2023.10.07: Irsa and Rhapsody Athro Challenge

Irsa and Rhapsody's Athro Challenge
Irsa and Rhapsody challenged for rank, and Iris decides to try to get them killed a little teeny bit.
IC Date	October
IC Time	Afternoon
Players	Pancake Irsa Rhapsody
Location	Nowhere, American Southwest
Prp/Tp	Love Songs in a World on Fire
Theme Song	[link - name]

Cast: Irsa: Mr. Blue, Rhapsody: Mr. Purple, ST/Mercy: Mr. Black

---

xxxxxThe big day is HERE! There's surely been some communication before right now. Iris likes to pre-scout her landing zones, and she'll let her two apprentices - very nearly masters of their craft themselves - know exactly where they need to go. If they cant open their own moon bridge, surely someone else can, so there's no barrier for them getting here.

xxxxxBut where is here? Why it's a dry, dusty hill spotted with some very hearty, drought resistant plants. Even in October the overhead sun makes the place feel like someone left the oven open. Down the hill, extremely dry American Southwest desert stretches in all directions, dotted by low hills and mesas, and faaaaaaaar in the distance some mountains. The sky is azure blue and dusted with clouds strolling by. Down yonder in that desert and scrub is a small town. About as small as that Nebraskan town where the haunted haven was.
xxxxxHere ON the hill, is Iris, yay! She's been here for a while, and the little patch amongst the trees where she's been set up is in total disarray. She herself looks super fucked up. Not as in hurt, but as in just fantastically high. Not that goofy relaxed high, more the jittery, weird, hallucinatory high. Nearby is a telescope she's set up to point at the town. Currently she's mumbling to herself and looking for suspicious rocks to freak out on and kick around or something. Her actual belongings - purse and what not - are strung way up in a tree where she cant get to them or notice them.

xxxxxIrsa arrives with Rhapsody by Moon Bridge, courtesy of Aelous. She's brought along her crossbow today, lashed to her pack for easy access. "Heya!" she greets her mentor. "How's life in th' desert and town?" She's eyeing Mercy's belongings, no doubt wondering why the hell those are up there.

xxxxxRhapsody is geared up, her bow strapped to her as well, along with her bag of tricks. She's all ready for this, she hopes! It's a big day! "Huh, I did not expect desert, but well.. it is California, the Southwest and all. Let alone.. a hill. We've been in the city too long." She looks around at what is all setup and asks, "Is that for watching us comb the desert, or is there something going on that direction?" She gestures to the telescope.

xxxxxMercy whirls around with a snarl and her teeth bared when she hears Irsa and Rhapsody arriving, but with a twitch or two at her eye and a couple breaths she relaxes a bit. A bit, like she's super jittery and weird. "Comecomecome." she says in response to them both, and ushers them towards the telescope. "Looklooklook! See the shiny thing? You go from here, you get the shiny thing, you keep going straight and I meet you on the other side. You survive, you win your challenge. Simplesimplesimple." Twitch.
xxxxxThe little town is, well, it's little. Very one-horse-town kind of place. The telescope is aimed at a specific window on the tallest building in town, which is all of two stories and has a little bell tower on top. It's got that definitely-a-library sort of look to it. Through the window, the focus is aimed at a shiny and very ornate silver horn cup on a stand.

xxxxxIrsa blinks at Mercy's odd behavior, then her eyes narrow in appraisal. ~ I see. And whose eyes are being borrowed today?~ She has her suspicions as she uses the Spirit's Speech, but says nothing further as she peers through the telescope. ~Now that's impressive. Why that one, and not another shinier thing?~ She's checking out the building's exterior, and looking for security cameras, guards and signs. And any people in the building that she might spot through the telescope.

xxxxxRhapsody will take a turn to look through the telescope and then back to Mercy and Irsa as she speaks in Spirit's Speech. She'll ask as well herself, ~That looks like a drinking horn, with possibly.. is that Artemis?~ It is hard to tell from the distance, but she's taking a guess.

xxxxx"A vessel, a prison, it needs rescue." Mercy answers while digging a few leaves out of her pocket. She stuffs them in her mouth to chew on them, grimacing at the not so good flavor. Table manners are not something she thinks of right now, and talks while gnawing. "I am preparing for... Your back up. You gonna need it." She pauses to swallow and resist the urge to throw up a little bit. "Spiritual correspondence. Psychosis. Chaos." Hurk! Twitch, shudder.

