The Muck Pond

[Debsy]

Erake looked at Ilosep confused. Invisibility? What would I need invisibility for? She shrugged, she had been given this power and she would use it however she wanted. Watching Ilosep leave, she called out to him. "How the heck am I supposed to use this...Invisibility? I mean, is there anything special I have to do to get it to work?"

[Snake_byte]

As the stone receeds from my face and my body, a gory scene of blood and guts bathed by the sunrise is exposed to my eyes. I smile and smell the bloody morning air.
"Well it is a shame I didn't get to watch." I look around for Garob but can't find him.
"Calls himself a god... Where are you noooow!!!?" The 'now' echoes all around.
"This is your mighty beast is it!?" Yelling the question to the air hoping Garob will hear him. he collect myself and relax then look towards the cave from the corner of my eye. I grin
"What was he guarding?" I ask myself and I walk into the cavern.

[Fleegle]

(For 3shyof30rats)

"You just... use it." shouted Ilosep as he walked away, not turning as he retreated to his room. "Like you use your arm..." his voice trailed off as he entered the pitch-black room.

[Debsy]

She watched him leave and she muttered to herself. "You just...use it...?" She shrugged and stepped outside, seeing the creature had killed itself and she looks at Beelzebub and grins. "Nice work. Interesting turn of events there. Honestly I was cheering for the stupid beast but it looks like you're stronger and smarter. Not bad..." With that she nodded to him and stretched her wings out to their full length, more in a bragging motion and leaping into the air, she flew to her spot on the tree and let herself down onto the branch.

[Schme]

MushBall found that the grass tasted an awful lot like the fruit he’d eaten earlier. In fact, it tasted exactly like the fruit he’d eaten earlier. From this he could only conclude that but one taste existed in the entire world, that being, the taste of the fruit and grass.

Seeing that the great beast had now killed itself, and that the other had ceased to be a statue, he decided that nothing more could be seen here, and it might not be wise to stay, lest he be forced to meet with that supremely unmushy creature with the long claws.

He gestured to Kitty that it might be a good idea to slink into the grassfields, for lack of anywhere else to go. “We certainly do not want to meet that unpleasant character over there.” He tried to say, although it came out in a series of soft gurgles and mumbles. And so he set off towards the grass fields, hoping his friend had the sense(or at least, what he considered sense.) to follow him.

[El_Skwidd]

Vex and Xev emerge from their shell, awed at the command Beezlebub had had over the Tagus monster. They watched the agonizing suicide of the monster and the softening of Beezlebub from just outside the Temple. Both heads are mortified.

They looked around shakily and noticed the odd MushBall and his blue companion, Kitty, moving off towards the groff fields where they had met Resuso. Resuso seemed like an amiable god, sharing his groff with them.

"Shall we go see Resuso?" Vex asked quietly.

"Indeed. Ilosep is sure to be busy handing out powers."

"Yes, and the MushBall and Kitty seem to be friendly. They won't hurt us."

"Indeed," Xev replied. "Well, maybe you. I am superior."

The two shuffle off towards the groff fields to consult with Resuso, bickering quietly all the way.

[AngelSpice]

*Audirda smiles* "Thank you Dietris and Nioss". She swims over to the old fountain and inspects it. She then swims over to the glowing cavern and peers in, trying to see what is causing the glowing. However, she doesn't enter into the cavern with out an invitation. She then heads back up to the surface near where she entered the ocean and lays on the beach, letting the waves wash over her as she basks in the sun.

[Fleegle]

(This one for Snake_byte)

The chamber in which the Tagus had resided was thick with the smell of rotten meat and sulfur. In the center of the chamber, a small fire still burned, though it appeared to be starving for fuel. It would not be long until only embers remained. A pile of bones of all shapes and sizes - apparently from a variety of creatures and beings - formed a messy pile in one corner. In another corner, a surprisingly neat and organized pile of severed heads had been erected. Rotting flesh still covered most of the skulls. Near the front lay the head of Varrius, that stared vacantly into oblivion. A fresh scattering of bones lay near the fire, still bloody, most likely belonging to the recently deceased Varrius.
Judging from the state of the cavern, the Tagus had lived a very single-minded existence. A bit of wood sat near the fire (to be used as fuel, most likely) but there didn't seem to be anything to start a fire with.
In the dim light, Beelzebub could make out some wooden planks behind the messy bone pile. On closer inspection, it appeared to be a crude door, obstructed by the pile.

