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◣ OPEN ◢ CATCH THAT THESSYX
WHO: anyone signed up for this player plot
WHAT: a band of merry hatchlings followed the thessyx as they left, in an attempt to find their city!
WHEN: august 1-5
WHERE: north of basecamp
NOTES/WARNINGS: animal mutilation; for other warnings, please utilize subject lines
WHAT: a band of merry hatchlings followed the thessyx as they left, in an attempt to find their city!
WHEN: august 1-5
WHERE: north of basecamp
NOTES/WARNINGS: animal mutilation; for other warnings, please utilize subject lines
preparation;
in the last days of july, whispers spread amongst the hatchlings of a planned excursion north of the city, following the trail laid by the thessyx who had left before the window closed. friends of alina starkov — or anyone with skills useful enough to keep her alive long enough to get to the thessyx's underground city — might have received a personal invitation via text or in person, but anyone else might have simply jumped on via word of mouth.
there are rain shields to wheedle out of remí, food to hoard wherever possible to support the excursion, and other preparations to be made. those heading out on this journey don't really know how long they'll be gone: better to be ready for anything. hopefully, those coming along have weapons. you never know what you'll find in the ethyraian wilderness.
there are rain shields to wheedle out of remí, food to hoard wherever possible to support the excursion, and other preparations to be made. those heading out on this journey don't really know how long they'll be gone: better to be ready for anything. hopefully, those coming along have weapons. you never know what you'll find in the ethyraian wilderness.
the journey out;
day one
to a skilled observer, the tracks left by the thessyx originally appear to meander without purpose across the desert-like landscape. the terrain is easy to traverse, dry and covered in scrub. serpentflies flutter around, glinting in the faint light that leaks through the threatening cloud cover. the tracks gradually veer over the course of the day to join what seems like a migration or herd route of some kind... almost like a well-trodden road.
the good news is that the road offers excellent visibility and makes it hard to sneak up on the group, though it is pocked by a variety of animal prints. amidst the prints of animals that use the path, the thessyx's prints run the risk of getting lost in the noise.
when they rest for the night, just off the edge of the trail, a male scorpiug plunges into the camp looking for offerings to attract a mate. the scorpiug will attack, its claws and teeth equipped with a toxin that can induce sleep and paralysis on the victim, leaving them defenseless for a female scorpiug to sniff out and come devour later. at 30 ft tall, the scorpiug proves difficult to combat, and trailblazers should team up to take out this tank!
to a skilled observer, the tracks left by the thessyx originally appear to meander without purpose across the desert-like landscape. the terrain is easy to traverse, dry and covered in scrub. serpentflies flutter around, glinting in the faint light that leaks through the threatening cloud cover. the tracks gradually veer over the course of the day to join what seems like a migration or herd route of some kind... almost like a well-trodden road.
the good news is that the road offers excellent visibility and makes it hard to sneak up on the group, though it is pocked by a variety of animal prints. amidst the prints of animals that use the path, the thessyx's prints run the risk of getting lost in the noise.
when they rest for the night, just off the edge of the trail, a male scorpiug plunges into the camp looking for offerings to attract a mate. the scorpiug will attack, its claws and teeth equipped with a toxin that can induce sleep and paralysis on the victim, leaving them defenseless for a female scorpiug to sniff out and come devour later. at 30 ft tall, the scorpiug proves difficult to combat, and trailblazers should team up to take out this tank!
day two
the next day, when everyone is tired from the interruption to their sleep, and once they've left the camp out of sight and out of mind, the journey takes a turn for the disturbing as they discover the next stretch of road is marked by animal carcasses. these don't look like they were merely hunted by the inhospitable wildlife of ethyraia either. mangled bat bones, discarded rat tentacles, and golden cliff viper heads have been left behind in disarray. they don't look like they were left there by the thessyx or the kind of animal that would have been hunting them in the wild...
