Awakening: The Great Guardian

[moustre]

Miles beyond Aefenglom, past the ruins healing with the help of Mirrorbound and Wilders alike, lies a particular outpost. While they will be first to know, the news quickly spreads--

But not as quickly as the wings of a dragon herself, pieces of stone still falling as she lands outside of Aefenglom's Bright Wall, and makes herself known at the high of noon with a mighty voice that resounds across all the city:

"Thou who hath been born unto this world and whom shall die in it, thee who hath found thineselves in the midst of a land succumbing to ruin -- wherefore art thou, for I much desire to speak with thee."

Nessie, ever curious and vastly unaware of the dragon who speaks, will certain meet this entity later, as will much of the Coven... but Mirrorbound seem to have first speaking rights, as the house-sized emerald dragon ignores all but they, apparently having a sense for it. Her eyes gleam a vibrant, summery green, and the air around her smells like various earthy, tree-ish smells, such as pine and dirt. Waiting until there's a gather of all sorts of folk, she turns her head down politely and speaks again, her voice low and yet still heard no matter how far one may be within this crowd.

"I bow to thy tenacity, for thou hath done what many tried an eon ago -- and with more luck than they, for thou art not of this land. Thine presence on this earth gives us hope, and for that we will thank thee.

"I am called Créia, guardian of that which is called the Wilde. It has been too many seasons since the fall of the Court, and among thee who bear resemblance to such ancestry I see many changes, families mingling and becoming one with others unlike thine own. For this I admire thee, though I can see how it hath change ye -- and how it has taken thine power, weakened by mixed blood.

"There are many questions I would ask thee, and many more ye would ask of mineself; I implore thee to speak not over thineselves, and to fear no ridicule. I shall answer any question, however inane and trivial, and seek to give thee counsel in what is yet to come. I, Créia, have only one thing to request of thee, and it must be done before I am cast unto darkness once more..."

Créia, peering over the crowd, lets her strong gaze falter into something more grieving, wings tightening against her shining body.

"Seek out mine kin, and reunite we three."

––

Below is a short list of general information she will give, to lessen repeat questions regarding her request:

- The kin she speaks of are not of true blood relation, but of role; Créia will give their names as Uisce and Aer, though will admit that they may have changed them with time if time gave them such an opportunity.
- One is in the north, and the other is yet unknown to her; Uisce was always something of a wanderer, as per the nature of their essence, and Créia will admit she knows not if Uisce even remains in the form they were seen last.
- It is not necessarily urgent to find the two, as Créia will hold off yet, and she would encourage them to think of it more as a request to keep in mind as they cleanse the world. Her kin, should they live, will show themselves when ready, of this she has no doubt.

Otherwise, please feel free to ask her anything. Créia will not be a readily found NPC after this, seeking to return to her paths in order to cleanse the Wilde as she can herself, though one may still come into contact with her by chance. Simply reply to the investigation post for any contact past this date, and you will have a randomized encounter.

As a note, Créia is said CRAY-ee-ah, Uisce is ISH-kuh, and Aer is simply ayr.

Comments

[usurpers]

[ he's waited months for this, with only the voice of créia from the much earlier dream waltz— the first time they spoke and now it just feels like a phenomenon that make his spines from his back to his tailtip rise like gooseskin in the cold when there was no cold around the enchanted outpost protected by the witches keeping constant watch of the guardian's new garden. there's just a massive amount of energy. big mom energy.

the smaller, now more human shaped dragon can only bob his head with awed greeting. she's well again and the nature burst his tongue keeps catching in scents of pine and green are all proof that this had been the right thing to do. the wilde is alive. ]

I'm glad. [ greetings out of the way, though, he'll certainly step as close as proximity can lessen. ] You said Courts. The Fae Courts?

[moustre]

[What a familiar taste, an old scent she recalls from dream; Créia takes care to show little favoritism, though there's a noted warmth in her gaze as she looks over the more human-like dragon who sought her out so long ago. So this is his form, outside of that fantastical space.]

Indeed. Two sides of the same coin, yet either would have cursed thy tongue for even suggesting the idea; t'was they who resided above all in these woods, though I would not have called them the most welcome nor friendly of folk. Outsiders were prohibited from their haven, save for those they... invited themselves.

[One can get the feeling that "invited" is the nicer term.]

[usurpers]

[ a snort at the invitation. yes, he knows. ]

By leashes and collars. [ like self proclaiming owners to brand new pets they’ve found walking outside their homes. they weren’t human and a small part of eren couldn’t blame them for their behavior— the side that grew as much as his changes to resemble and transform him into the dragon he ages into doesn’t tolerate it. ] Some of us have been there— by dream. Have you seen them during your time?

[moustre]

I have, and long ago did they learn their lesson in toying with mine kin and I.

[One can only tolerate so much, and the earth strikes like any other part of nature.]

Was there other reason for thy query? Though I cannot speak much on how they held themselves inside their Courts, I will tell thee what I am able to.

[usurpers]

I’m curious about them. [ although that had probably been a rather charged understatement. ]

. . . Their scent is stronger for me than other monsters, [ and the taste . . . but he’ll skip over that touch, for a moment, his tongue only flitting from behind his teeth and wetting his lips. just thinking reminded him of the tang on his guns and the juice that made his mouth water and pupils swell— inhale. ] What happened between you?

[moustre]

[So he's like Uisce in that sense. Some dragons temper a little better than others, though it's always a draw, and that one was always particularly... fond of Fae.]

They played all sorts of tricks on us, until one day they found themselves ripe with plantlife. This breath of mine is quite useful in trapping those whom irritate me.

[And for taking care of infection, but that's an aside.]

I should hope they have escape their confinements by now, as the plague would have taken much of themselves over the passage of time. Do keep thy eyes peeled for those who would resemble moths.

[usurpers]

[ no one should mess with mother creia, word be known. plantlife breath sounds— as rare and unheard of as it actually was, and eren has half the mind to ask her to see it. ]

And your brothers? Which do you think is the closest one to find?

[moustre]

Uisce takes whatever form pleases they, so it may be harder yet to find them... They may be in your midst, should they be well at all, if not in the seas about the land.

Aer is to the far north, favoring the mountains of this land, and he has always been one to settle proper. It would not surprise me to hear that, if well, he has not moved in a century or more, and remains holed up in a cave of some sort.

[Huff. An amused one, apparently; she has great fondness for her kin.]

I am sure, however, that whomever thee choose to seek out will show thy scales, be it presently or in future times. We are bound to this world, and I am certain no matter how they fight it they will come to its aid.

[... Or so she hopes.]