xxxxxThrough the telescope can be seen... Whoa. This place is *crawling* with banes in the umbra, and the people that might be seen in town do nooooot look okay. Is that some sort of umbral reflection? Are you seeing banes attached to people or something? Because the idea that this town might be populated by openly horrifying fomori is ridiculous! Most vehicles look bog standard but there's a few that bear the company logos of Magadon and other Pentex subsidiaries. This, ladies, is a Wyrm town, and it's unlikely that there's anyone to have a veil around down there.
xxxxx"Change your planes when you need, and be *careful*. Do not hold back, fight but most importantly survive, and *get* the shiny thing. Any tools, any gifts, use them. To be Athro is to be able to weather any storm and brave the most dangerous umbral places."

xxxxxIrsa nods slowly, taking all that in. ~ Got it. Back up would be appreciated, that place is dangerous.~ She steps back so Rhapsody can take a look. ~ We'll need Aelous' Gift for this. I think that and my Nightshade talens would be the best approach, by the look of the Umbra. What do you think, Sister? ~ she asks, stepping clear of the telescope so Rhapsody can have a look.

xxxxxRhapsody takes a look again. ~I agree. Aeolous helping, your talens, we'll be able to get in there without an issues. Hopefully then get out. But be prepared for whatever comes out way. Stealth is our best approach, although the fog itself may unsettle them more so let's see what we can do before we bring it out.~

xxxxxIris is wringing her shirt in her hands and looking around with wild, darting eyes while the challengers take in what visual information they can and make their plans. Her white knuckled grip pulls hard enough to rip her shirt but she doesn't seem to notice. She's not having a good time here, and whatever those leaves are that she's eating do some funky things to her body, causing shudders and shakes that would make her a good extra for World War Z or 28 Days Later maybe.
xxxxxThe town is super duper typical and very basic, set up in a small grid pattern. You have things like a small library (dead center of town) with a little green beside it, the local tiny police station close by with a teeny town hall, various little mom and pop stores, things that can always survive anywhere. Hardware and plumbing supplies, food marts, diner, a single clothing store, your basic staples that everyone needs. There's a few offices as well, probably also small town staples, like a mail depot, a lawyer's office, a tiny print-news place, small office things, stuff like that. Surrounding the whole thing are homes, a dusty little suburbia with a smattering of homesteading involved. And then past that is desert. Basically what I'm saying is you can kind of make stuff up, imagine a small town from a movie you've seen, whatever, as long as it's not too high falutin' or frivolous.
xxxxxMercy comes to nudge the women and say, "Gogogo, I don't like this and I wanna be normal again. Go, ten minute head start." she says while she begins to shift upwards to crinos and begin the summoning she's been preparing for for several hours. Gotta drop that diff!

xxxxxIrsa passes two Nightshade Talens to Rhapsody. "I got two Luna's Avenger talens on me. Three Gaia's Breath an' two Flames of Ra as well. Three Gaia's Breath for healin'. How're you fixed on resources? Now's th' time to trade, not down there." she asks her packmate. She checks to make sure her crossbow is in working order and leaves her rattling paint cans here with Mercy. No stray noises, plz. Once the trades are made she runs down the hill, moving quickly across the landscape. That first Nightshade talen is consumed along the way.

xxxxxRhapsody looks through her pack. "I got four Clear Waters, and I brought the Silvered Arrows if need to use them." She's not thrilled to use them, or carry them, but knew this could be a rough one. "I'll take what you can share, especially the Flames of Ra and the Nightshade. The Luna's Avenger may not be a bad idea." Sadly, this theurge does not have a lot of helpful items.

xxxxxBy the time the ladies have quaffed their potions, swapped their jelly beans and pots and begun their approach, Mercy is well into a wild dance of rage as a part of her summoning. Approaching in daylight with scant cover seems like it might be a bad idea maybe, even though right now you have distance for cover, but Mercy picked the time of day for a reason! Clouds pass in front of the sun and drench the desert in thick shadow, the clouds coming together and thickening in a mass that blankets the sky for miles in either direction. There's a rumble of thunder and a fork of lightning streaks across the sky. The gentle breeze begins to whip a little harder, jerking in different directions spazdicly.
xxxxxAs an aside, this does lower the difficulty of using Curse of Aeolus, due to the gathering moisture in the clouds.

