[META ORP] To New Horizons - FINALE page 22

[Baneful]

King didn't want to be there, but he had done his fair share of travelling. He'd rather have been in the fairy tribe with the others, preparing for winter and enjoying the months when he did not have to be in charge of anything at all.

But Fair had asked him to follow up the rumours, and here he was, skulking with his tail flicking irritably at his hooves. He'd brought Stalker with him in a fit of pique at the tribe in general and hoped they enjoyed the disorganisation of having their main organiser out of commission. His wasp hovered along lazily behind the group, always on the edge of the stragglers.

"Now are you sure you can do this?" he asked, slightly concerned. "I'm not sure how fit you are." King himself didn't look much suited for the plains, sleek and slender rather than robust and muscular.


 

[Shaddaling]

"There are several in our group, Bittermint's daughter is Kiokote and so is her son. Birch doesn't remember her time in the plains... but Air glow and Good and Done are from there. They recall much and Good has a cheetah familiar. First time I had seen one."

"They are lovely, so fast and sleek. Not that I would give up Spring," Scrape gave her eaglehound a small smile. "But he had spoke of grass so tall a cheetah can get lost in it."  

[Toshihiko Two]

Neither Fair or King had been born in the swamp, and they hadn't been able to send back word to the desert tribes on account of the ache. It hadn't effected King's long journey (and absence) downstream, but up and away from the sea was a different matter. This was an opportunity. One that Fair would have preferred to send one of their couriers to investigate, but all of their current messengers had been born in the swamp, and they wouldn't recognize old friends or enemies anyway. Although she privately loathed to send King away again, he was the most qualified for the journey. He had not taken it very well.

But this was the arrangement. It was the Summer years, and he was bound to follow her commands. The parting was not without emotion. She instructed him to do anything he had to in order to return.

Stalker was of the same mind, and while King couldn't disobey Fair, and he couldn't (wouldn't dream of) disobeying King, he was a little relieved to be accompanying King on this journey. He had packed them both a bundle of small, hard victuals and a few necessities for the trip.

He had left his own familiar, Love is Gone, who was a giant slug, behind. Muffle had volunteered to care for him. He'd left a list of detailed instructions, from the slug's favorite soft leaves to his preference for a warm lap in the evenings.

"Of course!" Stalker said, "Where there's a will...well. I'm willing, in any case. I've never been past the borders. I don't think any of my family have." In ancestry, he was purely and solidly kimeti. He'd heard stories about beyond, however...from the Players and other wanderers.

"I'd...follow you anywhere, Sire."  

[CascadingRayn]

He didn't know why, but when he heard about the calling of a legendary, he just had to be there. He had firstheard they were going on a journey. That tugged on the curious ends of his horns. He'd never seen the world outside. What if it was a beautiful place? He wasn't scared at all, even if just a little scared, he threw those thoughts away. He had heard they were on their way. Well he'd just join them then. And so here he was. Admist a group travelling. Leading the group was the legendary. He'd never seen a legendary before and his first thoughts were, "Wow! So amazing." He was pretty lost for words. Lull in Sunlight was grand and powerful, right before him. That's when he made his decision. He was going to join the group.

As they went along their way, there was some occasional chatter, but Heat Blaze kept to himself mostly. He just didn't know as many kin, so he didn't bother too much. Hopefully someone would talk to him. The excitement of this journey was keeping him entertained enough though. Maybe he'd see something he'd never seen before. He probably would!

anemosagkelos

 

[Scaramouche Fandango]

Half Truth, of course, had never seen the plains. She was born in the swamp, same as nearly everyone she knew. But when she'd heard rumors of an expedition- an actual attempt to leave the swamp and see something new and potentially wonderful- burning curiosity overtook her. She was no stranger to the Ache, having briefly nursed an Acha who'd tried to return to the desert. They hadn't spoken much, probably because he had been in a massive amount of physical pain, but that wasn't an experience she wanted to have for herself. Or for Roses in Bloom, who was accompanying her. She hoped the mare was right in her assessment of her abilities. Half Truth was loathe to immediately trust a stranger, but ascended kin were... special. Powerful. Who knew what they could actually do? Could they all safeguard against the Ache?

A jostle from the crowd jarred her from her thoughts. The adventuring party was quite large, large enough to be comfortable. Large enough to squelch the events of her nightmare as much as possible. If she stayed with the crowd and with Roses, there was no way she'd ever be alone- and that meant she wouldn't be stranded with another obelisk. She swallowed the fear, forcing it back down. If she didn't think about it, she'd be ok. Rhetorical Question buzzed near her head, then looped away to investigate a flower. While she'd left her caiman at home, there wasn't really any telling a giant wasp what to do- and so the insect had trailed along.

