2411/The Festival of Fear

The Festival of Fear
Date of Scene:	08 June 2015
Location:	Wyveria
Synopsis:	A Hallowed Jhen Mohran has been sighted in the Great Desert. The presence of this incredibly rare subspecies in time for this particular Festival of Fear can only be an incredible sign of good fortune, and for that reason people even outside of Wyveria's borders are invited to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime event.
Cast of Characters:	Tomoe, 20, 66, 415, 573, 581, 583, 619, 712, 756, 773, 774, 796

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Ysabel Thibault (581) has posed:
The Festival of Fear is a very significant celebration in Wyveria, where people gather from far and wide to Loc Lac City in time for the yearly Jhen Mohran migration, symbols of prosperity and bounty in the wide reaches of the Great Desert. This year in particular, however, is special. While it may be a month late, that's for a very good reason: an incredibly rare Hallowed Jhen Mohran has been sighted approaching that migration path. This can only be an even greater sign of prosperity for Wyveria, and what better time to invite people from outside Wyveria's borders to join in on this once-in-a-lifetime event?

Notices and invitations were sent out across the Multiverse, letting people know of the grand event that would be coming. Directions were given to Loc Lac City, the great desert city on the ocean's shore, and from there, once the sun had set and the full moon hung in the sky, everyone – including the massive population of hunters and various other citizens – would be directed onto the great dragonships and sent off. Not into the ocean, but on the open sands.

The dragonships are massive vessels, to be sure, but the several sent out into the Great Desert are built for travel over the sand rather than the ocean. They're ships of wood and giant dragon ribs, equipped with giant sails to catch the unhindered winds of the Great Desert, their forms mostly flat to allow them to skate over the desert's malleable sands. Fortunately, there's not the swaying and rolling of the open ocean to get used to here: dragonships move with remarkable smoothness, ensuring that whatever is on the ship's surface doesn't need to be tied down.

And there is a lot on each ship. Of course there are the inevitable cannons and ballista set up on the sides, just in case something horrible happens, but more importantly, there are several tables laden with Wyverian food (most of which is quite large medieval-type food that just doesn't look quite like what most would be used to), benches to sit, caskets of goldenfish ale, and more than a few musicians on the prow of each ship to liven things up a little. Not counting all of the hunters, of course, each one decked in their own armor constructed from the beasts they've hunted.

One of which, of course, is Ysabel. The huntress with the most experience in the Multiverse has chosen to hang around on the ship where most of said individuals have settled, though for now, she mostly stands back with her helmet tucked under her arm, quietly watching the proceedings and letting the slightly chilly desert air blow her hair back. All the other hunters on the ship are much more lively, eating and drinking and laughing and even challenging one another to small games here and there. It's a festive atmosphere under the silver moon, perhaps more so than one would expect with an event called the Festival of Fear.

BGM: https://goo.gl/eYCTVW

Shadumbra (712) has posed:
Ysabel's shoulder bears a heavy burden. Don't worry – this isn't a pun! – but it very well could become one should Shadumbra feel so inclined. For now, she's content to remain in the form of a large, glowy-eyed raven, various trinkets and baubles glinting against her slick black feathers. Every now and then, Shadumbra cocks her head toward a reflection of herself she finds in Ysabel's breast plate, and her plumage fluffs up in self-admiration.

Mantigora (583) has posed:
Most people wouldn't expect that, given their often aggressive and brutal nature, that Draken would be so interested in such activities. They may not show it often but that could not be farther from the truth. Even with the advents of space travel and cosmic wars they still held many of their tribal cultural aspects as well. Which included the ways of the hunt and of the land, paying respect to the land and the prey that allows for their prosperity. Much like the ship they stood upon now Draken built with bone and leather as much as they did steel and circuits, believing in not wasting what is taken from the lands.

Right now Mantigora was giving her respects by tearing into what looks like a large mutton on a stick but is probably the meat of some fierce monster rather than mere hog. She really needed to pick up some Wyverian recipies to try out some time.

Shin Tokuyama (756) has posed:
Festivals are great! Festivals on worlds not his own are even better.
Having left his motorcycle over in a long term parking garage, Shin is here and on the boat hanging around. He's got his backpack with him, as he always does, and is fishing around in it at the moment. When he takes his hand out of it, he's got one of those disposable cameras.
He leans out over the side of one of the ships and casually takes a picture with a loud *CLICK* before the scratch-scratch noise of him winding the film wheel can be heard.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
Last time she went in a desert it had pretty bad results, Toph notes. But still, a festival is certain to be more fun than pyramid spelunking. On one hand, it's nice to not get her feet burnt by the sand. On the other hand, she can't 'see' a thing. The blind earthbender is glad it's a smooth ride though. For now she keepss to the side of the ship, holding onto something and just listens. There's sand around, she can sense that. But with the deck made of wood it's hard to tell what's going on around her. Oh well, the breeze isn't too bad!

Sanae Kochiya (619) has posed:
The last time Sanae came to this world, it left her with mixed feelings, and maybe a few reminders of her not-so-distant past. Yet, at the same time, the very raw nature of it made her feel so alive that she's come back for more! There was no contract this time, instead it's a local festival of sorts, if one can call it that. The advertisements and postings had made it as far as the multiversal shopping centers she frequents, and as soon as she saw, she knew: She MUST see this! Finding her way around wasn't that difficult, thankfully, and she'd been directed onto the same ship as most other visitors from afar, by pure chance of course. Or perhaps, a small, everyday miracle.

As she hadn't gotten a chance to savor the local fare last time, she's currently seated and has a large, rough hewn plate with a massive, cured and roasted meat bone. It looks kind of ridiculous, honestly; she isn't some tiny girl by any means, but it absolutely dwarfs what would be her stomach capacity. With an unadorned knife and fork, she still manages to bring civility to it, trimming off small cuts and then putting them into her mouth, cheeks full as her eyes sparkle. The spiciness of the rub they used is quite a contrast to the chilling, desert air, "Ah, delicious!" For the moment, she is wearing her usual priestess adornments, but they are mostly covered by yet another grey, unremarkable and thoroughly disposable cloak she had bought on the way.

She has also made certain to secure a seat along the edge railing, or whatever passes for it on a dragon ship. If she falls overboard, it would be no problem for her, and she wants to make sure she has a good view of this whale thing that was mentioned! At least, it looked like a whale.

Lucatiel of Mirrah (66) has posed:
Well, this is certainly a novelty for the Elite Knight of Mirrah.

Dragonships are a novelty the likes of which Mirrah does not enjoy. Caught in its constant warring, such inventions require a surplus of resources that the kingdom, beset on all sides by its enemies, cannot spare. Thus it is that the masked knight's face is tipped back in admiration as she is ushered onto one such dragonship, admiring every line of the conveyances, as though to memorise their details.

She's never been over the ocean, so there's nothing to compare it to – but this is smoother than even the most well-bred courser she's ever had the privelege to sit astride, wondrously smooth; so much that even she has to admire it.

Lucatiel of Mirrah can be found, as she is often wont to do, near Ysabel Thibault. The mysterious knight has her arms folded over her chest, masked face tipped down as though unimpressed by the massive dragonship beneath her feet; listening to chatter from the others, the black plume of her magnificent hat rustling with the wind of their passage. Her blonde braid, however, whips behind her with the force of that chill wind. The cold doesn't seem to bother her, though her sleeves are only silk; deserts are familiar territory to her. It's familiar enough that even Lucatiel feels an upwelling of homesickness, however jealously guarded it may be.

She hasn't touched the drink or the food, and she's spoken little up until this point. She does eye Ysabel by the way she tips her head up, and one might see the gleam of her eye behind that mask, finally dropping her arms and making her way over to the hunter. And her avian companion, too. New pet?

"Ysabel." It's a greeting and an acknowledgement both. "I don't suppose you would mind telling me more of these Jhen Mohran. My home has no such creatures."

Sarah Rogers (796) has posed:
Festival of Fear. That's a bizarre name for a festival, But Sarah has coincidentally been having nightmares lately, maybe there's something here that can help? And if not, maybe the food will take her mind off it. She makes her way to the ship under her own power, that is to say she flies there, and lands off in a corner in case people aren't used to seeing flying people on this world. From there she makes her way into the festivities. At least there's someone here she knows, other there clutching the side of the Ship, "Hey Toph! Are you okay?"

Kazusa Ujikane (415) has posed:
Kazusa is no hunter. She's not even sure if she could get her cards to work for the purpose, aside from possibly 'throwing herself into danger and then needing them to survive'. But just seeing all these hunterly types, being in this strange world with these amazing people on a sandship sailing under a full moon, is more than she could possibly have asked for as it is.

Several hunters are probably harassed by the schoolgirl for information about their weapons, armor, profession, do they know any cool moves, before she spots, of all things, a shrine maiden sitting on a railing. One in a really cool outfit.

Seconds later, Sanae has company in the form of a glasses-wearing blonde schoolgirl, nomming some food off a plate she's picked up. "I didn't know this world had shrine maidens! That's a pretty cool outfit."

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
Truth be told, most of that was gobbledygook when Dorian read it. He understood 'special', 'festival', 'grand event', and that there would be food. And directions to the city, of course. That it was near an ocean was a little concerning, as he didn't much like traveling on ships. They rolled and pitched far too much for his stomach to agree with.

But of course they group will get herded onto the ships.Determined not to be seen as lacking in constitution, Dorian had gone on the ship when directed, head held high, prepared to find a place to suffer through the seasickness in peace. But then something amazing happened.The ship went not into the ocean, but onto the sands of the desert. And it didn't sway. Maker be praised, it didn't sway! Dorian might have just found a kind of ship he doesn't hate.

Once he has less worry about suddenly having the need to be sick over the side of the ship, that'll bring Dorian out of the little nook he'd found. He's been brave enough to try some of the local cuisine, too. The Hunters were obviously people of interest, wearing armor from their kills. He has been chatting at them for a short while, trying to determine what it is they do. Curious mage is curious!

The end result of all this is that there is a man with immaculately groomed dark hair, gray eyes, and a well-cared for mustache, a man wearing light-colored leather armor, with a white cloak over the lot and a staff at his back decorated with multiple serpent heads at the top, talking to some of the hunters about monster-killing. Questions such as how well it pays.

Mihk Lihzeh (573) has posed:
Mihk is here, arms folded as she leans against the side of the ship, watching the hunters go about their games. She seems severe, save for a small smile plucking at the corners of her lips. This reminds her of the Marauders of Limsa Lominsa.

