Logs:Du Gimak X Missus O'Leary's Cow

Du Gimak X Missus O'Leary's Cow
New fire-Touched Beginnings
Players Lexi,Flint,Solomon,Kenny,Salvatore,Logan,Faith,Rachel,Raven,Lilith	Undercity 14 August, 2022 A group bears witness to a tragedy.
+----+ Lilith +----------------------------------------------------------------+ The fires are becoming almost normal seeming, up top. Sparking off in a steady northward spread through Central. Fights are adding to it. Entire bars turning into scenes from Roadhouse, patrons turning on each other and drawn into the chaos and violence like junkies to drugs. The source, the cause of these things is known, but not much is known of what to do about it. The answer, perhaps, lay down here, beneath the streets in the guts of what once was. Undercity. The spooky basement where weird noises are and bad things happen. A place where the curtain that separates the realms has been torn apart, and left open. For things to criss-cross from one side tot he other, unfettered. +----+ Raven +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Raven is out for a stroll today. She finds herself in the underground, checking out the spooky shit as it were. Not wanting to go alone cause its dangerous, she has brought Lexi with her. Wether by force or her own doing, the two Steelmaw packmates set out into the dark unknown. Raven also avoids the memories of melting if she can. +----+ Solomon +---------------------------------------------------------------+ On one hand, a city seething with anger is a pretty good deal for a Lost, even if it's not Solomon's court. On the other - well, the city is where he keeps his stuff. And his job. So even if it's delightfully easy to find a good bar fight these days, here Sol is, dressed in sturdy undercity delving clothes, prepared to try and examine a gateway to some other horrible dimension and hopefully find out something useful without getting mauled, devoured, or possessed. At least his arm is working. And he looks remarkably enthusiastic about the being down here. "I'd assume that if pouring some iron and concrete around the thing worked, that would have been tried before," he's muttering quietly to Rachel. "My first instinct would be to try and gather some samples and observations, then attempt some experiments." +----+ Faith +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Faith may have told Brennan some certain words about avoiding angry manifestations of fire and such, but despite that advise she's found her way to snooping around underground after hearing more about it at a recent gathering. She's dressed as she always is, in black, hood keeping her face hidden from easy view, she's come to see what's what. +----+ Rachel +----------------------------------------------------------------+ When Solomon had mentiond wanting to go down to the Undercity, Rachel was all for it. Provided they take the proper precautions. She's geared up in what could best be described as military surplus store punk. She’s got combat boots, camo fatigue pants, and a flak jacket on over a shirt. There’s a pistol strapped to her hip, and rucksack on her back loaded up with who knows what. Her hair is tied back in a ponytail, and she’s forgone rings and bangles, though her hamsa remains on its cord around her neck. And she'd insisted that Solomon buy her another cup of coffee. She'd paid him back for the last one, and she'll pay him back for this one. Later. Provided they survive. And with an unfilled debt yet to be resolved, the Wyrd might help make that more likely. Down here, out of sight of the public, she pulls her pistol from it's holster, ejecting the magazine to visually confirm that it's full of bullets. Then she slaps it back into the magwell, and pulls back on the slide, checking for the siny glint of brass in the barrel before letting it slide forward again and returning the pistol to her holster. "I'm with you, Doc," she says to Solomon. "But we don't always get what we want, do we?" She gives him a sparkling grin. +----+ Salvatore +-------------------------------------------------------------+ Down here is home. Down here, he doesnt need to pretend. Moving along the tunnels from the south, the steady footfalls of the large Italian at least give some sort of warning that he approaches. Even in the darkness of the tunnels there is sense of oppression that radiates out from him till be begins to hear voices and recent movements through the Underground...Sal seems to grin broadly in a rictus smile before calling out in a deep baritone, "It would appear we have visitors tonight. And no escort? No no, that will never do. Tillo would be beside himself if his guests didnt have a proper host." +----+ Lexi +------------------------------------------------------------------+ Lexi happily tags along when Raven wanted to go investigate all the weird stuff going on. Plus she had mainly just been twiddling her thymbs most of the day and jumped at the thought of possibly fighting or at least putting her 'nose to the ground' type work. She has her hair in a tight, high pony tail, black leather jacket with a black t-shirt, dark denim pants and her combat boots, knives neatly tucked away in all her hiding places. She follows Raven closely as they enter the underground. +----+ Ric +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ Ric is not normally an explorative type person, but finally getting the shop set up and things settled out has him wanting to check out the new connections. That means a scuffed up pair of jeans and tshirt and work boots that can handle a good trudge through god knows what. Weaponry? LOL. A five pound wrench tucked through a tool loop on his jeans is about as much as that covers, while he's hunting down some of the stranger stuff he picked up on a night or two before on four legs. +----+ Kenny +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Kenny arrives, called by Solomon and of course with Logan. As the pair get on the scene he gives a nod to Solomon and then a wave to Rachel. The rest of the group forming gets a polite smile as well as a nod as he says, "Hey there, I'm Kenny, this is Logan." Introducing them both he gives their surroundings a long look. Reaching into his pocket he finds a small package he carries and pulls free a round battery that he places in his mouth, letting the electricity flow into him as he uses it to activate Primal Glory. With electricity crackling over his form he spits the battery out into its baggy and slides it away. Tonight he's dressed in a t-shirt with jeans and a comfortable pair of running shoes. "I'm guessing we're expecting some trouble, right?" Looking at his hands, he focuses on that lightning that crawls over his form to cause it to dance and jump between his hands and fingers like chain lighting before he pulls his hands apart to summon a long spear made of lightning. +----+ Logan +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Kenny had told Logan that they had to go and so here he is, the scruffy counselor in his usual jeans and steel toed boots, a t-shirt and flannel over it. He's got a pair of gloves tucked into his belt and a small maglite flashlight clipped to his belt along with his keys and his phone in his back pocket. He strolls along next to Kenny, looking around slowly as they go, taking everything in. As they approach and he can hear the voices, he gives a nod to those that he recognizes, but for the moment seems to be keeping quiet, just listening to what's going on. +----+ Raven +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Raven bumps Lexi's shoulder as they descend before saying, "Just stick close till shit hits the fan, I yell, you stab. Don't be afraid to get the fuck out if neccesary." Lexi probably already knows but wants to reassure her. She notices the small group forming. She sees Rachel and gives a wave to her and her companions. "I guess everyone had the same idea for a walk about tonight?" She gestures to the others she has not met, "Assume your all fellow Accordians." She is hit by a smell suddenly and looks around before saying, "Guess the big nasty just came through? No one saw it I guess?" tracking this thing down won't be too hard, how can you miss the big Balrog when your stomping through it's new home. +----+ Solomon +---------------------------------------------------------------+ Solomon keeps giving Rachel these sidelong looks when he thinks she's not looking, and grinning to himself. It doesn't stop him from noticing the others approaching, and there's a wary sort of nod to everyone. "We wouldn't want Prince Tillo to go spare," he says, dryly--but still with a certain sincerity. He shakes his head to Raven's question. "I haven't seen it myself, although I think some people have." Then he pauses, his head cocking to one side. The heat could be ignored, maybe, but there's more than that, and his