Personification Life: EPIC (IC Thread XI) [CLOSED]

[Tiltjuice]

Boars don't bore

Dora peered from above Maghrl's shoulder down at the image on the screen, then took off running behind Gio, already sweating after the first few paces. The shovel was awkward to carry while running - why was it still in her hand anyway?

She put the thought out of mind and continued sidestepping underbrush and roots. The foot of the volcano drew ever closer. Despite all the heat and the thunder, this felt more fitting than most of her life at the Building.

Team Unicorn

Chrys found herself overcome with a fit of giggles. Hans giving a speech like a watered-down drill sergeant, accompanied by a rakish tufty mane of black/red hair. And all of it ending with...

"Chrys? You naughty Filly of Fate. So this is where you've been?"

"Well, naturally! Here - this is Clover, Arrow and Razzalia, and you already know Brit." She tossed her head to indicate Hans' other side, only to see as she moved closer to him that Brit was no longer there. Her teeth clattered briefly against each other.

"Where's Brit? ....Did she vanish like the Princess?" Her head turned back and forth between the Glorianans and Hans.

[Monfrox]

Brit should've known better, really. She probably should've just stuck with the rest of the group. Well, she was certainly stuck now.

Nice goin', Ace.

She shifted her stance back defensively and threw her eyes all around the room. Between the faux Willow and her, there was still something about this place that made her morality wretch. She just wanted to have her old body back and be rid of this place. She didn't want to necessarily fight them. She just wanted to get the Princess out and go. Figure things out from there. It was clear that such efforts were fruitless though.

"You're not Willow...just some cheap imitation." She spat, taking the slingshot close as she glared at him.

---

Paper Brit couldn't argue with Paper Neste. Sometimes she forgot she was made of such material. Ah, but to be alive...anyway, Brit nodded in agreement.

"I could always be the bait here...I'm pretty fast. I can dodge out of the way, if we're still doing that." She said to her.

Sgt Kafka didn't have too much time to argue or say anything before Gio took off on her mission, like she was leading the charge of a triumph. On a quest to save the remains of Christmas for everyone. Wait, didn't she say to have her follow? Chert poberi!

"Oi!"

She took off in pursuit, bringing up the rear guard.

[Torsiedelle]

Of the two, the man turned, hiding a cautious glance at the foreigner with the strange language. He watched, waited for translation, and then gave a short bow. "Jonathan. Good day."

The girl found the line below, as she listened to the men, not interested, but not bored, either. It was a bit odd, but she couldn't exactly see anything, so perhaps the full effect wasn’t hitting her. She crossed an X on the form given to her, and held it back out in front of her, hoping to be facing the right way; her sense of hearing told her where to turn to.

[Cerillium]

PAVILION

"So, what does it say?" squeaked the lizard atop the General in what might easily be one of the shortest posts in EPIC but for the fact that another reply is tacked onto it.


OUT OF THE FRYING PAN

The daemonpony memorized the colors and faces of the Glorianans, nodding to each as Chrys introduced them. Clover? His eyes lingered on the mare, though his ears snapped up at the mention of Brit.

"The Froxian is the last missing Resident," Rache peered into the gloom where Brit should have been. Had she and Pansy found each other in a different tunnel? "Aegis, Yuna, and Willow are afoot. I take it this is Clover the Clever?"

Shaking out his stubby mane, the grey stallion approached Chrys and then nuzzled her shoulder. The contact, though brief, allowed for an uninvited exchange.

The Windigo seek to consume. Clover is a key to stopping them. Observe, Conservator-

Willow chewed his top lip when Rache asked for another, more detailed recount of the HWE story. It wasn't a problem of remembering, the tale was pretty much burned into the back of his skull at ready access from having to hear it a million times in both history classes and during the holidays every year for his entire life, but it was very long-winded. He'd have to have patience though, Rache didn't have the benefit of the knowledge that he had. Taking a moment to think ahead, he launched into another retelling.

"The story as told in books and the pageant is pretty simplified. It doesn't go into a lot of detail about what happened during the build-up of the winter, just a brief narrator overview of the tribes, their roles, and the problems the winter caused. When the actual story really begins, it begins right at the summit between the leaders and their arguing.

"Commander Hurricane begins by demanding to know why the Earth ponies are keeping all the food to themselves, and Chancellor Puddinghead explains that it's because they believe the pegasi are the ones causing the winter and thus don't deserve any. Hurricane insists they have proven many times that it is not the pegasi and then turns on Princess Platinum, accusing the unicorns of causing the winter with their 'freakish magic'..." Willow mentally counted off the lines in his head. "So they pretty much repeat all the attitudes we've seen so far here.

"Well Platinum rebuffs, saying the unicorns are too civilized and morally upright to ever do such a thing - implying that the other tribes, especially the pegasi, are not. When Puddinghead expresses that she is tired of dealing with the other races' 'unnatural powers' and is running out of ideas on how to handle things, Hurricane snaps on her saying, 'How surprising, an Earth pony with no ideas' sarcastically, basically calling her and her race morons. Platinum tries to come to Puddinghead's defense by telling Hurricane to stop insulting others, which gets them both to snap on her - Puddinghead because she feels patronized by Platinum trying to speak for her, and Hurricane because he feels Platinum has no right to tell him what to do. Platinum, feeling insulted, insists that a princess should not be spoken to in such a manner and moves to leave the meeting, triggering the other leaders to take their leave as well."