She totes her signiture of being a huntress with her, the Hunting Horn she acquired from hunting the Nibbelsnarf, in a special harness rig that sits across her back, adjusted so she can still get at her Tome, should need arise.

Mantigora is noticed, and a pleasant wave is given to the Draken, her Hunt Mate during that prior expedition. "Miss Mantigora, tis pleasant to see you again. This promises to be quite the interesting expedition."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
There's a familiar voice there, and Toph's ears are sharp enough to hear it even over the chatter and music that is going on around them. "Ah, Babycap!" she responds with a grin, then spits some hair away from her face. "Whassup, gotten any help with those ribs yet?" As for how Toph is? The blind girl shrugs. "Other than the fact that I can't see a thing on this ship, it's okay. When those things show up I'll just get into the sand so I can get a better look."

Then her expression turns serious. "Tell me. Do they have any decent food here? It's a festival, so they ought to."R

Ysabel Thibault (581) has posed:
Ysabel mostly lets Shadumbra hang around as she wants. She's gotten used to the druid shifting around to take different shapes and lounging around however that shape best does so, and so the bird perched on her shoulder is...new, but not that unusual for her. She'll even lift her hand now and then to give the raven a scritch on the head.

Sanae gets a slightly baffled stare when Ysabel notices her. How can any girl that size eat something that big? Shin's camera is noted, too – he could pass for a human from Wyveria, but that camera's enough of a sign that he's not from here. Mantigora is obviously not from around here, either: her presence gets a wary look from Ysabel, but as soon as the hunter knows she's not here to make trouble, she shrugs and looks away again.

And there's someone Ysabel hasn't seen in some time. Her expression doesn't change much when Lucatiel comes over, but she at least lifts a hand in greeting. "Lucatiel, good to see you again. About the Jhen Mohran? Well..." A pause and a frown, as Ysabel thinks how best to describe it. "It's an elder dragon that lives out in the desert here. Swims through the sand like water, and minerals build up on its hide so that it kind of looks like a mountain range. They're symbols of prosperity because of that, but there's a subspecies called the Hallowed Jhen Mohran that has even more precious minerals forming on it. That's what we're going to see tonight." The huntress cocks her head toward one of the other ships further out. "These ships are usually used to hunt them or ward them away from the city, but that's not what we're going for tonight. Some people might jump on it and try to mine something, though. Think you might give it a shot?"

Shadumbra (712) has posed:
The glowy-eyed raven looks to Lucatiel, and produces a curious-sounding croak. It would seem Shadumbra returns the masked knight's curiosity.

As a matter of fact, it's more than Lucatiel to attract the raven's attention. Shadumbra's head swivels toward each newcomer to climb aboard the boat. Sanae, Toph, Kazusa, Mantigora – all are unique, and all are new faces to be memorized. Lucatiel's face is especially striking, of course. She's the only one here to be wearing a mask! Then again, Toph's blind eyes are also a signature trait, and Sanae's garb is distinct, too. It would seem everyone here has his or her own distinguishing characteristics. Makes it easier to commit names and voices to faces.

Especially whenever those faces aren't human, like Mantigora's, or Mihk's.

So many newcomers, and so few who've met Ysabel before. Mischief strikes Shadumbra like a bolt out of the blue. Shuffling sideways along the huntress's shoulder until Shadumbra's able to put one of her feet to the side of Ysabel's head, she parts her beak and croaks out: "Shiver me timbers! Crrawk!"

Banjo (773) has posed:
A late arrival to this festival is a green skinned alien. Hailing from the planet Namek, the youngster, surely not more than eleven years old, touches down on the ship after flying in from above. It's a gentle landing, made with a graceful step as he plants both of his booted feet on the ground. Small antenna twitch in the air as he feels the energies around, bright eyes peering about as hands go to rest idly on the sash fastened about his waist.

Mantigora (583) has posed:
:catchs the familiar voice speaking her name and the wave off to the side; she'd be a poor huntress if she didn't have the honed senses to pick up such cues. Quickly she gulps down her mouthful so she can speak properly. "Ah, Mihk, good to see you here too. And brought your trophy along as well, good." As she strides over to return Mihk's greeting her Macerators can be seen slung from her belt, mainly just as a sign that she's been here to hunt before. "This should be quite the spectacle, yes."

A pointed ear is cocked in the direction of Ysabel's explaining of the creatures they are going to see... minerals upon their backs? Hmm. This could be quite interesting indeed....

Sarah Rogers (796) has posed:
Sarah looks worriedly at Toph for a moment, then looks at the deck and taps her foot on it a couple times. "Ooooh.. Wood isn't Earth. That's gotta suck. The good news is they have a great looking buffet, grab my cloak and follow your nose and we'll get you a plate fixed up! Do you have any idea what a Festival of Fear's supposed to be about?"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
Even if Sarah is the main focus of the blind girl's attention, it's pretty easy to overhear things. Especially when somebody mentions minerals. Toph turns her head slightly as Ysabel explains matters about the sand creatures they are going to see, and she grins slightly. "Hey, lady!" she asks raising her voice. "Are these things dangerous in any way?" Better ask just to be certain before she does anything. "How do you usually mine things from them?" Not that it would matter much to her.

But she does grab onto Sarah's cape, nodding. Lead the way to the food, Captainling! "I have no idea, the only fearsome about this thing is that one musician who is playing slightly out of tune. Maybe that lady who's explaining things know. I just heard it was going to be some cool sand creatures."

Lucatiel of Mirrah (66) has posed:
"Glad to see the monsters haven't eaten you." Lucatiel gives a faint, slightly creepy-sounding laugh. Seriously, something about that masked and armoured woman is just odd, and to some, vaguely unsettling. "A dragon, hmm? I am not unfamiliar with those, although I am to understand the dragons of Drangleic are a fierce breed. It seems strange to me that they would be worshipped so."

She cocks her head slightly. "The dragons do not mind these fools leaping on their backs and digging away the very things they coat themselves with? Hm. Interesting." The knight shifts her weight, reaching up and rubbing at her jaw just below the mask, thoughtful. "Perhaps I may try my hand at such..." It's something to do, anyway. She's always up for new and interesting ways to get herself killed. Or, you know, new adventures and ways to pass the time. "I think perhaps I will. A knight of Mirrah is expected to be as much a horseman as a melee combatant. We shall see if my riding skills are up to the task." Again, that creepy little laugh. "I have never ridden a dragon before."

God, she loves the multiverse.

The raven is given a look, though, lingering long enough to suggest she's studying the bird more than a passing glance; evaluating, perhaps, what sort of creature it might be. Eventually, if the bird permits, Lucatiel will reach a gauntleted hand out to scritch the ruff of feathers around Shadumbra's neck. Carefully and cautiously, of course, as one always behaves with a new creature. "New pet?" she asks of Ysabel, in a tone that suggests she might be arching a brow if her face were visible.

Sanae Kochiya (619) has posed:
There's so much atmosphere to soak in. The air is perfect, at least with a little bit of added cloth between herself and it. The sounds and even the feel of a silty sea is distinct but not uncomfortable. With another bite of the meat, Sanae takes a moment to close her eyes and take a deep breath of the clear air, her own emerald green hair mirroring the wafting around of others'. Enough so that she spares a hand to reach back and try to contain it, if only for a moment. "The world of Hunters is a great place," she chimes, to noone in particular, though the approaching Kazusa would certainly hear it.

Speaking of which, after a few more moments of ambient indulgence, the priestess' eyes open again, blinking for a moment at the girl that wasn't there before. Her words take a few moments to properly process, with the bliss of sensory absorption fading way to reason, but then she smiles and even offers a light, polite laugh, at having been mistaken for a native, somehow. "Oh, I'm not from here. Though certainly there are probably priests here, or shamans?" She glances down at her grey cloak, that hadn't hidden her pristine shrine maiden robes very well, it turns out, then gives a shrug of her shoulders and a sheepish grin.

The cloak at least serves one other purpose, though. The priestess' eyes dart around searchingly for a moment, before she gives a light sigh, and wipes her hand of meat juices on some of the grey cloth of it, before extending a hand to Kazusa, "My name is Sanae Kochiya. I'm a wind priestess, so this kind of adventure suits me!" Whether the hand is taken or not, she scoots over against the railing, as though to offer a seat as she begins cutting away on the meat again. The answer, Ysabel, is clear: One morsel at a time. But she's already worked away a surprising chunk of it. The Hunter would get a recognizing beaming smile in return to the puzzled glance.

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
Dorian overhears Ysabel's statement of the Jhen Mohran, and starts in her direction. "Is that what we're here to see?" he inquires. "A migration?" He doesn't sound unimpressed, it's worthy to note. He's just asking because he's curious. And because he admittedly didn't pay too much attention to the notice. There was mention of food and drink.

The mage seems to remember his manners in the next moment however, and explains, "Ah, my apologies. I'm afraid I'm not from this world, so I'm a bit unfamiliar with the customs." Not that it really needs to be said that he's not Wyverian. The way he looks alone is enough to tell that much, and if not his manner of speech is another dead giveaway.

Sarah Rogers (796) has posed:
"I will neither conform nor deny that I might have cracked any ribs, but Kyra's an excellent healer." Sarah continues as she leads Toph towards the food. "Too many people talking at once." She says in frustration, "But I think I heard someone talking about migrating dragons? Did I hear that right? Is this like the running of the Bulls, but with dragons!?" She actually sounds a little excited at the prospect.

Kazusa Ujikane (415) has posed:
Kazusa's eyes light up a little. "Oh! You're an offworlder like me, too? Cooool." Kazusa ends up leaning up against the railing rather than sitting, and reaches out to give Sanae a hearty shake. "Kazusa Ujikane! I'm a... now how did I decide to say it," she murmurs, frowning thoughtfully. "...Card-using power copier! I can copy peoples' abilities with these cards I have." She settles into her own meal in that ravenous-but-controlled way that only a teenager can, looking out over the sandy 'sea' with an interested expression. "I'm just here to see what the world is like. It sounded really cool. I haven't been disappointed!"

Shadumbra (712) has posed:
The masked knight lures Shadumbra away from Ysabel's head. Scritches are welcome, and no matter how much indulgence might diminish a druid's dignity, Shadumbra justifies the leaning joy by telling herself she's just playing the role.

