Call of the Mist Wolf | Page 5

The new area was... Strange, to say the least. Nalani tried to take everything around them in carefully, even peering over the side of the cliff to see what was below, cocking her head to the side in confusion, What a strange room... There were a bunch of stairs, different strange things stuck in the sand, and up ahead, different rock pillars being patrolled by some figures. The wind was intimidating, but she knew they be able to do something to get around this peculiar area. She turned her attention towards Dempsey, about to lean in curiously with the rest of the party to check what was up with the changes in the crystal, before she kinda froze, breath catching in her throat.

The thoughts had started again, louder and stronger then they had been before. It was almost as if her teammates were growing hazy around her, A-E-I-D taking up all her mental questions as she was once again plagued by the same questions she had before. But it was different this time. Something else was there. Her eyes seemed to glaze over as her focus turned not to in the moment but to the new thought sneaking it's way in, going from a mere whisper to a thought 'B-C-E-D'.

She looked stunned for a second, almost as if she was still out of it, glancing around without focusing her eyes on anything as if she was looking for an invisible figure that was forcing these thoughts into her head. And then it came, forcing it's way out of her throat, rolling off her tongue as easy as the English language, "B-C-E-D." If hadn't been of her own accord- She never meant to say it. And as soon as it popped out of her mouth, she seemed to a gain a little bit of focus, raising one hand to her head as if trying to calm down her thoughts while opening her menu with the other, glancing over the status effect. '2/4'. Fantastic.

Unfortunately, she was quickly alerted back to the moment as multiple people asked her what was up, all in different ways. However, Nalani just looked at all of them with an equally unfocused expression, managing a small smile after a couple moments of just staring, "Sorry, I don't know what overcame me. That just kinda slipped out." she didn't even seemed to be somewhat intimidated by Merkaba almost attacking her, and just turned her attention forward again as new thoughts joined the old, A-E-I-D-B-C-E-D. Or are they split up? Together? What does this mean?​

 

Dempsey ignored Alpha for the time being and focused on the reacting crystal with wide eyes. She was half tempted to throw it down into the strange sand filed ruin below in fear that it may begin firing on the party again. She didn't want to have to deal with something like that ever again. Realizing that they were safe for the time being, she almost spoke up, before Jack beat her to the punch, announcing the same idea that she'd had in mind moments before. She looked around hoping that someone would have ideas or insight, but the rest of the group seemed to be at as much of a loss as she was.

Deciding to take in her surroundings a bit more, she looked over to the far staircase, then the sand filled desolation that stretched from there to the staircases on the near side of the cliffs. She pondered a dozen things she could do if she were in possession of a different skill set, but for now, unless something needed to be climbed or punched, she would be forced to wait idle while the group formulated some sort of plan. She couldn't help but fixate on the widely spaced pillars, however. while everyone's attention seemed to be drawn to the sandy ruin below, she dismissed it off hand, having the advantage of already encountering "Real world" objects here in Terraspehere, if only the day before, and on a much smaller scale.

She approached them as best she could without putting herself at risk of falling over the edge of the windswept cavern, convinced that they were there for a reason. while keeping half an eye on the pulsating crystal she carried, she looked around for anything of significance. maybe it was some kind of bridge, if even just the remains of one. She paced in a small circle, attempting to make sense of everything this large cavern had shown her. No doubt someone would go rushing down the stairs and into the area below sooner than later, because she admitted that it did beg exploration and their progress forward was seemingly impossible without traversing the curious ruin, but she felt that these pillars were somehow a large part of whatever puzzle this room represented.

 

Despite the fact he was outvoted, Aaron respectfully acquiscended to the majority vote. Once they reached the sandy area, though, he couldn't help a small grumble. "I hate sand," he muttered. "It's rough, and it's course, and it gets everywhere." He smirked a bit, at his own rather dated reference. That smirk faded soon though. He prepared his sword and shield at the noises he heard coming from below.

