The way of a serpent on a rock
The island waits in that shivering space between hoof-prints and golden metal. It has no eyes (not yet) but it watches, curled around the relic like a worried, fretful mother. Each horse that crosses the sand towards it brings another shiver of the earth, of magic, of air held like a death knell breath. It's quaking by the time the last horse crosses that hoof-print line in the sand.
And like any fretful mother it becomes feral.
It starts with that quaking. The sand sings a eulogy against itself and if the too eager horses listened closely that funeral song would sound like a heartbeat (like holly red berries on bones of ivy). The beat of it rises to a fever pitch. All that singing sand turns molten. Each palm tree, each branch of thicket, each root pulls itself from the island floor and starts to move together. At first it might look like the trees, the roots, the ticket are all moving towards that relic too. It's almost easy to wonder if they want that gift from a god too. (what favor would a tree ask?)
Wondering is easy--until the trees start to form themselves into bones. Each bit of earth is heedless of the horses in the way as they meld together. At first it looks like a bridge of wood-bones making another bridge around the relic. At first it seems an easy thing to run between the arches and grab that shining god-gift. But then the molten sand pulls itself from the earth and drapes over those bones like a selkie skin returned. All the shed leaves of the trees and thicket lay themselves upon that sand-skin as green frond scales.
The transformation takes no longer than several beats of that throbbing sand. But oh, even though it was quick, it is monstrous! From head to tail stretched out she seems longer than the island itself.
The mother island, now so unlike an island with nothing more dangerous than broken time, twists and turns like she's ready to swallow up each horse foolish (or brave, or bold, or reckless) enough to run towards her relic. Her body twines itself around the golden chalice because it is her world and she is nothing more than the snake that wants to devour it.
When she swings her head towards the horses waiting before all this wrath of her, it's with two eyes that are nothing more than swirling bits of salt-water and brine trapped in the holes of her face. She flicks a tongue of seaweed at the horses, a warning. Or maybe all she's saying is come closer with another inhale. With another lick of seaweed she tastes all their wanting on the wind that has just started to bellow.
How deep is your need? Her eyes blaze and it's impossible to think that anything is deeper than the black-water of her gaze.
Your character has a choice.
This post is the first in the battle for the relic. The island around the relic has turned itself into a great and mighty beast. She is angry and is preparing to attack all the horses who have decided to go for the relic. Anyone who posted in the last round may continue onto this one.
Each round is decision-based. We will give you a set of options for your character to choose from ICly; at the end of the round, a dice roll will be made to determine which options proceed. Even numbers proceed; odd numbers do not. If your character proceeds you may continue to reply; if your character does not proceed, you may not reply to any of the next rounds.
If your character has an unused mollusk shell, golden leaf, or iridescent feather from a previous round, you may use that to automatically proceed once even if your character rolled otherwise. To use this reward, wait until the dice are rolled: if your character does not proceed but you would like to, reply to the next round and add at the bottom of the post which reward you are redeeming.
For this round:
Your character may choose from the following options, although you may each write them out differently the core choice must be one of the options below. The fourth option will not be considered for a progression roll, it is simply another chance to leave (there will be no others going forward).
Option One: Face the great mother snake down head on and attack her directly
Option Two: Attempt to aim for the middle of the snake as it might be distracted
Option Three: Try to run around and avoid the snake while the other horses attack it
Option Four: Turn and flee, it's not worth it
Please clearly mark your character's decision at the bottom of your post.
Example: @isra has chosen option two.
Each reply to this thread gives you +1 post in an SWP.
All replies after September 14th, 2019 will not be considered for a progression roll.
And like any fretful mother it becomes feral.
It starts with that quaking. The sand sings a eulogy against itself and if the too eager horses listened closely that funeral song would sound like a heartbeat (like holly red berries on bones of ivy). The beat of it rises to a fever pitch. All that singing sand turns molten. Each palm tree, each branch of thicket, each root pulls itself from the island floor and starts to move together. At first it might look like the trees, the roots, the ticket are all moving towards that relic too. It's almost easy to wonder if they want that gift from a god too. (what favor would a tree ask?)
Wondering is easy--until the trees start to form themselves into bones. Each bit of earth is heedless of the horses in the way as they meld together. At first it looks like a bridge of wood-bones making another bridge around the relic. At first it seems an easy thing to run between the arches and grab that shining god-gift. But then the molten sand pulls itself from the earth and drapes over those bones like a selkie skin returned. All the shed leaves of the trees and thicket lay themselves upon that sand-skin as green frond scales.
The transformation takes no longer than several beats of that throbbing sand. But oh, even though it was quick, it is monstrous! From head to tail stretched out she seems longer than the island itself.
The mother island, now so unlike an island with nothing more dangerous than broken time, twists and turns like she's ready to swallow up each horse foolish (or brave, or bold, or reckless) enough to run towards her relic. Her body twines itself around the golden chalice because it is her world and she is nothing more than the snake that wants to devour it.
When she swings her head towards the horses waiting before all this wrath of her, it's with two eyes that are nothing more than swirling bits of salt-water and brine trapped in the holes of her face. She flicks a tongue of seaweed at the horses, a warning. Or maybe all she's saying is come closer with another inhale. With another lick of seaweed she tastes all their wanting on the wind that has just started to bellow.
How deep is your need? Her eyes blaze and it's impossible to think that anything is deeper than the black-water of her gaze.
Your character has a choice.
This post is the first in the battle for the relic. The island around the relic has turned itself into a great and mighty beast. She is angry and is preparing to attack all the horses who have decided to go for the relic. Anyone who posted in the last round may continue onto this one.
Each round is decision-based. We will give you a set of options for your character to choose from ICly; at the end of the round, a dice roll will be made to determine which options proceed. Even numbers proceed; odd numbers do not. If your character proceeds you may continue to reply; if your character does not proceed, you may not reply to any of the next rounds.
If your character has an unused mollusk shell, golden leaf, or iridescent feather from a previous round, you may use that to automatically proceed once even if your character rolled otherwise. To use this reward, wait until the dice are rolled: if your character does not proceed but you would like to, reply to the next round and add at the bottom of the post which reward you are redeeming.
For this round:
Your character may choose from the following options, although you may each write them out differently the core choice must be one of the options below. The fourth option will not be considered for a progression roll, it is simply another chance to leave (there will be no others going forward).
Option One: Face the great mother snake down head on and attack her directly
Option Two: Attempt to aim for the middle of the snake as it might be distracted
Option Three: Try to run around and avoid the snake while the other horses attack it
Option Four: Turn and flee, it's not worth it
Please clearly mark your character's decision at the bottom of your post.
Example: @isra has chosen option two.
Each reply to this thread gives you +1 post in an SWP.
All replies after September 14th, 2019 will not be considered for a progression roll.
Please be advised, tagging the Random Event account does not guarantee a response!
