driftfleet | Dragon!

Entry tags:

Dragon!

Who: ANYONE!
Broadcast: If you want
Action: The forest outside of town!
When: Ambiguously around the 23rd

→ Before the mob
[Tek has run out of time. he's pushed his body and spirit to its limit, and his hold over himself finally slips. he's quiet about fleeing the city, but it's a different story once he reaches the wilderness. the sudden release of energy as he loses his human shape hits the atmosphere in a silent wave. the countryside shivers as an aura of death and malaise touches every living thing, even if only in the very back of the mind. and for those more sensitive to such things... it's clear that something has happened. something is here.

for those wandering the forest that day, they may step into an area of the forest gone still with a graveyard hush. and if they linger there, they might happen upon a monstrous beast.

he's keeping to the tallest, deepest copses of trees... because it's hard to keep hidden when you're the height of a three-story building. either creeping and looming between the trunks, gratefully wading into streams, or curling up to rest in roomy clearings, he's there.

and he's hideous. though not actually rotting, the creature is at least designed to look cadavorous. he doesn't appear overtly aggressive... but something looking like that must be far from harmless.]

→ After the mob
[and he can only stay hidden for so long. a band of foresters eventually happen upon him, and a battle inevitably ensues. it isn't long before the remnants of the group run howling into town-- a dragon is less than a mile away, and it has already struck down several of their number!

at once, the bravest warriors take up arms, ring the alarms, and begin to set out in bands to take down the monster!

anyone striking out to find the dragon after the battles have begun is definitely in for a fight, because he is now wounded and angry. and, since he's so large and caught in such a small area of land before he hits the barrier, he won't be hard to find--especially whenever he breaks the canopy of trees and takes flight, to try and find another area of forest not already full of attackers. if you watch the sky and follow him long enough, you're sure to find him.]

(ooc: open to absolutely anyone! just take a look at the ooc post first, and then jump in! also open for any peripherally-related threads--like reacting to the creepy wave of feeling that goes through the town, gathering friends, etc.--if you feel like it!

if you have any other questions, dump 'em in the ooc post!

otherwise, DRAGONFIGHT DRAGONFIGHT!!)

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[ Ladon couldn't resist a trip to the planet. He had never bothered with Asphodel, the horrible little planet that Sacrosanct orbited. The mountain Zone had met some of his needs, especially when he needed a dark cave to hide in, but there had always been that knowledge. The sun, the atmosphere, everything was fake. So when the temptation of a real, actual, honest-to-God planet with trees and air and shit was dangled in front of him, he went.

He had already tried to dig at the stupid implant in his neck, but couldn't find the damn thing. If he was bugged, he wanted it out. He didn't care who these people were who had him on a short leash, he didn't want anyone keeping an eye on his location. It was worse than having a stoolie singing to the cops. On top of that, he had a feeling that getting the damn thing out would mean freedom. The attempt had left him with a few blood stains on his collar, which meant he smelled of gasoline in close proximity. Best to avoid other people until that aired out.

Rather than play tourist with a bunch of belligerent medieval locals who would likely question his way of talking and dressing, he's opted for a nature walk. And he's actually headed in a different direction when he feels this wave of... well. Magic. It's an alien force for sure, but magic is about all he can compare it to.

And so he seeks it out. What does he have to lose? And besides, there's a small, stubborn part of his brain that reminds him of the last time he'd felt strange magic-- the scent of copper and cut grass-- and he just has to know. If there are fae here, or anything even remotely similar, he needs to know.

The silence is foreboding, but he pushes on, until he's fairly certain he can see something moving amongst the trees. Then he pauses, sniffs the air, and just listens. ]

[Fenris has had a very confusing couple of days, and talk of a dragon has given him some steady footing again. He knows how to deal with dragons. A dragon fight is reassuringly familiar. He can fight a dragon in a way he can't fight anything else he has to deal with right now.

He might even be nice enough to stop off at the House of Sin to tell them all there's a FUCKING DRAGON before heading out to find it. He has a nice new sword and he wants to kill something with it.

Best day. ]

[After the situation is clear, Jove sends out a fleetwide broadcast.]

Alright, so we've apparently got a dragon rampaging around down here now. I can't in good conscience just leave these people to deal with it alone, it's clear they have no idea what they're doing when it comes to dragon slaying, so.

I'll be organizing a group to take it down. I've killed dragons before, but it's by no means something I can do by myself. If you have experience fighting, please meet me by the job board in town. There are a few of you I expect to see, so don't let me down. You know who you are.

[She signs off there, but can be found in a full set of armor by the job board. Behind her is a small collection of staves and a few swords she's managed to round up, but she really is hoping most people will have their own weapons.]