xxxxxIrsa hauls ass. Fog's Gift of cover and silence is something she's not about to waste it by being slow to the party. As she gets closer, she slows down and angles for the nearest cover she can find until they're in the town proper. She's checking for watchers, 'cause being caught this soon would suck.

xxxxxRhapsody makes haste to get there, while trying to keep low as they go. Getting closer, checking for anything to get behind, she's as silent as she can be. Looking around, she's scanning the Umbra from where they are as well.

xxxxxThe cloud cover brings things to a twilight level, and the fog slides and rolls into the town, hiding the garou and definitely unnerving the local Wyrmish residents. There's shouts close by, no one's looking for a couple hiding women beside a building. "What the fuck is going on?!" yells someone with a gravely voice. If these were just humans, they might find it weird but rationalize it. However, these are supernatural creatures and a sudden foggy storm in the desert is obvious fuckery. "Fuck. Gaians." says a woman with a 'could my day get any lamer?' tone and siiiigh. There's a mixture of bravado and annoyance from those two fomori just down the sidewalk from where the ladies hide, but it's lost under the sudden, loud blaring of a siren, it's call long and wailing, meant to be heard long distances. More lightning flashes, and up above the clouds are swirling madly, forming a thick circular wall that begins to reach downwards. The fog is being whipped and swirled around in crazy eddies. From nearby, barely heard, "...Oh shit."

xxxxxIrsa is not about to tangle with random Wyrm dudes and dudettes, nuh uh. Sticking to the shadows and cover, she looks for the clearest-looking route to the building they're looking for. Looking for ambushers, always. If the pair needs to stop for any reason, she has Blissful Ignorance ready and ready to go at a moment's notice. The damn alert's been raised, there's not a moment to lose, but a clever wolf doesn't race through town like a moron. The heavy hitters will be coming out any minute and she wants to avoid them like the plague.

xxxxxRhapsody sticks close near Irsa as they get closer. The sirens have her attention for a minute but then she nods a bit to Irsa ready to proceed toward their goal. The faster they go, the better for it all. Her hands moves in and out, clenching with adrenaline, but not enough to draw attention.

xxxxxThe pair of fomori are left behind in the swirling fog, and as Irsa and Rhapsody cross the street, an entire group runs past them and doesn't notice the pair moving further into town. It's not that they're not alert, they *are* on the look out for whatever god damned Gaian pack is setting upon their town, but they just cant see through the shadows, the fog, the nightshade talens and so on. The Mistseeker pair certainly have stealth on their side! The fog, however, is beginning to lose its traction. It's everywhere and it's thick, but the building wind is having its way with the water vapor as it grows in intensity. Every little scrap of light debris is getting picked up to swirl in the air, every tree is being whipped and lashed, the telephone poles begin to rock and sway, yanking on the high voltage lines they hold aloft. But you're not far now, so small is the place that you're already able to make out the green park up ahead near the library.
xxxxxThrough your double-plane sight, you can identify all sorts of banes in the umbra connected to various vices and bad behaviors, but more important is that the massive tornado that's rapidly forming over the town also exists in the umbra. Gauntlet smauntlet, it tears the barrier like so much tissue paper as it slides into the near umbra from the deep. All the triat have their heavy hitters, most well known is the infamous Nexus Crawler of the Wyrm, a thing that unmakes reality with but a thought and a snarl, and this cyclone that's emerging is not much different. The Vortex spirit, chief among the Wyld's most violent and chaotic children, are most known for consuming places of power, usually mage nodes. Shingles begin to fly off of roofs.

xxxxx"Silence is my payment, let no secret pass your lips, and my gifts of silence, cover, and mysteries will be yours." Those were Aelous' words to the Mistseekers on the day he become their Totem, and Irsa is not about to disappoint the wise Spirit. She leads the way through alleyways as much as she can to avoid the wrath of the storm that's been unleashed on their behalf. As they close the distance to their target building, she's looking for side entrances on the ground, but more importantly, she's looking for a window on the second floor, that's shielded from view by watchers on the street. An alley or parking lot, perhaps?

xxxxxRhapsody recalls the words of Aelous as well, and keeps as silent and hidden as the night itself. Avoiding the flying shingles, getting in the alleyways, her attention as well is on the building. She searches for windows, ledges, balconies even. Something they could find a way to get up to if possible.

