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Post by queerly on Jun 4, 2015 20:41:46 GMT -5
Plot
The mortals responsible for breaking the Wall that shielded your people from harm remain on your island.
The Great Compromiser wills you to retrieve these corrupt individuals from the Forest of Giants and return
them to the herd, where they will be judged accordingly for their actions. Failure is not an option; the
king's orders are absolute.
Time of Day: Midday
Weather: Cold, Cloudy
Team Captain
Alistair (Queerly)
Team Members
Gyda
Elona
Checkpoints Reached: None Rules: 1. The Captain of the team must post first. 2. A posting order must be kept as people enter the rp. 3. No god-moding 4. React to the Checkpoints as they come! (If you don't know what a checkpoint is - don't worry - you'll know when they come!) 5. Communicate with your partners! 6. Have fun!!!! How the posting order works: Alistair must post first. Anyone can post after Alistair. They can post back and forth until someone else posts, when someone else posts they must be entered into the posting order. Example. Alistair Elona Alistair Elona Gyda Alistair And so on. This means you do not have to wait for someone to join, but once they do their first post you must wait for them.  |
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Post by queerly on Jun 4, 2015 23:54:35 GMT -5
So let it be written, so let it be done.
Those were the words Alistair had exchanged with Xavier before they had parted ways. The words were a vow between brothers-in-arms who shared the same sentiment: they would not fail their king. As he traversed the landbridge that connected the Forest of Giants to the mainland, Alistair held those words close to his heart. He would not fail, he would not fail, he would not fail...
The golden unicorn came to a halt. The Forest of Giants loomed ahead, stretching for miles upon miles of thick, lush greenery. The mortals had been hiding in its depths for three months now, and while it pained him to admit it aloud, he wasn't surprised that they had been able to evade capture for so long. How many times had he been turned around in the winding woods, stumbling through the underbrush with his heart racing? It would be an easy task to hide in the abundant flora; an equine could go unseen for years if they wanted.
But not this day. This day, he would find them. He would capture them, and he would bring them before his king to be judged.
"Gyda." He rumbled, glancing to his right. The unseelie mare was delicate and small, but he knew her gift to be useful, and her mind to be sharp. "Listen to the wildlife we come across, see if they make mention of mortals moving through the area. Elona..." His teal gaze shifted to the left and narrowed. "do the same with the spirits, and do not cause trouble, hard as I know that is for you."
To be frank, Alistair would have greatly prefered a team of overseers to a pair of unseelie mares. Unseelies were almost always the type to toe the line of what was acceptable and what wasn't. Alistair was not, and it was his duty to take care of the ones who did. To say that he and Elona had 'met' beforehand was an understatement. He felt like he'd spent a collective year of his life chewing her out for mischief. But she was useful. If he could convince her to keep her mouth shut, the endeavor might even be pleasant. As for Gyda, he only knew that she was a studious sort, and that she possessed an ethereal beauty that was entirely too distracting.
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Post by dryoasis on Jun 6, 2015 0:13:21 GMT -5
Gyda was somewhat thrilled to have been chosen to help on this mission. She believed that her handwork and intense studying was beginning to pay off. Why else would she have been chosen for such an important task as capturing and bringing back the mortals? One of her best friends was also chosen for the task and they happened to be put on the same team, what a great day indeed.
Gyda diligently followed behind the tall, golden unicorn toward the Forest of Giants and all the while Elona and she quietly chatted. Alistair's sudden halt caught her attention, guess they were there.. She looked fondly into the forest, recalling the times she would run away from her step father's glare to explore and observe. It amazed her how long its been since she came out here to frolic but how vivid her memories were and that she could still recall the locations of certain events, it appeared to her that maybe studying has gotten the best of her. No. She is no longer a child and she no longer plays in the forest, she now studies to improve her future.