"Friends, I fear we may not be alone. Be on guard," he warned. He furrowed his eyebrows as Nalani spoke more letters. He wanted to warn her against doing such, but he figured she might not be completely in control of herself in regards to it. He gripped his weapons tighter. "Jack! The last time we heard letters, it was right before a trap, right? Nalani just spoke again, there's likely another trap coming! Everyone be ready!"

 

“I guess we'll go with the desert path then.” she conceded. “A bit of a pain for me if the game actually ties in equipment damage with the environment. Hopefully it doesn't or worse, I hope the sand doesn't actually prevent playing in the first place.” she sighed and marched on. “In that case all the healing will have to come from Jack.”

She did raise her voice here, not really caring to withhold her feelings about what happened earlier.

“Though he'll only heal who he wants to heal, in this case people that play according to his plans – I'm not really keen on sugar coating it, that is the truth and I get you have your point, damage mitigation is smart, though I will say this much and I hadn't done so yesterday because I was tired...” she placed a hand on her hip and glared at their resident healer. “Even if Aaron's actions weren't really the best choice, I have to say, losing our primary tank in a raid so early on and prioritizing others who had enough health to survive one attack wasn't really intelligent. You gambled on the off-chance mitigating damage by scattering water on the other allies could work. You were lucky it did, because there was every possibility it could have made the damage worse. You were gambling with our lives here. I don't like that. I'm willing to follow you if your plans work to the advantage of the team, but I'm not really keen on doing so the moment I feel like your desire for self-preservation outweigh the needs of the team itself.”

“I won't expect you to come to my help, I am the weak link of the team, I'm disposable in the grand scheme of things even if my magic is the most effective for support in raids. I'm fully aware of that I'm the most vulnerable, probably the most impulsive here.” she did pick up her Jinn's eye and scanned the area just like she was asked, keeping her expression stony all the while. “Not antagonizing you would be the most intelligent move even, but as you've realized, I do what I want to do regardless if its not smart.”

With her violin case firmly strapped on her back marched on. Not bothering to care whatever looks she was given as she continued moving forward.

 

“Alright.” she conceded, reluctantly handing over the magical artifact to the NPC. She could have held unto it, but given that a violin took two hands to use meant she would have to cease using the item to perform her role in the party. Better to give it to the druid who seemed to be rendered impotent by the lack of natural foliage in the area. “A red hue, there was yes, I wanted to scan the premises to ascertain if it was prevalent elsewhere.” she informed him and by extension on the rest of the party.

“Would your powers work on animals though? If we were to see any?” an innocent question, but one that carried a bit of pessimism. The dark powers that reigned over this location might have already twisted the animals here. They might no longer be susceptible to his powers too.

She shielded her eyes from the wind, seeking whatever cover she could use and waited it out with the rest. The sand was going to be trouble for their party. If it impaired their vision, they were going to be forced to rely on the more dangerous spells that had splash damage. The danger it could cause members of their own group wasn't something she liked to think about.

 

He’d completely tune out the childish little rant from his support counterpart while continuing to survey the golden sands. If she was dense enough to contribute his efforts entirely to luck, perhaps she had been dropped a few more times than she was told. Either way, there was no point in arguing with a mildly autistic child so he let it bother him minimally.

“Would the red hue happen to line up with the crystal’s indicator? If so we should just investigate it... otherwise we'll get nowhere. We can keep note of the safe spots and ferry the whole group from one point to the next. Aaron, take point to set the pace. Dempsey, mind taking rear guard since you're pretty mobile? The rest of us can break up into pairs and form a perimeter around Ornson while he uses the eye to keep watch. Maybe he can spot some burrowers or something so we’re not caught off guard. Sound good?”

Though not jumping to recommend pairs, Jack hoped that his companions would have enough sense to keep the supports separate, otherwise they would be simply allocating their resources poorly. After setting forth his plan he’d wait to address any objections. Were things to go smoothly, he’d wait for the next gust of wind to subside. Only then would he wave a hand to give the signal for the march to initiate.

