Kamala heaved a sigh of relief as the snowball war was finally over. What's more, they won! She was so happy, she jumped up again for joy. Of course she hasn't forgotten @Chrys stabbing her in the back, and when their eyes met, she frowned at him. That didn't last long, though, because it was the season for giving, and she gave him her forgiveness. No strings attached.
With the war over, Petunia the Dire Chick, who continued cheering her one with celebratory chirping, and Lily the Fever Beever, who remained disgusted at the fleshy fools around them, returned to where they usually stayed when not out in the real world. Ever the charitable sweetheart, Kamala decided to continue her celebration by making some seasonal food to share with their hospital hosts, the nomads!
▣ Attire: Kamala with a Wintersday hat
▣ Activity: Make your own food and share it, see how well or how much the nomads enjoy food
Finally. Chrys let out a massive yawn, stretching his arms to the sky. Had he been hit by a snowball? He couldn't even remember, though to be fair, he didn't even try. All he could remember was trying to take out @Ayna Nietzsche with a snowball but failing before switching to the other team to avoid her rage and taking out @Kamala Graham with a heinous hit. Hehe. That was hilarious.Oh, and he also tried to hit @Zelrius but failed as well. Hmm. Gotta keep an eye on that guy.
...next time because now, I sleep. Just like a grandpa, Chrys waddled his way into a warm tent and began to doze off. His train nap had been interrupted by those tiny fungal devils and then the delicious pastry Kamala had made for them. He wouldn't complain about that last part, but the first part really ruined his sleep schedule. Maybe now he can remedy that.
▣ Attire: Bargain Bin Santa
▣ Activity: Cozy up and sleep in the warm tent
Dev Null awoke with a start, straightening himself out in one of the cars. Real life circumstances had called him away and he had performed an absent log during the ride. Now he was here, wherever this was, just as they were preparing the next leg of the journey.
With a shiver he pulled his fur-lined cloak tighter around his shoulders before getting out and stretching his legs. It wasn’t long before the appearance of a new visitor had a swarm of curious children around him, pulling, tugging, asking, and generally being a nuisance. But, that’s how kids are.
He raised his voice, only a little, letting a thread of oratory skill draw them in.
Children, gather ‘round
A dagger you see, not one
Not two, how ‘bout three?
He began to juggle three daggers produced by arcanamancy. He had them take impossible arcs through the air, twisting and twirling. He even had them bounce off the snowy ground like balls. He finished his little performance by leaving one to hang in the air. He scratched his chin in wonder before declaring it defective and eating it.
▣ Attire: Santa Suit, Classy Ver.
▣ Activity: Play with the faerin children who are curious about travelers
So the team she unknowingly joined lost anyway? What kind of bull was that?! She didn't even know that there was some kind of snowball war going on, although she could have probably guessed with how things were going. Eh, no matter... she finally managed to find civilization so she would stick with the group until they'd get her back where she was supposed to be, instead of wandering this wasteland all the time.
In the tent, she was one of the people who sat outside of the circle, somewhere near the wall of the tent outside of view. Hell, she didn't even expect to get any food, although some did get to her eventually. All she hoped for at this point was that she could stretch her claws somewhere along the path.
For now, though... well, she didn't even know anyone here, did she? Sitting in the corner of the tent, she just sighed and rested herself against a support beam. Being alone somewhere during Christmas while everyone else had fun was something she was good at after years of practice.
They...lost?! Ayna couldn't believe it! Rather, she refused to believe it. As Bobbert the Blue-nosed Basseal continued honking his annoyance at being hit by his Holder square in his blue nose, Ayna ignored him, not even spending just a second imagining what the primon was trying to say. Instead, she balled up her hands into fists, digging her nails against her palm, and departed the immediate premises.
Where she ended up, alone and with a few silhouettes of people close by, she began to build a snowman. Grabbing as much snow as she can, she balled them up to form the base of her creation. Some might see this as a very merry act, something that the holiday would easily inspire in others. Ayna, however, just wanted to beat up a humanoid without actually beating up someone that could scream in pain. Stupid holiday and its stupid games!
The snowball fight ended in an avalanche of a landslide. Though green and red had kept a reasonable pace with one another, the last-second attack issued by the green team caused the red team to resemble snowmen rather than living beings.
Ah well. You couldn't win them all. Especially when one played as abysmally as Aerial herself had played.
Teeth chattering and chilled to the bones, her blue eyes stared longingly at the warmth leaking from the nearby tents. That wouldn't be fun, though. Losing a snowball fight and then promptly going to sleep? Nah, that was way too lame. Especially when there was so much else she could do.
