Setting
A vast swath of untamed wilderness, inhabited by many a proud beast unbowed by the yoke of training.
To enter here unprepared is to invite death.
To enter here unprepared is to invite death.
History & Occurrences
- A Reclaimed Research Facility exists here, somewhere
- Every now and then, one might see the tracks of a small vehicle, or motorcycle
- Beast droppings, and lots of them
Xamoyos Wilds
A vast swath of untamed wilderness, inhabited by many a proud beast unbowed by the yoke of training. To enter here unprepared is to invite death.
Minimap
northwest |
north |
northeast |
west |
You are here. |
east |
southwest |
south |
southeast |
| "in" to The shrouded claws » | ||
| "out" to Xamoyos » | ||
Xamoyos Wilds is a part of 
Xamoyos.
8 Places in Xamoyos Wilds:
3 Characters Here
Diana Eszes [10] A huntress vixen striving to survive as she explores the world.
Basalah [8] An interloper from another plane resembling a medium-sized mammal, somewhat reminescent of an earth Raccoon but with the physical and mental capabilities reminescent of a hominid
Gromp Fungona [8] Gnome with a Gun. Short, usually dressed in a form of camouflage. Red hat for formal occasions only. It itches.
Start Character Here »
Within the Outer Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy, deep within the Kos System on a remote planet called Bastion IV, some strange events had taken place, the likes of which involved some unknown tragedies and mysteries that still remain unsolved. Trantor starships and cruisers launched military and civilian patrols into the Multiverse from deep space amidst transporters from the Kos Bastion Research Center above the clouds as Mauhasian scientists conducted their own studies at Campa Taighde Bandrui in the Xamayos Wilds. But the Xamayos Wilds was a very dangerous place to outsiders. It hosted a vast swath of thick, dark, untamed wilderness, inhabited by many large beasts and predators unbowed by the yoke of training. To enter the Xamayos Wilds unprepared was to invite certain death, as one group of interstellar scientists had evidently learned the hard way, their abandoned research center left uninhabited and in ruins.
The Xamayos Wilds had reclaimed the facility, which had apparently been built a very long time ago, perhaps even centuries ago by an unknown agency, race or species which seemed to have disappeared or maybe even gone extinct some untold millennia ago. The buildings, offices, cafeterias, sick bays, corridors and laboratories were completely silent and empty, seemingly devoid of intelligent life even though there was an obvious evidence of wildlife crawling all around. Grasses, weeds, vines and tree roots grew up out of the old decaying tile floors and ceilings, plant life consuming every hall and opening like weaving wooden serpents taking back their homeland by planting and terra forming a natural indigenous landscape of poisonous leaves and flowers, providing a habitat for many native species. A few skeletons resembling homo sapiens had been picked clean and scattered about, along with the bones and remains of other animals. All of the terrariums, ant farms, cages and aquariums had been shattered or busted, but there was nothing inside of them but mold and decay. Outside the facility was a badly rusted, smashed up truck which had also been reclaimed by nature, with a large tree growing vertically out of the truck bed, having sprouted up from the ground and forced its way slowly through the rusting metal over a period of several years, probably even over the course of many decades.
Whatever logos, stickers, decals, names, numbers, written logs, computer data or information that had been associated with the facility was by now long gone, forgotten and destroyed. Was it a government coverup by some ancient foreign institution? If so, which one, as the Multiverse had been running rampant with space exploration projects and top secret warring agencies from countless galaxies and planetary civilizations for as long as anyone could remember. What had happened to the inhabitants that used to run this research center? Was there some kind of accident, perhaps some act of sabotage or unexpected breach in security? Why had no one ever made a report about the existence of this facility? Why had none of the known space nations come forward to re-claim it? Why was it not indicated on any maps or listed in any data bases, or even hinted at in military records? Whatever had happened in the Xamayos Wilds, it left without a trace. Perhaps if someone had discovered it sooner, then a light could be shed on the deep mysteries surrounding the ancient ruins. But alas, too much time had passed and so the facility had been forgotten, completely erased from history apart from the few scattered remains of what probably once existed in that deep dark wilderness.
