Below Zero
my frost philosophy will put no curse on me
Below Zero wasn't going to be chased off from her treasure. While she was certainly no pirate, out for gold and gems; she was searching for a different kind of treasure - knowledge. There was certainly a curiosity in her bones, her fins itching with desire; to know just what had the entirety of Novus acting like flying fish over this Island. Rumors were spreading, about the keeper of Time, or a relic hidden on the island that still made her pelt tingle and her nerves raw, and it left Bel wondering just what it might all mean. She was truly cursing her unfamiliarity with the deities of this Island. She just . . . . she didn't know. She didn't know them. She didn't know the stories. She didn't know what the big deal was. Not that she couldn't acknowledge that it was indeed a big deal.
A god leaving a relic tucked away on an odd island that had seemed to be rather out of this world, and didn't conform to the laws of nature - yes it was certainly a big deal. The aquatic-equine stood on the beach, close enough that the gentle swell of water could brush against her ankles, the water itself almost trying to reassure the mare of its' depths. Her gaze wasn't focused on the sea to her left however, but towards the island to her right, her gaze traveling over the trees and bushes, the sands and creatures that prowled them. There was a mystery about this island that seemed to be centered around the God and his Relic, but Bel wondered if that was all it was. Was the island just a piece of land designed to protect the relic - or did the island itself (like Bel wanted to believe) have its' own secrets?
Either way Bel was determined to figure out. She wouldn't rest until she knew what was going on . . . but first, she realized, she needed to do some research, do some learning about the pantheon of Gods, and just what was so special about this Relic. She couldn't begin to properly explore until she knew what it was she was exploring about.
The island knows that the best secrets it holds are not by the shoreline. Each tree hiding a distant oasis is looking at the mare on the water and the sand like lost cubs. Their leaves are belly up towards the sky and they're blowing on the humid breeze. They sway in the wind and turn into the promise of rain until the small forest is a ever shifting kaleidoscope of color and movement.
It's not until the rain start that the forest really starts to think about secrets and how much it wants to be discovered. Each fat drop of rain isn't made of water, but liquid emerald. The trees soak it up, and up, and up until flowers start blooming on their branches.
Stranger still is the way that from emerald rain to thick blossoms no more than a minute or two has passed. The forest wonders if the mare on the shoreline noticed, or if she wondered what truth it is that the forest is trying to share with her.
The rain stops, a summer shower who has lost itself in the spring, and a rainbow arches across the sky. It starts in the sea and ends somewhere in the blooming, colorful forest. And if Below Zero looks at the trees instead of the rainbow she might catch the way the forest starts to move through the sand.
Or maybe she'll only notice that a path is waiting for here where once there were only tree-trunks and bright leaves.
@Below Zero might find the short burst of rain that starts to fall strange. It's bright green instead of clear water. And the rain stops as quickly as it began. With it the forest along the shoreline is suddenly alive with bright colored flowers and leaves. If she doesn't look up at the rainbow that has formed she might see that there is suddenly a path where there wasn't one just a moment ago. Is it worth exploring?
She will be awarded +300 signos for encountering a Random Event! How you reply is up to you; feel free to NPC the forest or anything in it. Anyone else who replies is welcome to as well. This RE will be posted one more time during the course of this thread.
Enjoy!
To tag this account: @*'Random Events' without the asterisk.
Please be advised, tagging the Random Event account does not guarantee a response!
Below Zero
my frost philosophy will put no curse on me
Bel was in a state of uncertainty over this most odd island. Every inch of it seemed to vibrate in a way that made her ponder on if it was alive or not. Of course, there was a part of her that knew it was alive, with all the greenery around her . . . . it was a whole DIFFERENT level of living she was pondering it having. A curious sense of potential sentience seemed to radiate from every plant, every creature, every grain of sand. It led to the question: was the island watching her just as closely as she was observing it.
A sudden rain suddenly started, and the mare visible relaxed as the water touched her hide, slicking the soft down fur of her body. It took her a mere moment to realize something was strange with this rain though – the color being off, a startling green that seemed to fit in much better with the surrounding forest rather than the vibrant blue normally associated with water. A shift of the spectrum, a shift of nature – further proof of the strangeness.