Like witnessing a very classy Santa perform a dangerous show for little Faerin children. "Santa, baby~" she hummed while approaching @Dev Null. "Are you trying to influence these little ones to play with sharp objects?" She playfully teased, the smile on her face showing that she found the situation amusing.
The one who'd hit her with a snowball (@Zelrius) was there, too. Her eyes briefly narrowed, trying to telepathically send daggers his way, as she was reminded how he'd heartlessly attacked while she was trying to eat.
▣ Attire: ugly christmas sweater, santa hat, boots
▣ Action: interacting with others
Despite the Red Team having lost the Great Winter War of 2033, Yugam was in good spirits. It had been ages since he'd had a good snowball fight, and the activity had brought out a sort of a childish glee in the man, wearing a broad smile and a glimmer in his eye.
"Remind me not to piss you off," the man joked with Luthien afterwards, finding her as they all moved towards the smell of something tasty cooking, and the warmth of a fire.
"Uh...are those crystals also...fire?" Hm, was this the same strange mechanism as what sat in the man's lighter?
In any case, the warm food was delicious, and the heat in Yugam's belly had him wearing a content smile as he passed the bowl along. He chatted idly for a few moments before standing and heading outside. When Luthien came out, the man was trying to build a snow man.
Uwuru Camp, Northern Zakaden, Zalra
Recovered 5 EN
"We were sooo close for a moment too…!"
Alas the Great Winter Snowball War of 2033 had come to an end, with the elf finding herself buried under the massive fire of Feodan and Kiryuu as they swept through Red Team. @Yugam‘s comment earned a chuckle as he helped her up from the snow, the pair eventually following the others towards the Chieftess’ tent.
"Whoa, I never heard of the crystals being useful like this."
Usually any mention of them came with a warning to Landers and Star Called alike, but in this camp it seemed they had found a way to live harmoniously with them—or at least that was the image being presented for now. Delicious food was had, with a broth that warmed you up to the bone, and the elf enjoyed the time spent with others. Soon she noticed the hunter was gone and, after excusing herself, Lúthien soon found him outside in the snow.
He was in the process of building a snowman it seemed, a large amount of snow packed into a sizable sphere for the base, and the blonde picked up two dry branches—one in each hand—before sitting down atop the giant snowball with a wide grin as she looked at the man.
It wasn't much longer before the elf joined the man out in snow. Yugam, wholly focused on his task, didn't even notice when the woman stepped out of the tent. He bent down, gathering more snow to pack into the growing sphere, but when the man looked up he was surprised to see Luth sitting on top of the ever growing orb. "Make me into a snowman, Yu~" The man stood there for a moment, before he noticed the branches in the girl's hands. "Pfft, okay then," the man chuckled, figuring the girl was being serious.
The man wore an amused smile as he began to pack the snow around Luthien, slowly turning her lithe form into a sphere, the branches sticking out of the side, with her head poking out of the top. "Aren't you cold like this?" the man asked with a chuckle as he added his Santa hat on top of hers.
▣ Activity: Luthien the Snowman!
▣ nat10: Plus 10 EN to Luthien
Uwuru Camp, Northern Zakaden, Zalra
Recovered 10 EN from Yugam
Recovered 6 EN from roll
There was a look on his face for one moment as if wondering if the elf was serious, to which Lúthien responded by shaking the branches on her hands. "Pfft, okay then." She giggled as he finally agreed, before beginning the process of covering the ranger up in snow. She did her best to stay perfectly still so as to not disrupt the process, and soon enough the process was completed as @Yugam placed his own Santa hat atop her own.
"Aren't you cold like this?" "Mmm, a lil’ bit. I’ve gotten pretty good at countering it with hydromancy though—ah! Hey, Blixem!"
A snort to the side of her head caught the Lúthien-Snowman by surprise, causing the elf to squeak before recognizing the reindeer. He huffed again, the breath tickling her skin, before taking a chunk of the snow and chewing on it.
Rising from his brief snowy rest upon the battlefield, not knowing the plan of Team Green's finest, Schilva had just enough time to rub the muddy sleet from his eyes before-
WAIT WAIT WAI- uagh-
Not so mobile now, Schilva's previous cockiness didn't last so long as Feodan and Kiryuu's retaliatory run with a monstrous snowball-belching sled-cannon caught him squarely in its path. Without even time to call uncle, the deep snow prevented him from even diving for cover; snowballs peppered Schilva all over as he put his arms up to shield himself, settling around and on him like clods of a cloudy white shell.
