[Interlude 4] Throne Without Faith

[Eye of Horus]

Stats

Strength: 1
Stamina: 3
Speed: 3
Shimmer: 2
Soul: 3
Brawl: 1
Melee: 4
Ranged: 1
Preparation: 1

Terrain Affinity: Desert
Terrain Weakness: Aquatic, Swamp
Element Affinity: Lightning (black arcanite)
Element Weakness: Earth (green arcanite)

Weapon Bonus:12

Character Name:Dariaq Syvanios
Date | Time: 03.01.1323 | Late afternoon
Location: Varanasi, Johtan wilderness
Wearing: Hammer uniform
Tagging | Mentioning: Squad Savaged, Clover Field, Ares Halo
Notes: The Dark Brother
The ruined hamlet had carried the strange weight of former lives, but it was the path up into the hills that felt like it was haunted by ghosts. The wind moaned between the peaks, which loomed around them in a way that created an ominous sense of surveillance. They saw no Hollow, only ferns and tall grass swaying in the breeze as they approached a stairway that shouldn’t have been there, ascending towards a shrine that shouldn’t have existed.

Standing sentinel at the bottom of the lonely stairway was a monolith, a smooth black edifice that looked like it had been grown from crystal, if crystal could somehow remain liquid. It hovered above the ground, rotating slowly on some unseen force. From his position at the wing of the column, Dari craned his neck for a better look.

“What is it?” he asked, “Some kind of arcanite?”

“Ain’t never seen nothin’ so dark,” Thessa commented. Dari was tempted to shake his head as she fretted over offerings to a god who had never loved the elves even before he cursed their world with Hollow, but as seemed to happen more often these days, something dissuaded him. He supposed that it wouldn’t do to undermine their squad leader in public.

Koko handed Thessa something in a silver sachet, and then adopted the very specific Koko look that meant she was about to begin stirring shit. ““Dari you should touch it…ya know, bein’ the big strong champion you are ‘n all.”

“Well if Dari isn’t bold enough,” Lolo taunted alongside Koko, “I’ll do it.”

“Oh no you won’t.” Dari proclaimed, sweeping out an arm to shove a palm in the girls’ direction. A champion declined few challenges, and Dariaq Syvanios of Le Havre declined none. He marched towards the monolith with a determined stride. As he got closer he considered that Chee had a point - it did look something like the Hollow. Something like the shadows that swirled around their bodies, and the black oil that spilled out when they bled. Le Frère de la Nuit.

He passed a hand close to the surface of the black crystal, following the angle of its faceted sides as it spun; feeling for temperature, for resonance.

[TheFluffyOne]

Stats

Strength: 1
Stamina: 2
Speed: 3
Shimmer: 5
Soul: 2
Brawl: 0
Melee: 3
Ranged: 1
Preparation: 2

Terrain Affinity: Forest
Terrain Weakness: Aquatic
Element Affinity: Air
Element Weakness: Water

Weapon Bonus: 12+2

Character Name: Hulta Elderfond
Date | Time: 01.03.1323 | Late Afternoon
Location: Johtan Wilderness
Wearing: Uniform
Tagging | Mentioning: SAvAGeD
It hadn’t taken long for Estelle to alert them that they were needed back with the others. Another herd of those creatures was following. Two groups, when they were relatively rare, felt like a bad omen to Hulta. Flicking her staff out from her holster, she slotted it into one piece and used it like a walking stick as they returned back to Clovers side. Keeping to his side as they all ascended the Throne. The weeds had reclaimed the land and Hulta pondered exactly how long had it been since people used these tracks. How long had it been since children played in the woods or people sought shelter from the rain under the broad branches. It felt like the land had been so recently occupied and yet that it had been silent for hundreds of years.

It felt like fingers traced over her spine. She shuddered as cold flooded her bones and she flicked her gaze across her squad. The floating monolith almost taunted at them all. Come closer. Witness me. Fear me. She scrunched her nose up in defiance at the block and tried to fight the fear that swayed in her stomach. Koko searched for the right gift and Hulta heard many different things rustle in her jacket. She saw a reflected piece of almost metal and watched for a moment before looking away. Hulta did not know what she could bring as a gift. Perhaps she could do a song like Thessa wanted to. She could make her shimmer ripple with the notes. Maybe that would be appeasing enough.

The others were all wandering closer. Hulta refused to be the only one that didn’t. Drifting closer, she let her gaze trace over the floating smooth stone. A temptation was place before Dari and Hulta rolled her eyes to Koko. A pointed look being given. Chee seemed to be the only one to actually speak with sense. They should move on. They should avoid tampering with things that they didn’t know. The red headed elf turned her focus back to the monolith, feeling like the darkness was drinking in the light of her eyes as she took another step closer.

Dari marched ahead, proving to all that he was easily taunted into action. Hulta huffed a breath out through her nose. This man’s ego and confidence would surely be the end of her. Hulta followed, not noticing how Marlowe looked her way. “Careful” Was all she said to Dari, no threat, no further taunts. Just a reminder. That this was still something unknown. Hulta let her staff move gently before her, almost in a defensive stance…well more in a stance that would allow her to knock Dari back if something strange happened to him.

[FyreFoxx]

Stats

Strength: 0
Stamina: 5
Speed: 1
Shimmer: 6
Soul: 5
Brawl: 0
Melee: 0
Ranged: 0
Preparation: 2
Terrain Affinity: Aquatic, Arctic
Terrain Weakness: Mountain, Urban
Element Affinity: Water
Element Weakness: Earth, Sonic
Weapon Bonus: 12+5

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: 01.03.1323 | Late Afternoon
Location: Hammer Academy - Professor Field’s Classroom -> Johtan Wilderness - Varanasi
Wearing: Teal Arcanite pendant, pale blue wrap blouse and matching skirt with darker blue sash
Tagging | Mentioning: Clover, Marlowe, Dariaq, Thessa | Chee
Notes:
Clover’s words repeated themselves in her mind as Lyra made her way down from the tower with Marlowe’s assistance. The heights still bothered her and she clung to her partner more than usual on their way down, shooting her a grateful smile each and every time Marlowe had slowed her pace to match the elf’s or extending her hand to help her down a broken piece of rubble. Lyra was more than happy to be on solid ground again. It was one or the other - high in the tower, or flat on the ground. Either she could manage. It was going in between that bothered her.
 
“Right,” Lyra agreed, seemingly a phrase that had been theirs for so long now. She took comfort in Marlowe’s words as they traveled in a small pack, Dilemma at the rear. It gave her time to steal glances at her partner, wondering why she was so quiet. It was unlike her. Perhaps she was just in thought? But that also seemed unlike her. So, what exactly was the reason behind it? Lyra gently squeezed her hand, leaning against her arm as they walked hand in hand. “Are you alright?” she asked quietly, but the only answer she’d gotten was a little hum, so she’d dropped the subject, but kept her eye on the brawler. Maybe she was just keeping an eye out for trouble. That seemed like a Marlowe thing, right?
 
At the base of Varanasi, Lyra stopped in her tracks, the pull of Marlowe’s hand gone as the little elf stared up at the stairs. Everything here felt wrong. She felt nauseous again, a hand flying to her mouth as she covered it, the other tightening on the strap to her bag. She wanted to hurl, but she fought the urge to rid the contents of her stomach. Swallowing the lump in her throat, pale blue eyes tried to focus on the monolith, something to take her mind off the queasy feeling. There was something about it that made her eyes drawn to the giant towering monolith. Like something was sucking her in, but her feet remained rooted in place. It distantly reminded her of Illidium with the way there seemed to be liquid swirling under its surface. No, she realized after a moment of watching, it wasn’t under the surface, it was the surface. It wasn’t like Illidium at all, but more like the ichor that spilled forth from Hollow.
 
The thought nearly made her gag, turning her head away as she fought back the feeling of wanting to retch. It took her another few moments to recompose herself, right about the time the challenges went out to touch it. “W-wha? No!” she suddenly shrieked, taking an unsteady step towards the others. For once, she agreed with Chee. “I, I think we should leave it alone. Something is not right with that… thing.” Lyra cast an unnerving look at the monolith again before letting her gaze travel over the others. “This entire place does not feel right…” she added after a moment, letting her gaze move towards the professor. She’d seen the reaction on his face when they first arrived. Seen the way a few of the others had looked. It wasn’t just her that had felt that ominous presence when they arrived.
 
