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Novus closed 10/31/2022, after The Gentle Exodus

All Welcome  - Reflections of attraction {Relic Contest}

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Weir
Guest
#1



WEIR
When the flower girl sings





Tentative steps they were as Weir began to make her way towards Solterra but she would not go all the way. She has seen some craggy outcropping and in her search for trinkets (or treasures depending on how you look at it) and started to head to Veneror Peak. What she was interested in are the caves that are up there (or so the thought). She hoped to find something that perhaps had been laying there for some time, perhaps forever. Weir in her previous life repaired clothing, capes, jackets, sashes, and whatever else that happened to walk into the door of her house which also served as the shop her adopted family worked out of. She also would create custom designs for the wealthy and the traveler alike. She loved to look for things to decorate some of these elaborate pieces. This search was not much different.

Without sings, Weir could only walk up the look rock trails to where she hoped she would find a cave or a nice hillside to search for fossils or relics of what this world was like before. Eventually she did come across a small cave which looked just big enough for one horse to live comfortably in. She nickered inside to the shadows and spoke softly but just loud enough to be heard


Hello….I am Weir, just a stranger passing by… is there anyone here?

The air is stale and damp like the wind has never touched this place. The walls are covered in grey and green mucus like substance where minuscule streams of water cascaded down the sides and dripped onto the floor in puttering and pattering sounds. She could not make out the back of the cave and so she stood for a moment before gingerly stepping past the line of daylight into the shadow so that her eyes could adjust to the darkness.

Perhaps no one was here. She thought about it a moment longer as she took another step into the cave, her eyes beginning to adjust. There were markings on the walls. They looked like rocks had been scratched into the surface and different earth tones of paint had filled in the lines. Faces began to appear but they looked like not horse she had ever seen. She felt like she was stepping back in time and that if she turned around a ghost might just happen to be there. Shivers ran down her withers and down her legs but she kept looking around the cave. Her eyes drifted to piles of dirt, rocks, moss, and rubble. Slowly she leaned down and tried to remove some the dirt around some rocks and used her hoof to try and move larger ones away from the walls all while feeling quite unsure if she might be doing something wrong, or maybe something right. The troublesome treasure hunter in her could not help but fight with the more noble piece of her heart.

"blah blah blah."

Please tag in replies
Powerplaying, magic, force allowed but no
permanent damage or death please
              <3














Played by Offline Jeanne [PM] Posts: 399 — Threads: 81
Signos: 100
Inactive Character
#2

She didn’t know why she hadn’t started her travels here.

What location would be better for her search for a divine relic than their most sacred locale? Seraphina strode up the well-worn paths that riddled the mountainside, occasionally sparing a glance to the ground below. This land was almost as familiar to her as the deserts of Solterra; Viceroy was nothing if not godly, and he had brought her up the mountain many times when she was younger. She still frequented the mountains, although she’d never had the luck of encountering anything particularly divine. Seraphina was not a peaceful creature – she’d given up on finding it years ago. However, cradled by quiet and divinity, undisturbed by the world below, she could almost feel as though she found something that she had always, always, always been searching for whenever she climbed the peak. It was very strange, but, in places like this, it was very easy to forget herself, or perhaps find herself – beneath all of the blood and violence, all of the apathy.

It was simpler. Everything was simpler when you were in the eyes of the divine.

The faint sound of a voice, so quiet that she couldn’t make out the words, dragged her gaze from the landscape. She barely caught the shape of what seemed to be a white horse descending into the darkness of a cave before it disappeared into darkness, though, if she squinted, she could still make out a difference in shade. Seraphina was not especially inclined towards socialization, but, on the off chance that this was another relic hunter, – though it could very easily be a worshipper, she thought – she felt obligated to make sure that the pale horse didn’t disturb this place. Allowing a somewhat reluctant sigh to escape her lips, she turned off her path to approach the cave. Standing just outside of it, she could smell the must and mildew, see the glimmer of water droplets clinging like tiny jewels to the paint-stained walls; the mare was hunched down, fiddling with the ground with her hooves.