The only clue to that mystery now came in the form of the most unlikely of creatures. It just so happened on that particular day that a small rodent had been scurrying around the abandoned research center, scavaging and collecting trinkets. The small furry creature appeared to be the size of a lemur, resembling the makings of a squirrel but with one peculiarity that made it very different. This animal was not just a primate, but it was semi-bipedal with opposable thumbs and appeared to have both sentience and sapience, seeing as it was carrying a walking stick and wearing some kind of backpack or basket over its tiny little shoulders. He was scrounging through a pile of shredded leaves and rotten garbage, bones and metal scraps, almost completely submersed in all of the junk and shattered glass. He appeared to be scurrying frantically and frolicking about as he talked to himself in a language that sounded very much like Galactic Common, sifting through the foliage and broken tiles for something he had lost.
"Ohhh where is it, where is it? I know it's around here somewhere, what did I do with it?" he muttered to himself, before poking his head up out of the trash heap to look around for danger. He wiggled his nose and perked his ears up, listening for a moment silently before diving back down into the pile. "Ah hah! Found it!" he said after a moment of pushing and kicking things around. The small rodent-like creature crawled out of the trash heap on all fours before standing up on two legs, holding a bird feather between his teeth that was almost half the size as he was. He took the feather in both hands and placed it into the small wicker basket on his back, next to some other gizmos and gadgets he had collected including a metal soup spoon, a thimble, a rusted pen spring and an old chewed up wod of bubblegum, grabbing his walking stick and flicking his whiskers before heading back into the Xamayos Wilds, walking casually into the dense jungle.
The Xamayos Wilds had reclaimed the facility, which had apparently been built a very long time ago, perhaps even centuries ago by an unknown agency, race or species which seemed to have disappeared or maybe even gone extinct some untold millennia ago. The buildings, offices, cafeterias, sick bays, corridors and laboratories were completely silent and empty, seemingly devoid of intelligent life even though there was an obvious evidence of wildlife crawling all around. Grasses, weeds, vines and tree roots grew up out of the old decaying tile floors and ceilings, plant life consuming every hall and opening like weaving wooden serpents taking back their homeland by planting and terra forming a natural indigenous landscape of poisonous leaves and flowers, providing a habitat for many native species. A few skeletons resembling homo sapiens had been picked clean and scattered about, along with the bones and remains of other animals. All of the terrariums, ant farms, cages and aquariums had been shattered or busted, but there was nothing inside of them but mold and decay. Outside the facility was a badly rusted, smashed up truck which had also been reclaimed by nature, with a large tree growing vertically out of the truck bed, having sprouted up from the ground and forced its way slowly through the rusting metal over a period of several years, probably even over the course of many decades.
Whatever logos, stickers, decals, names, numbers, written logs, computer data or information that had been associated with the facility was by now long gone, forgotten and destroyed. Was it a government coverup by some ancient foreign institution? If so, which one, as the Multiverse had been running rampant with space exploration projects and top secret warring agencies from countless galaxies and planetary civilizations for as long as anyone could remember. What had happened to the inhabitants that used to run this research center? Was there some kind of accident, perhaps some act of sabotage or unexpected breach in security? Why had no one ever made a report about the existence of this facility? Why had none of the known space nations come forward to re-claim it? Why was it not indicated on any maps or listed in any data bases, or even hinted at in military records? Whatever had happened in the Xamayos Wilds, it left without a trace. Perhaps if someone had discovered it sooner, then a light could be shed on the deep mysteries surrounding the ancient ruins. But alas, too much time had passed and so the facility had been forgotten, completely erased from history apart from the few scattered remains of what probably once existed in that deep dark wilderness.