The Throne was bad news. She could feel it. But at the same time, something was compelling her to continue up those stairs. Just like how that monolith was drawing her into it, something stronger was just beyond those stairs, waiting to be found. “We should keep moving.” Lyra took a few steps closer to Clover, standing right by his side as she stared at the series of stone steps before them. She had no intention of touching that floating structure, but the urge to see the Throne with her own eyes? That was enough to want to move on. After watching for Clover’s reaction and seeing him pause, Lyra bit her bottom lip, looking from him to the others, before she took that first step on the stairs, pausing there to see what the others did. They were here to climb, after all, and she was curious to learn more about the Dark God, whose presence most definitely still lingered here, untouched for centuries.

[Aethyrium]

Clover Field

S T O R Y T E L L E R
January 3rd 1323, Late Afternoon (~2:50pm) | Johtan - Varanasi
Deadline: 6.16.25 | Koko, Hulta, Dariaq, Thessa, Marlowe, Lyreilynn, Chee, Estelle
While the others, mostly, were drawn to the monolith, Clover was pulled to the stairs. He’d hardly even parsed the monolith’s existence. While there was nothing notably unnatural about the stairs, he certainly felt like there was. Like an invisible cloud of fog sitting on it. Something powerful, old, and unsettling. If he could feel it, then maybe the Hollow could. As a human he hadn’t noticed it until he was right there at the foot of Varanasi, but maybe the Hollow could sense such a thing from great distances. His darting eyes caught Estelle standing near his side, captivated it seemed like himself, “If this… Feeling was drawing the Hollow, then it would suggest its new.” But there was no way to verify that. “But if all of them could feel it, we’d probably see more Hollow coming here than just the Ollowphant.” No, Clover was pretty sure that whatever miasma of darkness loomed over Varanasi wasn’t a signal for the creatures - if they were being called, it wasn’t that.

It didn’t make the idea of going up there any easier though. “A gift?” he murmured, not looking back at Thessa and Koko. “No one ever visited the Dark God,” at least, that’s what the legends said. No worshippers, no supplicants, no one ever went to him. So why would he need a gift? Besides, he wasn’t here. What would you give a god anyway?

Chee was the one to finally break Clover’s rapt attention. He half spun around, tearing his gaze away from the ascent, breaking the spell it had over him. “Not just their eyes,” he answered, “We see red light within the Hollow often,” Clover said, finally catching the monolith and the attention it was pulling. It held the same evaluation as the ominous force that lingered here - if it was calling Hollow, why not more of them? If it had been here, then why now? “We believe,” he started, taking a few steps toward the group but not moving to break them up, “The light is their version of a Soul. Whatever twisted imitation of it that the Dark God gave them.” But that was an old guess with no solid facts behind it.

“If we continue up,” Clover said to the group, “There’s no way to know if we’ll even be able to identify something that might call Hollow.” Maybe it would be obvious, but more than likely not. “Disturbing this place seems… Wrong.” He twisted back to the stairs. His fingers rubbed against one another in contemplation. “We’re not even sure if they’re coming here.” Was that actual doubt, or just reluctance pushed on him by this place? He wasn’t sure.

Meanwhile at the monolith, Dari’s hand felt nothing coming from it. He may as well have been holding his hand over a stone. But while there was nothing to feel, as his hand got closer, it seemed that the liquid inside churned. Not rapidly, almost imperceptibly - certainly difficult to know if it was reacting to him or just existing as it had. Beneath the surface it was moving, a very slow, gently current that maybe swirled in reaction to his hand - it seemed pulling his hand back made it more perceptible, rather than starting and stopping it. Like somehow the presence of him brightened the infinite blackness within just a shade to make it stand out.

“What do you think?” Clover asked the group, “Shall we ascend?”

[Aethyrium]

Stats

Strength: 5
Stamina: 3
Speed: 2
Shimmer: 3
Soul: 1
Brawl: 5
Melee: 0
Ranged: 0
Preparation: 0

Terrain Affinity: Forest, Mountain
Terrain Weakness: Desert, Aquatic
Element Affinity: Earth
Element Weakness: Water

Weapon Bonus: 12+2

Character Name: Marlowe Ashe
Date | Time: 01.03.1323 | Late Afternoon
Location: Johtan Wilderness - Varanasi
Wearing: Black offset suit w/ deep plunge flower bow choker, Simple black tophat
Tagging | Mentioning: Lyra, Dari | Chee, Clover, Koko
Notes:
“Doesn’t look like any Arcanite I’ve ever heard of,” Marlowe replied to Dari, tilting her head and then looking back at her partner who was much more the expert on it.

Lyra’s bold declaration made Lolo jump. Not only was she not known for such outbursts, but Lolo couldn’t place where the concern came from. She agreed that the place didn’t feel right, but what was the issue with a stone? It was just a rock - a floating rock, sure, but what harm could touching it do? “Did we come here to learn things?” Marlowe countered, loud enough - hopefully - for Clover to back them up. “Maybe we can take it with us.” That’s what Lyra and the others had done with that strange Arcanite, wasn’t it? “What’s wrong with it?” Part of her wanted to touch it now just out of defiance, but Lolo was also not in the habit of defying Lyra’s better judgment.

But she still wanted Dari to do it. “Do you feel anything? We’re all right here.” That brought her back to Lyra, “Aren’t you the least bit curious?” That didn’t seem like her either! “What if we knock it over and it turns off the signal calling the Ollowphant?” she offered, twisting around to look for Estelle to back her up.

What she found was the professor and his question. She glanced at the stairs and… She didn’t think she should have an opinion. But looking up the ascent, Lolo wanted to go deeper into whatever this was even less than Lyra wanted someone to touch the monolith. “Maybe we should just go watch the Ollowphant again.” And if Lolo wanting to sit around and do the boring observation wasn’t warning enough then they weren’t paying attention. “Or, figure this thing out first.” She said, twisting back to the floating thing. “I’ll do it.” Because touching it seemed less spooky than going up those stairs. So Lolo reached out - but part of her, if only because Lyra was so concerned - hoped Dari would jerk forward and touch it before her just to prove a point!

[Rainbae]

Stats

Strength: 0
Stamina: 0
Speed: 0
Shimmer: 5
Soul: 0
Brawl: 0
Melee: 2
Ranged: 5
Preparation: 5

Terrain Affinity: Urban
Terrain Weakness: Artic
Element Affinity: Lightning
Element Weakness: Fire

Weapon Bonus:12

Character Name: Koko Gero
Date | Time: 01.03.1323 |
Location: Johtan Wilderness -> Varanasi
Wearing:  Red Overalls, White Blouse, Faded Blue Leather Trench Coat, Goggles, Heavy Work Boots
Tagging | Mentioning: Savaged, Marlowe, Hulta, Lyra, Clover, Dari
Notes: N/A
Koko giggled maniacally as Dari was so easily convinced into doing something foolish. He was so easy to mess with, it really was the best. She flashed Marlowe a mischievous look and a small elbow nudge at her assist. Things were going to be dangerous for Dari if the pair of them got to tease him in tandem like this more often, she thought. She chuckled to herself a bit longer until Hulta and Lyra and broke the taunting with actual sensible reason. Koko put her hands up in mock surrender looking apologetic. “Fiiiiine we'll keep our hands off it…” She paused for a moment before smirking again. “but surely a stick ain’t gon’ be a problem right?” Koko took a few steps and grabbed a stray twig maybe two or three feet long that was laying on the ground at the treeline. She held it out towards Dari. “Just one poke can't be too bad can it?” She waggled her eyebrows at the elven man.

