2019.08.17: Hive Mage Magic

Hive Mage Magic
A group of garou and kinfolk enter what turns out to be a empty Wyrm hive with a surprise in the center!
IC Time	Sat Aug 17 15:18:50 2019, PDT.
Players	Hjalmar, Erin, Alessio, Dominic, Lleutrim, Hazel Ayari, Kaati, and Ratsputin as ST.
Location	In the desert preumbra.
Spheres	Gaian Garou Kinain

When Erin puts on the Oakenshield to each person she will air draw on them and do a little dance around them as she makes up silly little rhymes, each person is different in the rhyme and dance but one thing is each get slightly hit with a branch of and oak tree, mind you it isn't hard but you still get a little hit and then for those that feel magic you will feel it for those that can't well she just did some little dance for you. What a silly red head.

A Silver Fang Theurge, probably along to fight and mostly keep people from bleeding out too much. He is in the pack for the moment, arm's crossed and mostly gliding his gaze along the planning information. Important stuff to remember. Dominic nods along with the bit of briefing here and there.

After they cross over, Kaati has gone before; she comes to meet them, a strange dark gleam to her skin, her eyes almost those of a raptor: gold rather than dark.

Hjalmar looks around. "We will travel through the Umbral realm to get there." He then would go over the map once more if needed for any newcomers once more and then nods to indicate to make ready for departure. "Let us go now."

The desert is vast, out before them hills valleys of sand but the map tells them what is really going on out there under the sands is a huge caves and there are tunnels. There is something odd about it all there is paths connecting in the sand dunes but lucky for them due to the work of young mage girl Kaati, they know how to get into them quickly. Now they are about a mile away from the hive the preped, ready to go all they need to do now is attack with the right path and four ways down that they know of one to the east, one to the west, one to the north, and one to the south. Each one on the map seeming to be the same.

Once she meets up with them again, the hawk-eyed Dreamspeaker asks Hjalmar, "No demolitions guy to work on collapsing some tunnels for us, huh?

ShieldBrother looks at Kaati and shakes his head. "Not unless Doubletap knows his way around those, no." He looks at the Ahroun. "If you know how to work explosives. And have some on you. We could proceed to cut off three of the entrances. Leaving only one open for us if needed." Then to the others. "When we go. We will try and get as close as possible without raising their alarms. Hopefully we will be able to get in without doing so as well. For surprise would be an advantage to us.. Do not forget what I explained about the tunnels. And it would prevent you from getting easily lost." He looks around the group once more. "Any questions or thoughts?"

Alessio takes a deep breath once the desert is reached. He looks around, "Sand." he says, shaking his head slowly, "I forgot how much I fucking hate sand." he sneers, "Even worse, it's full of rocks." he eyes Hjalmar, "Well.." he reaches down to grab both of his guns, lifting them up, "All thats left now is to steel up and I'm ready to go." he eyes the Dreamspeaker guy, "I have no clue how to use demolitions. Sorry."

Dominic travels with the group, staying upon two feet as they move through whatever to get here. He'll sidle up beside Hazel though, with a knowing glance towards her. Yup. Two Cliaths, along for the crazy ride right over here!

There's something rather nice about a solid desert. Nice and simple. Hazel hangs to the edge of the group with her eyebrows pulled away in a frown of concentration. She's there, but not choosing to join into much of the conversations just yet. Dominic's gaze is caught and there is a slight shrug. Whatever that means.

Erin arrived on the back of Kringer (a rather large black panther) as she looks around wrinkling her nose a little about the desert and it's heat. She nods as the plan is being laid out. She takes a little breath and gives Kringer a little pet as he stretches out a little bit.

Lleu Donnachaidh has shown up as a man in his usual clothes. He has come along into the umbra at ShieldBrother's request. Greetings and introductions will have been passed around so that he knows who everyone in the group is and they at least know his name. He lies flat as he listens to Hjalmar, "Any scouting of the desert pathes been done yet? Easy to hide traps, use spirits for alarms. I don't know shit about mage magic."

Kaati has a quiet conversation with Hjalmar somewhere along the way; she gives a little nod. "I talked to a bear, she might be joining us. I *hope* so anyway. I gave her some of myself, for chiminage."