a downpour starts in the early afternoon. light at first, but after half an hour of sleet, the mild flooding around their feet and the intensity of the rain prove too much for rain shields and shielding abilities to completely correct. they are going to need safe harbor. fortunately, in the nearby mountainous landscape there appear to be some caves, nestled amongst boulders on higher ground ...
still day two
on the interior walls of the cave are ancient-looking paintings, wall art depicting dragons drawn to massive scale, taking up much of the wall and some of the ceiling! around them are also creatures that look quite like the thessyx themselves... and there are other drawings that don't seem to match them? taller figures with flatter heads and broader limbs. the art depicts all the featured creatures in harmony.
as night falls and people find places to settle, eivor wanders deeper into the very extensive cave. the number of tunnels and depth of the cave may be surprising or discouraging to other wanderers, but as eivor persists, she comes across an ancient, feeble, malnourished thessyx curled up in a corner.
provided she communicates with them, the thessyx explains telepathically that all elderly thessyx leave their subterranean city to go and 'join the ocean' on a final journey. however, this Thessyx does not think it will make it, and seems to lament this fact.
the next day, when everyone is tired from the interruption to their sleep, and once they've left the camp out of sight and out of mind, the journey takes a turn for the disturbing as they discover the next stretch of road is marked by animal carcasses. these don't look like they were merely hunted by the inhospitable wildlife of ethyraia either. mangled bat bones, discarded rat tentacles, and golden cliff viper heads have been left behind in disarray. they don't look like they were left there by the thessyx or the kind of animal that would have been hunting them in the wild...
a downpour starts in the early afternoon. light at first, but after half an hour of sleet, the mild flooding around their feet and the intensity of the rain prove too much for rain shields and shielding abilities to completely correct. they are going to need safe harbor. fortunately, in the nearby mountainous landscape there appear to be some caves, nestled amongst boulders on higher ground ...
the cave;
still day two
on the interior walls of the cave are ancient-looking paintings, wall art depicting dragons drawn to massive scale, taking up much of the wall and some of the ceiling! around them are also creatures that look quite like the thessyx themselves... and there are other drawings that don't seem to match them? taller figures with flatter heads and broader limbs. the art depicts all the featured creatures in harmony.
as night falls and people find places to settle, eivor wanders deeper into the very extensive cave. the number of tunnels and depth of the cave may be surprising or discouraging to other wanderers, but as eivor persists, she comes across an ancient, feeble, malnourished thessyx curled up in a corner.
provided she communicates with them, the thessyx explains telepathically that all elderly thessyx leave their subterranean city to go and 'join the ocean' on a final journey. however, this Thessyx does not think it will make it, and seems to lament this fact.
what they found didn't find;
day three
the next day, as the group gets ready to go, there are decisions to be made: what to do with the thessyx, and whether to turn back themselves in the face of the weather. after some debate between bringing them along and returning them to basecamp, the group settles on the latter, sending a few of their number (sam, balthier, and natasha have volunteered) back with them.
those who opt to remain continue after the trail left by the thessyx, but it goes cold later that day at the side of the mountain, as if the entire envoy simply vanished or teleported. low on food and other supplies, and threatened by rain and monsters, the group will have to decide whether to continue blindly or to turn back as well.
the next day, as the group gets ready to go, there are decisions to be made: what to do with the thessyx, and whether to turn back themselves in the face of the weather. after some debate between bringing them along and returning them to basecamp, the group settles on the latter, sending a few of their number (sam, balthier, and natasha have volunteered) back with them.
those who opt to remain continue after the trail left by the thessyx, but it goes cold later that day at the side of the mountain, as if the entire envoy simply vanished or teleported. low on food and other supplies, and threatened by rain and monsters, the group will have to decide whether to continue blindly or to turn back as well.
eivor / ota
At a certain point, the prints of the thessyx become nearly impossible to discern from the prints of animals, and the group is forced to linger at a crossroads while they figure it out.
While Eivor is crouched down, studying the prints, her raven companion swoops abruptly down from the sky and settles on her shoulder. She barely seems to notice, though it might be startling to someone who wasn't expecting it.]
