A study in the eldritch (Lunaraia;Pervy;MortalitasBorealis)

[MortalitasBorealis]

Re: A study in the eldritch (Lunaraia;Pervy;MortalitasBorealis)

Korrie smiled lightly as she petted her sister pet and watched her chain being played with until Aya told them about the naval journey. Fey took care of stating their surprise for her, but a whole week? She was expecting two or three days! Oh well, as long as little time passes in the waking world, it should be fine. She just hoped the ship would be classy and comfortable to live on. That stuff about what happened to the last would be teleporter made her shiver and try very hard not to think on it too much. It’s doubtful she’ll be willing to try any form of teleportation that doesn’t involve a stable portal from now on…

Following behind her handler as they set off to seek the twins, Korrie looked curiously at the bag containing their item of trade. “What is that, exactly? Sounds it could crash the entire local economy… What is the local currency anyway? The usual coins? Gems?” The wyvern asked, inquisitive as always. Her curiosity would have to wait though, as some of the local fauna has found its way upon their path. The pet wyvern blinked, looking at the strange creature. She wouldn’t call this one cute, reminded her of one of those star-nosed mole things, and of course there’s also those bulbous eyes. Huh, so it’s called a Zoog, and it’s sentient enough to have villages. Sounds like something happened to their settlement.

“Umm, Fey? You might want to be more careful…” Korrie warned, but she wasn’t too worried this time. Sure it could bite and she didn’t want her sister pet to get hurt, but she knows the phoenix has great regenerative abilities, and who knows, her confidence might give her far superior defense than usual. Despite not having much affection for the creature compared to the fluffy little gremlins, if it’s intelligent then she’d rather not hurt it if not necessary. Maybe she should let Aya or Fey deal with this one. The former has more knowledge of the local beings, and the latter just might convince it to leave them alone or even help. The pet wyvern stood ready to defend her handler with her scales should it attack though.

Back over with the twins, Shiroi had blasted several trees to splinters while testing out her magic, while Kuroi was trying and failing to conjure up a writing utensil.

“Hmm, looks like magic can tire us out, just much slower than usual. Any luck with the pen, sis?”

“No, it seems summoning objects is beyond us, or me at least.” Kuroi answered a little dejectedly, until their appointed guardian intervened. “O-Oh, thank you!” She bowed slightly in gratitude as she accepted the quill, pocketing it in her shirt pocket. Remembering she also needs something to draw on to use her item creation ability, the raven-haired catgirl briefly tries to conjure up some kind of paper or parchment, though she wouldn’t be surprised if that fails too.

Shiroi meanwhile had her interest piqued at the offer of magical advice from a celestial being. “We don’t have much to do yet neither, so some advice would always be useful, thanks. You were right afterall, our magic is mostly self-taught, the only ‘help’ we got was boosting our raw magic capacity. I personally haven’t had many chances to use my powers lately neither.” The albino remarked. By lately she had meant years of course, ever since her initial rampage upon first gaining the eldritch boost to her power. Since then she’s been too weak to use it again without risking severe internal damage, so what she did during the battle against Aya while the bet was still on was the most exercise she got in a while. She’s not even sure if she knows what she’s really capable of, all she’s done so far (consciously at least) has been shaping the raw magic into simple projectiles, shapes and barriers, immensely powerful but crude all the same.

 

[Lunaraia]

Re: A study in the eldritch (Lunaraia;Pervy;MortalitasBorealis)

The Zoog looked up at Fey with an inquisitive expression "Roshta hal ala firnek ifthe lokh Ulthar fila ras, fa falafa roshta trkokh todthe swfalte igme unfallais" it's voice where somewhat high pitched but the answer seemed friendly enough, is somewhat apologetic "Ulthar, huh, so the peace treaty still holds then? that's good to know" Aya mumbled in response to the Zoogs words, then noticing that Korrie and Fey probably had no clue what was just exchanged she decided to elaborate "It's a Zoog trader headed for Ulthar, the Zoog was, up until the point where I left for Earth at war with the inhabitants there" she explained, as she did so the Zoog experimentally poked at Fey, as if to test if she was too hot to touch "Ifrustha nefnolh, ififi sha unte roshae?" it circled the phoenix girl it's beady eyes looking at her with an inquisitive look in them.

Aya visibly tensed at the question, her smile from before disappearing like morning mist in the midday sun "Fey step away from that Zoog, now, that's an order, in case you wonder why he just asked how much I would be willing to sell you to him for, meaning that his goods are people it has betwitched into becoming mindless puppets to it's will" the Zoog immediately grabbed onto Fey's legs while giving an angry hiss while it's tail fished out some kind of bracelet from somewhere "Rhfharisha Menkh, ifarenbe ontar hatani enarekki roshae!" as it screamed that it tried to clasp the bracelet onto Fey, if it succeeded Fey would find her mind being assaulted by some kind of cold energy that would make her thoughts feel utterly sluggish before a voice would order her to attack Korrie and Fey, a command by the Zoog, who would have a gleeful expression on it's face, whether or not Fey heeded such a command, that was another thing entirely.

Aya reacted immediately "Korrie, fry it!" she called out even as she herself pulled out a sleek rapier, a blade more suited for melee, clearly the idea of blasting the zoog with a spell that could potentially hurt fey did not sit well with the witch, even as she waited for an opening to dart in a incredible speeds in order to take a swipe at the insidious creature.

---

The being chuckled slightly "Well then, allow me..." she gently glided over to the twins and put a hand to Shiroi's forehead "This will be... tingly" Shiroi would be able to feel the entity's presence enter her mind a strangely soothing and smokey sensation like being enveloped in a light and pleasant mist, even as knowledge on how to more properly handle the arcane energies entered her mind, making it easier to shape and maintain her constructs while simultaneously lessening the strain on her body to the point where it was almost trivial, it seemed that by "teaching" the entity meant bestowing the knowledge on her directly "I have given you the knowledge on how to more properly use your powers, however,the real lesson is to see if you have the wisdom to properly use that knowledge, as one is worthless without the other, all the wisdom in the world is pointless if you are a fool, and a genius without wisdom will only meet their own inevitable destruction"

Once done she floated over to the kittenfied Kuroi "As amusing as your current cat-like self is we really need you to focus on the here and how, child, lest you find Ulthar far to enticing for your own good" she waved her hand over the Catgirl and her cat features slowly dissipated, returning Kuroi to a more human mindset "careful now, I know the change is a bit jarring, but it is for your own good, trust me on this one" she said before her misty powers entered Kuroi as well bestowing the same knowledge on her as well.

 

[Pervy]

Re: A study in the eldritch (Lunaraia;Pervy;MortalitasBorealis)

Spoiler

SPF (Super Phoenix Fey)
Dream dreaming!
Tag:Korrie, Aya

"Ta. Roshta Roshta. Ben glib glib? Vaktafash." Fey nodded. No, she did not actually speak Zoog, she just improvised. She tilted her head at the poking but didn't resist, this was her average mode of approach as well, after all, she didn't quite understand how the ..trader was eyeing her at the moment. She was indeed fiery to touch, though her heat was mostly contained to a comfortable heated warmth, for now.

"Nope am not for sell. No Roshae." Fey informed, already guessing what the Zoog was after without Aya even needing to tell her.. she did step away when ordered though... not fast enough to escape the Zoog grabbing.

