Welcome to Gaia! ::

You run just far enough out of the invaders grasps. Unsure where you are now, you notice the fog around you is starting to fill in. Its a dense fog, but you no longer feel in sudden danger. The tiny droplets of moisture fall gently on your muzzle and fur as you stand there, blinking, trying to clear your vision well enough to see where you might be. You walk a little ways, ears swiveling to pick up any sounds that you could, your muzzle shifting as you stopped to sniff the air from time to time.

After only a few moments of walking, the mists seem to lift slowly. You are walking among a ravaged mostly dirt field. Ahead of you is a giant camp of sorts with giant wooden poles sharpened to a point facing outward to keep enemies out. As you get closer it is quiet obvious that even though the same shares one base that there are actually two sides to the camp.



In the wake of the disappearance of the dark, twisted invaders, the silence felt uncomfortably heavy. Oppressive. Nearly as terrifying as the pursuit the survivors had endured. Moments passed, however, and the very air seemed to lighten, as if the trees themselves had finally exhaled a breath of relief.

When the whispers of concern became murmurs of curiosity and then questions about how to proceed, the survivors found themselves joined by one final pair of unicorns, locked in debate themselves as they came on.

"Destroying them won't accomplish as much as you think," a pale-coated mare insisted. "Giving them a fight is exactly what they want. Obviously they're stronger than we are. There are more of them than there are of us." She paused, one forehoof lifted, when she turned her attention to those gathered in the clearing. "Do you see what I mean? Count them if you don't believe me."

Leaving her companion to do so, she stepped forward, announcing, "You are all safe here, but we won't be for long. The invaders will undoubtedly come back. We must band together and work to build up our defenses. When next they come for us, we will stand our ground and defend ourselves. We cannot let them succeed."

Her companion, a dark-coated stallion, blew air through his nostrils, the sound echoing around the clearing. "You're fools if you believe that we can just stand and wait for them to come again. Worse if you believe that any defense we build will last. You all saw them," he insisted, catching the eye of many of those looking on. "You heard them. You saw our friends and companions fall. Waiting accomplishes nothing. We must take the fight to them. We must catch them and crush them, divide them and destroy their numbers before they can strike again. That is the only true way to survive. Which of you will stand with me?" His ears went flat. "And which of you wish to cower with her?"

Main Event: The Nothingness

- As part of the Citizens, you have chosen to follow the light coated mare. Look at the questions below and answer these questions ICly, whatever pertains to your character. Please do these in order! You can do all of this in one post. You must finish this event before you can move on to any Shrouding Mists side events.





x4 Tracks
x1 Red Marble
x1 Green Marble


*Credit TiH for framework*

After the herd had started to move, Gazer got up from where he had been laying beneath a tree resting. He really didn't want to move, but there was safety in numbers. As the herd moved, a heavy fog began to encroach upon them. However, instead of feeling threatened by it, Gazer was somehow reassured by it. His senses began to come down out of their heightened state that had been caused by the adrenalin. There was little sound other than the hoofsteps of those around him. The air was extremely moist and he could feel condensation gathering on his muzzle. It wasn't long after this that he noticed the terrain change. The herd had wandered into a predominantly dirt field. In the field was a camp, divided in half. The air was thick and heavy with everyone's silence as they neared the camp's border. However, the closer they got the lighter the air felt. The spirits of those around him lifted, as did his. Perhaps here he would rest easy.

Gazer was still hurt pretty bad from his multiple encounters with the invaders. As he wearily wandered into the camp with the herd, he kept to himself and took note of the two unicorns headed their way, arguing. One was a light coated mare and the other a dark stallion. Neither one looked particularly friendly to him, but these were the only two faces he hadn't seen previously at any of the festivities. All the others he saw here, he recognized. He didn't know their names, but at least they were familiar to him as Gala attendees.

Being one who hated confrontation, Gazer stayed out of their heated argument. Staying back, he listened to the two as they addressed those assembled in the camp, each voicing their opinion on what course of action should be taken. The mare was of the mind that the camp's defenses should be fortified, and a stand be made. The stallion, on the other hand, was suggesting that those present go on the offensive, and the fight taken to the invaders instead. To Gazer, despite their differences in opinion, the two had a lot in common; both seemed completely and utterly convinced that their plan was right, that the other was wrong, and both had good intentions in what was best for the herd.

Finally, as the dark stallion walked off and those of like mind followed him, Gazer was left standing with with a few others and the light mare. Gazer hoped that with the dark stallion gone, he could finally rest some more, but his hopes were dashed as the mare turned her attention to him and addressed him directly.

"You there, the one with the gray mane, I have questions for you," the mare said as she stepped closer.

Gazer looked around to see if there was anyone else present with a gray mane, but there was no one else around with that feature. He dreaded this because he didn't want to argue with anyone right now. In fact, he wanted to be left alone to tend to his wounds. Unfortunately, it would have to wait. Turning his sights back to the mare, he answered her, "Yes, ma'am?"

