Callum shook his head, "No this is evil, be it the evil of man or some other force there is no doubt in my mind. There is nothing to convince me that this could be done by any act of nature ..."

Callum stood and listened as the others spoke. Finally he summoned his bow, golden motes showering outward as the bow reformed in his hand. "We find what is causing this and destroy it. Rysha's life depends on that, but just as important whatever did this cannot be allowed to continue."

"Well, the area looks roughly circular," Mei Ying opines.

"Logically, whatever's causing it would be at the center. We should be careful though. Whatever is doing this is almost certainly something of great power, and draining essence hurts us where we're most vulnerable. Each of us is a living beacon of Essence in incredible quantities. It may be hunting us, even as we hunt it."

“Ah, and here I thought the Selkies had conscripted a few Gorps into service. If it’s not the Selkies, then I’m in agreement about the evilness of it.” Akryruh walked over towards the bleached bones of the animals while Mei made her own more expert observations. He squatted, observing the bones up close but turning his head periodically to hear Mei-Ying and the others speak.

Still crouching, Akryruh turns and calls back to the group. “These appear to have just dropped dead, no apparent attempt to flee, they weren’t running when they were taken down. So what Mei’s saying about draining the Essence from them sounds reasonable.” Akryruh stands and begins to walk back towards the rest of the group, then he stops, he rubs at his arms as a shudder runs through him, he turns in a circle looking around as his hand drops to his sword hilt.

“Shroud of fog
makes silk web invisible,
The spider comes.”

Akryruh backed slowly towards the group, his hand firmly on the hilt of his still sheathed sword. “Tell me I’m not the only one that felt that.”

"It does look like it." Rysha was on her feet with her hand resting on the hilt of her sword in a single breath, eyes sweeping over Akryruh with a momentary intensity before tracking across the vast empty space around them. "Did your little poet happen to indicate a direction?

"I felt nothing my brother." His sister's hands slid silently toward the blades at her belt. "What was it?"

Still was the air as the circle gathered close, keeping their wits about them they surveyed the barren forest all around. Nothing but the dead, gray land littered with bleak death choked trees.

A low tremor shook the soles of their boots and in an instant they all realized that their enemy was nowhere to be seen since it was hiding directly... beneath... their feet.

"Rysha," The accent of the aristocracy was barely audible in Sovanya's voice. "Please tell me that was your stomach."

Sprays of gray ash and dust exploded from the earth forcing each of the exalts to cover their eyes but the Chosen of the Sun did not falter in their defense of the wood. Silhouettes of serpent-like creatures rose from the ground swiftly but made no other sound taking full advantage of the shroud of ash and earth had granted them.

The creatures were not up against mortals this day however and their cover of ash was of little use against the all seeing eyes of the Sun's Chosen. Dutifuly the Lawgivers stood their ground and prepared for battle, giving the dust not a moment to settle.

Bow already in hand Callum retreives an arrow and looses it into the smoke and ash. Without so much as moment given to see if he has hit his mark a secon arrow is already halfway to the string. It stings his fingers as he grasps the still vibrating bowstring and pulls it back once more. Taking aim along the wake of the previous arrow Callum releases once more and sends a second shaft after the first.

With a flick of her hand, Mei Ying produces her orichalcum sling from the sleeve of her robe and unfolds it. She brings a smooth bullet stone to the cup with a well-practiced motion and swirls it over her head like a golden-hued howling whirlwind that stirs the dust hanging in the air into a spiral.

There's a -CRACK- noise as the bullet leaves the cup and streaks at one of the beasts!



Sigh. I shoulda summoned something before we poked around in here.

[Tick 2]

The flaring brilliance of Rysha's caste mark lit up like a beacon, glowing through the silk scarf she'd wound across her forehead, and Morning's Edge blazed into her hand like a golden brand. A preternaturally swift flick of her wrist brought her warhammer smoothly off her back and into her palm, and she took a single precise step forward to cover Mei's flank and let the creatures come.

Her first blow struck like the slap of a vengful god, the rune-carved head of the hammer smashing down on her victim with savage power, and she rode the weight of the impact into a swift twirl like the twist of a dancer until the golden blade of Morning's Kiss found her next victim and bit deep.