"How valuable would I be?" She had to wonder though, the conditioning she had experienced leaving her a little too vunerable to fantasize about such a thing rather than dread it, which she did, before the creature reached out for her, causing her to eep out: "Hoi, no mindless pupeteering the Fey!" She raised her arm, which caused her to go up in flames, likely giving the Zoog at least some burns for its effort.. however, due to her being used to taking punches and rolling with them with her regeneration, rather than avoiding them, she also didn't avoid the necklace clasping this time about, mieeping slightly as the bracelet gripped her body and mind. Now, she had an.. active, and thus resilient mind, but the cold feeling was an immediate weakness for her, with her flames died down almost as quick as they rose up. "Uhmnn.. but I dun wanna.." She considered at the voice commanding her, feeling a bit too sluggish to.. just lash out and attack the two. She rubbed her forehead dazedly, seeming hesitant and uncertain.. Aya had told her that being enslaved ment belonging more to mistress, .. but mistress was currently not about, right? Well there was her handler and her sister, but she didn't want to attack either.. it was a bit hard to think this conundrum through.

"Uhmnnnn.." She looked over to the two, with a slightly dazed expression, not attacking right away.. but also making no motion to attack, or defend against the Zoog either... moreso when Aya drew a weapon, which, quite possibly if the Zoog hadn't fled Feys flames, would cause the dazed Phoenix to summon 'defensive' fire. Korrie would likewise find that Feys fire control ability was a terrible match up for her own flame breath.. if indeed she followed Ayas command to fry and that was the way she chose to 'attack Fey', the Phoenix girl not easily bent on betraying her sister and handler, but far more ready to lash out in percieved defence, if need be.

 

[MortalitasBorealis]

Re: A study in the eldritch (Lunaraia;Pervy;MortalitasBorealis)

Oh, the Zoog can talk. Well she should’ve expected it, intelligent creatures with a village and all, but the thing just didn’t look like something that could talk. It’s like a Disney animal, except uglier, and it speaks in an alien language. Good thing they have Aya to translate for them. So it’s headed for Ulthar too… Korrie wondered just why someone would be at war with the creatures, did they get stuff stolen one too many times? It’s actually kind of funny that a being known for thievery is being a trader.

Annnddd things went south really fast. The wyvern felt the sudden tension in the air before Aya even said anything, and when she told her exactly what’s going on, Korrie felt her heart race. Great, the thing’s a slave trader, she knew tentacle-faced beings can’t be trusted! Normally the wyvern might be a lot more cautious or at least nervous about facing an unknown being, especially when Fey was successfully shackled by the mind-numbing bracelet, but this time, a switch reflexively flipped inside of her. Considering what happened the last time some of their number were controlled…

Rather than try to spew fire at the Zoog, the pet wyvern took a bolder, fiercer approach. Barely even thinking about it, Korrie lunged at the creature with a cold predatory glint in her eyes and a sharp-toothed snarl, her now razor sharp claws ablaze and dripping with liquid fire, aiming to tear it to pieces in an instant. She almost completely ignored Fey during her attack, aside from steering clear of her if possible on her route towards her target, hoping to end the fight before the phoenix could strike back. It’s a good thing Fey was hesitating as she did, maybe the wyvern could succeed, unless the Zoog still has more tricks up its sleeves…

Elsewhere, Shiroi felt a tinge of nervousness as their guardian drifted over and touched her forehead, though she didn’t try to avoid or resist, knowing the being’s on their side. The soothing feeling in her mind quickly settled whatever unease she had, and she found new knowledge flowing into her head as well, information on controlling her power. Not only was it more direct, but it was also far easier to understand than the spoken word, down to the feeling of focusing the cosmic energy properly with less force required. If only learning things was always this easy, the albino mused to herself. “That was efficient.” She remarked aloud with a smile, “I dunno about being wise, but with a bit of practice I’m sure I’ll see some quick improvement after that. Thanks a lot.”

While her older sibling was already practicing summoning and shaping cosmic energy again, the kitty Kuroi blinked as the celestial being drifted over to her too. “Ulthar…?” She asked with a tilt of her head, until her cat ears and tail started to fade away and the raven-haired girl shook her head from the minor headache she got. It was a bit dizzying, more complex thoughts coming back to her all at once and getting jumbled up, but it passed quickly. She found the fact she was sort of missing the simplicity she felt as part feline to be rather concerning, but maybe that’ll fade with some time as well… The knowledge boost was a good distraction, though possibly not as helpful, as her power has always relied on nuance more than raw power. Maybe she could make her command prompts last longer now though, and her rendered items sturdier. “T-Thank you, I’ll make good use of this…” She gave the guardian a little bow of gratitude, already back to her more shy and modest self.

“Aww, she was kinda cute like that.” Shiroi complained jokingly, making her sister blush and look away. “But seriously, what is this Ulthar place, and why would sis need to be a hundred percent in her right mind for it? I figure we’ll be going there, so the more we know and all that.”

 

[Lunaraia]

Re: A study in the eldritch (Lunaraia;Pervy;MortalitasBorealis)

The Zoog's smug expression gave way to a yelp of pain as it bounded away from the suddenly fiery Fey, though the bracelet held out against the fiery assault long enough to do its job, the flame suddenly dying down had it become bolder, again though it's gleeful expression quickly turned to one of worry when it became clear that Fey was resisting its commands "Rikithu orgefekk thal roshtana orgernhe?" it looked quite bewildered, though it still had enough presence of mind to dodge out of the way of Korrie's assault, the flames around her arms reigniting it's already singed fur "AIII! Krearree! Roshta krearree!" it screamed as it backed off it's front paws waving frantically in a show of submission even as it curled up into a ball to stop the fire from fully igniting it's fur.

Aya was on it so fast that if it wasn't for the wind from her passing by Korrie and Fey one could have sworn she just popped up there out of nowhere, she held the Zook by the scruff of it's neck, her eyes glowing with energies "Release her.... NOW" the last word made the very area around them shake and the Zoog hurriedly screamed out a word which caused the bracelet to pop open and fall to the ground "Korrie, crush the bracelet" noticing the Zoogs backpack she looked from it to the Zoog, which shook it's head frantically to the unasked question, no, it did not have more, the sheer terror in it's eyes as it dangled made that evident "So seeing as you only had once such bracelet, or so you claim, what were you selling?" the Zoog hesitated for a moment "I... sell herbs oh most honored lady" it finally answered, now speaking in perfect English "And what in the world possessed you then to try and acquire someone like that, let alone try to take on 3 people at once?" she looked at the Zoog, who seemed to shrink down even further it's tentacled mouth twitching a bit "It's the Cats, they force me to sell my wares for a pittance and if I try to sell at Nim I just get robbed by the humans, I wanted some muscle to make sure I would get a fair treatment" she made an expression that might be viewed as a sheepish grin if one looked at it from the right angle.

The Zoog looked over to Fey with a pleading expression "Please oh beautiful fire-lady, could you find it in your heart to forgive me?" before Fey could answer it indicated it's bag "Not for free, of course, I have exotic herbs in the bag, included some herbs and spices imported from far off places like Lake Hali and Yoggoth" The Zoog looked quite desperate, clearly much less a fighter than it had originally let on.

Aya ruffled through her pack with her free hand and pulled out a vial filled with something red, popped open the stopper and put her thumb over the top before inverting it, leaving a red liquid with an acidic and peppery smell behind on it "If you value your life, don't move" she put her thumb onto the captive Zoogs head and drew a rune then chanted a short spell "That was a Geas, until I our business here in the Dreamlands are done you are to now bound to servitude to make amends for your crimes, I suggest you accept these terms as the only other option will see you handed over to the authorities in Ulthar, seeing as the forest is technically under their legal jurisdiction" the Zoog froze for a moment then immediately started to nod ecstatically "I will do my best to make amends Your Ladyness, Afrakash the herb seller swears on his whiskers you won't regret this!"

