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Note: There will be no set posting order for characters in this thread; it may be treated as a free-for-all until the thread concludes on 4/7. You are not required to interact with other characters and may simply post your character's arrival and curiosity to investigate.

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Negative effect: 「nausea, dehydration, liquid feeling like fire」

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The change to the water seemed to happen quickly.

It was one morning that the lake seemed to look different. And not only that, it smelled different, too. The normal, glass-like surface of the calm lake has become more tumultuous, seeming to sway with some invisible current and wind. There’s a strange, metallic scent that seems to permeate the air … and the water, normally so crystalline and blue, has become more of a hazy gray.

And the taste.

The taste was perhaps the most alarming change.

You are drawn to try it.

The water no longer tastes crisp and refreshing, but instead has a bit of an odd, tangy flavor. Your mouth feels tingly after taking just a few sips, and it warms in your belly in a toxic way, causing your stomach to flip. The more water you drink, the more numb your mouth becomes, and the more nauseous you seem to feel. Your body seems to resent the very notion of drinking it, despite the curious draw you feel toward the water.

You want to drink it, even though it makes you ill.

Be careful, for not only does it seem the water burns you from the inside, should you choose to swim in it, the same unpleasant tingling and pain seems to crawl across your skin until the water evaporates away. Just as it burns through your gut, it sears your skin, too. It hurts.

There’s a heavy pull you feel toward the lake, but it is strange, for the lake appears more … sentient? Angry? As if it wants to hurt you. As if it is drawing you closer to harm you.

Odd.

skill; n/a
notes; n/a

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The boy who sense of smell was akin to sight noticed quickly. The lakes; who's waters edge he made a point to avoid ─ he had not been taught to swim; stunk. Its color changed too, the one in his minds eye, it was darker now, swirling in angry churning patterns that coiled in on themselves like a pit of snakes. Like the souls in the underworld that had been trapped in the waters - the colors reached and tugged for him, wanting to drag him under. Desperate to drag him under.

Achlys' blank face pointed distinctly at the churning murky mass shoulders and back hunched ─ but the child was not afraid. Instead he chuckled, something dark and sinister head pivoting eerily almost unnaturally over his shoulder, blinking empty sockets before giving a soft wuff. Mama was not far, he had already stirred her and drug her along to investigate when he felt the tug that something was off. While he waited for her, he would turn back to the water, which lapped just at his ebony paws. Ears came forward, giving a curious tilt of his head before reaching down to scoop up a lap of the strange liquid.

Quickly Achlys back peddled, stumbling backwards and tripping toppling himself over onto his back as a fire ignited within his core. And then he laughed more as his mouth began to tingle and his stomach churned. Little masochist that he was. He giggles as he props himself back up, stomping his paws against the ground ❝ Silly, I just got here you can't take me back yet! ❞ he insists. ❝ Buuut, I guess I can come for a visit!! ❞ and with that the boy would bolt for the water.


❝ speech ❞

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Skill: —

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Despite the protests of his family, the water was Amaris’ longtime friend. A quiet companion that sat beside his weary soul in the dead of night, cradling his exhausted limbs through the lulling song of its oscillating waves. He enjoyed its murky depths and found solace in its quiet embrace, but most importantly, no shadows of the other side ever appeared when he was beside its shoreline. It had been as though the water kept them at bay, and when he swam beneath their distant waves, he found himself at peace.

His connection to the infamous lake, he gathered, was why he felt drawn toward the changing waves that now no longer sparkled beneath the heady sun. Something was different. Something had been altered. Something had happened.

Amaris’ ears perked forward as his limbs raced toward the lapping shoreline, his gaze a narrowed glint of yellow amidst the growing stench it seemed to emit. It smelled of death—not a smell his lake had ever worn—and decay.

Much like a garbled whimper, a strangled sound escaped his lips as Amaris skidded to a frantic stop beside the water that raced to reach his paws. His logical part told him to ignore it, to move back a few paces—to turn back before that now inky water caressed him. And yet…this lake was his friend. A companion. An ally.

He must try it.

The silver Moon took a single lap at the darkened water as though compelled by a spell or his own fateful curiosity.

And it tingled.

That was odd—maybe he should try it again.

And so he did.

This time, it burned.

A yelp surfaced like ice across his parted jaw as he stumbled backward with a disjointed gait. His brows had a knitted complexion of confusion and uncertainty as the water seeped further into his system, boring holes of acid into his stomach as he could no longer quench the desire to…try it again.

As if he were an animal lost in the throes of dehydration, Amaris drank his fill and drank more than he possibly imagined he could consume. He ignored the surging waves of his own nausea, even as his own eyes bulged and that fire became a torturous flame deep within his gut.

Had it not been for the screams of Sreda’s boy to his right, Amaris would have perhaps never stopped gulping down that water until his very stomach exploded. But fortunately for all of them, the sound of words had been enough to pull him from his stupor and force his watering gaze toward the east.

Achyls! He called out through a strained throat, the water still numb but tingling down his gullet.

The boy was bee-lining toward the water. 


WAIT, He screamed as his own paws raced to catch up with his retreating silhouette.

