. Xsabaskis POV time! She answers Lackintell's question, as best she can ( Kozma), then gets cut of by GHOST ( Shinko). After a little internal panic and listening to the crowd (and a Coelophysis) agree that something external seems to have caused Makell's attack, Xsabaskis asks Makell if she remembers being attacked, at Dara's suggestion ( Nova and Liou) One of the Coelophyses asks Beech the same question ( Shinko again) ...I think that covers everything and everyone.
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Post by Celestial on Jun 14, 2018 14:59:03 GMT -5
Something silvery flashed out of the corner of his eye. Svar froze, his panic dying in his throat as he watched a...thing come to him and try to free his tail. However, it only passed through. His breath caught in his throat. In the old world, before he came to Naelus, he had seen these things. Sometimes helpful, sometimes harmful, but always supernatural, this was a ghost. His eyes scanned her, his beak open. The stripes...the markings around the eye...this was Beech. Svar shrieked, but it was more a shriek of surprise than panic: his nerves has been fried too much in his escape attempt to even begin to reach the level of terror he had previous achieved. The ghostly thylacine, however, did not seem malicious. Svar was unable to catch any plagues that ghosts sometimes carried, nor did it look like she was a cursed ghost. Either way, when she realised she could not touch him, she moved on, to his relief. It was not comfortable having a ghost around. He swirled his head around, watching her as she approached the tiger. "Why do I remember this, and yet nothing else? Why do I know this fearful darkness?," Darkness? What darkness? Svar felt the fear rising in him again? A darkness had invaded the island that was causing creatures to lash out and kill? But what could it be? Humans? He screamed again. There could not be humans here! Anything but that! “This is fine. Everything is going to be just fine!”The firebird turned towards the source of the voice and immediately clucked in surprise. In front of him was a zmey. Or at least, the creature looked like a zmey: they had two heads (a zmey usually had more but two was a minimum) but they were also tiny. Almost as small as Svar himself was. The sight alone was enough to make him stop panicking just from the sheer confusion of it. For the first time in a long while, Svar has no idea how to feel. Fear was his default response, and certainly a zmey was a terrifying beast, but it was also...nice to see a creature from the old world, and one that was also a quest task for humans, albeit one that had less to do with capture and more killing. “Nothing about any of this is fine. But, there is hot.”[/i] one head said. Another chimed in. “...Cold there is not.”“But which one is faster?”“(It’s us--we’re speed’s master.)”Svar blinked. "I...I'm sorry, I don't think I understand?" he tilted his head. "Cold or hot? Well, I am hot due to my fire, but what does it have to do with you?" he reached over with his beak, trying to help the zmey untangle his tail. It had only been a bush that had snagged him. He felt a little silly now. "Uh...thank you for helping me out regardless. If you like baubles, you can take some of those pearls," he gestured with his foot at the pile that had been scattered. *** "Ahem--thank you, dearest miss, though I assure you, your covering is much more practical than mine. I am called Genevieve, and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance; would you mind if I pause a moment to settle my stomach?"The poor cat must have been hungry. Morag snuffled at her. "Genevieve. What a lovely name for a lovely creature. Of course, please feel free to take as much as you want. Darling Mochi does make the best treats on Naelus. They are almost as sweet as summer heather flowers that have just bloomed. Oh, but I should not keep you waiting," the haggis put a gentle claw on Genevieve and pushed her towards the treats. "You need something in your stomach after all the terrible things you saw. Food is the best way to calm down and get yourself on an even keel." Morag watched as the sphynx selected a mochi but she did not see her eat it. A voice made her jump. "I knoow this shadow." "The striped cat has a darkness clinging to her,"She flicked her ears to try to get rid of the cold feeling that had settled on them and turned. There was a silvery creature there, but as Morag snuffled, she could not catch a single whiff of scent from the being. They seemed...familiar. Granted, many things were familiar to Morag due to her terrible memory, but this more than anything. "Oh my! Is that young Beech?" she exclaimed as it suddenly hit her. "My, my, you have certainly changed a lot." All