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe had not had contact with Ysabel in a very long time, so long she's changed avatars since that time and escapeds SAO she wonders if Ysabel would even know hr. Still she's in a good mood and is now wandering around trying to locate her friend in this big crazy party which she's clearly enjoying herself in.

Mihk Lihzeh (573) has posed:
Mihk smiles a little wider at Mantigora. She pats the haft of her Hunting Horn and nods. "Indeed. I would not come to such an event without the mark of being a Hunter here, even if I have been lax in my involvement."

The Miqo'te pushes off of the sidewall, and walks on over to join the Draken. She twitches an ear over at Sarah's question to Toph, and pipes up. "Tis a festival to follow the Elder Dragon Jhen Moran, if my memory serves me. A yearly event, though this one is unique. One of the locals might have better grasp upon the minutae." she offers.

Ysabel Thibault (581) has posed:
Ysabel's expression shifts to a flat-eyed stare of absolute humorlessness when Shadumbra puts one foot against the side of her head. Fortunately the raven stops that soon enough, thanks to Lucatiel's interception. "Not so much a pet as an on-and-off traveling companion," she grumbles in answer to Lucatiel's last question.

The huntress gives a shrug, then, and settles back into a slightly more dignified stance. "They're so laden with minerals that you'd have to go pretty deep to get through the rock and hit the body. At least on the back. Makes hunting them kind of a pain, but that's what the cannons are for. If you get knocked off, though, someone will throw you a rope or something. Just pick up a pickaxe when you're ready and give it a shot."

Ysabel suddenly gets a slightly confused expression when so many people begin talking to her. Toph gets her attention first, and the silver-armored huntress shrugs slightly. "Well, they could smash one of these ships in a second if they wanted to. Just don't piss it off and you'll be fine. And you mine things with a pickaxe. Unless you're some weird Multiverse person with magic mining powers or whatever, I guess."

Dorian gets her attention next. "Basically, yeah. You'll probably see other stuff coming by too, but it'll mostly just be the Jhen Mohran. This one isn't trying to migrate through Loc Lac City so it's not a problem. Where're you from, anyway?"

As the ships sail along, they start to be joined by new companions both above and below. Schools of fishlike creatures begin to swim alongside the ships, leaping up out of the sand like dolphins, and about as large as them (http://goo.gl/0whqAG). Black and tan serpentine wyverns about the size of humans fly in flocks high above, now and then giving hissing cries to communicate with one another (http://goo.gl/pUqGgZ).

Shadumbra (712) has posed:
At this juncture, Shadumbra decides to take to the skies. "Anchors aweigh!" she croaks, right before spreading her glossy wings and leaping from Ysabel's shoulder.

The hot winds do half the work at pushing Shadumbra into a swift ascent. Wings held wide and open, she soars in broad circles above the ship, each turn carrying her higher and higher. With the thermals to help, she only has to beat her wings now and then.

Sanae Kochiya (619) has posed:
"They said they're Elder Dragons, but they don't look like any dragons I've ever seen," comes Sanae's idle wonderment, as she looks thoughtful while carving off another slice from the slab. This is somewhat out of the thread of conversation. It could be directed at Kazusa, but it's just as likely she's just thinking aloud, as she sometimes does. "I'm beginning to think everything large and scaley is a dragon, here." She adds a playful smile to the end of the observation, "Not that I'm questioning it. When I left my Earth behind, we were still trying to settle what to call a planet or not."

Eventually, her cutting and chewing slows, as indeed her stomach space proves non-infinite. She doesn't push away the huge slab of meat, just yet, letting it rest on her knees with a steadying hand as she leans backward in satisfaction, glancing over the side of the ship. It's about this time that she makes it obvious that she was still listening, "Power copying, with cards? Hmmm..." One can practically hear the mental gears turning over, as she all but fingersnaps, "I have heard of someone that can do something like that. She is a satori...named Satori." She gives a slightly geeky laugh, it might make one wonder if she was just joking on that.

But then her attention quickly diverts, as she senses something in the environment that's cruising by changing. There's a long, drawn out gasp, as she's absolutely captivated, "So these kind of social animals exist here. The last one seemed solitary. Awesome!"

Sarah Rogers (796) has posed:
Sarah nods a thank you to Mihk, "Interesting, not quite as exciting as the running of the Dragons, but I'm glad I came none the less." She ponders, then turns her attention to Ysabel for a moment, She's apparently the host. "Would is be possible to have this festival on a metal ship next year?" She asks in apparent seriousness, "My friend here has a disability that should be accommodated!"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
The explanation from Mihk does catch Toph's attention, and she blinks. "Oh, right. So it migrates, huh."

Those who know her can probably guess why she is grinning for herself when Ysabel comments. "You could say that I am. A pickaxe would be less efficient for me, thanks." Then she yanks on Sarah's cape. "You wanna join on the mining, or do you wanna just watch me?" For now though they need food. Though she frowns when Sarah poses her question to Ysabel... and reaches up to whap her over the head. "Like hell they need to do that! I don't need any special treatment just because I'm blind!" Toph says, her voice going slightly high pitched!

Shin Tokuyama (756) has posed:
The wandering combat vagrant is still here, hanging out on the ship. He doesn't know pretty much anyone here, so he's sticking to his tourist thing. He mills around the deck of the ship, occasionally taking a moment to lift his camera and take a picture when one of the dolphin-like creatures appear. And again when the wyverns hang out overhead.
He lets out a slight 'oooh' noise and takes another picture, this time of the raven as it circles over head. Mostly just touristing.

Mantigora (583) has posed:
Mantigora takes another bite out of her half eaten meat-on-bone. "Enjoy the food in meantime. Always take time to sample local cuisine, it can tell much about the people that make it."

Lucatiel of Mirrah (66) has posed:
"Hou...?" Lucatiel tips her head up, regarding the bird more curiously as it takes off with an impressive downdraft. It's strong enough to knock Lucatiel's hat off, although she snaps out a hand and seizes it before it has a chance to blow away. The wide-brimmed leather hat is tucked under an arm. Sadly, it does not bare her face at all; her mask is entirely separate from the hat, but it's a little more obvious that, however deep-voiced and stern, the knight is definitely a woman. "Interesting. 'Tis a curious bird, and one I've not seen the like of before."

She folds her arms, then, tilting her head slightly to one side. "Hmm. I see." The masked face glances back out to the distant Jhen Mohran. All the wild things following the dragonship are given a brief survey, and apparently dismissed as not much of a threat. Her masked face turns back to Ysabel. "Good luck, then, if you'll be mining, yourself." Behind her mask, she smiles a thin and humourless smile; one that shows through in her tone of voice. "Or, perhaps, you will merely laugh at the mistakes of the uninitiated. Good fortune to you, either way," she adds with a wry laugh, "and let us hope that the latter does not include myself."

With another flick of a gloved hand, she makes her way to the railing, where Shin Tokuyama is eagerly snapping pictures of the local flora. Which is, for once, not of the horrible sort that wants to eat people. They look pretty tame, in fact. "You there." Lucatiel is wonderfully polite and eloquent and well-mannered! Totally. Yeah, totally not. The masked knight, hat still clutched under her right arm, points at the camera with her left hand. "What is that thing...?"

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
Not to worry, Dorian is patient. This isn't his world, and he recognizes that there are a lot of people speaking to the woman who'd explained. Very likely a person of import in this world, Dorian figures. And everyone wants the attention of the important ones, in any world. So not to worry, Dorian waits for his answer.

"I see," he responds to her explanation. "Migrating through the village definitely sounds like a problem," he agrees. "Does that happen often?" The question of where he's from gets a response as well, "A place called 'Thedas.' It's been relatively quiet on the ... er, 'Multiversal' front so far as I know."

He does go quiet when the things start flying around in the air – including Shadumbra in raven form! And also things start leaping out of the sand like great, toothy dolphins! He seems tense for a few moments, until it becomes apparent that they're not going to leap onto the ship and eat everyone. For now. "Fascinating ... "

Toph's raised voice does get his attention, and he looks in her direction, blinking. Even he's smart enough not to comment on that situation. He doesn't know Toph or Sarah, so he doesn't know the situation enoguh to comment, anyway.

Banjo (773) has posed:
Once landed, Banjo begins to make his way around the ship. He knows few of the people here, so is mostly quiet as he bobs and weaves amongst the people chattering and interacting with each other. With hands tucked at the small of his back he politely smiles and nods when people look at him. Somewhat naturally, he finds himself near the only person whom he has actually interacted with before: Sarah Rogers. He says nothing to her though, choosing to just bumble along and take it all in for the moment.

Mihk Lihzeh (573) has posed:
Mihk nods to Mantigora, and goes to get something while the Delex begin to leap alongside the ship, and the Remobra swoop and wheel around overhead. "This reminds me of home... except that we would be swaying on a watercraft instead of skating along on a sandship."

Shin Tokuyama (756) has posed:
Shin takes a long moment to look at Lucatiel. Okay, so judging by his (her, he mentally corrects when she speaks) outfit, she seems to be from ~ye olden dayes of yore~. That means Shin immediately switches to a more practiced explanation, "Oh it's a camera. It works by like... it captures something that happens, then you take it to an artist who can turn it into a full painting. It's a great thing to have with you when you travel because you can remember the places you've been."

Sarah Rogers (796) has posed:
"Ow!!" Sarah winces, She looks down at Toph, her expression, and voices suggesting that she's honestly worried she's hurt her friends feelings, "I—I'm sorry, It was a joke.. mostly. But That was pretty inconsiderate of me." She lets out an apologetic sigh. She brightens up a bit when she sees Banjo, and hey, apparently he can fly too! She waves at the Namekian and motions him over to join her.

Ysabel Thibault (581) has posed:
"Hey, watch out for the Remobra up there," Ysabel calls up to Shadumbra when the raven flies off. Don't want her getting poisoned or something, after all.

Sarah gets a long, baffled stare from Ysabel, as if she has a steadily-growing list of questions as to what the girl has just said. Toph at least deals with the answer to that, and Ysabel finally gives a helpless shrug. "I dunno, I'm not the one who arranges these things. We don't have metal dragonships, anyway. All that material's supposed to be for more important stuff. I guess you can ask the Guild if you really want?" Pause. "Why the hell would a metal ship help a disability, anyway?"