Part of it was Koko’s mischievous nature but part of her genuinely was intrigued by what this thing was. The little engineer in her wanted to poke and prod at it, maybe take it apart and see how it worked. Curiosity filled her brain. This was exactly the kind of thing that caused her wander lust to begin with. Finds like this made the world so interesting. There was so much out there to see. Outside the confines of the walls. Outside the confines of her home. Outside the confines or a chair. How her father could stay locked behind a desk really escaped her in moments like this. She turned her attention away from playing with Dari as the professor spoke. Koko had respect for him already but she really was getting to see him in his element today. It made her want to tune in to what he was saying even more.

“Ever think it might be a case-a size prof?” She said, turning to face him properly now. “I mean its just a theory but you ever messed with a radar dish ‘fore prof?” Koko approached him from over by the monolith. She took the stick she had and crouched down, starting to draw in the dirt. “You'd think you'd need a bigger dish to get bigger info but its the opposite that's actually true.” She drew a squiggly line going towards a small dish but passing over it, and then a larger one that was able to catch it behind that. “The weaker the signal, the bigger your dish gotta be. Only way you catch such a tiny line that you can't see right? Maybe cause this um…call? is so weak just now only the big ol’ Ollow can hear it?” She looked up at the professor inquisitively. “Maybe it's getting stronger over time? Ya know, until the smaller critters can hear it too?” It was a very Koko way to show her intelligence.

She stood up and flipped the stick around in her hands a few times as she shrugged. “Course that could be a whole lotta hoopla just as easily I ‘spose.” She stretched her back and cracked her neck. “Maybe our answer's at the top? I'm game to climb if yall are.” She looked at the rest of her team for an answer. The ominous aura of the place wasn't completely lost on Koko but it was largely beaten out by her curiosity. She had gone to scarier places and done stupider things in her lifetime anyways. Still she wasn't about to break off from the team and go it alone. She perked up as Marlowe chimed in.

“Woah now! I'm also game for that too but let's not have our elven shorties explode here.” She reached a hand out in front of her and offered Marlowe the stick now instead. The act also had the effect of stopping the woman's approach. “This is a nice inbetween no?” She said looking at Lyra and Hulta. “We touch ‘er but from a little distance. I can go find a bigger stick too. Brothers know Dari don't got a bigger one on ‘im.” Koko grinned up at the man, just waiting for the gears in his brain to turn and realize what she was saying.

[shengami]

Stats

Strength: 1
Stamina: 1
Speed: 5
Shimmer: 2
Soul: 1
Brawl: 1
Melee: 3
Ranged: 1
Preparation: 3

Terrain Affinity: Grassland/Forest
Terrain Weakness: Arctic/Aquatic
Element Affinity: Lightning
Element Weakness: Water

Weapon Bonus: 12+2

Character Name:  Chee Tortious
Date | Time: 01.03.1323 | ~2:50pm
Location: Johtan Wilderness - Varanasi
Wearing: Jacket, Hammer Uniform, Bag, Weapons as CS
Tagging | Mentioning: SAvAGeD | N/A
Notes: Knock the Stick Outta Your Hand.
Chee's eyes widened as the Professor responded to his thoughts. That red light was their Soul? He shuddered. He supposed that 'Soul' wasn't exactly right. He misliked the idea that the Dark Brother's work was some dark, twisted version of the Light Brother's. It seemed too easy, too convenient. The Dark Brother was bad? It felt similar to saying typhoons and earthquakes were bad. To some extent, it was maybe like saying that Hollow were bad. They were antithetical to life, and that felt personal. He gnawed his lip and thought.

And the idea that this pall, this ominous weight, was calling the Ollowphant was even more disturbing. But that also held an interesting idea, "Professor, do we have anything that might register or record this sig-" He looked to the monolith and stopped.

He sprang to his feet and zipped in to snatch the stick. He glared at Koko. Normally, he loved her mischievous side. Infinite Black, he and Cub had a notorious reputation at the school. But there was a time and place, "First, if it's like da Hollow, den it only reacts to life. Second, if it's like da Hollow or what's calling dem, do you really want ta just fuck around and find out now? here? Wit six of da deadliest Hollow out dere on da doorstep?" His glare shifted from Koko to Marlowe. "Do you really want ta be da one dat gets a teammate hurt? Cause lemme tell ya, dat ain't a fun lesson to learn or carry." Chee glanced to the newest bit of metal riveted to Koko's temple.

Chee was a prankster, sure, but he was a scout first. And scouts didn't take big chances. "We learn what we can wit minimal risk and report back. We control our curiosity." He looked at Mralowe to let he know he felt it too, but was choosing a different path. He eyed the monolith warily.

Then he grinned broadly at the three, "Sides, I don't want no excuses about mysterious black phalluses da next time I whoop you in practice. Hands off da Dark Broder's junk." He laughed nervously. Chee didn't often chastise, it felt out of place, but he disliked this place. It made his skin crawl. It felt like his brain was trying to eject from his skull.

He then moved back to look at the professor, "Yeah, up da stairs. Seems like an idea." Then, swinging the stick, he moved towards the first stair. "Hey, dis a nice stick Kiki! I tink I'll keep it." He whacked it at some tall grass and felt it move nicely through the air. He held it up and admired its shape. "Really nice stick!" He set his foot on the first step and started climbing using the stick to poke the next stair each time.

[Envious]

Stats

Strength: 3
Stamina: 2
Speed: 0
Shimmer: 4
Soul: 4
Brawl: 2
Melee: 1
Ranged: 0
Preparation: 2

Terrain Affinity: Grassland, Desert
Terrain Weakness: Aquatic, Urban
Element Affinity: Lightning, Fire
Element Weakness: Earth, Water

Weapon Bonus: 12+2

Character Name: Thessa Almentis
Date | Time: 1.3.1323 | 2:50pm
Location: Johtan Wilderness
Wearing: Uniform
Tagging | Mentioning: Clover, Savaged | Gods, Family
Notes: “Elvish speech.”
Thessa watched as Koko pulled out random junk, coming closer to see what she had. She took the offered foil packet hesitantly. The discreet way she handed it over combined with the sadness in her eyes made Thessa uncomfortable with the offering. A gift could be anything, but with the way this one was handled, Thessa didn’t think this was appropriate. She kept that to herself as she pocketed the packet, turning to Clover.

”What guest goes empty handed to another’s home?” Her brows scrunched in bafflement and she looked to Marlowe for an explanation. ”Humans do that, don’t they? Bring gift?” Marlowe and Dariaq were busy deciding who would be the first to touch the pillar, but Thessa noted that neither of them had been brave enough to do it. As the others contemplated the wisdom of such an action and ascension, Thessa looked up to the sky and said a quiet prayer.

"Are you there God? It’s me, Thessa. I humbly beseech thee in this hour of need. Grant us mercy in the darkness. Shield us from the terrors that lurk in the night. May your shadowy embrace be gentle and your wrath be stayed. In your name I pray. Amen."

She placed the palm of her hand against the monolith and channeled her Soul into it.

[TheFluffyOne]

Stats

Strength: 1
Stamina: 2
Speed: 3
Shimmer: 5
Soul: 2
Brawl: 0
Melee: 3
Ranged: 1
Preparation: 2

Terrain Affinity: Forest
Terrain Weakness: Aquatic
Element Affinity: Air
Element Weakness: Water

Weapon Bonus: 12+2

Character Name: Hulta Elderfond
Date | Time: 01.03.1323 | Late Afternoon
Location: Johtan Wilderness
Wearing: Uniform
Tagging | Mentioning: SAvAGeD
Hulta kept her gaze trained on Dari but she heard Clovers faint words. It could be what was drawing the Hollow….like a beacon of sorts. If them Ollowphant were being tempted here, who knows what else could be coming next. Her fingertips hovered just out of reach of Dari’s shoulder. Ready to grab him and drag him back. The liquid within the stone started to shift and Hulta felt like her stomach was swirling in the same way. It made her feel sick. It was like it was drawn towards him.

They should ascend. They should leave this thing be and get to safety. They were here for one reason weren’t they! Hulta wanted to voice her concerns but she knew how competitive Dari could be. Marlowe wasn’t helping and Hulta bristled at the woman suggesting that they knock it over. “And what if we knock it over…and it brings more than Ollowphant!” She snapped lightly at Marlowe. She wasn’t pleased at the others feeding Dari’s competitive nature. ‘I’ll do it’ She snapped her fingers at Marlowe. She only had two hands. If Thessa tried, then she would be stuck trying to hook the woman back with a foot!