the animals around her chattered, sounding very shaken by this appearance. Morag, however, scuttered forward, getting as close as she dared to Beech while being out of range of Makell. The haggis might have been a little scatter-brained but she still did not want to take a risk, not after seeing what had happened. "Beech, sweetie, it really is good to see you. You are looking rather worse for wear, I must say," Morag said to Beech. "Could you maybe tell us what happened to you? There's a lot of nerves around and it might be quite soothing for somebody to explain what is going on. You seem like you might be more on the ball than the rest of us." Svar is snapped out of his panic by a ghostly Beech( Shinko) and reasons that the ghost must not be able to do him much harm, especially after she passes him by. He is also fascinated by Verso and Recto( Lizica), since they, being a multi-headed dragon, resemble dragons from his homeland. He converses with them, mostly being confused, while they attempt to free him. Morag, meanwhile, tells Genevieve( Coaster) to go soothe her stomach. She is also startled by the apparition of Beech but actually decides to approach her and talk to her, in her own Morag way
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Post by Thorn on Jun 14, 2018 15:03:45 GMT -5
Kohimu had never been very good at decisions- he always seemed to make the wrong one. He opened his mouth to offer Quicksnap some assistance with the deer (Reicato, if he'd heard the bereaved unicorn correctly), and then closed it just as quickly when he noticed the dilophosaur struggling with the tiger. Surely she should be the priority? But they needed to quickly attend Reicato, to ensure the safety of the deer's spirit. Te Tai would laugh at him for worrying about that, but he'd never been as close to the humans as Kohimu, and the smaller taniwha still believed- The new voice froze his thoughts in place. It was like none he'd heard in all his years- like a bitter winter wind. The creature that emerged from the trees was silver, striped, flaming- and yet, not. Its eyes were bright and cold. After a few moments, Kohimu realised this was a thylacine. After a few more, he recognised it as Beech. The taniwha whimpered softly. It didn't sound like Beech, but it couldn't be anyone else. This was everything he'd feared: she hadn't been returned to her family quickly enough, she'd been allowed to lie cold on the shore. Beech hadn't been able to pass on. Now she was trapped here confused, probably scared and- and, spooky. Was this why the tiger had turned mad? Why Reicato had died? Were the spirits displeased? It had only been a day, they still had time, maybe they could still put this right. He felt the scimon dig her little paws into his neck, drawing him out of his thoughts. "It's okay, Roda," Kohimu said. "I know what's happening." He forcibly relaxed his shoulders, uncoiled his tail, tried to maintain an air of confidence. His chest ached, and he was glad he couldn't cry, because that would be really inconvenient and ruin the whole image. He knew his markings were shimmering and pulsing pink, green and white-as-the-ghost-eyes, but most of the others wouldn't know what that meant. Only Quicksnap and...Beech. It was fine. He could do this. "We're so sorry about the darkness, Beech," he said. "I know what we need to do. I'm sorry we didn't do it before. I-" He couldn't keep his composure while looking at her, so he turned to Quicksnap and the marsupial lion. The latter had spoken, but he'd missed the words entirely. He hoped that wasn't too obvious. "I've heard about this before. Her body wasn't treated as it should have been, and her spirit...well, you can see. I don't know what the usual rites are among thylacines, but if we talk with her family, we'll be able to sort this out." He didn't mention what else he suspected- that the spirits were already displeased, and had possessed the tiger and taken Reicato as a result. It would come up soon enough, but it was more important to focus on what could still be done, than on the mistakes of the past. Don't worry guys! Kohimu has it all figured out. =P Kohimu reassures June Scarlet's Roda (I figured her digging her paws in would happen as result of her fear, which you mentioned in your last post, June?) However, he is not exactly a happy critter himself. But! Nobody else needs to know that. Even if the markings on his body, which previously looked like carvings in a block of wood, are now all colourful and glowing... He speaks directly to Beech, apologising for not allowing her spirit to rest, and then suggests a course of action to Shinko's Quicksnap and Reiqua's Muuri. If I missed some important bit of info, just let me know! There was a lot to read over, phew.