Lucatiel is given a slight shrug, then. "Shadumbra's pretty unique, from what I've seen so far. Maybe you'll run into her sometime if you're both out one day." No smile graces Ysabel's features, but she does give the Mirrah knight a nod of acknowledgement, regardless. "Thanks, and good luck to you, too. I'll probably give it a pass myself, but we'll see, I guess. Don't fall off or anything."

Then Dorian's speaking to her once the others have shuffled off, and Ysabel offers him another shrug. "Now and then the Mohrans get pissy about the city, but it's not a frequent problem. Usually they're pretty docile. Haven't heard of Thedas, though, but...guess I might hear about it soon enough, depending on how things go. Welcome to Wyveria."

Mantigora (583) has posed:
Mantigora chuckles a bit at Mihk. "If this was Nexus, it would be hovercraft.... and it would be more than just creatures swimming in the sand alongside the ship. Morely likely trying to break it open for the 'tasty snacks' inside." She grins a bit like it was a joke, but there's no misreading what she means by 'tasty snacks inside'.

Kazusa Ujikane (415) has posed:
"Ooh, a Satori..." Kazusa replies, eyes even wider. "I've never met one before. I—" And whoa, there are wyverns above and... thingies, in the sand. "Oh, wow... I've never seen anything like this before!" She watches with undisguised fascination, munching on her food as she does so and somehow finding the time to add, "I can't really read minds, either... well, unless I copy someone who does. But I guess I'd kind of like to meet that satori some time." Nomf. "...Especially if there's more good food like this. Is this the kind of adventure shrine maidens from your world usually get up to, though? It sounds great!"

Banjo (773) has posed:
Appearing to get a bit more comfortable as he settles next to Sarah, he beams a toothy white smile up to her, green antenna twitching just a bit. "Hi!" He greets simply enough, before looking around to all of the others around. "You know all of these people, Miss Rogers? You sure are a popular person." His hands remain at the small of his back, green fingers fiddling with each other as he thinks through some idle thoughts.

Lucatiel of Mirrah (66) has posed:
The mask hides her face, but Lucatiel does offer a slow blink in regards to that explanation. It makes enough sense, although it's strange, and most certainly there's some kind of magic going on. A full painting, from a little device like that? She folds her arms, cocking her head slightly and regarding the camera. "So, like an artist's sketch, then, and it must be brought to the artist to complete..." It's a sensible enough explanation. "Curious."

"Thank you for the explanation, I suppose." Curiosity satisfied, the knight leaves the wanderer to his photography. Maybe she'll look into these strange camera devices in the future. It would be a nice diversion from travelling, killing things, and thinking about more pressing issues. Everyone needs a hobby, right?

With that, she meanders back to Ysabel and Dorian, eyeing them curiously. Something that neatly-groomed stranger had said struck a curious chord, and Lucatiel tilts her masked face toward Dorian. "Yes, I would be curious to know if the Jhen Mohran migrate often through villages. Are cannon the only provision of fighting such beasts? I imagine very little would affect them, if their hides are so impenetrable as you have said."

Shadumbra (712) has posed:
Beware the Remobra, hm? No need to tell Shadumbra twice. Though the raven flies high enough to have a better look at the wyverns, she's wise enough to keep a safe distance. The dolphin-sized creatures seem less fearsome on a closer look. Shadumbra flits and floats among their number, too, using well-timed wingbeats to evade anything leaping too close.

She'll play like this awhile, rising and falling, until the target of their endeavor comes into view. At one point, she squawks as she shoots past Banjo and his conversation partner, Sarah Rogers. It's a friendly enough sound.

Sarah Rogers (796) has posed:
Sarah Rogers laughs at Banjo's question, "Oh Hell no! I have no clue who *any* of these people are except for you and Toph." She grins a little at the perplexed look Ysabel gives her. "It.. was a bad joke really. I'd explain it, but I'm afraid Toph might hit me again. I'll let her explain if she feels like it."

Sanae Kochiya (619) has posed:
The main attraction still hasn't shown itself, but this has certainly been a good appetizer. Sanae finally shifts the meat hunk off of her immediate person, settling it only somewhat precariously next to her. This frees her to give another, relaxed stretch as she breaks her attention away from the local biosphere, and busies her newly free hands with refastening her cloak. "I think that's true for a lot of people," she thinks, sliding her way up to join Kazusa in standing on the edge to watch, without the extra pain of having to keep her head turned. Detached sleeves prop against the edge of the ship, "This world is amazing, really. Everything is so wild and alive! I think it must come everything living on the edge, all the time."

On her own origin and status, though, Sanae's resulting fidgets are on the border of visibility. It's not that she appears uncomfortable, so much as she's trying to think of how to distill it for someone that isn't familiar, judging by the thoughtful look that comes over her face. "Well, it might be hard to visit that girl. She lives in what we call the Old Hell. There's still a lot of troublesome spirits and the like down there." After the explanation, though, her easygoing smile returns, as she's in the comfort zone when it comes to her work, "In Gensokyo, it's about more than just ceremony and shrine maintenance. A shrine maiden's duty is to beat up troublemaking supernatural things, and to gather faith for the shrine's gods."

A finger is raised to poke at her cheek, ponderously, "I originally came to this world thinking that it would be good practice. But I've come to appreciate the atmosphere for the sake of it. It's a lot different than any 'monster hunting' I've done before." Now that she's thought of that, though, she's visibly and audibly excited again, "That's why I'm going to try to collect some crystals from the main boss's back!" Did she just use video game terminology?

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
"It's unfortunate, but more than likely you will hear of it, if things go as they usually do," Dorian replies to Ysabel's question. Apparently Murphy's Law applies to other worlds too. "But this isn't the place or time for unpleasantness such as that." He smiles, and then offers by way of introduction, "Dorian of House Pavus, Altus mage of Tevinter. How do you do?" He bows politely.

He also turns a polite glance Lucatiel's way as she looks in his direction, but as she doesn't actually address him, he offers only, "Greetings." In a polite voice, yes, but nothing else. For a moment anyway. The mask gets his attention, and he tilts his head. And then he inquires, "Out of curiosity, have you ever been to Orlais? Nearly everyone there wears a mask." Again it's not an impolite comment, merely one brought on by curiosity.

Banjo (773) has posed:
Banjo blinks in surprise when he hears the squawk from the night elf, turning to face Shadumbra with a faint smile and a wave as she breezes past. Peering back up to Sarah as she explains, Banjo laughs before shrugging. "You are still one up on me. Tell me, which one is Toph? I've spoken to her a bit on the radio, but haven't actually met her or anything yet." The young Namekian squints at the surrounding guests, trying to get a read on who the earth bender could be.

Shin Tokuyama (756) has posed:
"Yeah, that's a good way to put it. You get a sketch and you take it to get painted in," Shin says with a nod of his head to Lucatiel, pretty pleased to have managed to explain it in a way she more or less understood, "It's very handy like that. But uh, alright. Don't let me keep you!" He waves as she heads over towards Ysabel and Doreian. He follows a few moments later, mostly out of boredom.

"A mage, huh? That's pretty cool! My world never had magic, but I've seen a couple people use it lately," Shin rocks on his feet a bit, "Did it take you a long time to learn?"

"OH! Manners," He puts his camera into his coat pocket and holds out his hand, "Shin Tokuyama. Combat Vagrant."

Mihk Lihzeh (573) has posed:
Mihk nods a little to Mantigora. "Indeed... Though I will take my leave for now, I wish to get a good view of this creature as we approach it." she says, taking some easily carried mosels with her and finding a nice, high spot to watch from.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
"Seriously, metal ships in the desert... they would probably sink and be too heavy," Toph mutters as she walks over to the food table, still holding onto Sarah's cape, her free hand reaching around to see if she can find any decent food. When Ysabel inquires further about her disability, Toph sighs. "I'm blind. It doesn't matter, my friend here just has to guide me around. Don't worry about it." It's not like she's going to call out how she sees anyway, not in front of so many people.

When Banjo speaks up Toph is slightly distracted, though once she has picked up some food she arches an eyebrow. "I'm here, Banjo. You're here to watch the sand dragons too, huh?" She certainly is short for such a loud and bratty voice, huh? Especially for one that talks about how strong she is.

Kazusa Ujikane (415) has posed:
At some point or other, Kazusa has managed to tuck away all that food, a youthful appetite that seems entirely unfitting for her relatively small frame. "Everything living on the edge... that's a pretty good way to put it," Kazusa agrees. "I don't think I could do it here. Or at least, not be a hunter. My cards only work if I'm in danger. Like, direct danger."

Old Hell? Troublesome spirits? That sounds really cool. "Your world sounds really cool," Kazusa declares. "And that sounds a lot like what they used to do in my world! Or at least what they were supposed to do. I dunno if they really did."

Wait, did she just say 'main boss'?

"E—eh?" Kazusa's eyes are wide. "There's a main boss here?! Is it, like, some kind of super-monster that stirs up all the other monsters, and you have to fight it in a battle in three parts and one of them is on its back?!"

Lucatiel of Mirrah (66) has posed:
She might look like a backwards mediaeval hick to modern sensibilities, but thankfully, Lucatiel is a reasonably sharp-witted woman. Dumb people tend to have a very low life expectancy in places like Drangleic and Mirrah. They get murdered by other people or they get murdered and then eaten by horrible monstrosities.

Yeah, no, life is kind of terrible in Drangleic and Mirrah. People are too busy killing each other or fending off the horrible monstrosities to worry about putting together neat inventions like the camera obscura.

Lucatiel glances aside, slightly, to the mage. "No." Her rejection is flat, and a little cold. "You may call me Lucatiel. I come from Mirrah, a land of knights... and only Elite Knights as myself are permitted masks such as these." She gives a quiet laugh, the kind that a lot of people find more than a little unsettling. "When most people see this mask, they quickly find business in other directions."

"The Elite Knights of Mirrah are given free rein. They are the law unto themselves below the lord's own authority." Yeah, they're basically the Chevaliers of Orlais. They do as they please without much regard for the law, and few of them are actually upstanding sorts of people. The class division in Mirrah is brutal and unforgiving. "But you've nothing to fear from me, Dorian Pavus of Tevinter." Her tone of voice suggests a crooked little smile. "We are not in Mirrah, are we...? Although in honesty, all of this sand is a most curious reminder of home..." The last comment seems almost wistful, spoken softly. Her voice returns to its usual aloof tones. "I have not been to Orlais, but perhaps I will find reason to visit in the future. It seems there are few masks to be found beyond Mirrah's bounds. Not that I care, but it would be an interesting diversion, to compare craftsmanship."