[Snake_byte]

As I walk into the chamber the smell of rot hits me but I'm not phased.
I step into the room and I find it rather difficult to see in the dim light but the bones are hard to miss.
As I scan the room I notice Varrius' head staring at me. I grin, "His latest and last meal" I say to myself outloud. I pick up the head and throw it in the corner with the rest of the bones in the corner knocking some aside revealing a trap door<->(I can only assume it's a trap door...).
I spot it in the fading light "What's this?" I ask the bones not really expecting an answer.
I slowly walk through the room and move the bones exposing the door completely.
I look around and then behind me before opening the door. I look into it but can't see anything as there is no light.
I turn around and look at the embers but don't think they'll provide much help.
I enter without a second thought regardless.

[Varrius]

Kitty was so intent on watching the scenes unfold around her that she didnt see the MushBall walk over to the fields. Finnally when the Winged creature had walked intot he cage she turned to look for her friend, seeing instead a large animal passing by. Deciding that this creature looked friendly enough she asked whether it had seen her freind anywhere. On the Reply that he had gone to the grass field, Kitty quickly turned tail and fled after him.

Finally reaching him she saw him looking around, probably for her so she called out to him with a loud Miaow to tell him she had arrived. She then proceeded to walk up to him to see what he was looking at over the fields.

[Debsy]

Erake noticed Kitty and the other creature with her and grinned. Thinking to herself, now is a great time to test this...'fate' I have...She thought really hard about becoming invisible. Still being able to see herself, she didn't think it worked and became frustrated so she leapt into the air and gently let herself down on the ground beside Kitty. "Any idea how I'm supposed to get this invisibility thing to work?" She had no idea that it did in fact work and she was not visible to anyone but herself.

[Schme]

(Here's some filler.)


MushBall was glad to see Kitty had found him, as he would be very sad had she become lost. As she approached, he offered her a handfull of Groff, which he'd devolloped quite a liking too.

"There is that silly looking turtle again." he mumbled. "It must be coming to meet with me, great mushball that I am. I am not at all surprised. Word of my greatness must have spread far and wide by now. I suppose Ilosep told them, or perhaps one of the other gods, as I am sure that Urdast has told them all about me by now."

"It often happens, Kitty my friend" he said, speaking to her now instead of himself. "That one is just so grand and wonderful that people cannot help themselves but try and meet them, like you did, in fact. It is tiring sometimes, but alas, such is the burden of my greatness and reputation."

He waved too Vex and Xev with his little arms, and waited a moment to give them a little more time to catch up before he continued walking. There was things to be done, and a person of his importance could not be kept waiting. One simply had to keep up with him, as Kitty did.

He moved extremly slowly, as he was stuffing groff into himself as he went. He really did like it, espicially because of how exotic it was in comparison with the fruit. Also, the texture was wonderfull, and he could not seem to get enough of the stuff.

[Fleegle]

(Hey guys, just letting you know that I likely won't get a chance to respond today, so just hold back on the responses for a moment.... if you want to talk with other characters that is fine, but try not to move them around. I might be able to get off a decent sized response late tonight, but I am really busy with RL stuff this evening so I can't make any promises.)

