2019.10.09 The Last Stand
| The Last Stand | |
|---|---|
| Frostbite, Devil's Own and their allies make their final stand against the Storm Eater. | |
| IC Date | 1881 |
| IC Time | Afternoon (Waxing Gibbous) |
| Players | Royan, Zyler, Miguel, Aaryn, Sten, Theron, Micah Starnes, Aldric, Pancake, Branton, Jes, Isla |
| Location | Paradise, CA |
| Prp/Tp | Ravenscar |
| Spheres | Garou, Gaian, Fera |
| Theme Song | Courtesy Call by Thousand Foot Krutch |
When last we left our heroes, Frostbite and friends had escaped a horde of pursuing banes in a stagecoach until Miguel lost them in the fog with his uncanny stagecoach driving skills. They rolled into the ghost town of Paradise, CA under the threat of a giant umbra storm. The found a gully to hide the children and stagecoach in from the tornadoes. But just as they were about to join them in the gully they would see Micah and Tank engaged in combat with some kind of... creature. Micah has been thrown to the ground by the horse he rode in on and Tank is trying to stand between him and the creature. From somewhere else, you heard shouts and gunfire but couldn't see who is causing them.
Abandoning the stagecoach you rush into the town to face this new threat only to discover that the Devil's Own has also arrived in Paradise and converged on Micah and Tank as well.
Aaryn hands clutch Ryder carefully, but her attention is on her brother. She disentangles the girl's limbs from her and hands her off to Evie and, without a second thought, races straight into danger for the sake of her foster sibling. As she nears, she slides her hands along her hips, manifesting her axes which hiss as a breath of frost emanates off them.
Zyler makes sure to take a few moments, atop that stage coach, to thank the air spirits that helped them in the escape. As they would try to bunker down, Micah would show once again he can't stay out of trouble. A silent sigh and Zyler would take off in a run towards where Micah is fighting, that shotgun of his reloaded on the run while he heads that way to go help out!
Fiery Bellona stands next to Micah, having first checked him out and then is looking for whatever has him freaked out and is threatening. In Crinos, the red monster is ready for whatever could be her next target.
Miguel makes sure Frost is secured with one of the adults that belongs in this time and /bounds/ towards the new threat. Swelling up into his hybrid form and swings his hammer back and forth, getting limbered up to dispense a beating.
180. That is what Hrafn does. He changes gears very fast, this angry little bird. When they came into town, he was VERY keen on hiding from the storm. Oh, sure, he had been flying interference with Jase to try to get some of the Banes off of the stagecoach, but once they reached the town and the gully he was all about the hiding from the evil storm. But then there is Micah. -His- Micah! His raven marked wolf! And without hesitation he suddenly turns and gives a boost of speed, heading just above Aaryns head and keeping pace with her. He even lets out a loud KRAAAA! that, for a raven, manages to sound quite angry and rage-y!
Sword in hand, Theron focuses for a mere moment. The kinfolk calls upon Fenrir in silent prayer, asking for his favor, his rage. Then he sets out to face any and all threats to his family, the pack, the garou nation, the children. He moves at Aaryn's side, determination in his gaze.
Micah is pulled to his feet by the members of Devil's Own who surround him. He takes his bow from Iris as she shouts something at him to snap him out of his momentary panic. He shouts something to her and points over towards where Frostbite is coming and then pulls out his flask and empties it before tossing it aside. If he is about to die, he isn't doing it sober.
Branton has a sword in hand and is standing near Micah, having returned his bow. little sparks of lightning are dancing over his limbs as he flickers about with a blur of supernatural speed.
Iris, also in crinos, gave Micah a super loving slap to snap him out of it! Like a proper bro. She's slightly busy at the moment, redirecting a small cloud of death's head moths just as the storm is drawing in. Down to the gully, find short people, protect them if you can. She's not super sure where they are, but surely it cant be difficult to find a gaggle of kids in a hole!
All around you see massive figures, bone white and as large as crinos garou, but seemingly made up of the bone and sinew of multiple animals. The one coming for Micah has a buck head, but the chest cavity of what you're pretty sure is some kind of cow or bison. One of its arms actually has a hoof. Out from the storm, many like creatures seem to coming into the ghost town. Behind them, the funnel clouds are converging towards you and the sound of them drowns out all verbal communication.
In many a western, there is a moment of the last stand, where the heroes make one last valiant effort to go out with glory before the end. This may be that moment for the Devil's Own and Frostbite. The creatures are coming, and more are on the horizon, and there is no running from this storm. This is the Alamo, the shoot out at the O.K. Corral. All that is left is to see how long you can last and how you will go out - like a yellow bellied coward or in a blaze of glory.