She turns, then, glancing back as Shin joins them. And while the others can't see it, she raises a brow behind the mask, and her voice reflects it, slightly blank. "'Combat Vagrant?' That is an interesting title. What... precisely... does that entail?"

Ysabel Thibault (581) has posed:
Lucatiel's sudden return brings Ysabel's attention back to the knight. Her hand lifts enough to wobble in the air as a precursor to her answer. "Sorta? It's not too common, but sometimes they get aggressive. The Dah'ren Mohran are a lot more aggressive than the Jhen Mohran, though, so you need to worry about attacks from them more. They're generally about the same though." She points off to the front of another nearby ship, then, where a massive spear can be seen just under the prow. "You have the dragonators on the front of each ship there that help out. Otherwise it's mostly cannons and ballista, or you can jump on them and attack weaker parts with your weapons. Some places are more exposed, like the blowholes or chinks in the plates."

Dorian's got her attention next. The huntress doesn't smile – she never does, really – but she does give a polite nod. "Ysabel Thibault. Nice to meet you. I'm just a hunter, so no fancy titles here; sorry to disappoint." That's probably a joke, but it's hard to tell when she only adds a hint of dull sarcasm to her tone. "I'm from Dundorma Town, though, close to the center of Wyveria. Have you been there yet?"

Dorian's comment makes her look over at Lucatiel again with a curious stare. Come to think of it, the woman's never taken off her mask, has she? Weird.

And there's Shin, too. "Finally, someone else who doesn't have a bunch of magic bullshit around. I was starting to think I'd never run into a normal world again. Where are you from, anyway?"

Banjo (773) has posed:
When Toph reveals herself, Banjo swivels his head around to locate the earthbender with a smiling face. "Yep! I always like seeing dragons. I love the shape of them. One day, when I make my own, maybe I can get inspiration from something I see here." No comment is made on her short stature, as the young Namekian isn't even that big himself! "I'm also here just to meet some new people. Dende finally let me have a break from my studies, so it's nice to see and meet some new people up close for a change. Rather than keep tabs from the Lookout. But nice to finally meet you in the flesh."

Ysabel Thibault (581) has posed:
The sand suddenly begins to rumble, the vibrations growing stronger and stronger with each passing moment. Excitement starts to spread among the hunters: "It's coming!" "Finally, took it long enough!" "Oh my, I've never seen one before. This will be great!"

The sand off the port side of the ship explodes upward, and it looks as though a mountain erupts from the desert, crowned by two massive tusks of violet minerals that glisten in the moonlight. A long, low bellow drowns out all other sounds in the desert, demanding attention to the elder dragon that bursts from the sands.

Calling the Hallowed Jhen Mohran a whale is entirely accurate, as its massive bulk has the same general shape of one, and it seems easily more than twice as long as a single dragonship. As it leaps up out of the sand and arches over the ship in a remarkably graceful spiral, the violet minerals all along its back shine in the moonlight as if it intended to show off its heavenly bounty. Soon enough, though, its slow-motion leap comes to an end as its great tusks pierce the sands on the other side of the ship and send the rest of its body crashing down into the ever-flowing desert once more, back out of sight. (http://goo.gl/tGsQbA)

The ships erupt with a joyful cacophony of cheers and applause from all the gathered hunters.

Soon enough, the Jhen Mohran breaches the sands between the ships again, this time swimming alongside them with its crystal-laden back above the surface. The ships start to move into place, sailing close enough for people to start jumping onto the relatively flat back of the elder dragon. Ysabel, for now, isn't getting involved in all that. She's watching it, at least, but she doesn't look interested in jumping right into the action.

Mihk Lihzeh (573) has posed:
Mihk, for her part, sits in her perch, and pulls out her tome, turning to some of the back, blank pages that are loosely held there. An assortment of practice Geometries, and some personal sketches she doesn't trust to her personal quarters. A blank sheet is taken, and a quill produced from some fold in her robes or other, and she gets to work, sketching the great creature as it undulates between the ships. "Magnificent." she muses softly to herself.

Banjo (773) has posed:
Banjo's eyes widen significantly when the dragons break through the sandy ocean, the alien from Namek positively captivated by the sight. He leans against the edge of the ship, fingers wrapped about the railing tightly as he watches with a drawn breath as the gigantic heaps of mineral writhe about. As people scamper upon it, Banjo doesn't move. He doesn't dare hop on something like that, appearing happy enough to just take it as it is from afar. "That's so cool."

Sanae Kochiya (619) has posed:
"Oh, it definitely IS cool," Sanae confirms as she snaps herself back from her seeming battle preparedness, though she is still seen adjusting the detached sleeves of her priestess robes, subconsciously. "I came from a boring Earth where everyone had dismissed crazy things, like ghosts and space aliens. All they did was argue about the environment, or the economy. But, in Gensokyo, eccentric things have found refuge. That's why Lady Kanako decided to move our shrine there." She gives a thought on it, then from deeper inside her cloak, she withdraws a smart phone. One that is obviously a few years out of date, but can still do things like IR and Bluetooth exchanges. She offers up her contact, hoping that Kazusa has something similar – and compatible – to make this easy.

"Here! You can contact me and visit, sometime," she cheerfully offers. "We've been getting some company from the multiverse, lately, so it should be fine. And yes, this is definitely the main boss! Though, it's not really a fight...I think. More of a ritualistic thing?" She suddenly seems uncertain of it, herself, but as the call of the primary attraction echoes in her ears, she has suddenly regained her focus, and the sparkles are back in her eyes. And then, something truly wondrous: It not only jumps over the ship, but actually clears it, almost as though issuing its welcome, and its challenge. "It's here!"

With the Jhen Mohran having appeared, she gives a final glance to Kazusa, re-pockets her phone, wherever it is that she normally keeps it, and then clasps her hands together, "Catch you later, okay?" Her apparent 'prayer' begins gathering a breeze around her, powerful but well controlled enough to not send anyone nearby flying. She, however, is a different story, as she's suddenly lifted off the deck of the dragon ship and is making her way towards the dragon whale. "Prepare yourself," she calls, as she hovers in to attempt a landing, "I'm coming for your crystals!"

Mantigora (583) has posed:
Mantigora nods to Mihk, tossing the bone in whatever serves as a waste bin and ambling over to the edge of the ship. Just in time to see the mountain of minerals upon the back of a land-whale break its way to the sandy surface. This gets a sharp whistle between the Draken's fangs. "Knew they were big.. but that is BIG."

She glances off to the sides for a moment as people are cheering, and grabbing their picks as the creature dives into the sands. Must be the right one, then. With a grin she puts one foot up on the railing, then uses a hand to balance herself as she gets ready.

One of the attendants hurries over to her and holds up a pickax. "Miss, if you're going to go for the minerals, you'll want one of these."

"Oh, thank you, but no." Mantigora holds up her other arm and extends a pair of high tech blades that are somehow longer than the forearm they seemed to come out of (go nanotech!). "I have my own."

As the dragon-whale of the desert resurfaces she gleefully leaps over the rail to it's backside.

Sarah Rogers (796) has posed:
Sarah turns to get a good look at the long overdue main event, taking a step back and whistling appreciatively. "That's amazing.. Not like any Dragon I've ever seen. It's.. more like an living Amethyst Geode." She muses as she watches the thing in awe. "Are they Docile? I'd love to take Toph over to touch it, if it's not going to eat us for trying."

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe has been lost in the party and enjoyin herself with the company of some of the locals now h9owever she thinks she's spotted where Ysabel has been. Ysabel woulf find a very tall woman with purple hair, elf ears, also weaing half plate and clothg armour coming up to her. The face she might know if she took a good look at her.

Hey Ysabel it's good to see you it's been a while, I'm glad to see your doing well and yes this is Tomoe things have ... changed a lot for me since we last ran into eachother."

Kazusa Ujikane (415) has posed:
A world where everyone dismissed crazy things? Kazusa scowls. "That does sound pretty boring. Kinda reminds me of my world," she adds with what was almost a pout. "We're supposed to be really 'spiritually rich', but I've never seen anything supernatural that wasn't from the rest of the Multiverse." The phoe perks her interest, and after a few moments she nods happily. "Ooh, that works!" Her own is pulled out, a shiny Multiversal model with plenty of cross- and back-compatibility built in. Her attention drifts away from the phone exchange for just a moment, and—

And there's the main event.

Kazusa's jaw hits the floor, metaphorically speaking.

"Hooooly crap," the girl murmurs. "It's huuuuge..." She watches the Hallowed Jhen Mohran breach the sand, high overhead, never once feeling the faintest bit of concern that the thing might come down atop them. The shining crystals, the huge, majestic movements, even seeing everyone start to pull up alongside when it surfaces again. "Woooow." For the time being, she's more than happy to watch Sanae go flying off to collect crystals, however it might turn out. "...gotta figure out a way to do that myself."

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
Shin comes over to join them, and Dorian looks in his direction as 'mage' is said. "Yes, that I am," he confirms. "I've heard of worlds that had no magic." He crosses his arms at his waist, one hand rasing to his chin in a thoughtful pose. "It confuses me how a world and its people can be so disconnected from its spirit world. Or have no spirit world at all. How do they survive? How is it they don't just ... dry up and blow away?"

As for having taken a long time? "Not really," he notes. "Magic is in my blood, you see. My parents were amongst the best mages in Tevinter, as were their parents before them. I've heard mages tell of their 'Harrowing' being ... well, harrowing, but I can't say I had the same experience."

Lucatiel's statement gets a raised brow. Though he instantly recognizes the tone. A sharp one, this 'Lucatiel,' with a tongue like a razor. "The chevaliers are the law in Orlais. Their word goes unchallenged.Which presents all the kinds of problems you can imagine when nobles are allowed to deal with the common population as they will." He does smile to her mention of having nothing to fear. "That is most gracious of you, my lady." Spoiling the party with violence would be unpleasant, after all.

The mention of the masks gets a nod. "An Orlesian's mask rarely hides his identity," he notes. "On the contrary, it's usually marked with a family crest. Aside from loudly displaying one's parentage, I have no idea what purpose that serves."

Ysabel's introduction gets a smile. "No fancy titles? Shame.Good to meet you, nonetheless." He's serious about that, and may possibly be teasing her about the 'fancy titles.' As for the town?Dorian shakes his head. "I'm afraid not, no. This is my first trip to this world."