SB nods at Kaati before looking up at Alessio again, nodding to his statement. Then back to Kaati. "Can you see anything with that scope of yours?" He looks up at Lleu and then back at Kaati to answer that. "Except for what she saw. No, not yet."

Alessio remains in his human form for now (Well, to be fair, it is his Glabro form, but for him there really is no distinction in looks). He gives look around the area, "I might even have to turn on my sight for this one." he mutter, "I've a feeling it might be very dark down there. Unless they have some kind of lighting."

Glancing to Hjalmar, Kaati gives a nod--though she waits until they're fairly close to actually take a look at the nearest tunnel entrance, and tells Hjalmar, 'Just say when. And I'll tell you if and when I have the first target."

In the meantime, a phenomenally large bear comes ambling along to join them, somehow catching up. They *do* move surprisingly fast. She stops not too far away--rather close, really, and makes a rumbling sound. Bear is here to fight, alongside the defenders of Mother Earth. The Speaker-Who-Flies-With-Hawk called her, and she has come to aid Gaia's warriors.

Erin bites her lip as she hmms "I can make something or someone glow if you want light but I think that will take away our surprise" she offers

"I suppose it would depend on how well we all intend to see in the dark and are open to surprises." Hazel comments, not quite to anyone, but putting it out there.

The Galliard with the scarred up face, who may well be the oldest looking among them at middle age, watches and listens to the others. He lies flat out on his belly as he studies the desert preumbra spread out before them. "I can use View the Battlefield. It allows me to see through structures and into the hollow earth ahead." Lleutrim glances at Shieldbrother to see what he thinks, "I can use it again once we are deep in the tunnels if needbe." He keeps his baritone very low, hardly more than a whisper.

Kaati raises both eyebrows at Lleutrim, impressed. She doesn't need words, really.

Alessio had pulled his guns out and seemed ready to go, but with the arrival of the great big Bear and people still talking, he slowly holsters the guns again. He makes sure the hardware store bought sledgehammer (still with pricetag) is still on his shoulder in its rope. He then crosses his arms over his chest, waiting.

SB nods at Lleu. "Do it. Any and all intel is good to have. I will not let us make a suicide attack. We would not honour Gaia by dying without achieving our goal here, today." He looks aside to the bear that has joined them, giving it a nod of respect. And another nod is given to Kaati. "Well done indeed." A look is given to Alessio. "We will be underground. So might come in useful, yes. Though I am think that some source of light will be present. For the Wyrmish Kin. They are not as gifted as we are." A last look at Lleu. "After this. We shall proceed and take down the guard at the entrance. Though as quiet as possible. Open battle will come soon enough."

A nod is given to Shieldbrother. "It's a pretty big area. I can try to see it all or just focus on specific pathes you want to try. The latter would make it easier." While Hjalmar decides, Lleu shifts from his human form to that of a wolf. A fairly large wolf showing many scars through his thick pelt.

Erin looks over to the bear and smiles as she stays pretty quiet as she tries to listen to what the plan is. She doesn't have too much expirance and is here to help where she can.

Kaati may look like a hippie white girl on the other side of reality--but at the moment, with her burnished-wood skin, she looks nearly pure-blooded First Tribes. Especially with the look on her face, set and determined and revealing little else. "Hjalmar-rhya," she says quietly. "Will you let me try to take one out for you, before you close with them?"

Dominic is rather unadorned in comparision to the rest of the Garou here. Just jeans and a t-shirt, converse and a spoon tucked into his pocket. Yes. A shiny metal spoon is in his pocket all secure like. His attention is on the group, waiting to see what comes next.

Alessio, perhaps sensing that things are about to happen with Lleutrim shifting forms, takes a deep breath and just concentrates. He emits a low growl to which he slowly begins to shift into the Warform of the Garou. For a few moments, it almost looks as if he might howl out in triumph, but the hulking warform remains quiet. Even in this form, his Desert Eagles are strapped to his thighs in their holsters and that Hardware Store bought Sledgehammer is hanging around his back in a rope.

Also, the Desert Eagles are modified. The trigger guards are missing. Perhaps for fat crinos fingers!

Hazel continues to stand mutely, one toe tapping slowly on the ground behind her. Eyes flick from person to person as she keeps track of everything, but doesn't particularly insert herself till she is more comfortable.