This recount reminded Willow of one of his prime concerns: Commander Hurricane seemed like a fucking asshole. Granted, ALL the leaders were assholes, but the pageants in Equestria typically went with the 'screaming shoot-first military leader' stock type for the peagsi leader. Then again, just how much of the play could really be trusted? Pansy, while still meek like she was usually portrayed, had already proven herself to be a much deeper individual than the play had ever put forth. In fact, looking back on memories of years of watching the pageant, he almost felt a little insulted on her behalf. It was as Rache had said before, history had a way of simplifying historical figures to inaccurate degrees.

"Pansy's character is frequently used as comic relief in the play," he explained to Rache, frowning and drooping his wings. "Her fearful nature is ridiculously exaggerated to the point of jumping at small noises even though her ultimate role is important. After spending this time with her, I feel crappy about that now. She's just a poor little sad girl who doesn't fit in, she's scared of the death around her. I do hope we don't have to wind up telling her anything, I'm not sure she's strong enough to handle that yet. But anyway... the three leaders go back to their homes and explain to their subordinates how the other tribal leaders were completely unreasonable, blind to their own hooves in the issue." He paused to consider. "I'm honestly not sure how it is Pansy turns out to be Hurricane's sidekick in the matter, the play usually portrays her as just happening to be standing there when he enters scene and begins ranting about the other leaders' disrespect. The other subordinates have jobs in direct connection to the leader, but 'Private' is generally considered a pretty low and separate rank, isn't it? They wouldn't be just hanging around the tip-top ranks..."

Whatever, there was a lot to talk about and Willow was getting tired.

"Anyway, the leaders go home and speak with their subordinates, the dialogue itself not usually very important, each simultaneously coming to the conclusion that they need to find a new land for a new country. The leaders become increasingly angry and unreasonable during the trip due to their frustrations. Puddinghead fights with her subordinate over map directions out of protectiveness of her position as a leader, Hurricane becomes paranoid about unknown enemies and frequently attacks clouds for being in strange shapes, and Platinum's being used to comfort causes her disproportionate distress at the struggles of the trip and subsequently puts additional stress on her own subordinate over it. Eventually they all reach the land and comment on what makes it perfect for each of their race; the clear air, trees, and fertile ground for the Earth ponies, the clear open skies for the pegasi, and the limitless supply of gems and beauty for the unicorns. The leaders name the land Unicornia, Pegasopolis, and Earth respectively until they later happen to run into each other.

"They all get pissed off and try to force each other to leave the land, with Hurricane saying they should fight for it and Platinum threatening to throw Hurricane into "the dungeon" despite having no dungeon around nor anypony actually capable of putting him into one. Pansy and the other subordinates try to intervene and ask for peaceful talk, but are yelled down. Puddinghead pelts both the other leaders with snowballs, which, because they had been so used to being surrounded by snow in the first place, it takes them a few minutes to realize there shouldn't actually be any snow here to pelt them with - revealing that the blizzard itself has followed them and is now rapidly consuming the land at an unnatural rate.

"Realizing they can't stay outside with the severity of the storm, all six of them have no choice but to band together to find shelter, which they find in a cold and crowded cave. Things are somewhat peaceful for a while, until Platinum asks Hurricane to move further away from her and give her personal space, demonstrating an "invisible line" which he's not allowed to cross. He responds by ordering Pansy to draw a, quote, "real, non-invisible line" in the dirt of the cave to carve off a section for the two of them that the other four can't cross. Not to be outdone, the other leaders also command their subordinates to draw their own "territories" in the cave.

"Shit soon hits the fan while Pansy is trying to draw her lines. She comes across a large rock in the ground and merely attempts to draw the border around it, when Hurricane snaps on her saying that she needs to go over the rock and not around it because he, and I quote, "is not giving up an inch of territory to the enemy." That's apparently not good enough for Princess Platinum, who interrupts the confrontation saying that the rock belongs to the "unicorn side," all of it. Evidently taking that as a rejection of diplomacy, Hurricane physically picks up the rock and takes it to the pegasus side, proclaiming that it belongs to them, much to Platinum's anger. Puddinghead also gets in on this dispute, apparently wanting the rock for no other reason other than that the other sides want the rock, actually running in and grabbing the rock while Hurricane is distracted and bringing it to her side."

Willow paused to make meaningful eye contact with Rache, silently acknowledging the sheer absurdity of the situation.

"Yeah. So that just pisses off Platinum and Hurricane even more and they attempt to gang-up on Puddinghead for the rock, which leads to a whole dramatic argumentative scene which feeds into the windigos' power and causes the cave entrance to freeze over with ice. Realizing that they are now trapped, Platinum says that the others deserve the fate of slow death more than her because they've done nothing but fight and argue. Puddinghead and Hurricane both snap on her saying she has done plenty of fighting, Puddinghead outright claiming to have done far less fighting than her. Platinum says that unicorns are morally above fighting, and Hurricane says that this is a lie they spout to excuse their weakness and cowardice. None of the three notice that their bodies are being slowly covered in ice the more they argue, and their last words before being fully consumed are derisive condemnations on the other races' characters.

"That leaves the subordinates there with only each other. Realizing the ice is closing in on them across the ground, they huddle together in the middle of the cave and look up to find the windigo spirits have actually gathered along the ceiling. The unicorn subordinate recognizes them and explains what they are to the others, stating that is was their own hatred and cold hearts that caused all the strife and suffering. Pansy remarks that she does not hate either of the other subordinates, on account that she realizes it's illogical to hate ponies she doesn't even personally know simply because they were born different. Comforted by this, the others admit that they do not hate one another either, and state that despite all their differences, they're all ponies. They hug as the ice almost overcomes them, until a flash of light shatters them out of it, and the unicorn's body is possessed as a magical outlet from which enchanted inferno bursts out and destroys the windigos. Once the unicorn is released, the inferno remains on the ceiling to warm the ponies within, and the unicorn explains that she felt within her that the magic that created it was a result of all three of the subordinates coming together as friends rather than enemies.