Did you find the way?
[Is she talking to you or the bird?]
b. THE CAVES.
[Eivor is doing a head count once they've all run into the safety of the caves, making sure no one has been left behind or scalded by the poison rain.
She sighs, annoyed, and folds her arms over her chest.] I am no herbalist, but there must be a tonic to counter the sky's venom.
c. THE WIZENED.
Listen with ears, watch with eyes, and each wise man will find his way forth--
The torch she's holding is dim, revealing just how long she's been gone, but the light illuminates her scarred features all the same, twisted in concern. Without preamble, she announces:]
There is an elder back through the tunnels.
[Sorry to interrupt your conversations and/or dreams.]
b
[ It's familiar; the ritual for after a fight, after an ambush, after a bad day on the ship. He's thought less about home the past month, but when it's there, it's suddenly huge. He keeps busy to keep from grieving. ]
There's plant life outside -- thriving. There must be something we can learn from it. We should take samples back for our scientifically inclined friends. [ And for the cover story he fed to Childe, per Alina's request. ]
no subject
But she's not thinking about that; he said something about spells, and she makes a mildly perplexed face.] You practice seiðr?
no subject
Just like he realized his upbringing was solidly decent. ]
What, don't look the type?
no subject
You're a man.
no subject
I suppose the white magicks tend to be more popular for women. Maybe more accessible. I think that's mostly arbitrary though.
Do you practice [ he attempts repeating the word she said ]?
no subject
Seiðr, [she corrects mildly, then shakes her head.] I am a warrior. But the All-Father himself sought the runes, so it is not unheard of for a man to practice magic.
no subject
no subject
no subject
It's a base level Cure spell. Any aches from the roads, minor skin abrasions, or beginnings of cold or infection will feel cleared. She will feel rested, as if from a good night of sleep. ]
no subject
Eyes round, she looks down at her hands and flexes her fingers experimentally.]
This is...
no subject
[ He notices her surprise but doesn't want to push -- he knows enough by now to understand magic rules are different from different worlds. He isn't sure if he's hit a bad memory or more of a limitations of perceived universe sort of shock, but he means to give Eivor a moment to process. ]
I'm going to check on the others. Save my seat.
a
It is, however, getting muddier. The good news is that this seems to be a well-traveled road. The bad news is that everyone and everything seems to have been traveling it. 76 has (with some effort, he is Old) dropped into a squat, as if getting up close and personal with all the tracks is going to help him differentiate the Thessyx prints from that of some random alien creature.
Look, we can't all have bird friends. He looks over his shoulder and gives Eivor a sort of appraising look.]
Yeah, it's these.
[He thinks so, anyway.]
Seems like everyone's headed the same direction.
no subject
She inclines her head deferentially.]
As you say. I can make neither heads nor tails.
[She gestures vaguely at the jumble of prints in the mud.]
Do you think they expected to be followed? It could be they are trying to lose us in this confusion.
no subject
It wouldn't surprise him if the Thessyx assumed someone would try to follow them, but then again, it's difficult to even imagine what might be going through an actual alien's head.]
Maybe. They seem to know a lot more about us than we do.
[Or, at least, they are using them as placeholders for something they hoped would happen. 76 is still concerned they won't be what the Thessyx expected, and things will turn out badly.]
b;
( between the dragon-skin shield and alina's neat new party trick, he'd managed to avoid the worst of the rain's effects. this being said, eivor does raise a valid point. )
The Aid Station likely has something. ( desperate as the camp is, he can't imagine that they'd send their people out in these conditions without something to mitigate the worst of the damage.
whether or not they had the benefit of that knowledge, however, remains to be seen. )
no subject
But it is a long walk back. Were none of us given a salve?
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( he tips his chin in the direction of the dark-haired teenager glaring sullenly at the rain. )
She was the one that arranged for this expedition. ( and he would like to think that the first army weren't so inept that she wouldn't have known the value of emergency supplies and a proper first aid kit. )
no subject
Still--]
It is much responsibility for one so young.