xxxxxSadly, there's no part of the library that's hidden or shielded, it's all very open around it and the only thing snugged up close against it is that park. But that's how you do your fortress, right? Make sure the enemy doesn't have a place to hide when they approach. The park does, at least, afford a few trees and hedges that can be ducked behind. However, anyone set to guard the place isn't exactly standing around out their either, the environment is getting super hazardous for anyone out in the open. There's lots of windows on both floors though, cause Library, so you've got your pick of how and where you want to get in. Making for that park feels like being in a shooting gallery though, random shit is flying with more and more intensity and the wind is starting to make it difficult to stay on one's feet. No major wounds or anything though, both women avoid the really dangerous litter. The trees of the park are being whipped and jerked hard, straining their roots' hold on the ground.
xxxxxJust as the pair are reaching that park, there's a voice that's faint against the wind. "I FOU-" A woman with insectoid, multi faceted eyes and a few chitinous plates on her face is waving against the wind and trying to get the attention of some struggling fomori down the street, but she's cut short when a light weight car is pulled away from the curb to smash into her, leaving a greenish sputch on the pavement as it tumbles away with her body.

xxxxxThis close to the library, under the adrenaline and quick thoughts and worries, is a sensation not unlike a caern's when close to its heart, a core of power that's similar but differently flavored.

xxxxxIrsa climbs up the side of that building like a champ, gritting her teeth as she spots some panicking dudes running around inside. They have more important things to worry about than her right now, but why alert them if she doesn't need to? She stealthily opens the window, getting clocked by a flying branch for her troubles. She ignores the stinging pain and crawls inside, ducking out of view and just waiting to pounce on anyone who might spot Rhapsody's mighty leap.

xxxxxRhapsody has waited patiently as she can for Irsa, but when the coast is clear, she takes a step back and LAUNCHES herself up to the window and SAILING through the open window in a perfect 10.0 dive - no splash! - and inside with a perfect roll that even the Russian judge cannot deduct points from!

xxxxxBy now, the tornado has fully touched down on both planes, sliding hither and thither through the tattered remains of the gauntlet as it shreds the town one piece at a time. Entire buildings are torn to pieces as if they were made of cardboard, the trees of the park are being uprooted and their thick branches snapped like twigs. Power lines snap and their poles are ripped from the ground. At the library while the ladies are making their careful entrance, whole sections of roof are being stripped away. BOOOOOOOM! A deafening explosion rocks the town as the gas station is demolished, and great, now the tornado is on fire. Lightning streaks through the air, wraps itself around the funnel of twisting clouds, stabs down at the earth and the understandably panicked and fleeing fomori.
xxxxxInside the library, the electricity is flickering and popping, and then suddenly goes dead altogether for a moment, but the emergency generator brings it back after a few shadowy seconds. The second floor is mostly a large room that's sectioned off by tall book cases, some desks and computers are near the walls, your basic library type stuff in evidence. At the far end of the big room, the front of the building, is a single woman seen through open doors out on a balcony. She's fighting the tornado with whips of energy from her hands, lashing the grey funnel while desperately trying to hold it at bay. Since it's a spirit, not just air, the attacks do have an affect, but... Like it's a *big* tornado, she's really giving it her all but that might not be enough. Currently her back is to the pair.
xxxxx"Fuck this, I don't get paid enough for this shit!" someone on the first floor yells before fleeing the building. No honor amongst Wyrm spawn, right?

xxxxxIrsa isn't gonna stop and look a gift horse in the mouth, their target awaits! She slips right past this storm-fightin' madwoman, making a beeline for the room where the silver cup can be found. The clock is ticking, and she doesn't want to be Wyld-food. She follows after Rhapsody's lead and there it is! The glorious silver cup. She snatches it up, stuffs it into her pack, and beats a hasty retreat. Keep fighting that storm, crazy Wyrm Lady, you got this! She makes for the nearest stairwell and makes for the closest exit that's not swarmed by Wyrmspawn.

xxxxxRhapsody rushes through - light on her feet - as they find the cup they need. The Holy Grail.. no.. scratch that... Silver Horn! Then time to turn and SCAT! Like the wind - not the tornado - but as fast as they can to beat a hasty retreat to their next destination that hopefully is NOT Kansas - nor Oz. Finding a stairwell with Irsa, it'll be time to leap again!