Zyler was burning through that ammo he had with him. Having to switch from slug to bird shot, he still worked that shotgun surprisingly well. There was more than once where a wyld wind would sweep past, in the churning storm, to help that shot go from a miss to hit as he'd back up the others. He may not be a fighter like them? But that didn't stop him from doing whatever he could to keep things back and shoot down the crazy messed up swarm of.. whatever these things were.. back to where they came.
Branton seems like he's about to slow down for a moment but he takes a hit from his hip flask and dives in swinging. He hits really hard for a human but what gets the targets he chooses is his pertnatural precision and his impossible speed. His skin has gone rocky and grey looking as his amulets shield him from trauma with their elemental energies and he smashes at joints and leverage points with his enchanted dueling sword.
Fiery Bellona gives her war cry! >> WARRIORS! WE DRAW THE LINE HERE! GIVE 'EM HELL! FER GAIA!! << She draws her bow, and rains arrows upon anything that is moving against them. Fwap Fwap Fwap Fwap Fwap Fwap Fwap Fwap Fwap! She is in the /zone/! If she runs out of arrows, she will start beating them back with the very bow she carries!
Mirror-shadow is striding titan. He's actually larger than a crinos form garou but his hammer blows are a touch slower than those flying about with tooth and claw. He moves ponderously like a capital ship through a cloud of lighter craft and when he does swing? The bone giant he picked gets smashed to pieces and the thunder of his fetish ROARS back at the on coming storm.
With the storm raging about her and her closest ally overhead, Guides the Dead rushes forward, burning the rage in her gut to rend her inside-out into the great Fenrir Warform. She leaps into the air and spins her axe in her right hand as she comes down hard into the bone-beast. She puts her shoulder fully into the blow, sending a reverberation through the creature, and bone shards fly from it, frozen as they hit the ground.
Theron literally is a whirling viking warrior. A berserker in a trance of fury. The sword swings this way and then that. Each time striking true as blood mists through the air, bones crack, "Arghhhhh!" his war cry an all too human growl of fury that Fenrir and Nergial would be proud of.
Fear pushed aside by hard liquor, Micah feels a rush of adrenaline as his pack races to his side and joins battle beside Devil's Own. He once again calls on his Troll Skin to protect him from attacks. At first he shouts to Ryn and the others but quickly realizes that talking is useless. He switches to the pack link and begins to empty his quiver over their shoulders. >>Get them pinned together, I think we can use this storm to our advantage<<
Once his packmates or anyone pushes enough of the enemy together into a horde, he instructs them to pull back and lets fly the lightning arrows recovered from the rubble of Raven's Rock, letting's the storm itself destroy the monsters it frees.
Tank keeps to his side, biting at anything that gets too near and then rushing forward to finish off anything that falls to the ground so it can't get back up again. ~Killed you. Killed you dead! Killed you again.~
The raven has already given this period of time his all. He has drained his friend Bob dry of all stored Rage and he has used up all of his own. And still the Great Enemy has yet more to throw at them. And he will not give up. He will not give in. But he can not quite fight as well as he would like. With a loud, mighty KRAAAA! he dives into the fray. He does not go at random, though, but waits until he sees who and what might come after Aaryn or Micah. And with those foes identified, he begins to fly interferance. He does dives, smacks into the backs of heads and does random chicken-race charges against faces. All in order to distract the foes so that his Frostbite Allies can better demolish them. And suddenly, from out of nowhere, a black spider the size of a full grown mans balled up fist comes leaping from Aaryn as she takes warform. The black spider likewise charges against foes, leaping against their faces in oder to try to blind them. Anyone who can speak spirit will hear the little spider calling out, ~I don't like deserts! Take me hoooooome!~ It sounds absolutely terrified. But still it fights!
Iris, not being a badass Ahroun, tries to do her very best and whips out all the stops with this one. Ain't no one gettin them kids or killin her friends! Setting herself completely on fire and busting out her dove's wings, she takes to the sky with the Thunder Chicken, and does what she does best, which is dive boming. Thank Gaia for regeneration and resist pain, because slamming into things at like Mach 57 really, REALLY hurts, but at least she can bask in the knowledge that it's worse for them than her, what with all the fire and stuff. She actually does have a specialty for 'slamming into stuff super fast'!
The large steel grey dire wolf tears into the enemy, mercilessly breaking bones and ripping tendons with his massive jaws. Fangs rips into the monstrosities over and over again breaking them down one by one. The Fenrir showed no signs of stopping, of quitting. Of letting these things win. He howls deeply from his heart and soul calling out at the unnatural storm, perhaps a challenge to it... perhaps trying to see if he will see it answer to him again. But he does not wait for it, far to much work to do. So much death to deliver upon the foes of Gaia, his pack and his allies. The children must be protected.
The battle is joined, and our heroes - NO, let's call them what they are - BIG DAMN HEROES - rise to the call. Those guys at the Alamo? Barely an afterthought. The shoot out at the O.K. Corral? It was MEH at best. One day far in the future they will remember the Battle of Serenity Valley but today there is only the Battle of Paradise Lost. The day Devil's Own, Frostbite and their allies stood and looked into the face of the Storm Eater and did not blink.