She reared up on her hind legs, glancing over the crowd and scanning for familiarity. "See anyone you know?" she said to Rose, landing lightly on her forehooves. How wonderful it was to be traveling with her paramour, her ladylove, her best girl! It was kinda nice, seeing the world with someone you loved. She couldn't think of anything better.

Moonstone Dazzle

 

[So Long Gay Bowser]

Roses in Bloom was no stranger to the wonders of her ascended bretheren and sisteren. Last Night had answered some call, become some sort of wonder by the swamp's power... and Giveforward had seen the magic of the legendaries as well. Somehow, the enigmatic beings had become rather prominent features in her life as of late. So when Half Truth had brought the word that one of them was leading a journey into the unknown, to see the homelands of the.. oh, it was the runner ones. That she hadn't met terribly many of. Kiokote? Something of the sorts.

The point was, it was an adventure she'd have been a fool to pass up. Nervous as she was to leave the safety of her home, Roses in Bloom also knew it was an opportunity she was likely to never see again. And to adventure with her beloved Half Truth...

Oh, it was so wonderfully romantic!

"I do not," She replied, pale eyes cast amongst the crowd for a familiar face. She'd hoped, in secret, to see Giveforward or Last Night again, but it seemed the MotherFather had other plans for now. It was still exciting, even without too many familiar faces around her.

"What about you? You tend to get out more than I- I'd figure you see a great many more kin than I do," and was it flirtatious? Possibly. It was just... wonderful, what an adventurous spirit Half Truth was. Inspiring, really. It had gotten an old soul like Rose on her hooves again, anyway.

Scaramouche Fandango

 

[Scaramouche Fandango]

"Yeah, I recognize- see that silver doe over there? Her name's Streams of Silver. When I was watching Changes' caveworm, it tried to steal her lunch. She's pretty nice. And I think that fella with the green stripe on his back is kinda familiar. He looks vaguely like a doe I met in passing- of course with those colors, he might be one of my distant relations." She really wasn't sure- she didn't know much of her family, and she wasn't entirely sure she'd recognize them if she did run into them. "But looking at him again, I'm not sure. Of course, it's kinda hard to look at anybody else when you're right here." There was nothing subtle about her flirtations- how could anybody be subtle about a doe like Rose? She nuzzled her neck in full sight of everyone. No subtlety, and no shame, either.

Moonstone Dazzle

 

[So Long Gay Bowser]

"I mean, to be fair, you've seen Merry. She looks very little like me OR Dawn, so it's hard to say," Roses in Bloom mused in reply, eyeing the green stranger. The silver doe was hard to miss, regardless of how far away they were. But it rose the question... Would she recognize her own family? Even if they were a grandly distant relation?

"Oh! That reminds me- I met one of my... was it grandson or great-grandson?" She mused, trying to recall what that Agonist buck had been. "It was one of the two, either way. Charming young buck. He looked a great deal like me," she recounted with amusement.

Half Truth nuzzled her, and Rose giggled sheepishly. It made her feel like a filly again, all this attention! She returned the gesture openly, a smile on her lips.

"You're in a rather good mood today, aren't you?"

Scaramouche Fandango

 

[Scaramouche Fandango]

"I suppose I am," she murmured into Rose's hair. "Not every day we get to go on adventures like this- leaving the swamp, seeing the Kiokote homelands, traveling together- it's like something out of a story. And we're here for it! Just think, we're walking in the steps of a saga. Have you ever heard of anybody successfully leaving the swamp before? This'll be something to tell our grandchildren! Or great-grandchildren, in your case. One day, I have to meet all of your descendants so I can tell them how foxy their grandma is."

Moonstone Dazzle

 

[saedusk]

"A cheetah?" Willow inquired curiously. Though she'd heard stories of the large cats brought from the plains and how they'd long since integrated into life in the swamp, she'd never actually seen one in the flesh. Maybe there would be a chance to see one on their journey. That thought, that reminder of all the new things they'd see... it excited her.

"I've never seen one face to face. Are they impressive?"

Shaddaling

 

[NymiiNym]

For a second, Little Lady wished she had a familiar or pet. Something familiar, at least, to soothe her nervous heart. The surge of courage given by the ascended had done away most of her fears, but something lingered. She hadn't known the outside world, and here she was, chasing after something she never really thought about until now. Why was she here? What if she was a burden, or failed everyone?

Luckily, someone bumped into her, catching her free from her worries. Her ears swiveled up, flashing a polite and apologetic smile to the kiokote. Her head tilted gently at the question, head shaking ever so faintly.

"I can't say that I have, unfortunately." She hummed back, her face turning into an amused smile at the others dramatic reenactment of their friends face. "If I do, though, I'll be sure to find you." Her eyes twinkled with amusement, nodding towards the crowd that had accumulated around them.

