"Hmm, if we're counting after, then I think... seven? Eight? Time kinda gets weird when you're moving between worlds." Still a relatively short lifespan to experience as much as she had. When the other confirmed that they, too, had faced death, Enya smirked at her. She wasn't surprised at the brute of a wolf had succeeded in Tsillah's trial. Ida inquired about Tsillah and she quickly fell into eager storytelling. Tsillah was her favorite thing to talk about - besides herself of course. "Tsillah is the Goddess of Death. She is the One who decides if our Wills are strong enough to be reborn. If we succeed, you get another chance at life, though it may not always be in the way you would expect. If your Will is weak" Enya spat the word when she said it, "then it is devoured."
She paused for a moment to let that point sink in. "There is also a false God that some believe in. Ohr is what they call him, the God of Life. Their followers, Verdantis, they promote his beliefs because he says that all Wills are deserving." It was clear the distaste she felt both towards Verdantis and their God they chose to worship. "I've never heard of fiery pits as an ending, but I'd rather believe that Tsillah will consume my Will should I ever grow weak than to believe I could go on living my life without ever knowing what I was able to achieve with Her motivation driving me."
Ida's surprise at her shocking revelation of who she was pleased Enya thoroughly. She grinned and joined Ida in another round of laughter. Enya's invitation to join Duskorna hadn't immediately been rejected, either. Perhaps she'd be able to share several more laughs with Ida, back at home. Even better, Ida was eager to join her on a hunt, stretching in anticipation. She liked her attitude, she decided.
It was even more interesting to hear about geysers and the shapeshifer she'd found up there. "I haven't been to the geysers yet, no." She made a mental note to go and visit it sometime. "I've not encountered a shapeshifter, either. What was that like?" She looked Ida over from her angle, not bothering to hide it. She looked for fresh scars. "And what happened to the whelp you mentioned? I'd be worried to leave a child on its own this far north with winter coming." Enya stretched and turned to start moving on, pausing to linger and let the conversation between her and Ida continue. She intended to walk and talk as she looked for signs of the beast she'd heard was rumored to be in the area, a cliff stalker.
OoC: Note for me so I don't forget:
Cliff Stalkers
Appearance: Large, feline-like creatures with long, sinewy bodies, tufted ears, and eyes that glow faintly in the dark. Their fur is a blend of browns and grays, allowing them to blend seamlessly into the rocky environment.
Abilities: These predators are masters of stealth, able to blend into shadows and climb vertical rock faces with ease. They can camouflage to cloak their selves and create illusions to increase their odds of hunting. They often hunt in pairs or trios.
"Dayum, ahm impressed," she huffed, "yuh age in dog years 'er wine?" Ida herself was not a young wolf, but Enya was old enough to be her mother. Aged and refined, if she were continuing with her alcohol metaphors. She gave the other dame a toothy smirk, but pricked her ears at the mention again of Tsillah. Her gaze trailed from Enya down to the thundering waterfall below as she spoke, watching it crash against the jagged bluffs with a curious, thoughtful look clouding her beady eyes. The Goddess of Death, she ran the title through her head again--if the monarch's words were true, she had been the one to bring her here, then?
How interesting.
The great dog looked back towards Enya as she continued, speaking now of a second god, a false one apparently, but one that rang similar bells in her head that her speech of Tsillah's had. She nodded slowly, a low hum rumbling through her chest as she ground her mandibles together.
"Ah just had one where ah'm from. Just called him God. Kinda sounds like th' both of em. Had uh feelin' he never really liked me much, though," she chuckled then and shook her head, and relished the sensation of the cool wind tussling her pelt. "Glad this Tsillah thought different. Figured ah was always too hot fer Hell anyways. Ey?"
Ida would have to think on it more. She was skeptical of many things, but unless this was all some elaborate dream her brains had manifested in its last moments of consciousness, there could be a different God watching over her now. One that didn't snarl and balk at her enjoying life in the way she saw fit; in fact, she rewarded it. Ida had never been one to believe in miracles, but what other answer could there be? She'd have to ask if there were temples or the like here; it had been a long, long time since she'd given any sort of thanks.
The huge dame gave a short shake of her pelt before turning to follow her smaller companion, a flicker of unease igniting in her belly at the sight of the towering pines before she could smother it. Damned that thing, making her nervous of trees. She could feel the weather cooling now, but perhaps if and when it grew warmer, she could drag herself back up to that accursed grave and dig up whatever was left of it. Remind herself of just who won, and take a piece back so she could never forget it.
