MASKTOURN

Deep in the desert lies a crevice, and within that crevice is a sprawling network of tunnels and rooms. This should not be here- it is hidden from the wrath that permeates this place. It shields beneath rock from the EYE OF GOD. Yet, it is the only place life can exist. It is only in hiding from the divine that mortal life can thrive. The shelter consists of networks of sprawling tunnels and empty chambers, lit by flickering oil lamps and shafts of sunlight filtered through skylights. Every tunnel leads to a grand, open chamber, large enough to fit a good number of people.

Sadihak and Petrai stumbled into the shelter- though, Petrai did most of the actual stumbling, as Sadihak was all but carrying her. Still getting used to the absence of her wings, unbalanced without them. They reached the large sanctum, and sat on its earthy surface, taking a brief respite from their trek. Sadihak ran their hands through their hair. “Petrai- Petrai, what is this place? What’s going on?” Petrai winced as she settled in the dirt. If her eyes had not been dried from the desert heat and the tears of the past, she might’ve cried. “I- I don’t know. The realm split. We’re all doomed now.” “Doomed?” “We are not long for existence here. Even the Halcyon Citadel in its most complete state is not meant to sustain life- it will not be able when fragmented like this. We will all die here. And since the Immaterial Fold is now… nothing, really, we will cease to exist.” Sadihak took a moment to take it all in. To contemplate their own non-existence. “No, no- Petrai, we can’t give up. Not now, not like this- I can’t let oblivion be what’s waiting for me at the end of all this. I can’t give up.” Nonexistance would not be a fitting prize for all they had done to get here. It was not worth fighting for, and hell, they needed something to fight for. Petrai took in a deep breath- but even that action hurt, so she let it out carefully and slowly. “Then you know what we have to do. It’s the only way.” Sadihak closed their eyes. “Do you really think it’ll work?” “It’s the only choice we have. Apathy might be gentler than passion. If we can escape its eye, we might be spared its blade.” Sadihak was quiet for a long while. “... well, I guess we don’t have much of a choice.”

Armand and Zhi-Yin approached the shelter, both seemingly despondent.

Eventually, a pair of people actually stumbled in to the shelter. Roman had his arm wrapped around Asha, and was halfway pulling her along (which was difficult as is). The woman's face was contorted in pain far after they entered. "That sand's never coming out of your braids." Roman said and let go of her as they got inside. As soon as he let go, she had to brace against a wall and hold on to her stomach. "My hair is not what I'm worried about right now." She said sternly. She hated being stuck in the fold, but she had kind of taken for granted not feeling her post partum pains anymore.. Oh yeah, and in a few hours, her chest would probably start hurting too. Great. Roman just shrugged and looked around the hall, trying to shake whatever sand he could out of his wings. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Arriving in the shelter with Enya and Darcy, Isi's relief was quickly dampened by the familiarity of the oppressive rock, of feeling trapped. She went completely quiet and her eyes were distant. She will be sticking close to Darcy and Enya through anything that happens here so long as she is not forced to do otherwise.

Darcy is here. He's visibly relieved to be out of the windstorm, even if it is... in a weird cave.

Little glass particles still trail after Enya, though her body temperature can start to cool off now now that the sand and sun no longer beat down on her. She holds onto both Isi’s and Darcy’s hands, but she seems restless. Like she doesn’t want to lose the two she’d found, but still looking for someone in particular.

Raikal stumbled into the shelter, now inhabiting a far more real body than they had in quite a while. They stood in a dark corner of the room, not wanting to be noticed, and took off their large cloak to shake the sand out of it. She noticed Roman on the other side of the room, and watched him carefully, but did not approach or say anything. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

As Roman was glancing around, he unfortunately spotted Raikal.. He instantly began to walk over there, before Asha spoke up. "Where are you going? You can't just leave me here alone like this." Asha said, still leaning against the wall. "Uh, I think I can.. You know I don't like you, right? I already helped you get here." Roman shrugged again. "You- Urgh, you're not worth fighting with. Go do whatever, you weirdo." Asha grumbled. And he would! He happily strolled over to Raikal without a doubt of worry on his face. "Hey Raikal! Happy to see Naiyta got you back in a real body, I knew they'd help!" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Clove and Leo are here! Clove still remained confused, where Leo was visibly red, but relieved to have found shelter.

Kyrie, Gale and Ellie all arrived in the shelter. "Huh... it is kinda nice in here. No more wind... no more sand... it got all up in my feathers..." @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄 @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷 (we can make a thread in here too if yall want)

innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kyrie, Gale and Ellie all arrived in the shelter. "Huh... it is kinda nice in here. No more wind... no more sand... it got all up in my feathers..." @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄 @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷 (we can make a thread in here too if yall want)

(i can start a thread!)

Very, very slowly.. A sand covered black worm inched its way in to the shelter.

7

Another figure finds its way to the shelter, both familiar and not at the same time. He ducks inside and his wings fold back, then with a sharp crackle they crinkle up and inexplicably melt into his back. Carrion is set carefully on the ground, but now that he’s out of the wind and heat, now that survival mode and adrenaline has slowed down, Kenji slumps standing against the wall as he coughs up sand and grit.