The Zoog was unceremoniously let go, but the agile creature easily landed on it's feet and scurried over to it's bag and dug out the previously promised herbs showing them to Fey, who would find a rather familiar looking plant among them, which she would be eagerly offered if she asked for it, though the Zoog as well as Aya wisely stepped back if Fey showed any indication of wanting to eat the pepper, both being more than slightly familiar with what the ultra spicy plant could do.

Korrie was not forgotten either and the Zoog started to dig through it's belongings once more pulling out a rather sweet smelling fruit and handed it to Korrie "It is not much, but have a taste, it is Dragons Love, so named because it is said that draconic beings find the taste much more appealing that some dragons would forgo an entire treasure hoard in favor of just one of these" Korrie would indeed find her taste buds greeted by an incredible taste when she bit into the fruit she would find that it tasted somewhat sweet and rounded taste slightly hinting ad dark like chocolate with a vanilla like aftertaste that would have her long for another bite up until she had finished the entire thing "Dragons Love, huh? that fruit is also known as Changelings Spice, because the taste is different for everyone that eats it, had Fey gotten her hands on it it would probably taste like a certain pepper for her" she looked over to Fey ready to do damage control in case she had been crazy enough to down the entire pepper in one single go rather than bite into it piecemeal, considering how her last spectacular performance with that particular plant had gone.

---

The twins would find the entity give a smile as Shiroi asked the question about Ulthar "Ulthar is the City of Cats, the inhabitants as well as it's rulers are sentient cats, shrewd little cats at that who undoubtedly would like nothing more than to convince an exotic new "Cat" to stay with them" the touched the twins' heads again and a vision of a busy little village in the style of the mid 1700's, but with cats as the main inhabitants rather than humans.

Spoiler

"Woe be to any who harm a cat in Ulthar, the city's law enforcement is not exactly kind to non-cats" she said matter-of-factly "That's not to say that the inhabitants are cruel, mind you, they just look after their own first and foremost, that aside Ulthar has been in a tentative peace with the Zoogs over the past 20 some years now, crafty little critters the Zoogs, the peace has seen the Zoogs try their hand at trading with the cats, though they are getting a rather unfavorable treatment in the prices they are allowed to ask for their wares, though even that is better than they get in Nim, where the Zoogs are not welcome at all, the inhabitants there do not trust them at all, which is not entirely unfounded, mind you" she gave a chuckle as she floated backwards a bit giving the sisters some space "Now is there anything else I can answer for you, answering questions like these are quite entertaining" she tilted her head expectantly, making the silence around them rather noticeable unless the twins started to babble immediately.

((sorry for the late post and lack off sweet writing, my brain is simply not cooperating))

 

[Pervy]

Re: A study in the eldritch (Lunaraia;Pervy;MortalitasBorealis)

Spoiler

SPF (Super Phoenix Fey)
Dream dreaming!
Tag:Korrie, Aya

"Humnnwaaaah?" Fey volunteered when the bracelet snapped off. "No numbing the Fey. Also, far too awesome to be a bodyguard.. pfff.. exotic herbs, who cares.. wait.. spices.." Fey scuttled closer, despite the prior danger, taking in closer the Zoogs offerings, seeming the type to quickly forgive and forget..

"Ooooh.." Fey grinned, aquiering the pepper, giving it a lick... quivering in delight.. before she put it aside again. "Yummy yummy .. Fey saves for later!" She hid the item under a feathery-armorey plate like part of her outfit with an innocent grin.

".. what.. why are you looking at me like that? I can save things too. I'm already an AWESOME Supre Fire Phoenix Empress (ASFPE), I can indulge in peppers later!" She enthused. "Thanks zoog zoog, I forgive you, but only because your whiskers are cute. So! Let's go find the two twins, eh?" Fey concentrated for a moment.

"You may think me just a silly fiery blasty kinda gal but I actually have long distance tracking talents." She rubbed her hands, then, threw them into the air, small fire balls flowing up expanding with a cracking of fireworks above the forests canopy, the flames exploded and shaped themselfs into letters, reading:

Hey! Catgirl and white one! Come hang with us over here, we got Zooks! The final flame was just a simple arrow pointing downwards towards Fey.

"Hold on.." she waved her arms some more


p.s. Last one to make it is a chicken!


p.p.s. ignore this if you are a meanie looking to enslave a bunch of sexy, hot women with varying levels of combat skill and pliable minds for your harem. Fey seemed thoughtful for a moment, then asserted.:

"I'm a genius."

 

[MortalitasBorealis]

Re: A study in the eldritch (Lunaraia;Pervy;MortalitasBorealis)

Korrie had no intention of stopping her pursuit, ready to lunge for another slash, only for Aya to beat her to the chase. Recoiling a bit from the ground-shaking command even if it wasn’t directed at her, the wyvern sighed in relief when she saw the bracelet fall off of Fey and immediately did as asked, carefully grabbing the item and summoning up flames and extra strength to crush it to a molten pulp. It seems she’s getting a good hang on her dream abilities, her self-confidence bolstered whenever she’s commanded and thus boosting her power as well.

An interrogation followed, during which Korrie mostly stayed with Fey out of the way, letting her handler handle things. She was surprised that the creature could actually speak English, and it was good to know they’re not dealing with some kind of experienced slave trader, which meant the Zoog probably doesn’t have more tricks up his furry sleeves. She would’ve said things might’ve worked out better for him if he’d just asked to hire one of them as a bodyguard instead of acting all suspicious and evil, but didn’t really find it in herself to interrupt, though her eyebrows raised at the mention of a Geas. Was that what she heard the mark is, a Geass? Of all things she didn’t expect THAT to have been a reference to real magic, but it could just be a common latin term or something for all she knows. Either way, problem solved for now, though she wasn’t a big fan of the creature traveling along with them. Unlike Fey she wasn’t so easy to forgive and forget, not when it came to one of them being controlled and used against the others like that. Her Mistress’ predicament has really become a sore spot for her.

Korrie reflexively stepped back a few steps when a very familiar pepper was given to the phoenix… only for her jaw to drop when it wasn’t immediately devoured in the slightest, not even a nibble. “Umm, Fey? Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” She asked in concern, wondering if the enslaving bracelet had left some kind of aftereffect. She still wasn’t entirely convinced after Fey’s explanation, but maybe she’s just being paranoid…

Her train of thought was derailed when another fruit was presented to her, the wyvern gingerly accepting the Dragon’s Love with a hesitant “Thanks…”. Could she trust this? Well, if it was dangerous Aya would’ve known immediately, so maybe it won’t hurt to take a bite. So she did. And in the next few seconds the rest of it was chomped down by the wyvern girl in bliss. Oh my god that was AWESOME! It was almost like ice cream, but more rounded and not too cold. The wyvern couldn’t stop salivating for a while as she savored the lingering flavor in her mouth and craved for more. It wasn’t downright addicting to her, but damn it was close.

Still wishing she could have another, Korrie was reminded by Fey of all people of their current task of finding those two sisters. Light applause was given upon the phoenix’s little trick, a flare so the sisters could meet up with them halfway would save them some time. The additions to said message reminded her quickly of the flaw in said plan though, as the wyvern groaned but didn’t bother to protest. She could only hope no more unsavory beings are around to take advantage of that invitation.

Speaking of the twins, the two listened curiously as their guardian explained the city of Ulthar. Amusing (and adorable) as it would be to watch her kittified sibling romp around in a city of cats, maybe squeeing in delight at fish stalls and cat toys and giant yarn balls, her being ‘persuaded’ to stay, no doubt through magical means, is a complication they could do without. Still, as the celestial showed them both an image of the town, it did look like a quaint place to visit. Emphasis on visit.

“A… ‘Zoog’? What is that?” Kuroi questioned, finding the name strange and kind of funny. Shiroi meanwhile thought of a different question.