Akryruh took a step forward and in a smooth motion drew Fire of the Sun's Judgement from its sheath. The smooth arc of the blade cut a long slash through the cloud of ash. At the end of the motion, the blade flicked out now extended from Akryruh's hand. Droplets of ghostly ichor flew from the blade. He backed up a step bringing the sword in and down into a defensive stance.

Before the dust could settle each of the Exalts sprung into action, whether spurred on by skill, instinct, or duty each quickly steeled themselves for the battle ahead.

Their opponents, now visible through the cloud, were just as they assumed. The huge selkys worms, their spider like visage staring back through the dust and ash wasted no time in launching their assault.

Callum's arrows flew true, his first cutting through the air and piercing his first opponent directly in the center of its collection of eyes. It screeched, a sound akin to a dying fawn, and withdrew itself quickly back into the tainted soil. Fate was on his side this day, after dispatching his first target he lined up his second shot in the span of an instant, aimed, and fired with mastery level precision. The force of his bow, blessed by the might of the Unconquered Sun, sent his arrow directly to his next target. So great was the force of the impact that with a ghoulish 'snap' sound the creatures head exploded showering those nearby in grizzly victory.

Launching a bullet from her sling Mei felt a small lump fear tighten up in her throat. The bullet seemed so small compared to the creature that seemed to get larger with each passing moment. Each beast rose a full nine feet from the soil, and each could easily swallow a man whole. This realization came a bit late as Mei's bullet bounced harmlessly off the hide of one of the mammoth creatures. Getting it's attention was now the last thing she really wanted, or needed.

The great worm lurched its head back to strike and as it lunged Mei already had several contingencies for escape, Rysha however, was not among them. Gold streaked the air, and low whistle of wind being sliced rose up over beast's wailing. It's head rolled, still carried by it's own momentum to come to a halt at Mei's feet. Deftly Rysha, who had come to Mei's aid, pivoted as a second of the worms dove in for Mei. Just as it passed the dark skinned Dawn Caste she arced her hammer upward with all her might smashing its 'chin'. The worm rose up and in a complete arc fell backwards upon the soil with a sound that was nowhere near painless. Slowly each of the defeated worms slid back below the surface.

Sovanya dug her foot deep into the soil, bracing herself for the inevitable. Grinning with confidence she stood her ground as two of the giant worms lunged from in front of her, hoping to get a grip on her and tear her apart. Essence surged and each of her fellow Exalts could feel the tug of power as she drew it in. Crossing her blades in front of her in an 'X' she stood against the onslaught. Golden-white flames exploded around her, bathing her body in the fires of righteousness. As the beasts smashed against her defenses the aura formed a barrier of golden essence. Sovanya was completely consumed by the energies as her opponents, shocked by the impact, lurched away the energy took shape into that of a glorious gold and white hawk. With a phantasmal screech from realms beyond the great bird took flight like a comet straight upward like a phoenix rising from the ashes with Sovanya still resting within its center. Its burning wings tore through flesh and sinew cauterizing the wounds as it streaked between the unfortunate monsters. As quickly as it came the energy dispersed and gracefully Sovanya touched back down to the soil. Like the others, each of the beasts slid itself back below the surface of the soil. Sovanya raised her sword and pointed it at the two beasts as the slinked their way back to die. "By the mercy of the Unconquered Sun, you're purified."

As Akryruh's blade rested in a defensive position he watched as the creature slid slowly beneath the soil. With a high pitched cry the remaining worm near Akryruh arced up came down as quickly as it could in an attempt to swallow him whole. Warning of the attack was all he needed. As the creature bore down upon him, Akryruh quickly spun to one side and in the same quick motion he'd used to dispatch his first opponent was used to dispatch his second. His golden blade sliced through the beasts flesh like it was paper maché and with an agonizing squeal it retracted below the soil as quickly at it could.

He noticed his sister looking at him from several steps away. "Show off." she said with a grin as she spun her attentions to the last two remaining selkys worms.

Each of the Sun's Chosen heard a series of gagging sounds before one of the two remaining selkys tensed it's body and lurched it's head at Rysha. The large spider-like fangs that covered its mouth rose up and from the inside of the beast shot wickedly barbed tongue. The slimy tendril sped forward and tore through the back of Rysha's thigh, exiting painfully on the opposite side in a spurt of blood that shocked the young woman. Muscles within the beasts tongue expanded near the barb, which caused several hook like barbs to protrude allowing the creature to 'reel' in its prey without fear of losing it.