"And so the three spend the rest of the night in the cave getting to know each other, having never before spoken politely and personally to the other races. They tell each other stories, laugh together at jokes, and create songs to sing which modern Equestrians still remember. The story says that the warmth from their gathering assisted the magic inferno to melt away the ice prisons from the leaders, and that their time trapped in silence and being forced to observe the good nature between the subordinates caused them each to have a change of heart regarding the other tribes. Eventually the ice covering the opening fell away, and all six emerged to find the new land as splendid and alive as when they found it. Platinum, Hurricane, and Puddinghead all decide that they must put their strengths and resources together to share the land and save all ponykind, realizing from the magic of the subordinates that ponies are clearly stronger united than they are divided. They fashion a new flag and decide upon one name: Equestria, land of all ponies."

The artist took a long breath of air. "Then the rest is history. The rest of the tribes moved in, and the eventual establishment of a new culture began. How the princesses came to us is another story entirely. This is how the play puts it, and it is all I know. I'm also very tired..." Here he laid down. "Tomorrow, maybe you should try asking some of the other ponies we've met what they know about the situation, if you can. I may be a pegasus, but I am not a Cyniscan. I can only offer so much."

Rache blinked. The exchange had only taken a heartbeat. He thought it best to give Chrys a moment to process everything before explaining anything more.

[Chedastan]

Pavilion

Nivea indeed saw the note, but before she could even read out loud off it, it had crumpled into sand! Odd. Someone out there, the tribesman no doubt, obviously wanted only one pair of eyes to see it. And with the sun coming down slowly but surely, they were running out of time!

"Um, we need to get the boars, like now! And everyone that was on that excursion for Macy, the chosen tribesmen want us to bring those boars to the other side of the island, there's a clearing they want us to meet them at. Shit, where's Giovenith, Marcus, Torii, and the others? We need them and the two boars!" She hastily spoke and tried to remembered exactly what the note said, as it seemed pretty dire to her. It was quite obvious though in her response that she didn't know that Torii wasn't alive anymore, if she knew she would've wondered how that'll complicate things, as she wasn't sure how exact the tribesman's note implied.

Still though, she went searching for the others, frantically saying they needed the boars and the group that went to get Macy.

[Swith Witherward]

PAVILION

Nila's tail lashed out behind her as she leaned toward Nivea and thrust a grabby claw towards the letter. The effort, and her unconscious attempts to unbalance the General, faded as the paper dissolved.

"Macy is here," the lizard's finger swept towards the girl-machine.

But Nivea didn't wait. Nila keyed on her frantic emotions, her construct claws quickly plucking at the General's armor (though, like the real stuff, it remained unscathed). "Do you not hear? We must get the others and the boars and then... and then!"

She slid down her perch. "Alarm! Alarm! Ah-"

Minerva's pale fingers pinched the construct's lips closed. She hadn't been there a moment ago, Nila was sure of it.

"Let's calmly gather up Residents and bring them to the pavilion," the cultist leader's tone told the construct this wasn't a suggestion. "General Romulus is quite capable of organizing them as they come in." The fingers relented and Nila stretched her lips to encourage sensation to return. She set off a moment later.

Vexed, Minerva pinched the bridge of her nose. Why her? Why was it always when she was on holiday? "Nivea! Get back here! Sit down and tell me what the hell is going on. Boars and tribesmen?. Miss Macy, are you alright? What's this about an excursion?"



TIKI HUT Transition

"Ssshhhh!" Volker waved his hands at the trio, "Listen!"

The Lads' shouts drew the front desk cultist's eyes to the small stand of trees just shy of the pavilion. Something was going on. Minerva's ilk never walked about in broad daylight.

A woman's voice rang out from the pavilion. "Alarm! Alarm! Ah-"

"Oh, shit." Volker stuffed the leases into the envelope and thrust it into a martini shaker. "Come on, the three of you. There's an emergency." He gestured toward the naked mole rat and added, "Explain to the warrior in his own tongue!"

Volker set off, his jackboots kicking up white sand as he raced across the beach and towards the pavilion. Hopefully the newcomers would follow. Otherwise they're going to be rather bored.

[Swith Witherward]

GLADE

Septimus stood up.

"I'm sorry. I'm not your father. And..."

Marcus insides recoiled. He'd pushed it too far. He'd pushed the other man away. It was his childish rant, he was sure of it. It was his horrible temperament. Oh fuck, oh fuck, what have I done? His ears strained to hear what came next. Septimus would say goodbye and walk away. Marcus would need to own his mistakes. This would be the first and final lesson his father gave. Yet that bitter moment didn't come. Stunned, Marcus listened as his father laid bare the genuine truth of the matter.

Was it any wonder that his mother loved the man so? It was only fair to tell him that.

Marcus opened his mouth just as his father hugged him. In that too-brief moment, the young man's heartstrings experienced the thrum of devotion felt by any child that has ever known the joy of a patron's arms. So this was what it was like to feel safe, to display trust?

His heart rate slowed as Septimus offered the words that shook loose the final petals of rage still clinging to his mind. Marcus stood meekly after they parted, marshaling his emotions in order to reset his outward appearance while his father smoothed his own brown robes and posed an earnest question.