The only clue to that mystery now came in the form of the most unlikely of creatures. It just so happened on that particular day that a small rodent had been scurrying around the abandoned research center, scavaging and collecting trinkets. The small furry creature appeared to be the size of a lemur, resembling the makings of a squirrel but with one peculiarity that made it very different. This animal was not just a primate, but it was semi-bipedal with opposable thumbs and appeared to have both sentience and sapience, seeing as it was carrying a walking stick and wearing some kind of backpack or basket over its tiny little shoulders. He was scrounging through a pile of shredded leaves and rotten garbage, bones and metal scraps, almost completely submersed in all of the junk and shattered glass. He appeared to be scurrying frantically and frolicking about as he talked to himself in a language that sounded very much like Galactic Common, sifting through the foliage and broken tiles for something he had lost.
"Ohhh where is it, where is it? I know it's around here somewhere, what did I do with it?" he muttered to himself, before poking his head up out of the trash heap to look around for danger. He wiggled his nose and perked his ears up, listening for a moment silently before diving back down into the pile. "Ah hah! Found it!" he said after a moment of pushing and kicking things around. The small rodent-like creature crawled out of the trash heap on all fours before standing up on two legs, holding a bird feather between his teeth that was almost half the size as he was. He took the feather in both hands and placed it into the small wicker basket on his back, next to some other gizmos and gadgets he had collected including a metal soup spoon, a thimble, a rusted pen spring and an old chewed up wod of bubblegum, grabbing his walking stick and flicking his whiskers before heading back into the Xamayos Wilds, walking casually into the dense jungle.
Treda broke through the thick and brush, not exactly hungry, no real goals in mind. The giant turtle had a pretty big meal yesterday and wouldn't need sustenance for at least another day. Treda casually snapped off a clump of berries from a bush in passing. To most, they were poisonous. To this carnivorous massive turtle-thing, they were a digestive aid.
After about an hour of slow moseying the big turtle came across what might have once been a human habitat. Treda would never know it, but once upon a time this was a research center. While Treda was contemplating whether or not to check it out closer, there was a movement. A scurry. Something small was coming right towards the big turtle.
Treda gave a massive, slow sniff as the fuzzy little thing carrying a basket came past, immediately followed by-
Oh gosh-
-what THE-
-Treda had never-
"HUUAANNNN CCCHEEOOOOOOPHOOPHOOPHOOPHOOOOOOOO"
A scattering of leaves and a couple flecks of berry carried on the blast of Treda's first sneeze, which was unfortunately aimed directly at the little squirrel-like being carrying a basket.
After about an hour of slow moseying the big turtle came across what might have once been a human habitat. Treda would never know it, but once upon a time this was a research center. While Treda was contemplating whether or not to check it out closer, there was a movement. A scurry. Something small was coming right towards the big turtle.
Treda gave a massive, slow sniff as the fuzzy little thing carrying a basket came past, immediately followed by-
Oh gosh-
-what THE-
-Treda had never-
"HUUAANNNN CCCHEEOOOOOOPHOOPHOOPHOOPHOOOOOOOO"
A scattering of leaves and a couple flecks of berry carried on the blast of Treda's first sneeze, which was unfortunately aimed directly at the little squirrel-like being carrying a basket.
Adapa had found the bird feather he was looking for and had started to return to his home in the jungle. The "shrouded claws" was a name given to the dangerous jungle deep in the Xamayos Wilds, which was home to some of the worst predators on land. It hardly seemed like a habitat for domesticated giant squirrely animals, but then again, maybe it was the perfect environment for primato-sapient creatures such as him. Standing at a height of 2 feet tall and weighing just over 3 pounds, Adapa was very small but quite large for a squirrel, lemur, proto-primate or whatever he was. His pace was rather slow and unique, as he sometimes walked on all fours, pausing and hopping from one place to another, pausing, and hopping again before walking upright on his two hind legs. Likewise, his 2.5 foot long tail added to his overall body length which sometimes moved around like a third arm, using his furry fox-like tail to grip his prized feather, basket or walking stick as he walked home, pushing aside large brush and leaves.