Again the gagging sounds filled the air as the second worm shot its barbed tongue. Mei deftly leapt backwards denying the beast its target.

"Rysha! Let her go!" Mei yelps, feeling a stab of guilt equal to the stab in the warrior's leg.

They got her because of me...because she saw I was vulnerable and stepped in...

In a flash she's drawn the wicked thrice-forged dagger from her belt and with ferocity surprising to those familiar with her bookish persona, launched herself at the obscene fleshy appendage binding Rysha to the beast! Her caste mark appears on her forehead, limed in golden and violet light, crackling with eldritch potency as she draws on Essence and in an instant sees the lines of fate spread out before her. Shadowy images of herself striking here, there, up, down...all the possibilities of the maneuver parading before her in a snapshot of insight.

Turn here. Strike there.

With a battle cry, Mei Ying reverses the dagger in her hand and twirls in a pirouette that would be rather fetching if it didn't end in a white flash of steel...a silvery arc that intersected the quivering bloodclot-hued tongue of the Selky holding Rysha.

(trying to cut the tongue! Using Melee Excellence to buy 3 successes for 6 motes! Roll is [8d10] => [2,10,8,8,6,5,7,2] for 5 successes! Total of 8! Base damage is 5L, Dodge DV 2 now, Parry DV is base 4 now that she's armed...not sure if it's reduced now.)

Not waiting to see if Mei's own attack would succed Callum took carefull aim at the tendril peircing Rysha's leg. Drawing upon himself in an act of pure will he wiped away all other thought and focused only on severing the tendril. With a flash he released an arrow ...

Converting 1 point of Willpower to an auto success.

Rolling 13 dice (I assume this counts as "precise" for his Dex Quality?) = 10,4,10,7,4,7,7,10,7,5,6,3,4 = 10 successes +1 = 11 total ...

[Tick 7]

Leaving the severed strand of tongue to hold shut the wound in her thigh, Rysha flashed Mei a savage little smile and caught the flicker of Callum's raised bow in the corner of her vision. Shoot clean, warrior. Ignoring the wounded worm for the moment, she twisted on her heel and struck at the selky who'd dared to attack Mei with two swift, savage blows that pinned the creature between a flashing hammer and a scything blade.

The dagger cut deep, splattering Mei and Rysha with a spray of blood before the wound sealed itself reflexively. With a defeated, painful bellow the large worm made an attempt to retract itself into the befouled earth.

Tracing the tongue back as it returned to its owner as swiftly as the creatures muscles would allow it Callum took aim. Another arrow streaked across the battlefield thundering into its target. With the tongue severed and Rysha free the Nigh Caste archer quickly compensated and went for the creature itself. The arrow struck home and tore through the soft muscle-like flesh of the selkys just a split second before it was lost beneath the shifting gray waste.

The Sun's vengeance came swiftly as Rysha's hammer stunned the beast and knocked it clean into the path of her golden daiklave. So swift in fact that its weak flesh barely withstood the onslaught and her blade drank deep carving three quarters through its body. Lifeless the creature slipped below the soil.

Thier breath was heavy and the tension still hung like a baleful cloud over them. The gray dust had barely settled and all that lay before them was the wastes of this once lush and beautiful forest. No traces of the enemy remained save for the earth soiled in blood.

It was quiet...

Too quiet...

Mei Ying spun a circle, panting, then slowly lowered her knife. Her expression softened to one of confusion, then suspicion.

"This is wrong," she says slowly as she turns around again to look at the holes. "This is all wrong."

Abruptly she looks at Callum and Rysha.

"The tree spirit! What did IT say? Did it specifically say there were -selkys-? Or was that something you told it?"

Callum lowers his bow, a quick scan of the area reveals no arrows in a state to be reused. He squats down near where the last of the "selkeys" slid into the ground upon death.



"I don't recall ..." Callum relies quietly as he searches the ground. "These ... these were most definately not selkeys though. They took on the appearance of selkeys but ..." he gestures to the empty ground where a corpse should lie, "... clearly they are not what they appear. I am afraid my knowledge of these creatures will prove less than usefull."