“If you’re inviting us to ask, then I guess I wanna know a bit more about you. I don’t think we even know your name yet afterall, so if you don’t mind, what are you and how do you know Christine-“

The sudden crackling of fireworks interrupted her and drew both sisters’ attention. The message and the sender were clear, and while Kuroi chuckled a little, Shiroi mostly facepalmed. “Well, I guess we should meet them halfway then, before the local ‘meanies’ decide to try their luck. There’s still the ward keeping us here though, can you disable it?” She looked towards their self-proclaimed guardian, still perfectly trusting of her. If the space-bending enchantment keeping them from straying was taken down, Shiroi would suggest a race with Kuroi to reach the others, showing off her newfound athleticism again as she bounded through the forest towards the message, with Kuroi following behind as best she could.

 

[Lunaraia]

Re: A study in the eldritch (Lunaraia;Pervy;MortalitasBorealis)

Aya just shook her head at the fiery text with an amused smile on her face "There is no need for that Fey, dear, I already know where they are and it's not far now, I appreciate the thought though" she gave Fey an appreciative pat on the head for being such a clever girl, a nice little reward for taking in the initiative like that, she gestured over for Korrie to follow and started down the path again, only to pause and look at the Zoog, "Is something wrong, your not following" the Zoog had a clearly nervous expression as it had noticed the direction they were going "Pardon my hesitation, oh great lady, it's just that a strange and powerful being appeared in a clearing over yonder..." he gestured in the direction they were heading.

"Very powerful, oh kindest of merciful ladies, just being near the area made my whiskers stand on end, everyone and everything wisely buggered out of the vicinity of that one, not wanting to earn its ire" Aya visibly tensed at this, before she took a deep breath "It can't be helped, our companions are in that direction and so that is our path" she put her arms around Korrie and Fey dragging both of them in close to her giving them both a reassuring rub on the head which seemed to help her calm down, reminding her that she had the responsibility to keep them all safe gave her something else to focus on than what could be a potentially bad situation, seeing the determined expression on Ayas face the Zoog visibly sagged "If that is our path, I am bound to follow, both from debt of mercy and from the geas, lead the way of great lady, I will do my best to aid us should the worst happen, though my skills are more in the way of bartering" the Zoog scurried up to the tree and now had it's bag slung over its shoulder as it walked looking strangely determined as it did.

------

The strange being smiled at the first question about Zoogs "A Zoog is---" but she abruptly paused "Hmm no need to explain that one, your friends seem to have met one of them and the brave little thing are now traveling with them it seems, so you will see soon enough" she looked over to Kuroi with the same amused smile "As for what "I" am, well that is a complicated question, the long and short of it would be that there is no "I" as what you see are simply my creators will made manifest, at best "I" could be called an Avatar of sorts though even that is not exactly correct, my creator speaks through me and my creators will guides my actions, without my creators will to guide me "I" would simply be an empty shell without a will of my own, as of such there is no such thing as a "Me" not in the way you mean at any rate" she paused to let her words sink in for a moment "As for how Christine is known to me, or more correctly my creator, that is a simple question, Christine's Master is another one of my creators' servants, though one that serves my creator willingly rather than being a creation of my creator, it was on my creators with that "he", "she" hm... "it"? not sure how that one views itself sealed itself away long ago, though it did a bit too good a job of that which is why it is now working with your teacher to free itself, but I digress, the reason Christine is known to "Me" is because Christine's Master asked for my creator to aid your quest here in the Dreamlands, granted certain issues with that is limiting the amount of aid that can be given, so bringing you two here as Dreamers and watching over you two until your companions arrive are teh best that can be done, for now" she then looked over to the sky text "Oh, they are closer than expected, they should be here momentarily if they are this close, no need to rush out and meet them dears, it would just be a waste of time, really" she leaned back and sat down on the air itself, seemingly satisfied to "sit" in such a strange, floating position while waiting, the twins would also quickly notice that trying to leave the clearing would just make them find themselves inexplicably turned around and stepping back inside again without any obvious explanation as to why, though from the explanation given it was probably the entity's way of making sure that the two didn't just run off into the forest and got themselves in trouble.

-----

The trip to the clearing was not that far, though once they got within a certain distance the trio of women would quickly find out what the Zoog had been talking about as there was a "charge" in the air that would make the hairs in their necks stand on end and send shivers down their spines as they approached the clearing "Hmm, whomever is in the clearing with the twins are not hostile as I can barely sense them under the waves of power, I don't think the entity in question are hostile, but just in case I will warn you now, if it turns out to be an enemy, run and don't look back, this being is far beyond anything we can handle and I will only be able to buy you all about half a second at most if things go badly, basically that entity is on par if not more powerful than Mistress Christine's Master, trying to fight it would be... inadvisable" the tenseness from earlier returned and she suppressed a shudder as she pressed Fey and Korrie to her side, the Zoog for it's part vaulted up on Aya's shoulder and hid in the hood of her cape, clearly not able to make itself approach further under it's own volition as the sensation of power and inescapable doom grew ever more oppressive the closer the came to the clearing itself...

((Cliffhanger ;P))

 

[Pervy]

Re: A study in the eldritch (Lunaraia;Pervy;MortalitasBorealis)

Spoiler

SPF (Super Phoenix Fey)
Dream dreaming!
Tag:Korrie, Aya

Fey shifted, a bit uncertain and not admitting that a part of her had, even if through prior conditioning, kind of enjoyed the nicely calmed and being ordered about sensations.
"I'm feeling.. 97% fine! .. 99% if I get to burn more things." She estimated. "Oh because I didn't eat the dream pepper? Naaah, dun worry, I can do moderation too!.".. thinking about it, now she eyed the pepper hesitantly...

"I plan to use it at the right time, when we need some fired up response. See, I'm super smart Phoenix Ultra Empress Fey." She informed Korrie.

Fey murred at the pat, informing.: "Well, this way we don't have to walk as much until we meet, hah!" She stood by her idea being awesome.

"Powerful being? Neat. See, get to eat my pepper soon. Step one when dealing with evildoers: Burn 'em. Step two: Ask questions whilest burning them." Fey enthused.

"So let me recap this, The Zoogs are kind of.. morally ambigious, so they get a bit ostracized and this one wanted me as guard? Pfff, I'm way too awesome than being a simple merchants guard!" She showed her tongue to the Zoog. "Now, if you were the Zoog-empress or something.. or emperor...?" She whispered to Aya: "Is it a Zoog-ling or a Zoog-lina? I can't tell for sure!" SHe then hesitated, clearing her throat. "I mean.. I already have a super nice owner, and we are working on un-poisoning her! But dun worry, this is all a dream."

When they approached the clearing, Fey crossed her arms with an "Awwww" at the lack of prospect with fighting. "I do feel all tingly and energized.." She complained, either not intimidated, or grossly misinterpreting things. She fluffed up her warm, fiery feathers when Aya huddled up close with her.

"Perhaps we could challenge the thingie to a rap-battle.. oh oh! Or a riddle game! That always works in the stories.. Though, the answer to most of my riddles is 'fire'.. Eh.. no choice.." Fey didn't like being passive when feeling uneasy, perhaps part of the reason for her minds relative resilience to.. hostile takeovers. Once they got a little closer she raised her voice, trying her riddle-approach, unless stopped...:

"So! What keeps eating and eating, growing the more it eats, but once its finished its meal, it has to die?"