Yet like all last stands, bullets run out. Quivers are emptied. Weapons get heavy. Wings and legs get tired. So it goes. The storm comes. The Storm Eater cannot have these people here in this time any longer - not when they might hold the knowledge of how to defeat it. The tornadoes turn on Paradise and on our heroes to take them away from this place. It is only a matter of time.
Things are getting really hairy! And we're not talking about all the Garou down there! Tornadoes. Ravens were not built to fly in and resists tornadoes and.. neither was Bob! Its -possible- that the Corax that is Swift Wing could have managed to hold out in the storm longer. But in a really panic-like manner, he dives down to scoop up his buddy from the top of a Banes head. Claws grip on to him as he calls out, "Hold on, Bob! HOLD ON!" before he goes, "OOOP...!" and is just sucked into a tornado and WOOOOOOO.... off he goes! A single black feather sticks around in the air for half a second before it just FOFFS away. The absolutely last thing one might see of him (unless you get sucked into the tornado with him) as he goes, is the bird suddenly turning into his Gull of Battle form. Cause tornadoes and fragile bird forms are not good mixes.
In the end, Zyler would finally shift into that Crinos form. Out of ammo, but hardly without a will to fight, he, like the others, are reduced to those claws and fury. The massive pitch black crinos form lays about him as long as he can, growls and snarls as he'd continue to rip at those beasts. In the end, he can't keep down on the ground, his claws digging in to the very ground itself still not enough for him to hold out until he's sucked up into the wind's funnel. Curling up on himself for the moment, to make sure he's not hurt too badly, that black monster would grit his teeth, riding out what's going to be one heck of a wyld ride!
Before Zyler finally loses his grip and is sucked into the funnel cloud there is a moment when he looks up and his ancestor is holding his arm and says, "GO! Remember what you have seen here. This is my battle to fight. Prepare for yours."
Stormhowler is to busy with biting the bad guy to worry to much about the Tornados. Its just wind right? Nope. The big wolf gets lifted off the ground and swept up yanking the arm off one of the baddies with him. <<Insert wolf equivilent of profanities>> Once of the ground he spits out the arm and braces for what ever this wind intends to put him through... least it is not mars winds right?
It's probably all the time Iris spends in space, but she does a badass impression of a meteor; fly up high, tuck wings, aim for the ground straight as an arrow until maximum speed is reached, then curl into a ball to protect her neck and BAM! Instant swimmingpool dug out of the ground! Sure, it's got dead animal parts all over it but no one told her the pool had to be CLEAN! She keeps dislocating (and sometimes breaking) bones here and there, but that's why they invented regeneration and double jointedness. Just pop that shit in, repair those ribs on the way back up, and repeat. I am a cannon. I AM A LEAF ON THE WIND!
Which turns out to NOT be a good thing when a tornado starts getting way, WAY too fuckin close to her. Nearly halfway into a dive bomb run, she finds herself rapidly moving off target, uncurling and flapping her burning wings hard to course correct... >>WHY AM I FLYING BACKWAAAAAAAAFUCK!<< One tornado gets super pretty for a second as it takes on spinning (possibly also puking) wreaths of flame as Iris goes into the proverbial drain, but the flames receed, and then she's just... IN it!
Branton climbed up one of the bone giants like a jungle gym, scratched and bleeding but not slowing down as he hacks at a joint where an extra arm is attached. However one of the more traditionally anchored arms throws him and while he's not on the ground one of the tornados comes down like the finger of an angry god and snatches him up.
"Son of a....!" Theron snarls out, the wannabe Ahroun kinfolk lifts his shield, fitted to his arm and tries to protect himself as best he can from the forces around him. Dainsleif, his cursed sword taken in hand and he stabs it into the earth to try and give him some anchor, all of it is for naught as he eventually is lifted into the air, "Fuckkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!" he yells out profanity. No amount of training with berserker shamans prepared him for this.
There is a moment, when Alphanumeric is clinging to the ground, that he looks to the side. To air. There's a single nod from the black-furred Crinos, before he'd let go, to get sucked up to oblivion.
When the storm takes Hrafn, Micah begins to scream, shifting into his crinos to fight his way through their attackers. He continue to roar his throat raw as the storm rips Stormhowler off his feet. Then Theron and Iris are gone and he feels his heart breaking as he loses his family one by one to this Wyrm forsaken storm. He fights against the winds to reach Guides the Dead, where Tank leans against them both to try and protect them one last time.
The storm begins to reach them and Tank begins to be dragged into the storm. Hunts the Shadow reaches down to grab his familiar into his crinos arms but when he does he starts to lose his footing. He feels his sister grab his arm and catch him, using the last of her stores of strength to hold onto him. Only, he knows it is hopeless. He looks his sister in the eyes and mouths, "I love you, sis" before the storm rips him from her hand and he curls his body around Tank as they are both sucked into the funnel cloud.