Keeping her daiklaive held across her body in a low guard, Rysha slid slowly back into the circle of her companions. "The spirit said I was to clear the selky infestation, specifically. It was quite direct." The threat of being flayed alive does so concentrate the mind....

Mei nods at Callum and Rysha and says, "Then either the spirit was wrong, or it was intentionally misleading us. These couldn't have been selkys. They were...-close- though. Close, but not quite right."

She looks around again.

"I'd like to withdraw...at least long enough to consult the elements. A spirit of earth might know what is hidden below...and I could ask it to help draw it out, perhaps even fight with us."

Callum recalled back to the last time Mei had summoned up an elemental and mentally shuddered. Not only had it taken a great deal of time, time they didn't have now, but he, Rysha, and Mei had nearly fallen prey to some sort of undead ... creature.

"No, I do not think we have the time. There was a third man and he may have said something to make Father Oak believe it was selkeys, or he simply did not know. Even forest spirits are not all-knowing and all seeing.

"No we need to press onward, Rysha's life depends on our expedient completion of this task."

Callum recalled back to the last time Mei had summoned up an elemental and mentally shuddered. Not only had it taken a great deal of time, time they didn't have now, but he, Rysha, and Mei had nearly fallen prey to some sort of undead ... creature.

"No, I do not think we have the time. There was a third man and he may have said something to make Father Oak believe it was selkeys, or he simply did not know. Even forest spirits are not all-knowing and all seeing.

"No we need to press onward, Rysha's life depends on our expedient completion of this task."

Akryruh kept his sword raised in a defensive stance as he turned slowly. "Just because we haven't seen real Selkies yet doesn't mean that these pseudo-selkies are all that have infested the woods. They don't appear to be the cause of the wildlife's death," Akryruh motioned with his sword towards the animal bones. "Those animals appear to have simply fallen dead where they stood, not been reeled in and eaten like they attempted with Rysha."

He stopped circling satisfied that there was no visible threats. "Also please, let's also not assume what the rather imposing and angry spirit who issued the ultimatum does or does not know. From what little we overheard and you recounted, he didn't sound to be in a good mood, and as Mei suggested, might have willfully withheld information or lied. Or it may be that he was being brief by saying selkies but referring to both real and fake alike. Because of him and what you said earlier, I don’t know how much help a spirit will be. If we consider that he wasn’t forthcoming, how do we know he hasn't bullied other spirits into following his lead? Ignoring that, if they haven't ventured into the blight how can they know what's there, if they have, how can we trust that they haven't been adversely affected by it?”

Akryruh paused thinking for a moment as he lowered his blade but made no motion to sheath it. "Remember that a Talon from Larjyn came to clear the infestation and were defeated when they proceeded towards the source. They may have found this place after killing the more mundane real selkies and been too slow to adapt their tactics to account for a threat that shows the clear tactical acumen displayed in this ambush. That was not just an attack by animals, that was well laid ambush and shows skill and forethought and far more intelligence than any hive of vermin or even maybe a wolf pack should possess. If this is the source that Elsbeth mentioned it would explain a lot, a Talon lead by a Dragon Blood can be a formidable force. I think that speaks volumes about whatever controls or commands these things be it beast, spirit, demon or perhaps even Exalt." Akryruh looked at the churned earth where the selkies had retracted with disgust.

“Strange though it may sound to come from me, I think we should assume the worst and push on and not try to reconnoiter with a spirit. But we should be ready for big trouble, and we might want to consider this just a probing attack to see how capable we are."

Mei shrugs, defeated.

"As you all wish," she says, stooping to scoop up her sling.

"The way the selkys we killed retreated underground reminded me a little of an octopus hunting. They will reach into coral reefs with their tentacles, feeling for food. If something hurts a tentacle, it pulls it back, but the others keep searching. In this way it is alerted to danger without risking its main body. Since it can regrow tentacles, it is never in long term danger."

"It's also common for sea creatures to have body parts that resemble other, smaller creatures to disguise themselves or serve as lures."

She pauses, then says, "I think whatever this is, it's big. Very very big. If we're lucky, the main body can't move. If we're not, it's headed our way right now, and will probably come up from underneath us."