As he approached a natural checkpoint he was familiar with, entering a small rodent path through the winding tree roots and foliage, he glanced up at the towering large ferns overlooking an enormously large misshapen boulder in the place of where Adapa expected to find a path. He stopped for a moment and pondered, scratching his chin. "Now that's odd, there's supposed to be a --" Adapa was suddenly interrupted by the massive boulder's head movement which caught the tiny mammal completely by surprise. His jaw dropped, his squirrely eyes widening as his whiskers sank, his body frozen with fear for a brief second before the sound of the large Xamoyan turtle getting ready to sneeze provoked an almost instantaneous response, causing the squirrel-like sentient rodent to leap off the ground and dart into the air with remarkable springing action, losing some of his trinkets and other gear in the process as they were instantly left behind.
"HUUAANNNN-" the turtle's sudden sneeze would have caused Adapa to leap right out of his shoes, if he had been wearing any. Although the turtle's sneeze wasn't very loud, to the tiny primate, it sounded almost like an elephant's trumpet.
"CCCHEEOOOOOOPHOOPHOOPHOOPHOOOOOOOO" the turtle bellowed long and hard, letting out a horrendous sound as chunks of leaves and poisonous berries were shot out of its massive nostrils upon sneezing in the direction of the very place Adapa had been standing frozen only milliseconds before. The squirrely mammal was incredibly quick, however, instinctively having launched himself to the bark of a tree with all four hands only to run up the surface of the tree afterwards, climbing to the opposite side of the tree trunk before peeking around the corner at the giant Xamayos turtle, flicking his tail wildly behind his back while squeaking and chirping with distressful agitation, rage and fear, as if cursing Treda in some foreign language. "Tchs tch ckts ckts ckts tchs tch" Adapa barked, alerting the large turtle to watch what it's doing or be more cautious. At that moment, Adapa had reverted back to his baser instincts, seeming less like a hominid with sapience and moreso like a common arboreal rodent.
As he approached a natural checkpoint he was familiar with, entering a small rodent path through the winding tree roots and foliage, he glanced up at the towering large ferns overlooking an enormously large misshapen boulder in the place of where Adapa expected to find a path. He stopped for a moment and pondered, scratching his chin. "Now that's odd, there's supposed to be a --" Adapa was suddenly interrupted by the massive boulder's head movement which caught the tiny mammal completely by surprise. His jaw dropped, his squirrely eyes widening as his whiskers sank, his body frozen with fear for a brief second before the sound of the large Xamoyan turtle getting ready to sneeze provoked an almost instantaneous response, causing the squirrel-like sentient rodent to leap off the ground and dart into the air with remarkable springing action, losing some of his trinkets and other gear in the process as they were instantly left behind.
"HUUAANNNN-" the turtle's sudden sneeze would have caused Adapa to leap right out of his shoes, if he had been wearing any. Although the turtle's sneeze wasn't very loud, to the tiny primate, it sounded almost like an elephant's trumpet.
"CCCHEEOOOOOOPHOOPHOOPHOOPHOOOOOOOO" the turtle bellowed long and hard, letting out a horrendous sound as chunks of leaves and poisonous berries were shot out of its massive nostrils upon sneezing in the direction of the very place Adapa had been standing frozen only milliseconds before. The squirrely mammal was incredibly quick, however, instinctively having launched himself to the bark of a tree with all four hands only to run up the surface of the tree afterwards, climbing to the opposite side of the tree trunk before peeking around the corner at the giant Xamayos turtle, flicking his tail wildly behind his back while squeaking and chirping with distressful agitation, rage and fear, as if cursing Treda in some foreign language. "Tchs tch ckts ckts ckts tchs tch" Adapa barked, alerting the large turtle to watch what it's doing or be more cautious. At that moment, Adapa had reverted back to his baser instincts, seeming less like a hominid with sapience and moreso like a common arboreal rodent.
