Mokley

Moonfiend

@chukklehed heya chuckles! :D Ya want in on this chaos? XD

Mirror, Fox, Key

Ok! I'll have to lean toward keeping the current thread, myself. :)

Mirror, Fox, Key

@Crimson Raven Hey hi there! There are at least two others so far, and the plot right now is pretty dense, so if I can help it I'd rather not actively recruit (though new players are always welcome).

A reboot is also an option. An advantage to that might be that I could nail down a simple plot early on instead of the chaos, haha. But! We've come so far, and in particular the characters that have had some development at this point would lose it.

Whichever we decide on, of course you could reroll a new character!

Mirror, Fox, Key

There seems to be a bit of interest in reviving Mirror, Fox, Key. And hey, I'm all for it! We'll pick up where we left off, and write in whoever needs to be written in.

So! You interested? :)

@c3p-0h@hoppiholla391@Takashi@Vee@DFTBA@Crimson Raven@Damiann47@Darinthus@Bornlucky@j8cob@Diggerton@Jay Kalton@Skittles@Irisity@Magnato@t2wave@Apokalipse@Turboshitter@needlingAsklepios@jordy0403@NorthernGR@SgtEasy@Xionist

Tin Dragon Detective Agency

@NorthernGR haha at the very least, his presence in the wagon would have made it impossible for anyone else to get on. Ok, you got it!

Tin Dragon Detective Agency

@NorthernGR Hey, sup! Uwen looks like a perfect one to round out our little troupe, haha. Approved! I also added you to the first IC post.

Now's the difficult part. Since Uwen is already in Timber Moren he has no excuse to miss the wagon, which is a stipulation on the acceptance letter. I would say that we can pretend he's been with the others all along, but an ogre is sort of hard to miss.

So maybe he decided to go on to Riffraff on his own?

Tin Dragon Detective Agency

Post is up!

I forgot to tag everybody (whoops!) so here's a double OOC post, haha!

@deadpixel101@KoL@Greenie@TheWindel@DepressedSoviet@Gareth@Ruthenselle@Ms Ravenwinter@Mimik

Tin Dragon Detective Agency

"Please, come join me ma'am. An old man like myself can use all the dining company he can get, and I'm sure you'll make a fine conversation partner."

"If I recall correctly, you're Mister Johan, right? Company is always lovely." She prodded at a vegetable with her fork before looking to the older man. "I am Lian, pleased to meet you."

Alice clenched her suitcase tightly while looking around for someone to hitch with. Her crimson eyes lay on a girl with dark hair who seemed to be enjoying the situation the same as she was.

"I'm Rhea Heimlich from Comet-by-the-Sea. It's a pleasure meeting you, Miss..."

"Hello there." [Andrea] said simply, approaching the pretty lady with long hair, and wings.

"Hello, hello. So... do you have something in mind? I figured I would go investigate after exploring the rooms. Getting to know the building in case of an emergency or clues it may offer, you know? My name is Trilune, by the way. Very sorry for not mentioning that earlier. Yours? I hope to get to know you. Truly, you are most intriguing already. I am sure you have a story to world does not know. But now is not the time for stories, we are on a mission."

Mayor Casworon Toll remained very still and proper at his post on the porch, his spine straight and chin up, offering a little nod to each of the detectives as they passed him with their luggage. There was a palpable air of urgency about him: a twitch of his fingers behind his back, a shift in his weight from foot to foot, a strained smile on his face as if he wanted very much to demand the immediate commencement of their investigation -- but he held his tongue out of civility and hospitality. At the same time, his eyes darted occasionally into the dark pine woods that bordered the opposite side of the road.

After everyone else had gone inside to claim their rooms and their suppers, Mayor Toll remained by the door like a skittish sentry.

Rook leaned stiffly against the porch railing, a forbidding scowl on his face while he watched and listened to the shut-up village.

The old wagon driver set about rearranging his cargo for the rest of his delivery, which had been displaced for the passengers.

"E-excuse me, sir. Thank you for taking us to town. Here's a little tip; its money I was supposed to use for travel through the gate, but I didn't exactly have a gate to travel through before arrival. I know you aren't supposed to talk to us, and you don't have to if you don't want to, but I'd like to ask a couple of questions pertaining to why were here. Do you know anything about Kenver Edwards, from four days ago, or Sewena Toll, who disappeared yesterday?"

The wagon driver dropped to the ground with a curious tip of his bald head, and he accepted Jenna's tip with a surprised grin. A proud sparkle came to his eye, and he nodded fervently.

"Yes, miss, thank you miss, you have no idea how hard it was to keep from speakin' a word for the whole ride over here! But I made a promise, I did, 'No talkin' 'less you're talked to,' and I keep my word, Miss, I keep my word! So thank you for speakin' ta me, it's such a pleasure, I'd've had a sour day otherwise." He gave a tinny laugh and shook Jenna's hand in both of his.