"Was like uh moose; smelled like it, left tracks like it. Trailed it down tuh trees like this, n' it was like it vanished. Smell still there, but it was sour," she curled her lip at the memory, stalking along the bluffs and flaring her nostrils for any interesting scents. "Walked around n' circles tryin' tuh find it, thought ah was goin' crazy. Then ah looked up and saw it--ah saw the tree had eyes. Dark, angry things. 'n then it lunged out, peeled off from th' tree like uh scab. All its antlers were branches n' leaves, and its flesh was always changin'--meat to bark and back again. Took uh while to put down, was proper tryin' to end us. was screamin' all the while like uh goddamn demon."
A dull tingle raced down her spine at the memory, and smacking her lips together, she swore she could still taste the tang of its spicy, sappy ichor.
"Kid put up 'hell of uh fight too. Guess whelp wasn't th' right word for 'er," the thought of little Maureen charging fearlessly at the beast sent a small tinge of pride through her hardened heart. "Old enough tuh be on 'er own, least ah was at that age. Small, but got a good head n' sharp teeth. Hung 'round th' geysers fer uh bit, think she headed south too," at least, she hoped the girl was smart enough too. Ida pushed the thought of Maureen from her head, focusing back on Enya as she stalked through the windswept woods. "Now, what kinda beast we lookin' for?"
DICE ROLL: Perception
Success: Ida smells something strange. She can't tell what it is, but it smells sort of musty and warm. She veers off and noses into the soil to find a muddy feline pawprint.
Failure: She ain't smelling anything, lead the way Enya!
Character Diceroll 1: Fail Diceroll must be above 500 to be successful.
0 was added for Perception.
484 was added for Level 2.
0 was added for A. No Enchantment.
10 was deducted for C. Vagrant Penalty.
"Mmm, wine" The mention of the sweet, dry liquid had Enya's mouth watering in an instant. She'd like to think that she had managed to regain control of herself over the past couple years. She still indulged from time to time and likely more often than she really should... ok, so maybe she hadn't really gained control, but she at least wasn't drinking all day every day anymore. "I could go for some wine."
As Ida explained that in her prior existence there had only been one god, named God, she flicked an ear in thought. Just how many types of gods were out there? Enya smirked at the comment about her old god not liking her. "His loss" she retorted, believing that she could see what Tsillah saw in the brute of a creature. Enya continued to listen carefully as she and Ida traveled along together. The creature she described was terrifying by the sound of it. Smelled like prey and left tracks like prey, only to ambush from the trees by using them as camouflage. When Ida mentioned it screaming, a shudder ran through Enya's figure. She shook to get rid of the sensation. "Sounds like something designed to hunt us" she commented in thought, making a mental note to warn her Kingdom of the potential threat. They may have ended it, but that didn't mean it was the only one that existed.
Ida explained further that the whelp wasn't as young as Enya had inferred when the conversation first started. It made more sense, now, why Ida had left the whelp on her own if what Ida described was true. She also headed south. Noted. At Ida's prompting, Enya began to describe the creature she hunted, "They're called Cliff Stalkers. They're a feline-like beast that excel in stealth. Tufted ears. Long bodies made for climbing. They usually prefer rocky terrain, but it's about the season for them to den down." A swift wind kicked up and drifted across the pair. Enya paused and lifted her nose, flicking her tongue quickly to taste the air. She altered her direction slightly, then continued forward. The path she took, now, was rugged and rocky and cut through thick underbrush. She chewed on sticks to break them from her path and shoved past more stubborn ones. She tried to break trail for Ida, but it was hard to break trail for a creature nearly twice your size. "They usually hunt in pairs or trios, so I appreciate your company on this hunt. Though ideally, we'll find them asleep in their dens." A grin came to Enya's muzzle at the thought of catching the stealth predator asleep. If there was a single simple truth in the world, it was that you were never safe.
Dice Roll: Perception
Success: Picks up on a cliff stalker's scent and begins heading in the correct direction
Failure: picks up on what she thinks is a cliff stalker's scent and beings heading in the wrong direction
Character Diceroll 1: Success Diceroll must be above 500 to be successful.
0 was added for Perception.
545 was added for Level 3.
0 was added for A. No Enchantment.
0 was added for A. No Buff / Penalty.
"Fuck. Me too," she agreed with a wistful huff. The last time she'd drank was...how long ago, now? Too long, judging by her difficulties remembering. "Dusknora got any fermenters? Brewers?" Ida could settle for whatever got her buzzed enough. She stopped to snuffle curiously at a sprouting clump of ferns, but they offered nothing beside the fair scent of rain. She snorted and continued on, but her momentary disappointment was chased by small chuckle which rumbled through her chest at Enya's comment on her old god. The great brute couldn't deny the relief such a statement brought her.
