The Heart of a Mountain

Mowkie

Meow
Original poster
LURKER MEMBER
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Invitation Status
  1. Not accepting invites at this time
Posting Speed
  1. One post per week
  2. Slow As Molasses
Online Availability
Online availability depends entirely on what is going on in life. I have a kindergartener, a baby on the way, and I'm the spouse to an officer, meaning without me, the house becomes a fallout warzone. On top of all of that, I write for work as well as for fun...so work tends to come first.
Writing Levels
  1. Intermediate
  2. Adept
  3. Advanced
  4. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Male
  2. Female
  3. Primarily Prefer Female
Genres
Fantasy and Sci-Fi are my two major favorites. However, I tend to be quite the picky player. I prefer an RP with a great deal of development...the world, the lore, everything. And for those GMs looking for help with lore, I love to world build!
"You've served the Empire well, Ms. Verrud. We want to honor you by giving you your own team now." The reedy voice of Accard, the Academy Head, rang in Takaya's memory as she took in the faces of her team readying themselves for their journey into the Ashlands. "With this new team, you'll be given a mission of the utmost importance as well. It has come to our attention that the mountain is growing quieter. Seeing as you have been the deepest, we hope to encourage your team to get to the Maw and bring back word of what's causing it to grow quiet."

They all dressed quietly, the ground stirring beneath their feet as another eruption sounded a few leagues away. Her amber gaze flicked to the gear in her simple wardrobe as she wove her long tresses into a thick braid. Scarred and worn, very much the same as her. Taking a deep breath and releasing it in a sigh, Kaya readied up and took another look at her team.

"Alright, Gold Team, remember to just pack the essentials. Only I will need to carry a canister this time round. No reason to weigh ourselves down with one each, but be sure to pack a little extra water if you can. Meet outside when you're ready. We step off in an hour. I look forward to working with you."

She strode out without another word and made her way outside of Outpost Four. Above her, the great sun, Phiadyn, shone brightly in the East, shaking off the early rays of dawn. Slightly north of the first sun gleamed a smaller dot of red, Vyneir. The day would be hot, but not quite to the level of the Long Summer. Having extra water, they would most certainly be able to make it to the mountain and back.

As her team assembled before her, she greeted them with a slight bow of her head. "Okay, let's go over this one more time to make sure we all know what we're doing today. As we can all tell, the eruptions of the mountain are becoming more infrequent, and the rumblings are growing quieter. Since none of the previous scholars under the Emperor's command have made it back out alive, it's up to the Collectors to gather data." She lifted her hand to staunch any attempts at protesting. "I know as much as you all do that we are not scholars. But Accard has given me very specific instructions. And he chose each of you because he feels you are the best chance at getting all of us there safely."

Her gaze met those of each individual as she paused to let the information sink in. Then, continuing, "We all know that with the mountain growing quieter, there's a much higher threat of attack. We are not in there to collect this time, so no need to time ourselves. We must simply head straight to the Maw. Let us guard each other well, and may Varon keep us safe."

She bowed her head briefly and sent a prayer to their god in hopes that this mission would not be in vain. Then, with a swift nod, she gave a grin and a quick pound to her padded chest. "Alright, let's be off!"



Outpost Four was no more than a day's walk from the edge of the Ashlands, the bare minimum safe distance to keep any poisoned air from affecting the residents that lived around the location. Gold Team made their pit stop at the well that was built just outside the invisible barrier that kept most of the creatures and ashes locked inside. It was at the well that they refilled water packs, took enough of a break for everyone to get a little sleep, put on the ash shoes, and began their journey.

Upon entering the barrier, what had been a gentle breeze suddenly became a whirlwind that battered at their sides and threw their bodies every which way. The farther they tread, the darker the skies became, and the thicker the air grew to be.

Kaya glanced towards the sky as she made it through the thick barrier of wind. Above her, all was black with soot and smoke. To her north stood the target: the Ash Maw. The mighty mountain had stopped spewing hot lava ages ago, but it continued to exude thick swathes of smoke, ash, and soot into the air above it.

The most frightening part wasn't the dark sky of the giant mountain, though. As Kaya's amber gaze met with the mountain, it took in the vast dunes of soft ash. As soft as snow, she had once been told, though she had never seen snow to compare it to. The ashes were dangerous, not just because they were soft and easy to fall into, but also for what they hid.

She looked back and around her to see her team make their way inside. As everyone took in the sight before them, she set her covered face into a grim smile. There would be very little talking from this point on, for fear of waking the Ashborne. Giving a brief nod, she motioned for them to move forward.

The Journey had begun.


OOC & Signups found here.
 
Lyle Wondercroft:

As Takaya gave the mission overview, Lyle listened intently, examining his suit and mask for deficiencies. He found it odd that the Academy heads would send out a newly formed team for a mission as important as this; even if its members were all experienced Collectors. There was something to be said for team chemistry and knowing how others operated. The redheaded Collector couldn’t care less about friendships or bonds, but he had found these connections often played a bigger part in survival than most would expect. And so for that purpose, he had taught himself to tolerate others just enough to survive.

Having packed all his gear together, the Collector eyed his companions cautiously. Lyle knew of his new teammates mostly through hearsay, as his time on the Maw had been spent on other teams. He wasn’t nervous for them, but he could only hope each of their reputations held weight. Otherwise, he’d be the only one returning home. Lyle wasn’t completely heartless, but he wasn’t about to drag dead weight back off the Maw just so they could go out and die on a different mission. He supposed that for now, only time would tell.

The mission debrief ended and all Lyle could do was scoff. Gathering data? Ha! Wish I could say I was surprised. Those holier-than-thou scholars couldn’t do their little jobs so now we get the ‘blessed opportunity’ of risking our lives to do it for them,” he sneered. “We better be getting paid double for this.” Lyle turned to grab a bit more water for the trip, his mind a turbulent storm of frustrations. Fucking Acard, he thought to himself. That damn pissant is always trying to shaft me. No wonder I'm here.

Any Collector that had been around for a while had likely heard about the relationship the two shared…or didn’t share. The pair had clashed on many different issues over the years, most notably when Lyle had fought for the opportunity to lead his own team. The situation had ended in the Academy’s favor as most did, and thus Lyle held quite a grudge against the Headmaster. Thus, hearing that the mission came all the way from the top did little to improve the his naturally sour mood. Fortunately time passed quick, and Lyle had little time to remain upset before it was time to leave.

--

The short time at Outpost 4 was spent getting as much sleep as possible. Lyle’s eyes weren’t doing particularly well as of late so any time he could rest was a welcome and valuable opportunity. His brothers back home had sent him some sort of eye medication that Lyle was pretty sure was a scam, but he still applied the ointment daily. It wasn’t like his eyes could get much worse.

When the team reached the barrier, Lyle slipped to the rearguard, his natural position in Collector teams. Outside the barrier was almost peaceful, compared to what awaited them on the other side. Don’t think I’ll ever get used to this. Slipping his cane off his back, Lyle followed his teammates through the barrier. He couldn’t tell if it was nerves or something more, but the gnawing feeling in his gut had him on full alert.