Alistair's deep voiced called her name which unexpectedly sent a few butterflies flittering in her stomach. Her glowing green and blue eyes looked up toward him, awaiting her command. "Listen to the wildlife we come across. That will be easy, they're everywhere and never shut up." she thought to herself with a little amused smirk. He gave Elona her orders, told her not to cause any trouble, it appeared to Gyda that he didn't know they're partners in crime. But this is a very important mission… for the king! She would have to retain herself and do her job. Yes. This very important job she was picked for, she reminded herself.
She began to venture into the forest, listening for the animals to gossip about the new, strange creatures on the island.
(323 words)
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Post by gingergoddess on Jun 6, 2015 12:12:07 GMT -5
[Elona//Aphelion Unseelie//Mare]
The little mare trotted alongside her companions in an attempt to keep pace with them. Then again, even if her legs had been longer, she was far too excited to even think of walking. Not only had she and her closest friend been chosen for this mission, it was also an important task direct from the king himself! This was her opportunity to prove herself to all of Aphelion. She was more than just a disgrace to her family, She was a worthwhile member of the Aphelion Blessing and she had a lot to offer.
Giggling at something Gyda had said, Elona missed Alistair's stop, almost running into his rear in her somewhat oblivious state. She let out a heavy sigh as she halted just short of the golden stallion, flicking her ears toward him as he began to speak.
"Gyda. Listen to the wildlife we come across, see if they make mention of mortals moving through the area. Elona...do the same with the spirits, and do not cause trouble, hard as I know that is for you."
Elona couldn't hold back a laugh as she looked up at the large stallion. "Me? Trouble?" She tossed a playful smirk towards Gyda before continuing. "I know how important this mission is, and I don't plan to fail. That aside, I'll do what I must to ensure success, and if that means a bit of 'trouble' so be it." A mischievous smile grew on her face as she headed into the dark forest.
Closing her eyes briefly, Elona focused on those long since passed,feeling the magic of her gift welling up within her, engulfing her mind and body. It wouldn't be at it's full potential until the sun went down, but the unicorn mare could work with what she had. Wandering into the lush greenery that surrounded her, she listened intently for anything the spirits might have to offer. A murmur of strangers perhaps, or anger at being disturbed by an unworthy equine, anything that would help them complete their task.
[Post 1, Word Count: 340]
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Post by queerly on Jun 6, 2015 18:47:12 GMT -5
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Post by queerly on Jun 6, 2015 21:59:06 GMT -5
Alistair's pale eyes narrowed as Elona spoke, her cheeky tone and lazy grin simmering his nerves. The mare was a prime example of youthful rebellion, testing the boundaries of what she could and could not get away with... a trait he abhorred entirely, and one that he would not allow to shine on a mission of such great importance. "Do not test me, Elona." He warned as the unseelies slipped away. At least Gyda won't cause trouble, he added internally, watching as the mares began to work, Gyda communing with her animals and Elona channeling unicorns-knew-what. He didn't know that the two were cohorts in mischief, that Gyda could be just as devious as her smaller friend. If he had, the the two partner-in-crimes certainly wouldn't have been placed together. Elona was troublesome enough on her own without someone to stoke her chaotic energy.
But she was useful, and he could give her that. Both mares were. Their inborn magic was the key to finding the mortals that slunk through their forest like diseased vermin, poisoning everything they touched. Alistair could scarcely wait to run them down, to gather them up and drag them clawing and quailing before the crown. They would face the king's justice for what they had unleashed upon the Crescent. There was no other outcome in the Overseer's mind.
Quietly, he delved into the woods after his team. Elona seemed to be in a trance, the magic thrumming through her veins almost tangible. It was unsettling, somehow... but then, Alistair found most unseelie gifts to be a little unsettling. He shook his horned head, and turned his pale gaze to Gyda. She had her delicate ears perked towards the trees, listening. The golden Overseer could hear the chatter of birds in the trees, and the throaty chirps of ground squirrels as they dug for nuts in the earth. It was all white noise to him, and he wondered what it must sound like to Gyda. Could she make sense of those small, private languages, or did the magic in her blood let her hear it as her mother tongue? Did she step into the woods only to feel as though she'd dived into a screaming crowd? He couldn't imagine how irritating that would be, and shook his head again, as though the clear the unpleasant thought.