On the topic of the moose, Ida's laughter petered, and a dark look soured her expression as she nodded her head slowly. When she'd first encountered the creature, she'd assumed naturally that it had just been hiding from them out of fear, like the prey it was pretending to be. But the way it had come after them, only striking once she herself had drawn close enough--Enya was probably right. They hadn't been hunting it, it had been hunting them.
"Might go up again aht some point. Get sit-iated somewhere south so ah gotta place tuh bring an antler 'er somethin' back," Ida mused. Hopefully, if anything had unearthed its icy grave, they had at least left something left. As they walked, she continued to scour through the trees and keep her nostrils flared, beady eyes glittering with interest at Enya's description of the creatures they were hunting. "Interestin'," she said, drawing her tongue across her muzzle, "been uh while since ah've tasted cat."
Then again, the only cats she'd sampled had been rather small, scraggly critters. Enya described these as beasts, and Ida curled her blunted claws into the soil with each step in eager anticipation. Masters of stealth, and the two wolves were making it their mission to ambush them. The great dame found another grin splitting her own muzzle at the sight of Enya's own, and another rumble of dark laughter bubbled up her throat. She lowered her head and shouldered her way through the underbrush, uncaring of the sticks and prickles that stuck to her shaggy pelt as the soil beneath her paws hardened to stone and gravel.
"Glad tuh help," she said, flaring her nostrils again as she followed Enya's sudden change in course. The scent of something faint and musty caught the breeze here--too heavy of a scent to be a barncat, but certainly feline. Excitement rippled beneath her thick hide, and she worked to step quieter over the stones. "N' how big yuh say these things are?" she asked, voice lowered as a fresh wind tussled through her mane and carried with it the strengthening scent. She narrowed her eyes and looked up and down the bluff as they crossed a break in the trees, looking for any sort of hole or cranny a cat could make its den in.
DICE ROLL: Perception
Success: Ida spots a crevice in the stone several yards above them. The trail looks precarious, but doable if they can keep their footing. She gestures at it and raises her brow at Enya to ask if that could be a den.
Failure: Ida sees a butterfly orbiting a few wilting cliff flowers, but nothing cat related.
Character Diceroll 1: Success Diceroll must be above 500 to be successful.
0 was added for Perception.
525 was added for Level 2.
0 was added for A. No Enchantment.
3 was deducted for C. Vagrant Penalty.
"There's a few of them. What kind of Monarch would I be if I didn't make sure of it?" It definitely wasn't because of her own selfish desires. "I've even dabbled in a bit of brewing myself. Ya ever tried cactus wine?" Enya whispered as the two of them followed the trail and continued their hunt. "Bites your tongue like it's got barbs, yet it's sweet at the same time and it gives you a great buzz."
The pair continued onwards in their hunt and Enya kept her eyes wide and ears alert. Her gaze swept around them in all directions, up the trees and down at the base of the rock cliffs. She felt it inside her. They were close to their prey. Even so, she continued in whispered conversation, "We have a tradition in Duskorna. Being the Goddess of Death, Tsillah is often represented by bones of those we've felled or of those who've helped us grow. It's not always bones. Sometimes it's objects that have significant meaning. We keep them, treasure them, and call them our hoards. I think an antler from the beast is well deserved in your hoard." She turned to look at Ida with a cheeky grin, trying to tempt her into joining her Kingdom once more. "That's why I'm out here. I'm on a mission to rebuild my bone armor so I can retire my other one to my hoard. It's taken quite a beating over the years and several pieces are cracked and broken beyond repair. I wanted a new skull to wear to protect my face. I think their skulls will fit perfectly." Plus, she could always use some of the additional pieces for other parts of her armor. "But, we gotta kill them first. We'll likely be outnumbered once we find their den. We'll have the advantage, sure, but outnumbered. It'll be quite a test." Her own tongue ran across her teeth as the adrenaline of the oncoming fight started to cause her heart beat to quicken.
Ida paused and after a moment, gestured, and Enya looked to where she had been scanning the cliffs. Her gaze narrowed and for a moment she couldn't locate what the large female saw. "About as big as you." she answered with a chuckled huff, "Ah, I see. That could be it." Her gaze traced along the trail. It looked narrow and precarious with a long fall for those who might slip. "I'll go first." She still wasn't sure if Ida could fly, but Enya knew she could if she needed to.
