Prestississimo

The gathered group was, eclectic, but maybe that was no less than should be expected. Arun had the nagging feeling that chaos was more the guiding hand behind this gathering, that order had little to do with who had arrived here today, but he couldn't tell if that portended good or ill for their expedition. He looked over each of his compatriots one more time, the mercenary apparently, Sao, the fairy, Bella, and the hooded man, Syr. He had separate reservations about each of them, but he could only hope that they'd be more help than hurt once they were in the Wyld. "Well, we're not making any progress here." He pretended at more bravado than he really felt. "Let's get moving." The Changeling walked over to the portal, and pulled a long strand of thread from seemingly nowhere. The thin purple fibers gleamed almost golden with the sheer weight of the enchantments on them, and wrapping it around his hand took more effort than one would expect. Once he had a solid amount clasped in his fist, he tossed the spool back to Sao, more thread unwinding from it as the object flew. "Wrap some around your hand and then pass it on. The person at the end of the line can hold onto the spool." he instructed the group. "It'll act as a lifeline, keeping us all together. Cutting this thread is, I hesitate to say impossible, but it's probably the next closest thing to. I know being tied together is an inconvenience, but it'll keep you from losing me, and trust me, you don't want to be lost in there." He gestured towards the gaping portal while suppressing a shudder. Once everyone had had a turn with the spool of thread, which seemed no less diminished for the thread currently tying the group together, Arun lead the assemblage into the portal. What awaited them on the other side was, perhaps contrary to the expectations of some, much what they had left behind. The small group was surrounded by trees, and apparent forest, all but indistinguishable from their previous surroundings. Arun knew better though, and the Changeling was immediately and evidently on guard. "I know things look calm, but we're not that deep in yet. This close to the portal, the structure from the waking world is suppressing the effects of the Wyld. As we go further, things are going to get more and more screwy. Just stick together, and trust that I know where I'm going. I always do." So saying, Arun began walking into the forest, moving unerringly towards some unseen objective. He tried to keep his mind as even and unthinking as possible, to give the Wyld as little purchase as he could. It didn't much matter yet, but it would be a good habit to be in for later, when the effects would be more pronounced, and the barest thought could be ripped from the mind and expanded into horrible reality.

Hey there Saelith, welcome to Valucre! here on the site, we have a lot of resources available to help new players ease into the experience. First and foremost among them is the "Get Help" tab found at the top of the main page on any non-mobile browser windows. This tab holds a lot of excellent resources and FAQs that can help you get your bearings. We also have a hub thread for new players that can help you get a feel for the site known as the Tavern of Legend. Finally, if you have any questions in need of answering, you can feel free to PM me at anytime, or to post your concerns on the aptly named help board. That about wraps it up for starting advice, I look forward to seeing you around the site, and I hope you enjoy the time you spend on Valucre ^_^

Hi there D_Hawke, welcome to the site! It looks like you've already gotten some recommendations about where to start off, but if you need any more advice, feel free to send me a message! I hope you enjoy the time you spend here on Valucre, and I can't wait to see the kinds of things you create ^_^

Hey I have definitely been feeling that grind as well Anon. Thank you so much for posting, and apologies for my own tardiness. Things should be more consistent from my end from here on out.

Take all the time you need friend (I certainly have been of late). Life hits hard sometimes, and no one here is going to begrudge you your time when something urgent is affecting you. I hope that things improve, and my heart goes out to you and yours.

@Anon We need a post from you my friend. If you need us to skip you let me know. You will be skipped if you don't have anything up by Monday, sorry but them's the breaks.

@Bella_Donna @Anon @amenities Here's the OOC Thread for the Wyld World Thread. Link to the IC thread is here. No particular post order going into it, we'll decide on the order based on who posts when in the first round of posting. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. No time limit for skipping someone is going to be enforced at the beginning, but if people are being unreasonably slow I'll implement one.

