[Quest] chosen by the sun

[Random Events]

heat warming the sand

The sun god had spent a good deal of the past few months dozing; much like a snake hibernating his way through the winter. But it came time to awake. 

There was a stirring in the land, one that went beyond the seasons. His country was in turmoil, the death of their king the least now of their many worries. As Solis arose, banishing the chill from his bones, the sun grew brighter and warmer. It fed off of his strength, the heat of its rays becoming more and more intense. The time for summer was nigh, and Solis would be there to watch it all unfold. But first…

Solis fixed his gaze on a single mare, whose blackened hide was marred with claw marks and scars. She, of all his people, represented his court best: she was strong, she was powerful. She was violent. She was Solterran both by blood and by choice. He had heard of the whisperings of her plan, and he was pleased. The Davke were his children, and they had impressed him with their brutality and their longevity, withstanding the desert for generations. Their fall had been one of tragedy, his flock scattered like ants by the wind. She was one of few that remained.

And so the Day god called to her, in a language so ancient and so primal that it needed no words. It was the language of the desert, a call to lose herself in the rolling dunes and endless sands. It tugged at her very heart, so that in every pause she would find herself facing, subconsciously, the barren land in which she’d been born.

Should @Avdotya give in to the call, she’ll find herself wandering far from the capitol in a meandering path, but never will she feel lost. Not knowing where she is being called, she’ll only know that she is following an invisible string that seems to be pulling her along… 

~~~

Solis’ sun blazed down on Solterra, bringing with it a heat uncharacteristically warm for the end of winter. The animals of the desert began crawling out from their dens, snakes and lizards sunbathing on rocks while dorcas gazelles bed down for the warm day. Across the court, Solterra was returning to its normal routine, relishing in the return of warmer weather. Truly, the Day god himself seemed to be looking out for his people, bringing them an early end to winter felt nowhere else in Novus. 

Wind shifted the sands of the desert, the rolling hills and dunes that stretched on endlessly being constantly broken down and reformed. Remolded at the god’s whim, his plaything to control. 

It was in the middle of the desert that he pulled Avdotya to, where he had called up a spring of water, nestled between dunes. The surface was reflective of the sky, a mirror turned blue and gold. The path leading down to it was made of hardened sandstone, dropping off sharply at the edge of the water. There was no gradual descent; Avdotya would have to throw herself in and hope not to drown. She would have to prove that she was worthy of Solis’ gift to her.

It was time for the Davke, the first children of Solis, to return. And they would be ressurected by their Queen.

---

When @Avdotya answers the unspoken call, she will be led out to the center of the Mors Desert. Here, the sand dunes give way into a sandstone path that dips down to a natural oasis. The surface is glassy and reflects the sky’s blue color, and the sandstone drops away sharply. Avdotya will not be able to tell how deep the pool is before she jumps in.

Upon entering the pool, the water will turn a deep golden color and warmth will seep into her bones. For a moment it may become hard to breathe, and then Avdotya will be released from the sun god’s magic. Something will feel… different, even if Avdotya is not able to place its source.

Avdotya may, or may not, be aware of her new immortality.

Thread requirements: 1 reply, 500 words. Please tag the RE account in your reply.
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Once you respond, Avdotya’s immortality will become effective.

If you want Avdotya to begin aging again: contact staff. If she becomes mortal again, you won't be able to re-instate her immortality without purchasing it again through the Agora.

Happy writing! -sid

[Avdotya]

The Capitol was its typical bustling self as Solis lifted his blazing sun to the sky, the courtyard having gradually become busier and busier with the everyday activities that came with Court life. Avdotya was among the slow-moving throngs, though she sported a venomous look that advertised her displeasure for the situation. With Seraphina off doing Gods knew what, the Regent suddenly felt a far greater weight upon her shoulders; the questions were endless and all along the same line. She grew tired of repeating herself, of wasting her voice on a people she cared little for when they would be nothing but dirt beneath her hooves in the coming season. Yet there she was, spitting answers for those who asked of their Sovereign and the state of the nation.

As the seconds ticked torturously on, the blackened mare felt her patience wearing thin. She was ready to snap, but something kept her from her breaking point… a tug deep within her chest. Dare she say it nearly felt as though her very heart had been touched, triggering an urge to leave the stronghold in her wake and take to the Mors’ sea of golden sands. Avdotya stopped dead in her tracks at the feeling, quite obviously perplexed, but not prepared to ignore her impulsions. And so the woman shouldered her way through the crowd, meeting the snarls of unhappy citizens with a violent hiss of her own- what stood in her way would not remain there for long.

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The sandstone fortress had shrunken down to a speck along the horizon as the viper slithered further out into her desert home. She knew not where she was going, but for some reason her aimless wandering felt right, like she was heading directly where she needed to be. Perhaps, she thought, Solis is at work. She smiled, then. Had he taken notice of her recent activity? Did the coming rise of his Davke children stir him from his dormancy?

While Avdotya lost herself in her ponderings, the sound of hoof atop cobblestone rang out across the silent air. Her fluid trot came to a quick stop at the sudden change, her fiery gaze sinking to her feet and the path that formed so spontaneously below them. She knew then that it was her God and there was not another soul in the world that could convince the savage mare otherwise.

So, she walked. She followed the path, drenched in her own salted sweat from the heat that so uncharacteristically bore down upon her back. Winter, even at its end, was not known for excessive warmth… and Avdotya reveled in it as she reached the end of the trail. With her eyes blissfully closed shut, the mare threw her head to the skies and released a contented sigh.

This was glory.

When her lids lifted and the light flooded back to her world, she noted the sudden drop-off. She inched closer to its edge, craning her neck to take in what lay at the bottom of the anomalous chasm. Water was her answer; an oasis that whispered sweetly into her ear, inviting the mare to indulge in its refreshing embrace. Logic argued against it in every way. It urged her to ignore the swelling desire the pool had created within her entire being, but there was no denying her lust for the water’s touch.

In one great leap, Avdotya’s body hurtled towards the mirror-like surface. Time itself felt sluggish, like Tempus himself had slowed its passage for this very moment. She watched her reflection get closer and closer until every last detail of her face became clear, granting her a moment of peace before the violent crash of her weight to the water. In a split second, the mare’s world went white and then melted to liquid gold while warmth surrounded her body. It caressed her skin, gradually sinking past the flesh and into her muscles until it finally reached bone. She struggled to surface, but when she did there was no release. Her lips peeled apart in fruitless heaves, seeking desperately to pull air into her empty lungs while her legs thrashed in their search for purchase upon solid ground.

Then finally - finally - after what felt like eternity, she was able to haul her body from the water, falling clumsily into a heap in the sand. Her frantic breathing had slowed to a calming rhythm, bringing her equally frantic mind back to some sort of reality. Only then did she feel it slowly begin to bloom, starting in her heart and reaching out to every curve of her body. Rejuvenation, invigoration… Avdotya felt invincible and with a moment more, she knew it so.

Not even death and her gnarled grasp could keep the desert queen from reclaiming the Davke’s rightful place.

Novus would soon see its reckoning.

You’re playing my game now-- @Random Events