"What are they saying, Gyda?" He asked, feeling more comfortable with interrupting her train of thought than the channeler's. Gyda did not have the chance of becoming possessed if her focus slipped, or so he told himself.
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Post by dryoasis on Jun 7, 2015 10:24:30 GMT -5
Gyda listened to the animals all around her, waiting for any indication of intruders. With no luck so far she looked over at her friend, hoping she was having an easier time. She could never really tell with Elona when she was communicating with the spirits. "How amazing it must be to hear what they have to say." she thought to herself with a smile, "Probably more interesting than the animals, though they can be quite amusing at times." Her gaze went back up to the trees, eyes darting, looking for birds to speak to. There is just so much noise today, chattering about food, home, and weather, but none of the words she was looking and waiting for came from them.
"What are they saying, Gyda?"
A frown came over her face as she turned toward the golden unicorn, "Not much. I don't think the mortals have wandered this far so they haven't seen anything out of the usual. We might have to go a bit further, unless Elona gets something."
She slinked over to Elona with slight worry on her face, she thought this was going to be so much easier. While waiting for her to finish communicating with the spirits, she stood diagonal of her friend, motionless, with just an occasional tail flick. Her communication skills weren't quite as good as Elona's, which was giving her a difficult time and the feeling that she was letting them down.
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Post by gingergoddess on Jun 7, 2015 11:38:25 GMT -5
[Elona//Aphelion Unseelie//Mare]
For as long as Elona could remember, she'd felt the emptiness that is left with a body once the spirit leaves. The presence of those long since gone hovering around her as if waiting for something. In recent years, whispers and murmurs had become common place, but she usually tried to ignore them. Always there, always speaking in moans and groans, making the young mare feel as if she was being watched every moment. She'd come accustomed to tuning them out, just letting them become a constant noise in the background, but to actually understand them...now that took a bit more work. As she reached out with her gift, she tuned out the rest of the world, focusing solely on the dead. It seemed to be the only way she was able to make out anything they whispered in passing. She'd be of more use once nightfall came, at least then she'd be able to purposely make contact and maybe get a bit more information. For now, it was all luck of the draw.
Sighing heavily, Elona opened her eyes, shaking her head in frustration. "Nothing. Or at least nothing of any importance. Though one seemed particularly interested in you." The mare motioned toward Alistair, smiling coyly. "I think Gyda is right though, the mortals were never here...We'll have to continue further in to get any answers.." She said before trotting deeper into the forest, her tone a bit more serious.
The hum of voices in the background grew louder as more spirits gathered around, realizing a living being could sense them. 'Great..just what I need, more distractions.' The little mare huffed, blowing her forelock out of her eyes. 'As if this wasn't difficult enough already. Why can't you all just be helpful for once and lead us to the mortals or something?' Her thoughts began jumbling, refusing to stay in her head any longer. "Oh that's right, because you are all a bunch of vindictive fools!"
Elona pinned her ears back slightly, looking to Gyda for confirmation. "I just said that out loud didn't I..?"She whispered, Guilt washing over her as she watched a few animals scurry into hiding, confirming her fears. This mission was certainly off to an interesting start...
[Post 2, Word count: 375]
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Post by queerly on Jun 7, 2015 17:55:31 GMT -5
Alistair allowed a flicker of disappointment to touch his eyes, but it went no further. He had not expected the mission to be easy, but there was always hope that a task could be completed with quick and brutal efficiency. Alistair had been prized for his ability to work fast and work well since colthood. His king had surely seen that potential when he'd glimpsed into the depths of his soul, divining his dormant gift to the surface. The moment had been beyond electric, every fur on his body standing on end as the magic pooled from his belly and down into his spindly, young legs, strengthening them, quickening them. That had been centuries ago, but the memory was as clear as polished crystal.