Her gaze immediately shifted to the forest, the sand, the creatures, to see if it held any strange properties, the mare herself moving to find shelter (she didn’t need falling ill from a mysterious rain that might carry disease. Her eyes lit upon the branches of the trees, and her eyes widened as the rain touched the leaves and wood, and flowers bloomed almost instantaneously. She headed deeper into the forest, towards one of the lowest laying branches, her thick fluke of a tail flicking in curiosity. Rearing up, she touched her nose to one of the flowers, blinking the rain from her eyes, before grasping it gently and pulling it free.
The flower fluttered to her feet as she whispered thanks and an apology to the tree that had sacrificed the bloom for the inquisitive mare. She nosed around the petals and stems of the flower, staring at it from every angle, and snorting as pollen entered her slitted nostrils. Nothing odd appeared to make up the flower, but she couldn’t deny the oddness of it. She finally awkwardly manhandled (or equine-handled) the flower, carefully placing it behind her ear so it wasn’t a wasted and abandoned gift from the tree.
Any other horse likely would have used telekinesis for the entire range – pulling the flower free of the tree, rotating it in the air to view it, and then placing it upon their body. Bel hadn’t grown up with the ability, and often forgot she had it even now, tending to do things the far more difficult way – by herself.
She finally noticed then that the rain had suddenly stopped, cyan eyes snapping wide as she glanced around before her eyes lit on a sudden path that had seemed to appear from nowhere. She glanced up at the trees in question, “Am I supposed to follow it?” She asked the trees, not really expecting an answer. A few did seem to sway, whether from a breeze or in answer she couldn’t guess, but they swayed in the direction of the path and it solidified the decision in her mind.
The mare held her head high as she began down it, the emerald rain-bloomed blossom still tucked next to her ear, against the ridge of her dorsal fin at her forehead. Her steps lit on the path gently, her steps measured and careful (least she trip herself on land), and her gaze sweeping and watching. The path was here for a reason, which led her to believe that it might just lead her to the island secrets, like she’d been wanting this entire time.
Thoughts Speech
i feel no cold, i feel no fear inside my mind Now I'm full of energy
Huehuecoyotl danced along the strange bridge, amused greatly about the chaos that this path had caused in the minds of the horses that lived here. It was rock, once heated below the surface of the land... He didnt understand what was so scary about it. Eying a part of the path, he noted places where the rock had been imprinted with the shape of a massive set of hooves. Did some random idiot really try to walk on it while it was still cooling?! Who ever it was, they were massive if the size of the prints was to be judged.
Shaking his head, he turned and trotted across, toward the island and the forest that was covering it. A short spattering of rain pressed his tri-colored mane against his ebony neck and made his tail drag pitifully along his legs. "Just what I needed... to look like a drowned rat..." He grumbled to himself as it stopped. Casting his cyan gaze to the heavens above, he frowned and wondered if there wasnt a god or a pantheon of them that was amusing themselves with dousing him with water.
Giving his body a quick shake to clear the excess water, knowing full well that his mane was disheveled and no where near the perfection that he usually strove for. Grumbling under his breath, he continued until he had come into the forest. At least here, he wouldnt be as easily doused with the obnoxious rain. He blundered around for a few minutes, not really sure where he was going before running across a mare that he had noticed at the statue with the crowd of chaos. Sliding closer, he stopped a few feet away and eyed her with vibrant blue eyes.
"Hey there, pretty thing... Whatcha lookin for?" Coy drawled as he watched her investigate the flower and then place it behind her ear. She was striking, not the kind of figure that he came across often. "Perhaps I can be of assistance. I am Coyote." He introduced himself with a grin, dipping his head in greeting before watching her to see what she would do in reaction to his appearance in the brush behind her.
Below Zero
my frost philosophy will put no curse on me
There was so much that was a sudden change tot he island. Green rain. Suddenly flowers blooming in moments, and then a new face popping up. She glanced to the male curiously as he appeared from just about nowhere, his mane disheveled and his body wet - clearly having been caught in the sudden and strange rain that had lasted only moments. She glanced towards the flowers for a moment, not certain if he'd search her out - of course she did seem to be the only one around so suddenly, so she should have known he would.