eyes close. "Anyone...hear something?" he asks, even as he tries to concentrate on it and figure out what, exactly, he's hearing. +----+ Salvatore +-------------------------------------------------------------+ "At least one of you has a bit of manners" Salvatore says with a snort as he turns the corner from the area with the Wound and begins to head north. "The way you make it sound, you've never seen horrible monsters before in the past. It's around, I'm sure. It passes through on occasion when it feeds. Or just gets bored. Or decides it wants a joy ride on the wild side. Who knows. Try to be careful down here. Who knows what may happen." +----+ Faith +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Faith can smell smoke, and feel the warmth, and so she's on edge. Her Beast is very much unhappy to be hear, and that sharpens her senses as she's looking down the tunnel to the west. "Chanting?" She says towards the group that seems to have gathered when the prompt from Solomon about hearing things is voiced. "Or growling. Or both." +----+ Rachel +----------------------------------------------------------------+ "Yeah," Rachel agrees with both Solomon and Raven, sniffing the air and frowning slightly. "Something's definitely down here." Then she glances over at Raven and smiles, raising one and curling her fingers at her and her friend. Then to Kenny and Logan, she tilts her chin upward, "Hey guys." And a similar gesture over to the well-dressed Italian, "Sal." She looks in the direction everybody seems to be looking, "Well, I guess we're all here looking for answers. No time like the present," she gives the group a sparkly smile, and sets off down the tunnel. +----+ Lexi +------------------------------------------------------------------+ Lexi stops briefly as the smell of smoke reaches her nose as she closes her eyes for a moment, feeling a little warmer than she did a few moments before. She bumps Raven's shoulder in return, "I wouldn't want to leave you, not with that thing roaming done here." She gives her a slight glare but then notices the group forming and waves to everyone. She keeps close to Raven and her hands close to her knives, just in case. She listens to the sounds of foot fall and as another one approaches and she nods in greeting. "Hello guys, what a night for a stroll." She says as she gets to the group. +----+ Kenny +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Kenny reaches for Logan's shoulder and gives it a light squeeze. Smiling back to the others he nods in agreement to the smells and to the sounds not far off. "Like whispers, chanting or something rhythmic." With his spear in the other hand he hefts it lightly and points to the distance. +----+ Logan +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Logan gives an up-nod of greeting to Rachel and says, "Hey." He can feel the unusual warmth but doesn't quite notice some of the details that the others do. He falls silent to try and hear whatever it is that they're hearing but there's conversation going on around him, so he turns his attention back to the conversation at hand. "Chanting? That's always a good sign." That's never a good sign. For those who can see the sharpness of his teeth, he bares them just a little, canine ears flicking in the direction of the sound that he can only faintly hear now that it's been pointed out. He nods toward Rachel and says, "May as well.. it's what we're here for." He gives Kenny a bump of his shoulder and then nods in that direction, moving to follow. +----+ Flint +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ There is no such annoyance greater than trying to kickstart the next generation, and being disturbed by -- Something. This is the reason for the sudden shape, and the palpable violence radiating off of this horse-sized Destroyer of Things. It starts slow, under the rhythmic chanting, though this comes from the direction of Above: A deep, monstrous growl, as the Great Wolf's lips peel back to reveal a maw of fangs. Eyes that glow red in the dark anytime they find light. Grey fur. Black fur. Tan fur. The Spirits chitter and squeek as they hide: Fenris-Ur. Flint's large form moves forward to the group, claws digging into the concrete of the tunnel. Enamel snapping together with a violent promise. Then again, harsher, this time directed -- at the only figure he recognized: Raven. First Tongue. <"NOISE. STINK."> The hulking wolf scrapes those long claws down on the concrete, biting the air. Irritated. Excited. Fur starting to rise up on end, and the visible musculature shaking. +----+ Raven +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Raven nods to those gathered. After hearing Salvatore she gives him a nod, "Only been down here once for the ooze we fought. Horrible time. If you wish to point in the right direction I'll go." She trusts the mysterious man for now maybe. After hearing the others, "Well chanting will also help find whatever weird shit is down here." If it's like last time, she is sure chanting will be the least of their concerns. She motions to Lexi next, "Guess we will go see what this business is about. And now we have friends to die along side us." She chuckles as she begins to move foreward. She shifts her form the her Urshul form, a large gray wolf as Flint appears. She yips back at him, ~Chanting down the tunnel, Minotaur maybe~. She motions with her head as she follows the group. +----+ Rachel +----------------------------------------------------------------+ Rachel is surprised when a fucking //dire wolf// emerges from the tunnels to join them. But she's worked with werewolves before, and since Raven (wait, where did Raven go? Oh, she's a wolf now too, just smaller) doesn't seem perturbed, she'll assume for the moment that this is a Gud Wolf. As she travels onward though, her steps grow lighter, and after a few moments she pulls her pistol from her holster. "Can you hear that?" She asks quietly to the dire wolf at her side. "It sounds like animals. Maybe a bit like you guys sound, when you wolf-talk to each other?" She glances aside at the dire wolf, not sure if she's making any sort of sense, before looking forward again. "And someone screaming. Burning." She glances behind herself and waves the rest of the group to follow her as she continues onward, hunched forward slightly, stealthy and gun out. She reaches into a pocket of her flak jacket, procuring something tiny and glassy; dragonfly wings. She pops them in her mouth and chews. To mortal eyes, a part of her flak jacket tugs loose into a drooping scarf down her back to either side of her rucksack, her eyes become heavily shaded, and out of nowhere there are gloves holding blades to the tip of her fingers like claws. To the Changelings among the party, she sprouts dragonfly wings, chitinous retractable claws, and a set of tiny compound eyes above her eyebrows and below her eyes, as well as elsewhere on her body. +----+ Solomon +---------------------------------------------------------------+ As Rachel heads down the tunnel, Solomon shakes off his attempt to make intelligible meaning of the whispers, and follows. When Flint-the-giant-wolf bounds past him, he definitely doesn't try and get in its way. Instead, he hums to himself, _Riders on the Storm_ for anyone who is close enough to hear it. "Sounds charming. No doubt they're having a barbecue and someone just bit into a burger that was a bit too hot," he mutters. And yet, at the same time, he's practically vibrating with anticipation. +----+ Faith +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Faith too, is very surprised at the sudden actual wolves that are around. For her part, she's not worked with wolves before, so there's definitely some -staring- going on from the vampire, though her face remains difficult to make out in the dark with her hood up. All she's got in way of preparation is a heavy looking cane, and she hesitantly joins the group, moving onwards. +----+ Raven +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Raven thinks the party already started then. She moves ahead of Rachel slightly so her stealthy ass is not noticed. She says to Lexi in the first tongue, ~Well I guess we get to see what the noise is all about.