xxxxxThe tornado made of broken homes, flames, lightning, smoke and dark wind leaves rent earth and smoldering ruins in its wake as it advances on the library. Banes and fomori both can be heard screaming as they're sucked in to the swirling Vortex, lightning scorches patches of ground and electricity explodes as transformers are ruined and lines are snapped. Hydrants are torn up to spray water coursing with high voltage, cars and trucks are flung mercilessly through structures that haven't yet been destroyed. There's a loud "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" of strain and rage and fear from the woman on the balcony, who's beginning to back in to the library, still fighting but doing a sort of tactical retreat. She's doused with sweat, to Rhapsody's eyes likely glowing with magic, but she's looking truly worried now. With a sound of ripping metal and snapping wood, the balcony is torn off the library, and a moment later, so is the entire wall. Books and cases and tables are sucked towards the wall of flaming wind, the ceiling ripping away in chunks.

xxxxxAs the women descend the steps, there's a final scream from the Nephandi upstairs. No longer held back, the tornado surges forward, and the stairwell begins to snap and crack while the women are still fleeing down it. The building shudders, the electricity dies, and behind them, doom approaches rapidly.

xxxxxNuh uh, fam, no crushing Mistseekers today! Irsa channels her Rage, instantly taking on the form of a ragged brown wolf. No time to waste, the two theurges need OUT of this storm stat. She zips out of there like a bat out of hell, running and dodging to escape the grasp of that whirling Wyld storm. Cover to break line of sight, then outta there.

xxxxxProtector-of-Hope snaps into gear and ready to leap, she shifts into the grey and white wolf form with ease. SPEED! With now four limbs to launch off with, she's nipping at Irsa's heels as they try to get out of there before all Hell breaks loose with the Wyld ripping a new one into the WyrmTown (tm).

xxxxxThe park outside the library is in chaos, trees are being ripped out of the ground and the wind is so fierce and pulling that it's almost impossible to keep your feet, but the wolves manage pretty well, being four legged, fleet footed, and lower to the ground. The pair dodge their way towards the edge of town, narrowly missing armored Pentex humvees, basic cars and pickups, appliances, benches, parts of roofs, and whatever other shit comes flying down the streets. Fortunately this IS a very small town, it didn't take them long to get in, so it doesn't take them long to get out. As they touch paws on the desert dirt and flee in the rough direction of where Mercy had told them to go, the wind around them calms.
xxxxxIt's a mile away where Mercy is, and yes, their totems are there as well, just... hangin out. Probably placing bets on things, sipping gnosis that probably looks like tea. Aeolus looking unremarkable as ever on a wing-back chair of fog, and Meros looking like a hard traveled young man on a throne of black sand. Mercy herself is pacing back and forth with anxious worry, privately praying she didn't murder her students. Also she's not twitchy or anything, totally sobered up.

xxxxxRun, run wolves, run like the wind! The brown wolf does just that, running flat out with her jaws parted, tongue lolling out of her mouth as she pants from the effort. She's ducking and weaving like a mad thing, dodging a flying lamp post with ease, then a bus stop ripped from the concrete. She's almost out of the are before she's solidly clocked by a flying park bench with an audible 'crunch'. She takes the hit with clenched teeth, refusing to stop for anyone or anything, and races on with her packmate. She pours on speed as they hit the outskirts, pushing herself to the very edge of her endurance. >> Faster, we are almost there! << she growls over the pack's link. >> I think I see them ahead! <<

xxxxxProtector-of-Hope goes flying, almost literally! Her stride is pretty far, as she jumps over obstacles, and zips around whatever is flying around. That lamp post was a breeze, but the bus stop had a close call. She's right near the brown wolf and just manages to duck that flying park bench but then it smacks her sister. >> Shake it off! << They still need to fly and races forward knowing the brown wolf will be right there with her shortly. As they do get out further from the town and see their destination, her paws dig in harder to the ground as she pounds the ground to get as much traction to launch off of! Having her packmate next to her, encouraging, keeps her going as fast as she can. >> Al..mo..st... there! <<

xxxxxBack the way they came, the town is... gone, pretty much. There's just one massive tornado sort of cycling around the place at a deceptively slow looking pace. There are no buildings left standing, only ragged ruins at best. Having consumed the node while the ladies were fleeing, it... is... huuuuuuge. Teeny little vehicles sometimes pop in and out of its swirling clouds, parts of buildings, a vast glitter of broken glass and twisted metal. It's core burns with a dark, devilish red glow within the Vortex, and the lightning is as it has been, snapping and forking everywhere. A beautiful display of absolute, balls to the wall destruction. There are distant signs of fleeing vehicles, though. Wyrmspawn are like roaches, you flick a light on (or throw a tornado at them) and they scatter.
xxxxx"OhthankGaia!" Mercy breathes as the she-wolves come racing. "Did you get it??" she asks, sounding worried but hopeful. While she's asking, she's digging in her purse for bottles of water and a fat sack of assorted fresh fruit.