A large, gray animal rushed through the storm like a charging rhinoceros. Once it reached the entrance to the shelter, it squeezed and scrambled through, until it was inside the tunnels, coughing, sneezing and spitting sand. It shook itself, making sand burst and rain everywhere around it. Then it let out a stream of rough, loud swearwords. "God fucking dammit! My fur's going to be full of sand forever!" Seki barked in a cracking voice. He tried to dust his toga off and wrapped it around himself better, before trudging deeper into the tunnels. Unlike Isi, he felt more relaxed and at ease down here, surrounded by his element. (edited)

(If ur character isn't already in the shelter they're being put here now) As the hall begins to fill with people, Sadihak sends out another command, gently easing people to pay attention to them. “Ah- hello everyone.” They said in a loud tone, that betrayed all of their awkwardness. “Petrai and I would like to talk to you-” “We need to make a plan on how to deal with Naiyta,” Petrai took over the conversation, but did not move from her sitting position on the floor. “And get all of you out of here as safely as possible. Sadihak and I have a way we think we can turn its attention from us and end this all, but we need your help. I will not lie to you and say it will be easy, or safe. But… if you all really want to get out, I don’t see any other way.” After a pause, Sadihak spoke again. “Petrai has determined that the Lifebringer incarnations are all residing in an obelisk at the center of this… place. We will launch an assault on them with everything we have. You all will distract the majority of the incarnations… while Petrai and I go after Naiyta.” They grew silent and nervous, and looked to Petrai for help. Petrai, as blunt and as confident as ever, stepped in for them. “We think that Sadihak can use their powers to force Naiyta into abandoning their humanity and assuming Godhood entirely. And… we’re pretty confident it will stop caring about us entirely after that point, and leave us all alone.” Sadihak worked their hands together nervously. “The risk it fails is as great as the chance it succeeds. It’s more of a last resort than any actual plan. But… even if we don’t do anything, we’re all going to die, anyways. And we could use your help. Petrai lent the gathered crowd a moment to gather their thoughts. “If you wish to join us, we’ll be departing for the obelisk in about an hour. Prepare yourselves.” @everyone [OOC: WE WILL BE MOVING TO THE FINAL ASSULT THIS AFTERNOON LIKEKY AROUND 2 CST]

This went more than entirely over Asha's head. What the hell had she missed? Was this normal to everyone else?? Though, something Petrai said caught her attention. "Wait- get all of us out of here? To home home?" She asked, still leaning against the wall. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Well, we assumed no one would want to stay here." Petrai said bluntly. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Well sorry for asking, miss, I feel like I've just missed quite a lot of everything." Asha said, slightly annoyed. "Figured it would be best to double check that we're not fighting to get back to that tournament or something." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Sorry. I didn't exactly have a way of communicating anything, seeing as I didn't have any of my memories up until about twelve hours ago." If Asha was slightly annoyed, Petrai was bitter. "There is nothing I want less than to end up back in the Lifebringer's hands." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Well I was dead up until like twenty minutes ago, so-" This wasn't worth fighting about at the moment, was it? "I think we can agree on the Lifebringer thing. If you're handling the creepy pale one, there's nothing more that I'd enjoy than getting to blow up Albanes, that girl is awful." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"As long as you can distract the others so Sadihak and I can make our move. That's really all we need." Petrai shrugged, and instantly winced at the movement. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Mhm, I'll distract her.." Asha grumbled. Lots of ways you could distract someone with explosions. Including blowing them up. Seems like she was content with fantasizing about extreme violence for the next hour or so.. But another was rising up to bother the two prior side leaders. The little black worm had been rubbing off all the sand stuck to it, which was difficult considering it had no hands. A lot of furious rubbing on the rocky ground later, it was fairly free of debris. Now clean, a pile of ooze began to form around it, growing bigger and bigger and more human like.. Finally, Madelyn reformed, wearing her usual set of armor. And now with Melinoe back calling half the shots, she felt her rage bubble up again. Not even bubble- it was broiling. Her newly formed body shook with anger, and she took sharp, short breaths. She could feel her sadness get altered, and she did nothing to fight it. She didn't want to mourn at this time, all she wanted was to destroy something. Or someone. Albanes had betrayed her. She had betrayed everyone. She couldn't even call her Albanes in good faith, that was no longer her wife. She had become something different, fundamentally, that she had promised to never become. So hating her as she was now.. It was fine. She had loved her before, but she was quick to separate that person from what she was now. Nothing more than a vessel of the thing that wanted her wiped from existence. A god wearing the skin of someone she loved, like she'd be able to accept that. Like she could just move on and still love her. Well, she couldn't. Not at this time, at least. Not with all of these feelings. As her body solidified enough to move, she stormed straight over to Sadihak and Petrai. She pointed a shaking finger at her former sibling in law. "I want Not-Albanes." Madelyn stated with a quivering tone. "I know how to deal with her." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Well, I wasn't happy to go out without a fight anyway, so whether we succeed or no, I'll be happy to give them a beating", Seki announced after Petrai and Sadihak explained the plan. His tail swung with determination. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Petrai nodded, figuring what Asha had in mind would be sufficient enough. ... "Uh... you can have her." Sadihak said to Maddy, clearly still apprehensive about their place in the plan. They turned to Seki. "Glad to hear it." @Twig | Seki / Aarni @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Good, good.." Madelyn mumbled, and slowly lowered her hand. She was quiet for a moment, before mumbling. "... mnmm.. and.. I'm sorry.." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Petrai nodded, figuring what Asha had in mind would be sufficient enough. ... "Uh... you can have her." Sadihak said to Maddy, clearly still apprehensive about their place in the plan. They turned to Seki. "Glad to hear it." @Twig | Seki / Aarni @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Thumbs up from Seki.