"You've already taught me so many things," a quick sniff allowed his sinuses to reclaim the mucous threatening to spill from his nose. Marcus wiped his eye dry with a palm. "You aren't my dad." The corner of his mouth turned upward, nothing but a tiny gesture to show good intent. "You're the embodiment of him. I don't think you'll ever understand exactly how much you mean to me."

The smile blossomed a bit further though it remain tinged by the emotions not yet put to rest. "Besides, you're not so bad a father."

[Stormwrath]

Pavilion

Macy was quite startled by the arrow that came out of nowhere. As she stared avt the fire that was slowly consuming the shaft, everyone else seemed to put on worry-faces, running about to and fro all over the place as if they were in some kind of frenzy. This seemed to worsen as the note in Nivea's hands turned to dust, putting everyone even more on edge. "Wait a minute," she started asking. "What is going on? Why are we hurrying?"

But it seemed no one was willing to answer. Seeing Nivea suddenly dash off, she was about to run after her, but she was stopped. Minerva seemed just as confused as Macy was, but once she asked something about Macy's excursion, the pieces seemed to fall into place.

"Earlier this morning," Macy explained, "I was abducted by tribesmen who carried me into the jungle, possibly to their village. But when they came across ruins, I got separated from them and fell, remaining near the ruins for a while before Marcus and the others found me. I don't know why the others appear to be panicking, and I don't know if the tribesmen may have had something to do with this, but I think something bad's gonna happen and they seem to know it."

[The BranRiech]

Drova

"Gods... What!?"

The group had suddenly charged off, the paper-residents were staying behind, and Drova was still confused as to what his actual role was. Bullfighter. Gio had said he could just fly out of the way, so was he supposed to stand there in front of the charging beast, leading it places?

He reached into his belt and produced a small dagger, the same one he'd planned to defend himself with if Torii's anger remained focused on Drova, instead of Marcus. "Yuna, I... It was great seeing you! Make it home safe!" He shouted back, as he started sprinting off through the jungle with the rest of his fellow residents-turned-hunters. "Guys!" He shouted up ahead, figuring they were making enough of a commotion just running through foliage. "What's a bullfighter?" He panted, nearly caught up to the rest of them.

[Chedastan]

Pavilion

Nivea stopped in her tracks as Minerva made her sudden appearance to calm things down, or specifically just her down. Nivea realized from there that she was acting very foolish, like the mad woman the inquisitors accused her of being. But how could she have expected any of this to happen? As was this paradise really just a facade if other chosen could attack you at any moment? What was Demens' deal to make them fight one another then? As clearly if they were all his, he no doubt would've orchestrated something to cause something bad to happen amongst them. Gods, she had too many questions and ideas right now that can't be explored due to mere circumstance!

"I'm sorry, I-I freaked out, please forgive me." She walked back to Minerva, taking a seat with her. She eyed her amazing fire-like hair once again, but this time she knew she had to look down at her face. She breathed in. "The note, yes, it said that by sun down, we are to meet on the other side of the island at a clearing. Remembering now, I think it meant everyone. They want us to bring two boars with us, cause that was our agreement.. Oh." She remembered Minerva might've not known about the supposed nature of the tribesmen.

"They're tribesmen, but they claimed they are Chosen of Demens. So I don't think we should chance anything, given that we only met them because they kidnapped and tried to eat Macy, which is that excursion I mentioned." She explained that last part with Macy to the Captain.

Paper Romy

Paper Romulus looked down at the two of them at their seats. "Torii is dead by the way, killed by Marcus' hand. I believed it was a civil dispute, pointless I should say. And that's it, the body has been disposed of, talk to Marcus if you want needless details." He offhandedly said to Minerva as he left, leaving before Nivea could make a face of shock over the news.

He made rounds around the pavilion and beach, telling people to gather up at the pavilion for a resident meeting. Sometimes barking in the distance for people to come back for something important. After a few minutes of it, he eventually returned after it seemed everyone had heard.

[Giovenith]

"Aww, my shovel," Paper-Willow sighed, before brightening quickly. "Oh well! I'm going to go back to the Christmas party to see what happens! Gotta get some of those M&M brownies before they're destroyed too!" And he flew away.



Giovenith's heart lurched as she heard Drova chasing after them. God fucking dammit! She skidded to a stop and yelled, "Stand by the hole, gode the boar into charging you, get out of the way so it falls into hole! We don't have time, get back where you're supposed to be now!"

Giovenith rarely yelled at others, but this was an emergency. There was nothing personal against Drova, his question was valid, but they couldn't waste time stopping and having people out of position. In just under an hour they would all be dead if they didn't do this.

"Go!" she commanded again before leading the makeshift hunters off again.

As they got further into the jungle, Giovenith suddenly stopped the group and urged them to stay low and silent as she thought she heard something. Relying a bit on her own draconic instincts, she silently peaked through the greenery and caught a dark mass preoccupying itself with the ground. A small bead of sweat ran down her forehead as she heard the grunts and snorts.

She took a shuddering breath and whispered. "Okay. Okay. This one doesn't look too big... if we all go at it together with everything we've got, it will probably work. Make yourselves look as big and as intimidating as possible, use your weapons."

The "big and intimidating" thing was actually advice for handling mountain lions, but it couldn't be much different for boars too, right?

"Okay, be prepared. On the count of three. One... two... three!"