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Post by Reiqua on Jun 14, 2018 16:34:12 GMT -5
Muuri’s brow furrowed in confusion. Usual rites? Talk to the family? Sure Beech might not have wanted that sandy beach to be her final resting place if it wasn’t her land, but surely that was not the only thing going on here. If Beech’s wandabaa was going to walk, it would walk regardless. They could always talk to her family if the taniwha wanted, but family had never meant all that much to Muuri. She had left her own mother’s side as soon as - Where was Yira?!She had left him standing just on the edge of the clearing when she stepped in but he was definitely not there now. Her eye slid from the blue moon rabbit to the hairless cat with nothing but an empty tree line between them... Quick post to lampshade the fact that Muuri has kinda lost Yira. She hears Kohimu’s ( Thorn) suggestion as to what’s going on but is kinda too distracted to contribute anything more there. She probably comes across as distracted and mildly dismissive if the others don’t realise what’s on her mind. Quicksnap ( Shinko) is in the same conversation.
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Post by Shinko on Jun 14, 2018 16:58:20 GMT -5
“What about you? Did you get stung?”The thylacine blinked, seeming startled to be addressed. She looked down at the coelophysis, head cocked to one side. Before she could respond, a second creature trundled up to her incorporeal feet. "Beech, sweetie, it really is good to see you. You are looking rather worse for wear, I must say," Morag said to Beech. "Could you maybe tell us what happened to you? There's a lot of nerves around and it might be quite soothing for somebody to explain what is going on. You seem like you might be more on the ball than the rest of us."There was a pause. " I remember great pain," she finally said, her voice sounding a bit less far away, but still icy and ethereal. " My flesh being laid bare. I remember fear. I remember the bringer of the pain and fear was haunted by a shadow. The same shadow that clings to the striped cat." Her brow furrowed as if in concentration. " There was pain. So much pain, and cold. Then, there was nothing. After the nothing, came a waking. But what was before the pain? I can't remember. I..." she shivered, her form briefly taking on a more translucent quality and genuine distress edging into her previously toneless voice. " I can't remember." "Beech!" Quicksnap called, finally shaking off his shock and starting towards her. She turned, ears pricked in his direction. " The small one said that too- Beech. Is that my name? Do you know me?" "Wh-what?" he stammered, pulling up short. "Of course, Beech, it's me. Quicksnap, Snappy, you've known me since you were tiny." Beech shook her head, as if trying to clear it, but her expression remained muddled with a disaffected sort of confusion. “ Who am I? What am I?” Kohimu approached her then, distracting her attention. "We're so sorry about the darkness, Beech," he said. "I know what we need to do. I'm sorry we didn't do it before. I-"He hesitated, glancing towards Quicksnap uncomfortably. The kaprosochus met his gaze only briefly, his own expression wrought with distress. "I've heard about this before. Her body wasn't treated as it should have been, and her spirit...well, you can see. I don't know what the usual rites are among thylacines, but if we talk with her family, we'll be able to sort this out."“What do you mean ‘sort this out’?” Quicksnap demanded shrilly. “If you mean ‘get her memory back’ I’m all onboard. Beech? What do you think?” She closed her eyes again, almost looking pained. “ I’m confused. I don’t understand. I only know there is a shadow stretching over us all, and if it is not stopped it will consume and destroy us.” Unfortunately for the ones questioning Beech ( Tiger and Celestial ) it seems she’s lost her memory of everything except the moment of her death, and even that is fuzzy. Quicksnap doesn’t really know what Kohimu ( Thorn ) is talking about ‘cause animals =/= funerals usually, so he asks for clarification.