The mare didn't waste anytime as she continued, "First, visitor, tell me about yourself. Your real self."

The question caught him off guard. This wasn't the kind of question he was used to being confronted with when he first met someone. Usually he was asked his name or for directions. He would play along, however. He looked at her directly as he answered her question. "My name is Cerulean Gazer, madam. However, simply Gazer will do. If by my 'real self' you mean how those close to me would describe me, then I am somewhat of a loner, if you will. I spend most of my time listening and observing. I'm somewhat of a curious fellow, I suppose you could say. To which end, you could also call me an explorer of sorts since, my curiosity does often take me to the most peculiar of places. A good example would be the Gala, for instance. It was my curiosity that landed me there in the first place." Gazer didn't really want to say more than that. He might be friendly when approached, however, he wasn't exactly an open book. He wasn't going to stand here and recall his life story for this stranger.

The mare, thankfully, seemed satisfied enough with his answer and posed another question, addressing by name this time. "Next, Gazer, I want to hear about your journey."

Gazer was quite baffled. First she asked him about his "true self" and now she wanted to know about his journey. This was most curious indeed. However, she hadn't asked him anything too personal yet so he'd continue to entertain her inquisitiveness. "Well, he began, "As I mentioned it was my curiosity that landed me at the Gala. You see, there was a strange mist that appeared. It's shape changed and shifted in a way that wasn't quite natural. I was intrigued, my curiosity piqued. I can't explain why exactly, but my normal cautious and analytical approach was thrown to the wind. Instead, I followed the mist and entered it. I wandered after the shifting and changing portion for only a brief moment before I found myself in a new place. It was a place I had never seen before. It was a misty grove, the trees were thick and maze-like. There were marbles on the trees and when the mist shifted because of the wind they would knock against each other and chime. Lastly I saw her statue, and it was then that I knew where I was. I had found myself at a festival held in Rotona's honor."

He paused briefly as he recalled the beauty of the Gala as he first entered; everyone was dressed in a variety of colors, some natural and some not. The collage of colors had been a magnificent sight to behold. The young laughing and playing amongst the adults. The idle chatter as everyone walked about and admired the surroundings.

His attention was brought back to the present as the mare cleared her throat for him to continue, not quite satisfied with his answer yet.

He shook his head to clear it. "Sorry," he offered her his apology before continuing. "I didn't participate in some of the festivities, I must confess. For the first few days, while others captured spirits, I roamed around the outside of the gathering, content to listen to others as they retold the story of Rotona as well as many other traditional tales; as I said previously, I'm more of a listener and observer. However, one day while out I found myself at the entrance to a graveyard. Its entirety was heavily shrouded in mist which made it very difficult to navigate. I ended up backtracking a lot so I'll skip some of the less important details of my time there. What was peculiar about the experience was the fact that I came across a number of odd things within the graveyard. There was a large boulder with red runes painted on it, though it looked rather rushed. There was also a clearing in which there were a multitude of tiny stones placed in a sort of spiral pattern that followed a spherical boundary. There were two paths, one to the left and one to the right of the clearing. One was full of large stone archways and the other was obscured by an even thicker mist than the rest of the graveyard. Eventually, after much confusion I found myself at a large marble tree surrounded by stone pillars. There were some odd looking tracks at the base of the tree, but I couldn't tell quite what made them." He paused for a moment remembering the tree and his journey to get to it. Oh how many times he had gotten lost and wandered between the various landmarks he had mentioned. At times it had almost seemed that the red runes painted upon that large boulder had been mocking him.

Conscious of the fact that the mare was waiting for him to finish his story, he continued. "Shortly after my return from the graveyard, those things appeared. The invaders and their horrible leader disrupted the gala. Oh it was awful. Most everyone was fleeing, however, because of the young I tried to make a stand which is why I look as I do at present. My attempts to protect the young were all for naught. I might as well have been running myself. I got knocked unconscious so many times that I'm honestly surprised to be standing here at all. I was able to take out a few of the shadow beings, but against their greater numbers it didn't make a difference." His heart was heavy as his thoughts turned to the mare that he had failed to help. Her scream echoed in his head. Wait for me!

Satisfied with his answer, or perhaps sensing that his thoughts had once again wandered away from the present, the mare posed another question. "Explain to me the world you live in."

Hearing the mare's voice again brought him back to the present, away from his failure and regret. The question, like the others had been, was an odd one. He wasn't sure how to answer it exactly. He never payed attention to the politics, the King and Queen's court, or anything really. However, he would tell her what he could. "I'm afraid I can't tell you much, honestly. As I keep to myself I really don't know much of what goes on, outside of what concerns me directly. The politics of the land are something I pay little to no attention to. My knowledge of the goings on of the King and Queen's court is nil. Lastly, my dealings with the tiny folk have always been limited for some reason so I can't say I know much about them either. I have never bothered them and they have never bothered me." His answer, though short, was truthful.