When she turned to face their enemy again, she found it looming over one of her impromptu allies. The swordsman was in danger of being crushed by the monstrosity and swiftly she began crafting a spell to aid him. Before she'd even finished the incantation however she knew she'd be too late. Fortunately, someone else was watching out for him, because before the creature could complete it's attack, an ebony spear erupted through it's midsection. The weapon spread into a dome-like structure, obscuring her view of the creature, but it didn't prevent her from seeing what was happening to the area around the shield. Or hearing it. The roar of the blast must have popped her eardrums, because the battle-mage was wracked with a bout of nausea that forced her to the ground to avoid falling over. Desperately, the Epheren shook her head in an effort to clear her feeling of malaise. Already she had a ringing in her ears, and she recognized the signs of tinnitus quickly, further reinforcing her belief that her inner ear was damaged. Unfortunately, she didn't have as much time to shake it off as she would have liked. The shield that had protected her and her allies was collapsing. As it did, something slammed into the ground in front of her. The two *thunks* revealed them to be her weapons. She would have expected them to be vaporized, but perhaps the enchantments on them had protected them. She almost reached a hand out to grab one out of habit, but before her limb reached it her thinking cleared. Quickly, her hand recoiled from the weapons as her mind took the time to actually analyze them. Both hilts were stained with an ugly darkness, and something primal within her recoiled away from the weapons even as something different observed them eagerly. She almost grabbed them anyway, but the risks didn't outweigh the benefits when she had extra weapons in reserve. The nausea was wearing off, and Epheren stood again, leaving her erstwhile weapons buried in the pavement. She pulled one dagger from a belt sheathe as she rose. This weapon lacked the wicked triple-edge that her previous armaments had carried, but hopefully it would be good enough for the job at hand. She shook her head clear and reevaluated the situation. Their foe had morphed again, this time taking the form of some hideous beast. It resembled a dragon, but the battle-mage was pretty sure that most dragons she knew would bristle at the comparison. Rotten flesh and debris from the battle sloughed off of it and regrew in equal terms, leaving their foe an ever-shifting, horrible mass. Epheren wasn't even sure where she would stick a dagger into the monstrosity, so she figured she'd have to approach the problem from a different angle. The square itself was mostly annihilated, with the front facades of the facing buildings having caved in completely. Debris was strew everywhere, as were pools of oozing necrotic energy. Things on the ground were stirring as well, and one quickly picked itself up from the pavement and resolved itself into the form of a ghoul. The ghastly creation stared at the combatants with unrepentant hunger, and began shambling forward, but it was quickly struck down by a blast of water which tore through the monster as if it were paper. Other forms were stirring, but Epheren's attention was already elsewhere, back on the main problem of the equation. The necrotic dragon loomed over them, but something about it seemed different to her, as if the quality of it's magic was different than in it's previous forms. She hadn't been able to influence the magic powering the monstrosity before, but maybe in this form, she had a chance. The stench of death lay heavy in the air, and the aura of pestilence brought back memories of her homeland as she mocked up the counterspell in her mind. She'd encountered necrotic constructs before, and with a few small adjustments, she knew she'd have a spell to try. When she was ready, the actual spell took only a moment. Epheren faced the beast square, feet planted at shoulder width. She worked her hands around in the air, tracing a half-circle of freezing blue energy with each. As the two arcs connected, a similar circle of blue energy appeared around the dragon, mirroring the one in front of the battle-mage. Epheren kept a firm hand on the magic, letting the power coalesce, and then pulling on each of the strands in either of her hands, yanking the limbs away from each other and pulling the circle taught and shut, like a noose. As she did so, she shouted another word in her dead language, "Abzikan!" and the magic crackled to life, brightening in power and intensity even as it tightened shut and disappeared. The circle of energy around the dragon again mirrored her actions, closing in on it instantly. Right before it hit the monstrosity, the circle of energy shattered apart, and the sound of shattering glass resounded through the square. The beast looked unaffected, on the surface, to the untrained eye, but Epheren was used to reading the flows of power, and she could tell that her spell had had some effect. Also, and she was less sure of this, it looked as if the light in the creature's chest and face may have been burning just a bit dimmer. Epheren gritted her teeth in a feral smile, and pulled her limbs in close again to begin prepping another spell. Roll: 2+1=3 (hit) Preps Stored: 3