 

[MortalitasBorealis]

Re: A study in the eldritch (Lunaraia;Pervy;MortalitasBorealis)

At the mention of powerful beings in the direction they’re headed, Korrie tensed up again, hoping that all the Zoog was sensing was Shiroi’s magic signature. She still remembered glimpses of the battle in that dimension of eternal strife, and she definitely felt the wave of power that emanated out from the albino when she had almost went mad with rage that night on the beach. Maybe in the dream world the crippled girl would be even more powerful than that. At least, the ‘strange and powerful being’ being one of their own would be much better than it being an enemy. That aside, the ridiculous amount of praise the Zoog is pouring out is starting to get on her nerves a little. There’s being polite and there’s being downright worshipping, and the wyvern girl wasn’t the goddess wannabe type. It was of course too awkward a topic to actually broach aloud though. Maybe she could ask Aya to do something about that later.

Keeping her nerves under control by telling herself it’s just Shiroi over there probably going nuts with her dream powers, the tingling in the air she felt upon approach that was definitely not what she felt around the albino started to chip at her makeshift confidence, and the shield crumbled entirely when Aya told them the full extent of what they may have to face. More powerful than Mistress’ patron eldritch deity? MORE POWERFUL THAN AN OUTER GOD?! They’ve barely been in the dream world for an hour and they’re already running into someone on level with the King in Yellow, hostile or not that just ain’t right! That’s like putting the final boss before the first one! The poor wyvern started to tremble a little, but she forced her legs forward anyway even though they were starting to feel like lead, the cool orange flames and tattoos she’d put on herself dying down to a sickly shy blue that seemed to shrink down and try not to get noticed. Korrie followed regardless, even though she stayed at the back, repeating a mantra in her head in an effort to keep herself calm. Please be on our side, please be on our side, please be on our side…

Back with said ‘strange and powerful being’, the twins blinked in surprise and curiosity that the others had already run into a Zoog and somehow recruited it, though they supposed they’ll just have to wait for the others to reach them to find out more. The two listened carefully as the being explained her own existence; Kuroi would’ve been increasingly confused had she still been a more simple-minded kitty, but as it stood she and her sister understood what the being meant well enough. The being is an avatar, like a doll remotely controlled by the true entity from who knows where, though said doll sort of referring to herself as a being in her own right was a little confusing, calling herself an avatar rather than saying ‘this body is an avatar’ or something of the sort. What really caught their attention was when the being claimed to be (or at least her controller to be) the master OF Christine’s master. Now THAT was unexpected. Both of them had figured Christine’s patron elder god was on one of the tops of the hierarchy ladder, but it seems there’s always a mountain that’s taller. The scale of eldritch beings truly is hard to fathom.

It was Shiroi who had the bravery to speak next, Kuroi still being a bit stunned by the revelation as the importance and power held by their guardian gradually dawned on her. “Umm… It’s good to know we have someone so powerful on our side then, even if your help is restricted. Still, for now is there anything we could call you? A name or title to go by? It’d be a bit awkward referring to you otherwise.” She remarked, feeling nervous, but not enough to go completely quiet or start quaking in her boots. If a being on that scale of power wanted to obliterate them there’d be absolutely nothing they can do anyway. The twins also decided not to go off meeting their friends halfway at the being’s suggestion. Even if it wasn’t an order, they still didn’t feel like going against it.

It turns out they probably made the right choice as they soon heard a familiar voice asking them some sort of riddle. That voice, this randomness… Well, it can’t be any of the other two. And if it’s the phoenix… “…Let me guess. Is it fire?” Shiroi called out first, playing along. Kuroi also got the answer pretty quickly, but she was too hesitant to speak up first, and sort of glad she didn’t. The raven-haired girl did smile though, seeing that their comrades have finally found them. Familiar faces always help soothe one’s nerves.

 

[Lunaraia]

Re: A study in the eldritch (Lunaraia;Pervy;MortalitasBorealis)

The entity in question as about to answer the question about her name when Fey's riddle rang through the clearing, shaking her head ever so slightly she simply called back "That would be fire, young Feyline, as for your next two riddles those would be flames and burning as answers, that being said I would strongly recommend heeding the warnings of your handler in the future, as not every entity you meet will actually be friendly enough to bother humor you with these riddles" as she finished answering the oppressive feeling would vanish from the group allowing them all to enter the clearing without any issues.

Aya would visibly relax as she laid eyes on the entity, though still had a slightly guarded disposition, probably just a reflex, even so her first reaction was , after giving the entity a grateful nod to embrace the twins "I am glad you two are alright" she gave them both a pat on the shoulder before she turned back towards the entity, then gave a respectful bow "Lady Pale Moon, it's an honor"

The entity chuckled in response as she walked past Aya and stopped in front of Korrie and Fey "Christine's little human pets have some rather interesting views of themselves" the entity started to stroke Korrie and Fey's heads, seemingly knowing exactly where to rub to make the two become putty in its hands just like good little pet should be, before she turned back towards Aya "As for you Ayan- no you prefer Aya, so I will go with that, I digress, you were much less respectful when you mentioned my name" she turned back to the twins, still tussling the hair of both Fey and Korrie, ignoring the fact that Fey's hair was probably on fire at this point "My" name is Mikantool, and yes, "I" am far more powerful than little Ibzkhas, that would be your Teachers' Master, young mortal" she slowly stopped her attention on the two pets, "Well, at least for now "I" am" she gave a wry smile even as Aya looked her over "Another potential "Daughter" I take it, your behavior seems a bit to.. animated to be otherwise"

The entity tiled her head as she looked at Aya then silently nodded "An astute observation, though I don't recall you ever seeing any of my duplica- oho, i see, so that's how it is, makes sense I suppose" Aya raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything "I take it there is a reason why you are here though" the entity nodded "I am here to lend my aid at Ibzkhas' request, as of such I have made it quite clear to my brother that he is to leave you alone, you won't have any issues from him on this trip, even though his servants still hold a strong presence in Dylath-Leen, that still leaves my great-nephew though, I am afraid that you will have to deal with that one on your own, the moment you swipe one of his keys you are beyond my help I fear" Aya nodded "I am grateful Milady, I did not look forward to having to deal with the servants of the Creeping Chaos on their home turf, this will make things easier, as for dealing with the King in Yellow, that is fine, I did not expect as much help as w have already been given, you have done more than enough already" she kept her head respectfully bowed as she spoke, though the entity just laughed at her behavior, then grabbed Aya by the cheek and made her look into the entity's face "Enough with the sycophantic behavior, it does not suit you at all, I prefer your rebellious attitude more" she seemed... amused? difficulty to say as her expression were perfectly neutral.

The Entiy then reached into Aya's hood snatched out the Zoog hiding in there Erfek of Saliis Village, listen and listen well, you tried to steal the servant of my servants' servant, that means that by extension you were trying my servant, the only thing sparing you from my wrath right now is that Feyline seems to have forgiven you, you better serve them well for their duration in the Dreamlands... she didn't say anymore, the sensation of sheer anger and power she was giving off was saying more than a thousand words, if the Zoog tried anything, it was a dead critter and everyone in the clearing could easily deduce that meaning "I will be keeping an eye on things, though I will not intersect unless the situation turns so dire that only my intersection would save your souls from annihilation, keep that in mind" she replaced the Zoog, which had gone completely limp, back into Ayas hood, then waved and simply vanished, no flash, not great explosion or anything, one moment she was there, the next, just... gone, leaving the group of 5 humans and 1 terrified Zoog to their own devices.