Skill: Seer [1/5]

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Cvetka didn't understand.

The lake was the one place within Fate's Respite that she continued to avoid. It was where she first collided with the ice. Broke the bone in her forearm. Where her memories shattered into unsalvageable fragments.

Lest she found the pieces of the puzzle that she could never complete again, she was horrified of that place. That serene body of water—even if Amaris loved it. She couldn't stand the thought of approaching.

So, why now was she nearing its shore? Was it her desire yet again to remain by Amaris's side? It hadn't swayed her feelings on the matter before, however—why should that be different now?

Ears pinned against her nape, she stalked forward with slow, diligent strides. She watched as Amaris guzzled the water (??? Was he that thirsty??) and eventually slowed to a halt, a few steps away from the water's edge. The lake... it wasn't nearly as pretty as described. It felt inky. Black. As if there was no bottom, and it was merely a bottomless pit filled with water. Cerulean eyes narrowed. She inched closer, and closer—

Her toes dipped into the liquid, and in an instant, she scrambled away with a quiet yelp. Only the water, the Machiavellian being it was, simply pulled her back. Like a string was attached to her head, manipulated by a puppetmaster. Just as Amaris had, she dipped her head and lapped up the water.

It stung. It burned. It made her stomach churn and coil in her stomach. She wanted to pull back, but the grip it had on her was tight. She remained with her snout tipped into the water, tongue flickering through its surface and sending small ripples in its wake.

'Achlys! WAIT!' And finally, the tether was sliced. She was released, and her head flung back as though there was truly a momentum from tugging on a leash. Water and saliva dribbled from her mouth. Eyes were held half-shut. What was Amaris saying? Dazed, she canted her head, letting it hang limply against her shoulder.

Skill: Seer [1/5]

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Faeline had arrived here with a single goal in mind—Aedric and Morriva. If the lake were truly a portal, it'd be just about the best they had of finding the two children. The journey itself was not a short one. And now the question burned in the back of her mind: was all of this worth it?

As far as she could observe, the lake was nothing special. It was beautiful and tranquil, with crystal-clear waters that seemed to drain any ache in her bones with a simple lap of her tongue. A scenic setting, sure. But a portal?

Faeline had always been as stubborn as a mule. And now, she would hang onto the thread of hope that the normalcy of its waters was but a simple guise, concealing the gateway from foreigners. Deep down in its depths, she prayed, magic did churn through the currents, undulating with some unforeseen power. Something that a simple traveler would not witness, something reserved only for those who harbored their faith.

What had they called it? The Five? The details had escaped her. She would have to ask someone later.

It was a calm night when she was woken from her sleep by a burn in her chest. Something beckoned her—away from the small burrow, out towards the semi-familiar landscape. A dark nose found Rhydian's broad withers, attempting to rouse him from his slumber. Did he feel it too? Was it calling to her alone? An ear swiveled back towards the den's maw. She could hear wind—and beyond that, nothing.

The she-wolf ducked out of the den with a quiet huff pressing through her nostrils. It felt as though her limbs were. moving autonomously over the grass, nearing the lake with slow strides.

And, she halted. It appeared she wasn't alone here—a few were already gathered, already making a ruckus. Faeline ignored them, hesitating for one last heartbeat before continuing to advance towards the water.

The moment her lips touched its surface, a shudder wracked her frame. It tickled, as though a hand took hold of her muzzle and brushed its fingers against her whiskers. Her tongue dipped into the water. The flutter blossomed into a small burn, and a small burn into searing-hot pain. She wanted to back away, but she couldn't.

All of the doubt that this place was merely a mundane lake dissipated in an instant. Something was wrong here. Very wrong.

At last.

Finally, the truth come to light.

WAIT!

Her voice was shrill, piercing; it cut through the air like a knife. Those who had already gathered there would either feel a mixture of confusion, or understand that - finally - Valeska had snapped, the tenuous threads that bound her to reality buckling beneath the weight of her own paranoia.

I KNEW IT.

The High Priestess scurried over to the lake's edge with great urgency, halting to bend down and take a deep, exploratory sniff. Her eyes grew wide and wild as she surveyed the others, but she allowed her tongue to slip out and touch the water's surface with the most miniscule movement.

It burned like fire.

Cursed.

It was too late now to try and drain the lake. Too late, now, for many things; she frowned at her own reflection.

Fate's Respite was no longer the safe haven she had dreamed it to be.

Pennyroyal had always been a dreamer; his sleeping world was a place he didn't have to feel ashamed, to be afraid, to have things expected of him, an escape from all the pressures real and imagined. But when he'd gotten a rather... unsettling one, he wasn't sure what to do with the disjoined history and pleas for aid. Penny wasn't even entirely sure it was real --and yet the churning worry in his gut told him he felt like it was-- nor how he would even go about helping, really.
But the pull to the lake, this, he could obey. Check it out, see what was real and not; if something was happening in his very own home, it should be easy enough to figure out, right? Then, perhaps, he could align his thoughts and wonder more in the grand scheme of things.

