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Post by Fiera Ferella on Oct 13, 2019 10:36:58 GMT -6
Further into the tunnel though, it became clear that this was no simple passageway. The complexity and impressiveness of everything improved the further that Fiera walked, and for once she actually found herself enjoying the sights. The cobbles beneath her became better cut (though still ancient looking) and arranged in deliberate patterns instead of their previous haphazard distributions. The walls became smoother and better carved as well, with the torch ensconcements having proper metal fittings and pretty carvings around them, aesthetic lines and fleur des lises. Someone was meant to be seeing this place, from the looks of it. There wasn’t any indication of the purpose yet though, as far as Fiera could tell. Still, she didn’t feel like back tracking, so forward it was. Who knew, maybe she’d find something interesting. Victor seemed plenty enthused as well, yanking at the leash, already excited for the next adventure.
Fiera 10 Victor 12.0/14.0 90
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Post by Renathan on Oct 13, 2019 10:46:24 GMT -6
A strange laughter could be heard from just around the corner... What could be there? A leaf flutters by, sputtering close enough to grab out of the air.
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Oct 13, 2019 11:19:10 GMT -6
Suddenly, a strange laugh echoed down the hall. Fiera froze, waiting for the screaming cacophony that would follow... only for it to not come. Unlike the giggles that assaulted her in the webbed woods, this was just a single cackle, plain and slightly masculine. Completely harmless, but... what had created it? She rushed forward, eager to find something of interest. The action excited Victor as well, who started running with her. Cobblestone flew under her feet, bringing her further and further into the tunnel. Soon, an archway appeared, blackness looming beyond. That must be where the laugh had come from! Fiera dashed toward the archway, eager to see what was in the opened up area. Finally, she leapt through, rounding the corner. Unfortunately, all that waited for her was a single bright red wax leaf. It fluttered a bit, disturbed by her entrance, but otherwise nothing was out of place.
Fiera 11 Victor 12.1/14.1 91
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Oct 13, 2019 12:03:57 GMT -6
She huffed slightly, and bent over to pick up the leaf. It wasn’t what she was expecting, but it was better than nothing. She turned it over in her fingers a couple times before putting it in her backpack. Waste not want not. From there she looked around at the surrounding room, ready to continue on. It took a while for her eyes to adjust however, straining against the low light in the much larger room. The torches were as equally spaced as before, but the area they had to light was much larger. As she adjusted however, the details became clear to her. She was in a vast subterranean space, held up by pillars at intervals, huge and engraved. The ceiling raced upward, easily dozens of feet up. In front of her, the cobblestone floor was bisected by an underground river, water flowing clean and dark between the two walls.
Fiera 12 Victor 12.2/14.2 92
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Oct 13, 2019 12:52:48 GMT -6
The water flowed out of one grate on the east wall and into one on the west, with arcing, elegantly carved stone bridges traversing it. Fiera made a mental note not to fall in- she doubted she’d ever come back up again. Torches were set into the walls around the room, on the columns, and on the bridges, and they lit up... interesting sights, to say the least. Statues of strange creatures, none that Fiera recognized littered the room, jaws set wide, teeth sharp and ominous, and wings flared open. Could they be effigies to some sort of a god? Fiera had no clue. Approaching one, she found that there was writing scrawled into its base, but in no language the humanish could recognize. Well, that made sense- she only knew the one language after all. She tapped on the statue experimentally- definitely solid rock. What a strange place.
Fiera 13 12.3/14.3
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Oct 13, 2019 13:03:47 GMT -6
She made her way over to one of the stone bridges, feeling no need to rush. Despite the intimidating sights, the... temple? Was cool, quiet, and still, the only sounds being Fiera’s clacking shoes, Victor’s clicking claws, the rushing of the water and the distant crackles of the torches. She held Victor tight, wrapping his leash around her hand several times. The bridge was misty and slippery from the river- she didn’t need her rakai sarane meeting an early demise at her hands. Once they were all the way across though, Fiera took the time to marvel at her surroundings, picking her way nonchalantly across the floor. This place wasn’t going anywhere after all. On the far wall, she could see more tunnels leading out to other parts of the complex, but that wasn’t the feature of this room that caught her eye most immediately.
Fiera 14 12.4/14.4 94
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Oct 13, 2019 13:08:52 GMT -6
In front of her, a couple steps lead upward. They didn’t go far though- only 2 or three before terminating at a slab of some sort. She tugged Victor, urging him away from some slimy looking puddle on the floor and toward the steps. He whined, but ultimately complied. As she approached, she wondered what it could be. A grave of some sort, perhaps? ...Maybe with treasure that was easy for a beautiful young cat woman to make away with! The thought made her rush up the steps, practically dragging Victor in her wake. Oh how the tables had turned! When she reached the top of the last step and approached the slab however, she realized that that was... not the case. There was a groove leading off the edge of the slab, entering into a groove on the floor that lead all the way down to the river.
Fiera 14 13.0/15.0 95
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Post by Renathan on Oct 13, 2019 14:27:07 GMT -6
You can hear a shakey moaning from.... where is it? You could swear you heard it around here somewhere... You don't even have time to investigate - instead, the very earth beneth your feet crumble, and the rotting grey flesh of those that were once living plunge out of the ground and into the air, sending specks of dirt and clods of withering grass flying as their clawed fingers grab at your legs! Everything around you seems to be screaming, and it will surely take all the courage and strength within' you to break free of this 'garden' of hands!
[The next 5 posts yield no result.]