A stick. Hulta felt her fingers itch as Koko suggested a twig. A twig. Her name. She sent a pointed look towards Koko. The twig was held out and Hulta sent a flurry of her shimmer around the twig. Slicing it firmly in two as she stared at Koko. A reminder that this was not a game when it came to her partner. Her fingertips brushed closer to Dari, knowing that all the attention would play directly into his true nature. The now shortened stick was passed to Marlowe and Koko decided to tease Dari some more.

This squad would be the end of this competitive god complex elvish warrior….and Hulta would be left picking up the pieces of another partner. Chee was the only one with proper sense, heading up the stairs. Poking each new step with his own twig. Hulta was relieved that not everyone in their squad was on Team ‘Make Dari do something stupid’. But then the worst of all came up to the monolith. Hulta swore sometimes that Dari and Thessa must have made a silent promise to each other….they would antagonise each other every single day. With a pointed look at Thessa and then Dari’s back, she wanted to snap at the pair. “Just kiss already, you fools!!” It was like dealing with love smitten teenagers who showed their crushes with competition and snark.

Elvish fluttered between them and Hulta could only watch with wide eyes as Thessa placed her palm against the stone. A pray. Then touching the monolith. Fear threaded through her chest and she curled her fingers in the fabric of Dari’s jacket and Marlowe’s sleeve. Her attempt to keep them back would barely be enough. Not for Dari. Not when Thessa Almentis had beaten him to touching the monolith.

[Eye of Horus]

Stats

Strength: 1
Stamina: 3
Speed: 3
Shimmer: 2
Soul: 3
Brawl: 1
Melee: 4
Ranged: 1
Preparation: 1

Terrain Affinity: Desert
Terrain Weakness: Aquatic, Swamp
Element Affinity: Lightning (black arcanite)
Element Weakness: Earth (green arcanite)

Weapon Bonus:12

Character Name:Dariaq Syvanios
Date | Time: 03.01.1323 | Late afternoon
Location: Varanasi, Johtan wilderness
Wearing: Hammer uniform
Tagging | Mentioning: Squad Savaged, Clover Field, Ares Halo
Notes: The Dark Brother
Whatever the monolith was made from was solid, but somehow still in motion, like oil whirlpooling beneath a thin pane of glass. As Dari hovered his hand over the surface, he could almost swear the churning eddies responded, dragging after him as if he were raking his fingers through the current. There was something hungry about it. The back of Dari’s neck prickled, but he squared his shoulders. He was no coward.

“What if we knock it over and it turns off the signal calling the Ollowphant?” Marlowe suggested.

Dari glanced away from the monolith. “Maybe.” he said quietly, not entirely rejecting the idea. If this was a relic of the Dark Brother, then how could it be a force for anything but destruction? Koko and Chee broke his train of thought - finding a stick, which abruptly snapped, leaving the two bickering. Dari was still watching them when a gentle thrum rippled over him, the feedback he usually associated with someone channelling their Soul into a piece of arcanite. His mouth fell open when he realised that Thessa had walked right up to the monolith while they were all deliberating, and put her own hand on it. She stood with head bowed and eyes closed, as if in prayer, while the wind tugged loose strands of pale hair across her face.

The absolute audacity.

Dari snorted sharply down his nose, deciding that he was going to put both hands on the monolith and maybe punch it for good measure, and damn the consequences. As he rocked forward onto his front foot, he felt something tugging at the back of his kevlar jacket. He glanced back and saw Hulta trying to hold on to both him and Marlowe. She had a complicated expression on her face - part anger, part fear.

Dari realised that it was the same look she had worn every time she jumped in front of him in training, when she was still wrestling with what had happened to Mugi. It was the look that said Don’t. Please. Not again. It was enough to cut through Dari’s own anger and leave him feeling vaguely ashamed.

“Tu as raison.” he acquiesced quietly. Perhaps this one time, standing down was the right thing to do - not for himself, but for his partner. He turned, and instead of touching the monolith, gently tapped Thessa’s arm.

“You win this round, mamzel Thessa.” he admitted breezily. “Come on, they’re leaving without us.”

[FyreFoxx]

Stats

Strength: 0
Stamina: 5
Speed: 1
Shimmer: 6
Soul: 5
Brawl: 0
Melee: 0
Ranged: 0
Preparation: 2
Terrain Affinity: Aquatic, Arctic
Terrain Weakness: Mountain, Urban
Element Affinity: Water
Element Weakness: Earth, Sonic
Weapon Bonus: 12+5

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: 01.03.1323 | Late Afternoon
Location: Hammer Academy - Professor Field’s Classroom -> Johtan Wilderness - Varanasi
Wearing: Teal Arcanite pendant, pale blue wrap blouse and matching skirt with darker blue sash
Tagging | Mentioning: Marlowe, Koko, Thessa | Clover, Chee, Hulta, Dariaq
Notes:
Lyra had paused on the first step as she realized that nearly the entire group was still so heavily focused on the giant monolith, capturing her bottom lip between her teeth as she gently bit down on it. There was something unnatural about that towering spire and it made her nauseous just to look at it. She had already protested against touching it, but some of the others seemed disinclined to agree, which caused her no small amount of worry. What if something like Haymurk happened? It reminded her so much of Hollow. What if they changed like Mila had?
 
“I think it is too large to move,” she answered Marlowe, looking back over her shoulder towards the others. “How would we transport it, anyway?” They were days away from Onyx. And transporting also meant touching it, which she was still against.
 
Hopping off that first step back onto solid ground, pale blue eyes found Koko as she tried to find a compromise to touching it with a bare hand - a stick. Frowning, Lyra tilted her head to the side, watching the blonde. “Really? A stick? Do you think that is wise?” Why couldn’t people just leave well enough alone? Even the professor seemed apprehensive about getting close to it and that was all the motivation she needed to avoid it. “What if it reacts the same way regardless?”
 
It was strange to see even Chee being against the idea, who she’d seen go along with nearly all of Koko’s plans in the past. That caused her to raise an eyebrow, but gain a new appreciation for the Silenus. She was about to open her mouth and say something when Elven words made her head snap to the side, staring at Thessa as the woman said a prayer and stalked right up to the monolith to place her hand against it. “Thessa!” She reached for the other elf as she hurried her steps to catch up to the small gathering but her fingers hit the air. Hulta was clinging to Dariaq and attempting to pull Marlowe back, but no one had stopped Thessa. “What are you doing?” It was more a plea than anything else, worry etched into her delicate features as she stared wide-eyed at the bronzed elf, hovering at her side. “Are you okay? Does… does anything feel weird?”
 
Lyra looked from the taller elf to the monolith and back, her brows furrowed together. Maybe she should have stepped up sooner to stop people from touching it. From the moment Marlowe and Dariaq had begun debating on who should touch it first, she knew something like this might happen. Should she have gotten involved sooner? Placed herself between them and the spire? It made her feel queasy just being close like this, but the thought of any of her teammates being hurt - or worse - was just not something she could stand. But the others hated her butting in. It had taken a toll on her, with their protests of her being too motherly, too overbearing, too strict. So she had tried taking a step back, tried not to get too involved, but now look what happened. Should she have tried anyway, regardless of the outcome?
 
Pursing her lips together, Lyra looked over towards Dariaq, who had apparently acquiesced his ‘defeat’ to Thessa and was willing to continue on to their eventual ascent. “Y-yeah, we should move on.” She stayed by Thessa’s side, ready to pull her back at a moment’s notice at the first sign of trouble.

