the darkest of challenges
And in the space between heartbeats the battle is begun--
The snake lunges for the horses the moment they all lunge for it. With sand, and frond-scale, and wood-rib, the beast thrashes out against the idea that it must be a thing conquered. If anything is it determined to conquer each wild-heart that dared to step on the island like a thing hungry and rabid for power. It roars and it sounds nothing like a snake; it's all bear (and dragon, and thunderbird, and lion). Frills rise out from the slick sand sides in a crown of violence.
The wind picks up in a death-knell and somewhere out to sea bells are starting to toll. The sound of sword against soot rings out where the waves crash against the distant shore. Wasn't the shore further away that that? Suddenly the island seems like a small, shrinking thing being devoured by the sea.
Path One
The horses aiming for the snake eyes, and tongue, and leaf-throat, are the first to feel the wrath of the raging protector. Swords sink into its sand skin and just keep sinking down, down, down and never find bone or end. Rather it's only blackness that the horses will find themselves cutting out from the sand-snake-- a void of cold space air and nothing else. And when they step close enough, when they look into the belly of the beast--
The will find themselves devoured by the blackness. It will chew them all up and spit them out sweaty from the battle but unharmed. And if they look around them it will be the bridge to the island stretching out around them in either direction. That is unless they found a way to claw free of that black void by tooth and hoof.....
Path Two
The middle of the snake, while appealing without tail or tooth, does not seem anything like the belly of a snake the closer they get. Perhaps there are still scales that shine slick and sea-green to meet them. Perhaps there are even bones of tooth that will rise through the sand skin like a hundred swords rising to meet the horses rushing towards it. But when the horses step close enough to attack the snake opens up like a doorway.
Roots curl themselves into archways, and leaves twine about them. Red berries start to bloom at the center of leaf clusters and a pulse makes them grow, and swell, and bloat. Drops of red berry-juice start to fall like rain, sweet on the tongue but bitter on the teeth. But if the horses walk through the dark red rain, there the relic will wait, golden and dripping red. But around it there is a pool of black glass in a wide moat of darkness. At some angles the moat looks hard, smooth, and thick enough to hold the weight of a horse. At other angles it seems to ripple like another beast is lurking beneath the thin, brittle surface of black. Is it safe enough to cross?
Or is it better to turn back and find another way?
Path Three
Those horses trying to run around the snake will find no golden relic waiting for them to grab. Instead a second beast has risen from the sand like a small-god. It's a bear made of sand with chrysalis hanging from empty sockets in its head. The beast circles the relic like a vulture circling a meal to come. And when the horses pause before it (because surely they are not brave enough to face its gaping mouth dripping venom and brine), the beast lowers its strange, horrific head and becomes a tornado of sand and butterflies. A colony of insects spring forth like terrible children from the chrysalis hanging form the pits of the bear's face. They land on the horses, like a small blanket of nettles and briars (young enough to feel but not to cut).
Each horses who finds themselves coated in butterflies with stinging wings will blink, just once, and find themselves back on the bridge with the others. Perhaps they might wonder if they were judged and found wanting, or if they were saved.
Of course some of them might have been quick enough to run through that sand and butterfly tornado.....
Your character has a choice.
This post is the second in the battle for the relic. The snake no longer seems like just a snake. Those that attacked the beast head on and tried to run around it will find themselves, through some strange experience, back on the bridge leading to the mainland. Of course if they had a unused magical item, they might have found a way to avoid being sent away--
Those the attacked the center of the snake will find an archway when the snake splits open. Berries are blooming and growing, and they start to drip red juice like rain. At the end of the archway the relic is waiting, but it appears like a glass-black moat is circling it. Are they brave enough to cross?
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, horseshoe, 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.
Option One: Cross the black moat and hope that it's strong enough to bear weight
Option Two: Turn away from the archway and circle around where the bear is waiting
Option Three: Do nothing and wait to see if the moat will bear the weight of other's before trying to cross.
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 22nd, 2019 will not be considered for a progression roll.