~ She continues forward towards the direction of the screaming Rachel pointed out, keeping her eyes peeled for whatever the fuck they are about to run into. +----+ Flint +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ The Embodiment of Fenris-Ur begins to glow. Runes of the purest silver light sizzle into his skin. Brands. They clasp around his throat because The Lunes LOVE SACRIFICE! His paws GLEAM with geomatric broken-blades. The Great Wolf's flanks sizzle and smoke with ethereal light seen in The Real. His footsteps leave burning prints that fade almost immediately. PURITY. HONOR. GLORY. The Blood Talon's Purity is such that the terrifying mantle of his ancestor is felt. As that Renown and Rank is displayed, Flint takes the front only to stop. Claws dig into the concrete. The large horse-sized head turning to regard the other Uratha, and the one in Dalu (Lexi) will be growled at. Tongue sliding along those large fangs momentarily. Then again to the other Urshul, she is actually leapt at, jaws snapping violently at the air near the head. The Destroyer is straight-forward, not stupid. It is after this then that the Great Wolf eases himself again - drawing inwards, drawing outwards - claws digging into the cement. Essence burning in that soul-furnace, to call on his Gifts as that Primal Urge jerks forward and for a brief second, the savagery is displayed with pulled back lips, flashing fangs, and the Great Wolf momentarily starting to spasm. +----+ Logan +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Logan continues to follow behind the others, watching as the large wolves leap ahead. The sound of screaming in the distance and the mention of animals draws a faint growl under his breath, but for now he continues to move, quietly behind the others, occasionally glancing back over his shoulder to keep an eye on their rear as they go. +----+ Kenny +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ For everyone around them, Kenny is wreathed in crackling electricity that sparks and jumps as it moves like lighting over and around his form. In his hand he holds a long spear made of crackling lightning as he takes up the rear and looks around, making sure their group isn't jumped from behind. +----+ Lilith +----------------------------------------------------------------+ The tunnel ahead curves, doubling back. The chanting grows. A second voice, more burning hair stink. Screams, shrieks. The snarls and howls beyond the switchback grow to a frenzied pitch. A third. A fourth. Squealing. Searing flesh added to the miasma of fire and burning hair. The howling and snarls half mask the screams. The wolves can make it out. Celebration. Sermon. Indoctrination of the new into the old. And beyond? A huge snort, a whuffle, and then a *bovine bellow* that shakes the walls and momentarily drowns out the celebration. +----+ Solomon +---------------------------------------------------------------+ Solomon looks up at the screaming and the shrieking. His eyebrows go up and he scents the air. And then..."Ah. That would be O'Leary's Cow, then?" He swallows. "It sounds...larger than I'd imagined. It will be large and on fire." A pause. "Which isn't anything anyone didn't already know, probably. Either way, if you're vulnerable to fire, be wary, and if you're impervious to flame, now would be a good time for that." He sticks close to Rachel, shamelessly hiding behind her and the giant murder wolf. +----+ Rachel +----------------------------------------------------------------+ Oh jeez, big scary giant werewolf is ornery with the other wolves. Rachel frowns at what to her looks like an unecessary distraction given that there's likely danger in front of them already, they hardly need it from their own party. But at Solomon's words she glances towards him, and smiles, "Alright, Doc," and holsters her firearm. She takes a packet of matches out of her pocket, strikes one, blows it out until only embers remain, and finally stubs it out on her tongue. Then she draws her firearm again and proceeds onward. +----+ Rachel +----------------------------------------------------------------+ In the wake of her fire-swallowing, sparks and embers glow ingo light in the air surrounding her, circling here in a glow of sparks. +----+ Lexi +------------------------------------------------------------------+ Lexi nods to Flint at his show and homer simpson into the shadows, and stays behind. Listening, sniffing, waiting. She stalks forward slowly, letting the others go ahead so she can plan her next moves, see how many there are and the best actions to take next. She's patient, She will wait for the right time to strike. +----+ Salvatore +-------------------------------------------------------------+ Heading north along the tunnel, Salvatore seems content to wander alone in the direction of the Verge...or was it that way? All these tunnels look alike to him. Coming to a cross roads in the tunnel system, he seems about ready to look for another path...when the giant roar comes from back the way he came. "Oh. It's awake now." Heading back towards the way he just came, the shadows begin to wrap around him as he disappears from view. +----+ Raven +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Raven looks back but notices Lexi is gone, probably melded with the shadows now. She looks forward as Flint comes to a stop. She tilts her head in a nod when he speaks and nips at her. She says to him in the first tongue, ~Four Pure it sounds like, guess they will have their hands full.~ Hard to chuckle but she bears her teeth like a grin at him. The excitment getting to her now. She calls upon her essence to make her Purity Renown flare to life. +----+ Faith +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Faith can't help but shudder. Fire. She heaves out a big sigh. "Thanks for the ... tip." She says in a soft voice, and then she's also just fading into the shadows, vanishing into nothing to be a bit more wary, and hopefully not be easily seen by fire creatures. +----+ Flint +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ The Great Wolf shakes and growls, snarling. His strength increases, causing a terrible bulging against the flesh that makes his bones creak. His tendons make awful stretching noises. The claws dig into the concrete, and those paws swiping into the wet...concrete. That large head turns to regard the spot where Lexi vanishes, growling. Then to Raven, another growl. At the sound of that bovine call, the large wolf has to clap his jaws together to cease a howling challenge that tries to rip out -- and one paw backs off. As others begin to crackle, or burn, or transorm? What is the Rahu to do, but assume these are some umia?! So that crackling spear-wielder has his personal space invaded. Red-glinting eyes staring at it. Then the tunnel. Then back. Then to the ground, where claws swipe against the pools of fetid water and those black lips pull back to reveal fangs at the nearby Raven. +----+ Logan +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Logan's eyes just sort of widen as this great big wolf thing snarling and hulking comes all the way back through them to invade Kenny's, and thus his personal space given that they're standing together. "Whoah... whoah.. what the hell? We're all on the same team here," he says, putting his hands up and taking a step back toward Kenny. Whatever's going on up ahead, there's a current pressing matter of a growling red-glinting-eye variety that needs addressing. +----+ Lilith +----------------------------------------------------------------+ There's no threat from behind. Tonight, even the spirits that usually slink, slither, ad scuttle about are gone. It's eerily quiet outside of the fiery salvation beyond the curve in he tunnel. Some of the screams become gurgles, but the shouting, the howling grows louder. The snorts and calls of O'Leary's cow joining the insane in their celebration. The light at the tunnel brightens, on of the auspice-shorn stumbling, on fire, falling near the ground to writhe in twisted bliss as the flames on their body start to die down. +----+ Kenny +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Kenny points at the rahu and yells, "Back off or I'll fuck you up. Turn that on your enemy." Unlike Logan the Summer court changeling isn't going to take it and sets his spear to fend off a rush and nods. "Test me doggo, I'll paint the underground with your blood." +----+ Solomon +---------------------------------------------------------------+ Solomon hisses as someone stumbles into the tunnel //on fire// and falls down. Hearing the shout from behind, he snaps, "None of us are spirit hosts. Ask later if you want a summary. Can we focus on the flaming cow-worshiping cult it sounds like is ahead of us?" He points at the fiery body. +----+ Rachel +----------------------------------------------------------------+ "Yeah, cut that shit out!" Rachel hisses to the others, mostly at the giant fucker of a dire wolf that seems to be directing aggression at the members of the away-team, while they can all hear people screaming getting quieter. Who knows who they're letting suffer and/or die while they waste time? +----+ Lexi +------------------------------------------------------------------+ Lexi slips passed everyone and passed Flint and goes towards the corner to get a better look at whats waiting for us. She slowly stalks forward and pears around the corner as quietly as she possibly can. +----+ Faith +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Faith, too, having faded away, slips past everyone and their argument? that's starting. Confident that she's protected by her invisibilty, she's inching forward, but a person on fire is giving her a definite pause. +----+ Salvatore +-------------------------------------------------------------+ Salvatore having returned back to the group, slips past the group quietly with a smirk at whatever the hell that is going on. If nothing else, at least this will be entertaining! You paged (Lexi, Faith, Bedlam) with ‘The pair manage to slink around the corner to peek around the edge of the wall. No one seems to notice, but that's because they're lost in the revelry. The one on the floor? The eyes are gone, but sure to grow back without too much trouble. One of the ten or so painted in blood and blistered by flame moves to drag the fallen Uratha back, shifting to Dalu and hucking them back into the fire's sweet embrace with a war whoop when they starts screaming again. They will live or die. The ten are in a variety of forms - wolf, dire wolf, dalu, one or two in homid. Those choosing to sacrifice their Auspice to join the Pure are the ones burning and screaming while the others cheer them on. Beyond, the towering, broad form of the firey minotaur casts sparks and shadow over the gathering, basking in the fires they stoke and feeding on the essence shed.’ You paged (Lexi, Faith, Bedlam) with ‘the 20ft tall mino https://i.etsystatic.com/19757394/r/il/29a1b3/2828937664/il_fullxfull.2828937664_2uou.jpg’ +----+ Raven +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Raven looks around for a moment while Flint heads off to Kenny's area. She nods to him and looks over to the others as they yell at Flint. She growls for a second but shifts to her Dalu form to say to them, "We can use the lightning to bottle neck the enemies ahead with water if they charge. Lexi should be scouting ahead to see what's coming. If they do charge I'll break some pipes to make a bottleneck as Flint here suggested." She stays low as the fired one falls down. "What the fuck?" +----+ Flint +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ The Great Wolf keeps his eyes on the lightning-warrior. To Flint, such a being is umia. No matter if it's on this side, or the other, and those snarls of First Tongue are born with snapping jaws and demanding posture, Lunar Runes burning brightly with the Rahu's growing aggression. Then Raven is talking, and the giant horse-sized head turns towards her, then back to Kenny, tongue licking his teeth - as the large creature is careful to claw at the ground where water gathers and then hop up to the taller ground. Dryer. It's at the revelation of that burning zealot that the Destroyer turns his whole attention towards it, and ceases any notion of planning. Another exhale. Another. +----+ Logan +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Logan just stares at the big wolf in bafflement. "Come on," he says to Kenny while it seems to be distracted and heads toward the corner with the others to go see what's going on. He's not staying at the back anymore. And so he approaches those who have gone to look at what lies beyond. "It sounds like people are dying up there and I don't want to just stand around in this hall playing fet..." which might be ironic coming from the canine Beast. But he's then distracted as someone on FIRE suddenly falls onto the ground. +----+ Lexi +------------------------------------------------------------------+ Lexi quietly turns tail and halls ass back towards the group stopping next to Flint as touches his side as she drops her Shadow Pelt "UUUHHH guys we need to move back and quickly." She says paniced and managing to whisper. She pets his side attempting soothe the Great Wolf. "We need to get back to the surface, there are too many for us. We can speak once its safe." She gestures everyone to follow her back towards the way they came from. +----+ Kenny +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Kenny eyes Flint then shakes his head, following after Logan to see what's ahead. Still crackling with electricity and holding that spear of lightning. +----+ Faith +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ With Lexi backing off, so too does Faith. Eagerly. The fire has her this close to just abandoning everyone, but instead the Nosferaru just kind of appears beside Lexi. ?I agree,? she says quietly. ?We shoukd retreat. There are a lot of them...? +----+ Solomon +---------------------------------------------------------------+ Solomon nods to Lexi, but does not immediately flee. Instead, he focuses on the burning form on the floor, staying well out of reach, and concentrates on them. He whispers, in Spanish, "Despite my profession and mien, centipedes give me the creeps. I have nightmares of them, sometimes." And he tries to pull the forms worst fear from its mind before it...dies? Or possibly gets up and starts to dance. +----+ Rachel +----------------------------------------------------------------+ Rachel immediately steps in front of Solomon, not blocking his view of the fiery burning person (much) but certainly blocking their paths to each other. She grasps her pistol in a teacup grip. "Work fast, Sol." +----+ Salvatore +-------------------------------------------------------------+ Unseen, the Italian Nosferatu has his phone out and recording quietly from a little section near the wall. He seems content to at least get some of this for research even if nothing else. As first a Lexi and then a Faith seem to appear past the entrance, Sal seems to just smirk to himself before heading towards the doorway himself. +----+ Raven +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Raven looks to Lexi and Faith and nods. She stands up and tells the rest of the group, "Whatever they saw is too much for us right now. We need to tell the others of what's down here and come back ready." Raven is almost in physical pain at suggesting a tactical retreat, the urge to kill strong. She swallows it for now and keeps a determined look to the rest of them. +----+ Lexi +------------------------------------------------------------------+ Lexi doesn't wait, she runs full sprint towards the exit, if they make it with her? great! If not? She warned them. She just runs. +----+ Flint +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ With Lexi's touch, and Raven's urging, there is...an awful sound. The large Great Wolf leaving, back the way he came, though more than once the eyes dip back to see the sight of that burning-man. He'll change later. Above. Somewhere not here. +----+ Kenny +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Kenny was making his way forward with Logan and even as they realize everyone is turning to run. Trying to see what they're running from his electricity lashes out, arching in a bright flash of light before the elemental loses his footing and falls. Cursing loudly as he's sure now it won't matter he uses his spear to help push himself up to his feet once more. +----+ Rachel +----------------------------------------------------------------+ Rachel makes sure Solomon is bailing, but stays with Raven to try to get Kenny and Logan out. +----+ Faith +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Faith has delivered her information, and slipping back into the shadows she's not sticking around either. There's a glance behind her as she hears that comotion, but as other seem to assisting she's moving. +----+ Raven +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Raven sees the wolves haul ass and nods to herself. She looks back to the rest of the group. She begins to move as well when she hears the splat. She sighs as she looks over and sees Kenny splattered on the ground. "Goddamnit." Without hesitation she rushes towards him and grabs him to throw him over her shoulder. She then says to the rest, "Were bugging out, I suggest you do the same." With that she hauls ass, fireman carrying Kenny with her giant frame. +----+ Logan +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ When Lexi turns around and tells them that they need to go _now_, Logan catches a glimpse of what lays beyond just in time to see Kenny go down. He reaches out toward him but when he sees that Kenny's already being dragged away, he blinks and shifts into his own canine form and takes off after them as fast as he can run. +----+ Solomon +---------------------------------------------------------------+ Fear or no fear, it's clear that it's time to vacate the premises. Solomon makes a discontented sound, looking towards the tunnel and its hidden secrets, but as everyone else retreats, so does he. +----+ Rachel +----------------------------------------------------------------+ Rachel keeps pace with Raven and stays at her side, covering her (and the carried Kenny) as they make their retreat.