Erin is really quiet trying to think if there is something she can help with but nope nothing comes to mind.

The Fianna wolf lies still upon the earth, focusing his attention upon using the gift. Lleutrim turned Battle Singer stares off for a span of many seconds as though seeing through someone else's eyes. His own gaze sifts restlessly. As he lies there in the preumbra his many renown glyphs glow faintly silvery all over his wolf's body. Finally he conveys in lupus (to be translated as necessary ICly), >> It is a /huge/ sprawling complex under the desert. There is nothing above. Many people are moving towards the center below. Gathering for some purpose. From here it is too far for me to see details. I see nothing living nor any obvious traps above ground. We should proceed. <<

SB nods then. "Then we shall proceed. Eyes open."

The she-bear stays with them, a silent hulking presence.

Kaati, in turn, stays near the bear for now.

Alessio, now Doubletap, lets out a low emitting growl. He lifts his snout up and sniffs in the air a bit before he hunkers down to get ready to move out.

Battle Singer gets up and adds low, >> Entrance 1 and 3 are close to meeting place. 2 is little ways away, and 4 is the furthest from the center. << The cardinal directions are told to indicate which is which.

Proceed. Hazel can do that. She stays behind some of the stronger members of the group but is poised and ready for the person to go, 'bite!' or whatever they're going to say.

The sand is moving if one watches it there is a sink hole leading into it, they had seen it work before but with the map and the gift view the battle field. They know where it is as they are moving towards the sand, it is waiting to suck them into the under belly of the desert, into the caverns and the place where they know the hive is, it is warm down here with the quiet of the grave. There is a long stone smooth wall leading around in a circle, but as they know it all leads in large circles around and around down here. Given the prep work finding the meeting room, will be no chllange at all.

During the walk to the entrance, Doubletap tenses up more and more. He's ready to fight, that much is for certain. From one step to another, his fur suddenly turns into .. chrome. There is a distinct metallic look to him as one of his many gifts activates, making sure to keep him even more ready for battle.

Kaati is close not far from the front, for all her talk about staying behind.

SB leads the group inside, making sure that everyone's there. His axe is at the ready, and upon entering.. The silence.. The warmth.. It feels weird. He gestures as to quietly proceed.

Dominic shifts down onto all forms, a large silvery dire-wolf intent on keeping up with the group as they make their way towards the entrance to the hive.

As the group gets it's directions and Shieldbrother has chosen which entrance they will approach, Battle Singer cautiously starts to range ahead of them to sniff out the trail cautiously - lest there be surprises that were hidden to him. He moves silently and as stealthfully as he may as a wolf as they begin the final approach to the chosen entrance. The Fianna moves lightly, not caring at all for the sinkhole. He pauses to wait for the others, studying them. As before he lets Alesso and Shieldbrother take the lead and then Battle Singer will cautiously, silently follow, taking a position further back. Quiet as a shadow.

SB feels and sees something is amiss. "Around us. We are spotted." The big bad wolf snarls. "Something's mocing in the walls."

"Donnachaidh," Kaati says very softly. "This ritual. Is it on this side, or the other side of the Gauntlet?"

The lupus near the back with Hazel eyes things as they walk quietly. Battle Singer hears ShieldBrother's warning up ahead, >> Aye, something moving beneath the floor... << He can hear Kaati's question and still walking, looks around, >> Nothing on the physical side near by so I can't tell yet. Banes fleeing ahead of us - going towards the music. Can you hear it? << It is a soft wuffling in lupus so those closer to Kaati may need to translate for her.

Doubletap stops just a short moment, long enough to reach down with his left and grab the Desert Eagle holstered there. He pulls it up from its holster, to which he taps it once to his knee to flick on the lasersight attached along with thumbing off the safety, <<Right.>> he growls low, not sounding surprised they would know, <<This should be interesting.>> For now, he leaves his other D.Eagle in the holster and his sledgehammer remains around his shoulders. In his large paw like hand, that D.Eagle looks like a smaller pistol, and not the big ass gun it really is.

Hazel hears the warning, and moves closer to Kaati to be a meatshield.