Paper-Willow landed atop one of the pavilion tables with a loud clatter, still grinning confidently and with hair swept in a mess. He looked a little bit like the real Willow might on crack. It was a loud and grand entrance, and he rose up a foreleg to announce to the nervous party-goers:

"Fear not everyone, twas likely only a warning shot!" he said with grandiose. "As we speak, a small team of light-weight inexperienced hunters armed with shovels is already tracking down one of the most aggressive and dangerous creatures known to the tropical ecosystem so that we might have a chance to see the chime of the New Year! There is no need to panic, the only consequence if they fail is death!"

Yeah guys, come on, it's just death! GAAAWWWD!

"Now sombody hand this pony a gingerbread man!" the cutout demanded, standing on his hindlegs and whipping out his forelegs out dramatically.

[Torsiedelle]

Flan stumbled forward. An emergency? Huh? "Um, hello?", She reached out. Nothing? "What do you mean emergency?"

Something caught her hand. Someone else had taken it. "After me.", Said the strange men who had led her along before. Beckoning the strange foreign warrior along, he mumbled wity each step, trying to keep up with a girl in tow and a stranger to boot. "Best not to miss anything important here.", He said aloud. "Just what is happening? We'll find out."

[Fvaarniimar]

"Drova -"  a hollow thock against his leg, as Nick's cutout bumped it.  <Don't take reckless risks.  Fly out of the way.  Be careful.>  "See you later."

"'Willow'" (who obviously wasn't Nick's placid friend, what was a less gentle kind of tree?) "Has the right idea. Unless Drova wants company, there isn't much we can do here." As for what the cutouts could do, apart from graciously accepting their doppelganger's presents - the cat had had an idea. "Who here knows what a Secret Santa is?"

[Holy Lykos]

Maghrl pocketed Giovenith's phone when the boars were spotted. He'd have to give it back to her later. The Jedi took a deep breath as Gio told them to prepare. He sniffed a bit, trying to pick out the boars scent just in case they lost it in their pursuit. His ear twitched at the girls counting, nodding as she reached three. He really hoped that was the cue, because the squib rushed out of the brush hollering and shouting at the beast.

Of course, he decided to shout in his own language, too. He'd assumed the boar could be used to human speech so he went for something alien. It sounded at times almost like barks and other foxish noises, but there was pattern and repetition to it like any other form of speech.

The Squib also made a point to not bring out his lightsaber, but pick up a big(for him, stick) in each hand, waving them around towards the boar to make himself look bigger. The jungle was rather dark after all.

Oh and hopefully the others were coming after. A small creature like himself might not do so well on his own against a boar, even with the Force on his side. Also hopefully this was the right thing to do, because Gio hadn't exactly said what to do when the boar was found. Goad and startle it back to the pit? This might do, hopefully.

[Torrocca]

Hectaros didn't necessarily need the mole rat's translations as he listened to Volker's calm demeanor shift into distress; coupled with the wails of the woman outside, he already suspected there to be trouble. Replacing his brother's ring back onto his finger and gathering up his sword and shield once more, he followed close behind the others, prepared (or, at least, he assumed he'd be prepared) for the worst. He remained silent and attentive, glancing at everything he could see with an untrusting eye as he jogged along; the warrior in him was finally kicking in again.

[The BranRiech]

Drova

From the annoyance present in everyone else's faces and voices, Drova learned really rather quickly that he wasn't supposed to be running off with the others. "Well thanks for explaining that earlier, Gio, really fucking appreciated!" He stopped in his tracks, letting the group run off again. "Ask one fucking thing and of course, everyone's mad again. Everyone's an asshole now, not just Torii?" He grumbled, picking up the pace into a jog on his way back to the hole.

"If they'd just told me without it being a riddle, then maybe I'd still be there."

He jumped up, nearing the hole. His wings unfurled and the Pyersai allowed them to glide back to the hole, near the beach. His feet landed with a little thud, sending a little whisp of sand flying off. "Alright... Jump up when it runs towards me, and it falls."

He eyed back towards the jungle, listening for signs of commotion.

[Cerillium]

THE DETAILS ARE BOARING ba dum tish

The behavior of the wild boar (also called wild hogs and wild pigs; Sus scrofa) is unique
among native and introduced hoofed big game in the United States.
The behavior among its European counterparts is ghastly.
But if you want to tangle with a right bastard, you need look no further than
the cantankerous jungle dwellers of the Isle of Ni.

The black mass froze, Christmas dinner slowly oozing from its jaws as it searched for whatever had made that strange rustling sound. The jaws began to work again as the animal's eyes roved the treeline. It took a tentative step forward and settled under a peaceful shaft of sunlight breaking through the canopy. Behold: The Wild Boar of Ni.

These creatures were not as big as their Russian cousins, and this was a very good thing. Whilst those boar could easily top 1,179 pounds and stand five and half feet at the shoulder, the Wild Boar of Ni stood a stunted 4. They made up for the size disparity with temperament.

"Grunt," the beady eyes dialed in on the pale human-looking girl behind some ferns. A yawn parted its jaws, revealing the curved upper whetters and their wickedly curled lower cutters - tusks, for those none-too-familiar with pigs. The contents of its meal danced upon its tongue - a slurry of side dishes mixed with a little ham (alright, who's the wiseguy?!). It pawed at the ground, the great head stooping as it rutted the soil and exposed its wide shoulders. The back bristles, eternally standing on end as though the animal had been surprised with something dreadful such as a tax audit or an unexpected visit from its in-laws, shivered slightly. The boar slapped its head to the right to persue more of the Residents' buried meal, and the cutters sliced through soil and a three-inch tree root as though it were butter. As impressive as all this might sound, the boar's strength rests upon his shield - a cartilage and scar tissue mess of skullfuckery capable of deflecting .44 magnums and .45/70's. Had the Residents 30-06, they might have done a bit of damage. They do not. We know this for certain because it isn't on any of their character sheets. Aw.