The intensity of the battle builds, Guides' muscles burn... And then just go numb, but she continues the fight, spinning her axes with both hands as she moves about in a circle, fighting back-to-back with her Brothers in Arms. This is what it means to be Get. And then she sees, from the corner of her eye... Branton getting pulled into the Maw of the Storm. And then her Beta. She stumbles, and her eyes go wide as she grips those axes in her fists. She lopes two steps and, as Hrafn disappears, she lets outa howl of rage and slides the axes back on to her hips. This.. This can't be happening. Her mentor, Iris, is gone as she watches helplessly and then Theron, who she reaches for but, too late. Determined not to lose anyone else, she spins around just in time to see Isla vanish and grabs for Zyler just as that black coat of his slips through her fingers. Panting in great chuffs, she lunges and grabs her brother's hand. And holds onto him - Tightly - Even as the winds lift him up... And away from her as she watches their fingers tug, pull and slowly separate... >>NO<< she growls, short, gone. And then she just closes her eyes and surrenders to Thor. This is what it means to be Get.
Mirror-shadow stands amidst a ring of bones, a heaping pile of the enemy dead taller than he is but flying bits show he's still there. Then there is another thunder clap as a tornado comes down and scatters the pile. The titan cat, gone.
Fiery Bellona has flown before... but this uncontrolled version is not fun. No. She watches for Jes and grabs him by the foot. >> FUUUUUUCCCCCCCCKKKKKKK!!!!!! << She still checks for the others, and makes sure that no one is left behind. >> KEEP YER WITS ABOUT YE!!! <<
I bet Hrafn had NO idea that Garou could briefly have and use the Corax Gift: Targeted Heave, but they CAN! Miguel discovers this directly when Iris throws up ALL over him. She will feel SO fucking bad about it later, but right now, yeah. Sorry cat, but you're wearing her lunch. AND OH MY GOD! THERE'S MIGUEL! Iris GRABS the pukey cat and clings like a god damned spider monkey to him! Bright side, this means she wears her lunch too. Not so bright side, she's sharing all the crap that slams into her WITH Miguel, while howling (and vomiting!) the entire way. For Garou speakers: >>OH GAIA I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE AND I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE BABIES THAT I **WANT** YET! AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!<<
The Gull of Battle that would be Swift Wing is aware that there are allies around him. But this storm? This storm is bad for his magnificent feathers and general visage (a good thing -he- was not the one puked on. Debate would be on who would be more vain in this; the Corax or the Bastet!). And he has a very terrified little spider in his one claw, trying his best to shield the creature from the worst of the storm. But this means he does have one claw free. And he does see Theron whom, unlike Sten, is more squishy. So, he tries to veer towards Theron, seeking to grab him with one claw to veer/fly/fall with Theron closer to Sten! So they can be a trio of falling warriors rather then three separate entities! Best death is a death shared after all!
Fiery Bellona shakes off anything that hit her, and fluffs herself out. The crinos warrior goddess checks over Branton, and then gets back to back with him. >> WATCH FOR ANY DANGER. WE MUST PROTECT THEM! << She is still worried about danger here, and knows Branton can handle his own. >> GOOP MISTRESS! SPRINKLES! FROSTBITE! CALL OUT YER ALIVE! << She hears Iris and howls! >> WE'LL GET TO YE SOON! DO YOU SEE ANY THREATS! <<
Stormhowler shifts into crinos form. Hispos don't have them fingers you need to hold things. He reaches out seeing the same as Hrafn saw, trying to get to Theron. Grab him and pull him in and ball up to cover as much of him as possible from debris and other bad things. He howls back <<STORMHOWLER, THERON, HRAFN ALIVE, NO THREAT SEEN, JUST WIND>> Then he curls again. Allowing the gift to resist pain to pulse through his form. He would be useless to Theron if he fell unconscious.
Iris does as commanded and sounds out her alivatude and threat situation: >>AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! (brief pause for a new breath) AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!<< Okay so that's less helpful, and she's NOT AFRAID! she's just just... really car sick. Okay fuck you this is terrifying, she'll make her contrition to Weasel as soon as she's not dead yet.
Theron does his best to use his shield and armor to protect himself and his friends from debris. When he is hit by objects he winces in pain, the bombardment hurts him, the pain is real but he is safe from real harm.
Guides is toppled feet over head for a few moments and it takes her a moment to right herself in the storm. She whips around and manages to howl out to Isla, >>Guides, Reporting<< Before a large piece of wood narrowly misses her. She's pretty sure she's upside down, but manages to spot Zyler within arm's reach of her. He seems to be taking a bit of a beating, tossed about Wyldly in this massive storm that's tearing up an entire town. And, in a true test of 'friendship', Aaryn reaches down and grabs him by the arm, knowing full well the hell she'll get for that, later. But, before he can even get his bearings, he's hit in the back of the head, giving him one hell of a case of vertigo.