“I would not recommend toying with this place,” Came her voice as she stepped into the cave, an apathetic drawl thickly accented with Day. “This land is sacred, meant for worship.” She eyed the pale mare with something akin to thinly-veiled suspicion, odd eyes glinting in the faint light. She was delicate, slender, effeminate - likely not a threat, unless she were far more dangerous than she looked. “Are you searching for something?” It seemed as though she were trying to get a better look at the markings on the wall…


@Weir







I'M IN A ROOM MADE OUT OF MIRRORS
and there's no way to escape the violence of a girl against herself.


please tag Sera! contact is encouraged, short of violence








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Weir
Guest
#3



WEIR
When the flower girl sings





Weir was using her lips to dust off rocks as she turned them. She twitched her head backwards occasionally as large pale spiders on massive spindle like legs scurried away. Her ears would flick back and forth in uncertainty if the creature was going to cause her harm. When she moved one stone a family of roaches scattered in every direction which quite frankly gave Weir the ‘willys’ but she composed herself with a thick and stern snort from her nostrils before shaking it off and sucking up her pride and moving onto the next section of cave walls. She glanced occasionally to the walls and saw that there were many characters in whatever story was written on the damp and shadowy walls. Pale pinkish eyes looking at the art from bottom to top and then back down again. She was mystified as to the exact meaning but she didn’t want to dwell too much on it, it was kind of creepy.

She had just toppled over another stone when a stranger surprised her from the entrance of the cave. Her hooves turned almost in place in the dust of the cave floor. Her long braids in her mane and tail unable to keep up with her movement until she has turned a full 180 degrees to face the stranger. This happened to be when her braids caught up and somewhat smacked her in the neck and face. Weirs long caribou horns pointed towards the stranger only as a defensive maneuver, no intention of harm. Pinkish eyes filled with panic set onto the silhouette at the mouth of the cave. Weir’s eyes and posture quickly softened as she felt instant embarrassment for her quick, sudden, and perhaps over reactive reaction. Instantly she lifted her horns so that her face was visible to the stranger. Weir’s features softened genuinely and she smiled shyly. If she could blush this would have been one of those times.

I did not think anyone would be up here!

Weird tenderly took one step towards the stranger. Her body language was relaxed now with only a hint of hesitation because Weir is unsure if she has done something wrong or not. She collected herself a little bit better and slowed her heartbeat back down to a reasonable pace where it didn’t feel like it was hopping in her chest.

I am looking for something, I don’t know what though. I just had this feeling to go on a treasure hunt as silly as that sounds. I enjoy creating things and thought I might find something lost here that I can reuse and make like new again. I did not mean to disturb a place of worship… it just seemed so untouched. If you don’t mind me asking, since you seem to know more than me, can you tell me about the markings on the wall here? They are so beautiful!

Weir looked onward to the mare, hopeful to learn something new. Her smile reassuring to the stranger that no intentions of malice or destruction was on her mind.


"blah blah blah."

Please tag in replies
Powerplaying, magic, force allowed but no
permanent damage or death please
<3





@Seraphina









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Venari
Guest
#4

 



With a relieved sigh, Venari left the forest behind. He had nice people there, however the place had not grown more comfortable to the stag. His body still shivered at the thought of the looming canopies swaying in the slight breeze. Due to his history, he felt a sinister intent from forests, no matter how beautiful they were. In his distorted reality of anxiety, each and every forest was cursed with the memories or a near-death experience. Nothing would ever shake the association. 

Ahead of him lay two options for the path to take. One of which had been his starting point in this quest and so there only left one realistic choice. Up he would go. The mountain looked vicious yet tranquil, an oxymoron that would take time for Venari to process. All his life he had appreciate nature and what it gives him spiritually, however that did not mean that he took advantage of it or thought it was entirely safe. As he had found out in his first year, nature is not always a safe refuge and thus it should be treated with a huge amount of respect. Wildlife wasn't always friendly, nor was the weather always fair. Yet Venari had spent more than enough time in all sorts of elements and situations, making him a well-rounded and knowledgeable traveler. 

The had by now started and he was taking it steady up this sacred mountain. The whispering breeze increased in volume, telling him of a relic to be found. Yes, he knew this by now, but something about the voice gave him confidence in this new world. It was a guiding power to him and it spurred him on to cover all of the terrains in Novus in his quest. Ven knew he was capable should he really put his mind to it. 