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Post by Twillie on Jun 14, 2018 18:06:01 GMT -5
“Do we know what we’re gonna do about…. All this?” Glancing at all the creatures around after his inquiry, Kasai knew from the uncertain gazes and silence his way meant the others were as much at a loss as him. The tiger’s fierce noises still caught his ears. He tried not to visibly squirm in place. One creature though, a marsupial lion, did propose one solution as she stepped from the crowd to the deer’s still figure. After a small vigil to the lost soul, she proposed moving him back to his home, a kind but perhaps infeasible at the moment gesture. Some others stepped in to discuss logistics, but Kasai tuned out of the conversation rather quickly. He wouldn’t have anything to offer anyway, he didn’t know where this deer came from nor did he have the strength to help move him. As he paced a small distance away from the large crowd and brutal scene, nerves biting at his stomach, Kasai couldn’t help but hear the boar crocodile’s words ringing in his head. ”Nobody came to see it. I know because I was there, I found it. She was my friend!”Kasai ruefully quirked an ear. For him it was less a problem that he didn’t visit the one victim at the Falls. He didn’t know any of these other creatures, none outside of his den could he call “friends.” Stumbling upon the initial murder scene was the only way he would’ve seen up close the huemul deer’s body. He glanced behind him towards the crowd once more. Unfamiliar faces, already engaged in conversation that he had nothing to add to, nothing to help with. If he left now, he would probably be the only one to notice… The tiger- Something caught Kasai’s eye before he fully turned away. The tiger…. Shifted? Changed in demeanor, just for a brief moment. Feeling cold inside, as though something else were about to happen, Kasai froze and couldn’t tear his eyes away from the restrained figure. In that moment, though, anything but aggression took over her face. Was she… crying? And from her bloody maw, she seemed to mouth one thing. “Please.” Kasai thought he saw, “Help me.”Others saw and heard this too, of course, and it became clear. Something had indeed forced the tiger to act as she did. No clear reason why or how though…. Could it happen to anyone…? At that moment, Kasai was wrought between a war of wanting to see Sei as soon as possible, as staying as far as he could. Conversations continued, creatures moved in and out of the crowd, discussing and sharing news and catching up those who may not have gotten all the details. Kasai stuck to his place in the back, not approaching anyone or catching their attention, instead stuck in his own ponderings of what, in that moment, he should do. What could he do? He had never felt this kind of powerlessness before. Was this punishment from the Spirit? For what, though? Kasai folded his ears back. Who else could invade the mind of a creature, though, but their own deity? Did she need prayers? Confessions? Offerings? What seemed to be right on cue, though, a chill suddenly spread through Kasai’s body. "I knoow this shadow."The silvery ethereal figure that suddenly graced the clearing sent all of Kasai’s nerves on edge, and without another thought, he threw himself to the ground and shut his eyes tight. THe Spirit. The Spirit, she was here! For what specific purposes, Kasai didn’t dare fathom. He just kept his nose to the ground mutterings prayers as quick as the wind begging for mercy. "Why do I remember this, and yet nothing else? Why do I know this fearful darkness?" "...Beech?"Kasai twitched an ear. Daring a peek upward, he saw the boar crocodile staring at the silver figure with bewildered recognition. Beech… So, this wasn’t the Spirit. But a lost soul. Ghost! Kasai had heard of them before, as plenty of spirits and souls filled the myths he learned since a kit, but had never fathomed seeing one. Not here. The other creatures around looked perturbed as well, laying their eyes on such an unfamiliar and unwelcome sight, but none reacted quite like Kasai. He continued to keep to the ground, muttering prayers again with fear in his voice. “ I’m confused. I don’t understand. I only know there is a shadow stretching over us all, and if it is not stopped it will consume and destroy us.” Oh Spirit… please, no… Please forgive for whatever has happened, protect us from this Shadow… The dark spirits must not be let in in the wake of death…Kasai grows even more wary when he picks up that all the other creatures are just as at a loss of ideas as him, especially with the murder victim and murderer still right there. A marsupial lion ( Reiqua ) proposes they move the body, and things seem to get rolling a bit more. Kasai, though, feels he has nothing to contribute, as he doesn’t even know anyone there, and almost feels the urge to leave. He catches Makell’s ( Nova ) plea, though, and becomes frozen in place when he realizes that yes, some kind of sickness took over the tiger, and they don’t know how or when it could happen again. He worries that this is some kind of punishment from the Spirit when, lo and behold, a silvery figure joins them who he mistakes for the Spirit herself ( Shinko ). He grovels on the ground before finding out it’s actually Beech, but then continues to grovel some more because a ghost on Naelus cannot mean good things. So for now the poor superstitious thing is currently behind the crowd on the ground stuck in GHOST DD8 mode.