"Now, as fer your questions." He tapped his shiny head. "I don't know much about the mayor's daughter, poor girl -- but Kenver, well he was my boss until he up 'n vanished. We stayed the night here on our way from Four Stones with a delivery of skiurium ore -- that's the reddish shiny sorta stone that the mechanikers use, rare stuff and expensive -- so when we got up in the morning and part of our supply was gone, Kenver had a right fit. He went tearin' across the village, bangin' on doors, demandin' his supply back." The wagon driver flung his knobby hands in the air to emphasize just how crazy Kenver had got over the loss of his merchandise.

"Well, just when I was suggestin' that maybe we should just report the theft an' let the authorities deal with it like they properly should, Kenver he pointed out at the woods -- right here," He stretched out an arm and pointed into the forest across the road, "and he said, 'Hey Breok,' he says to me. 'Breok, you see that guy out there?' And I looked, and there indeed was somebody peeking up over the edge of that boulder out there, starin' at us. I couldn't tell much except he had kinda wild reddish hair -- kinda like mine, only on his head." He stroked his scraggly beard with a chuckle.

"And Kenver yelled out to the guy, spittin' mad, and when we got no response he ran out into the woods and around that boulder to snag him." Breok scratched the back of his head and huffed a sigh. "Well, I waited a bit, and he didn't come out again though I called him. And I went over around that rock and he'd gone." He turned up his palms helplessly. "Kenver was just gone. Me an' a bunch of the villagers, we combed through this forest, but we didn't find anything at all." He shook his head. "I'm sorry I'm not much of a help, but thank you much for listening anyway."

Once Breok's story had finished, Rook silently shifted to his feet and made his way into the inn and to the dining room without so much as a glance to the others. Without relinquishing either his bag or his weapons, he helped himself to a bowl and a generous ladle of stew before finding a seat at the most remote table in the room, where he could keep an eye on the entirety of the dining hall -- and listen in on all their conversations -- while he ate.

Tin Dragon Detective Agency

I plan on posting later today! Holler if you're working on a post!

Lantern

Artemis, frozen, finally forced herself to move. She turned on her heel and made short work of swinging herself onto Nura's back as the gryphon bowed for her. It seemed practice and a pair of pants made perfect. As soon as her legs were tight around Nura, one hand gripping the shining armor on the back of her neck, they took off into the crumbling night.

The old man watched after her while the village folk gawped at him in trembling disbelief. Less than an hour ago, they had sent their hopes and a handful of riders along with the Lady of Light in order to defeat the Lord of Shadow once and for all -- and now an opposite truth had been posed to them: that the Lady of Light would end up getting them all killed. For a people who had grown up in reverence of the Lady of Light and in hatred of the Dragon, nothing was more confusing or overwhelming than this.

And so, in silence, the people of the Roost looked to their elder leader for a decision -- for his interpretation of the End of Times, which Sun-Child messenger they should believe, who they should fight.

The old man stared out over the valley, toward the billowing cloud of rock-dust that masked the remains of the mountain and the silhouette of bony wings. "All of you, gear up," his voice boomed with authority, a voice that the youngest of the riders had never heard. "We'll find our own and the Lady of Light. Bring them all back here." While the Riders scrambled, the old man only stared out toward the crumbling Mountain -- then at the retreating figure of the Marid who seemed to stand for the Lords, the Kith and Men in one force against the Dragon. He wanted desperately to believe in the harmony that the Lady of Light had promised. His mouth set in a thin line.

A swarm of armored gryphons swept away into the night toward the Mountain.

--

The billowing clouds of rock-dust rolled over the island and filled the air; Nura flapped above it, chittering, heading eastward once more. The other gryphons had banked off on their mission, the ground and the water had quieted, and the living remains of the Dragon only shook off the pieces of mountain from its ancient joints, barely visible through the dust. Flashes of electricity at the destroyed Mountain illuminated the toxic clouds like lightning. An eerie silence blanketed the island.

Here, there was only the hush of the wind through Nura's feathers.

Water glistened in the breaks in the dust-clouds, flooded valleys and submerged forest. To the southeast, where Artemis had left the Witch's house, a very different black smoke billowed, laced with tongues of fire. The forest here was aflame with the same strange fire that Artemis herself had witnessed while she'd briefly carried the Red Lantern.

Oyagun-Nai, too, was a pillar of smoke on the horizon.

Only the barren ashes of the burned-out waste remained just as they had been before: bleak and undisturbed, clear of smoke or dust. While the aftermath of the Mountain's collapse settled on the northern part of the island, this small graveyard of bony scorched trees was a sanctuary.