"Grunt." Just making sure you're paying attention, little girl. Oh, and you've brought friends! The boar flapped its wings.

Oh yes, wings. Two impossibly small wings no larger than a child's palm - more like tiny white puffs gracing each shoulder - quivered as it assessed how much trampling and jabbing it would take to drive these stinky humans away.

"GRUNT!" Even Drova could hear that last one from his spot near the pit. The boar popped its jaw at Giovenith and began to work up a frothy foam to better lubricate its whetters. Two meager inches of top tusk - placed at just the right angle to do maximum damage! - glistened in the sunlight. The boar surged forward in a stiff-legged mock charge, stopping short of the clearing and then backing away. It didn't take Giovenith's primal instincts or the Jedi's abilities to tell the animal was perturbed by the Residents' presence.

A sharp squeal pierced the air to echo across the small valley. This horrid noise came not from the boar in the sunlight, but from the creature shrouded in the foliage a mere two feet from Brit's rump.


PAVILION

The thunderous squeal echoing up the beach caused Fritz to wince. "Oh good, they've found some Boar." He handed Willow a gingerbread man and then sat down to assess the situation for himself, and refrained from commenting on the death.

"Demens has many Chosen, Miss Nivea," the god of conspiracies and intrigue crossed leg over knee and fixed a polite smile to his lips. "You should be more troubled that they knew you were also Chosen. A rag-tag bunch of natives in an island in the middle of nowhere is capable of determining that a group of mismatched misfits from a more-civilized locale are special rather then just misfits? After all, we weren't Chosen the last time we were here."

Residents and cardboard cutouts roused by Romulus' voice began to trickle in as he spoke. He paid them no mind. "Miss Nivea, this is very important. Do you remember the exact wording in that note? Did they sound primitive or eloquent? Was there a mark or seal? And Miss Macy, did they say anything that could give away who they were?"

Neste paused at the pavilion entrance, then stepped aside to allow Volker, Hectaros, Flan and Montressor to pass inside.

Delicious smells rose from the buffet line in the back of the pavilion. Twelve twinkling fur trees adorned with colorful bulbs and lights stood sentinel near the food. Colorfully wrapped presents nested under their lowest boughs. Flan's ears, so accustomed to feeding her more information than a sighted person's would, told her the room was packed. But they also spoke of strange things moving about: scales scraping against material or each other, the soft whoosh of fur as something fuzzy walked past her.

Hablarrata the Translation Naked Mole Rat had desperately clung to the warrior's armor as his companion jogged down the beach. Now he worked overtime to bring Hectaros up to speed. He wove the tale in English, transmitting to Hectaros' mind in his own native tongue. "These are your fellow Residents - some warriors, some healers, some scholars, and some with other talents. Many have great magical powers, and many possess advanced technology. Many are mortals like yourself and their strength is their talents and determination."

He scampered to the man's other shoulder. "It appears some of these Residents were fishing at the shore. A great fish rose from the ocean and crashed down. While they were distracted, natives stole away a girl. These young people chased the natives into the jungle. An encounter took place. The Natives were willing to trade the girl for one of the sophont ponies. The Residents refused. So a deal was struck: bring the natives two boar by sundown and they would spare the village their wrath. A team has gone out to hunt up those boar. But, just moments ago, an arrow came through that door. A message from the natives reminding us of the deadline and instructing us to go to a clearing on the other side of the island to present the boar and prove our worth as co-habitants here. We should find some seats and see what the plans are. The tall woman with red hair is Captain Minerva Blackwater. She usually steps in as a leader of sorts when these emergencies occur. And the man that just spoke is Fritz, a chaos god."

Hablarrata sat upright and offered a wrinkled two-digit salute to the anthropomorphic lizard at the door. "Thank you, Neste. I figured you had sifted people's minds for the details."

The construct nodded. She had business elsewhere now, and she quickly hurried away.


GLADE

"Marcus Alsius Usseo de Trilb-Itum, where have you been?" Arms akimbo, Neste stood upon the path and glared into the glade. "I won't have you fucking about when there's a crisis at hand. You're not made of paper!"

Her bluster was worse than her bite - something that Marcus knew fully well. This familiar exchange played often in his stunted childhood. She bristled and nagged, he put on a sheepish air, things got accomplished. The time to worry only came when she invoked an entire name. "Alright, Mama Nes, I'm sorry. Keep your tail on, I'm going."

"Now."

"Yes, I'm going now," Marcus chuckled. He placed a hand on Septimus' shoulder and offered a grateful squeeze. "Take care of my paper mother, please? You two are all I have left." The young priest departed, leaving the embodiment of his parents in each others care.

[Mincaldenteans]

Pavilion
“Interesting,” the Fae queen murmured as she took in Fritz’s assessment of the situation. The fact the inhabitants knew of them raised a number of questions, but also safe to surmise a few important points that immediately made her curious and suspicious. Here was hoping the Residents could make the logical theories. Mab wasn't one to participate in hand-holding discourse; no one would survive her tender mercies.

Instead, she seized two glasses of white wine and settled down on the comfortable chair next to Fritz, sliding his wine glass toward him. It was a small gesture, but one she found comforting to do so.

“As mortals like to say, two’s company, but three's a crowd,” Mab commented in a quiet, but serious, tone knowing Fritz would catch her reference to Demens and his Chosen. She took a sip of her wine which she noted as sweet, but not overpowering and peered her eyes toward the Nevidian’s, waiting in curiosity for the young woman's account.