xxxxxRagged Brown Wolf skids to a halt and pants heavily to catch her breath, right at Aelous' feet. She has enough energy to bark, >> Yes! << at Mercy and wags her tail once. >> It is in my pack, let me shift and give it to you. << And she does just that, waiting for Rhapsody to touch it so they can both hand it over together.

xxxxxProtector-of-Hope yips and then has her tongue hanging out as she pants when they finally stop. The adrenaline still pumping through her and when Irsa replies, she shifts herself, dripping sweat, but with a big grin on her face. "We did it!" She'll touch the shiny to hand it together with her Sister.

xxxxxThe cup is *beautiful*, so intricately wrought as to be a master work. Gorgeous scenes of wildlife wrap around the vessel, its cap topped by a delicate little woman in classical Greek attire with an even more delicate little silver harp. At first glance it seems to venerate and idolize someone, but there's something unsettling about the way the cup's stand is the same woman, knelt and bowed, weighed down and subjugated by the cup on her back. Mercy takes the vessel from the ladies with careful hands, looks it over, and then after pouring a little Gnosis into one of her bracelets to amp her strength up, she pops the lid open, grips its rim with both hands, and pulls hard. "Grab it, help me." she says through clenched teeth, straining hard to streeeeeeeatch the metal and begin it tearing, "Don't shift, it'll burn you." she cautions. Cause it's silver, and all.

xxxxxIrsa isn't about to question Mercy. The Elder asks for help, it's gonna happen. She grabs onto one side of that cup and begins to pull like she's just found Beyonce tickets pinned under a truck.

xxxxxRhapsody isn't going to question this - not with SILVER in the equation! She grabs a hold of another part that is untouched and tries to pull as well!

xxxxxThe sizzle of magic being ruined sparks from the silver cup, standing peoples hair up on end and zapping their fingers painfully while they wreck that gorgeous cup. Licks of horrid green flame and acrid smoke puff up from the cup to burn the hairs right off their knuckles, but then riiiiiiiiiip! The silver cup is torn in a few places, peeled like a banana and BLAM! a blast of energy knocks everyone off their feet. Even the nearby totems are rocked in their chairs and lift hands to shield their faces.

xxxxxThe ruined cup lies in the dirt now, and standing over it is a beautiful young woman that looks weakened and worn. She isn't dirty or disheveled, but she still looks under fed, and so, so sad, with eyes that almost seem puffy from crying and nostrils red from wiping them. "...?" is the look on her face, very cautiously optimistic. Just in case these strange women that just busted her out of jail are also Nephandi.

xxxxxIrsa lets out a startled grunt as she staggers back, the sheer force of the blast knocking her clean off her feet. Her ears are ringing as she stands up, and she shakes her head to clear it. "That was.. holy shit!" she blurts out, seeing the young woman standing there. It's not every day people are released from weird magical cups. "You were...but you're free now, yeah? Uh, come sit down with our Totems. Can we get ya anything? Food, water, Gnosis?"

xxxxxRhapsody staggers back at the blast, landing on her butt and she just stares up. "Oh.. wow." She scrambles back to her feet. "Please, take a seat. I'm Rhapsody. And you are? Besides free. I have so many questions."

xxxxxMercy stays down on the ground, she's had a hell of a day herself and is pretty worn out, but she does release a small bushel of gnosis at the woman while panting and trying to get her breath back. It puts a little color back into the woman's cheeks. At the mention of the totems, she looks their way, and doubtless the two men approach. "Hades! Aeolus!" she says, her voice quavering and on the edge of relieved tears as she rushes to embrace them both. She recognizes them, both of them have one of their many origins in her own neck of the woods. Once she's hugged her old friends and had a moment to come to grips with the fact that she's *free*, the woman sits down, tired still and weakened, but getting better by the moment. "I am Erato," she tells Irsa and Rhapsody, "Goddess of Love In Verse." A fancy way of saying 'muse of love poetry and love songs', really, but it's not incorrect the way she says it. "Thank you. Thank you *so*, so much. It's been so long...! The witch woman that stole and kept me, does she live?"