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Post by RielCZ on Jun 14, 2018 19:42:06 GMT -5
Rui took time to return to the longma tribe to agree with Grandma, where she stirred some controversy; many dragon-horses were in a state of disbelief, both over the quadraped death and over the fact Grandma may have been talking sense. But many longma argued that Rui and Grandma were crazy -- that senseless murder was an act too cruel to even cross the minds of those in Naelus, let alone actually carry out such murder. Rui agreed, and while it was unfortunate, it was happening -- "AND WE HAVE TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT!" Rui declared. She and a few other Longma flew to and arrived at the meeting. Rui was fashionably late. As always, she thought with a casual mane flip. Except... something was different. There was more mourning than she expected. A non-dragon-horse-horse-with-a-pole-out-of-its-head was crying, and there were murmurs about of a ghost and DARKNESS. And then she saw the body of a tiny deer, murdered. And judging by the onlookers trying to restrain a large striped cat-thing flashing seemingly larger teeth, the dragon-horse assumed the murder was not out of food. Rui gasped. What would Grandma do? What should Rui herself do? Boldness overtook her as she took to the skies, hovering just over the crowd. "WE COME FROM DIRT, WE RETURN TO DIRT -- THIS TINY DEER WILL RETURN TO HIS CRAFTER. HIS DEATH SHOULD NOT BE MOURNED, BUT CELEBRATED AS A STEP IN BRINGING THE COMMUNITY OF NAELUS TO CONSENSUS AGAINST FORCES CONSIDERED DARK! WE CANNOT LET THIS DIVIDE US!" She walked up to the non-dragon-horse-horse-with-a-pole-out-of-its-head and patted the creature's back with her hoof. "DARKNESS BEGETS DARKNESS. THE DEER MAY HAVE FALLEN INTO DARKNESS... BUT LIGHT SHALL ALWAYS DISPEL THE DARKNESS!" Rui's absence is lamely explained by her having returned to her tribe of longma to consult with Grandma and reveal to others there is some dark force permeating Naelus. She (and some unnamed other longma) go to the meeting, only to see it has taken a tragic turn as there is a dead tiny deer, animals trying to restrain a big cat with large teeth ( Nova), a non-dragon-horse-horse-with-a-pole-out-of-its-head crying, and murmurs about DARKNESS. After shouting some words from the heavens about how the tiny deer's death should be seen as a step forward in bringing the community together, as opposed to one that divides, Rui goes to the non-dragon-horse-horse-with-a-pole-out-of-its-head ( Ginz ❤) and pats her, saying that light will dispel darkness.
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Post by Lizica on Jun 15, 2018 1:26:35 GMT -5
The firebird appeared slightly confused. Verso and Recto were not unused to being greeted with confusion, and at the moment, it was almost a relief to be greeted with mundane bewilderment. "I...I'm sorry, I don't think I understand?" the firebird said, tilting his head. "Cold or hot? Well, I am hot due to my fire, but what does it have to do with you?”“It’s a riddle,” Recto explained. “It is SO a riddle!” Verso exclaimed, wheeling. (His frantically waving motion to cool off his hand after untangling a feather doubled as indignant flailing.) “It’s not a joke.” “It’s NOT a joke. Because, see--” Verso turned back to the firebird. “See, hot is faster than cold because you can catch a cold, see?” Nodding to himself in agreement, Recto reached around and patted Verso’s shoulder in mock consolation. “ It’s not a joke!” Verso cried. “Uh...thank you for helping me out regardless,” the firebird interrupted, returning their attention back to him. “If you like baubles, you can take some of those pearls."“You’re welcome,” said Verso. “Bushes are heinous.” “That’s not very nice of you to offer,” said Recto politely. “We already have a very large treasure stash,” said Recto, speaking at the same time as Verso said, “We’ve never had a treasure hoard before.” Verso rolled his eyes at his brother, then went on to the firebird, “Two of our great-great-great-great--” He ran out of claws to count on, so instead amended, “--Two of our grandmothers once guarded a corridor in a maze, though. That was supposedly a good gig.” “And we’re just as good at riddles as they were, and never give away the answers on purpose.” Verso had a retort all ready about how it was usually Recto’s fault for messing up riddles, but a chill continued to linger in the air, echoing from the clearing, despite the firebird’s presence. Hot was supposed to be faster. “We know another, better riddle about things that come in darkness,” he offered. “It’s definitely the exact same thing as what just happened,” scoffed Recto--though slightly uncertainly. Lizica worried about shoehorning too many forced riddles into one post, so here is an optional riddle continuation that may or may not have been spoken, depending on if you wanted to respond or if you’d rather just let it be and were curious. xD Finding riddles is the most fun research, guysVerso: I come in darkness Recto: And always at night Verso: To some I bring glee Recto: And to none I bring fright Verso: What am I? (Answer in spoiler: ) Dreams ((...Aaaare riddles considered public domain? Should I be citing my original sources? I tweak the wording for my characters, but I don't come up with them.)) ANYWAY, SUMMARY OF THE ACTUAL POST: Verso and Recto find Svar’s ( Celestial) confusion sort of calming in a way, and wind up telling him how the hot-cold riddle is supposed to work. (They’re probably still confusing.) They talk with Svar (and argue with each other), and when the Main Plot leaks into the conversation a little, they bring up yet another riddle to help with the problem.