Elona had just begun to suggest they delve deeper into the woods when Alistair decided on his own to do precisely that. The golden stallion spun on his hind hooves and lurched into a brisk, floating trot. The silence of his movements was well-practiced, beaten into muscle memory and instinct during those painful, glorious years of training. "Follow," He called to the mares behind him, voice just loud enough that they could hear, "and listen well to our surround--"
The damned channeler was screaming. Why was she screaming? Alistair slid to a graceless halt, whipping his head around so quickly that a few strands of starlight hair came undone from his running braid.
"You-" He began softly, eyes widening. A cold fury was rising in his chest, boiling over, seeping. In an instant he was standing in front of the small mare, muscular neck arched over her head and head drawn down until they were nearly nose to nose, eye to eye, his teeth bared in a feral snarl. "are- too- loud." He hissed, each syllable its own personal, empathized growl. The unseelie's yelp had frightened away the wildlife, but more worrisome than that, it could have very well alerted the mortals to their position. "If you compromise this mission, I swear on my life that I will throw you into the depths of the sea. You can scream and bicker with your ghosts while the fish scavenge on your bones."
Snorting, he turned away. "Now, we move. Keep your ears open. When we find the mortals," He said as he transitioned into a trot yet again, "we will herd them towards the landbridge. They will cross or they will drown like rats."
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Post by dryoasis on Jun 7, 2015 21:47:55 GMT -5
Gyda pinned her ears back as Elona screamed. Her slightly dished face showing absolute confirmation as any nearby creatures fled, screaming, while her friend looked back at her full of guilt. Gyda's attention was immediately directed from her friend to the male, who was just absolutely oozing with anger. He quickly made his way over to Elona and stood above her in an aggressive stance and with every word that slithered from his mouth Gyda could feel her hatred of stallions begin to boil up inside her again. Her brows furrowed and muscles tensed as her head lowered and withers rose while she stood on the sidelines. All her life she's had to deal with males and their just plain bad attitudes and treatment toward herself and others. She was getting real tired of it too. As the strong gold unicorn hissed threats to Elona, Gyda couldn't help but growl. He was pushing all her buttons, she was livid.
He turned away, barking commands to them as he trotted off. Gyda's short dark legs trotted after him, her head still low. "I really don't appreciate how you talked to my friend just now. That was too far." Gyda snarled at him. Her bright eyes glaring, waiting for him to stop and turn around to receive their detestation.
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Post by gingergoddess on Jun 8, 2015 0:39:55 GMT -5
[Elona//Aphelion Unseelie//Mare]
"You- are- too- loud. If you compromise this mission, I swear on my life that I will throw you into the depths of the sea. You can scream and bicker with your ghosts while the fish scavenge on your bones."
The little mare cringed slightly as the much larger stallion loomed over her, hissing his threats like the Aphelion serpents that populated their home. His hot breath washing over her face as he spoke. She slowly tuned him out as he continued, finding his anger and obscure plans for her demise almost amusing...aside from the fact that he was in all likely hood, quite serious about ending her should the event arise, making failure NOT an option at this point. At least, not if she wanted to live out her days happily in one piece. She closed her eyes for a moment, gathering her thoughts. While the words he chose may have been uncalled for, Alistair's anger had been justified and she knew it.
Opening her eyes, she watched as the lesser royal turned to head deeper into the forest. "Now, we move. Keep your ears open. When we find the mortals," He said as he transitioned into a trot yet again, "we will herd them towards the landbridge. They will cross or they will drown like rats."
Elona was about to brush it off and continue on behind the golden unicorn, realizing his plan for the mortals was actually quite well thought out, when she saw the tawny blur rush past her. The paint watched as her friend caught up to the golden stallion only to square off beside him and begin scolding him, her ears pinned against her neck and her head held low in anger. It was certainly a new development, and one Elona wasn't quite expecting. Yes, she and Gyda had been close for almost a century, but the fawn colored mare knew she could fight her own battles. Well, most of the time, anyway. Sighing heavily, she trotted toward her companions, trying to balance completing the mission with her love of chaos.