[the air is empty, waiting, and thick with scent. it's a decaying smell, but not entirely repulsive. more like swamp muck and recently-skinned hides than something outright rotting. forests don't usually smell like this, but it still seems to fit somehow.

and he's certainly not alone. at first, it seems like there might be several animals back there, prowling slowly in the thickest of the brush. the subtle shifts of motion in the shadows hint at shapes maybe the size of bears--some big creatures.

but the longer he waits and watches, the more information he'd gather, until the true enormity of the picture becomes clear.

eventually, there's another movement--this time shuffling softly between branches, something like twenty feet over the other shapes. and when two rosy points of light open up and stare in his direction... it's pretty clear that they are eyes set in some thing's massive skull. the rest of whatever's back there must just be the rest of it.]

[and especially if Fenris is ranging off by himself for the time being, putting some distance between himself and the other crowds, he'll find him.

it's easier to sneak up on a dragon when you're not a noisy mob.

so, he'll eventually come upon a gap in the tree-canopy where something massive could have swooped down to land, and some of the smaller trees and shrubs are appropriately smashed from what was probably a messy landing.

and if he follows that trail along, it will lead him over a small rise, and then down toward a wide, shallow stream... where a giant cadaverous-looking monstrosity is currently wading into the water. the surface is barely deep enough to graze its belly, but the water will work for covering its tracks, so that's where it's headed.

...and it has no idea that Fenris is there.]

[The embrace of the night isn't something left forgotten. Not when it clings to you, feeds you, keeps you alive. Mattias dreams of her still. Dreams of the stillness of night. The moment's breath extended to a realm of hours. Surrounded as he had been, it was hard to mistake the sensation and even harder to leave it alone.

A magnet, it drew him closer. Pulled him through streams and rivers, over rocks and logs and through thickets and clearings until, finally, he comes upon it. A great, hulking beast that rivals buildings in stature and ruins in decay. In awe, Mattias watched it breath, sticking to the edge of the clearing as it... slept?

The stillness of night was coming off it in waves in combination with a plethora of other sensations. The silence of corpses, the serenity of death, the confidence of the moon. He bathed in each as they washed over him in his slow circuit around the form, taking in every detail, every scale and scar. Slowly, he spirals inward, daring closer with each lap completed until, finally, he's poised in front of the beast's mouth. Risky, perhaps, but how could anything exuding this aura be dangerous?]

You're beautiful.

[He has to breathe out the words.]

[one would think that a beast often hunted would be more ready to stir out of slumber at a moment's notice... but dragons weren't built that way. they had no threats at the dawn of their creation, so light sleeping was never something that was wired into them.

it's become the stuff of legends, really--the dragon slumbering peacefully while thieves and trespassers sneak into their lair. so, Mattias is more or less perfectly safe, all the way up to easy snapping range.

and then he speaks.

at first, the sick-pink glow of its eyes peels open slowly. but then there is a fast blink as the intruder's presence registers, and the dragon swings its head up much quicker than maybe expected from a monster so large--neck curved and poised like a heron's.

the air shudders with a sudden warning growl, aimed right at the little mortal standing in front of him.]

[His hand snap up, held in front of him, palms out. A display of his intentions. Quickly, he steps back. Gives the creature space it needs to calm.]

Heed me, friend. I mean you no harm.

[Hands frozen in place, he remains still, though his gaze softens to something fonder.]

Indeed, it would be a crime to harm something such as you. I am nothing more than an admirer.

[He doesn't know if it will understand him. Doesn't know if it recognizes his soothing tone. But it's worth a shot. He offers a wary smile.] Do tell me you won't punish me for something so innocent.

[ A few years ago, he probably would have run away at this point. The woods were never a particularly safe or pleasant place for him even well before he'd been spoiled by the comforts of living in the city. And something that large was definitely a threat.

But two things keep him from turning tail and getting the hell out of there: his curiosity and his more recent experiences. He's reminded keenly of his first meetings with Wistala and Tintakki. Granted he has no reason to believe this large creature is a dragon like they were, but that's his frame of reference. His curiosity is all about the magic and scent that seems to emanate from the creature. Magic, at least in his experience, indicates intelligence. Or at least sentience. And so he gives the big, pink eyes a wave and carefully removes his hat. Atop his head, interrupting the otherwise believable human mobster facade, are two silver horns that poke out of his black hair. ]

Sorry for intrudin'. New 'round this joint, dunno whose territory's whose just yet. Felt somethin' from outta here and had to get a slant. Hopin' I'd find somethin' other'n a buncha backwater humans. Looks like I did just that, yeah?

[Of course he's off ranging by himself, it's Fenris. He moves in absolute silence, as is his way. His eyes follow the treeline, making mental note of anything looks like it has been touched by a dragon and changing his direction accordingly.

He eventually pauses, on the top of the rise. Ah, there she is. She's big, much too large for him to take alone. He's a fighter, but he's not suicidal. He makes note of where she moves and crouches, waiting.