Treda remembered it now, as the squirrel-like thing make clickity noises from much higher up than moments before. The giant xamoyan turtle had ingested one of these before. Kind of. This one... well, this one smelled different. It smelled kind of...
Bad. It smelled horrendous. It didn't smell at all delicious. The last squirrel was more a snack. Akin to those crunchy not-sticks that were also salty that those little short fleshy things on loud two-wheeled machines dropped sometimes. The fleshy things, too, were semi-undelicious. Treda remembered eating one once and blinked, hard, along with a swallow. Yuck.
Anyhow, there was something about this squirrel-thing that was less squirrel and more thing. Treda wasn't interested in eating it. Instead, the giant turtle-thing elected to have a sit. It was more of a sploot, and the great xamoyan turtle sighed. Treda didn't have much to contemplate usually. There was, however, something up with the food around these parts. Maybe this squirrel thing had an idea of what was going on.
If it didn't smell like food, Treda thought in their proportionately walnut-sized brain, maybe it was something akin to a cohabitant.
Bad. It smelled horrendous. It didn't smell at all delicious. The last squirrel was more a snack. Akin to those crunchy not-sticks that were also salty that those little short fleshy things on loud two-wheeled machines dropped sometimes. The fleshy things, too, were semi-undelicious. Treda remembered eating one once and blinked, hard, along with a swallow. Yuck.
Anyhow, there was something about this squirrel-thing that was less squirrel and more thing. Treda wasn't interested in eating it. Instead, the giant turtle-thing elected to have a sit. It was more of a sploot, and the great xamoyan turtle sighed. Treda didn't have much to contemplate usually. There was, however, something up with the food around these parts. Maybe this squirrel thing had an idea of what was going on.
If it didn't smell like food, Treda thought in their proportionately walnut-sized brain, maybe it was something akin to a cohabitant.
Adapa was no stranger to the Xamayoan goliath tortoise as he peered angrily at the enormous turtle in front of him with heavily curved eyebrows, raising his fist in the air and shaking it. Adapa seemed to now be threatening the hard shell creature, which was somewhat comical seeing as Treda was about the size of a fully domed indoor colosseum compared to the tiny mammal, which was roughly the same size as Treda's foot by comparison.
Turtles in the Xamayos Wilds were a threat to Adapa's very existence, but in the jungle, so was everything else around you. Adapa was amazingly small compared to most of the other native wildlife, including even other Xamoyoan giant squirrels, if any still managed to survive in the thicket with carnivorous dinosaurs and flying reptiles, or even large goliath turtles such as the one which moved around slowly in front of him. Yet his smallness was not his weakness, but a strength which gave Adapa the advantage of running across very thin branches, vines and leaf stalks, being capable of great speed with the ability to crawl and hide in small holes or other tiny places where larger predators wouldn't be able to reach him. His greatest weapon, however, was his mind which enabled Adapa to outwit hungry carnivores, perhaps even turning his predators into prey.
Adapa observed Treda cautiously as he peaked around from behind the tree he was clinging on to, his fox-like bushy tail no longer twitching as he watched the giant monster start to crash, plopping down in the brush to rest mindlessly, oblivious to the squirrely rodent's threats as it seemed to be relaxing in peace with its surroundings. After a moment, Adapa turned around upside down and began climbing back down the trunk of the tree, pausing and peaking around the other side at Treda before crawling back to the ground and standing upright on his hind legs, looking up at her. His whiskers twitched as his ears perked up, his black and brown round eyes wide open as he kept his distance. After a moment, however, and no longer deeming Treda as an immediate threat like some of the other creatures in the wilderness, Adapa sniffed the air and looked around for all the junk he had just dropped only minutes ago, quietly hopping around the giant shell monster and crawling quickly along the ground on all fours, snatching and grabbing everything he had dropped, including a few new items he hadn't dropped like some random lizard bones and part of a fragmented skull that had shot out of Treda's giant slimy nostrils when she sneezed.