 

​

Merkaba would lower her weapon at the sight of the strange chant ceasing again. There was something being built up here. Whether it was going to be a problem was still uncertain even to the dark witch at this point. Sadly, she was not on her turf but rather the hemomancers. Heemomancers.... funny how this was actually starting to feel almost... beyond what simple mages and witches of any art could do. Merkaba also found it interesting how there were no murals or objects that were depicting any kind of god or devil. Perhaps meaning they were lordless... There was still a ways to go however. Perhaps things would begin to look more ordinary once they truly arrived at the location of the hemomancers.

The druid said a few words that really changed very little here. The man was absolutely useless, even moreso than the rest as far as Merkaba was concerned. Then the time to continue had come. Elizabeth personally still felt that they should get rid of the bard who may or may not be cursed at this point. The path ahead was going to require them to not be blasted away with wind. The thought of pushing the out of control chanting girl off into the sand pit below was enticing. If she was being used as a vassal to complete a spell over time. Merkaba would rather remove the problem than deal with the results.

Also, this was the perfect place for a additional trap or for a guardian of sorts. Having to deal with a beast or another magical contraption while in haste to avoid being blown off sounded like something a t least a semi intelligent opponent would arrange. Any idiot can wait a bit before passing by a obstacle that relents.

 

Dempsey nodded to Jack, having been thinking much the same herself. The pillars were tantalizing in that once they'd managed to secure some meas of crossing from one to the next, they would offer quick and easy crossing, but the time, effort, and risk involved would render that option less than viable, especially considering that it was almost completely impossible that they had enough rope to span the distance once, let alone the three times they'd need to make a proper rope bridge that the less athletic ones would need if they stood even the slightest chance of crossing.

She was also well aware that bringing up the rear would leave her in considerable danger, as she'd be the only one in the group exposed to attack from almost all sides, save for the heavily armored paladin-in-training that would be at the head of the formation. After a moment of consideration, she spoke up mostly to jack, but also the group as a whole;

"That sounds fine to me, unless someone else can think of a way to get us across those pillars...."

Dempsey took her red crystal and rope, taking time to carefully bind and secure it. She wanted to make sure it wasn't going anywhere, and at the same time take advantage of the glow to provide a little extra light, figuring that it would become more useful the closer to their destination they got.

Having done this, she pulls back her hair and secures it with a leather strip, muttering something about 'fucking sand' she called out "I'm ready if everyone else is... "

​

 

Lucia sighed a little, seeing that crossing the pillars wouldn't be possible. Though she did want to try a safe route, particularly after last time, in truth she did want to find out what the source of that sound was. If it could help her, if it could be beneficial for her growth, even i she had to die to achieve it, she didn't mind very much, Her goal was very much centered around a single tool, one she felt this place might have some clues about. "If possible I'd like to take center as well-- After all, the chance of the creatures navigating around the perimeter by just staying under isn't impossible. I'm best when given a range to fight in too, that way I can cover every side and protect the center." Lucia offered feeling like she would be best placed where she could reach everyone with her spells.

That said, it didn't hurt that she wanted to be near Ornsen to ask if he knew anything strange about the sands with the magic tool. She truly hoped there would be a clue here-- something she could grasp onto for an idea to her next step. "Will we have anyone willing to take the wings? In truth it doesn't matter where you stand, there's equal danger when the foes can attack from below, there's no need to try and struggle for a place that's out of the fray." Lucia confessed the worry that was on her mind, no matter where they were, the danger was almost equal, and the risk was likely the same.

 

Alpha looked down into the chasm, searching for the red light that Ornson had found. After a few quick glances, Alpha returned her attention back to Terry for a quick pat. "I could try going down there and, uh, scout the area," she offered although she spoke quietly and with hesitation in her voice. The suggestion meant going deep into the terrifying darkness and it also meant leaving the group and Terry behind (for who knows how long until she reaches the bottom of the chasm). It was a path she wasn't quite willing to go through but may have to in order to ensure the group's safety. She gulped, her throat feeling a bit dry.