Lights the Hearth, the silvery wolf settles in beside Kaati during their walk and stealthing. The warning makes his ears twitch backwards and flatten over his skull for a few moments. Neat.

Alerted by Hjalmar, the she-bear begins digging in the wall as if to claw the enemy out of there.

"Hjalmar-rhya," Kaati whispers. "I'm gonna try to see what they're up to, okay?" She crouches by one side of the corridor, opening up the messenger bag and... doing things with herbs and stones and almost silent chanting. There's a swift look over to Hazel, and she asks, "Will you watch my back?"

SB nods to Kaati. "Aye. But do be quick about it." He makes sure to use the normal tongue for now. Knowing that KAati does not posses the language of the Garou yet. Unless.. She learned things! He would use the Garou tongue when needed, and to communicate with Alessio though.

Doubletap glances to ShieldBrother, letting out another low growl, <<Well, I guess we best keep moving. No point in standing still and let them marshal their forces.>> he then starts to move again. He moves more carefully now, though, and ready to stop if the Warpartys leader commands them to fight here.

While Kaati is doing her thing in the middle of the tunnel, Battle Singer stays watchful in the back. There is nothing else for him to do at the moment except to shift up to the larger dire wolf form. He waits until they get moving again.

Hazel nods to Kaati when she asks if Hazel has her back. She can do that thing. She does open her mouth once and being with, "So what does...." before realizing this is not a question time and shuts it firmly again. Nope. Questions later.

Lights will slink along with Kaati a bit, then settles down to rest near her. Just waiting out the looking arounds.

Whatever Kaati's doing it looks complicated, and involves painting some sort of herbal concoction in a mask around her eyes. She whispers softly, almost inaudibly.

SB looks at the Ahroun and nods. <<Aye. We move. When she is finished.>> His guttural tongue, low as to not carry too far. <<We will not split up.>> He looks backl at Kaati as to urge her to be as fast as possible.. This place feels bad. "If it is not working. We need to continue."

Doubletap moves ahead just a few paces, to then stop. There is perhaps a plan there, so that they are not all bunched up together in case fighting starts. He does not look behind him, but instead takes to one knee and readies his left arm with the D.Eagle gun held, looking down the current corridor they are in. He's more then ready. For now, though, he wits for ShieldBrother to move the group out.

From the very back, Battle Singer growls low, >> The banes I had spotted were ignoring us. They didn't seem alarmed or aware of our being here yet. I hope Kaati won't be long. <<

Hazel hangs back, waiting by Kaati's side for whatever the kin decides to do next.

Dominic is just sticking withKaati as well. Two wolves, one Kinfolk.

Kaati shakes her head, rising. "I couldn't pull any energy off it. They're pulling everything IN, changing it. Sorry." She gives Hazel and Dom a nod and adds, "Thanks."

SB nods at Kaati's words. "Then we proceed." He turns back to Jake and nods as well. <<We move on. All the energy is going inwards. So will we too.>>

Seeing no Jake here, Doubletap does hear the order from ShieldBrother. He also heard Battle Singer and thus his hand holding the gun lowers just a bit. He then pushes up to stand again before he starts to move forward; taking it very careful. He does not want to end up stepping in the wrong spot.

Dominic-Wolf is up and walking with Kaati and the group, heading in with the others.

Inside of the chamber is well to be honest what the bloodly hell is that flesh moment, like a new flesh horror movie by Cronenberg there is flesh melding into one in the center of the room, it is pulsing back and forth with an odd movement. As each of the banes or people walking into it to meld into one, this seems to be a ritual, but what type for what reason is unkown. In front of it all is a book that seems to be glowing it is bright, as if it is casting the spell over and over again with each new person walks up. The blob of flesh and the people hmming soflty in some long dead tongue, as this seems to be the ritual.

SB looks disgusted at what he sees... "Destroy the book." He says whilst taking in the scene in front of him. "It seems to be feeding it."

One might think that a Glass Walker packing large guns would move in a militaristic manner. As it turns out, he does not. He moves carefully, yes, but there is no gun held at the ready or any of that. He glances around the chamber, eyes going to the book and the blob of flesh. Then back to the book, <<You think it will be as easy as that?>> he wonders, no sarcasm or anything, <<Anyone got a lighter?>> He does move from the entrance to the chamber to the right, to let more people in.