[Aethyrium]

Clover Field

S T O R Y T E L L E R
January 3rd 1323, Late Afternoon (~2:50pm) | Johtan - Varanasi
Deadline: 6.22.25 | Koko, Hulta, Dariaq, Thessa, Marlowe, Lyreilynn, Chee, Estelle
Clover shook his head at Estelle, answering some question that wasn’t spoken loud enough for the rest of them to hear. It did put his attention back on the monolith and the increasing number of people around it. He didn’t suspect that there was going to be any issue touching it - Clover didn’t believe the Brother’s left traps laying around Toil. But more than that, evidence didn’t suggest there were issues. Surely across time they were not the first people to discover the monolith, likewise they were unlikely the first to desire to touch it. Clover saw no skeletons, nothing to suspect it might hold immediate danger other than its vague similarity to the Hollow - and who was to say that wasn’t just an aesthetic favored by the Dark God?

Koko’s thought had merit, but still lacked a way to test. It was all theory. This was why he didn’t like the signal idea. There was no clear way to identify or understand it. The answer might well be at the top, and the growing calls to leave the monolith and ascend weren’t lost on him. So Clover turned with Estelle and guided her to the foot of the stairs, “Very well,” but this time he would take the lead. This was far too unknown to have them out in front. He instructed Estelle to follow up behind him, but remain four or five yards back. He took his first step, and paused as his foot touched the weather worn stair…

The world didn’t end.

Braced against the unease, Clover led the way up the stairs, letting the squires trail behind him as they were ready. Behind him, at the pillar, Thessa’s hand touched down on the monolith, while the others interested in mimicking her - Marlowe and Dari - were stopped. Before the gathering of squires they watched the black liquid-seeming thing inside of the monolith shudder and pulse red - a thousand tiny flecks of red, like stars in the night sky come to life through it. Just like a Hollow. And that was it.

Thessa

But not for Thessa.

The monolith was cool to the touch. But when the lights erupted, Thessa didn’t need to see them to know they had, she could feel it. A thousand pinpricks of heat making it almost burning to the touch. Riding the line of painfulness. The sensation wasn’t dissimilar to riding Ares’ shimmer. The world froze around her, like time stopped. But she wasn’t free to observe it, only aware that her breath was held and she couldn’t change it. It all fell away as she zoomed in on the monolith. It was like being pulled into a television on static, and she was drawn into that noise. But once she was past the field, she was on the other side looking out. As though she were looking through a window that somehow encompassed her entire field of vision no matter where she looked.

Peering through that window was like staring through the perfect black of an unpowered television screen from the inside. Like she could see what was on the other side walking past. Vague shadows and ill-defined silhouettes. Creatures lurking. Then it changed, like the flip of a channel, and showed a different picture. A hallway? A group of five people walked by. They were talking, but their words were garbled, unintelligible. It flipped again. A vastness stretching out toward the horizon - a forest, perhaps? Another flip, and a deafening, mangled sound, maybe a roar of some kind. The body of a person flopping lifelessly to the floor.

One more flip.

Solitude. A gentle clicking - footsteps? A figure walking by. Humanoid. It paused and turned. Drawn to whatever Thessa was looking through. It stepped closer and leaned in. Features obscured in inky-shadow. Feminine. Eyes like voids across this black space, but Thessa could almost feel her eyes scanning - searching for her. Her head tilted slightly. A smirk? The woman lifted a hand like she might touch it. Another sound, a garbled voice. Distant. Her fingers collapsed and swiped right.

Thessa was thrown from the vision back into her body. There she was, standing there, touching the surface of the monolith. It was smooth, nothing again. Cool, but otherwise unreactive.

Three seconds. That’s how long Thessa was standing there with her hand on the monolith before the red lights went out and it returned to its normal state. Even with her hand pressed against it. And nothing would change it from that point - not touches from others nor prods with sticks. It was just a strange floating stone.

* * * * *

The stairs went up maybe another forty feet before they crested the hill. At the peak they could peer down into the bowl-like valley that Varanasi had been built into. It was surrounded by the withered woodland they had seen from afar - like something had sucked the life right out of this land. Before them, in the small valley, was the Throne of the Dark God. A wide stone circle, pristine and untouched by time, dominated the center - led to by a slope of stairs and a path from the hillcrest. Cobbled stone made the circle, and the pattern of the stones was off centered and alternating to create a mosaic-like appearance when viewed in full. It was maybe sixty feet in diameter.

And in the center, but pushed back and away from the entrance slope, a raised circle edge held a fountain of strange, purple water. At the heart of the fountain - maybe fifteen feet in diameter - was a sculpture of a large tree made of seemingly a root network - truly, it was gorgeous, and of a quality not seen in the works of mortals. It was made of a striking black that almost looked silver.

Around the circle, and dotting the rest of the valley, were strange fissures in Toil’s surface, each filled with a tar like substance. It bubbled and boiled, slow popping, as though it were heated - though no steam or heat emanated from it.

But no immediately obvious signs or answers were here for them to find.

[Rainbae]

Stats

Strength: 0
Stamina: 0
Speed: 0
Shimmer: 5
Soul: 0
Brawl: 0
Melee: 2
Ranged: 5
Preparation: 5

Terrain Affinity: Urban
Terrain Weakness: Artic
Element Affinity: Lightning
Element Weakness: Fire

Weapon Bonus:12

Character Name: Koko Gero
Date | Time: 01.03.1323 |
Location: Johtan Wilderness -> Varanasi
Wearing:  Red Overalls, White Blouse, Faded Blue Leather Trench Coat, Goggles, Heavy Work Boots
Tagging | Mentioning: Savaged, Marlowe, Hulta, Lyra, Clover, Dari
Notes: N/A
Koko flinched back as Chee snatched the stick from her hands so aggressively. She looked a bit confused. “I doubt its really that much of a thing Chi-Chi, Prof woulda stopped us if it was real bad Juju.” She tried to calm him but he urged onwards, touching on a topic she understood well. She glanced across at Estelle and Clover. Her eyes drifted down to Estelle’s heart. “Yea…Ok ok, jeez ya got me.” She put her hands up in surrender and took a step or two back. Right as shee was about to turn to say the others should follow suit she heard Lyra cry out. Koko whipped her head around, ready to react but…nothing? She tilted her head to the side confused. Her hand scratched at her scalp through her hair. “Is…is that it? Ain’t nothin’ but a flash of a light show and then poof?” Koko walked over beside Thessa and poked the thing with a finger. Upon seeing it had no reaction she placed her whole palm on it as well. Still nothing. She frowned and gave it a light kick with the side of her foot too but still nothing.

“Well that ain’t very climatic, turns out Mister Dark God’s either real bad at layin’ traps or a miserable old boring fart.” Koko blew a raspberry of disapproval at the thing before giving the rest of her team a shrug. “Guess we can mozy on outta here then. Damn, I was hopin’ for some fun.” She said as she started walking away from the Monolith. She followed closely behind the professor, chasing Chee around a bit and grabbing at the stick a few times trying to steal it back. That was until her attention was pulled away from their little game upon the reveal of the sight before them. Koko’s eyes went wide with wonder as she awed audibly. Koko grabbed Chee by the shoulders and shook him and bit.

“Hoowee!! Damn baby look at that! Now that’s what I call a sight! You said no one’s been here before prof? Well why in the hell not?! Look at it!!” She started quickly down the stairs and twirled around on the stone platform, taking in the whole sight around her. The long tails of her jacket spun in the dimming sunlight as she swirled. This was exactly the kind of thing Koko loved. Exactly what she imagined in her mind all those late nights staring out the skylight of the tower in her father’s home. The idea of what the outside world might have in store for her was right here in front of her, and it was beautiful. Seeing things like this was exactly why she wanted to be a champion. “That dang Dark God might be shit at traps but boy is he good at interior decoratin’! Y'all come see.” Koko walked up to the central fountain and peered into the waters. She kneeled down and gently ran her fingers through the water, seeing how the purple colour rippled.

Koko waited until the rest of the team filtered into the valley. She played around a bit and even splashed a bit of water Hulta’s way before giggling and scurrying off. She turned to Lyra, “Can you do a sketch Lyr?! Of the tree!” She turned and pointed excitedly. She had huge bright eyes at the moment as she stared at the small elven girl. “Lolo can I pretty please borrow her highness for just a shake of the ol’ tail feather. Won’t leave y’all’s sight, promise! You can supervise and chaperone to your heart’s content.” She took Lyra by the hand and tried to pull her away. Getting over excited and not really waiting for an answer. She figured it was fine if she didn’t actually take Lyra away anywhere this time. “I can get you up there too! Let’s go see the top up close yea? Whaddya say?” Despite her intense excitement Koko did have the foresight this time to have learned from her mistake and even though she might not have totally learned her lesson by assuming Lyra would agree to draw the tree, she did not activate her shimmer and lift the two of them up to see the top until Lyra actually agreed.