She was putting a lot of trust in Ida not to turn on her. She'd be exposing her backside to the massive female with no way to quickly out maneuver or defend herself on the way up. Her eyes looked upwards to the cave once more. She inhaled, held her breath for a moment, then let out a long exhale to steady her nerves. Her heart was pounding louder than ever in her ears. She was nearly shaking with excitement, the reason for her steadying breath she'd taken. Enya stepped forward, testing the terrain and her grip on the rockface. It felt solid so far and steady enough. She took another step forward, and another and another, using the terrain as much as she could to break her figure from the view of the cave above. She crept along as quietly as she could, rotating an ear backwards to see if Ida was following her. Enya had crossed most of the pathway when a gust blew up and across the cliffside. Enya braced herself against the cold gust of wind and tried not to lose her grip.
Dexterity Roll: Enya tries to hold her footing when the wind gusts across them
Success: She's able to hold her grip and continues to creep upwards
Failure: She's unable to hold her grip and slips down.
Stealth Roll: Enya tries to be quiet during her approach
Success: Their approach is undetected
Failure: Their approach is noticed. No movement from the felines yet.
Character Diceroll 1: Success Diceroll must be above 500 to be successful.
0 was added for Dexterity.
574 was added for Level 4.
0 was added for A. No Enchantment.
0 was added for A. No Buff / Penalty.
Character Diceroll 2: Fail Diceroll must be above 500 to be successful.
0 was added for Stealth.
471 was added for Level 2.
0 was added for A. No Enchantment.
0 was added for A. No Buff / Penalty.
"Cactus wine?" surprise trickled in her voice at the question, quirking a brow as she thought of the few spiky specimens she'd seen in her life. They always looked rather...inedible, to put it lightly. She rasped her tongue around her muzzle and tried to picture the taste Enya described, letting out a low, curious hum as she trotted after the smaller wolf. "Never tried it. Might have'ta now, eh?" she let out a low chortle, but took care to lower her voice as they drew closer to the cliffside.
The more Enya spoke of Tsillah, the more Ida found herself warming to the idea of her. A hoard certainly sounded nice--like a museum of her victories. She'd never been one for decorating, a combination of laziness and never staying long enough in one den to really make it her own. Perhaps she'd get the chance now, even if she didn't settle herself into Dusknora.
"Armor, huh?" she rumbled with interest. She rubbed her mandibles together with a low clicking noise; wearing armor wasn't a common practice back home--most of them already had shells, and tales of them came only from the same lands as castles and royalty. "Well, ah'd pay uh pretty penny 'tuh see it. Anticipatin' trouble?" Ida said, trying to imagine what such garb would look like adorned by the scaled monarch. Something like that would have to be for a large battle, right? Maybe even a war? She followed Enya's gaze up the cliffside to the crack in the stone and felt dark excitement ripple down her spine at the knowledge of just how large their current opponents would be. Practice, she supposed, for whatever came next.
Despite her anticipation, Ida was not a graceful creature, and she eyed the narrow trail snaking upwards with obvious distain. She gave Enya a small nod and a grunt of confirmation of her plan, curling her own claws into the gravel in anticipation as the smaller female took her first careful steps up the precarious edge. Ida waited several moments before following to put a safe distance between them, her own paws heavy against the gravel as she gritted her teeth and eased her weight along the sturdier stones as she too inched upwards. She felt her elytra shift and raise, exposing the beginnings of her folded hindwings as she worked to keep her balance; it wasn't like she could actually fly with them, but hell, it was probably better than nothing to have them ready.
It was then that the fair weather shifted and a sudden gust of wind barreled down upon the two wolves; Ida bit back a growl of annoyance as she flattened her ears and pressed her hide to the rock wall for support, beady eyes flicking up towards Enya to make sure the lithe female kept her balance as pebbles whisked and fur buffeted. It took far longer than she would have liked for the wind to die again, and she exhaled as quietly as possible with gruff relief before she continued her hesitant creep upwards. Lord, she did not want to fall from here.
DICE ROLL: Strength
SUCCESS: Ida brute forces through the wind, not sliding or falling backwards.
FAILURE: Ida stumbles backwards. It takes her longer to get up to the den entrance and she's open to attack.
DICE ROLL: Stealth
SUCCESS: Despite her size, Ida manages to stay quiet enough for the cats not to notice she's there.
FAILURE: Ida's trying to be quiet, but her big dumb paws are audible. The cats notice she's there as well.