Erin shutters at the horror of the place and spooky stuff. She sticks close to Krieger before she hmms "I think if we do something to that book now it might speed the bad shit up... I think" she stays close to the group

Just behind them, Kaati focuses on the book. Oddly enough, she raises her rifle to take aim. At the growing monster. "Hjalmar-rhya, ninzhawenijigewin... just say when." Her voice stays soft, audible only to sensitive ears. "If the rifle doesn't help, I'll do it the other way, yeah? But if it's made of people... maybe I can hurt it."

The she-bear waits. Bears know how.

"Ohh....I do'nt know if that is really going to help. Burning the book." Dominic settles in close with Kaati, ears twitching rapidly.

Hazel lifts a finger up and just edges slightly towards the book. "I think they're right. Destroying the book would be a phenomenally bad idea - probably, so if we could come up with something else, that would be amazing. I would love to live to write more stories." The last added as a personal preferences.

SB growls lowly at this. "Alright." He looks around. "We need to destroy this thing, and those Nephandi. Where are they.." He nods at Kaati as she aims at the thing. "Might work. But do not shoot the book then."

Erin shakes her head, "no don't destroy it! That would be bad... I can put it in Ice " she scratches the back of her head wondering if that will help

Doubletap lets out a deep growl, moving to gain a more favourable position. He readies himself with his gun, prepared for anything that might come up against him or any of the allies he is with. He says little else right now.

Once they have come into the chamber, Battle Singer spreads out so they aren't all clumped up in the entrance. He keeps a close eye on the pulsating blob of flesh thing and lets the others sort out what's best to do about the book. The Athro Galliard studies the thing and takes a glance through the Gauntlet into the physical realm, >> Looks the same on the meatside. I don't see any mages. <<

Doubletap remains still, tense and growling. He does look to ShieldBrother however and growls out, <<The meatsack. Do we try to rip into it?>> he wonders.

SB nods at Doubletap's quesition. <<Aye.>> And with that. He preapares to attack his axe held at the ready.

The huge Fianna Dire-wolf with the many battle scars and the blood tinted pelt begins to snarl. Battle Singer /stares/ at the thing, scenting the air as the sound rumbles up from deep in his huge chest. >> It is a thing melded. Wyrm... manflesh, fomori, bane spirits... all at once... << As if it were difficult for the Galliard to comprehend how that's even possible. His snarl rips forth more loudly, muscles bunching up beneath his pelt, about to lunge at it to launch an attack!

SB being disgusted as he is. Still attacks and with a fierce sweep of his axe. He cuts into the flesh thing. <<Destroy it. And possibly stop the Banes from joining into it!>> A nasty snarl shows on SB's face as he prepares for another attack.

As the axe is enters the body of the flesh, a loud cry of pain is filling the room as it screams into each of their souls, it is like nails. But then it stops just as quickly, black ickor blood gushing out of the wound, as it is quiet again.

Kaati takes her first shot. But for some reason... It goes wide! That will not happen again.

The bear is better then the owner, as it rushes forward with a swiping it's claws over it back and forth as it howls out in rage and pleasure it fighting, it is going to enjoy this.

Back by the wolf Hazel doesn't go into engage right away. Instead she lifts up her voice to howl out something to hopefully help the others.

Dominic shifts up from all fours to roar his own attunment to Hazel's battlecry. Then he steps forward to rake his claws rather impotently across the blob of flesh's outer flehs.

The flesh is reaching out now for those that strike it, to yank them inside but it is not yet use to this form. The tentecles flying out in the wrong way, it is not yet ready it seems, but then the book is starting to float, into the air.

SB's second attack goes wide as the meatbag starts to lash out in its defence. Making it shift this way and that.

The tentacles are starting to come forth out of the fleshy blob and reaching for them... in an ungangly uncoordinated way. Battle Singer hears his fellow Galliard, Hazel, lift up her voice and howl forth a great rallying cry that shakes the chamber, reverberating through the near tunnels. He can feel her gift in his blood and adding to his strength in his attack as the huge Dire Wolf lunges in and attacks the hive thing! Instead of biting it, the Fianna hispo tears into it with his claws, trying to sense if it's ooze is toxic or no.

