[Text]

[dragonsgrasp]

Those who've been exploring in search of the orbs... How have you fared? Have you encountered anything notable? Are there more dangers out there that we should be wary of?

I can report myself that I've seen no new enemies, although I've come across obstacles such as dust storms... and a location where the terrain became especially difficult to navigate. There are occasional ruins, as well, but I've found nothing unusual among them yet.

I know the main objective is to assist Hope, but we also have an opportunity to find out what we can of this world, as well. The more we uncover, the better off we'll be.

Comments

[voice]

[hot_mes]

Well. We took care of that Null.

[does that count?]

[voice]

[dragonsgrasp]

It's good that it was dealt with... Was it the only one you noticed? Were there any signs of others?

[The appearance of any Null is concerning, hopefully it's not a sign of another impending invasion.]

[voice]

[hot_mes]

Just the one. At least, so far. I've foregone getting another orb in order to have a look around just in case.

[voice]

[dragonsgrasp]

That’s a good idea. If it’s one alone, it may only be a coincidental appearance, but… I don’t trust it all the same. There may be more where that one came from.

I'll be sure keep an eye out as well, in my travels.

[voice]

[hot_mes]

You should. Everyone should, really. We'd been lulled into a sense of security, we thought we were safe from the Null. Seeing one...it's changed everything.

text;

[hasitsthorns]

Alright so far
Could do without the dust storms, but
It's a small price to pay for getting Hope powered back up

Some of the cities are worse off than others. As for anything unique, we're in the same boat. Not a lot stands out to me yet.

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[dragonsgrasp]

Right. As much as I don't like that we have to trust in the gods... we do rely on Hope. We need him, more than anyone. That's why I'm glad to aid in this endeavor.

The cities I've seen so far have been in bad shape. Have you seen any that are better off? I assume no one's found inhabitants in any yet.

The change in scenery that I came across was at least welcome, even if it was challenging to cross.

text;

[hasitsthorns]

Yeah. If it weren't for Hope,
we'd all be boned.

Not really.
Most of them are in ruin. In some of them, it can barely even be called a city anymore.

Yeah?
I guess it would be nice to see something besides all this desert.

text;

[dragonsgrasp]

We owe him much. I never thought I'd be saying that about any of the gods, but... I've grown to appreciate Hope, at least. Perhaps a couple of the others. Sometimes.

It makes me wonder what happened out there to put those cities into such ruin, and what happened to the inhabitants...

Yes... they're a bunch of rocky, rough hills. It's not easy to get across, and I'm still looking around the area. It was definitely a surprise to find anything different out there.

text;

[hasitsthorns]

Sorrow is my man. Not, like, actually my man. I wish but that's not the point.

The Null happened, that's what. They fucked up this world and probably any others the gods were on.

Huh. Well, let me know if you find anything else about 'em. Sounds interesting.

(( ooc: heyo! i'm on hiatus until probably mid-april due to life stuff so i will still be painfully slow if you'd rather drop/handwave this and start something new when I get back lmk!!! ))

[Text]

[paragonbrosca]

That reminds me, sorry about beating you up. I was a huge asshole when I was young, in case you didn't figure that out.

[Text]

[dragonsgrasp]

You've no need to apologize. I wasn't exactly the most pleasant to be around at that age, either.

[It took a lot of Rosa scolding him to finally get the hint... and plenty of time to grow out of that bullying stage.]

[Text]

[paragonbrosca]

If you're missing anything, I still have a pile of unclaimed stuff I 'found'.

[Text]

[dragonsgrasp]

I don't seem to be missing anything significant, but I guess I could still have a look, anyway.

It's admirable that you want to make reparations like this. I'm... sorry, though. I said and did some terrible things as well. I guess we should be glad we didn't end up coming here for real when we were younger.

[Text]

[paragonbrosca]

I dunno, maybe it would have done us some good if we'd been able to stay here longer. I might've lost all that anger, without Dust Town.

text;

[storyseeker]

Only that some serious, serious damage was done here. I thought I understood what the Null were capable of, but now I'm just grateful we escaped when we did.

text;

[dragonsgrasp]

So am I. We barely managed to get away as it was... I dread to consider what may become of us if there's ever another attack. Even if we prepare ourselves, it may not be enough...

Then you think they destroyed all of those other settlements?

[It definitely would make sense of it all.]

text;

[storyseeker]

Yes. Which says something about what would have happened to us if we hadn't gotten away. It's like a natural disaster swept through.

text;

[dragonsgrasp]

Right, and I don't think we had very long before we faced that same level of destruction. It was terribly close. We owe the gods for that one.

We'd better hope the Null don't come back, though.

text;

[storyseeker]

And each other. If we hadn't fought as hard as we did, everything could have been over before the city got a chance to move.

I hope that every day.

voice

[bythewaves]

The journey has been a quiet one, for the most part. Tis a sad and lonely place, without it's people. Monsters and storms, but little else out here.

voice

[dragonsgrasp]

Yes... Those storms are a nuisance, and the lack of any civilizations is unsettling. What have you noticed of the monsters, so far? Anything unusual?

voice

[bythewaves]

Not really - I can tell you that there seems to be no governing intelligence to them, although some do move in packs. They seem to be simple beasts, for the most part, some more intelligent than others, but none that display true awareness, so far as we can tell.

voice

[dragonsgrasp]

It sounds as if they're not much different from monsters we've seen in the caves. I'm not too concerned about the presence of beasts like that, though it's still important to be cautious when traveling, of course. But... creatures like that can be fought and hunted, if need be.

voice

[bythewaves]

I would agree. I suspect the monsters in the caves might perhaps have come from here, originally. Considering the size and co-ordination of the packs, I would suggest it not wise to travel alone if one was going any significant distance from the town, but otherwise... they're easy enough to track, and thus also to avoid if needed or fought if not.

[ Maglor agrees ]