Apparently, this particular turtle had eaten squirrels and other small animals of similar size to the tiny proto-primate that invaded the monster's personal space, looking around her gigantic side shell for more treasures. Adapa was still cautious, pausing and staring silently without moving before sniffing around and moving again abruptly, his twitchy and sudden hops and motions having no methodical rhythm or pace. He avoided Treda's head for the most part, circling around behind her. He did stop in front of her at one point, standing up on his back legs and sniffing her enormous beak before hopping around her again, appearing less angry or intimidated by the giant shell monster who didn't really seem to bother him all of a sudden. Adapa picked up his bird feather, his thimble, his ballpoint pen spring and his dirty sticky chewed up ball of gum before placing the lizard skull on his head like a bone helmet that just so happened to fit him perfectly.
The wilderness was wild like that. It was unpredictable, as the same animals and monsters that lived at constant war with one another also sometimes co-existed in perfect harmony, even if only for brief periods of time. It was not uncommon in the swamps and rivers to see large birds and flying reptiles perched or sun-bathing on the snouts of careless giant floating crocodiles, or giant dragonflies nesting on the head of insectivorous titano frogs that don't even seem to mind, as they themselves are perched on the leaflets of sleeping man-eating plants. Nature was awesome and spooky, and fascinating to behold as for a moment, neither the turtle or Adapa felt threatened.
The lemur-sized squirrely proto-primate finished gathering his things and looked around, pulling out his map, which was actually just an old shredded bandaid he had used to write on. The drawings were small and difficult for humans to see, but Adapa could read the scribbly markings just fine. He glanced at the map for a moment, before rolling it up again and sticking it into his pouch. Afterwards, he picked up his walking stick and continued on his journey home, walking away from Treda and towards the shrouded claws, taking the new path that Treda's enormous reptilian shell body had ploughed out before him during the making of her natural turtle trail through the brush. Xamoyoan turtles crafted excellent highways, which Adapa had grown quite accustomed to using over time. It wasn't everyday he almost got blown away or ran over by a four-legged bulldozer, but traffic was always busy and terrible in the Xamayos Wilds, or at least it seemed that way from his tiny point of view as he walked casually into the dense jungle, into the area where the Xamayos Wilds slowly merges with the shrouded claws, becoming thicker and darker.
Turtles in the Xamayos Wilds were a threat to Adapa's very existence, but in the jungle, so was everything else around you. Adapa was amazingly small compared to most of the other native wildlife, including even other Xamoyoan giant squirrels, if any still managed to survive in the thicket with carnivorous dinosaurs and flying reptiles, or even large goliath turtles such as the one which moved around slowly in front of him. Yet his smallness was not his weakness, but a strength which gave Adapa the advantage of running across very thin branches, vines and leaf stalks, being capable of great speed with the ability to crawl and hide in small holes or other tiny places where larger predators wouldn't be able to reach him. His greatest weapon, however, was his mind which enabled Adapa to outwit hungry carnivores, perhaps even turning his predators into prey.
Adapa observed Treda cautiously as he peaked around from behind the tree he was clinging on to, his fox-like bushy tail no longer twitching as he watched the giant monster start to crash, plopping down in the brush to rest mindlessly, oblivious to the squirrely rodent's threats as it seemed to be relaxing in peace with its surroundings. After a moment, Adapa turned around upside down and began climbing back down the trunk of the tree, pausing and peaking around the other side at Treda before crawling back to the ground and standing upright on his hind legs, looking up at her. His whiskers twitched as his ears perked up, his black and brown round eyes wide open as he kept his distance. After a moment, however, and no longer deeming Treda as an immediate threat like some of the other creatures in the wilderness, Adapa sniffed the air and looked around for all the junk he had just dropped only minutes ago, quietly hopping around the giant shell monster and crawling quickly along the ground on all fours, snatching and grabbing everything he had dropped, including a few new items he hadn't dropped like some random lizard bones and part of a fragmented skull that had shot out of Treda's giant slimy nostrils when she sneezed.