Seeing those tentacles, that pauses Battle Singer for a second. The Galliard stays back and instead of attacking, magical essence is utilized to activate a gift. His left silvery eye begins to glow a bloody red in the chamber like a fiery ruby. Snarling once more, his hackles up, the Fianna calls forth the power of one of his tribe's Legendary enemies - Balor! Aye, Battle Singer's trip into the Legendary Realm and the name of his pack is not for nothing! His fiery gaze falls upon the fleshy blob in a frightful, searingly painful light upon the Wyrm hive!

ShieldBrother attacks once more, stepping aside for one of the blob's tentacle's. His axe cuts a deep diagonal gauge into the thing's flesh.

He should have taken a shot at it. Doubletap never was very good with his claws on the Warform. Its a stupid form, really. Moving up like that, he knows he is in a great position to use his gun, but something about being in the Umbra makes him pause. Does the gun work? In that hesitation, he strikes with is claw. But the angle of attack is wrong, and his claws never get purchase to the flesh to dig in. Instead, the strike slides off.

Hazel holds back until she can shift her form into hispo where she can actually do damage. Leaping forward she goes for the tentacle that is reaching out for her and manages to get her teeth in deep. Ripping leaves a solid mark that leaves her more than surprised that she actually did it. Wolves totally blink. It's a thing.

As the claws of the Claith, rip into the blob with a loud sick sound of a squeeling it is filling the heads of those out there in the umbra, but it is slumping down as it dies. The book is falling to the ground as it hits the center of it, everything is quiet it seems this fight is over, now as it is shaking and then it is no more, this fight seems to have ended, by the new arrival to the sept's skill.

Its amazing how one single Garou can be so far out of his element and become totally useless. Seeing the Cliath (!) rip into the creature and ending its existence, the Glass Walker steps back, <<Well, I'll be fucking damned.>> he growls, <<Thats what I get for leaving my City.>> he grunts, looking at his claws as he holsters his gun, turning off the lasersight as he does, <<Well..>> he pauses, <<My claws my be unbloodied, but that was a fucking nice show.>>

And suddenly it's all over? Hazel got in there and rips one of it's tentacles out and the whole thing ... collapses and thrashes in it's death agonies? That's it?

Battle Singer crouches, ready to lay into it again, his left eye gleaming like molten lava. And yet, the foe is slayn with unexpected ease. He snarls and lunges to lay into it again even as it's sort of melting away. The Galliard makes absolutely certain that any essense it leaves behind from the bane spirits that composed it are consumed so no parts of it may regenerate within the Umbra. Nasty.

Dominic is very happy he was here! To lend his claws and sort of exist in the same area as the rest of these mighty warriors of Gaia! His arms lift high and he rawrs once more! Then settles to see what happens now.

Erin gets ready to hit the tentacle that is coming at her but then the new person takes it down and she relaxes some as she looks towards the book. She looks around as if expecting something to come at them.

Hazel blinks slowly over and over again. A tentacle drops from her teeth and she backs up slowly from it shaking herself all over. << That was //rancid//. No thank you. Does... this mean we get to take the book and read it now? >> That is super hopeful. That is more Hazel's speed.

SB looks down at the blobby mess and then back at Hazel. A nod is given accompanied by a feral grin. "A very well made attack." And then at Alessio. "Join us the next time. And I am sure that you will have your claws bloodied. For there is seemingly no end to those whom follow the Wyrm.. And their." He looks back at the fleshy thing. "Horrors they create." He flicks the blood of his frost rimed axe. But keeps it in his hand until they would be away from here. "Now we cleanse this place. And whipe out the taint that lingers." He looks around at the group and bows. "I am honoured to have fought at your side. We have defeated this thing. And thus have prevented this horror from wreaking havoc to Gaia's gifts." He then slowly walks towards the book. "We shall see what this tome can gain us."

Battle Singer lifts up his head from his grizzly work, his baleful red eye still glowing until he's absolutely certain there are no more enemies. >> We need to scoure these tunnels, find and destroy any more enemies we can find. Let our Magekin collect the book for study and then we shall cleanse this place. I will call an earth elemental after to collapse the tunnels. << He looks to ShieldBrother to see if the Philodox has anything he wants to add.