2023:12:22:Riddle or Death?
| Riddle or Death? | |
|---|---|
| Nyx and Ramon go into the penumbra, and end up on the wrong end of a riddling spirit. | |
| IC Date | 2023.12.21 |
| Players | Nyx, Ramon |
| Location | Umbra |
| Spheres | BSD, Garou, Wyrm |
There is no baggage today on this mission, no need to barter their way into getting a moon bridge set-up for their destination. Nyx seems a little wary this day for what she's attempting to come across though, and she was rather vague to her mate about 'Need it to talk before you slicey dicey'. Whatever that means and it was a bit of a trip for the duo until she finds an ideal spot to side-step.
In a vast contrast to view that laid out before them the lats time they were running amuck around, this one is dry, baren attempting to pull the very air from the lungs. The trees are baren of foilage, twisting this way and that like a dark landscape amongst the replica of cacti that also surround the area in patches.
Nyx tips her head towards the direction of the east, staring it down for a prolonged moment as her lips curve into a flat press of a frown. "We really shouldn't miss it, unless it's hiding out on purpose. Think like a anaconda meets rattle snake."
Once they side-step across, Ramon shifts from his homid form into his hispo form, the large black dire wolf form with amber eyes. Padding softly alongside Nyx he sniffs at the air, his scenes sharpening and heightening even above those of a wolf. Shaking his head he growls over to her, "What's it we're doing? Killing something or looking for something? Or both." He doesn't seem concerned and can do whatever their mission is.
Kills-the-Lights loses one Magical Essence <OOC> Kills-the-Lights active heightened senses for scene with that gnosis spend <OOC> Nyx says, "Give me a Perception + alertness check :)" <OOC> Kills-the-Lights says, "The player spends a Gnosis point. The effects last for one scene. In Homid or Glabro forms, the werewolf’s Perception difficulties decrease by two, and he may roll Perception + Primal-Urge to perform sensory feats impossible for humans (such as tracking by scent). In Crinos, Hispo and Lupus forms, Perception difficulties decrease by three (which is not cumulative with the ordinary Lupus-form Perception bonuses), and the werewolf gains an extra die to Primal-Urge dice pools." <OOC> Kills-the-Lights says, "-3 dif, using primal-urge with a +1 if that works?" <OOC> Nyx says, "Yep"
<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======---> Kills-the-Lights rolls Perception + Primal Urge + 1 vs 3 for 5 successes. 2 +7 +8 +10 +10 +10 <-------------=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============------------->
"Both," claims to Ramos with a twisting of her lips forming a small grin. "And talking to something. So first look, second talk, third kill." She's counting off the steps with pressing index finger to the other hand's fingers. "Well, we can skip the kill part really unless it gets angry. I guess that depends on how well I do at this so you just be prepared to like.. be a meat shield, babe!" She sounds all too perky about that request of him being a meat shield but she's vulnerable right now without the ability to quite shift just yet. Nyx's eyes roam across the area as they continue to move forward, searching for something in particular.
Meanwhile, Ramon's keen eyes will be able to spot what she has described before. It's a glimmer, then there's a defined outline wrapped around one of the gnarly looking trees in the distance. Due to his keen senses he's able to make out the form camoflouging itself within the tree of that of a serpent's body though where the head begins and tail ends is impossible to tell. It's there though, coiled and still.
Being a metamorph means shifting is as easy for Ramon as breathing and as they move and he spots that snake in the distance he does shift, once more. This time the crack and grind of bone, shifting sinew and bone leads to him growing into his monstrous crinos form. Starting to rake his claws over stone as they move to sharpen them to razor tips he rumbles out, "There is a snake, there." Lifting one large hand he points with his razor sharp claw to the creature he spotted.
Nyx leans slightly towards the side as he speaks about spotting the snake. Her eyes narrow and she's squinting off towards the distance to where he points with. It takes her a few moments until she comes to spot it. "Ah yeah! Great job, babe!", she says happily and if she had a tail it would be wagging around now. "Just keep in mind, it can be spicy, alright?" Yet with that in mind, she's brazenly skipping forward towards the direction of the tree that houses the snake as she calls out. "CUCKOO RIDDLE ME THIS!" Then she's nearly skidding to a stop, plowing slightly into Ramon.