+----+ Lilith +----------------------------------------------------------------+

The fires are becoming almost normal seeming, up top. Sparking off in a steady northward spread through Central. Fights are adding to it. Entire bars turning into scenes from Roadhouse, patrons turning on each other and drawn into the chaos and violence like junkies to drugs.

The source, the cause of these things is known, but not much is known of what to do about it. The answer, perhaps, lay down here, beneath the streets in the guts of what once was.

Undercity. The spooky basement where weird noises are and bad things happen. A place where the curtain that separates the realms has been torn apart, and left open. For things to criss-cross from one side tot he other, unfettered.

+----+ Raven +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Raven is out for a stroll today. She finds herself in the underground, checking out the spooky shit as it were. Not wanting to go alone cause its dangerous, she has brought Lexi with her. Wether by force or her own doing, the two Steelmaw packmates set out into the dark unknown. Raven also avoids the memories of melting if she can.

+----+ Solomon +---------------------------------------------------------------+

On one hand, a city seething with anger is a pretty good deal for a Lost, even if it's not Solomon's court. On the other - well, the city is where he keeps his stuff. And his job. So even if it's delightfully easy to find a good bar fight these days, here Sol is, dressed in sturdy undercity delving clothes, prepared to try and examine a gateway to some other horrible dimension and hopefully find out something useful without getting mauled, devoured, or possessed.

At least his arm is working. And he looks remarkably enthusiastic about the being down here. "I'd assume that if pouring some iron and concrete around the thing worked, that would have been tried before," he's muttering quietly to Rachel. "My first instinct would be to try and gather some samples and observations, then attempt some experiments."

+----+ Faith +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Faith may have told Brennan some certain words about avoiding angry manifestations of fire and such, but despite that advise she's found her way to snooping around underground after hearing more about it at a recent gathering. She's dressed as she always is, in black, hood keeping her face hidden from easy view, she's come to see what's what.

+----+ Rachel +----------------------------------------------------------------+

When Solomon had mentiond wanting to go down to the Undercity, Rachel was all for it. Provided they take the proper precautions. She's geared up in what could best be described as military surplus store punk. She’s got combat boots, camo fatigue pants, and a flak jacket on over a shirt. There’s a pistol strapped to her hip, and rucksack on her back loaded up with who knows what. Her hair is tied back in a ponytail, and she’s forgone rings and bangles, though her hamsa remains on its cord around her neck.

And she'd insisted that Solomon buy her another cup of coffee. She'd paid him back for the last one, and she'll pay him back for this one. Later. Provided they survive. And with an unfilled debt yet to be resolved, the Wyrd might help make that more likely.

Down here, out of sight of the public, she pulls her pistol from it's holster, ejecting the magazine to visually confirm that it's full of bullets. Then she slaps it back into the magwell, and pulls back on the slide, checking for the siny glint of brass in the barrel before letting it slide forward again and returning the pistol to her holster. "I'm with you, Doc," she says to Solomon. "But we don't always get what we want, do we?" She gives him a sparkling grin.

+----+ Salvatore +-------------------------------------------------------------+

Down here is home. Down here, he doesnt need to pretend. Moving along the tunnels from the south, the steady footfalls of the large Italian at least give some sort of warning that he approaches. Even in the darkness of the tunnels there is sense of oppression that radiates out from him till be begins to hear voices and recent movements through the Underground...Sal seems to grin broadly in a rictus smile before calling out in a deep baritone, "It would appear we have visitors tonight. And no escort? No no, that will never do. Tillo would be beside himself if his guests didnt have a proper host."

+----+ Lexi +------------------------------------------------------------------+

Lexi happily tags along when Raven wanted to go investigate all the weird stuff going on. Plus she had mainly just been twiddling her thymbs most of the day and jumped at the thought of possibly fighting or at least putting her 'nose to the ground' type work. She has her hair in a tight, high pony tail, black leather jacket with a black t-shirt, dark denim pants and her combat boots, knives neatly tucked away in all her hiding places. She follows Raven closely as they enter the underground.

+----+ Ric +-------------------------------------------------------------------+

Ric is not normally an explorative type person, but finally getting the shop set up and things settled out has him wanting to check out the new connections. That means a scuffed up pair of jeans and tshirt and work boots that can handle a good trudge through god knows what. Weaponry? LOL. A five pound wrench tucked through a tool loop on his jeans is about as much as that covers, while he's hunting down some of the stranger stuff he picked up on a night or two before on four legs.

+----+ Kenny +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Kenny arrives, called by Solomon and of course with Logan. As the pair get on the scene he gives a nod to Solomon and then a wave to Rachel. The rest of the group forming gets a polite smile as well as a nod as he says, "Hey there, I'm Kenny, this is Logan." Introducing them both he gives their surroundings a long look. Reaching into his pocket he finds a small package he carries and pulls free a round battery that he places in his mouth, letting the electricity flow into him as he uses it to activate Primal Glory.

With electricity crackling over his form he spits the battery out into its baggy and slides it away. Tonight he's dressed in a t-shirt with jeans and a comfortable pair of running shoes. "I'm guessing we're expecting some trouble, right?" Looking at his hands, he focuses on that lightning that crawls over his form to cause it to dance and jump between his hands and fingers like chain lighting before he pulls his hands apart to summon a long spear made of lightning.

+----+ Logan +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Kenny had told Logan that they had to go and so here he is, the scruffy counselor in his usual jeans and steel toed boots, a t-shirt and flannel over it. He's got a pair of gloves tucked into his belt and a small maglite flashlight clipped to his belt along with his keys and his phone in his back pocket. He strolls along next to Kenny, looking around slowly as they go, taking everything in. As they approach and he can hear the voices, he gives a nod to those that he recognizes, but for the moment seems to be keeping quiet, just listening to what's going on.

+----+ Raven +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Raven bumps Lexi's shoulder as they descend before saying, "Just stick close till shit hits the fan, I yell, you stab. Don't be afraid to get the fuck out if neccesary." Lexi probably already knows but wants to reassure her. She notices the small group forming. She sees Rachel and gives a wave to her and her companions. "I guess everyone had the same idea for a walk about tonight?" She gestures to the others she has not met, "Assume your all fellow Accordians."

She is hit by a smell suddenly and looks around before saying, "Guess the big nasty just came through? No one saw it I guess?" tracking this thing down won't be too hard, how can you miss the big Balrog when your stomping through it's new home.

+----+ Solomon +---------------------------------------------------------------+

Solomon keeps giving Rachel these sidelong looks when he thinks she's not looking, and grinning to himself. It doesn't stop him from noticing the others approaching, and there's a wary sort of nod to everyone. "We wouldn't want Prince Tillo to go spare," he says, dryly--but still with a certain sincerity. He shakes his head to Raven's question. "I haven't seen it myself, although I think some people have."

Then he pauses, his head cocking to one side. The heat could be ignored, maybe, but there's more than that, and his eyes close. "Anyone...hear something?" he asks, even as he tries to concentrate on it and figure out what, exactly, he's hearing.