"Whatever you guys want though. I'll just go with the flow," she submerged herself back in the group, hiding among them until it was her turn to step up. She'd just follow their lead and lay back. There was no need to stress herself over making decisions and such, after all.

 

Aaron took the front of the formation, both because Jack had told him to and because it seemed like the right place to be. The tank, out in front, to take the blows so that others didn't have. Yet, he also wasn't supposed to risk his life? He wasn't completely sure how the two worked together without being contrary to each other.

"We're stronger together, I don't think having anyone split off would be smart. But, I will admit, I'm not some combat tactician who knows how to coordinate groups. I'm just the guy with a sword and a shield, and some pretty big armor," he said in regards to Alphabet asking if she should scout ahead. "Besides, sending a little girl to explore someplace we wouldn't go ourselves? Even Jack isn't that heartless," he said, a smile forming on his face. He hoped his attempt at humor would be recognized as such, and not be taken as rude. He gripped his shield tightly. "Gods, please don't let me be walking into a trap. Gods, please don't let me be walking into a trap. "Oh, gods, please don't let me be walking straight into a fucking trap."

 

The thoughts were getting really annoying. They still continued to attack Nalani as she focused in on the voices around her, eyes narrowed as if making an effort. They seemed to be deciding on a way to go. With her Arcanamacy she could try to teleport over, but it would probably only get her as far as one pillar and zap most of her energy, plus she could hardly focus on casting a spell with other spells constantly rolling through her mind. However, when Alphabet spoke up about going down, Nalani spoke up too, nodding in agreement with herself, "I'll go too, if we need some people to check out the bottom."

Honestly? She felt kind of like a lost cause. If she died, good riddance. Whatever status effect that was bugging her wouldn't prove to be a problem later on, and Nalani wouldn't be there to potentially hold them back. Sacrificing herself and putting herself in the way of doing things probably was the best idea for her right now. She blinked at the stairs to the side as the wind picked up, planning her movement down there in correspondence with it. Moving closer, she began to take note of the pores in the wall that the wind seemed to be coming out of. They didn't seem to be consistent, and died out every once and then... They could probably make their way down with the wind and not get knocked off the stairs.

She hadn't really been paying attention to how often the wind happened though, so she needed to wait again or ask one of her teammate... Asking was probably the best decision, "Anyone know how often the wind occurs?" She was really trying hard not to stutter or blab out other words... She didn't want Merkaba threatening to attack her again.​

 

As miserable as their journey was, Jack found little room to complain. After all, he had voted for this option since he considered it more preferably than the other route. That said, he’d simply grit his teeth while plowing on, stopping only momentarily discern the words engraved across the structure they had stumbled upon.

His attention was quickly grabbed by Ornson however as his expression shifted from tediously annoyed to cautiously alert. Were this any standard MMO setting, most players would immediately suspect something along the lines of a boss fight with several adds tossed into the box. That said, Terrasphere tended to stray away from the expected. The statue from the previous encounter attested to that.

“It might be too much to knock and expect a friendly welcome... Well, you guys down for a scuffle? Or should we all pretend we’re on the beach and get buried neck deep?”

The question was primarily rhetorical, granted he wouldn’t mind if some had opted for the latter choice were it not for the fact they were in the middle of a raid. The mage’s hand would raise, indicating that their vanguard should press onward. Should they to delay too long in the decision making process, more likely than not they’d all simply find themselves at the morgue. Now simply wasn’t the time for democracy.

“Buff up – haste us in. We know something’s in there. Alpha, Dempsey, take the right and left flanks once we’re in. I’ll play defense until the blaster caster train can start steam rolling.”

Without much pause, he’d transition smoothly from a brief explanation into an incantation, all while proceeding forth. Although the nature of their enemies wasn’t entirely known, when considering the relevant colors previously displayed in the last encounter and the theme of the expedition it was a safe bet to ward against dark forces.

OOC:
Casting buff: "Protection from Evil" - target = self.