As the last word comes about there's sudden movement from that curled up serpent around the tree. Its head a triangular shape much akin to that of a rattle snake as it removes itself from the tree. The illusion begins to fade off, show-casing a melody of bright colors that twist and turn like liquid across its scaled massive body. Its forked tongue shoots, out tasting the air as slitted pupiled eyes take its notice across Nyx and Ramon. "A serpent swam in a silver urn, a golden bird did in its mouth abide, the serpent drank the water, this in turn, killed the serpent. Then the gold bird died." Each word spoken with its mouth opening bares a set of elongated sharp pointed fangs, their tips dripping with venom that leaks down along them.
Looking to Nyx and then to the serpent as they approach it, Ramon keeps his large body between the snake and his mate. It's almost unconscious in how he preps to be her body shield should this creature turn out to be dangerous to them. Sniffing at the air he lets his gaze move about the nearby trees, ground and anywhere anything else could be hiding as the snake speaks.
--- --- ---
Nyx leans heavy within the body of her mate, swelled stomach pressing along his side as she leans further forward as her eyes narrow towards the direction of the snake. "PFffttttt", she comes to make the noise of her lips vibrating against one another spitting off. "Oil lamp. Be more creative!" Then her eyes widen. "Wait! Don'tttt do that. Easy next easy." Her fingers curl within the fur of Ramon, pinching at it slightly even with the sharp tugs. "Your next, think think think or we dead, dead, dead..", she murmurs towards him.
That serpent's body physically tenses as it wraps its grip around the tree further. A slow hissing noise emerges from it indicating anger at Nyx's answer. "Correct." Then its head twists towards Ramon's direciton. "Snake coiled round and round. Snake deep below the ground. Snake that's never had a head. Snake that binds but not with dread."
As the snake coils tighter along the tree and looks between Nyx and Ramon, the crinos formed Black Spiral Dancer growls softly. A warning to show the snake he's watching, ready, and willing to fight it should the need arise. Looking to Nyx as she speaks he then nods his large head and replies to the snake, "Rope."
Tighter, tighter does that serpent coil itself around the tree as its mouth widens at the guess being correct. Its head twists towards the side as if its attempting to twist within itself, then it flips itself up right once more. "Correct," comes the tone tinged within pain. "Silently I drink and dive in fluids dark as night. I beat the mighty warrior but never in fight. The black blood in my veins your thirst for knowledge slakes. My spittle is more venomous than that of poison snakes."
Further does she press, tighter against that of her mate as if she's about to mount that dire wolf form of his as her eyes widen and flash at Ramon as he answers correctly. "Be ready..", she whispers to him, lips brushing against his fur as she pries and pulls at his pelt as the final riddle comes to be formed. "Pen cause it's mightier than the sword.." Though as the last word drenches past her lips, she's suddenly ducking behind Ramon as if she knows something he doesn't know.
Little circles bein to emerge amongst the color pattern across the snake like spinning tops that never stop. Its eyes begin to take an eerie glow towards them, a faint gold shimmering around it as it begins to bob its head back and forth. Even as the first hit comes to land upon it, it keeps its gaze locking into the garou as its body begins to slowly work its way up further along hte tree as a hissing noise emerges from it.
Meanwhile, Nyx is pointedly backing up a touch from her mate. Her teeth grit against one another as eyes narrow towards the direction of the serpent. There's a bit of a twitch of her eyebrow as fingers curl along side of her. It's like she is expecting something to happen but nothing's going on bringing a growl to vibrate from within the woman.
Ramon is ready for the snake so when it starts to make its move he strikes lashing out fast with a clawed hand and rending into its scales and cutting flesh. It's a strong slash but not one that will put a stop to the snake and that allows it to lock its gaze with the wolf. That hypnotic power makes him stop, pause for just a moment before he breaks free of the power and smashes his massive body into the tree, rending scales, flesh and muscle to gut the snake, tearing it apart with a massive roar as blood flies with scale and muscle as the black furred crinos monster destroys the snake.
Nyx gets a bit of splatter throwing back on her as she lifts a hand, waving herself as if she's 'hot'. "Wow. That was *HOT* babe!", she chimes out like a good cheerleader that she is. She glances around the area before turning back to him. "Though unless you want to do that like.. a hundred more times, we really should jet. They start to give off this distress beacon when they die calling in the rest of their pack."
"We can just kill them all babe... Destroy the whole spirit race." Ramon laughs as he shakes blood off his claws and then shakes his head, swooping in to lift his mate into his arms. Carrying her out of there they head back to where they stepped over, getting out of there before more of the snakes can come and overwhelm them.