Talking gets cut short however, when the 'main event' comes leaping through the air, out of the sand and over the ship. "Maker's Breath!" To say Dorian is surprised is an understatement. He almost expects it to come after them. But then people start getting on its back then it surfaces again? He is flummoxed! Are archdemons even this big?! Should another Blight occur in Thedas, he is very definitely going to send the Grey Wardens here and try to catch one of these things to fight it with!

Shadumbra (712) has posed:
Oh, there it is. There's the thing! Shadumbra glides toward it, moving in fast. Soon, she's skimming just above the beast's mineral-strewn hide, wingtips almost brushing against all those rugged scales and crystalline growths.

What a lovely creature.

Shadumbra backwings and comes to a landing near Mantigora. From there, the raven only watches, waiting to see what Mantigora will do to harvest all the shining jewels and minerals. Is it possible to use something other than a pick-axe?

Hop. Hop. Shadumbra moves closer, and tests the nearest crystal with a peck. Tink! That's very hard stuff.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
Toph nods at Banjo as he speaks, munching on her food happily. Hmmm, this isn't so bad. Meeting new people, tasting new foods... and woah!

As she hears and senses that the sand shifts, Toph turns her head. "Woah...!" It sounds huge, but she will only get to know once she braves the sands herself. So Toph throws her food aside before she rushes off... and leaps off of the side of the ship!

"WOOHOOOOOH!"

She lands in the sand, who immediately shifts and erupts underneath her into an earthen spike than sends her flying up and onto the back of the dragon. She lands steadily there, the metal formation on its back shifting as she lands. There's wonder and excitement on her face as she clings to the minerals. This is really cool...! And she even raises her hand to wave to Sarah and Banjo. And then she begins tearing off a large piece of the minerals, the item shifting as her hands grip onto it.

Lucatiel of Mirrah (66) has posed:
It does seem a bit strange that the masked knight takes such pains to conceal her face. No one has ever seen her without that brazen visage. No one knows what colour her eyes are, or whether she's even human beneath it, although her build and hair certainly suggest that she's human enough. Between the mask and the armour, only her voice reveals that she's even a woman. If she makes such an effort to hide her identity, surely it's for a reason.

She seems unconcerned about any curiosity or suspicion levelled on her from Ysabel, though, merely folding her arms and settling against the nearest reasonably solid wall. Her mask tilts to indicate she's following the prow of the nearest ship, regarding the jutting spear thoughtfully. A trireme, then, designed to carom into the dragons themselves if they should prove problematic. One has to wonder how effective a ship of wood might be against stony hides and thick muscles, though... but these people have been living with these creatures for time immemorial, presumably, and know how to take care of their own business.

Lucatiel shrugs one shoulder. "I suppose, although it seems unlikely that a single combatant, on foot, would do much more than anger such a creature by attacking. But I am no native of this world, and your world would appear to operate on rules somewhat... removed... from mine." Again, that creepy little chuckle. "I should like to see this some time. I would be interested to see how a Jhen Mohran's course is stayed from such settlements; I suppose it is easier to experience than to explain to one who has never seen."

Her mask turns slightly, and its tilt suggests that she's fixing her full attention on Dorian. "I should like to hear more of this Orlais, if you do not mind—"

She's forced to make an undignified grab for the support behind her when the ship suddenly rumbles, and a freaking mountain bursts from the sand nearby. Even Lucatiel stares, the sudden drop of her shoulders suggesting she's actually genuinely impressed. Look at the size of that thing! It's like a literal mountain given form!

"Glorious," the Knight of Mirrah breathes, staring up as the Hallowed Jhen Mohran gives them all an acrobatic show. She grips the support behind her as the beast seems to meld right back into the sand from whence it came. As the ship moves into position to begin mining shenanigans, she turns her head again to Dorian. She'll wait for any explanations from him. They've got time yet; there's no need for her to grab a pickaxe and rush in like a fool.

Shifting her weight and adopting a stance of evidenet nonchalance, she tilts her head at Dorian again, blonde hair whipping around her as the desert wind rakes the dragonship. "You were saying, about Orlais...?" she prompts, casually. Which he does. She makes a thoughtful sound, head tilting vaguely the other day. "It sounds rather like Mirrah. Most curious." To the matter of justice among the peasantry, she offers no comment, but perhaps she approves, slightly, of the way Dorian does seem concerned about the oppression of the commonfolk. To his graciousness, though, she just laughs. It's louder and less creepy than her other laughs, and more genuinely amused. Oh, this one might be amusing. "Hm. I see. The masks of the Elite Knights of Mirrah are all the same. They appear as mine, and our armour bears no differences, either, although I concede that I went out of my way to hunt the gryphon from which my plume came from. It cuts something of an intimidating and recognisable figure in Mirrah's crowded, dusty streets."

She falls silent for a moment, looking past Dorian to the Hallowed Jhen Mohran, face upraised in what almost seems awe again, and respect. What a magnificent creature.

"If you will pardon me." With that, she turns to claim a plain pickaxe from where the others are dispensed, and then, turning, she backs up several steps from Dorian, Shin, and Ysabel.

And then she kicks off from the wooden deck, charging forward in an impressively fast sprint – vaults herself up to the railing – and then leaps, with all her might, towards that crystalline hide.

Shin Tokuyama (756) has posed:
Answering people in order, Shin first says to Lucatiel, "Well. I used a different title at first, but people insisted on calling me a Karate Hobo. I got them to settle on Combat Vagrant and figured 'Hey, take what I can get'. Let em call me that if it makes em happy," He waves his hand and shifts his footing a bit, "Mostly what I do is I travel. Keep travelling. Looking for the secret of good martial arts, trying to find my idealization and all that. Spiritual quest. What about you?"
"No magic! Just martial arts and a bit of ki," Shin says to Ysabel, shaking his head, "I'm from uh... Earth Japan. I forget the number. I was raised in the Mountains by a crazy Kung Fu dude who found me as a baby. Learned my style and all. My world isn't half as cool as this one. Just a bunch of guys all trying to make money," He sighs.
Shin takes another picture as the creature surfaces, snapping the shot eagerly and advancing his camera another picture, "I think you're conflating two things," Shin says to Dorian in a pretty mild tone, "I think you can have connection to the spirit world and not magic. It's just configured differently, or maybe people aren't ready for that in-depth connection. You can still HAVE a spirit and a connection to the spirits of your world, without being able to act or manipulate them. Ki-manipulation is a pretty high-end ability on my world. Only a few people can do it, for example."

Sarah Rogers (796) has posed:
As protective as Sarah's been of Toph this whole time, She doesn't seem the least bit concerned when she leaps off the side off the ship. "Woohoo! Bend the crap outta that thing!" She cheers, taking to the air so she can get a better look. She's been eager to see what the Earthbender's really capable of. She flies behind her after a few moments, and starts to circle around, helping make sure the part of the beast Toph's claimed stays hers, and just in case she needs help hauling some crystal home.

Ysabel Thibault (581) has posed:
Ysabel has to take a few moments to recognize Tomoe, but when she does, that recognition is obvious enough in the straightening of her back. "Oh, hey, I didn't recognize you there. Where'd you...get the ears from?" Confusion settles over the hunter's features briefly as she gestures to her own ears, as if that makes things any clearer. "Eh...anyway, good to see you again. I guess a lot's been going on?"

Lucatiel gets a curious look for a second. "Well...you'd be surprised, sometimes. If you've got a good weapon and know what you're fighting, you can do some pretty ridiculous stuff. Not really common, though, I'll say. Still...if there's ever a job where one needs to actually be fought, I can let you know about it. Takes some getting used to, using the weapons on these things."

Her attention is back on Dorian, then, with a slight lift of her brow. Probably the most of a sign of amusement she'll ever show. "Well, I guess this is a pretty big first time, huh? In more ways than one. You'll get used to it if you stick around a while, though."

Then there's Shin, who earns a slightly perplexed stare. "...well, that's still a pretty ridiculous origin story. Not often you get dropped off with mountain guys to train for combat forever. I guess you've gotta be pretty good at what you do, then, aren't you?"

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
Dorian sees Lucatiel is about to hop over onto the ... mineral ... whale ... thing. He nods as she backs up. "Take care," he offers as she jumps over. Come to think of it, those minerals could be rare. Maybe they'd be worth something?

Shin's mention of connections to spirit worlds and magic not being the same gets a nod. "That is true," he acknowledges. "Unfortunately I can only state with certainty how it's done in Thedas. There, mages call upon the Fade for their magic. The Fade is basically that, a spirit world. Though it's not that easy. Demons live in the Fade, and if we're not careful, we'll get one's attention. This is indeed as bad as it sounds."

He pauses. Looks to the Hallowed Jhen Mohran. Then to Shin. "Shall we give it a try?" he suggests. "If you are a traveler as well, the minerals mined from it could be valuable. And it doesn't seem anyone else has qualms." Besides that, he's seen enough people jump over to know basically how it's done.

Sanae Kochiya (619) has posed:
The movement of the Jhen Mohran is stable enough to stand, but it is still ultimately a moving platform. Setting down is a bit trickier than it looks, and ironically, making a controlled landing rather than jumping on is likely some of the source of the trouble. Sanae finally sets down, however, her hand gripping onto a jutting of minerals, as she takes just a moment to wipe one of her sleeves against her forehead. It's merely a gesture of habit, though – she hasn't managed to work up a sweat, just yet. "Wow, if this thing weren't moving, you could almost mistake it for an island in the desert," she thinks aloud, as it's large enough to give that illusion to her eyes, now that she's actually on it.

Taking back to her feet, the priestess realizes in her excitement and haste she didn't avail herself to the local pickaxes and mining tools, which she sees some of her fellow jumpers brandishing. Luckily, like some of the others, she can improvise, withdrawing from her cloak and robe what looks to be little more than a piece of stiffened paper attached to a sturdy handle. "Hmm.. Ahah!" She digs her shoes into the terrain as best she can, and begins concentrating on the surface of the 'wand', which begins gathering some reciprocating motion around it. Highly concentrated. "Wind can carve away even dense stone, given enough time. I will enact the miracle of erosion!" She has some pretty weird concepts of what a miracle is, but as she brings it against a crystalline hunk, it seems to be working, and with surprising precision.