+----+ Salvatore +-------------------------------------------------------------+

"At least one of you has a bit of manners" Salvatore says with a snort as he turns the corner from the area with the Wound and begins to head north. "The way you make it sound, you've never seen horrible monsters before in the past. It's around, I'm sure. It passes through on occasion when it feeds. Or just gets bored. Or decides it wants a joy ride on the wild side. Who knows. Try to be careful down here. Who knows what may happen."

+----+ Faith +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Faith can smell smoke, and feel the warmth, and so she's on edge. Her Beast is very much unhappy to be hear, and that sharpens her senses as she's looking down the tunnel to the west. "Chanting?" She says towards the group that seems to have gathered when the prompt from Solomon about hearing things is voiced. "Or growling. Or both."

+----+ Rachel +----------------------------------------------------------------+

"Yeah," Rachel agrees with both Solomon and Raven, sniffing the air and frowning slightly. "Something's definitely down here." Then she glances over at Raven and smiles, raising one and curling her fingers at her and her friend. Then to Kenny and Logan, she tilts her chin upward, "Hey guys." And a similar gesture over to the well-dressed Italian, "Sal."

She looks in the direction everybody seems to be looking, "Well, I guess we're all here looking for answers. No time like the present," she gives the group a sparkly smile, and sets off down the tunnel.

+----+ Lexi +------------------------------------------------------------------+

Lexi stops briefly as the smell of smoke reaches her nose as she closes her eyes for a moment, feeling a little warmer than she did a few moments before. She bumps Raven's shoulder in return, "I wouldn't want to leave you, not with that thing roaming done here." She gives her a slight glare but then notices the group forming and waves to everyone. She keeps close to Raven and her hands close to her knives, just in case. She listens to the sounds of foot fall and as another one approaches and she nods in greeting. "Hello guys, what a night for a stroll." She says as she gets to the group.

+----+ Kenny +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Kenny reaches for Logan's shoulder and gives it a light squeeze. Smiling back to the others he nods in agreement to the smells and to the sounds not far off. "Like whispers, chanting or something rhythmic." With his spear in the other hand he hefts it lightly and points to the distance.

+----+ Logan +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Logan gives an up-nod of greeting to Rachel and says, "Hey." He can feel the unusual warmth but doesn't quite notice some of the details that the others do. He falls silent to try and hear whatever it is that they're hearing but there's conversation going on around him, so he turns his attention back to the conversation at hand. "Chanting? That's always a good sign." That's never a good sign. For those who can see the sharpness of his teeth, he bares them just a little, canine ears flicking in the direction of the sound that he can only faintly hear now that it's been pointed out. He nods toward Rachel and says, "May as well.. it's what we're here for." He gives Kenny a bump of his shoulder and then nods in that direction, moving to follow.

+----+ Flint +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

There is no such annoyance greater than trying to kickstart the next generation, and being disturbed by -- Something.

This is the reason for the sudden shape, and the palpable violence radiating off of this horse-sized Destroyer of Things. It starts slow, under the rhythmic chanting, though this comes from the direction of Above: A deep, monstrous growl, as the Great Wolf's lips peel back to reveal a maw of fangs. Eyes that glow red in the dark anytime they find light. Grey fur. Black fur. Tan fur. The Spirits chitter and squeek as they hide: Fenris-Ur.

Flint's large form moves forward to the group, claws digging into the concrete of the tunnel. Enamel snapping together with a violent promise. Then again, harsher, this time directed -- at the only figure he recognized: Raven. First Tongue. <"NOISE. STINK.">

The hulking wolf scrapes those long claws down on the concrete, biting the air. Irritated. Excited. Fur starting to rise up on end, and the visible musculature shaking.

+----+ Raven +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Raven nods to those gathered. After hearing Salvatore she gives him a nod, "Only been down here once for the ooze we fought. Horrible time. If you wish to point in the right direction I'll go." She trusts the mysterious man for now maybe. After hearing the others, "Well chanting will also help find whatever weird shit is down here." If it's like last time, she is sure chanting will be the least of their concerns. She motions to Lexi next, "Guess we will go see what this business is about. And now we have friends to die along side us." She chuckles as she begins to move foreward.

She shifts her form the her Urshul form, a large gray wolf as Flint appears. She yips back at him, ~Chanting down the tunnel, Minotaur maybe~. She motions with her head as she follows the group.

+----+ Rachel +----------------------------------------------------------------+

Rachel is surprised when a fucking //dire wolf// emerges from the tunnels to join them. But she's worked with werewolves before, and since Raven (wait, where did Raven go? Oh, she's a wolf now too, just smaller) doesn't seem perturbed, she'll assume for the moment that this is a Gud Wolf.

As she travels onward though, her steps grow lighter, and after a few moments she pulls her pistol from her holster. "Can you hear that?" She asks quietly to the dire wolf at her side. "It sounds like animals. Maybe a bit like you guys sound, when you wolf-talk to each other?" She glances aside at the dire wolf, not sure if she's making any sort of sense, before looking forward again. "And someone screaming. Burning."

She glances behind herself and waves the rest of the group to follow her as she continues onward, hunched forward slightly, stealthy and gun out.

She reaches into a pocket of her flak jacket, procuring something tiny and glassy; dragonfly wings. She pops them in her mouth and chews. To mortal eyes, a part of her flak jacket tugs loose into a drooping scarf down her back to either side of her rucksack, her eyes become heavily shaded, and out of nowhere there are gloves holding blades to the tip of her fingers like claws. To the Changelings among the party, she sprouts dragonfly wings, chitinous retractable claws, and a set of tiny compound eyes above her eyebrows and below her eyes, as well as elsewhere on her body.

+----+ Solomon +---------------------------------------------------------------+

As Rachel heads down the tunnel, Solomon shakes off his attempt to make intelligible meaning of the whispers, and follows. When Flint-the-giant-wolf bounds past him, he definitely doesn't try and get in its way. Instead, he hums to himself, _Riders on the Storm_ for anyone who is close enough to hear it. "Sounds charming. No doubt they're having a barbecue and someone just bit into a burger that was a bit too hot," he mutters. And yet, at the same time, he's practically vibrating with anticipation.

+----+ Faith +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Faith too, is very surprised at the sudden actual wolves that are around. For her part, she's not worked with wolves before, so there's definitely some -staring- going on from the vampire, though her face remains difficult to make out in the dark with her hood up. All she's got in way of preparation is a heavy looking cane, and she hesitantly joins the group, moving onwards.

+----+ Raven +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Raven thinks the party already started then. She moves ahead of Rachel slightly so her stealthy ass is not noticed. She says to Lexi in the first tongue, ~Well I guess we get to see what the noise is all about.~ She continues forward towards the direction of the screaming Rachel pointed out, keeping her eyes peeled for whatever the fuck they are about to run into.

+----+ Flint +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

The Embodiment of Fenris-Ur begins to glow. Runes of the purest silver light sizzle into his skin. Brands. They clasp around his throat because The Lunes LOVE SACRIFICE! His paws GLEAM with geomatric broken-blades. The Great Wolf's flanks sizzle and smoke with ethereal light seen in The Real. His footsteps leave burning prints that fade almost immediately. PURITY. HONOR. GLORY. The Blood Talon's Purity is such that the terrifying mantle of his ancestor is felt.