[Eye of Horus]

Stats

Strength: 1
Stamina: 3
Speed: 3
Shimmer: 2
Soul: 3
Brawl: 1
Melee: 4
Ranged: 1
Preparation: 1

Terrain Affinity: Desert
Terrain Weakness: Aquatic, Swamp
Element Affinity: Lightning (black arcanite)
Element Weakness: Earth (green arcanite)

Weapon Bonus:12

Character Name:Dariaq Syvanios
Date | Time: 03.01.1323 | Late afternoon
Location: Varanasi, Johtan wilderness
Wearing: Hammer uniform
Tagging | Mentioning: Squad Savaged, Clover Field, Ares Halo
Notes: The Dark Brother
The monolith burst with sudden red sparks, flecks of blood in the oil, which faded in silence. Dari looked around warily, but nothing seemed to have changed. Thessa didn’t respond at first when Lyra joined them and began speaking with concern. But as she blinked her amber eyes open, she looked no worse for wear.

“Is…is that it?” Koko asked, unimpressed. She put her own hand to the monolith, but this time it didn’t react. Whatever had been awakened within the stone, it was already gone without a trace. Dari frowned, trying not to feel cheated.

“Let’s leave it.” he said, looking around again and still half-expecting some unseen Hollow to react to the intrusion. The Dark Brother is gone. He has no more power here than the Light. The thought was strangely comforting.

“Y-yeah, we should move on.” Lyra agreed quietly, tugging at Thessa’s sleeve. Dari nodded quietly, and offered Hulta a reassuring squeeze on the arm as he stepped away from the stone. Next time.

“Did you feel anything?” he asked Thessa, casually, as they began to walk.

The stone pathway led them up and around the hill, and finally to an ancient caldera where a stone circle had been built. Something that looked like a dead tree grew in the middle, but as they got closer Dari realised that it was a collection of roots, somehow sculpted and twisted together. It stood above a stone pool filled with purple-tinted liquid. Had humans raised this in the Dark Brother’s name, Dari wondered, or had something older?

“I never expected something associated with the Hollow to be beautiful.” he admitted to Hulta, standing beside him. The Hollow were sleek, perhaps. Elegantly lethal. Demanding of respect. But never beautiful.

Koko whooped in excitement and began to drag Lyra down the hillside. The bowl of the valley she ran through was cracked open, criss-crossed with open tar pits. That was more in line with Dari’s expectation as the rest of them began to climb down. He expected a smell of sulphur, but there was nothing - except perhaps an edge of metal in the air that blew through the valley with winter’s teeth. Just enough to add a sense of unease to the wariness Dari already felt at their exposed position beneath the hill peaks. They were in a temple, and it had been raised to no god of his.

He stooped near one of the pools. The stuff bubbled like tar, but was almost as insubstantial as smoke. It reminded Dari of Hollow ichor.

“Is this how Hollow are created?” he wondered aloud.

[TheFluffyOne]

Stats

Strength: 1
Stamina: 2
Speed: 3
Shimmer: 5
Soul: 2
Brawl: 0
Melee: 3
Ranged: 1
Preparation: 2

Terrain Affinity: Forest
Terrain Weakness: Aquatic
Element Affinity: Air
Element Weakness: Water

Weapon Bonus: 12+2

Character Name: Hulta Elderfond
Date | Time: 01.03.1323 | Late Afternoon
Location: Johtan Wilderness
Wearing: Uniform
Tagging | Mentioning: SAvAGeD
Thankfully, Dari seemed to read that look on her face. Clearly understanding the reason for the knot of fear in her stomach. The one that travelled up to her throat and made her worry she wouldn’t be able to tell him no in time. Hulta let out a sigh of relief. “Gracias.” She whispered to him in return. Now all she had to do was stop Marlowe from launching herself at the black rock instead. Lyra had taken the role of looking after Thessa as Hulta was truly limited in lack of arms.

A flash of deathly fear trickled through her when the liquid within the monolith shook and red danced through it. Her eyes went wide as she could not place the reason for the change. Was it summoning things? Was it creating things? What if it ended up harming Thessa? What if she became connected to something else? “L..Lets go.” She agreed with Dari and Lyra as she finally let go of Marlowe and Dari.

Her fingers tensed as if she had been clinging onto them for hours rather than seconds. Dari slunk closer to Thessa and Hulta shied a little into herself, her fingers dropping to stretch out and then pulse back to her palm. Over and over again until she felt like she could feel them again. Dropping her gaze to the stones, she tried to concentrate on the strange pattern of the stairs and not the feeling of dread that was plaguing through her stomach. Shoving her hands into her pockets, she brushed over the wooden block again. Not on the symbol but along the edge. There was something faintly comforting in knowing that their return was concrete.

Dari spoke and Hulta finally dragged her gaze up. Greedily drinking in their surroundings. The beauty of the fountain and the horror of the fissures in the ground. “A tree.” She paused. “Oh.” She pouted and almost scowled at the sculpture for the audacity of being made of stone and not actual bark. “What is the tree meant to be?” She stumbled a little closer as Koko sprinted on ahead. Obviously the excitement of the day had left Hulta as she was timid in her movements as she crept closer to the fountain.

Hulta tried to keep herself close to Dari but as the man stopped to look at the ichor around them, Hulta kept stumbling closer. “Professor Clover…What is this place?” While the others had been drawn to touch the black monolith, there was something unnervingly beautiful about the black almost silver tree. Hulta felt herself stumble a little closer.

[shengami]

Stats

Strength: 1
Stamina: 1
Speed: 5
Shimmer: 2
Soul: 1
Brawl: 1
Melee: 3
Ranged: 1
Preparation: 3

Terrain Affinity: Grassland/Forest
Terrain Weakness: Arctic/Aquatic
Element Affinity: Lightning
Element Weakness: Water

Weapon Bonus: 12+2

Character Name:  Chee Tortious
Date | Time: 01.03.1323 | ~2:50pm
Location: Johtan Wilderness - Varanasi
Wearing: Jacket, Hammer Uniform, Bag, Weapons as CS
Tagging | Mentioning: SAvAGeD | N/A
Notes: Dark Thoughts
Chee was already making his way up the first stairs when he felt and heard the collective gasp. His shoulders hunched up and the stick froze. His ears oriented on the crystal. Slowly, his eyes followed them. Seeing Thessa touching the thing summoned a hissed breath from his lips. The tension of this place was annoying. Something made the air thick. And his friends being reckless wasn't helping. For a flash of a second, Chee hoped some Hollow did emerge. Then he chided himself. His ears flicked. He watched and listened as others were curious about the crystal, what had happened, and Thessa. Chee felt no curiosity.

He did scan her, though, to make sure she was healthy. it seemed so. That given, he turned and moved along the steps again. As long as no Hollow was assaulting them and Thessa was fine, Chee's continued lack of curiosity about the monolith won out.

He was more interested in seeing the end of the trail than in the mysteries of the gods. No god except the Wild One had even done anything worth noting for the Silenus.

But his black mood slowly lifted as they walked. By the end of it, Chee was grinning and playing keep away with Koko and the stick. He was still a little resentful, so he used his speed and agility to win, but he was laughing. This really was like taking one of his friends out on an adventure as he did sometimes.

He stood, still, and took in the scene. It really was awe-inspiring. He saw it others' faces: it was beautiful. His eyes climbed the tree slowly, taking its stone nature, and then the bubbling fissures. Was someone going to want to touch them as well? he wouldn't put it past them. He shrugged. It wouldn't be him. He turned to Koko and shook his head, "I mean, you only leave security on your home if you intend to return, ya? Or don't want visitors." HE gazed around again as Koko went running down. He grinned at her enthusiasm. But his own awe was just tinged with too much wariness to delight like that.