"What is your name? I could tell your friend, if I see them, you were seeking them?"

thyPOPE

 

[thyPOPE]

At first, some may have had their doubts about where Lull in Sunlight is leading them. That is reasonable: only one kin in living memory has traveled out of the swamp and not collapsed. What should be different about this trip?

But once they've traveled out of the borderlands, they feel...fine. They ache, certainly, but it's just the ordinary ache of travel, and it's made softer by the knowledge that they're doing something monumental. Many of them are seeing the tall, cool grasses and low-hanging trees for the very first time, outside of dreams or stories. No one is exactly sure what exactly they're looking for, but the plains are new enough, or achingly familiar enough, that they do not mind.

It isn't long before it becomes obvious where they're headed, though. The canopy in the plains is not at all thick, and the terrain is fairly flat and even. A tall, smooth-sided tower of stone rises in the distance, far taller than any trees, identical from afar to the one that has only recently revealed itself in the swamp, except that it's a pale grey in color. Actually, it may be familiar to any of the kiokote in the group who were born in the plains. But they'll remember that it's never glowed, and it's never been anything much except for a landmark to meet other kin by. It certainly doesn't impart foreboding dreams upon kin who touch it, like the one in the swamp.

Once it's visible they seem to travel quicker. Perhaps it's just that they have a goal now, evident to more kin than just the mysteriously knowledgeable legendaries. They reach within an hour.

[a view of the scene from above]

Although not immediately apparent due to the tall grass all around them, it is surrounded, like the other obelisk, by five flat stones; it takes struggling through the grass and the entire group exploring to find all five of them, but it eventually becomes clear that they have found all they can with the grass obscuring the rest of their view. Like with the stones surrounding the last obelisk, there seem to be images etched onto the stones' surfaces. The obelisk itself is identical in size and shape to the other. It's pale grey, and it has strange symbols along its sides. This obelisk is dormant, though, with not even a faint moonlight-glow to help those symbols stand out, and the grass here tangles thickly about their knees, as though the obelisk has been standing unattended for a long time...

They have arrived.

OOC

The second obelisk claiming meta has begun! This is a wandering prompt split into two parts so that more people have a chance to participate. Posting at least 500 words in any of this thread (including the ORP section) will count as fulfilling a legendary requirement. You do not need to post in this part to participate in the next part. However, you may only bring a total of one of your kin on the expedition - the kin who has already been participating in the ORP, or a new one if you have not yet participated.

Your job is to figure out what the obelisk is, and what it does. Solving the puzzle will advance the metaplot. If your kin attempts to interact with anything in the vicinity of the obelisk, please use bold green text, and the RP mods may or may not respond. Please limit yourself to one action per post, and try to be courteous: let everyone have a shot at mod interaction. Otherwise, have fun!

 

[thyPOPE]

A grin spread across First to Strike's face, which seemed to belong there much more than the glare had. "Goood luck," he said. "I'm First to Strike, and you?" he said, tail swishing rather merrily. Grumble stumbled along behind him and let out a bellow.

"What's that?" He turned momentarily to face his pet (his friend) - was he falling behind? He knew he should've tried situating the little bear on his back. It looked like wading through the plains' grasses was a bit more difficult for the little guy than swamp terrain. Well, he was far more accustomed to soil...

And the grass was only getting thicker. He shook his head out and gaped at the obelisk standing before him. Had they been traveling here all this time? "What - this?" he asked skeptically. He was pretty sure it was just a big, tall, weirdly smooth rock. Surrounded by other rocks that made smooth circles. Yeah, he'd...never really traveled out to this part of the plains, back when he'd spent time here, although it was surreal to see so much grass again. Maybe it might be best to see whether Never Misses was around...although he'd come all this way and still not seen her. Eh, if she hadn't come, it was fine. "Hey, you!" he called, to the pretty grey doe he'd been bugging earlier. "I'm gonna...you know..." He nodded at the obelisk.

Was he supposed to do tricks here? He'd never really heard of any weird stuff going down here, unlike the at the one in the Swamp. There sure as hell wasn't any glowing now. He shrugged, running a wide circle around the area to see exactly how many of those big circular stones existed.

Yushika

 

[Shaddaling]

"They are beautiful, when they sprint it like a blink and they are gone. They are most impressive, I am rather in love with their spotted coats," Scrape said happily, looking at Willow. "Perhaps we will see some in the plains."

Sprung forth trotted easy at the does side, the hounds tongue lolling out in a canine smile.

The swamp made way to grassland, more and more dry land underhoof and more wavering grass and small trees. it is bright, and open. Scrape stared out at the expanse of grass and it reminds her of the sea. The obelisk is a tall unmoving landmark within the grass.

saedusk