Apparently, this particular turtle had eaten squirrels and other small animals of similar size to the tiny proto-primate that invaded the monster's personal space, looking around her gigantic side shell for more treasures. Adapa was still cautious, pausing and staring silently without moving before sniffing around and moving again abruptly, his twitchy and sudden hops and motions having no methodical rhythm or pace. He avoided Treda's head for the most part, circling around behind her. He did stop in front of her at one point, standing up on his back legs and sniffing her enormous beak before hopping around her again, appearing less angry or intimidated by the giant shell monster who didn't really seem to bother him all of a sudden. Adapa picked up his bird feather, his thimble, his ballpoint pen spring and his dirty sticky chewed up ball of gum before placing the lizard skull on his head like a bone helmet that just so happened to fit him perfectly.
The wilderness was wild like that. It was unpredictable, as the same animals and monsters that lived at constant war with one another also sometimes co-existed in perfect harmony, even if only for brief periods of time. It was not uncommon in the swamps and rivers to see large birds and flying reptiles perched or sun-bathing on the snouts of careless giant floating crocodiles, or giant dragonflies nesting on the head of insectivorous titano frogs that don't even seem to mind, as they themselves are perched on the leaflets of sleeping man-eating plants. Nature was awesome and spooky, and fascinating to behold as for a moment, neither the turtle or Adapa felt threatened.
The lemur-sized squirrely proto-primate finished gathering his things and looked around, pulling out his map, which was actually just an old shredded bandaid he had used to write on. The drawings were small and difficult for humans to see, but Adapa could read the scribbly markings just fine. He glanced at the map for a moment, before rolling it up again and sticking it into his pouch. Afterwards, he picked up his walking stick and continued on his journey home, walking away from Treda and towards the shrouded claws, taking the new path that Treda's enormous reptilian shell body had ploughed out before him during the making of her natural turtle trail through the brush. Xamoyoan turtles crafted excellent highways, which Adapa had grown quite accustomed to using over time. It wasn't everyday he almost got blown away or ran over by a four-legged bulldozer, but traffic was always busy and terrible in the Xamayos Wilds, or at least it seemed that way from his tiny point of view as he walked casually into the dense jungle, into the area where the Xamayos Wilds slowly merges with the shrouded claws, becoming thicker and darker.
The sound of a motorbike ripped through the forest before puttering to an idle.
Gromp Fungona dismounted the vehicle in the flattened spot of grass where, presumable, a large animal had passed through not long ago. He grunted and made his way towards a half eaten berry bush. They were no good to ingest, but they made a great dye. They made an even better poison.
Gromp Fungona dismounted the vehicle in the flattened spot of grass where, presumable, a large animal had passed through not long ago. He grunted and made his way towards a half eaten berry bush. They were no good to ingest, but they made a great dye. They made an even better poison.
In the midst of the wilds an interloper had invaded it, unseen, unheard, through something more esoteric means. Small enough to hide and in the form of something relatively small and unassuming. This wasn't her native world, this wasn't her native form, but the fear was all too familiar. This small invader knew too well the fear of teeth and claws, in a unforgiving wilds of her own world. One of her first acts was to hide. Having taken up residence in the cabinet of the kitchen of the old facility, she made her presence as minimal as possible.
She heard movement everywhere, sounds of animal calls, of cracks and crunches of feet both heavy and small. She curled up in there, holding her hands over her ears and tightly closing her eyes.
"Little Spark, are you..? Ah. I'm sorry, Little Spark, the Samsara it is... imprecise, whatever was done here left a kink in the veil," a somber male voice speaks in the back of her mind. Her voice cracks lightly as she places her hands on her face, uttering a name or title, Saraph. "Shh now, collect yourself, you must move forward. There is a flaw somewhere in the veil. I am sorry I cannot be by your side, but I made you strong. Remember, it takes only a little spark to cause a fire Basalah."