[Giovenith]

The boar tried to pull a bluff. Giovenith didn't. Knowing there was no time to hesitate, she shifted her shovel in her hands, pulled it back, and hit the boar head on in the face with the ridge of shovel, hoping it would inflict more concentrated damage. Yelling now, she came forward and wasted no time hitting it again, this time with the flat side, over the back as hard as she could muster. She wasn't sure if this would hurt it, but her idea was to catch it off expectation and overwhelm it into fleeing.

"Go around!" She ordered the rest. "Hit it together so it will run!"

[Holy Lykos]

"Go around!" She ordered the rest. "Hit it together so it will run!"

The squib only faltered for a moment, afraid they'd screwed up in some way. But Gio's actions spurred him on too. He jumped to the side and smacked the boar with the branches he'd picked up. HARD. Hard enough to snap one in half on impact. Maghrl grunted and used the force to grab another, larger branch, jumping back as he threw it at the boar at high velocity. He used his momentum to dash back in to smack his unbroken 'weapon' into its rump, a third attack, before the Squib jumped back again.

"Careful, GioGio!" It probably wasn't a good idea to stick around the boar for too long!

[The BranRiech]

Drova

Everything just seemed to be getting worse and worse.

Those were Drova's thoughts as he shuffled his feet around the hole the others had built. Having arrived just as it was finished being dug, he didn't really take the time to think of what exactly it was for. It was clear enough that their quarry was supposed to end up trapped within, and until just recently, he was a little unsure of how the Boar would end up in the hole. He'd gotten his answer after running off with the group.

It wasn't what he wanted to hear in the slightest.

He had wings! He could have scouted out ahead of the group, driven the Boar towards the hole by flying above it or something. There had to be something more fitting for a Prince with working-wings than standing guard at the Boar's soon-to-be grave.

"And they can't just shoot them?" He muttered, kicking a small twig off into the foliage. It snapped in the air and brushed against some vibrant green plant. "Where's Kale? She loves stuff like this..." Drova sighed to himself.

Yeah, and she'd also wonder why Torii wasn't there anymore.

It wasn't out of the realm of possibility. Already people seemed more and more angry with Drova. Of course they saved face while Yuna was there, but it was definitely something to think that they'd be more respectful to a paper cutout than Drova himself.

"No... I was just an idiot." He repeated the phrase a couple of times. Sure, Gio should have explained it better, Drova thought, but he should have asked before they ran off.

"GRUNT!"

Much quicker than expected, it had seemed that the little hunting party had already run into something...

Something big.

Lining up another twig to kick off into the bushes, Drova stumbled to attention, and stepped over a bit to position himself in front of the hole, between it and where he heard the noise coming from. Because he figured if they were going to come from anywhere, it would be from deep within the jungle.

[Northwest Slobovia]

RAIDERS of the LOST BOOK

OPERATION: BIBLIOPHILE
DIMENSION: Gallimaufry then 257P
LOCATION: Above the Max Thunder Fury Road Beyond Ascalon Dome
TEAMS: MU
RotLB

The rising lizards had not lost sight of their quarries, however, and they rolled to keep up with Sandy. Their greater size and girth meant they flew wide and lost ground on him, but they remained in relentless pursuit. Within their throats, tar-textured ichor came alight as they sought to make their own approach on the Pegasus and his passengers. Their advantage lie in now being far above Sandy, and their wings swept back as they prepared to dive and make up for lost time.

Three groups? Sandy's gaze followed the lizards closest to him while the others swooped in his wide vision and Hearing. He grew worried. This doesn't look like the way hungry animals would hunt prey. This looks like a coordinated attack!

There was a babble of urges in his head: confusion, nervousness, bloodlust; his own thoughts mixed with Nick's and the Baron's. A voice took shape: the Baron's. There are two threats. The nearer I trust you can overcome, Sandy. The other, leave to me. The image of the stalking tiger returned: Primordial meant a vicious end for the lizard that had grabbed the scout car.

"Help me! Oh Demens! Oh Demens, he's gonna drop me on you!" panicked cries rang out.

Metal screeched as the Luxan drew power from his cane to fuel the Fist of Yog-Sothoth. The spiked metal bar the roaders called a bumper tore free from the front of the scout car, taking jagged bits of fender with it.

Sandy glimpsed the Baron's intent: if he couldn't study the creature's death, he could at least drag its suffering out. Warn the radioman at least!

Overcoming his disinterest in human lives, the Baron spoke into his hot mic. "Strap yourself down and prepare for a drop." He wasted no more time with frivolous distractions. The "bumper" flipped end over end, and jammed itself into the lizard's gaping mouth. The Baron gave it a savage twist as he shoved it as far down the beast's throat as he could. The spikes and sawtooth metal fragments would catch something -- brainpan, spine, windpipe, arteries -- and something would have to give.

Sandy didn't -- couldn't! -- watch the Baron's grim entertainment, and forced it out his mind by studying the two diving lizards as he rolled into a tighter turn. With their wings swept, they couldn't out-turn him, and even if their wings snapped open, they'd need time to slow down: they'd overshoot him in a turning fight. And that was just what he intended to give them... right down the primrose path.

His visualized where he'd lead them: a block of the sky below all of them, but too close to them for them to get a clean shot. Nick, have the convoy gunners aim here, where I'm thinking. Let them register their guns, then cease firing while we pass through. With luck, we'll put the lizards' heads right were a lot of flak will be.