The mare didn't give any indication as to whether or not his answer had been satisfactory. Instead she moved on and questioned him once more asking him a more personal question this time. "Have you ever been hurt by someone you love?"

This time, he was a little more reluctant to answer. He didn't care to answer general questions, but things that were more personal such as his history were a different matter. If he had known the mare for a long time, then perhaps he would feel more comfortable about answering. "I'm not sure why that is relevant," he said, furrowing his brow slightly.

The mare didn't even bat an eye as she pressed him again, repeating the question a little more firmly, "Have you ever been hurt by someone you love?"

He was baffled. This mare wasn't going to take anything but a yes or no to her question. Feeling that if he left she would simply follow him, he relented, seeing no other way. "My answer is both yes and no."

This response earned him a puzzling look from the mare who posed two more questions to him, both related to his answer. "How and when yes? And why also no?"

His answer was a simple one. "Yes because as a young colt, harsh scoldings from my parents often hurt. Especially when I didn't understand why things were the way they were at the time of the scoldings. However, don't all young feel hurt when their parents scold them and they fail to see what it is they have done wrong or why something is wrong? And it is for that that I say no. No, I have not. For I am able to reevaluate the hurt I felt back then now that I am an adult. Things that were hurtful then, are not hurtful now because I understand the 'whys' that were so elusive as a colt."

Once more, the mare gave no indication as to how satisfied or unsatisfied she was with his answer. Simply, she asked him one final question. "What is it you wish for the most?"

Another personal question. He was growing tired of this one-sided conversation. His head hurt and he wanted nothing more at this moment than to rest, but somehow he figured that an answer as simple as that would not suffice. He was quiet for a moment as he thought about the question, but he was quick to let her know murmuring, "Let me think a moment," before turned his gaze to the ground. It was a very good question. He himself wasn't quite sure he had an answer. Did he truly know what it was that he wanted the most? Then, he realized what it was. He wanted to be at peace and he wanted to learn. He was always thirsty for knowledge of the natural world. Knowledge about the plants and creatures that lived in it, not the "artificial" and false facade that was put up by individuals because society demanded that things be a certain way.

Bringing his eyes back up from the ground to meet the strange mare's, he smiled as he explained his answer. "I wish for peace and knowledge. Specifically I wish not only for internal peace, but peace for the land itself. As for knowledge, I can only explain it as a hunger because of my curiosity. I thirst for knowledge about how the natural world works, how all existing creatures co-habitate, and what a creature's role is in it all. I wish to have an understanding of nature as a whole." He nodded firmly as if to confirm or finalize his answer. "That is what I wish for most, peace; knowledge; and understanding."

The mare looked at him. She was unreadable, which was on par for the course. After a moment of silence she smiled and bowed her head as she addressed him again. "Thank you for your time, you may go," she said.

He could scarcely believe it. She was finally dismissing him. Not wanting to give her a chance to change her mind, he bowed his head as he too smiled and said one final thing. "Thank you, madam. A good day to you," he said warmly as he turned and headed to the edge of the side of the camp controlled by the mare. He was afraid to go over to the other side, fearing that he would be questioned again when all he wanted was a quiet and secluded spot to rest so his head would stop pounding.

The encounter with the mare had been a peculiar one. The mare had never taken her eyes off him and the "conversation" had been one-sided. She had questioned him about many things, always pressing for as much detail as she could get out of him. There had been no warning or explanation for the interrogation. She had simply called him out of the crowd and began asking questions. One thing was for sure, he wasn't about to forget this series of events anytime soon.

Finally, finding a secluded and shaded spot to lie down, he made himself as comfortable as he could. The argument between the dark stallion and the light mare kept playing over and over in his head. Perhaps, had he not experienced the futility of his own attack against the invaders, he would have agreed with the dark stallion. However, repeated blows to the head coupled with countless other bruises had taught him that chasing or going after the enemy on their turf was not the best course of action. Instead, he would stay here and fortify their defenses despite what the other stallion said.

While he lay there resting, his mind wandered away from the camp and back to the herd's flight from the invaders. His eyes hazed over as he relived the experience.

He reared up and slammed his side against one of the figures that had crept close enough to him, pinning the foul creature to the tree...he slammed fully against the creature again.... Gazer turned his sights upon another shadowy figure that was pursuing a fleeing colt but he was blindsided in the head...darkness....he felt another hard blow to his head, darkness once more....He was too weak, he couldn't move. When he could, he tripped. Thud. Whack. Crack. Darkness. "Wait for me!"

His body stiffened, and jolted back to the present. His heart was racing. Had he fallen asleep? No. It had been a flashback. He suspected he would have to deal with those for some time. With his nostrils flared in alarm from the flashback, he catches a scent. It's one he doesn't recognize, but as quickly as it came, it vanishes. Had he even smelled anything at all? He wasn't sure. For now, his head hurt. Perhaps the scent had been all in his head. With multiple blows to the head it was possible that he had hallucinated it.