Thoroughly humiliated after having failed to score a single point during the fight and getting plastered in snow for his troubles, Schilva stood there fuming for a while before some of the Faerin children came to poke at him with sticks. Initially intending to let the little rascals have their fun, the puck stopped when they started trying to stuff a carrot onto his face and coal 'buttons' into his eyes.
Bah! Stop that! Don't you know who I am!?
Bursting out of his snowy confines and spooking the children, who all ran away crying about the 'creepy snowman guy', Schilva's cheeks are red and cold by the end of his plodding towards camp. Something tells him that this isn't going to look good for Starcalled-Nomad relations...
▣ Attire: A thick navy overcoat over his usual robes with a fluffy collar and clumsily stitched Christmas-palette scarf
▣ Activity: Became a snowman...and 'interacted' with the Faerin children
Once Kamala was done sharing the holiday cookies and sweets she made for the nomads, she bid them a momentary farewell to look for her friends. She had wanted to bring them some as well, but their hosts pretty much ate most of her food, and the few that weren't eaten right then and there, she shared with the kids for later gobbling.
"There you are, Ayna! Need some help?"
When she found @Ayna Nietzsche, she was a little confused at what she was doing, a little snow on the realization of the snowman being built, but more than happy to help her with the holiday task. Without even missing a beat, Kamala started gathering up some snow to build a snowman alongside her bestie.
Ayna was still fuming at the results of the snowball war, so her attempt at building a snowman was barely succeeding as well. She wanted to blame her uncomfortable holiday costume, but she knew she's worn worse and would still be able to win. The thought of blaming Bobbert the Blue-nosed Basseal did cross her mind, but ultimately, she found no purpose in it. It's just me. I'm just having the worst day.
"Hmm? Kamala? Oh, uhm, sure, I guess... Wouldn't say no to your company on this terrible day."
She heaved a disappointed sigh and continued building the snowman, this time the weight on her shoulders seem a little less heavy. Stealing glimpses of @Kamala Graham, her lips almost curled into a smile. I need to be more like her and less obsessed with perfect results. Sigh.
While the others enjoyed themselves and preoccupied themselves with either the children, or some other lighthearted activity, Erick felt the call of duty. Since he was especially knowledgeable about driving (even though it was usually horses and not reindeer), he knew something about how to secure sleighs and carts, and went about fastening the couplings and checking the leather for wear.
Satisfied that everything had maintained its condition even through the cold weather, the blue-haired youth moved to check how sturdy the material held against the terrain. He looked over the cargo to ensure that it was secure, and glanced over the manifest to be certain nothing had gone anywhere it should not have.
With a sigh, he was content that everything was in order, at least for his part.
A snowball cannon can't be fair, Ash thought as he recovered from Team Green's final barrage. Not that he voiced his opinions on this horrible unfairness: he'd done something pretty similar when he'd summoned spirits to help with the fight. All's fair in war, he supposed...
While other people enjoyed the snow, Ash's attention was more on the area. He'd heard a lot about Crystallized Zalra, but he'd never dared to get too close, not with the threat of Zalrisis ever looming. Even now he'd wrapped a scarf around his mouth: theoretically to keep his neck warm, but in reality a half-hearted attempt to not inhale whatever crystal dust might be floating around.
...it was damn pretty, though. Couldn't deny that.
▣ Attire: Crimmus Hat
▣ Activity: Exploring the area around the camp
Victory and defeat weren't particularly Ludmilla's concern. Team Green's triumph bothered Ludmilla little, so long as her aim had been achieved; the path to the place emanating the delicious smell was now clear. In the aftermath of the battle, Ludmilla surreptitiously slips from the notice of the faction leaders among the throngs of curious Faerin children who had turned out to watch the rare uproar.
Mingling among and smiling mutely as she follows some of the nomad children towards the strangely constructed cabin, Ludmilla ducks through the crystalwood entranceway as soon as an opportunity presented itself, emerging into the fragrant warmth on the other side.
Gathering about the huge slaughtered beast is a large crowd of fellow Faerins, whole families of which had turned out for a similar purpose. Although, it had to be said, Ludmilla was something of a cuckoo egg in the brood; she had no intent of explaining her insatiable presence among the legitimately needy nomads.
Uwaaah! Looks so tasty!! Making me hungy~
Licking her lips and waiting for some kind of indication as to when the feasting would begin, Ludmilla can't help but reach out to sneak a bite from the skirts of the plated delicacy.
▣ Attire: A laurel of holly on her beret and a set of small bells cinching her collar in addition to her usual outfit
▣ Activity: Smuggling herself into the feasting cabin as a Faerin child
When Chrys finally woke up, he was a little miffed that he only napped for a few minutes, seconds even. Disgruntled, he walked out of the warm tent and into the cold, holding himself instinctively because he thought it would be much colder than it actually was. When he realized it was fine, he instead focused all his might into finding his friends. Where are my children?! Where are my girls?!