As a flower was tucked against her ear and dorsal fin, she glanced to the male, his drawled tone a greeting. She tilted her head, an amused smile crossing her features at his greeting, before rolling her shoulders in a shrug, "Secrets." She said briefly, her gaze once more on the flowers above, before training her eyes on the new path, following it with her eyes in curiosity of where it would lead, "This island has many of them, I intend to dig them all up." She explaine dfurther, before turning her attention back to him, her dual set of cyan eyes blinking at different times, before she stepped onto the path, "Sure, I'm planning to follow this path at the moment. It wasn't here before the rain . . . a lot of stuff wasn't here before it. I think the Island is starting to agree to show me what it's hiding, and I don't intend to let it take back the offer."
She began to move along the path, assuming he will follow, as she introduced herself, "My name is Below Zero, but most everyone calls me Bel. My full name is a touch of a mouthful." She greeted, her fluked tail swaying slightly with her light steps as she followed the path laid out, trailing through the forest, occasionally pausing at forks and watching the way the trees swayed before choosing one path to follow. The island had given her the path, she assumed it would also direct her down the right forks of it, "What brings you to the island than, Coyote? Here to explore, or to find the treasure it's supposed to hide?" She asked after a moment of quiet, glancing at him as she voiced her curiosity.
Thoughts Speech
@Huehuecoyotl, and others free to join in at any time.
i feel no cold, i feel no fear inside my mind Now I'm full of energy
"Secrets. This island has many of them, I intend to dig them all up." Coy grinned at the idea and nodded. "Digging up secrets can be fun... Better than digging up bodies." He quipped as he winked one bright blue eye. He stepped closer as she eyed the path and flicked an ear. Well... That looked fun... And this little mare was ready for an adventure, just like him.
"Sure, I'm planning to follow this path at the moment. It wasn't here before the rain . . . a lot of stuff wasn't here before it. I think the Island is starting to agree to show me what it's hiding, and I don't intend to let it take back the offer." Coy tilted his head as he listened to her words. He hadnt been here before the rain either, so he would have to take her word for it. "The rain is revealing things... That definitely sounds like it could be an invitation... or a possible trap, but I will hope for invitation." The tri-colored stallion followed her lead, stepping onto the path just behind the unusual fluked tail that reminded him of a dolphin or whale.
"My name is Below Zero, but most everyone calls me Bel. My full name is a touch of a mouthful. What brings you to the island than, Coyote? Here to explore, or to find the treasure it's supposed to hide?" Coy nodded as he listened to her introduction. Following along, he watched the jungle around them for any danger. "I get the mouthful of a name. My own is Huehuecoyotl, if you wanted the full glory." He winked, not that she would be able to see it. "A little of both, I guess. This island seems to be drawing everyone to explore and I enjoy adventure. Finding treasure wouldnt be all bad, perhaps it could help us both out in the future." He mused, wondering what he would do if they did find treasure. The idea was kind of strange, but yet something that would be fun. And this little mare seemed like the kind that he would enjoy getting to know and becoming friends with.
Below Zero
my frost philosophy will put no curse on me
The female was curious of the island, particularly the changes that had come with the rain. It had been caused by something - clearly. It had been meant for a particular reason. The flower adorning her head now was proof enough that it wasn't a normal rain (the emerald hue of it wasn't forgotten), but was the now visible path that she was preparing to follow that proved the oddness of the rain. What sort of rain grew a path, it wasn't exactly something heard of. She glanced around curiously, wondering what might be at the end of it as the male spoke again. She turned briefly to glance at him with the obviously dominant larger set of eyes (the second set were still glancing about to see what secrets the path alone might have. She snorted lightly, a half smile slipping onto her lean muzzle, "Now there will be no digging up bodies on this expedition, unless it's digging our living ones up from sand traps and similar traps we may find." She mused, before her eyes turned a little more determined, glancing back at the pathway, "Actually we should be cautious for that sort of thing . . . As a little fry I'd heard plenty of stories of sand traps, where the land beneath the sand was weak and could swallow you up with out a thought. We will want to make sure to stay clear of anything that might cost us our health." She didn't feel that mentioning it could also cost them their life was needed.