A movement caught his eye and forced him to heighten his guard. The creature was horned and with hooves, but was half the size of the teal stallion. Upon further inspection he realised it was just a mountain goat, however the well-coated mammal turned it's head to snort harshly at Venari. A warning. Halting, the brindled male took a step back and lowered his head, punning his ebony audits flat on his crown. He meant no harm. Flicking it's stubby tail, the grey beast stamped a hoof to further assert dominance before running up the mountain, clambering rocks that should have been deemed impossible by physics. 

Carrying on in a steady walk, Ven kept his wits about him, not wanting to get charged by a threatened goat as he just nearly was. Simultaneously, he also kept his gaze fierce as he searched the nature around him. Ears perked up once again as he reached a small ledge, seeing nooks and crannies in which to search. He halted in front of them and poked his head forwards, allowed his muzzled to softly graze the rocks. It was then he heard a voice. It sounded oddly familiar, but he could not pin-point where he had heard it. Disregarding his own little search, he turned to face the noise and snorted sharply, head up in the clouds and legs shaking a little from anticipation. He waited there, poised to turn tail and run should the situation be dangerous.


*


TAGGED: @Weir & @Seraphina & open
NOTES: I hope you don't mind me jumping in with Ven <3 Also, no idea why my entire post is bold - any broken code anywhere? xD I've just checked my table and nothing
TIMELINE: Sixth relic location, second day











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Kaladin
Guest
#5

The cavern was the first spark of hove he’d had in days. He’d been wondering how far and wide he would have to travel in search of the relic – if there even was a relic. He’d learned enough in his slumbers to know that word of mouth often grew twisted and tangled with age – rumors could spread like wildfire, but like wildfire they would start from the smallest, most insignificant spark. But yet, with so many speaking the words, and seemingly the whole world on the hunt, he’d decided that it was better to have security then to watch from the sidelines as others took the prize that was rightfully his.

He had not discovered the cavern alone. This time, he had chosen to embrace companionship other than rebel against it – as much as the fellow mortals seeking the relic proved to be a nuisance, they were also guidelights to the next possible locations. If they would intrude in his quest, he’d decided, then he would let them do the work. They refused to step back, after all – but they only had their mortal determination to egg them forward. He had the willpower of a god.

He’d followed the path of the Veneror Peaks, his hooves shaking and unsteady upon rocky paths far above trenches and crevasses that could prove to be his second tomb. Mortals love to name things, he mused as he strode onwards, Mountains, rivers, meadows….it is as if they think they own it. But you cannot own a mountain, he remarked, glancing up the treacherous stonework fortress, its turrets lost high in the clouds. The thought gave him a sense of amused irony – he had observed many a battle fought over lands and mountains and ownership. Mortals would die for feigned tenure, a rightless habitation of lands that could not enter into contract and agree to their demands.

He cursed, his hooves finding a way to slip off the narrow mountainside. They sent stones rattling into the canyon below, their scrambling fall echoing up the craggy pathways. He glanced upward in alarm, hoping that his delicate cover would not be betrayed by his disgustingly clumsy mortal body. When no reply came, he righted himself, panting heavily, and continued on, pressing his flank to the cool mountainside.

Up ahead was his lead – the iron-clad mare with the cold eyes that he recalled from his previous encounters. She seemed to have an affinity for mountains – he mused. The last time they had met, it had been during a howling gale that had nearly swept the two of them and the Pegasus boy to their early graves. He could not recall her name – he had decidedly not found it important. But she had sure footing and seemed to be familiar with the area – thus Kaldin had elected to track her footsteps as she went. Her determination in this quest was commendable – if futile. He’d decided that once his collar was shattered and former glory restored, he would perhaps allow some of these mortals to remain on his newly-cleansed earth. They were decidedly to interesting to kill.

But what if the relic does not work? his mind whispered. He slowed in his steps, mind reeling from the realization. Even if he managed to claim the prize, what then? Not all relics, surely, were meant for breaking spells and curses. His heart hammered. What if you remain stuck this way, forever?