As that Renown and Rank is displayed, Flint takes the front only to stop. Claws dig into the concrete. The large horse-sized head turning to regard the other Uratha, and the one in Dalu (Lexi) will be growled at. Tongue sliding along those large fangs momentarily. Then again to the other Urshul, she is actually leapt at, jaws snapping violently at the air near the head. The Destroyer is straight-forward, not stupid. It is after this then that the Great Wolf eases himself again - drawing inwards, drawing outwards - claws digging into the cement. Essence burning in that soul-furnace, to call on his Gifts as that Primal Urge jerks forward and for a brief second, the savagery is displayed with pulled back lips, flashing fangs, and the Great Wolf momentarily starting to spasm.

+----+ Logan +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Logan continues to follow behind the others, watching as the large wolves leap ahead. The sound of screaming in the distance and the mention of animals draws a faint growl under his breath, but for now he continues to move, quietly behind the others, occasionally glancing back over his shoulder to keep an eye on their rear as they go.

+----+ Kenny +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

For everyone around them, Kenny is wreathed in crackling electricity that sparks and jumps as it moves like lighting over and around his form. In his hand he holds a long spear made of crackling lightning as he takes up the rear and looks around, making sure their group isn't jumped from behind.

+----+ Lilith +----------------------------------------------------------------+

The tunnel ahead curves, doubling back. The chanting grows. A second voice, more burning hair stink. Screams, shrieks. The snarls and howls beyond the switchback grow to a frenzied pitch. A third. A fourth. Squealing. Searing flesh added to the miasma of fire and burning hair. The howling and snarls half mask the screams.

The wolves can make it out. Celebration. Sermon. Indoctrination of the new into the old.

And beyond? A huge snort, a whuffle, and then a *bovine bellow* that shakes the walls and momentarily drowns out the celebration.

+----+ Solomon +---------------------------------------------------------------+

Solomon looks up at the screaming and the shrieking. His eyebrows go up and he scents the air. And then..."Ah. That would be O'Leary's Cow, then?" He swallows. "It sounds...larger than I'd imagined. It will be large and on fire." A pause. "Which isn't anything anyone didn't already know, probably. Either way, if you're vulnerable to fire, be wary, and if you're impervious to flame, now would be a good time for that." He sticks close to Rachel, shamelessly hiding behind her and the giant murder wolf.

+----+ Rachel +----------------------------------------------------------------+

Oh jeez, big scary giant werewolf is ornery with the other wolves. Rachel frowns at what to her looks like an unecessary distraction given that there's likely danger in front of them already, they hardly need it from their own party. But at Solomon's words she glances towards him, and smiles, "Alright, Doc," and holsters her firearm. She takes a packet of matches out of her pocket, strikes one, blows it out until only embers remain, and finally stubs it out on her tongue.

Then she draws her firearm again and proceeds onward.

+----+ Rachel +----------------------------------------------------------------+

In the wake of her fire-swallowing, sparks and embers glow ingo light in the air surrounding her, circling here in a glow of sparks.

+----+ Lexi +------------------------------------------------------------------+

Lexi nods to Flint at his show and homer simpson into the shadows, and stays behind. Listening, sniffing, waiting. She stalks forward slowly, letting the others go ahead so she can plan her next moves, see how many there are and the best actions to take next. She's patient, She will wait for the right time to strike.

+----+ Salvatore +-------------------------------------------------------------+

Heading north along the tunnel, Salvatore seems content to wander alone in the direction of the Verge...or was it that way? All these tunnels look alike to him. Coming to a cross roads in the tunnel system, he seems about ready to look for another path...when the giant roar comes from back the way he came. "Oh. It's awake now." Heading back towards the way he just came, the shadows begin to wrap around him as he disappears from view.

+----+ Raven +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Raven looks back but notices Lexi is gone, probably melded with the shadows now. She looks forward as Flint comes to a stop. She tilts her head in a nod when he speaks and nips at her. She says to him in the first tongue, ~Four Pure it sounds like, guess they will have their hands full.~ Hard to chuckle but she bears her teeth like a grin at him. The excitment getting to her now. She calls upon her essence to make her Purity Renown flare to life.

+----+ Faith +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Faith can't help but shudder. Fire. She heaves out a big sigh. "Thanks for the ... tip." She says in a soft voice, and then she's also just fading into the shadows, vanishing into nothing to be a bit more wary, and hopefully not be easily seen by fire creatures.

+----+ Flint +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

The Great Wolf shakes and growls, snarling. His strength increases, causing a terrible bulging against the flesh that makes his bones creak. His tendons make awful stretching noises. The claws dig into the concrete, and those paws swiping into the wet...concrete.

That large head turns to regard the spot where Lexi vanishes, growling. Then to Raven, another growl. At the sound of that bovine call, the large wolf has to clap his jaws together to cease a howling challenge that tries to rip out -- and one paw backs off.

As others begin to crackle, or burn, or transorm? What is the Rahu to do, but assume these are some umia?! So that crackling spear-wielder has his personal space invaded. Red-glinting eyes staring at it. Then the tunnel. Then back. Then to the ground, where claws swipe against the pools of fetid water and those black lips pull back to reveal fangs at the nearby Raven.

+----+ Logan +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Logan's eyes just sort of widen as this great big wolf thing snarling and hulking comes all the way back through them to invade Kenny's, and thus his personal space given that they're standing together. "Whoah... whoah.. what the hell? We're all on the same team here," he says, putting his hands up and taking a step back toward Kenny. Whatever's going on up ahead, there's a current pressing matter of a growling red-glinting-eye variety that needs addressing.

+----+ Lilith +----------------------------------------------------------------+

There's no threat from behind. Tonight, even the spirits that usually slink, slither, ad scuttle about are gone. It's eerily quiet outside of the fiery salvation beyond the curve in he tunnel. Some of the screams become gurgles, but the shouting, the howling grows louder. The snorts and calls of O'Leary's cow joining the insane in their celebration.

The light at the tunnel brightens, on of the auspice-shorn stumbling, on fire, falling near the ground to writhe in twisted bliss as the flames on their body start to die down.

+----+ Kenny +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Kenny points at the rahu and yells, "Back off or I'll fuck you up. Turn that on your enemy." Unlike Logan the Summer court changeling isn't going to take it and sets his spear to fend off a rush and nods. "Test me doggo, I'll paint the underground with your blood."

+----+ Solomon +---------------------------------------------------------------+

Solomon hisses as someone stumbles into the tunnel //on fire// and falls down. Hearing the shout from behind, he snaps, "None of us are spirit hosts. Ask later if you want a summary. Can we focus on the flaming cow-worshiping cult it sounds like is ahead of us?"

He points at the fiery body.

+----+ Rachel +----------------------------------------------------------------+

"Yeah, cut that shit out!" Rachel hisses to the others, mostly at the giant fucker of a dire wolf that seems to be directing aggression at the members of the away-team, while they can all hear people screaming getting quieter. Who knows who they're letting suffer and/or die while they waste time?

+----+ Lexi +------------------------------------------------------------------+

Lexi slips passed everyone and passed Flint and goes towards the corner to get a better look at whats waiting for us. She slowly stalks forward and pears around the corner as quietly as she possibly can.