She mentioned her plan of attack as she stepped onto path ready to go as she glanced at him when he spoke, nodding once, "I'd rather believe it to be an invitation than a trap, but it's revealed something, and I'd rather see what it has to show me, before the path disappears, should it do so." The stallion stepped onto the path behind her, clearly still along for the trek and Bel started down the pathway, hooves making soft sounds against the broken grass-stalks of the well-used trail. She glanced back occasional as the male spoke, nodding once when he spoke his full name for her, and she had to grin slightly, "Personally, I think your name is a bit more of a mouthful than mine. I don't think I could pronounce it even if I tried . . . I'll stick to Coyote."
The birds song ahead, while small creatures seemed to scuttle by quietly as the passed along the path, the vegetation growing steadily thicker with the apparent passing into the deeper forested area of the island. She moved carefully, relieved that for the most part the path was steadily the same of trekked down grasses and foliage. Occasionally the path morphed with bits of rock and sand worn through the grassy passage, hinting at heavier footing through the area, but as of this point no splits off or forks in the path had been seen - or at least none to Bel's untrained eye.
Time was passed by conversation however, as Bel and Coyote chatted, talking about their reason for being on the island. Sje nodded lightly to his words, slowly so they might walk closer to side by side rather than single-file. The path was large enough to allow it - just barely - and it made it easier to hold a conversation as well, "I'm not to certain I'm interested in what ever this treasure might be. Not because of what it could be and couldn't be, and what help it might bring - but because I'm far more interested in trying to figure out this island. From the first moment I stepped on it, it felt off. . . . wrong . . . and walking along that bridge of hardened lava twists my heart at the sight of the creatures of the tree trapped in a frozen state, as if glorifying their sudden death. There is something weird about this island . . . I just want to know what it might be."
Thoughts Speech
@Huehuecoyotl, and others free to join in at any time.
i feel no cold, i feel no fear inside my mind Now I'm full of energy
06-20-2019, 09:56 AM - This post was last modified: 06-20-2019, 09:57 AM by Below Zero
"Now there will be no digging up bodies on this expedition, unless it's digging our living ones up from sand traps and similar traps we may find. Actually we should be cautious for that sort of thing . . . As a little fry I'd heard plenty of stories of sand traps, where the land beneath the sand was weak and could swallow you up with out a thought. We will want to make sure to stay clear of anything that might cost us our health." Coy laughed as he listened to her first bit of words. "Well, shucks! That's no fun! Sometimes bodies have the best stories to tell!" He quipped. "But yes... sand traps are bad... Cant be depriving the world of my antics, can we?" Yep... he was back to his normal self, sassing the world and feeling fabulous. Even the little wound from the adorable doe had mostly healed and only ached when he moved too quickly.
"I'd rather believe it to be an invitation than a trap, but it's revealed something, and I'd rather see what it has to show me, before the path disappears, should it do so. Personally, I think your name is a bit more of a mouthful than mine. I don't think I could pronounce it even if I tried . . . I'll stick to Coyote." Coy chuckled again, eyes alight with amusement. "Fair enough on both points. Gods know that I rarely use my full name." He remarked, realizing that the only time he even said it was in introductions. Usually he didnt even think of his name, to tell the truth. For a moment, he paused to wonder how much anyone ever thought about their names outside of hearing it from others.
"I'm not to certain I'm interested in what ever this treasure might be. Not because of what it could be and couldn't be, and what help it might bring - but because I'm far more interested in trying to figure out this island. From the first moment I stepped on it, it felt off. . . . wrong . . . and walking along that bridge of hardened lava twists my heart at the sight of the creatures of the tree trapped in a frozen state, as if glorifying their sudden death. There is something weird about this island . . . I just want to know what it might be." Coy listened to her words and thought about it. She definitely had a valid point. "Lava bridge is unusual but doesnt bother me... but then I am used to land locked areas and not a ton of volcanos, so it is just something new about the realm for me. The trapped creatures... yeah... that is creepy..." He mused as he walked with her, frowning. What if what ever was happening on the island was going to happen to everyone that explored it?! He could be turned into a fabulous statue that no one in the world would ever see without being scared! The idea alone nearly made him turn around and head back. "Well... we are here.. Might as well figure this out before anything worse happens. Hopefully we will even come out unscathed!" He quipped, trying to lighten the unease in his own heart.