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Post by Draco on Jun 15, 2018 5:28:38 GMT -5
The Quokka stayed hiding in his bush. He didn't like this, any of this. First they were summoned to talk about a killing. Then they witness a killing. And now the first one killed is back? And is all see through?! The quokka shook with fear in the bush... Then he heard Rui. All that screaming about darkness was the last straw for the poor Quokka. He darted out in the open. "We're doomed!" He runs away from the clearing downriver, "Dooooooooomed!!!" Kuzen watches this happen, still a little weirded out, but now getting the idea of what is going on. He decides to speak up, clearing his throat. "Uhh, that long tailed furball isn't wrong you know. If we don't handle this situation better, we really are doomed... But I think staying ca---" He falls asleep for a few moments, but snaps out of it. "lm, is the best thing we can do right now." He looks around at the crowd. "I for one would rather be off somewhere relaxing and sleeping, and I know many of you would also like to do similar. So the faster we deal with this, the fast---" He once again falls asleep, standing in place. The still nameless Quokka freaks out after hearing Rui ( RielCZ), running away from the meeting screaming. Kuzen speaks up, trying to calm things, maybe? The problem, he keeps falling asleep...
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Post by Thorn on Jun 15, 2018 5:41:24 GMT -5
I only know there is a shadow stretching over us all, and if it is not stopped it will consume and destroy us.Kohimu shivered, an unusual effect coming from a creature with skin like driftwood. He'd heard of this happening before, but never seen it himself. His humans taught him all about it- how if a soul wasn't aided in its journey to the homeland, the spirits would be displeased and take another. The subject was somewhat taboo, and thus only spoken of rarely or in old cautionary tales- to remind them to always treat a friend's body with the proper respect. He'd never heard of everybody dying for such a transgression, though. Of course, things couldn't be expected to be exactly the same here in Naelus- where nobody was human, and the customs varied so dramatically from creature to creature. Perhaps...could the Spirit herself be mad at them? The one who showed them the way in the first place, who oversaw the island and its inhabitants? No. No, she wouldn't punish everyone for the acts of a small minority. She wasn't like that. Surely? He blinked, realising he still owed Quicksnap a reply. "I'm not sure about her memory," he said. "But we need to help her spirit rest. We need to talk to the Coastal Thylacines, make sure they can retrieve her body and display their grief in their own ways, in the territory she called 'home.' Beech died violently. This will let her rest." I hope.He glanced over the the unicorn. "We should make sure Reicato is properly respected, too, or else this 'shadow' might never go away." His thoughts were interrupted by a longma hovering overhead. He hoped she was right, and Reicato could indeed return to his creator, but he doubted it would be so easy in this case. Not when he'd died in such a violent and unjust fashion. Unless the unicorn's magic healing abilities had healed his spirit as well? That wasn't totally outside the realms of possibility. Reading back through the sign-up thread, I assumed the Spirit had shown everyone the way to the island. If this was actually only specifically Beech and her family, just let me know and I'll edit the reference out. =) Kohimu (with June Scarlet's Roda still on his back) replies to Shinko's Quicksnap, after a few paragraphs of exposition about his personal beliefs on death. He thinks they should go back to the coast, bring Beech's body to her family if it hasn't happened already, and let them mourn (note that he's not saying other characters can't mourn WITH them, if Quicksnap wants to go for another round he won't stop him, and will probably actually join in.) He briefly mentions Reicato, but wonders if the unicorn's healing tears could have achieved a similar effect, especially since they were evidently good friends (tagging Ginz ❤ and Mostly Harmless (flufflepuff) for mentions.) (He also sees Rui, but doesn't do anything she could respond to, so I won't tag Riel here.)