The snake lunges for the horses the moment they all lunge for it. With sand, and frond-scale, and wood-rib, the beast thrashes out against the idea that it must be a thing conquered. If anything is it determined to conquer each wild-heart that dared to step on the island like a thing hungry and rabid for power. It roars and it sounds nothing like a snake; it's all bear (and dragon, and thunderbird, and lion). Frills rise out from the slick sand sides in a crown of violence.
The wind picks up in a death-knell and somewhere out to sea bells are starting to toll. The sound of sword against soot rings out where the waves crash against the distant shore. Wasn't the shore further away that that? Suddenly the island seems like a small, shrinking thing being devoured by the sea.
Path One
The horses aiming for the snake eyes, and tongue, and leaf-throat, are the first to feel the wrath of the raging protector. Swords sink into its sand skin and just keep sinking down, down, down and never find bone or end. Rather it's only blackness that the horses will find themselves cutting out from the sand-snake-- a void of cold space air and nothing else. And when they step close enough, when they look into the belly of the beast--
The will find themselves devoured by the blackness. It will chew them all up and spit them out sweaty from the battle but unharmed. And if they look around them it will be the bridge to the island stretching out around them in either direction. That is unless they found a way to claw free of that black void by tooth and hoof.....
Path Two
The middle of the snake, while appealing without tail or tooth, does not seem anything like the belly of a snake the closer they get. Perhaps there are still scales that shine slick and sea-green to meet them. Perhaps there are even bones of tooth that will rise through the sand skin like a hundred swords rising to meet the horses rushing towards it. But when the horses step close enough to attack the snake opens up like a doorway.
Roots curl themselves into archways, and leaves twine about them. Red berries start to bloom at the center of leaf clusters and a pulse makes them grow, and swell, and bloat. Drops of red berry-juice start to fall like rain, sweet on the tongue but bitter on the teeth. But if the horses walk through the dark red rain, there the relic will wait, golden and dripping red. But around it there is a pool of black glass in a wide moat of darkness. At some angles the moat looks hard, smooth, and thick enough to hold the weight of a horse. At other angles it seems to ripple like another beast is lurking beneath the thin, brittle surface of black. Is it safe enough to cross?
Or is it better to turn back and find another way?
Path Three
Those horses trying to run around the snake will find no golden relic waiting for them to grab. Instead a second beast has risen from the sand like a small-god. It's a bear made of sand with chrysalis hanging from empty sockets in its head. The beast circles the relic like a vulture circling a meal to come. And when the horses pause before it (because surely they are not brave enough to face its gaping mouth dripping venom and brine), the beast lowers its strange, horrific head and becomes a tornado of sand and butterflies. A colony of insects spring forth like terrible children from the chrysalis hanging form the pits of the bear's face. They land on the horses, like a small blanket of nettles and briars (young enough to feel but not to cut).
Each horses who finds themselves coated in butterflies with stinging wings will blink, just once, and find themselves back on the bridge with the others. Perhaps they might wonder if they were judged and found wanting, or if they were saved.
Of course some of them might have been quick enough to run through that sand and butterfly tornado.....
Your character has a choice.
This post is the second in the battle for the relic. The snake no longer seems like just a snake. Those that attacked the beast head on and tried to run around it will find themselves, through some strange experience, back on the bridge leading to the mainland. Of course if they had a unused magical item, they might have found a way to avoid being sent away--
Those the attacked the center of the snake will find an archway when the snake splits open. Berries are blooming and growing, and they start to drip red juice like rain. At the end of the archway the relic is waiting, but it appears like a glass-black moat is circling it. Are they brave enough to cross?
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, horseshoe, 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.
Option One: Cross the black moat and hope that it's strong enough to bear weight
Option Two: Turn away from the archway and circle around where the bear is waiting
Option Three: Do nothing and wait to see if the moat will bear the weight of other's before trying to cross.
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 22nd, 2019 will not be considered for a progression roll.
Please be advised, tagging the Random Event account does not guarantee a response!