Eyes on his opponents, Sandy relaxed his turn just enough for them to follow him into a trap.

[OOC: When we analyzed the lizard scale, we discovered that Luxan magic wouldn't pass through it. However, when trained in the holodeck, we let it work on the lizards. The Baron's current attack is a way to fix up that GM mistake.

Baron Primordial appears by permission of the three-lobed burning eye.]

[Fvaarniimar]

RAIDERS of the LOST BOOK

OPERATION: BIBLIOPHILE
DIMENSION: Gallimaufry then 257P
LOCATION: Above the Max Thunder Fury Road Beyond Ascalon Dome

Nick, meanwhile, abandoned a plan to water-cannon the lizard in question, smoothly picking up where the Luxan left off. "You in the scout car, pad vital areas in any way possible.  We're rooting for you!  The lizard is likely going to drop you, but on the ground will be better than on the convoy.  Cars are made to protect inhabitants -"

He processed Sandy's request. "Convoy gunners, concentrate fire on -" he gave the coordinates. "Register guns, only fire to aim then STOP while we pass through or you could hit us-"

"As for you, sir..." All he really could offer was a bit of comfort, a reassuring voice on the other end; sometimes, he'd found, that was exactly what people needed. "Shame I'm not on board," he quipped. "We cats tend to land on our feet. You might land upside down - I repeat, strap in.  Good luck!  Also, if you have a first-aid kit, secure it within easy reach." Assuming, of course, that that was still possible. "I'll butt out now - in case any friends want to talk to you..." It would hurt, Nick knew, if he couldn't bid a friend goodbye because some stranger was yammering.

And - barring further intervention from the Luxan, but the motives had been clear - the odds were rather strongly against survival.

But if the Luxan did interfere...

Nick shivered. <I understand your motives. I find them about as pleasant as rotted sewage, which is weird because you normally seem very nice, but right now I can't not understand. I understand that you've helped all you want to. Okay. Just pleease, don't make things worse for him. You don't have that much in your cane anyway.>

[Chedastan]

Pavilion

Nivea felt rather unsettled to have heard the incredibly loud squeal coming from the boar in the distance, having just now learned from that how boars apparently sounded. She wished good luck to who's job it was to hunt them, as she couldn't imagine how dreadful the things must be in the flesh.

She tried to recall what the note said exactly, as requested by Fritz."I think it said, um.." She blinked, relaxing as she recalled every detail that was written on the note. She tired to relate it to any normal courier order she would've had to remembered back home, which was what she did almost everyday in the City. "Well it said,

"The sun glides towards the water. The sea will swallow it soon. There is a clearing on the other side of this island. Bring the two boar there. Bring your people as well. We will see if the boar are worth the trade. We will see if you follow through on agreements."

She recited it almost perfectly, she wasn't even sure she would've remembered it that well. Though she figured she had years of practicing at remembering things at a mere glance, at least that skill of her trade came in useful. "Oh, and it was signed by a, um..

"-Ko matou o koutou tawhai."

She was certain she probably botched at least a little bit of that name, but she was at least certain she at least said it clear enough for anyone that understood it to hear it well. She then tried remember if there was anything else. "I don't think there was much of a seal on it, as it was stabbed through by an arrow shaft. So I wouldn't think they're too eloquent if that's the case. Maybe very impromptu at best?" She tried to explain to Fritz and Minerva from how she saw its wording, and the nature of its delivery.

[Swith Witherward]

Pavilion

"Bring all of us?" Paper Yuna interjected once Nivea had finished reciting the letter. She'd come in on the heels of Flan and Montressor. "Even the paper people?"

Minerva's arms crossed. The same thought struck her as well. "I don't like it. It leaves our base open to attack."

"It's not a base," Fritz snorted as he took the wine glass from Mab. "It's huts on a beach. And by not going, you risk compromising relations with these other Chosen. They want to see if we follow through on agreements. Whatever the rescue party agreed do... we must abide."

The cultist leader nodded. This was true though it didn't make her feel any better about the situation. In a rare break from form, Perfection's cultist appealed to another god in her pantheon. "Fritz, you are Fate. You see all the possibilities. Will harm come to us if we all go? Will harm come to this ca... the huts and any we leave behind. I don't think the tech priests are going to leave their lair, to be honest."

Fritz closed his eyes and assessed the Strands laid out before him. So many possibilities, and nothing ever remained concrete. This was chaos in motion, where each action could serve as a catalyst for something unpredictable. Yet in the matter at hand, Fritz had a solid answer. "If everyone goes to the meeting, nothing too untoward will befall them. The results will be mostly beneficial to both groups and to Demens himself. As for the huts? What do you expect them to do? Sneak back here and cause mayhem? Borrow everyone's left shoe? I don't see them toilet papering our dwellings nor do I see them setting fire to anything, if those are your concerns. But I do foresee serious problems if you leave people behind and the natives catch wind. It could be interpreted as an insult, of course. But I do NOT foresee the tech priests attending nor even leaving their tunnels."

He gently clinked his wine glass against the Winter Queen's. "I tell you what, Minerva. If it will make you feel better, I'll leave my own cultists in the shadows to do what they do best. Mab and I plan to attend this boar exchange, however."

Minerva was clearly not entirely pleased by what Fritz predicted, yet she wasn't about to overlook his willingness to actually use his own cultists. It was a rare offer indeed. "Alright, we'll all go."

Her focused returned to Nivea. Ko matou o koutou tawhai? It sounded more like a phrase than a name. Was this an Asian tongue? "Thank you, Nivea. At least we have a bit more clarity."