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Post by Reiqua on Jun 15, 2018 9:18:30 GMT -5
Yira had not seen what had happened. There were too many animals between him and the big stripy cat. And maybe it was just as well that he didn’t see. Whatever it was that had happened, everyone seemed to be panicked about it. And now the big deer... was dead. Guni left his side and walked over to the dead one. Then she let out a long, sad wail. Yira had heard her wail like that once before, when Waabi had died. He joined his plaintive little voice with hers until the cry trailed off into silence. And then Guni was talking. And talking some more. Yira looked around for something interesting to do. Over east was a rabbit giving out leaves that other animals were eating off. He wandered over to take a closer look. He remembered one time he had tried to eat some leaves. Guni had told him no. She said they would make him sick. Yira looked over his shoulder. Guni was busy. She wouldn’t know. Yira grabbed the stem of a leaf that he liked the look of. Then, slowly, carefully, he dragged it with his mouth to the edge of the clearing. It was still too noisy here though. It felt like people were watching him, and he didn’t want them to watch him eat his strange leaf food. Grabbing the leaf stalk again, he pulled it a bit further into the forest, until he could barely hear the muffled conversation from the clearing. “This is better” thought Yira, as he settled down to eat. But at that moment he heard a sound to make his short hair stand on end. From the trees, came a rustling, slithering sort of sound. He didn’t feel safe. Where was Guni? Back in the clearing, he supposed, where he had left her. But that was no good to him now. And where was the clearing anyway? Yira let out a high-pitched whimpering moan of distress. He was lost. And he didn't want to be. Then he heard it again. That slithering, rustling sound. From a tree just above his head. Yira looked up and saw a large black snake-head amongst the tree branches. And a band of vibrant red colouring just past the neck. For a moment Yira stood motionless. Either with fear or with awe, it was hard to say. But then with a shock of recognition he cried out, “Gali!!!” The snake dropped their head from the branch to the ground, the rest of their long, sinuous body following neatly. Yira ran up to the snake and affectionately rubbed himself against their head. “You found me, Gali,” he said with relief. “Of course, thaathaa,” the snake answered him, “Do not worry little one, you are safe with me.” Yira sighed contentedly and allowed himself to relax. He knew Guni trusted this one they called Gali. They had talked with them at the water hole before. Gali would look after him. Slowly, confidently, he set off walking beside the big snake, back in the direction of the clearing. Posting with Yira \o/ Introducing my new NPC Unfortunately I’m falling asleep as I write this so apologies for the really poor quality xD Summary is basically that Yira gets all independent, helps himself to some mochi which he knows he shouldn’t have (because carnivore), then wanders off, gets lost, freaks out, and runs into my other NPC who helps him. Referred to as “Gali” in this post, they are actually really hard to describe. Like, at all. I suggest you just read my profile of them over in the OOC thread if you want to get a picture of “Gali”. Glossary of Gamilaraay terms: Guni – mother Waabi – maternal grandmother Gali – meaning ‘rain’, Yira refers to this character using the word ‘Gali’ as a handle for want of any knowledge of their real name Thaathaa – daughter’s son, a term of endearment when used by the snake-critter of Yira East - as mentioned previously, left and right do not exist in Yira's language, and direction is described on compass points instead
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Post by Liou on Jun 15, 2018 14:13:47 GMT -5