”No, no. No.” his own voice in the still air was enough, if barely, to hold him away from worry. With the mare now far ahead, he picked up his pace, clambering with as much quiet as he could muster over the treacherous passes. His eyes glimmering in the high sun, he observed as the woman changed course and disappeared into what appeared to be a deep cave. He approached, cautiously treading in the direction whence the mare had disappeared. He was no master stealthsman, but he managed to still his breath enough to hear the voices coming within. From the way they echoed, he could guess that the cavern as deeper then it appeared – and that indeed it was a likely place for a relic to be found.

Taking a deep breath, he willed his feet into movement, muscles tense with apprehension of interaction with mortals and their petty games. He would stay out of sight as long as possible, he decided – right until he could step in and claim his prize, or was forced out of hiding. One way or another, it would not be long – if there was anything these travels had taught him, it was that soon, they would have more company.

code by avis










Played by Offline Jeanne [PM] Posts: 399 — Threads: 81
Signos: 100
Inactive Character
#6

The little mare did not seem to notice her until she spoke; she started, twirling to face her, braids swishing against her sides. The mare stared her down wide-eyed, pale pink eyes momentarily horrified and expression almost comically flustered. Definitely not a threat. It did not take her long to regain her composure, and she greeted Seraphina with a dazzling smile, something she’d become rather unaccustomed to – it wasn’t unpleasant, however, and it seemed genuine. That didn’t mean that she trusted her yet. Seraphina didn’t return the gesture, features remaining as stony as ever, but there was no hostility in her gaze. The little mare said something about her presence being unexpected, then explained excitedly – almost childishly, though she looked a bit older than Seraphina – that she was searching for something that she couldn’t quite place, as a crafter, and she’d been fascinated by the markings on the cavern walls on the way. She then proceeded to ask if she knew what they meant. Seraphina allowed her gaze to slide over to the symbols, squinting to make out the shapes, decayed by time and dull in the presence of little light. “It’s an old dialect,” She said, extending her muzzle to brush against the cold wall for a fraction of a second, “but I think it is telling the story of how our courts came to be…the story of the gods...and as it goes on…” Seraphina took a few steps along the wall, narrowing her eyes. “An archive, maybe? These look like records – blessings and encounters.” She inclined her head at the mare. “Your accent seems foreign – I assume you are from another land. I can read the myth to you, if you don’t already know the story.” The noise of hooves in the background interrupted her thoughts; Sera froze, tossing her head to stare towards the entrance, muscles tensing in preparation. “I don’t think we’re alone,” She murmured to the other mare, voice low. It seemed that their audience – if she hadn’t started hearing things – had no intention of making itself known. She remained, a faint shiver of anticipation darting down her frame.

For a long moment, there was silence, then the sound of hooves hitting the rocky mountain trail again – further off, she thought. Someone else? The first retreating? Seraphina couldn’t be sure, although the sound seemed to be coming into hearing range, not moving out of it, and that implied a second interloper. Though she disliked the idea of potentially provoking someone she hadn’t been given the opportunity to size up, Seraphina took a step towards the entrance, odd eyes narrowed to slits. “I’d suggest you show yourselves,” She said, raising her voice, “or I’ll be forced to come out and find you.” Though her tone remained cold, her words certainly implied a threat.


@Weir @Venari @Kaladin







I'M IN A ROOM MADE OUT OF MIRRORS
and there's no way to escape the violence of a girl against herself.


please tag Sera! contact is encouraged, short of violence








Played by [PM] Posts: N/A — Threads:
Weir
Guest
#7


home is behind the world ahead
there are many paths to tread



Weir intently listened to the mare, her expression remaining soft and calm. She was somewhat surprised at how quiet and stoic the gray and black striped mare. Her eyes drifted to the mare’s body and she noticed the collar around her neck, and she noticed how straight her mane and tail was. Her coat is smooth against her tight muscles. Weir tried not to ‘stare’ but weir swings both ways and sometimes can’t help to look. She means nothing by it. This whole time she was listening to this stranger. As she spoke about the walls and walked around looking at the painting on the wall, Weir looked at the paintings as she spoke. She turned to politely continue to keep an open posture with the stranger.