 

[Pervy]

Re: A study in the eldritch (Lunaraia;Pervy;MortalitasBorealis)

Spoiler

SPF (Super Phoenix Fey)
Dream dreaming!
Tag:Korrie, Aya

"Alright, but you wont get this one, what is.. h.. hey T.. htats not fair. it answered my riddled and two of them are like... my best ones.. are gonna be my bests ones? Uhmnnnn.. What if I think of another riddle. Hah! Beat the system, the actual answer to the new riddle I thought up was smoke! You can't harm us now!" Fey impossible to subdue for long. "I think thats cheating...." she grumbled, until she had her hair ruffled properly, causing a soft, feline nyaaa, and unable but wonder if: "So the moon has dreams too?" Then, after a few minutes of content purring and resting, she had to speak up though:

"Why do you all have so weird name. Can't masters name be 'Rolfie' and your name be 'Sophia?' I could remember that so much better than miktool!" She both said and proved, not disrespectful, at least not going by her eager nuzzling into the hand. "I want to become a powerful firejikan!" She decided to make up her own name, though, with her connection to fire, perhaps hoped over the right word on accient.

"Yeah, no steals the Feys!" She cheered when the Zoog was snatched up, she wagged her finger at it, and then, when the entity disappeared, said: "Welp, that went better than expected. Bye mistress-master-mistress lady! Have fun doing your watching thing! See you later!We gonna fix mistress now.. hey, which way Aya? Oh and.. hello you two! How were you with the lady? Seemed nice. Bad at riddles though." Fey tried to establish that one, while she wandered over to check out the other two pet.. apprentices?

 

[MortalitasBorealis]

Re: A study in the eldritch (Lunaraia;Pervy;MortalitasBorealis)

Seeing their familiar companions walk into view, the two sisters walked over to greet them, once again reunited as a team while they listened to the conversation between Aya and the avatar of an outer god. Korrie’s first thought upon hearing Aya refer to the entity was probably as expected (‘So there IS a Moon Presence?! …She’s a lot prettier than the fictional one though.’), though that thought and her nervousness quickly melted once the Lady started petting her, throaty purrs coming from the wyvern while she just closed her eyes and nuzzled into the hand like a docile puppy, tail wagging while triangular ears popped out of the top of her head again for the duration. It seems that’s going to be a regular occurrence during her stay in Dreamland.

None of the three interrupted at any point of the conversation. Not only was there a lot of information to take in, it was like a chat between two very close friends reunited after years apart, there simply wasn’t room for an outsider to interject. Plus, the talk was a little confusing for Korrie and Kuroi, only slightly less so for the more eldritch attuned albino, and while the conversation was amicable, some of the mentioned things were cause for concern. For example, the fact that Dylath-leen is apparently home to the followers of the Creeping Chaos, who may or may not be the same as THE Crawling Chaos, and Mikantool is apparently related to the one who made the keys they now seek, the great-nephew’s wrath apparently beyond what even the outer god can keep on a leash.

It was at about this point that Korrie decided to just stop thinking about these things too much. Learning that eldritch entities exist for real wasn’t that bad; learning that beings like Cthulhu or the King in Yellow and other such Outer Gods exist and that all legends of them were understated if anything was worrying; realizing she’s in the presence of these big reality-twisting names and will even be going up against some of them is, aptly, already starting to drive her insane. Considering she’s going to be doing it either way, she may as well stop worrying her head off and just let what comes come. Her sudden acceptance of her powerlessness compared to those around her may well be the result of already lost sanity points but really she’s better off with it at this point.

And then after the Zoog received yet another death threat, this time from an Outer God, the avatar simply vanished, just like that.

“…By all means, that could’ve been worse.” Shiroi shrugged, even while Kuroi was only just coming out from hiding behind her sister during Mikantool’s warning to the critter that had apparently done something incredibly ill thought out, either due to foolishness or sheer bad luck. “And yes, it’s good to see you all again. What’ve you all been up to? All we remember is going to the altar to get that… fish thing’s curse lifted off us and telepathically watch it get smited, then we fell asleep and woke up here with Mikan… Lady Pale Moon watching over us. We talked for a bit and she briefed us on what we’re doing here, we tested out our dream powers, she gave us a slight upgrade, and then you guys showed up. Anyway, now that we’re together again, let’s set off? It sounded like we’ve got a long journey ahead of us.”

For once, the albino was eager to get moving again. It was pretty obvious what she discovered she could do here in the dream world, considering her new appearance being potentially how she’d look like if the eldritch power had granted her strength with none of the downsides; a significantly taller, more athletic build with visible abs and muscles while retaining a slender and lithe form, a pair of energy wings folded up behind her back, wisps of star-speckled blue and green trailing off into the air. Kuroi on the other hand looked perfectly ordinary now that she’s lost her kitty features, rather mundane compared to everyone else, which actually makes her unique in her own way?

 

[Lunaraia]

Re: A study in the eldritch (Lunaraia;Pervy;MortalitasBorealis)

With the vanishing of the avatar Aya slumped visibly "Indeed, that could have gone much worse" she said, as she waved the group over and pulled out the same map she had used earlier, "We are here, pretty much dead center of the Enchanted Forest, we need to get to either Ulthar or Nir, which is south along the river Skai, there are however multiple ways to get there, and while I am the leader of the group I feel like it would be better if you get to decide as well, since we are dreaming time is not exactly an issue so there is no rush right now, years here for us would be mere hours in the waking world and all that, so we have a few choices..." she looked over at the girls making sure they could see the map properly before she continues.

Spoiler

"We can go west, out of the forest and then follow the Desert south, through Hatheg and then east to Nir, it's a rather safe passage, though we will need to stock up on water, once we leave the forest it's very unlikely we will meet anyone until we reach Hatheg, as few things wander the desert and those that do usually prefer to keep to themselves, from there it's pretty much just follow the road to Nir" the route appeared on the map, an obvious detour though it would let them see more of this strange world.

"Another option is to just head south to the river Skai which originates from a small lake south of here and follow one its banks to either Nir or Ulthar, the shortest and most direct route, and we would stay the least amount of time in the forest, meaning less likely to run into something unpleasant though the river also tend to attract denizens of the forest itself" another route marked itself.

Or we could head east onto the Karthian hills, it's a wild place not to mention that moor stretches for miles upon miles on en, it will be a difficult trek and we won't want for action as all manner of creatures live there not to mention there are rumors of caves connecting to the Underworld having surfaced there of late, meaning we could run afoul Ghouls or Gugs if we are really unlucky" the Zoog seemed to shrink in size at the mention of the Underworld and it's denizens, clearly something it did not want to meet if it could help it.

"Going north is another option, though it would be more difficult to secure passage from Jaren or Hlanith as I have also never been to those cities whereas i were raised in Dylath-Leen, Lhosk is completely out of the question, it's a small hamlet without and sea worthy ships so that would just be a waste of time"as she rolled the map back in and poked the Zoog seemed to calm down again and walked over and inspected the twins with a rather interested expression

"Hmm these markings... Hypnos' handiwork? no that doesn't seem right, I mean sure he is callous but this sort of botched infusion seems downright malicious, it' also feels somewhat darker... hmm could it be... naaah... no matter..." it kept running circles around Shiroi mumbling to itself inspecting her to the point of discomfort, clearly referring to the entity that had made the initial damage to her body, then it started to rummage through it's pack again before it gingerly took out a small fruit and held it up to thee girl.

"Eat" it said simply, the fruit itself were rather simple looking, it was pear shaped but had a yellow, almost golden hue without a single blemish on it it also handed a similar one to Kuroi, though smaller, then as if realizing that Korrie and Fey would likely feel left out it also handed one to each of them as well before turning to Aya "Appreciate the gesture, but I am fine, fruits like that are rare as it is and if you have any more I insist you save them for a crisis rather than we eat them all now the Zoog nodded absentmindedly before it packed it down again, though Ayas cold expression seemed warmer when she looked back at the Zoog as it hoisted it's pack onto its back again, clearly what they had just been given was not just some ordinary fruit.