xxxxxIrsa stares at the reunited trip, trying to take this all in at once. "Uh, no, pretty sure she's dead. She tried fighin' th' storm head-on, and she got swept up when it tore out th' balcony." She has the presence of mind to offer some of her own Gnosis to the now-freed legendary spirit. "I'm Irsa, Irsa Rawlins. Hammer-Tooth, th' Garou call me. Bone Gnawer, Adren an' Theurge. I can't even believe we gotcha outta there, and I don't know how our mentor found ya in th' first place, but I'm glad you're free."

xxxxxRhapsody blinks a few times and then nudges Irsa a bit - this is so cool. "Oh yes.. Rhapsody Teresi, Rited Protector of Hope, born with two legs under the crescent moon, Adren of the Black Furies. Daughter of Feeds the Weak, Adren Galliard, Granddaughter of Accepts-No-Excuses, Elder Ahroun, Great Granddaughter of Follows-the-Light, Elder Theurge. Packed with Mistseekers, children of Aelous." She gestures a hand to him. "Him. Thank you again for the assist tonight." She offers some of her own Gnosis as well for the muse. "Yes, like the wicked witch. We'll make sure that town is cleared once the storm is gone."

xxxxx"No," Mercy says, pushing herself up into a sitting position to look at Irsa and Rhapsody, "You are Athro, you've earned your rank and passed your challenge."
xxxxxErato shakes her head slowly and says, "I could never feel good for the death of another, but... but I am glad she is no longer here. I have never met someone so starved for love or who has so twisted its meaning before. What a terrible, awful creature she was." She shudders and wraps her arms around herself as if cold. She isn't, of course, it's just... a little PTSD. She quickly absorbs the gnosis donated to her by the Fury and Gnawer, and with what the three Garou have given her, she looks *so* much more healthy now, not hungry nor haunted, but pink cheeked and beautiful. Even so, she says, "...I want to go home. But I will give you freely a small part of what the witch woman took by force. You have my thanks, Garou. Should you ever come to Mount Parnassus, know that you are a welcome guest in my home. My sisters and I will feast you sunrise to sunset and shelter you against any enemy." She stands then and folds her hands, closing her eyes and humming some unknown yet breathtaking tune. As she fades through the gauntlet and into the umbra, each person here is filled with inspiration. For the next week, words of love will not be hard to find, whether it's making up a song from the heart or writing a letter, the words will simply flow. And this isn't specifically romantic lyricism, it's just plain old *love*. A letter to family, a heartfelt ditty to a packmate, you'll just find the words that express your heart the best.

xxxxxIrsa can't help herself. She lets out a howl of joy and grabs Rhapsody in a fierce hug, pounding her on the back. You too, Mercy, you're getting all the love-smoke! Oh right, she's Athro now. So much more is expected of her. She coughs in embarrassment at the Muse's words and smiles. "I'd love t' visit. Just send th' word, and we'll be there. I'm happy we could help ya." And with that blessing, she has no excuse on why she can't write her Momma this week. "Your sisters have gotta be missin' you somethin' fierce. There anything else we can do for ya?"

xxxxxRhapsody hoots and hollers as she jumps a bit with happiness, grabbed up by Irsa, and then twirls around a bit! "Oh oh yeah!!" She nods to the Muse. "It would be a complete honor to visit you and your sisters." She's at a loss for words now and has to actually take a seat to absorb this accomplishment.

xxxxxThe muse shakes her head as she vanishes through the gauntlet, reappearing on the umbral side and flowing away on a gust of wind. Muses are pretty insubstantial, form-wise, and blend with the air element easily. Off to Greece with ye!

xxxxxMercy seems super, super happy, but she tells Irsa, "Sorry about nearly killing you two. It kinda had to be done though. No pack would have survived getting to that vessel and getting out again, and if the town was destroyed the Muse might have been as well. So the only thing for it was to pick the two sneakiest, most resilient women around and have them steal it WHILE the town was being destroyed at the same time. Otherwise that Nephandic wizard wouldn't have had anything to keep her tied up and the banes and fomori under her command would have overwhelmed you both. Whadja think though? Fuckin *awesome*, right? I mean. In like a totally terrifying sort of way."