"Gyda, it's fine. He was right, I may have just cost us this mission..." She whispered, daring a glance at the golden stallion as an apologetic grin began snaking it's way onto her face. "Lets just act like we all get along, shall we?" Flicking her tail nervously she turned her gaze back to Gyda for a moment before starting into the forest once more. It was one thing for her to get yelled at for screwing up, she was quite used to it by now. It was an entirely different matter for Gyda to be scolded though, and the grey and white mare wasn't sure she could deal with it at the moment, especially not on her account, and not when there was so much at stake.
Looking back to Alistair, she silently pleaded with him to overlook what Gyda had said. Maybe he wouldn't even care enough to acknowledge it, and the odd trio could continue on their way, capturing the mortals before they had even half a chance to escape.
[Post 3, Word count:521]
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Post by queerly on Jun 10, 2015 3:31:51 GMT -5
While Elona causing trouble was to be expected, Alistair hadn't expected to see the same audacity spilling from Gyda's mouth. The surprise didn't touch his face, of course. He was a stallion well-versed in the art of keeping composure. It was a good skill to have, and so it followed that it was a skill he'd picked up. He appeared to others as an emotional desert, and, over time, he was becoming one.
"I don't recall asking for your approval or your opinion." He said at length, and did not do her the courtesy of slowing his stride, much less stopping. Alistair did not even bother to look at her. The unseelie did not deserve his full attention, not when she had so clearly forgotten to whom she was speaking.
He did flick an ear backwards when Elona caught up to them. The channeler's admission of guilt was enough to quell his temper, but the embers remained, glowing in the pit of his chest.
This would be a long mission.
"Gyda, you are supposed to be listening to whatever wildlife Elona's screeching failed to terrorize." He reminded. Barking orders in a somewhat civil tone of voice was his idea of getting along. "Elona, less aforementioned screeching and more dedicated mediumship."
The following hour passed in what Alistair would call blissful silence, save the brief mutters that amounted to 'anything?' with a resounding 'no' shot back for an answer. He was growing tired of the forest, of the tall trees and the low-hanging lichen that tangled in his horns. Minutely, he wondered if the mortals were even still in the woods. That thought had him quietly scolding himself, because of course they were. King Valraldic had said so, and his king was never wrong. They were out there somewhere. He was going to find them.
But first, he was going to avoid the ten foot gully that had crept up upon him so suddenly that he nearly plummeted.
"Hold!" He hissed, coming to an abrupt halt. His front hooves were right at the edge, centimeters from falling in. Instinctively, he swung his head to one side, barring the mare on his left from forging ahead. His tail whipped to the right, coiling around the hind leg of his second companion.
The gully was a deep wound in the earth, long ago run dry. A fall could easily spell a broken horn or leg. Alistair looked both ways and saw no end to the gully. "We will have to jump." He paused. It was several feet wide, this scar. He knew he could clear it, but he was so much bigger than his comrades.
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Post by dryoasis on Jun 10, 2015 18:31:34 GMT -5
"I can't believe this jerk." Gyda thought to herself as they trotted along, still clinging onto the anger he caused inside of her mind. On top of that, he didn't even give her the pleasure of looking into her death glare, but it put her back into her place and feeling lowly once more. Alistair quickly reminded her to pay attention to what the creatures of the forest were saying, which was still nothing. She continued to tag along, somewhat unwillingly, but she sought comfort in her friend by making faces and mocking Alistair. The animals weren't saying anything of any importance anyway, why did it matter if she paid attention a full one hundred percent or not. She caught some words here and there, still the same old same old, nothing of any value to assist in the mission.
One blissful hour passed where the 'oh so mighty and holy two horned beast' hardly uttered a word. Gyda was quite enjoying having to watch the tall unicorn fight with the low hanging mosses, it was some form of payback for his heartless attitude earlier. Gyda's ear flickered as she thought she heard something that might pertain to their mission and was looking off to the side trying to locate the creature in the foliage when Alistair suddenly hissed out for them to hold. As Gyda looked forward to see what he making a fuss about now, his head swung around and stopped her from taking any more steps and potentially falling into the gully.