Hunts the Shadow falls up(?) through the funnel cloud, his body wrapped as best he can around Tank, taking the brunt of the damage. He doesn't howl out, but sends through the pack link that he and Tank are alive, for now.
Zyler in that black crinos form, seems to be having the dubious luck of all the wyldly thrashing about debris managing to hit him.. all over. Curled up as he is? It doesn't really seem to matter, teeth clenched as he'd do his best to resist that pain. It's when Guides grabs his arm that he looks over confused for a moment. And of course that's right when that wyld shift of air has a brick slam into the back of his head! It'd knock him out, at least for a few moments and that form would shift back to the human in the black clothes as he'd groggily come to, to that utter chaos that's still going on.
As everyone falls through the storm, the debris of Paradise is ripped apart and tossed aside. Above them they occasionally get glimpses of the heart of the storm, the mouth of the Storm Eater. It becomes increasingly clear that to enter the heart of the storm is to not come out. Desperately they begin to look around for a way out of here and that is when Iris sees it (being the most like a spirit herself) thick strands of webbing strung around above them. Webs that seem to be trying to encase the Storm Easter itself. Could it be part of the original bindings? Some part of the Weaver that longs to hold onto this raging storm and conquer it? There is no time to ponder the implication, all anyone can surmise is that the webs are holding and could be grabbed onto and possibly provide a way to NOT be eaten.
Iris yells about these strands, she really does! Whether everyone can hear her or if the message has to get passed through various pack links, >>DO NOT let the storm eat you or you'll definitely die! Get the webs! Get the webs!!<< And so she does, still hanging on to Puke Cat with her legs and at least one arm, grabbin frantically at flailing webbing while her String becomes a large, colorful ! on her neck to display it's serious concern about this whole situation. Oh thank goodness, CAUGHT! Now then, will the webs hold? DUNNO, but she's pulling anyways! I would say she's pulling carefully but this is like three thousand pounds of meat getting flailed about so 'careful' isn't really a thing.
The first hand reaches out and Theron misses a strand, eyes wide and desperation, the kinfolk manages to grab hold of one of the strands. "Ryn!!!!!!" he yells out, its a cross between panic and desperation.
Zyler groans, something lost to the wind, as he'd come back to. Looking about, Zyler spots that webbing, even as Iris calls out for others to go for them. Eyes narrowed in contemplation, he would shift, stretching out and snags one of those strands, hand slipping as they fall upward into the second that Zyler latches onto! That grip that Guides had on him was then reciprocated, latching on to her to stop her upward fall and haul her to that strand he caught!
There is no more need to help people. Everyone that is within Swift Wings field of vision seems to be safe. Oh, sure, there is bloody pain and agony and about the scariest moment imaginable. But everyones alive! And there, up there, are strands of webbings! Now, the problem with being in the Rara Avis form is that you lack real arms. But he has claws like no other and reaching the strands he grabs on and just pulls himself in. Bob does not wait around. He just leaps on to the webbings and scrambles for safety. He's looking really ragged but, for now? For now he's starting to feel a bit more optimistic about his life continuing!
Fiery Bellona grabs onto the strands, making sure Branton has one, and Jes, and anyone else that needs it. She'll wrap it around her hand, now in a fist. Roaring her defiance at this storm. >> YOU WILL NOT GET US! WE ARE STRONGER!! <<
Everything's moving too fast for Guides and before she realizes what's happened, she is zipped up past everyone else and those strands. She scrambles, but misses. It's then that she feels the hand on her arm and looks down, puzzled. Well. I guess Friendship /is/ a bit of give and take, is it not?
Stormhowler looks to the webbing, unfolds from his protective hold on Theron and motions to the webs trying to guide them both to it. Managing to barely grab and hold onto it himself.
Hunts the Shadow reaches his arms around and twists his body to grab at the webbing strand and digging his claws into it under he comes to a stop near Hrafn. His arms are full of Tank so when Aaryn starts to fall past him he has a moment of panic, only to turn his head and see that Zyler has caught her. In that moment, all anger and rivalries are put aside and he looks at Zyler gratefully.
Mirror-shadow is snapped into his feline form as soon as he hits the umbra, almost like an allergic reaction. But for climbing around what he can at least relate to like tree branches and vines from his native swamp? He's feeling better. If in desperate need of a bath
Zyler nods to Guides once he gets her back up to that web. The look from Hunts is noted too and he just gives an upnod in response. They'll probably be fighting cats and dogs again after this. But in this moment? It's more important to have them all win, together.
Branton is clinging to whatever is available where he was set or wound up, trying to catch his breath.