With one in hand, she's for the moment satisfied, but then thinks of the new acquaintance she had made on the dragon ship, that likely doesn't have cool flying and wind powers copied and handy. "Hmm. I don't mean to be greedy, Mister Dragon, but please let me get one for a friend, too." If she hasn't already been knocked free at the notion, she sets to work on abrasing off a second piece of about the same, modest size. Regardless, she's not going to overstay her welcome on this thing, she's already lifted off again to hover back to the dragon ship, ideally with a hunk of crystalline ore under each arm.

Kazusa Ujikane (415) has posed:
For the time being, all Kazusa can do is watch Sanae work, and work on her plate of foo—when did she get a second plate of food? How did she even have time? She must be some kind of bottomless pit.

But regardless, Kazusa is eating and watching, both Sanae in specific and everyone on the Jhen Mohran's back in general. It's fascinating, especially with such a huge, beautiful creature like that, and all the ships gliding across the sands. But Sanae's wind cutter is a very cool thing to watch in particular, so that's exactly what she does.

Shin Tokuyama (756) has posed:
"The Fade, huh? That sounds pretty crazy, but also pretty cool," Shin considers this as he rubs at his chin and then says, "Well, I guess I could go down there. I'm not really in much for the money, but I could keep a piece as a souvenir! Make one of those cool leather-strap necklaces or a bracelet out of it. I could become one of those awkward people that wears thirty bracelets a day and everyone has to wait awkwardly as he tries to figure out which bracelets to wear on what day. This could be the start of that terrible habit!" He rubs his hands together and then moves, "Yeah, let's totally rock and roll."

Ysabel Thibault (581) has posed:
Even as hunters and Multiversal visitors alike start to hop onto the Jhen Mohran, the creature doesn't seem to mind so far. The dragon's back is flat enough to allow enough space for two people to walk on either side of the jagged mineral ridge along its spine, and so the hunters make quick work of their trips, swinging pickaxes to chip off chunks of mineral before hopping back onto their ships to examine what they got.

There's enough of an opening, then, for anyone to take what they may want off that jagged jumbling of minerals before jumping off. Toph's large piece appears to be composed of a few different varieties on its own: if she can sense the composition, there's a strangely durable and flexible metal ore there with a greenish hue, as well as a pinkish ore composed of compressed prehistoric bones, and a few precious traces of a ghostly quartz. The Jhen Mohran gives a deep bellow at the odd sensation, its body shaking a bit like a great beast suspicious of a mosquito's presence.

Mantigora's blades seem especially potent as well, allowing her to carve out a larger chunk of that greenish ore of durable, flexible metal. Lucatiel's skill with a pickaxe is enough to carve out a heavy chunk of the pinkish ore on her own; perhaps not quite the incredibly valuable petrified dragon bones of Drangleic, but it's a close second here.

Sanae's initial carving miraculously provides a chunk of that ghostly, gorgeous quartz about the size of her own head, and her second attempt produces the same, only slightly smaller. Seems like she has more than a few miracles up her sleeve – barely anyone has come away with that quartz themselves, and she might get more than a few awed looks and congratulations on the way back.

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
Dorian laughs at the mention of the bracelets. "That is a perfectly valid fear," he replies. "Accessorizing is important." Oh geez.

But yes! Minerals! Dorian has no other means of extracting the minerals aside from pickaxes. Hopefully there's another lying around. If so he'll pick one up.

"Well. Let's see how far we get before we're in dire peril, shall we?" Optimistic, ain't he?Nonetheless, he heads over to try and jump onto the Hallowed Jhen Mohran's back himself.

Lucatiel of Mirrah (66) has posed:
There's a certain freedom experienced in sailing through the air, and the knowledge that death is somewhat more temporary for her allows Lucatiel to actually enjoy the brief instant of weightlessness. She spreads her limbs as she approaches the Jhen Mohran, seizing a chunk of craggy mineral as she passes near, dangling precariously for a moment against her arm-wrenching landing before swinging herself up to a more dignified crouch.

For a long moment she doesn't do anything to the creature, merely hangs on with one hand, and lays another flat against the smooth, planar mineral. Behind her mask, she smiles in a way she hasn't since childhood – an expression of awe and wonder that is fortunately hidden away behind polished bronze and steel. It wouldn't do to endanger her reputation, would it?

"You are a magnificent creature," she murmurs to the dragon, which assuredly can't hear her. It's silly, and foolish, but she doesn't seem to mind so much. Maybe the others will think she's just praying or something. "I hope this does not disturb you overmuch."

And then she sets to work with that pickaxe, as gently as she can, unfamiliar with how deep those minerals might run to the dragon's back beneath. A hefty chunk of that pinkish ore is her result, which she hefts one-handed, looking back over to the now-distant dragonship. Looking forward, Lucatiel takes up pickaxe and ore in the same arm, somewhat awkwardly, before resolving to climb a little higher. Finding handholds where she can, she pulls herself up as close to the Jhen Mohran's head as she can get, clutching her prize and pickaxe alike carefully.

If she's going to do something crazy like mine ore from the back of a dragon exponentially larger than she is, she might as well enjoy the view, right? And maybe she wouldn't mind paying her respects to such a magnificent creature, either.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
There's no need to be protective of her, at least Toph doesn't seem to think so. Independent as she is she prefers doing her own thing, and she works on tearing the mineral and crystals off, though she will stick with the outer layer so the dragon won't be bothered. She's not here to get any ships crashed into, nor to hurt the thing if it isn't bothering anybody. It is kind of neat how it moves through the sand too.

She is steady where she stands, her weight low and close to the dragon's back, and she uses her bending to ensure her footing is good, her bare feet digging down. Even as the Jhen Mohran bellows and shakes, Toph crouches down slightly. "There there, buddy. I'm not going to hurt you!" she coos at the big thing. Then she bends the ore around herself as a makeshift armor. Hey, it's the easiest way to get this done! And she will keep carefully bending off parts to cover her entire body so she can bring some of it back with her.

Mantigora (583) has posed:
Mining wasn't one of Mantigora's primary 'harvesting' skills, but she'd watched her sidekick do it enough times to know the basics – which basically boils down to finding a weak spot and hitting or shooting it as hard and as many times as you can. It worked equally well using futuristic blades designed to pierce armor and thick hides alike. Arguably this counted as skinning or deboning an animal in some ways, which is something she was very familiar with. The sematics of the skills probably aren't that important.

The fun part is when the chunk of ore breaks loose, Mantigora uses what looks like a futuristic dustbuster of all things to suck up the chunk into some kind of storage inventory, even though the chunk looks like it should be much too large to fit. Yay for physics warping sci-fi inventories.

Sarah Rogers (796) has posed:
Sarah's not protecting Toph exactly, she's just just making sure no one's trying to muscle their way into her section of the Jhen Mohran, Not that it should be much of a problem given the thing's size. She's also happy to carry large chunks of crystal so the Earthbender can focus on digging more out.

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe grins to Ysabel for a moment and she tilts her head a little bit, and grins.

"I have gone through some changes since I escaped Sword Art Online my form changed as a restult of that but it's great to see you. I'm still a bit put off being a Fairy of a sort but I can't aruge with being able to fly on my own. I hope hte hunting has been going well?"

Shadumbra (712) has posed:
Ravens are in the Corvidae family.

So are magpies.

Perhaps still bitten by the mischief bug, Shadumbra begins to demonstrate the habits infamous to her bicolored 'cousins;' that is to say, she starts to hoard. As crystal chips and fragments begin to fly from Mantigora's blades, Shadumbra watches for choice pieces. Every glinting mineral to refract the sunlight is inspected by Shadumbra's keen, glowy eyes. Once she finally sees what she wants – a gleaming chunk about to be taken away by Mantigora's inventory tool – Shadumbra strikes.

The raven swoops by in a black flash and snatches her chosen mineral chunk right out of the air. A cackling sort of 'laughter' follows in her wake.

Swooping wings carry her back to Lucatiel. The raven lands heavily atop the masked knight's hat. Such a wide, elegant brim provides the perfect dumping ground for Shadumbra's purloined treasure – the perfect place to store a growing hoard. Shadumbra drops off her chunk inside Lucatiel's hat, and takes off again to go seeking out the next shiny thing. As she swoops past Ysabel: "Aye-aye, Cap'n!"

Sanae Kochiya (619) has posed:
There was no real intent to get something valuable, beyond getting something that looked pretty. Yeah, she can be a bit superficial. Sanae did briefly take note of the composition that revealed itself, after she had made her precision cuts into the stone, but she didn't specifically target it. That's why, as she returns to the dragonship with some well-wishes from her fellow Hunters, she at first looks confused, and then a bit sheepish. Then she beams with satisfaction, "Thanks, everyone! Beginner's luck, maybe?" No, this was definitely a part of the miracle, as well. She briefly imagines Kanako and Suwako smiling down on her from the deep, night sky, the unfamiliar stars forming traces. "This was worth it, and I didn't even get my cape torn up this time. Thank you, too, Mr. Dragon."

After she's done absorbing the atmosphere again, and issuing congratulations to goddesses that had actual little to do with her good fortunes, she trots back over to Kazusa with both of her quartz stones in tow. She has a huge grin on her face, and she holds out the second stone she had carved out, "Here, I got this one for you! I didn't want you to miss out. It's important to have these kinds of memories." She then settles back down to take a rest, since conjuring forth these miracles can be surprisingly hard work, but she continues to look immensely satisfied despite the weariness. The excitement was real, even if the Jhen Mohran was mostly cooperative. "Next time, you should join in," she ponders, placing her own stone on her lap and raising her head to examine it more closely, "Maybe with a jumping kind of power card."

Ysabel Thibault (581) has posed:
There are plenty of pickaxes for Dorian and Shin to retrieve, and when they hop onto the Jhen Mohran's back, there's plenty of room for them too. Whether or not they're exactly skilled at this type of thing is another question, but it's worth a shot, right? Dorian is able to carve out a good-sized chunk of a pinkish mineral, but this one isn't the compressed bone; it's a mysterious sort of metal ore, one that seems to have some powerful adhesive properties to it. Shin, meanwhile, gets something of an oddity: a large chunk of ore that seems to be an intermingling of that ghostly quartz and an emerald-colored metal ore. It's going to be hard to separate the two, if he chooses to, but at least it makes a nice decorative lump.

Toph's continued harvesting is certainly risky, and draws more than a few stares from the various hunters. She ends up with her body covered in a wide variety of ores, all lumped up into a violet mineral armor that glimmers in the moonlight like the dragon she drew it from. A large stretch of the creature's dorsal ridge is showing some scales now, but it seems to have settled a bit from its earlier distress.