Epheren V. Necro-Dragon Edit: Okay that works

To her surprise, Epheren felt a weight appear on her shoulders. Quickly, she shrugged off the offending body, quite sure of who the perpetrator was. She didn't turn to check the results of her actions as she continued stalking through the jungle, but she did speak back at her obnoxious companion. "Frankly I care not whether you need the books. I care very little about what you need in general, as a matter of fact. And yes, I can tell that you have a predilection for vacuous conversation." When Platinum took the time to answer her questions, she responded with a snort. "You know, you remind me of several people I've met. High Fae, Archdemons, Demigods, their sort of ilk. That same irritating condescension, the incorrigible belief in their own invincibility." She turned to face the odd man, her head cocked quizzically. "But they at least had the gravitas to go with their station. You act more like a bored child. Tell me boy, what manner of nonsense do you claim to be." Epheren wasn't one to let others probe without probing back. Her expression was bored, but her eyes were sharp, and they observed Platinum with unrepentant intent.

After Tobias restrained the thief, it wasn't much more work to get them man fully restrained. In response to their comrades question, Leo offered a quick shake of his head. "I doubt he'd talk, and I don't think we have time for an interrogation, and it would probably be too loud. We'll just tie him up and keep going." The twins put word to action, Luna holding the thief's hands together while Leo wrapped illusory cord around the man's wrists, and then legs, before finally tying both together, forcing the man into a fetal position. He finished it off with a tight gag that should keep the thief from making too much noise. While he finished up, Luna make a quick turn of the man's various pockets and pouches, scattering the items found within out of reach. The illusions wouldn't hold up to strong impacts, but they'd be all but impossible to break via straining. Their prisoner restrained, the twins stood up from their work and started making for the stairs down. "There can't be many more of these guys," Leo mused as they walked. "We need to hunt the rest down. We probably don't have much time, we should hurry."

Hey there JackDoggo, just swinging by to say welcome to the site! If you need any assistance, feel free to PM me, or post in our help board. Being an ex-lurker, you probably mostly know what's going on, but if you need help getting started, makes sure the check out the Get Help tab found at the top of the browser page. One more time, welcome to Valucre, as a member! Happy to have you aboard ^_^