Iris releases Miguel from her legs when Squirmy Puke Cat starts working his way along the web, and follows along in the same way. Puuuuuuuuling and trying to scoot against the wind!
Stormhowler pulls along the web towards more safer 'ground?' the great maw... so large, it seems all so hopeless so unimaginable.. but he does not let its horrors break him down. He goes on climbing.
As Stormhowler and Theron turn away from the maw of the storm and begin to crawl/climb away, Branton is left staring into the void, only getting his senses about him just as the thread... snaps. And branton... falls.
With Ryn safe, Hunts the Shadow sends Tank ahead and reaches back to help Guides and Alphanumeric along. He doesn't seem slowed by the climb, moving at an exceptional speed along the webbing. He calls back to them, >>There seems to be a thicker web up ahead. More stable.<<
Branton got distracted, by the immensity of the entity below, and was stalled by the mesimirizing scope of it for just a moment to long. His focus snaps back as the thread breaks and he falls towards the maw of a creature it took the ulimate sacrifice of thirteen legendary garou to subdue. His magic is strong but its not that strong. His sway over elementals is extensive but this is a bridge or twelve too far. He turns himself over as he sky dives to his doom so he can look up at the others and they can see on his face....not resignation but determination. He's speaking...and gesturing. And as the swirling mists above the Stormeater's maw obscure him there's a flash of white lightning. Pure and clean.
And he appears on a thread above Iris, panting.
Fiery Bellona has her grip and her beta trailing behind her. She sees Branton fall, even as she is trying to get them out of here. Her heart sinks but them remembers - he's fucking Iron Man. He /must/ have something he can do! She just believes in it, not knowing what that man could pull out of his sleeve next. Climbing, one hand and then the other, eyes darting after each grip to check who else is making it with them, or needs to help, she keeps getting further and further up those webs.
For her part, Iris has no idea that her Herculaen mate just popped off his webbing strand as though sucked up in a vacuum. I mean surely if anyone could hold on to something and be just fine, it's gonna be him, right? So she proceeds on target, clawing her way forward, a large part of her focused on desperately willing the web strand to NOT break! While she makes progress and the wind lessens, she's able to get her clawed toes into the action, gripping and pulling and suddenly having an existential crisis about every catterpiller she's ever carelessly blown off of a twig. Fortunately, she doesn't have to freak out about Branton being missing in a little bit, she might have missed the whole thing, but NOW she doesn't have to ACTUALLY sacrifice an entire small town to a Wyldling in payment for ripping open reality for her later! WOO! Saved LIVES, homie!
As you all climb to safety, the webs begin to come together into a nest. One by one you all reach the nest and start to come together. There you find a large, immense human-spider hybrid. This one has a human-like torso sprouting from the abdomen of a giant spider. The human half is female and clothed is red and black silks. Long white, whispy hair is pulled back into a bun that is coming apart. A black choker with a red crystal mounted on it is worn around her throat. Her spider legs are frantically weaving webs as fast as she can. Hundreds, no thousands of tiny spiders surround her, also spinning webs.
Zyler, making sure Guides is going up, does as well. He'd use the help to go further. Already worn down from the fighting they had done. As they get to the nest, he is panting, crouching low and watching the.. thing.. as it weaves. Well. This is.. different.
Fiery Bellona is sure she sees something she recognizes. She shares on the pack link ~I've seen that choker somewhere~ For now, she howls, >> OH GREAT SPIDER. THANK YOU FOR THE WEBS! CAN WE HELP? <<
Branton grins at the spider lady in hopeful recognition and calls out, incase she can't understand the howl "Thanks for the save Evie, anything we can do for you?"
The spider-woman doesn't seem to understand howl but she understands Branton's words, "Move to the center of the web and as far away from the storm as possible so we can stop weaving. We can't hold on to the past much longer."
Mirror-shadow scrambles forward as the spider-lady beckons, not wanting any more to do with the Storm than he has to.
Theron narrows his eyes, not in anger but in study of the Spider-Woman. He does as asked, moving as beat he can to the center. The kinfolk is borderline exhausted from the battle and then the storm itself, but he fights on, looking around now and then to make sure everyone is still with him, he presses on.
Hunts the Shadow expends the last of his energy to pull his packmates together, moving Aaryn and Theron together and grabbing on to Sten and Aldric like he can't believe they are real. He moves further into the spider next with the others, his eyes wild and looking like a near feral animal - which lets face it, in his crinos, he practically is.
Stormhowler looks to what Branton was saying then towards the spider woman. He moves towards the middle of the web.
Zyler glances over at Fiery, then Branton. Right. Of course they know creepy strange ass creatures that seemed to have purposely tried to save them? Or something? He keeps his balance low, making it to the center of that web along with the others, but he's definitely keeping to the back of the group, watching intently and waiting.