[Fleegle]

(For Schme, Varrius, and El_Skwidd)

From the groff-fields one could see the ocean, and a beautiful sandy beach. The sunrise completed the idyllic picture. To the north-west stood a very dense forest, though a little path only wide enough for an average-sized creature winded its way to the interior. To the south, the beach turned rocky and rose up into sizable bluffs. The outcropping against which the Muck Pond lay and the Tagus Cave bore into turned out to be much larger, being the tip of what appeared to be an extensive rocky region. The rock face was seemingly impossible to climb, though one with great claws or wings might have been able to scale it. Some trees stretched along the base of the cliff, where the groff-field terminated.
As MushBall and Kitty progressed slowly through the field, they noticed that the groff ahead of them was rippling and rustling. The great serpent rose up suddenly from the plants as if to strike, but held back, flickering its tongue. It peered intently at MushBall and Kitty.
“Sssplendid!” Resuso began. “Welcome friends! Help yourselves to the groff, it is mine to share with all fine creatures. Of course I knew you were coming, I can always tell when someone is hungry. I was the little one that led you here, MushBall, how good it is to make your acquaintance. And your trusting companion Kitty, whom I’ve heard so many wonderful things about. Oh! How wonderful, my friends Vex and Xev have returned! No doubt with new powers. How wonderful!” Resuso flicked his tongue with delight, staring down at them with his unblinking eyes. His speech belied his imposing stance.

[AoM]

***Character Description***

Name: Ao

Hair: None
Eyes: Entirely Black save for a pinpoint of white where the pupil would be.
Height: 4' 10" (Although it is perpetually hunched, if not, it would be half a foot taller)
Weight: ??? (A lot considering he's comprised of very heavy looking rocks.)

Body Description: Ao is best described as a collection of small boulders thrown together in the form of a squat humanoid. The rocks which he is comprised of are of a reddish-orangish hue. There is apparently no way to explain how his "limbs" are connected to his big torso boulders, but when he moves, they move with him as would any normal humanoid's limbs. It's as if some invisible force is keeping his body together. His "hands" have no fingers per se, but there is a collection of tiny pebbles that roll around them and can form together in ways that would handle things requiring some measure of dexterity. (It is very doubtful that Ao could ever make good use of tools or weapons, but at least he could open doors without smashing them down.) His "face" holds nothing but his eyes and two small borings on either side that could represent ears. He has no mouth, nose or hair to speak of.

********



Early in the morning of the second day, the Muck Pond bubbled with life once again. Now from its opaque depths emerged a strange collection of rocks, slowly rocking back and forth, rolling around each other as they sloshed and righted themselves into a humanoid figure. As the muck dripped away, revealing the creature's reddish hue, two points of darkness abruptly reveal themselves on the uppermost rock. The "eyes" blink once, twice, and again as they silently take in their surroundings.

The creature's mind sets itself in motion. Where am I? It thinks. What is all this around me? Its head swivels in one direction towards the old temple on the hill. Those seem like quite unnatural shapes for rocks, it wonders as it peers from itself to the temple again. Then its head swivels to the right to take in the grassy fields where the kitten, the mushball man, and the serpent can be seen. Those too are strange looking rocks... It then swivels its head to peer at the cave, and the bloody mess that lies in front of it. Hmmm... that looks like a mean rock... I'd best stay away. I don't want to end up like that thing in front of it.

Then a peculiar thought struck the creature. Who am I?

"Ao..." The name reverberated in his mind as if spoken by some unseen force.

Ao. Yes. That is my name. Happy with this small bit of understanding, Ao's head swiveled again to look upon the cliff face that boardered the Muck Pond.

Now those look like friendly rocks, he thought, perhaps they will tell me what to do?

Ao then sloshed his way across the Muck Pond to the cliff face and climbed to a small jutting alcove where he could sit. Then turning to the cliff face he attempted to communicate with the mighty wall of stone and earth.

To anyone else, Ao's "voice" sounds like a deep rumbling moan... or perhaps like a long note played on a tuba. He produces no syllables, no words that are understood. But his voice produces a slight tremor that goes through him and into the rock wall that he now touches.

To whatever end, Ao's first attempt at communication is meant to roughly translate into thus:

"Greetings older brother of stone and earth! I am Ao, stone-child of the Muck. You have witnessed my birth and have overlooked this land for ages past, and so I look to you for guidance..."

((I come into this very late, but i have read all that has happened. I hope I am not overstepping my bounds. My character is somewhat supernatural by default, being apparently inoraganic. But I figure... demons, mermaids, two-headed turtles, psychic kitties, and a mushball... why not a rock-man? ))