xxxxxIrsa shakes her head at Iris. "Don't even apologize, we managed t' skim through all right. That crazy Wyrm-lady was tryin' to fight th' storm, if you can believe that." Her scarred mouth curls into a grin. "That was literally th' Wyldest shit I've ever seen. How'd ya even find where she was? And how did ya get a Wyld Vortex here? That's crazy an' amazing."

xxxxxIn the distance, the tornado is breaking up, thinning, the massive spirit sliding back through the layers of reality to return to the deep umbra where it can wreak havoc elsewhere. debris rains down all over that area, trucks and cars have been thrown miles in all directions. Yeah, lotta trash and debris, but it's a small price to pay for having just annihilated a crap ton of Wyrmspawn in one go, AND sucked up a corrupted font of spiritual power. The town is little more than scattered trash and the occasional telephone pole that didn't get uprooted.
xxxxx"Oh, just listening to the spiritual grape vine, mostly, looking for those little quirks that say something's stuck in place, like bursts of Love in a loveless place. As for the Vortex? Not easily and I don't recommend the experience. Shit tons of very sketchy drug plants, mindless fury and madness, and a whoooooole lot of vomiting. It's not a spirit that answers just any call, it's too large and too powerful to give a shit about the Gease to the Theurge auspice, but you promise it a fat lunch and it's gonna come running. Really it only came for the node. You know how they call mages 'caern rapers'? The Vortexs is sort of the vigilante to that sort of thing, rapes mage nodes right out from under them and often eats the mage too, for that matter."

xxxxxIrsa lets out a whistle, thoroughly impressed. "I'm glad ya called it up, they were waaaaay beyond distracted. Never seen so many Wyrmspawn freakin' out in one place. They were screamin' and runnin' and literally buggin' out and gettin' smooshed by cars." She eyes the place where the town once stood. "Was that ever a Gaian caern? I don't really know how Mages work. Probably time for a couple lessons there."

xxxxxIris shakes her head in the negative, "Nope. Like, it *could* have been, if Garou ever came around sniffing for that sort of power, that would have been a good spot to do the rite of the opened caern. But instead it was that lady that found it, and popped the ol' gnosis pimple that was under the surface of things to get the mojo flowing up and out. I dunno how they do stuff entirely myself, but they do have their ways of drawing the power up, and caging it for use. Focusing it, tainting it, flavoring it, however you want to think of that process. Like a smaller, more focused and lensed caern heart. A proper caern heart just oozes the power of Gaia, like a light bulb spews light in all directions. A node's super duper similar, but they've focused it into more of a laser. Same amount of light, skinnier, more focused beam. ...Shitty metaphor, but words do be pretty limited."

xxxxxIrsa grimaces. "What a waste. That kinda thing would've been way better in Shifter hands. Sucks that it had t' happen, but better it's gone than fuelin' th' Wyrm's aims." She nods at the ruins of the town. "We even gonna need t' Cleanse this site, or has th' Wyld Vortex kinda already done that?"

xxxxx"Yeah... But nothing's ever actually gone." Mercy says with a shrug, "I mean, yeah, it sucked up an entire possible caern's worth of mojo, right, but everything is cyclical, nothing's ever *gone*, or destroyed, or anything like that. It's just back in the loop, back in the queue again. All that essence will go... somewhere on earth, return to Gaia in due course, cycle back around and somewhere some day a new well of gnostic power will form, allowing... whoever finds it to do with it as they will. Maybe another mage will find it, or a pack of Garou will, or even Black Spiral Dancers. Point is, it's a card that's back in the deck, it's got another chance to be later on." She shakes her head though and says, "Nope, no need. Every scrap of everything was consumed over there. Weaver, Wyrm, all of it. In fact, the middle of that town probably has a paper thin gauntlet right now, you could trip over a rock and end up in the umbra because you weren't paying attention to being on the physical. The Weaver will thicken that up to normal levels again with a little time, and I suspect that whole space will end up with a lot of plant growth in the near future. The only energy there right now is Wyld. Kinda dangerous and chancy for a little while yet, but soon enough it'll be a lot of food and shelter for local wildlife. Even the trash is likely to be weak and easy to break down into the components of creation." She stretches and stands up, saying, "I need a fat bong rip, let's head home. ...I love you two so much, you've been the most amazing apprentices a girl could ask for. Seriously, you both make me *so* proud."

~Fin~