>>Are we dead?!<< Iris barks while clawing her way into the webby nest of rescuing and towards the center when directed! She goes directly for her definitely not devoured mate to hang on with one hand, and hang on to the webs with the other, and no one else is taking a claw to Spider Lady, so... fuck it, she's gonna go with it! Hooray for Allies!!
Branton moves towards the center, having gotten close enough to the storm for every lifetime ever. Sticking close to Iris otherwise as he explains "Its been longer for her than for us but that's Evie, one of the kids we helped."
As everyone gathers and is cleared out of the way, the Spider-Woman that Branton called Evie, shouts out in the spirit tongue, ~NOW! Release the web!~ And the little weaver spirit spider do just that, the nest breaks away and lurches in space for a moment, turning and twisting. The ground beneath you lurches beneath your feet but the storm just - fades away into the past.
Fiery Bellona is not going to waste time, and gets where she is needed, dragging Jes along with her.
A sudden silence envelopes everyone as the past fades away and you are left in some kind of void. Miguel might understand it as some form of Den Realm, a place outside of the Gaia realm and within the spirit world but in a space and perhaps a time, all its own.
Stormhowler looks to Evie "How does it turn out? They are safe yes? We managed to do what was meant to happen?" looking rather worried about it all. Looking around the void then back to the supposed Evie, it did fit.. so..
The Spider-Woman begins to shift and the spider part of her goes away and she becomes just a woman. An very old woman to be sure. Her face is ancient and lined with wrinkles. Her hair is as white as soft looking as a spider's web. She reaches out to Stormhowler's large crinos paw. "Yes. It is me. Perhaps we should all take a form that we can understand each other." She smiles to everyone and while he body may be old, her eyes look the same as they did when she was just a curious teenager, following these strange travelers from another time around a victorian home in the middle of the woods. "As for how it turned out. That is a long story. Where would you like me to begin?"
Miguel gets himself to his human form and settles down, gesturing off into the distance where they came from "Perhaps where we left off?"
>>Oh! No kidding!<< Iris barks while hanging on for dear life! The spinning out into Time... Hic.. hurk..! Nope, nope, nothing left to throw up (sorry Miguel). When Stormhowler asks the important questions though, she perks up with interest and worry all over her big ridiculous wolf face. And if the old kid thinks it's safe to not have claws and teeth now, then okay. Shifting down to homid and putting her ragged wings away again, she looks around at all her TOTALLY ALIVE! friends with a silent wheeeeeeeeew! face and a smile.
Guides shudders a moment as she shifts down into her woman's form, leaning into Theron as she does so. She still feels half-numb, looking around to ensure herself that yes, in fact, everyone is still alive. In a silent gliding motion, Royan comes to perch on her shoulder, pressing his beak into her forehead as he'd done so many times.
As the silence envelopes them, Zyler would fall to his butt, sitting with a deaden thump as he pants softly, trying to regain his wits. Glancing to the others, he nods a little, then watches Evie, studying her quietly for a long moment. He doesn't talk. But that look is more in depth than a typical glance from another, of course.
The old woman, Eve now, because Evie is a girl's name, folds her hands in front of her, "Once the storm took you it simply... dispersed. As if all it ever wanted was to remove you from out time. We all survived that day, those of us that were left. We looked for you, and at first we thought that you had all given your lives to save us. We mourned you, especially the little ones who didn't understand. We never found your bodies though, so that gave us hope.
Eve continues, "With nowhere else to go, we made our way back to Raven's Rock to see if it could be salvaged. We saw the grave you made for River." At this she would pause and reach a finger up to wipe at the corner of her eye. "Such kindness from strangers, and from Garou. Most of us were afraid of Garou before you came and showed us that not all Garou wanted to kill us just because we weren't wolves." She would turn to Miguel, "Frost remembered you all the days of her life. When she eventually had children, she named one for her lost twin and one for you. From what I understand, your name still survives in her family line to this day. It is a name of respect and honor."
Zyler would slowly shift to a kneeling position, staring hard at Eve, black gaze intense. He tilts his head to the side slightly, then glances around at the others, before looking back to Eve.
Miguel sits up straight and looks like he'd be preening if he was still in feline form.
Eve holds her hands out to her sides, "Raven's Rock was gone of course. Jase had always known we couldn't stay there. After all, The Society of the Weeping Moon was still out there, kidnapping garou and fera children. Once word got back that we were alive, they would be searching for us - for him at least. So we separated. Frost, Galen and Lillie were taken to the nearby Sept and Jase argued that it was their destiny to take them in. He told your story, as much as he dared, and told them of a future where the Sept would one day heal the wounds created by the Second War of Rage. Galen had his first change not long after that, from what I understand, and worked his entire life trying to make that dream come true."
Isla listens and leans into Jes. It is good to know what happened. It will be good to know how they get home too. For now, respect for the one that saved them.