Oh, there they are!He grinned when he found them making snowmen together. Or at least trying to. To lighten the mood, Chrys decided to turn himself into a snowman by taking as much snow as he could and dumping them all over his body. Like a complete idiot. "Hey, guys! Look at me! I'm Frozen the Snowperson."
After convening with the participants of the Express, Zeus and Childress gave one another a firm nod. The father and daughter pair did not need to exchange words to determine what they needed to do next. The years where they had been on the road together developed both of their ability to read one another like the back of their hands.
After they finished breaking bread with the Uwuru tribe and wrapping up the much-needed break, Zeus and Childress called out to the rest of the expedition, gathering them up at the sleigh train. The old man checked on the giant reindeers while Childress inspected their transportation, making sure the blades were still affixed onto the bottom of the sleigh.
When you and the rest of the expedition got back to the train, there was a last call-out before the train began taking off with Zeus taking hold of the reign, Childress sitting beside him and Uzuna hanging out from the side of the sleigh waving to her kin, shouting that she'll make the Uwuru proud as the expedition's guide.
Elder (Zeus), Leader (Childress), are you sure you want to pass through Bonegrave? It has been a while since our Journeymen have last enter that area so we won't know what we're walking, well, sliding into.
Oho. We won't KNOW until we TRY! Should Lady Winter let us, we WILL be able to speed past.
We're only passing through the fringe, which should be a short distance up north. We'll bail if there's any issue, little one. Heh.
Zeus turned to the rest of the expedition and called out to the flushed faces looking back at him.
During COLD winters in Hylands when the Sun Claws TRAVEL with sled dogs, they would shout out 'TOH!' when they run through DIFFICULT stretches of snow, INCITING the protection of the KAMUY.
We too should APPEAL to the spirits of these parts, for we will need their WISDOM and PROTECTION ahead.
Ready? 3. 2. 1.
TOH TOH TOH!
TOH TOH TOH!
TOH TOH TOH!
With a tight hold on the reign, you and your group ventured forth into the unknown, leaving behind the bladed trail of pioneer, which was quickly covered up by the intensifying veil of snow and winds.
· - · ❄ · - ·
« B O N E G R A V E »
· - · ❄ · - ·
It would take more than a few days to exit the long stretch of Zakaden where you begin to see more and more of the land features encased in a thick layer of reflective crystals.
The environmental transformation from natural to alien was gradual. Whenever the veil of cold and your heated breaths cleared up, you would have been privy to the jagged crystalline spires stretching up toward the turbulent storm clouds. Even when the spires' sharp and angular texture that normally sparkle and glimmer in the sunlight was hidden by the descending blizzard, you can feel how insignificant you were compared to these structures.
The spires were interspersed among crystal bones jutting out of the ground to form gargantuan arches, immortalizing the great beasts that once walked this land.
Not even the seasoned elder and white whistle could hold back their amazement at the spires and bones that seemed to go on forever, stretching out into the horizon. They could only marvel for so long before wincing from the stinging sensation around their eyes. Amid the snowfall carried by the powerful winds were speckles of crystals, which when combined with velocity was sharp enough to cut exposed skin.
Hood up and brace yourself! TOH TOH TOH!
Childress shouted over the wind-howls, her throat raspy from the crystal-laced snow she inhaled.
As the train continued on its path into the white veil, a feminine figure could vaguely be made out, her arm outstretched, pointing toward where the train was coming from.
Oho… not this year, huh, Lady Winter?
Old man! We need to turn around, now!
Zeus looked upward at Childress beckoning, returning the empty gaze of a giant which form was partly obscured by the snow.
HMM?!
It was difficult to tell what was happening in the intense blizzard, but whatever senses was the sharpest for you were alerting you that the death, in the form of boney hooves, was descending on the train.
GATEKEEPER World Boss 3
BOOM!!!
What came next was a complete blur as your mind was in complete disarray, your memory came back in fragments. The most significant of them all was of Zeus pulling a crystal dagger from his coat and crushing it with his bare hands, which immediately shrouded you in a sickening light as the force of the boney white completely crushed the sleigh train, throwing smithereens of wood and metal.
[ What was that? ]
[ Where are you? ]
Final Cycle
▣ Current Location: ???
↳ Next Stop: ???
▣ Displaced
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The main thread is open for anyone who would like to interact with the big group one last time before being yeeted off to their respective Displaced thread.