In a cabin, on Biazo Isle, not too far outside of Aspyn, a woman sat, along with a family of farmers. Physically, Mara was there, with Meredith and Wernst, the lot of them working desperately to save the couple's two children. Mentally, the apprentice priestess was somewhere else entirely. The details were different, it was an orphanage not a cabin, and they were outside of Hell's Gate, not Aspyn, but the broad strokes were much the same. The children's family rushing about desperate, casting around for something to do, and the priestess in the middle, healing hands on small foreheads. A much younger Mara watched as Sister Amanda Brendt sat next to Ginny and Jackson. The two children were among the first wave of orphans that had arrived from the surrounding countryside after a rampaging congress of salamanders had torn through the area. Both had fit right in with the other orphans, but a month passed, and the siblings had fallen sick. The pair had kept quiet about it, maybe they didn't want to trouble their new family, or maybe they didn't completely trust them yet, whatever the reasoning, Amanda didn't know about it until the pair were both very ill. Now they lay in the infirmary, Mara and Eric tending to them while Amanda did her work. Mara's actions felt hollow, however, meaningless. She could apply mixtures and salves, wipe sweat and try to keep the fever down, but the result was out of her hands. Really, it was out of Amanda's hands as well. The children were in the grasp of the Mother, and only Gaia could decide what would happen from here. Night fell on the small group, while someone from the village took care of the rest of the children. Hours passed, and none of them slept, until Ginny and Jackson did, for the final time. Mara knew that she would never forget the look on Amanda's face. The priestess covered the two small bodies and had one of the older children run to the village to get some help. They'd need it to dig the graves. Someone groaned, and the memory faded, evaporating into the mists of time. All that was left was a snapshot, of a visage distorted in grief. Mara came back to the here and the now, and felt the two children squirming in her grip. She clenched her hands around their foreheads as they really started to shift and turn, and she called to the couple for assistance. "This is it. I need yah help now. Hold 'em down." Meredith and Wernst looked at her, and the priestess' eyes flashed. "Now! They'ah eithah gonna kick this thin' here, or not et all, and I need muh hands on 'em the whole time." She's slipped into accent, but the pair seemed to understand her anyway. They moved to either side of the bed, holding the children down as the squirming turned to thrashing. Wernst grimaced as his son kicked out, and he turned to Mara. "How long do we need to hold them like this." The priestess was staring at the children, and she didn't look up to answer the man. "Just a couple'a minutes. They'll stop soon. Eithah healthy, exhausted, or dead." Meredith gasped, but her hands didn't relent, and for that Mara was thankful. She knew that her bedside manner could have been better, but she wasn't feeling up to it. She felt, angry, for some reason. Mad at Yates for running off, mad at the couple for letting their children get this sick, mad at the kids themselves for falling ill. Mad at herself for feeling this way. She'd always had a temper, but not like this. Not so wild and directionless. She did her best to shrug off the ugly thoughts, but they were persistent, buzzing gnats that kept biting at her mind. Luckily, her focus wasn't really required in the moment. What happened next was out of her hands. It was up to the Mother now, and the children themselves. The pair were heaving now, but nothing was coming up, their small bodies wracking with pain and muscle contractions. They weren't quite seizing, but it was close, and just when the farmer's were starting to have difficulties holding them down, the pair fell still. The cabin was silent, except for the sounds of Mara panting in exertion. The sound persisted for a moment, then two, and then the boy gasped. A moment later, his sister followed suit. The two were breathing heavily, and unconscious, but their complexions were noticeably better, and already their rashes were fading. "It's done," Mara heaved out. She stood, evidently exhausted, but stumbled over to the door. Wernst followed her while Meredith fussed over the children. He had tears in his eyes himself. "How can we ever repay you sister." For her part, Mara didn't appear to be listening. She was checking a timepiece she'd pulled from some pocket, and making a note of the time. Wernst's expression turned to one of confusion, and he looked put a hand on Mara's shoulder. "Sister, are you alright?" When Mara's head turned to face him, he recoiled. "Yes, fine," she replied. "I need to go after Yates. The children are still weak, keep good care of them." Her words came out from between gritted teeth, and she slipped out of his grasp and went out the door before he could react. Mara set off jogging, ignoring her exhaustion and tracking her erstwhile compatriot via her connection with the weapon she'd given him. Behind her, in the cottage, Wernst shook off his surprise, and ran out of the building. Mara was already out of sight, however, and the farmer had no choice but to go back inside. Once within, his wife questioned him from the bedside, "Dear, what's wrong?" The farmer did his best to suppress a shiver, and looked to her. "I'm not sure, but her eyes. They looked, so angry, and I think I saw, something in them. Flecks of black, or darkness, or, I don't know. Just, something was wrong." Meredith looked confused, but she knew where the couple's priorities should be. "Well no point in worrying about it now, come help me tend to the children, please. They need help, like the sister said." Wernst did as his wife suggested, but as he worked, the memory of Mara's eyes wouldn't leave him. The more he thought on it, the more it seemed there was something there. Something dark, and cloudy, just below the surface. Under his breath, he whispered a prayer to the mother, "Please, Gaia, let those brave souls be safe." It wasn't too much work to find her quarry's route, the thing pursuing Yates left, something. A residue, a stain on the world, that she could feel, and follow. The priestess was having a hard time thinking clearly. She was exhausted, though more mentally than physically, and it felt like there was something buzzing in her mind, keeping her from focusing. She was, irritated, angry even, but she couldn't seem to remember why. She just knew that she had to follow Yates, track him down and do, something. Eventually, she came across her mace, buried in the ground. She picked up the still-slightly-glowing weapon. For some reason it felt warm in her grip, hot even, but she ignored the feeling as she hooked it at her side and kept going. She was coming close, she was sure of it. As she jogged, the pressure in her head grew, as did her anger, but she felt compelled to keep going anyway. She followed the sickening path laid ahead of her, sure of her goal, but unsure of her intentions when she arrived. She was just so... angry. But at what? She couldn't think, couldn't remember. She just felt it burning in her. Rage.