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Oct 14, 2019 2:17:27 GMT -6
Fiera traced the groove back to the slab before looking at the top. It led to an indent in the slab, shaped...almost like a person, she realized. As she looked further down, a glint I’d light caught her eye. She walked closer... and found a large, sharp knife at the end of the slab. A person shaped divot, a draining groove, a knife... she realized all at once what kind of slab this was and by extension, what kind of temple this was. To put it simply, if there were any sorts of treasure here, she doubted it would be the kind that she’d want to take with her. She clicked her tongue, disappointed. “Well, I guess it’s time to move on, then. Come on, Victor.” She said, giving his leash a brief tug. He seemed perfectly happy to leave, looking away from the slab as quickly as possible.
Fiera 16 13.1/15.1 96
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Oct 14, 2019 2:25:18 GMT -6
The second she stepped off the stairs however, something shifted beneath her foot. At first Fiera thought she had stepped on a wobbly cobble and ignored it, but her next step found the stone rolling over under her foot completely. Fiera only managed to choke out half an exclamation before she tripped onto her front, yanking Victor down with her. He snarled at the sharp movement, and Fiera waved at him in reassurance. “Sorry bud, not my fault. SOMEONE round here didn’t...make their cobbles right...” She trailed off as she felt something grip around her legs and tail. She glanced back over her shoulder, and saw grey, rotting hands clinging to her lower body. It would appear the temple didn’t appreciate Fiera messing with its sacrifice table, and had sent some of its goons to punish her. Fiera screeched with frustration, kicking madly at the tangle of limbs.
Fiera 17 13.2/15.2 97
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Oct 14, 2019 2:44:13 GMT -6
“Are you kidding me?” She shrieked, thrashing madly. “This crap again? You didn’t get enough of me the first time?” She yowled and scrabbled against the stone. She had survived this once before, she’d do it again. Though, then again... she had something to grab onto and drag herself up with back then. Right now, she was just scrambling against bare floor and... slowly getting dragged back, towards the pit the arms had crawled out of. Crap. She had to find some way out of this... and Victor! She looked around in a panic for her rakai sarane. A snarling howl alerted her to his presence, to her right. He was caught up in the arms too, snarling and writhing as they gripped at his horns and tail, dragging him down into the dirt. Fiera lunged toward him, as if she could do anything to help when restrained like this.
Fiera 18 13.3/15.3 98
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Oct 14, 2019 2:49:53 GMT -6
Still, her sense of responsibility rose up in her throat as she desperately called Victor’s name, her voice echoing through the uncaring temple. As expected, nothing happened but her voice echoing back, if in a slightly more mocking tone. Victor looked at her though, and gave one might snarl as he snapped his head back and forth- ripping the arms from their theoretical shoulders. Oh, that was right. Last time this happened, she had Escobar with her. Needless to say, with his tiny size and weak tentacles, the elemental golem hadn’t been much help. Fiera had to drag them out of the arms literally one handed. This time though, she had a full grown arcane rakai sarane in tow, and he was both a lot more intelligent and a lot more intolerant of being grabbed than her last pet. Needless to say, he quite outmatched Fiera in strength as well.
Fiera 19 13.4/15.4 99
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Oct 14, 2019 2:55:04 GMT -6
And the arms? Well, they were no match for Victor’s strength at all. He used his antler like horns to tear and pry the majority of them off, before whipping around and finishing off the rest with his teeth. Soon enough, he was dragging himself out of the pit in staggering but furious movements, a constant snarl emitting from his throat. Once he was out, Fiera’s calls for him took on a more pleading tone. “Victor!” She called. “My good boy! You wouldn’t leave me here like this... right?” She said, with her biggest smile and arms slowly making their way up her body, despite her best struggles. By this point, the arms had reached around her ribs, her legs entirely cased in loose dirt. She tried to grab at the cobbles, but they just kept coming loose, falling into the hole of arms with the other ones.
Fiera 20 (level up!) 14.0/16.0 100
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Oct 14, 2019 3:12:39 GMT -6
Victor looked at her, writhing there half in the floor. After a dreadful moment of silence, he sighed and walked over to her, to Fiera’s absolute relief. He gripped one of the arms around her waist in his teeth, and the bones crumbled like potato chips on his grasp. One of them swiped at his muzzle and he growled, encouraging him to make even quicker work of the rest, lunging forward with teeth bared. Fiera took the opportunity to keep pulling herself out, slowly belly flopping onto the solid floor of the temple, coughing and wheezing with fear and exhaustion. Finally free, she rolled over with relief and looked back towards Victor. He was whiny pathetically, digging in the pit for any lingering limbs, but it looked like they had all retreated. They knew that they had been beaten, and had decided to cut their losses and leave her alone.
Fiera 1 14.1/16.1 101
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Oct 14, 2019 3:17:08 GMT -6
The limbs that had been severed were already quickly withering away to nothing, crumbling to dust before her very eyes. She stood up, exhausted and filthy, but alive. Ugh. So much for staying clean this time around... but at least she was safe and in one piece. She took the opportunity to display some true hubris- kicking the dirt where the arms were and yelling at them. “Take THAT!” She said, stomping around. “And don’t come back! Hmph!” When she got her nervous energy out though, she turned to Victor, who was waiting patiently for her to finish with her outburst. “And YOU!” She said, pointing right at the rakai sarane before walking toward him and wrapping him up in a big hug. “YOU are just the best boy a girl could ask for! You’re a good boy Victor, yes you are!” She said, rubbing his face all over.
Fiera 2 14.2/16.2 102
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