At the southern edge of the waste, a tribe of Kith made camp as close to the trees as they dared. They were frightened of the flames at the Witch's house, driven out of their homes by the smoke, and none of their command over the forest could protect them from the Red Lantern's curse. A campfire had been set in the ashes, and sinewy children in masks mulled around it, drawing in the soot with their fingers and shouting, or sharpening weapons, or gathering the wildlife closer to the campsite and away from the fire. Rabbits, deer, raccoons, bat-monkeys, and a chatter of birds all swarmed the woods that bordered the wasteland, in hopes that the fire would burn itself out soon.

Farther north, a great black wolf -- the size of a small house -- swam across the swollen river. He clambered out onto the ashes on the other side and shook a spray of water from his thick dark pelt. Dripping, the wolf continued on its labored way toward the smoke that rose out of Oyagun-Nai -- then paused and looked back with dull eyes.

A moment later, Kep emerged out of the water and sloshed onto the shore in all his waterlogged armor, scowling hatefully. The wolf snorted and continued forward, with the human trailing behind.

To the west, at the top of the tallest burned-out tree, Oseely stood among the branches to watch the smoke over the Witch's house. The dragon-fire was beyond his control; he wasn't used to this helpless feeling.

---

She concentrated on the connection she had with the other eggs through the Blue Egg.

All she needed to do was getting a simple message across. Help. The survival of the Forest depends on all of us.

Anise's consciousness sank into the cavernous depths of the Dragon's soul. For what felt like an eternity she floated weightless in starry nothingness. Then, she saw pinpricks of light: violet, red, green. An ancient wisdom filled Anise, and she knew these lights were a part of her, pieces of her being that had been savagely torn from her by her own children. As she reached out to them, fed them power, they pulsed brighter; she could feel each of them faintly, straining against the Lanterns' cages.

Below Anise, something moved. Bone and sinew soared silent on sharp wings; the husk of the Dragon's body flew straight for a brighter star. She yearned for the wind under her wings again, suddenly vehement against the confines of the Egg, the restrictions of Anise's human body. It wasn't enough, could not be enough to recover all that was lost -- and her greatest weapon lay so close.

At this moment, a weakness overcame Anise. She felt energy draining quickly, power rushing away, something profoundly important leaving her. The stars faded, and she returned to the crumbling cavern.

As soon as she let go of her focus on the Dragon she felt dizziness force her to her knees.

"Lady of Stone," Anise said wearily. "I am here to speak with you on behalf of your sister, the Lady of the Pond." She presented the Lady's Rune to the cave wall. "She says it is time to release the sun. If you do not believe it I understand, but I ask of you to hear out your Mother's case." She made a serious effort to stand up, grabbed the Spirit Egg from the air, and presented it to the rock face. "It is easy to fear retribution, but I swear upon my life she has no desire to destroy the home she built for herself and her children."

While Peck and the gryphon-riders took shelter under an upturned slab of rock -- while the cavern shook and crumbled all around them, and sunlight peeked through the fissures in the ceiling, and the tarred skeletal remains of the Dragon shifted and climbed away from their petrified prison -- the floor in front of Anise shifted. A hand, then a head and body crawled out of the rock. In a moment, the stony shape of a young woman emerged with a cocked head and shining emeralds for eyes.

The Lady of Stone stepped forward with a heavy gait and a cruel grin on her cracked face. She stood over Anise, and while the world fell down around them she peered down with an amused glare.

I know you, Anise Sinclair. You think I haven't heard every damn word you've said since you got here? I am this island. Let me get one thing clear, girlie: you're a fraud. Everything you believe is a lie. She shrugged, her stony mouth turned in a smirk. Not that it matters. I'm kinda sorry you gotta die like this, but at least you'll be buried alongside your beloved Dragon.

While she spoke, her voice still somehow clear over the crashing rock, the Blue Egg was fading. Anise would feel it cooling in her hand while the blue light dimmed and became smaller deep within. Soon, the light would be gone completely, and the Egg would be nothing more than a husk.

The wall beside her thrashed and cracked. The skeletal remains of the Dragon -- dripping with deep black oil -- twisted and shifted. Joints moved on their own; claws clenched the stone. With a great heave of the Dragon's bony wing, a cascade of boulders and dust let in the moonlight. The Dragon's great head tore free with a gnash of long bare teeth. Its eyes glowed blue.

While the Lady of Stone gaped in horror, the skeleton wriggled out of the mountain like it was nothing more than a pile of leaves, and the mountain itself collapsed in its wake.

A house-sized boulder plummeted down at her -- but at the last moment, a surge of electric current caught the rock, which exploded with a force of dust and static right above Anise's head. Peck was holding out a flickering sword, staring at her in relief. He looked up at the screech of a gryphon and another flash of bright electricity; an army of gryphons soared overhead, dipping in through the widening fissures in the rock, their riders blasting their way through with electric precision. The rescue squad had arrived.