Aya walked over to Korrie and Fey and whispered to them as they finished their fruits "Just between us, Erfek, thats the Zoogs name by the way, just offered all of us Fruits of Health, these things are worth a small fortune each and it's effects are so powerful I would not be surprised if little Shiroi will be able to run laps around the mansion once we return, just, don't tell the twins I don't think they could handle the feeling of having eaten such a precious thing without even realizing it" Erfek had also hopped over and were currently sitting next to Fey, trying to bribe her wit h a chili pepper if she would carry it on her shoulders, clearly not minding the conversation at all.

Having said that Aya gave the twins a short reference of what had transpired since the twins went to the Temple and what their main goal of the trip was, then she turned the focus back on the matter at hand, deciding on a course of action, as a group.

((short post I say, think this is the biggest yet XD))

 

[Pervy]

Re: A study in the eldritch (Lunaraia;Pervy;MortalitasBorealis)

Spoiler

SPF (Super Phoenix Fey)
Dream dreaming!
Tag:Korrie, Aya, The Twins, The Zoog

Feys thoughts were also pretty obvious.. she was disappointed the creature hadn't disappeared in some sort of blazing flame."Cheated at riddles, that thingie did.." Fey grumped, then added Oooh I want some upgrading too though!" before she looked at the map...

"Meeting no one sounds boring.. but deserts are cool, and the Mega-Phoenix Fey doesn't even need water.. .. do I need water? I mean.. I don't need much normally, and.. what if I imagine needing even less?" She pondered. "I like watery rivers less..

unrelatedly, if a dream lasts like a year in a night, can't we use the time to like.. learn spanish or.. extreme martial arts? Me es hablas espanol!" She shouted, then punched the air!

"Oooh action sounds good, I like aciton! Oooh Ghouls and Gugs! Can we go there and burn evil undeads?" She cheered. The dangerous option didn't seem to scare her off at all..

Ultimately, Fey seemed most opposed to the river and most curious about dangers and the underworld. Then she peered over to the Zoog. "Those are not for bodyguarding either!" She informed.

Then, unusual for her, she bagged the next fruit handed to her as well, with an explanation to Aya: "I'm natrually healthy. I'll wake up and my broken rib will literally just be an itching. Perhaps we can trade with this fruit for something hot and fiery rather later." She said, adding the second fruit to her.. feather-pouch of fire she created out of a thought.. she was rather good at creative-creations. "Also, wont run circles around the mansion, I checked, theres a fence at two sides.." Fey informed, muncing the chili pepper, a bit cautious about the Zoog, but as she didn't feel overly enslaved right now..

"So basically we can go through soem awesome hills, blast up some ghouls and stuff.. or do some boring desert wandering. I don't trust rivers. They're all.. wet.. and.. watery.. I dun like swimming.. unless its in a vulcano. That was awesome!" She nodded sagely, unless someoen persuaded her. She seemed rather calmed by the pepper with the Zoog considering what had almost just happened.
That she didn't just deny the fruit-gifts out of caution towards the Zoog was quickly revealed at the offering of a pepper. She was also curious enough to poke at Shirois folded up wings, but quick to point out that she could get far mroe awesomef iery wings if she wanted to!

(s bigger than mine.. but its not the size, its the technique!)

 

[MortalitasBorealis]

Re: A study in the eldritch (Lunaraia;Pervy;MortalitasBorealis)

Korrie and the two sisters pondered their options which Aya explained. “The river sounds good to Korrie. It’s the most direct path and won’t be too tough a trek like the desert would, and we can handle a few troublemakers together. North sounds like a potential waste of time since we don’t know if there’ll be any ships to hire, and Korrie doesn’t want to go anywhere near anything that came from an eldritch underworld…” The wyvern shivered from the thought, ever the one to play it safe compared to her sister-pet.

“Hmm, agreed.” Shiroi nodded as well, “Lady Pale Moon told us about Ulthar being a city of cats, and honestly I’m kind of curious what that’d be like.” She remarked before glancing down at the strange tentacle-faced critter that was currently inspecting her, so closely and intently she’s starting to feel awkward. “I can’t remember the name of the Outer God that granted me this power, just part of a title the cultists used to refer to it that’s probably completely made up. Something about mist, pretty apt considering what I saw the few times we communed.” She shrugged, telling the Zoog what she knows if it means he’ll stop examining her like that. The albino blinked when she was offered some sort of fruit though, and carefully accepted it, looking over at the three others as if asking if the creature is safe to trust. Korrie hesitated for a moment before nodding, and looking down at the golden and honestly pretty appealing-looking fruit in her hand, Shiroi took a bite, her sister doing the same after being offered one of her own.

Korrie was about to bite into her own until she heard that it’s rare, and decided to hold off on it for a bit, wanting to learn a little more about the fruit before deciding to eat it. This turned out to be a good thing, as the wyvern’s eyes almost bulged when Aya told them of the fruit’s power. “I-It’s that powerful? And Erfek’s just giving them away? W-Wow…” She eyed the golden fruit in her claws with renewed awe and decided she’d definitely keep this for when they need it, handing it over to Aya for safekeeping. “Though, aren’t we sort of in mental bodies right now? Would the effects really carry over for Shiroi in the real world if she eats it here?” She asks, looking over at the two apprentices who had finished their fruits with looks of satisfaction, unaware of the true value of what they’ve just eaten.

The two sisters then listened while Aya gave them a quick recount on what has transpired since, such as the arena fight and how they met the Zoog. “Interesting… Looks like you girls have been doing all the hard work so far, sorry about that. That sounds like all the more reason to not go anywhere near entrances to the Underworld though. We’re a lot stronger in the dreamworld, but I can’t imagine something from the darkest depths of an eldritch realm will be easier to handle than a few Deep Ones or a Cyclops, whatever the heck a Gug is. Considering this isn’t an RPG and we’re not getting EXP and cash with every encounter there’s no reason to take unnecessary risks. My vote stays with following the river to Ulthar.” Shiroi reasoned, and Kuroi nodded in agreement with her sister.

“Korrie also prefers the river, but she’s okay with exploring the North too.” The wyvern answers as well, not wanting to drag the phoenix along the path she’s most averse to if she doesn’t want to. Plus, she’s warmed up a bit to the Zoog too, and knowing neither Ulthar nor Nir were on the best terms with the species, maybe trying somewhere else would be a good thing for him in the long run.

 

[Lunaraia]

Re: A study in the eldritch (Lunaraia;Pervy;MortalitasBorealis)

The fruits would have about the same feel as that of a freshly picked pear, though it had a taste that would remind the twins of vanilla and cinnamon, with just a hint of pistachio in the aftertaste, the effects would be immediate as the twins would feel refreshed and energized, likewise in the real world Shiroi's body would glow a soft golden light and her thin and diminished frame would take on a much more healthy look she even had some slightly visible muscles on her arms now.

Efrek itself stiffened for a moment at the mention of Mist "Efrek, you just had to get yourself involved with people connected to some of the biggest shots out there didn't you, that will teach you to try and jump strangers, silly me, worst, idea, ever thats for sure..." that being said the Zoog didn't try to run away but simply made itself comfortable on Feys shoulder if she did let him ride, if not it would simply perch on Aya's instead, as before, it then looked over to Fey "I know they are not for body-guarding, seriously Miss, I cannot even repeat the offense since my only bracelet got melted back there!" it made a strange noise that sounded somewhere between a hiss and a trumpet blast, probably meant to be a huffing noise, it did hand fey another Chili pepper though, even as it took out an acorn and started to nibble it itself, seeing how everyone else was eating it apparently had gotten hungry as well.