The chupacabra was beginning to creep out of the brush. Renpi let it come. Reclining on the hot sand of a small dune below the Crystal Crags, the sha yawned languidly. Her paws were stretched out in front of her, her lean, canine body perfectly symmetrical, facing the mist-veiled horizon. Behind her, the chupacabra took its chance, crawled rapidly and lunged at her. Renpi's tail was the only part of her that moved. Its forked tip slapped the chupacabra square on the flank. The scruffy greenish thing seized up and hissed at the electric shock. Renpi leapt to her feet and began to kick sand all over the chupacabra's head with her hind paws. She turned to face it, opened her mouth as wide as a hippopotamus, so wide that her jaw seemed to have unhinged, and let out a resounding, ear-splitting bray. The chupacabra scrambled away in a cloud of sand without waiting for her next move. Renpi's blood would have been far too fine a feast for the likes of that wretch - blood pumped in the veins of her sacred body by the very deity she embodied for one- two... three? thousands of years. She smoothed down the ochre fur of her forepaw with a few licks and resumed her contemplation of the mists. Sha had always had a knack for sensing the weather. Rather than the sun itself, it was like a connection to anything that got in its way, as Renpi was amused to think of it. But on Naelus, Renpi was lucky to perceive the slightest hint of a world beyond the mists. The sun and moon's eyes watched her silently as they did everywhere else. Her task had been simple: embodying the great one who had gifted her kind to his human followers, lending her mouth to speak his words, and guiding the people in their worship. After years of service, her physical form would have been laid to rest with all the honours required to send her back to the divine in a shining new body. In all the years she had spent or slept on Naelus, no great one had spoken to or through her. Not once since she'd fled the people of the solar hawk, lost sight of the other survivors and wandered into that mist. If one of the great ones had guided her steps to this island, how long was she to wait? How long was her mission to last? A faint disturbance seemed to beckon from outside the mist. A storm, perhaps. Renpi could hardly tell; but she wished for it to strike fast. The storm was not a good thing. Neither was she. Inside the mist barrier, a few disturbances also dotted the sky: carrion birds drifting like black crosses. Attracted to the beach where death had lurked that morning. Renpi watched carefully to make sure that there was no thunderbird in sight - for her best defense would have no effect on it - before circling over to where a committee of the birds had landed, keeping her head low. The scavengers were greeted by a charging, wildly bounding sha, braying with her hackles raised and snapping her enormous maw at them until they took off exasperatedly. Renpi shook herself while they flew. Despite her age and her endless wait on this island that insisted on preserving her, senseless killings were new to her. They belonged to the old world, to the humans with their rites. The sha brought her down-turned snout close to the ground, searching for a trace of the thylacine's last moments. What she sensed made her tail twitch. It was not a scent. It was not unfamiliar; it was omnipresent and all-pervasive, in living things and inanimate objects alive. But this one belonged to the thylacine, and it was not where it ought to be. For the first time in forgotten years, Renpi trotted and bounded away from the familiar sand, away from the Crystal Crags, along the river and across the island, following the spiritual trail of Beech the thylacine. So intent was she that she did not notice the gathered crowd until she burst into it. There stood the image of the thylacine. "Your akh walks among us... or is it only your ka, unable to rejoin your ba?" Unsure by which name to address the thylacine, Renpi turned to the nearest onlookers. "Her khat... if it was not used, was nothing done to it? It must be prepared, a new home must be given to her, otherwise she will not have a sahu for her akh to inhabit..." Was that even how the humans had done it? Renpi hardly remembered. She did not remember any of the faces around her, in fact. How long had she stayed away from the other animals this time? The sha's square-tipped ears drooped and she took a few steps away. That brought her closer to the pile of much larger animals restraining the large striped panther, and Renpi's fur stood on end. A shadow inhabited her, indeed - but whose shadow? Standalone NPC intro post. Here is Renpi, an old Sha / Set animal.
She sometimes disappears into a nook for a long time, so she doesn't remember anyone around her, though older animals are likelier to have met her at some point.
Renpi has followed the trail of Beech's ghost from the beach and is confusedly talking about Ancient Egyptian pieces-of-soul which she barely remembers. She does not address anyone directly.
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