+----+ Faith +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Faith, too, having faded away, slips past everyone and their argument? that's starting. Confident that she's protected by her invisibilty, she's inching forward, but a person on fire is giving her a definite pause.

+----+ Salvatore +-------------------------------------------------------------+

Salvatore having returned back to the group, slips past the group quietly with a smirk at whatever the hell that is going on. If nothing else, at least this will be entertaining!

You paged (Lexi, Faith, Bedlam) with ‘The pair manage to slink around the corner to peek around the edge of the wall. No one seems to notice, but that's because they're lost in the revelry. The one on the floor? The eyes are gone, but sure to grow back without too much trouble. One of the ten or so painted in blood and blistered by flame moves to drag the fallen Uratha back, shifting to Dalu and hucking them back into the fire's sweet embrace with a war whoop when they starts screaming again. They will live or die. The ten are in a variety of forms - wolf, dire wolf, dalu, one or two in homid. Those choosing to sacrifice their Auspice to join the Pure are the ones burning and screaming while the others cheer them on.

Beyond, the towering, broad form of the firey minotaur casts sparks and shadow over the gathering, basking in the fires they stoke and feeding on the essence shed.’

You paged (Lexi, Faith, Bedlam) with ‘the 20ft tall mino https://i.etsystatic.com/19757394/r/il/29a1b3/2828937664/il_fullxfull.2828937664_2uou.jpg’

+----+ Raven +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Raven looks around for a moment while Flint heads off to Kenny's area. She nods to him and looks over to the others as they yell at Flint. She growls for a second but shifts to her Dalu form to say to them, "We can use the lightning to bottle neck the enemies ahead with water if they charge. Lexi should be scouting ahead to see what's coming. If they do charge I'll break some pipes to make a bottleneck as Flint here suggested." She stays low as the fired one falls down. "What the fuck?"

+----+ Flint +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

The Great Wolf keeps his eyes on the lightning-warrior. To Flint, such a being is umia. No matter if it's on this side, or the other, and those snarls of First Tongue are born with snapping jaws and demanding posture, Lunar Runes burning brightly with the Rahu's growing aggression.

Then Raven is talking, and the giant horse-sized head turns towards her, then back to Kenny, tongue licking his teeth - as the large creature is careful to claw at the ground where water gathers and then hop up to the taller ground. Dryer. It's at the revelation of that burning zealot that the Destroyer turns his whole attention towards it, and ceases any notion of planning. Another exhale. Another.

+----+ Logan +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Logan just stares at the big wolf in bafflement. "Come on," he says to Kenny while it seems to be distracted and heads toward the corner with the others to go see what's going on. He's not staying at the back anymore. And so he approaches those who have gone to look at what lies beyond. "It sounds like people are dying up there and I don't want to just stand around in this hall playing fet..." which might be ironic coming from the canine Beast. But he's then distracted as someone on FIRE suddenly falls onto the ground.

+----+ Lexi +------------------------------------------------------------------+

Lexi quietly turns tail and halls ass back towards the group stopping next to Flint as touches his side as she drops her Shadow Pelt "UUUHHH guys we need to move back and quickly." She says paniced and managing to whisper. She pets his side attempting soothe the Great Wolf. "We need to get back to the surface, there are too many for us. We can speak once its safe." She gestures everyone to follow her back towards the way they came from.

+----+ Kenny +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Kenny eyes Flint then shakes his head, following after Logan to see what's ahead. Still crackling with electricity and holding that spear of lightning.

+----+ Faith +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

With Lexi backing off, so too does Faith. Eagerly. The fire has her this close to just abandoning everyone, but instead the Nosferaru just kind of appears beside Lexi. ?I agree,? she says quietly. ?We shoukd retreat. There are a lot of them...?

+----+ Solomon +---------------------------------------------------------------+

Solomon nods to Lexi, but does not immediately flee. Instead, he focuses on the burning form on the floor, staying well out of reach, and concentrates on them. He whispers, in Spanish, "Despite my profession and mien, centipedes give me the creeps. I have nightmares of them, sometimes." And he tries to pull the forms worst fear from its mind before it...dies? Or possibly gets up and starts to dance.

+----+ Rachel +----------------------------------------------------------------+

Rachel immediately steps in front of Solomon, not blocking his view of the fiery burning person (much) but certainly blocking their paths to each other. She grasps her pistol in a teacup grip. "Work fast, Sol."

+----+ Salvatore +-------------------------------------------------------------+

Unseen, the Italian Nosferatu has his phone out and recording quietly from a little section near the wall. He seems content to at least get some of this for research even if nothing else. As first a Lexi and then a Faith seem to appear past the entrance, Sal seems to just smirk to himself before heading towards the doorway himself.

+----+ Raven +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Raven looks to Lexi and Faith and nods. She stands up and tells the rest of the group, "Whatever they saw is too much for us right now. We need to tell the others of what's down here and come back ready." Raven is almost in physical pain at suggesting a tactical retreat, the urge to kill strong. She swallows it for now and keeps a determined look to the rest of them.

+----+ Lexi +------------------------------------------------------------------+

Lexi doesn't wait, she runs full sprint towards the exit, if they make it with her? great! If not? She warned them. She just runs.

+----+ Flint +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

With Lexi's touch, and Raven's urging, there is...an awful sound. The large Great Wolf leaving, back the way he came, though more than once the eyes dip back to see the sight of that burning-man. He'll change later. Above. Somewhere not here.

+----+ Kenny +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Kenny was making his way forward with Logan and even as they realize everyone is turning to run. Trying to see what they're running from his electricity lashes out, arching in a bright flash of light before the elemental loses his footing and falls. Cursing loudly as he's sure now it won't matter he uses his spear to help push himself up to his feet once more.

+----+ Rachel +----------------------------------------------------------------+

Rachel makes sure Solomon is bailing, but stays with Raven to try to get Kenny and Logan out.

+----+ Faith +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Faith has delivered her information, and slipping back into the shadows she's not sticking around either. There's a glance behind her as she hears that comotion, but as other seem to assisting she's moving.

+----+ Raven +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Raven sees the wolves haul ass and nods to herself. She looks back to the rest of the group. She begins to move as well when she hears the splat. She sighs as she looks over and sees Kenny splattered on the ground. "Goddamnit." Without hesitation she rushes towards him and grabs him to throw him over her shoulder. She then says to the rest, "Were bugging out, I suggest you do the same." With that she hauls ass, fireman carrying Kenny with her giant frame.

+----+ Logan +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

When Lexi turns around and tells them that they need to go _now_, Logan catches a glimpse of what lays beyond just in time to see Kenny go down. He reaches out toward him but when he sees that Kenny's already being dragged away, he blinks and shifts into his own canine form and takes off after them as fast as he can run.

+----+ Solomon +---------------------------------------------------------------+

Fear or no fear, it's clear that it's time to vacate the premises. Solomon makes a discontented sound, looking towards the tunnel and its hidden secrets, but as everyone else retreats, so does he.

+----+ Rachel +----------------------------------------------------------------+

Rachel keeps pace with Raven and stays at her side, covering her (and the carried Kenny) as they make their retreat.