Part of this may be thanks to Lucatiel's approach drawing its attention as she clambers up just next to its blowhole. The dragon's head lifts slightly as it casts out a low, rumbling bellow – perhaps of greeting, perhaps warning. It's difficult to tell with these. Still, it doesn't seem interested in hurling her off yet, so if she wants to settle there with the large chunk of glistening violet crystal that's now settled on her hat, she can certainly do so.

Kazusa Ujikane (415) has posed:
Much like Sanae, Kazusa has no idea what the shrine maiden's mined for herself beyond its looks – until people start congratulating the green-haired worker of miracles. Then the blonde's eyes go wide. "Oooh. She got something really rare, that's so cool..."

She's about to offer Sanae congratulations on touchdown when the second chunk of quartz is held out to her. "—eh? Is... is this really okay? It sounds like it was a pretty rare find!" But she'll take it nevertheless, and give the Moriya Shrine Maiden a deep, grateful bow. "Thank you very much!" Straightening up, she smiles warmly. "I'd really like to try that some time! But I don't think it'd really work that way. My cards copy someone's powers completely, and only if they fit within one of the five cards. And then they'll only activate if I'm really in danger. I tried transforming once to help get some chores done, but it didn't work." She looks a bit sheepish at the confession, moving to sit down herself.

Ysabel Thibault (581) has posed:
Ysabel is mostly busy watching the events going on the Jhen Mohran's back, but Tomoe's serving as a conversational partner all the same too. "Oh, another...weird thing. Right, I think I remember you talking about that before. So...congratulations, I guess? Flying's not so bad when you get used to it."

The hunter gives a brief sigh, folding her arms over her chest. "Yeah, hunting's as fine as ever. Nothing really new these days, aside from...meeting some new people, running into some weird stuff. The usual, I guess. At least Multiverse stuff mixes up the monotony now and then, so that's something."

Shin Tokuyama (756) has posed:
Shin was pretty much just digging around on the Jhen Mohran randomly, trying to find something cool and swinging the axe at random. So when he hits something and a mixed chunk of double-ore comes up, he is more than willing to toss the pickaxe over the side and pick up that chunk, "Dude, sweet. It's like an alloy ore. An allore? An Oreloy. Some shit like that, I dunno. I'm not a geometrist." Geologist.

He tosses it up and down a couple times and muses, "I bet I could get this carved into a really sweet necklace or something. It looks really cool."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
Once Toph is entirely covered she bends free two handfuls, then tosses them both to Sarah. "Catch!" she calls, then reaches down and pats the large creature. "Thanks buddy." Let the other hunters stare. She's got her share of ore that she can bring home. Because you know that she surely has to show this off!

Then she kicks off and sails through the air, landing in the sand again. She needs a moment to feel where the ship is, though once she does she kicks down into the sand, causing it to move and fling her upwards. Then she crashes down on the deck of the ship in her glimmering splendor.

And here her adoptive father thinks his armor is neat looking. HAH.

Lucatiel of Mirrah (66) has posed:
Carefully, the Knight of Mirrah eases herself higher until she's near the creature's head, finding an unobtrusive place that affords her a truly magnificent view of the surrounding desert. She crouches against the Jhen Mohran's crest, hanging on and thrilling to the ride. It may not be particularly fast, but it's still exhilarating. Even she can feel the sheer power of the creature beneath her.

Suddenly there is a bird leaving a half-dozen fragments of mineral in her hat. Lucatiel squawks in alarm, looking up, but she doesn't see Shadumbra gliding off – she's forced instead to clutch at her hat, lest she spill the ore, and from then on hold her head carefully. She doesn't seem to know quite how to take that.

Well, that was different.

Lucatiel is content to stay there for a few minutes, a passenger with a hat full of ore, a chunk of ore clamped under her right arm, and a pickaxe awkwardly clutched in her right hand. The wind ruffles her hair, braid whipping behind her; behind her mask, she grins at the scent of the desert wind. She can smell the scent of the desert, the sharp tang of mineral and sand and, beneath that, the earthier scent of the dragon itself. Riding like this for a moment almost lets her forget about...

She had best not test the creature's patience, though, and she gives the dragon a pat at the rumbling bellow, crouching a little lower as the head beneath her lifts. "Good journey, Elder One," she says softly to the Hallowed Jhen Mohran, with another final pat. "Though I be not of this land, I honour you, all the same. Thank you, Elder One."

With that, she lets herself drop several feet, one hand carefully clutching at sections of the creature's body, almost 'surfing' down the sinuous and mineral-cragged back, great billows of sand raised from her boots as she does. From there, she makes her way to the highest point of the Jhen Mohran's arching back that she can, carefully gauging as the dragonship draws closer again—

–and then, clutching her things carefully, she kicks off from the great dragon and makes another mighty leap, hopefully to land on the dragonship's wooden deck. She miscalculates, though, and winds up just short of the deck itself. Her empty left hand lashes out to seize the railing, clutching it with claw-fingered intensity, because landing in that churning sand is not a fate she wants to consider, and finding out what it feels like to die by crushing and suffocation at the same time isn't high on her list of priorities.

Carefully, labouriously, she manages to drop her things on the deck and swing herself up and over, reclaiming her prizes, patting the worst of the dust from her clothing and armour, and checking the bits that had been left in her hat. Somehow, they're still all there.

Staggering a bit on her way back over to Ysabel, she reaches up to pluck the pieces Shadumbra had given her, and presents them to Ysabel. Her heavy breathing suggests her landing was even harder than it might have looked, and it didn't really look pleasant.

"These... are for you. I believe your bird-friend left htem in my hat. Whether she wanted them back, I know not; but perhaps you can give them to her when next you see her." She clutches her own lump of mineral ore close, offering a slightly breathless laugh; the kind of laugh one gives when they've proven themselves against crazy odds and they're still alive. No creepiness at all, just pure exultation. "That was quite an experience, Ysabel Thibault. Thank you for allowing me to attend."

Sanae Kochiya (619) has posed:
"Oh yeah, you did mention the danger thing, before," Sanae admits, with a bashful lift of her hand to rub at her head. "Sometimes I get ahead of myself, eheh." More like, constantly. She rolls her find over in her other hand a few times, and thinks of how amazing it is that these kinds of things are gathered by that large creature, and that there's still so much to learn about this world, and others. She still has the attention span to split to making certain that Kazusa knows that it's okay to accept the treasure, though; "And, it's fine, don't worry about it! The whale dragon doesn't seem to mind, so I just cut off another." She glances over her shoulder again, with that notion voiced, allowing a light laugh as it voices what to her seems a warning, for any wandering too close to uncomfortable areas.

"It makes me wonder about the 'Fear' part, though. I guess even peaceful creatures become dangerous if you don't respect them." She didn't feel anything like that from this particular beast, though. When she was on it, it barely felt like it was registering their presence at all. The dragonships are the only thing even reasonably close to the same scale. She then shakes her head lightly to clear it of that thread of thought, and glances back specifically to Kazusa, "It sounds like you have a really...regimented power set, then. It probably takes a lot more strategy and planning than I could do, so you must be super smart, right?" There she goes again, making assumptions about people she barely knows. She gives a rub of her chin, "You should speak with Lady Kanako if you come to visit. She's smart like that, too."

A brief pause, and then an explanation, "Oh, she's also a goddess, and one of my bosses and mentors! And she loves meeting new people." Or business contacts.

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
Dorian isn't exactly a miner. But he's not put off by the concept of work. He may seem one of those high-class folks, but having been a traveler and a loner for long enough to get that whole hoity-toity aversion to manual labor out of his system. Though he's not quite expecting exactly what he gets. It sticks to the pickaxe, and as he draws the pickaxe up, he looks at it. "...I'm not sure what exactly this is," he says. Thankfully he has gloves. Looking to Shin, he indicates the ship. "Ready to go back? I'm not sure what this creature will do if we stay up here for very long."

Mantigora (583) has posed:
Mantigora scowls at the raven swoops in to snag up some of the bits, but there's more than enough to go around so she leaves it be. No point in wasting her time with the bird and one small piece compared to what she's already pulled free. Storing the collector device the Draken turns and leaps back to the dragonship, not wanting to get caught when the thing finally decides it's had enough and dives back beneath the sands.

Sarah Rogers (796) has posed:
Sarah unslings her shield and uses it to catch the handfuls of ore being tossed to her. "Got it!" She says proudly. She hangs back and doesn't try to guide Toph to the ship. Believe it or not she knows how independent the younger girl is. Once Toph is back on board she lands next her and sits down cross-legged to get a good look at the haul. "I just want to make it clear that I wasn't worried about you out there, I just wanted to watch! I've never seen you go all out at Earthbending before!" She inspects a few pieces of ore carefully, They're Toph's after all, not hers. "You know Tony's going to want to do all sorts of science crap to these when you get home, right?"

Ysabel Thibault (581) has posed:
Lucatiel's harrowed appearance draws a brief look of surprise from Ysabel, but the hunter holds out her helmet to take the array of ore nonetheless. "...I have no idea how you managed to carry all that and jump off that thing's back. Have you tried egg-carrying quests?" That sounds slightly sarcastic. Still, Ysabel tucks her now ore-filled helmet under her arm and looks up to Lucatiel again. "Eh, I couldn't really have stopped you if I wanted. Not like I'm running this thing. But...hey. Good to hear you enjoyed it so much. Next year might not be as amazing, but if you're still around then, might as well come back."

The Jhen Mohran gives another low bellow; by now, most of the hunters have had their turns on the creature's back, and once Dorian and Shin remove themselves as well, it seems the festival is beginning to die down. The great elder dragon dips its head down, piercing the sand's surface again, and within a few more moments, the mountain of prosperity slips under the desert again, vanishing from view.

Soon enough, the Remobra and Delex that heralded the dragon's arrival start to disperse as well. It seems the creature has passed for now, moving on along its migration and leaving the ships to sail alone.

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe Says "Thank you."

She tries to not twitch abotu the word it's not Ysabel's fault the word has horrible conotations for SAO surivors like herself she keeps on a happy face at the mention of flying.

"IT's amazing to be able to fly under your own power. I'll not take up more of your time for not I'm sure you got quite a bit to do, right?"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
Toph snorts, only her mouth visible in her current state. "No need to worry about me, either. Because there are more than enough people who already do that," she explains. "And yeah, I'll show this to Goldie when I get home. I already have some plans."