Iris is a wuss, and absolutely gets very teary eyed at the mention of poor River, but there's still some gladness there, knowing her twin was alright in the end. She never had a chance to actually feel any of these things, herself, it was a non stop go go go to the next step and the next crisis, so she takes this as an oportunity to have a very quiet mourning cry for the poor kid, the poor Fury as well while taking in the tale of time.
Aaryn finally crouches, lifting a hand to wipe dust from her face as Eve speaks. It was dusty in that tornado, after all. She spares a quick and silent look back to Miguel before she glances back up at the old woman again. Her jaw begins to work.
"My people came for me not long after and for awhile, I was separated from Jase and Olivia and Ryder," Eve says, "But I kept up with them as best I could. Jase dedicated himself to fighting the Society of the Weeping Moon. I wish that had ended better for him. As I got older and could venture out into the world on my own, he and I would work together, trying to piece together HOW you all came to be at Raven's Rock when you did. Eventually we came to the conclusion that you wouldn't, unless we ensure that you did. So I dedicated my life to understanding the webs of time and how to navigate them. Together, we recovered the clock and created one of the most powerful fetishes ever to exist. A one way portal through time to 1881. A door with a very specific lock that could only be opened at the right time at the right place and by the right people."
Branton stays snugged up to Iris, comforting and being comforted in turn, as he listens to the story.
Sten looks to Evie "Thank you. It is good to know the circle is closed and that all turned out as it was intended. It is good to know you all lived your lives fully and honored River in it." bowing his head to her. "A strange story to tell.. but one I will remember for as long as I will live, and pass on to anyone who will hear." he looks around "So we are back now? In our time?"
Eve smiles to Sten, "Not quite. But you are close. Do you recall that realm that you passed through on your way back to 1881? This place is within that realm. I have woven this web and anchored it to your timeline." She begins to walk as she talks, "This way. This will take you back home, or as close to home as I can get you. I will show you the way, but you will have to make the final journey yourself."
Isla grins, oh this is good news! "Aye. We made it this far, we can do this." Gathering her pack and she is ready to follow her way on home.
Zyler snorts, then shakes his head slowly. He'd bow it a moment, then stands to his feet. Dusting off his duster, Zyler looks around, then to the others, ready to follow after them in silence.
Miguel nods and considers "Makes sense. For you it is not then yet." as he gathers himself to go.
Eve leads everyone to the edge of the web to a long thick strand much like they walked when they came into this realm. "There is no clock anymore to act as a door in and out of the realm. So you each, or one of you for everyone, will have to guide yourselves back to your time. Touch the web and think of the time and place you wish to return to. You must hold that place and time in your head as clearly as you possibly can and then sidestep, just as you would through the gauntlet. You will appear in that place and time, or as close to it as you can manage - at least that is the theory. In practice, many things could go wrong. You could get lost in time, or stuck in a time loop, or any number of dangers. Those that have traveled the many realms of the spirit world, I'm sure, can imagine how many things could go wrong."
Iris picks her ass up, goes to lift her shirt to mop her face with, and notices she don't got no clothes on! Cause the last thing she was wearing was an undedicated dress before she went lupus to get to Paradise. Well in that case, she lifts Branton's arm so she can use his sleeve instead, letting people go ahead of her till she's got non blurry vision back and her glasses back in place. And then? Onwards. Without shoving Jes off.
Isla is certainly naked as the day she was born, just taller and redder. She grabs a hold of Jes and says, "Just like the Rite of Passage - I got ye!" It's time to go!
Branton nods at Eve's story and considering "Turning it into a closed loop prophecy. Its the tidiest way to tie things off." Then he considers "Do we want to agree on a point to jump to? Like Ravenscar, right after Devil's Own jumped into the clock?"
"And the best way to not get eaten by Paradox spirits." Iris agrees, and then nods to Branton, "That's where I was thinking, yeah." While everyone gets their destination settled and in mind, she attempts to give Eve a hug, an gentle and nekkid hug. "Thank you so much for rescuing us so we could rescue you so you could rescue us!" she says sincerely while letting loose with a burst of spiritual energy channeled straight into the Crone's own reserves of health, spirit, and will.
Much like String, Iris seems to get side tracked while returning to the proper point in time and space. "...AH!" she blurts to announce her presence. Not in the lodge, not immediately after her past self jumped into the clock. Outside, tangled up in a tree's branches. Fortunately, she don't GOT no pants for it to steal!
Zyler stares at Eve for a moment. Finally, he'd look forward, staring at the thread of destiny and with a few running steps, leaps off to pass into that moment in time. There's a flash for him and... He's watching the last of them get sucked into the Clock. He keeps back, out of the way to make sure he doesn't disrupt time. Glancing to the side, he'd stare at a spot next to him for a long few moments, before nodding silently and moving on, to make sure to stay out of the way so that the future past can pass into the future? Or.. something like that.