No sooner did the Exalts take their first steps than the ground shook beneath them. A muffled moan, like the earth had suffered a grievous wound, sounded up from the tainted soil. In the distance several of the selkys-like worms retracted themselves below the surface.

They struggled to gain their footing but in a matter of seconds the tremor was over.

In a glade saturated with green and essence Father Oak sat calmly basking in the warmth his sanctuary provided. The winds were his ears, the creatures of the Hunter’s Wood were his eyes, and today, the Sun’s Chosen were his wrath. The tainted lands were a place he could not tread and his power there was reduced to nothing. So strong was the taint that it stretched into the spiritual world as well, and it grew daily.

With a sudden look of shock Father Oak’s eye sprang open. “It comes.”

(OOC - Hahaha...maybe it's Holiday Holdup, but I have a feeling everyone's waiting to see what everyone else is going to do. :))

Mei Ying reaches down to scoop up her sling and looks nervously around.

"We need to spread out...or find some high ground. That earthquake strongly suggests to me that my second theory is more accurate."

Rysha stepped protectively close to Mei, her daiklaive and hammer each held in a tight low guard and her violet eyes sweeping the ground around them with a taut intensity. "How big, exactly, would you guess?"

Akryruh shifted his position after Rysha's movement so that the group was still protected on all sides. "Since we've provoked a response, I don't think we'll need to guess for long. But I'd say very big, double the size I had been thinking." A wry smile crossed his face. "Let us hope it's not a simple mouse with an exceptionally out-sized roar."

Callum sighs and a nocks another arrow and draws the fletching to his ear. "Yes let us hope ..." he says quietly.

"I don't know," Mei says, "Whatever this thing is, it's not any kind of creature I've actually seen before, or heard of. There's no way to know how long those arms are in relation to its body... Watch for swelling in the ground, and be ready to move fast."

Patiently they waited, weapons poised for whatever evil would soon face them. Grey waste lay stretched before them, quiet... too quiet.

The grey dust sifted on the winds like an unpleasant mist, obscuring their view of anything below the waist. The silence was deafening. Rysha's hands clenched tight against her weapons, the creaking of the leather wrapped handles were heard easily by all present and the dust stirred with dampness as a single droplet of sweat trickled from Callum's nose and fell ever so slowly to the gray dust at his feet.

Be ready to move fast.

Never were wiser words spoken it seemed when the ground beneath them shuddered and exploded upwards in a geyser of sand and dust. Like a tree sprouting from the soil a large column of flesh tore up from under their feet. Each acted as swiftly as they were able. Outward from the center of the creature’s introduction they sprang, diving, rolling, and even jumping into an acrobatic moonsault in an attempt to not be swallowed whole by the creature that was, unfortunately, getting bigger.

Each landed, safe if not a bit dizzy. For the first time The Keeper of the Blight was seen in it's true form. Nearly three hundred feet above the soil the great selkys gazed down upon the Sun's chosen and let loose a horrendous roar, a shriek that tore hope from their souls and bravery from their hearts. It's massive body was thicker than the mightiest redwood in the forest, gnarled and twisted and covered all over by festering open sores that spurted and leaked a foul smelling slime.

It wasn't long before the purpose of these sores became apparent when smaller, more recognizable selkys extended from them like tentacles upon the massive hulks body, howling a shrieking as they flailed about in search of prey to feed the body with more essence. The selkys still in several places could be seen above the surface far from where the Exalts stood meaning that all three hundred feet of this beast that they saw now was merely a fraction of it's actual size.

The behemoth arced its head downward, poised to make it's first attack, its pearlescent eyes shimmering in the sun gave a stark contrast of beauty to it's horrid from.

Before this day was done the forest would weep, the earth would cry out, and the pillars of the Yu-Shan would shake. This abomination had earned the ire of the Unconquered Sun's Chosen. This... thing. This Behemoth of Pestilence suddenly found itself cast adrift within the shallow harbor of the Chosen's patience...

Dying time had arrived.



Several hundred feet away...

"Holy..." As the creature rose from the ground an enormous eye blinked in awe, enlarged by the spyglass it's owner peeped through. "That thing's huge Boss, we'd better give em' a hand. What'dya think?"

"Why?" An apple, freshly sheared by a sharp blade, met the lips of one Peleps Ahroun. "Besides, can't you imagine how us dying could negatively effect my profit n'