You need a full part to take down a dragon. ]

[he is astoundingly calm about this. maybe it's secretly panic--perhaps he's skipped past the shuddering, quaking fear of the unknown and gone directly into emergency fight-or-flight, where his internal chemicals are keeping his mind sharp and his thoughts ordered until he can get out of the way of impending disaster.

he'll break down later, probably, but right now there is work to be done.

Tekhetsio managed to make a mess of the land before he left. the trees are death-soaked, the earth burned in great, acidic swaths near the battleground. how fitting that he couldn't leave without poisoning everything first. there's a lingering decay in the air, a silence. the animals have all gone, save for maybe a wandering corvid.

he sighs, heavily, standing in a patch of ruined grass and gesturing--in that kind of vague way you'd expect to go hand-in-hand with a little magic. his muttering in a long-dead language helps the image. whatever he's doing seems to make the world feel a little less terrible, at least near to where he's standing.]

Edited 2015-03-25 21:19 (UTC)

[ she saw that message, and though tempted to reply to it via video, she decides to go a more personal route...

and shows up at the job board not too long afterwards. furious - though the only indication to such is the way the glowing lines on her skin pulse with her anger and increased heartbeat. ]

You are the one that intends to kill the dragon, yes?

[Call her crazy but something tells Jove this won't be going very well.]

That's... the plan, yes. And you're not here to help, are you?

I am not. [ you're a smart woman, jove. ]

Might I ask what this dragon has done to warrant death? I do not see it rampaging the city.

[Hey suck it glow lady.]

Not yet, perhaps, but how long until it runs out of things to kill in the forest? How long do you think it will take for the dragon to be forced to attack the city for food?

So your immediate thought is to murder it? Have you - nor anyone else - not considered speaking with the creature? For all we may know, it has no interest in those that live within the city - a truce would not be difficult to obtain if both parties were not jumping to conclusions about the other.

[ she doesn't get angry about a lot of things, but this... wow, this is the angriest she's been in a long time. ]

You want to... [Just the most incredulous look ever, that's what Lior is getting right now.] You want to speak to it? To the dragon? The dragon that would probably immediately eat you without thinking twice?

Are you mad?

If mad is what I must be to think rationally, then I surely am. [ she folds her arms over her chest, brows furrowed. ] I do not know what dragons are like in your realm, if you have them at all, but most I have encountered are more than willing to talk. Not a one has tried to eat me simply for trying to reason with it.

You have not tried, so how do you know what its response will be?

Dragons in my world do kill and eat people with no provocation, even if they've nested far from a settlement. I've seen towns try to live alongside them, bringing in livestock to feed them. It never works, not for long. You can't even get near them without them attacking, so yes, I plan to kill this one before it can hurt anyone else.

But if you want to go try to talk to it that's fine. I'm sure the men who came running from the woods earlier screaming about how the dragon killed a whole group of their friends can give you directions.

[ OKAY WELL. that sucks, and lioriley - being the sympathetic piece of shit that she is - deflates slightly. only slightly. ] I am sorry, for those that reside in your land, and for those that have suffered at the hands of beasts so unbefitting the title of 'dragon.' But this is not your world - it is not mine either, and we do not know how these dragons will react.

What if those men did what you intended to do? What if they charged in without reason, under unfounded assumptions, and the beast was defending itself? [ do you know? she doesn't, but... ] I will speak with it, and I will return when I am done. I will hope by the time I return you will have come to your senses.

[ FAREWELL MADAM. ]

Oh for- wait!

[Even as she's cursing this woman for being so difficult, Jove is reaching for her with one hand to stop her as she reaches into a pouch at her side, drawing out a glass flask filled with a green liquid.]

This is a healing potion. At least take it if you're really going to do this.

[Finrod does indeed have his own sword and set of armor, recently acquired. He has a grim look about him as he approaches, but he still manages a little nod hello.]

Jove.

[ she stops, spinning on her heel to face the other woman. the elf glances down to the flask, shakes her head slowly. ]

I do not need it. [ and she's not saying that to act tough. she legitimately does not need it. ] Keep it for yourself, for your friends... should I be wrong.

There's a part of me that hopes I'm the one that's wrong.

[She doesn't think she is, though. She tucks the potion away again, nodding at Lior.]

Dareth shiral. I wish you luck.

[She doesn't blame him for that look, not after what he told her about dragons in his own world. As glad as she is to see him, especially with a sword in hand, she's still frowning faintly as he joins her.]

Hello, Finrod. Your help is appreciated, but are you sure you want to do this?

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Page 1 of 6

Dragon!

Before the mob

After

a hunting we will go

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BEFORE THE MOB

and Mattias lives up to his journal name

well i mean someone has to

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DISPERSAL AFTER-PARTY

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