She was eagerly awaiting the story to continue and to know more of the dialect, to learn more about the courts and the gods that she speaks about. It was interrupted by rocks rattling nearby not once, but three times it seemed. Each time Weir expected some large predator with fangs, claws, and a thick coat to cover all the muscles coiled and ready to attack and eat weir and her new acquaintance. Weir is fully tense herself and facing the door the cave as well as the mare. Before weir could speak the mare declared their presence and quite clearly got the message across that if it is others horses, then they need to speak. This brought a small smile to the tips of her smile and she mischievously looked sideways at the mare before she tucked her head down and faced her massive caribou horns towards the entrance. She let out a loud and full snort causing the 6 red leaves on the silver chain to shake and flutter with the movement of her horns. Additionally, she pounded the floor of the cave several times with her front right hoof, the pale pinkish hooves striking the stone from the blood vessels running through the core. Speak up and come in peace or be ready to defend yourself or yourselves.

Weir flicked her braid laden tail from side to side, the hair brushing against each other making a whisking sound. Mainly she spoke up so that whoever or whatever was out there would know that there is not only one horse in the cave but two and that would give them both more presence and protection.



@Venari @Kaladin @Seraphina





coding: © x










Played by [PM] Posts: N/A — Threads:
Venari
Guest
#8

 



'Shit.' A singular thought encircled his mind, causing a sickness to take over his body. The anxiety of the situation left him feeling week, vulnerable and nauseous - a dangerous combination for his overall health. Gulping, he took a tentative step forward and addressed the two rightfully alerted equines from within the invisible cranny (his depth perception failed him on this occasion and he could not see clearly the entrance in which they were stood). "I- I'm so sorry I did not m-mean to alarm you." Venari barely managed to form the words on his tongue, his nervous stammer kicking his confidence down by two notches. He felt shaken and ashamed - he never wanted to make others feel uncomfortable. 

"My name is Venari and I-I am simply here to search for a relic," he paused for a moment, ice blue eyes scanning the landscape around. A shiver crawled down his spine in an intrusive manner, causing yet more discomfort to the teal stag. Like he needed any more. Yet a small sound from behind him cause him to go on yet an another alert himself; Venari sensed something nearby but as he craned his neck round to look, he saw nothing. He could not smell anything either which worried him; it had only been his audits that had picked up the faintest of sounds; it had to be a small bird or a lizard, he did not think it would be anything more intrusive than that. 

Calming himself down, Venari walked forwards to find these two others and to show himself as they had asked. By now he was partly curious as to who they were and whether their intentions where the same as his. Many souls in this world had taken up the reins on the relic hunting contest by now, so much so that it was starting to become rare to stumble across horses that weren't searching for a shiny, ancient object. 

As he took his next step forward to figures filled his vision. He stopped and smiled sheepishly, aware of the anxiety he had caused them and apologetic for stirring such emotions. He was empathetic towards these sorts of feelings and felt them often enough himself to know how hideous they could be. Venari dipped his head out of respect and greeting, but opted to say nothing more as to not overwhelm them. 


*


TAGGED: @Weir & @Seraphina & @Kaladin
NOTES: Hopefully this is okay; it's been a hella long time since I was in a thread with 3 others lol so a bit nervy on not messing it up. Please do let me know if anything needs amending etc
TIMELINE: Sixth relic location, second day











Played by [PM] Posts: N/A — Threads:
Damascus
Guest
#9

DAMASCUS
he was like a storm,
Heeding his own advice, Damascus had taken once more to the skies and heights of the continent in search of the relic,  the so-called sacred artifact from Tempus himself, for surely if a god was to drop something from the heavens it would land at the first place it was to fall or bounce down from the mountain tops. How something could actually remain intact after a spill like that was beyond him, though finding a broken relic was better than finding nothing (even if it was smashed to smithereens). 
Dohv was in a foul mood today having had little sleep while the black colt pressed on his search for the relic, and when the boy wasn't searching or stuck within rabbit warrens he would sleep and snore louder than any thunder.

A group was soon spied upon the mountainside, one filled with figures he already knew save for one or two. Swooping neatly to meet the rock and slate, Damascus landed upon this mountain with much more grace than he had the last time he'd landed atop a mountain in front of Kaladin. 
"Hallo" he bellowed to the search party.
☀︎ ☀︎










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