"We will have to jump."
Instinctively, Gyda looked over the side and tried to see how deep the gully was. It was kinda deep. Then she looked at Alistair and back at Elona, she was worried they might not be able to make the jump, it was quite wide. "There's no way we could.. climb it instead?" Her voice uncertain. She was usually a bit more of a show off, but this left too much room for doubt.
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Post by gingergoddess on Jun 11, 2015 19:44:26 GMT -5
[Elona//Aphelion Unseelie//Mare]
The next hour was, for the most part, quiet and uneventful. The two mares made jabs at Alistair, mocking him and giggling about while half paying attention to the monotony of the voices that surrounded each of them. As far as Elona could tell, the spirits didn't even care who was around, and they were only paying her any mind when they realized she could hear them. Even when they did realize she could hear them, it was mostly a barrage of requests to do this or tell so and so that, not that the little mare could entirely make out what they were saying, but that was beside the point. The reality of the situation was they were more than an hour into the forest and they were no closer to catching the mortals than when they had started.
"Hold!"
Elona snapped her head up as Alistair's long tail wrapped around around her left hind leg. "What was tha-" The mare stopped mid sentence as she noticed the massive gully in front of them. "Oh.." She murmured more to herself than to anyone in particular, realizing that Alistair had just potentially saved her life. The gully looked to be about 10 feet wide, and deeper than the little mare would have liked. How on earth are we gonna get around this one..She wondered quietly to herself.
"We will have to jump." Alistair said rather matter of factually. Silence followed for a moment as the three companions continued to evaluate the obstacle on their own. "There's no way we could.. climb it instead?" Gyda's voice seemed to be filled with doubt as she spoke. Elona looked at her friend for a moment as she silently debated with herself. Sighing heavily, she smiled mischievously as she began backing up. "Aww come on Gyda, stop being such a pansy, we've got this!"
The little mare's words hadn't even finished escaping her lips before she ran full force toward the gully. She could make it. She had to make it. Then she did it, leaping forward, pushing herself from the edge. For a moment, it almost felt like she was flying.. As if gravity didn't even exist. Then, just as quickly, it did, and in a very real way. Elona's fore hooves reached the opposing ledge, only to feel the ground crumble beneath her weight. Frantically, the mare tried to scramble up the side of the gully as she fell, but to no avail. The mare's body crumpled into a pile on the gully's floor.
[Post 4, Word Count: 423]
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Post by queerly on Jun 12, 2015 9:20:51 GMT -5
At Gyda's suggestion, Alistair tipped forward, testing the gully's edge with a cream hoof. It crumbled away, straight down into the water-less bottom. It seemed there was no angle at all, which put climbing out of the question. "We'll find a way around." He relented with a sigh, brow furrowing. The detour would eat into their time. Gods help him if it gave the mortals the chance they needed to escape.
"Aww come on Gyda, stop being such a pansy, we've got this!"
Alistair flicked his head towards Elona. The little mare was backing up, lips pulled into that devil-may-care smirk he detested. The look never led to anything more than trouble, and were he a wiser unicorn, he would have taken it for the sign that it was. Alas, he merely watched, tail nervously lashing, as Elona broke into a gallop and threw herself over the gully's edge.
He knew she wasn't going to make it before she'd even reached the apex of her jump.
It felt like he was watching her fall in slow motion. Her body twisted as her legs grappled for purchase on something, on anything, dark hair in her face and a yelp on her tongue. The audible crunch of impact had Alistair's nostrils flaring. At once he pivoted on his back hooves, forging a meager distance before he threw himself at the edge and jumped the distance, landing with a sturdy thump on the other side.
"Elona." He called, edging as close as he dared. His pale eyes regarded the mare's unmoving form with a hint of anxiety, but his voice was strong and did not tremble. "Elona, can you get to your hooves?"
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