Chee followed slowly and noted Dari's curiosity. He wondered that as well. Then he looked to Hulta, "Dis da trone. Dis is where people were meant ta come talk ta da Dark Broder. Maybe dat statue is da speaker? Or. I dunno." He let his eyes roam around again and felt his curiosity bubbling but felt no strong need to explore. There was one idea, "Professor, you need samples or pictures or anytin?"

[Envious]

Stats

Strength: 3
Stamina: 2
Speed: 0
Shimmer: 4
Soul: 4
Brawl: 2
Melee: 1
Ranged: 0
Preparation: 2

Terrain Affinity: Grassland, Desert
Terrain Weakness: Aquatic, Urban
Element Affinity: Lightning, Fire
Element Weakness: Earth, Water

Weapon Bonus: 12+2

Character Name: Thessa Almentis
Date | Time: 1.3.1323 | 2:50pm
Location: Johtan Wilderness
Wearing: Uniform
Tagging | Mentioning: Clover, Savaged | Gods, Family
Notes: “Elvish speech.”
It was a privilege to stand at the base of the Dark Brother’s throne. It was as physically close to God as she was ever likely to be and she was an appropriate mix of awe and reverence over it. Touching the stone wasn’t thoughtless and it wasn’t that she was without fear; her faith was simply stronger. While others debated their unknown, she plunged into her known. The Dark God craved attention and he would not turn it away. He might not reward it in a way she cared for, but Thessa knew that if He did not want them in this holy place, it didn’t matter if they touched the stone or not.

So she touched it.

The three seconds passed too fast and the only thing she could readily comprehend was the sudden physical touch of Dariaq attempting to draw her away from the monolith. As he moved his hand from her arm to point a thumb over his shoulder at the retreating group, she reached out and caught it.

”Touch it?” She let go and put her hand back to its cool surface. Deceptively cool; she remembered how it had sparked a thousand warm, little fires in her body. She watched as others inquisitively interacted with the monolith, but there was nothing to indicate they had the same experience as her. When Koko dismissively spoke of the God, Thessa turned to glare at her. ”Don’t ya dare,” she snapped, reacting to the disrespect. It was not dissimilar to how she had responded to Dariaq at the rodeo. She looked at if she had more to say - unfortunately, she usually did - but she bit back the response. She didn’t have the luxury of being casually cruel with her words when part of her responsibility was cohesiveness of the team. She cleared her throat and when she did continue, it was clearly with an effort of taking back some of her ire. ”Some things ain’t worth the joke.” While her faith was not often displayed, it was clear that her belief reflected practices that had gone out of style almost as soon as the Brothers had left Toil. You did not mock the Gods.

She finally looked down to Lyra. She had heard the concern, but Koko had distracted her. The heat of her gaze was now gone, but Thessa looked tired. The constant battle of finding her footing in the culture of Onyx after coming from a homogeneous people was taking its own toll on her. She placed her hand on Lyra’s head and gave it a single pat. ”Is okay.” Then her eyes were searching for her partner - Estelle was already on the steps and Thessa made quick work catching up to her.

”Yeah,” she said to Dari. ”Was-” She scrunched her brows in thought, looking down at the steps as she traveled before turning to look at the elf. ”A dream? Dunno. Saw-” She hesitated again. She didn’t know what she had seen, but the last thing had lingered. ”A woman?” When prompted, she seemed confused. ”Felt like a woman?” It had been more of a feminine feeling and the dark silhouette hadn’t offered any detail for her to examine to be sure of her claim. ”Was strange.” She might have tried harder to focus on the flashes of images she had seen if they hadn’t crested the hill. The visions became less interesting as her eye caught the tree.

She carefully traversed the distance, moving around the tar pits with curious distaste. Like the monolith, the sticky substance brought images of Hollow to mind, and no matter what reverence she felt for being at the Throne, her heart held no love for Hollow.

”But it a tree,” she said to Dari. She looked up at the sprawling branches and then back down to the fissures. ”Maybe this where they go ta die.” She had no sympathy for the creatures that brought death and torment everywhere they went, but she could empathize with the pain of losing something important. The Hollow were the children of the Dark Brother. Maybe he had built this to be their final resting place and like the elves, used a tree to honor the deceased. Her excitement dimmed considerably. The death of every elf in her village, no matter how disliked, was one that was mourned because their gratitude for life was stronger than the complications within it. She looked conflicted. ”I is gunna stand at the top ‘n watch fer them Hollow while y’all take a looksy ‘round here.” It was an odd thing to declare - out of all of them she was probably the only one who cared about this place as a relic of the Gods. It was plain in the body language of her companions. Their unease was a blemish on the untouched beauty of this spot.

[Aethyrium]

Stats

Strength: 5
Stamina: 3
Speed: 2
Shimmer: 3
Soul: 1
Brawl: 5
Melee: 0
Ranged: 0
Preparation: 0

Terrain Affinity: Forest, Mountain
Terrain Weakness: Desert, Aquatic
Element Affinity: Earth
Element Weakness: Water

Weapon Bonus: 12+2

Character Name: Marlowe Ashe
Date | Time: 01.03.1323 | Late Afternoon
Location: Johtan Wilderness - Varanasi
Wearing: Black offset suit w/ deep plunge flower bow choker, Simple black tophat
Tagging | Mentioning: |
Notes:
It was spooky. But this whole place was spooky. Lolo didn’t think anything was going to happen if the monolith had been touched, which is exactly why she had been prepared to. She’d stopped at Hulta’s insistence, looking back at the redhead with a bit of a pout. The exclamations around her said something changed though, and she looked back at Thessa. But Lolo didn’t join them in surprise, because she really didn’t think anything would happen. What was more surprising to her was that something did happen - the little red lights. And Lolo blinked, and they were gone. It felt so quick she wasn’t even sure if it had really happened. And looking at Thessa, she tilted her head - immediately following the elf’s request for her to touch it. Even against Hulta’s will - hadn’t they just proven it was fine? She reached out and placed her hand flat on it, gave it a little groping, and shrugged, “See, nothing.” Lolo frowned and looked at Thessa, curious as to what she had been expecting.

Disinclined to get between Thessa and her scolding of Koko, Lolo took Lyra’s hand and slid back up beside her partner, following the group up the stairs. The climb wasn’t bad, but it felt like the weight of whatever was in the air got worse - heavier. She didn’t like it at all. If this was what being near the Gods was like, then Thessa could keep it. By the time they crested the rise, Lolo was so pushed into herself, so oppressed by whatever existed here, that she barely noted the tree. She felt muted. Stifled.

Koko’s blind energy barely registered. She looked at her, then Lyra, and nodded - if her partner wanted to go, Lolo didn’t have the energy to stop her. Instead, she just hugged herself and stayed at the top of the stairs. Nope, she wasn’t going down into that valley.

[Dove]

Stats

Strength: 3
Stamina: 5
Speed: 4
Shimmer: 0
Soul: 3
Brawl: 2
Melee: 2
Ranged: 2
Preparation: 0

Terrain Affinity: Urban
Terrain Weakness: None
Element Affinity: Lightning, Fire
Element Weakness: Earth, Water

Weapon Bonus:12+5

Character Name: Estelle Dawn
Date | Time: 01.03.1323 | Late Afternoon
Location: Johtan Wilderness | Varanasi
Wearing: Yellow crop top, loose belted jeans and sneakers.
Tagging | Mentioning: Savaged, Clover
Notes:
Finding Hulta and Dari proved to be quite simple. Rejoining the group, she found herself alongside Clover and Thessa, climbing up the hill towards the Throne. Every now and then, she’d look off to the side, trying to catch sight of the Ollowphant or at least the rustling of the trees somewhere that might give away their position. What if something spooked them and they began to charge? They needed to be ready for that. Her curiosity had come to life today. But Professor Field had a way of bringing this out of her, so she wasn’t entirely surprised. It made her wonder whether she needed to be spending more time with him or prompting him for more advice or lessons. He was the type of professor that she thought would be open to dedicating time and effort like that into his students.