Sadihak had known Maddy enough to know how much that apology meant. "It's... mhm, I won't say it's alright, but it wasn't your fault." They sighed. "Sorry you... got dragged here too." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

".. I hardly even knew I was here in the first place, to be honest." Madelyn shrugged. She tried to speak a few times, but her words were catching in her throat. Finally, she placed a hand over her chest, and found her words. "If you do get everyone home, I don't want to go. I can't. There's no place for me without Persis and my Albanes. I'm sure my job has been more than filled.. In hundreds of years....." She couldnt even imagine how much the world would have changed. Where could she possibly fit back in, if she were to just start living again? But Melinoe didn't want that. Melinoe wanted to get back out there, it had never managed to reproduce! Everyone had been so damn careful for all those years.. "Wh-when this is over, could you take Melinoe? And put it somewhere outside? It wants to move on, too. But it won't until it's out of here, I have to give it that." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Sadihak nodded solemnly. "I'm... not sure if I'm going to make it out of this, honestly. But if I do... I'll set it free. Any particular environment, or will a standard gross bog do?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"The grosser the better." Madelyn cracked a slight smile. "My hometown is probably gone by now, the toxic bogs were only getting bigger and more toxic over time.. If no one did anything about it it's probably fairly dangerous now. If the toxic bogs still exist, and you wouldn't immediately die from getting close.. There would be preferred." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Well... I came from only about ten years after the tournament, so..." They sighed. "I hope I can go back to then. I'll find your worm a bog." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Oh.. Was I even dead then..?" Madelyn asked, but she didn't especially care about whatever was happening in Sadihak's life. "We'll all get back to wherever we want to go, I'm sure of it. Confident, even. And Melinoe can go latch on to some creature even grosser than me or you." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Not that I remembered." They sighed. "... I'm glad one of us is hopeful. Once this is over I'm... gonna take some time to myself. I... need a break." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"I think that's fair. I've only seen a fraction of everything here and.. Yeah, I think you should go take a break." Madelyn nodded. ".. And go get rid of Albanes' godhood thing from your time, I knew she kept it. Go toss it out to the middle of the ocean where she could never find it." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mhm. Good call." Sadihak hummed. "Do you know where she might have kept it? I can probably find out on my own, but... would rather not wipe more memories than I have to." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

".. She kept it under the bed, like I wouldn't find it.." Madelyn sighed. "I didn't want to bring it up to her. I figured she was keeping it there as a punishment to it, not that she was keeping it to use later.." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mhm..." Sadihak hummed. "Well... I'll take care of it. Hopefully the version of you that's in my timeline understands and doesn't attack me for snooping around your bedroom." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"No, I probably will.. You should ask Persis for my knight schedule and come when me and Albanes just aren't there." Madelyn said. "Anyway.. Yeah, good luck with facing Naiyta. I don't think I'd be much help with that one, if you're not using physical violence.." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Good idea. I'll have to think up an explanation to why I'm suddenly.... reptilian." They sighed. "But that can wait." They managed a weak smile. "Thanks. I think I'm the only person here who could pull something like this off... but, we all have to get out." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"I think you being part snake isn't the weirdest part of our family." Madelyn shrugged. "Better to go down fighting than die giving up. If we don't make it out of here.. At least I can finally have a cooler death than my second one. Kinda lame how I died last time." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"True..." Sadihak nodded. "I'd rather die trying to resist than letting Naiyta have me. Not after all this." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Exactly," Madelyn nodded back. She extended out her right hand for a handshake, but quickly decided to switch it up to a more casual fist bump. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Sadihak returned the fist bump, only slightly awkwardly. "Good luck out there." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Mhm, you too." Madelyn said and lowered her hand. "I don't know how much good it would do you considering their powers, but do you or the bird- uh- other one want any armor? I won't be needing mine." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Thanks for the offer but... it'd be easiest for me to go without, and..." He glanced towards Petrai. "We don't want to risk aggregating her injuries more. But thanks for the offer." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

As conversation died down, Sadihak adressed the group again. "If everyone's ready, let's get going out. No point in waiting." @everyone (final assualt is STARTING! please wrap up your convos in here asap. i will move yall to your fight groups soon!)

4

sadihak and petrai in the shelter

shelter arrivals

let's go beat up the lifebringer!