Aya herself were busy thinking things over though she did look over to Korrie to explain "Yes we are sleeping so only our minds are here, however as mentioned earlier the Dreamlands does not follow the normal rules of things, that includes things like curses and boons, so eating a Fruit of Health here would be, for a Dreamer, just as effective as eating one in the waking world, likewise some magical items can be taken by a dreamer from the Dreamworld to the Waking world or vice versa, even though said item was gotten while they slept, I won't pretend to fully understand how it works, that is the prerogative of the rulers of the Dreamlands and not for mere mortals to know, what I do know is that it works, which is why I have this pouch on me despite the fact that it should still be on my sleeping self back in the bedroom" she motioned for the pouch she had shown earlier, indicating that it was not an item exclusive to the Dreamlands.

As the explanation wound down Aya now faced a conundrum, which way to go, Korrie and the twins all agreed that the river was best way to go, Aya agreed on that one for the most part and yet... Her contemplation was interrupted by a shiver running through the air itself "Looks like the decision on where to go was just taken for us.. MOVE!" she called out as an eerie purple light started to appear from the Southwest followed by a dark cloud that was rapidly closing in "Get going if we get caught in that cloud this is going to be a short adventure get going NOW!" the last bit had a bit of a magical compulsion about it to help extenuate the point even as Aya hurried out of the clearing heading Northeast "Great, we are barely in the Dreamlands and we are already encountering a Nightmare, just our luck" she mumbled to herself as she hurried on, all around them denizens of the forest were heading in the same direction, all of them ignoring the group as they made their way away from the cloud, whatever it was it was clearly bad news.

 

[Pervy]

Re: A study in the eldritch (Lunaraia;Pervy;MortalitasBorealis)

Spoiler

SPF (Super Phoenix Fey)
Dream dreaming!
Tag:Korrie, Aya, The Twins, The Zoog

"Good. Bad Zoog! No bodygaurding." Fey repeated, seeming to want to edcuate Efrek like a pet to some degree, though her happily munching the pepper left things open ended as to whom was educating whom. She did watch Ayas magical deam-pouch curiously. "Would be hot to take some stuff from my dreams to the real world and back.." She mused.

Fey seemed a little pouty that she was outvoted with the river, but didn't push the issue, but eeeped slightly when she was commanded to move.. She hopped ahead, peeking back at the cloud. "What is that, can I burn it?" Was her obvious question, as she hopped along, not too worried nor struggling to rush away from the purple cloud, her flames just flaring a little higher as she sped up, froming hints of fiery wings. "We're overall rather unlucky.. shame we couldn't bring Grebo.." Fey commented their rcent happenstances as she headed on, looking ahead again curiously. ""So, does this cloud stop or how long do we have to keep running about?" She asked.

 

[MortalitasBorealis]

Re: A study in the eldritch (Lunaraia;Pervy;MortalitasBorealis)

The two sisters’ eyes widened as the taste of the golden fruits hit their taste buds and a sense of rejuvenation washed over them. It was like drinking those health potions way back when, except better and MUCH tastier. Shiroi didn’t realize this would pass over to her real body of course, all she knew was that she’s somehow feeling more energized than she already was, and that is something she is very okay with.

The albino actually chuckled a little seeing Erfek’s reaction, not that she knew much about her ‘patron’ Outer God or what position it’s at on the eldritch hierarchy. Sounds pretty high up from the critter’s reaction though, which is rather exciting news actually, since that means her power might have a lot of potential to grow. Hey, if she’s had to suffer through years of being hospitalized while slowly withering away with an entire childhood of near abuse prior to that, she should at least get something cool out of it. “If it calms you down any, we’re not really connected anymore, and even when we were we only ever ‘talked’ like twice. Unlike with… umm, Ibzkhas, and the Lady Pale Moon, I highly doubt you’ll need to fear any retribution from the Mist guy. I’m pretty sure just ticking off one Outer God and their servants is enough trouble on your plate though.”

Korrie nodded in understanding while Aya explained the rules of reality in the Dreamlands. It’s not that unexpected for weird things to happen in a world of dreams, including how it interacts with the waking world, just as long as one doesn’t think too hard on it. However, while it’s good to hear that good things can carry over to the ‘real’ world, that also means very bad things can too…

The wyvern didn’t have much time to ponder the subject though, as everyone present felt the shiver through the air. That, and other woodland creatures scurrying past like they’re running away from a forest fire, that happens to be purple. None of the three had to be told twice to start bolting away from the menacing purple cloud, Shiroi dashing ahead way ahead of the rest unless they used some sort of magic to speed up, dragging her sister with her and making her sibling climb on her back so she can personally keep her safe. While this might be a feat impossible to the real Shiroi no matter how many rejuvenating fruits she eats, in a world where belief and determination can literally be converted into power, the confidence boost has made the normally sickly albino quite the superhuman.

Korrie wasn’t doing quite as well, but she was at least keeping pace with Aya and Fey no problem. “Pretty sure you can’t burn a nightmare, Fey… Though that said, what exactly is a nightmare in the context of the Dreamlands? Just an all-devouring cloud of death? A mobile pocket world that transports you into someone’s actual nightmares? A demon stallion like in mythology?” The wyvern asks, throwing worried glances back at the approaching threat. She couldn’t help but notice they’re running towards the east too, the most dangerous path of the four… They really do have horrible luck, huh?

 

[Lunaraia]

Re: A study in the eldritch (Lunaraia;Pervy;MortalitasBorealis)

As she hurried along Aya glanced back towards the cloud "Nightmares are in and of themselves not too bad, they are a naturally occurring weather phenomenon that causes the landscape underneath it to take on a more... sinister look, think haunted forest from horror stories or games and you are not too far off to how this place will look underneath" she looked over to Korrie "Its what travels with the Nightmares we want to avoid, not some demonic stallion, but Nightgaunts" as Erfek heard the name of the creature it shuddered visibly then pulled out a scroll from its pack showing the creature to the others.

Spoiler

As it showed off the parchment with the depiction Aya continued her explanation "They feed on fear and possess a very potent fear inducing aura, they won't hesitate to grab us and expose us to our darkest fears until we expire, sure one or two of them are not to overly powerful if you can master your fear, but Nightmares brings scores of them at once, far to many for us to handle, needless to say we do not wanna get caught up in that, though due to that Nightmare it seems we are now only left with two choices, north or east, and north is pretty much out of the question due to the low chance of finding a sea worthy ship, so we are left with pretty much no choice but heading east onto the moors" her expression were grim as she looked in the direction they were heading.

She led them onto a small trail heading east and sped up with the better footing, though the could still kept gaining on the group as they continued on, and as the eery light caught up the forest changed, gone was the vivid forest from earlier, replaced with a more sinister one in the same moment that the nightmare caught up with them.

Spoiler

As soon as it did Aya immediately left the trail and dove into a small cave nearby urging the rest to follow suit "Shiroi, Kuroi draw this mark all along the entrance hurry!" she immediately started drawing a symbol next to the entrance herself, as she finished the mask started to glow an eerie blue light and she immediately started up another about a foot underneath it both the size of her palm

Spoiler

As the twins started Efrek tossed two pencils over to Fey and Korrie "They got the entrance covered, lets take care of the tunnel leading further in" the Zoog skipped over to one of the side passages and started to draw the same symbol, albeit with difficulty since the crayon it was using was about as tall as it was, even so it managed to create the same symbol, which also started to glow softly "Common then, I cannot reach the top of the tunnel, you take the roof and wall!" if Fey or Korrie seemed reluctant it would immediately bribe the two with promises Chili Pepper and Dragon's Love if they did a good job, after all as a merchant the Zoog knew that the right motivation would get the job done quickly and well at the same time, it only hoped they would be able to finish in time even as the sound of countless large beating wings could be heard outside together with unnerving shrieks that spurned both Aya and Erfek into drawing even faster.