The sight of the monolith brought the group to a halt. And while Estelle turned to look at it, the sight of it was almost immediately unsettling. She had anticipated that something like this would be found inside of the Throne. But judging by Clover’s demeanor, they haven’t even gotten there yet. It wasn’t like she had any idea what to expect of it anyway. She caught sight of Clover looking up the stairs, his bearded jaw visibly clenching as he practically gulped. A hand moved to his shoulder, dainty digits squeezing at his coat-clad shoulder. While she wasn’t sure what to say or how to comfort him, she hoped that her presence and silent understanding would prove to be some help somehow. Her hand fell away after a moment, looking back towards the group that was enraptured with the monolith.

It was impressive, beautiful in its own way, but also dark and mysterious. The way that they were egging each other on to touch it had her stiffening. Were they serious? It was childish in her mind. What was touching it going to do for anyone? This was not some gadget or invention that sat in a lab in any kind of controlled environment. This was the path to the Throne of the Dark God. Part of her was angry, annoyed, the emotions twisting in her gut as her arms crossed over her chest like a petulant child in her own right. At least Lolo had provided some reason why she might want to touch it. Knock it over and break the signal that they suspected may have something to do with the Ollowphant’s direction. But they had no idea if that was even true. And what’s more, what other effects might that have? Hulta was quick to snap at her, and it seemed Lyra and Chee were both adamant about continuing up and leaving the monolith alone. Stella nodded their way, but didn’t vocalize anything yet.

It was Clover that brought her back from her silent treatment of a tantrum. She was curious about what he’d said. Red inside of the Hollow? A light that was thought to be something of their soul? She let herself focus on him instead of the other teammates still messing around with the monolith. Not before she caught sight of Thessa touching it, though. Fuck.

“How do they know that? About the red inside? It’s not as if we can dissect them, right? Once they’re taken down, they dissipate. Unless we have analyzed prior to that happening? What a clock that would be…” she murmured, brows furrowing at the thought. He beckoned for her to start up the steps to the Throne and she followed along. She was sure to leave the several feet of space he requested, but craned her neck so she could see ahead and listen to anything that Clover might say.

It wasn’t long before the Throne in its personal valley became visible below them, the group now at the top of the stairs and looking down on it. Estelle’s eyes widened, goosebumps rising along her pale flesh as she let her blue hues sweep across the landscape. It was… beautiful? The purple water glimmered in the light. The statue of the tree was incredibly intricate at the fountain’s center, and she found herself pulled in. She moved towards it, but stopped somewhere between the fountain and the stairs. Looking left to right, she caught sight of the tar in the cracks. “How bizarre,” she whispered to herself, unsure of how to feel about this area. It was beautiful. And while it still had small hints of the darkness that this God had within him in the tar and the bubbling below, it was relatively peaceful. For a fraction of a moment, she wondered if this God was simply misunderstood.

She was stuck there, staring without seeing the others around her, listening to the sound of the water and letting herself simply be in the moment.

[Aethyrium]

Clover Field

S T O R Y T E L L E R
January 3rd 1323, Late Afternoon (~2:50pm) | Johtan - Varanasi
Deadline: - | Koko, Hulta, Dariaq, Thessa, Marlowe, Lyreilynn, Chee, Estelle
“Well,” Clover said with a small smile and a tiny laugh, “That’s why it’s just a belief.” He shrugged and glanced at her, “Besides, how would one even analyze a Soul? It’s not as if we understand those much better.”

“Are you familiar with that kind of research? Into Soul that is? I mean, we must have some kind of understanding of it even if it isn't physically tangible. How do we... measure Soul?” Estelle asked.

He shook his head, “Not in depth. I know some have dedicated their life to understanding it. But to analyze it? Mmm…” he wasn’t so sure. The Soul was an intangible, mystical force that defied conventional quantifiability. “We have enough understanding to rate it, to estimate it, for the purposes we use it for. But truly measure it? We don’t.”

“We can feel it though, right? I can." She tapped her chest. "You know, it's like a vibe or a presence. At the very least, it's something that we carry with us that has its own weight. Sometimes I feel like I can sense someone... else... in my Soul. And there are some Hollow we've encountered that I suspect had an effect on our emotions. What if that is two Souls touching somehow? I know you can't possibly have all the answers. But... it's interesting.”

“You’re talking about The Angusih,” Clover said, familiar with the story from Thessa talking to him about it. “That Hollow was developed to attack in a way that’s not physical. The Hollow are designed to confront us on every level.” But he supposed that perhaps they did that through the Soul. “But Hollow powers are not well understood. It’s very possible that there is some connection there.” Still, how would they go about ever understanding that? A Soul barrier was one thing, but to do anything else with a Soul? To move it, or feel it, or see it? This was unheard of. “Maybe someday we’ll have enough knowledge to be able to interact with the Soul unlike we do now, and we’ll have those answers.”

* * * * *

Clover absorbed the sight of the faux-tree, he too in no shortage of awe. It was like nothing he had ever seen - like no tree he’d ever heard of. And certainly not the sort of thing he mentally associated with the Dark God. What could it mean? He couldn’t say no one for sure. It seemed unlikely that they were truly the first to brave this path since the younger Brother’s departure, but surely they were among very few. “For the same reason people didn’t venerate the young god,” Clover suggested to Koko, taking a few steps down the stairs towards the throne. “People don’t want to tread in his presence after what he’s subjected the world to. It feels like there’s something in the air here.” Clear to some more than others, it seemed, as he glanced around. Was this a tell of the Soul? Or was it something more rooted in the mind, he wondered.

The professor stopped at a pool of the tar and peered down at its bubbling surface. “Don’t touch it,” he said for the first time giving a warning. The monolith, the water, even the sculpture seemed right. But something about the tar - or perhaps just Dari’s idle speculation - made it seem unsafe. Frustratingly he couldn’t decide if that was his reason, or whatever spell he felt in the air telling him that. “It’s possible,” he crouched beside it and stared into the deep, absorbing surface, “We’ve never seen a Hollow born. We don’t understand how they’re still coming to Toil after all this time.”

Rising, Hulta’s inquiry drew him back to the sculpture. To the unknown tree. “I couldn’t even guess,” who could say what the whims of the Gods were? “Perhaps an icon the Dark God wanted to be associated with?” It was the best he had. “This is…” Clover took a few steps forward, slowly spinning around to take it all in. “Where we were meant to sit at the feet of a God.”

Chee’s question provoked thought. He really hadn’t planned to come here at all. “No,” he said with a shake of his head, “I don’t think we should take anything from this place away from it.” Somehow, even to him, that felt blasphemous - and that definitely was reason talking. “We’re looking for something that might be calling the Hollow, remember,” it was the only reason they had come up this far. To satiate Estelle’s curiosity, and her potentially good idea - though there was no evidence present to support it.

“The Hollow don’t die,” Clover said to Thessa. “Well, I suppose we’ve never witnessed one dying naturally.” But if they did it here, that would make sense. Surely though someone would have noticed them coming here over time though? Perhaps not. Something to think on. Clover pulled a book out and made a note. This place was only adding to the mysteries of Toil. “Are they truly immortal… Could the Ollowphant be coming here to die?” All at once? The professor wasn’t convinced, but like the signal he couldn’t rule it out.

* * * * *

Clover allowed twenty or thirty minutes at the Throne before deciding that if there was a signal, they weren’t going to find it without the help of the Hollow. To that end he guided Savaged back down the stairs and away from Varanasi. Down the hills and back to the ruined village - a trek that was, thankfully, Hollow free. They had hours yet to do their watch, talk, and observe. And Clover spent the time talking to them more personally than a class would allow - about them individually, their experiences with the Hollow, and even some of his own.

Concerningly, with time, another three Ollowphant were discovered, and eventually the three groups of three did come together and form one large line of the massive creatures. And hours after descending from the Throne of the Dark God, the line of Ollowphant marched not even half a mile away from the ruins of the village. They lumbered slowly and steady, either unaware of Savaged and their professor, or uncaring, moving ever slowly toward the north - not toward, seemingly, anything in particular.

And while there was no clear indication as to why they moved, what was clear was that wherever they were going, nothing good could follow…