Part of him was so, so sure he would find nothing amiss. Perhaps that's why it was so easy to go out, to wander from the safety of the Nightshade den despite the yearlings usual reluctance to do so. Then again, it'd grown easier to leave the den when he was still running and hiding from the well-meaning lessons of his Father despite the fact that his siblings must've been nearing or past the point of not needing them anymore -- Penny was so disconnected from that part of his daily life in his need to ignore it, he wasn't sure if they were still getting lessons.

When Pennyroyal arrived at the lake, it was already chaos. He recognized Valeska, the High Priestess, and she was muttering something about a curse as he sidled out of the bushes nearby, wide-eyed. There were several other, including a young man that looked like a copy of Valeska chasing after an inky boy, both of which Penny at least recognized the scent of, and two pale ladies he wasn't as acquainted with the presence of.

Did... Did they all hear him, too, feel this pull? Penny's spinal fur rippled uncomfortably, and he sniffed, trying to pinpoint what was so malevolent about the moment, what presence hung in the air like the storm about to break.

Fiora lived to help, to explore, to investigate and understand the world around her in a way nearly intimate. She thrived in knowledge, and she was confident that whatever she didnt yet know, she could find out. Even if it meant unsavory acts or getting her paws dirty to learn, Fiora didnt spook easy.
When there came a sign, a pull, Fiora was keen to obey, Dream, vision, imagination, message from the gods; she would leave no stone unturned.

It seemed she wasnt the only curious soul. Others flocked to the lake, and Fiora sidled up to its banks nonchalantly, as if she didnt notice the overall nervous nature of most those around her. She halted just a hairs breath away from the water and dipped her head to sniff at the surface before allowing her tongue to dart out.
It.... burned?
Fiora took a few laps, confused, unsure, and stopped once she realized the burn had trickled down her throat with the water and left the strange pain behind in its wake. Brows furrowed, she looked around at the others in silent contemplation, not as willing as her Auntie to jump to the conclusion of cursed.

Was it a warning?

Just as Faeline, he had arrived with one, singular goal. To find his children. The pair had rested near the lake, near enough to absorb the odd scent that began to emanate from its surface overnight.
She peeled from his side. She hadn't been close enough to feel the bristles of her fur brush against his, but in his sleepy haze, he felt the absence of her quiet, slow breathing. A cold nose prodded his shoulder, and yet he remained restlessly aslumber.

That had been moments ago — or had it been hours?

Rhydian shuffled, blinking the fatigue from his eyes, finally rising to his paws with aching bones left to creak in protest. He gave one look around, then two, before realizing his companion had long since left the den.

She was so annoyingly stubborn. So independent.

"We must travel together, Faeline, at all times,"

He replayed their argument in his mind, reminded of her agreement and subsequent disobedience. The brute shook his head. If their roles had been reversed, he too would have left to explore the area. Or, better yet, the pungent scent of the lake. It was more acrid than before, he realized, as the weight of sleep relieved from his senses.

With a steady, determined lope, he pressed forward, following in the muddy pawprints she had left in her wake. Until - he heard her before he saw her.

The soft shift of paws over pebbled earth. The delicate whisper of fur brushing against low brush. Then, the unmistakable sound of water lapping from disturbance. Rippling not by wind, but by movement.

His breath caught.

She knelt at the water’s edge, her slender white form bowed as her muzzle dipped low. The rippling surface was no longer crystalline blue like the day prior, but murky and gray. As if decaying flesh rotted beneath its surface.

Drinking.

From that?

Now that he had gotten closer, the scent was unmistakably rancid. Disgusting. Pungent with the scent of something akin to blood. Even still, he couldn't deny the pull it had.

He moved. Not with grace, nor with stealth, but with urgency. A warning in his chest that pulsed louder than his own heartbeat.

"Faeline." His voice cracked, hoarse and raw. Words fell from his lips desperately, emitting in hot, rhythmic breaths.

He reached her side in three strides.

"Stop it. Don’t —" Air suddenly vacated his lungs, and he shook his head wordlessly. The male's large paw had already pressed against her shoulder insistently, attempting to anchor her away from the shore.

"What the hell are you doing? The water —"

He said tightly, his lips pressing in a tight line. He scanned the pallor of her gums, the way her breath shuddered. She was in pain.

"It’s not clean. It’s not... gods, it’s not water, Faeline!" He lowered his towering shoulders to meet her line of sight, attempting to shove her away with the force of his broad cranium.

What in the hells had gotten into her? Was she sleepwalking?

It was bad enough she's become too round to hunt anymore, to go patrol (She's a woman of habits, even in this...Relaxed pack), now she was having weird ass dreams back to back? Eugh.

The large wolf waddled her way towards the lake, for a nice and refreshing dip, a drink. Fiadh had swam in this lake plenty of times over the last year or two, waded through howling river that fed from it's depths, she knew that it was safe.

That it wasn't cursed.

Fiadh's lips pulled back from her teeth as she got a whiff of the water, as she heard Valeska across the way shout wait, taking a few laps of the now....tainted....water before pulling back as her stomach threatened to upheave itself. What the fuck?

Eugh, she needed to eat something that'll settle her stomach.