@Below Zero "Coy Sass" Notes: Coy is thoroughly against the idea of becoming a statue XD
Below Zero
my frost philosophy will put no curse on me
The two made an odd clash, one of ivory and sapphire, the other emerald and onyx, but they were meshing together surprisingly well (and from a stark difference in personality traits – one far more tricky and playful than the other’s calm and kind – if not at times spunky – personality). She tilted her head when his response was with a quip, about bodies having the best stories to tell. She blinked once, and then twice, and finally a third time before her finned ears pinned to the side in shocked confusion, before her eyes playfully narrowed, and her voice mellowed to a gentleness of an individual speaking with a wayward foal, “Now, now, we needn’t dig up the dead just for some stories to tell. It’s both unsightly and undignified.” She tilted her head as if momentarily contemplating shoving him into a sand trap and if the world really would be deprived. She finally decided it would be too much work and merely allowed him his moment.
The topic of large, long and over the top names were met with an agreement of them being far too difficult to struggle over, before the idea of traveling the path to see what the island intended to show before disappearing on itself was deemed wise. “I don’t know if we’ll find delight or despair at the end of the path . . . but I certainly hope for the former.” But so much of the island set her at odds, and the lava bridge was just the beginning of it. Creepy and out of the element, “Perhaps I’m sympathetic to my fellows of the sea,” The aqua-equine mused softly, her gaze cast back towards the very bridge they spoke of before ripping her gaze from it and beginning to walk the path calmly, “But this island mirrors the creepiness of the lava bridge. There’s just something about it that I cannot find delight in. I’m too busy being fully on guard. You can see the others that tranverse this place have the same thoughts. We’re all more cautious now, more careful . . . more guarded.” It’s as if no place could be considered safe.
As they moved, she glanced when he spoke hoping that worse wouldn’t come to worse, and indeed they would come out unscathed. She smiled faintly before her dual-eyed gaze turned ahead once more, “I do fear it will be only luck that would play a hand in us surviving safely . . . beyond that . . . this Island might give its’ all to ensure the exact opposite.”
Thoughts Speech
@Huehuecoyotl, and others free to join in at any time.
i feel no cold, i feel no fear inside my mind Now I'm full of energy
“Now, now, we needn’t dig up the dead just for some stories to tell. It’s both unsightly and undignified.” Coy chuckled softly as he listened to her words and watched her face. Her features told a story as she mulled over his teasing words and he could not help the amusement he felt at that. "Ok..." The nearly adolescent acting stallion sighed heavily. "Perhaps we can find something else to dig up and tell stories about." He laughed and shook his head. Coy liked this mare. She was fun!
“I don’t know if we’ll find delight or despair at the end of the path . . . but I certainly hope for the former. Perhaps I’m sympathetic to my fellows of the sea, But this island mirrors the creepiness of the lava bridge. There’s just something about it that I cannot find delight in. I’m too busy being fully on guard. You can see the others that tranverse this place have the same thoughts. We’re all more cautious now, more careful . . . more guarded.” Coy nodded as he listened, taking the moment to look around him and peer into the underbrush. "I hope for delight as well... Despair might mar my beautiful coat!" He gasped as he spoke, taking a moment to check that his coat was drying and looking like it should. His tail had finally dried to the point where it wasnt sticking to his legs and driving him insane. "Caution is good... maybe not the most fun, but it does keep perfect hide intact and one from being bloodied without cause." He mused, cyan eyes flicking from the brush to the amusing mare beside him.
“I do fear it will be only luck that would play a hand in us surviving safely . . . beyond that . . . this Island might give its’ all to ensure the exact opposite.” Coy eyed her and then the island around them. "You know... usually I am a pretty lucky stallion... This island makes me wonder if my luck will hold out. I dont think one can sweet talk an island to stay safe..." Coy laughed as he spoke, though her words did send a chill down his spine. The idea of the island trying to make them unsafe... or worse... was bone chilling. It made him take a moment and look around again, nearly tripping over a branch as he did.
@Below Zero "Coy Sass" Notes: Have I told you lately that I love Bel <3 She is so much fun to thread with!
![[Image: i-jTNwWx8.png]](https://photos.smugmug.com/BelowZeroNovus/n-X9d9fZ/i-jTNwWx8/1/e09fb6c3/O/i-jTNwWx8.png)