Her eyes flare for a moment, and, getting down on all fours, she cracked the cabinet door to peek out, her eyes unusually adept at what little light exists here. She was used to an even darker place, in fact. She forces herself out, quietly scurrying through the building, her red scarf dragging behind her. She paused along the way, another sound of footfalls even smaller than her own. Her ears twitch and she caught sight of a bushy tail. Its movements were... precise, with deeper intention. Curious. She quietly followed, making sounds even light to her acute ears. Eventually leaving the facility altogether, the flood of light nearly causing her to double back. She squinted tight and let her other senses guide her.
She heard another sound, heavier, her heart skipped a beat as she hid in some brush and waited for the massive... shelled... thing to part. As she hid, she observed the behaviors of the smaller creature, taking note that it seemed sapient as it protested at the massive monstrosity which seemed—far less so. As the interaction concluded, and the two parted ways, she thought to leave but before she could get too far to observe, another sound caught her attention. Ducked back in, the sound that approached sounded unnatural. There was a strange little... man? Riding atop a wheeled construct. Machines were not a foreign concept, but few exist where she's from. The other thing she knows is that thing he carries is likely worse news than teeth and claws. Regardless, he's relatively the most familiar creature she's seen since coming here, leaving reasoning a potential option if an encounter was unavoidable... then again, it never worked in her homeland.
She heard movement everywhere, sounds of animal calls, of cracks and crunches of feet both heavy and small. She curled up in there, holding her hands over her ears and tightly closing her eyes.
"Little Spark, are you..? Ah. I'm sorry, Little Spark, the Samsara it is... imprecise, whatever was done here left a kink in the veil," a somber male voice speaks in the back of her mind. Her voice cracks lightly as she places her hands on her face, uttering a name or title, Saraph. "Shh now, collect yourself, you must move forward. There is a flaw somewhere in the veil. I am sorry I cannot be by your side, but I made you strong. Remember, it takes only a little spark to cause a fire Basalah."
Her eyes flare for a moment, and, getting down on all fours, she cracked the cabinet door to peek out, her eyes unusually adept at what little light exists here. She was used to an even darker place, in fact. She forces herself out, quietly scurrying through the building, her red scarf dragging behind her. She paused along the way, another sound of footfalls even smaller than her own. Her ears twitch and she caught sight of a bushy tail. Its movements were... precise, with deeper intention. Curious. She quietly followed, making sounds even light to her acute ears. Eventually leaving the facility altogether, the flood of light nearly causing her to double back. She squinted tight and let her other senses guide her.
She heard another sound, heavier, her heart skipped a beat as she hid in some brush and waited for the massive... shelled... thing to part. As she hid, she observed the behaviors of the smaller creature, taking note that it seemed sapient as it protested at the massive monstrosity which seemed—far less so. As the interaction concluded, and the two parted ways, she thought to leave but before she could get too far to observe, another sound caught her attention. Ducked back in, the sound that approached sounded unnatural. There was a strange little... man? Riding atop a wheeled construct. Machines were not a foreign concept, but few exist where she's from. The other thing she knows is that thing he carries is likely worse news than teeth and claws. Regardless, he's relatively the most familiar creature she's seen since coming here, leaving reasoning a potential option if an encounter was unavoidable... then again, it never worked in her homeland.
Gromp Fungona continued to pick the berries, grumbling to himself about damned turtles and stupid space ships. He swore it was just yesterday their mountain village was considered a village. It was the same size, same place, but had grown all the much larger what with the influx of new people.
People, Gromp thought with a roll of his eyes and a tug at a particularly unreasonable collect of berries. People were everywhere. Big, stinkin', lumbering, loud, why wouldn't these damned berries give?!
The gnome let go of the berries and huffed. He folded his arms, evaluated them for a beat, and then launched his attack. Grasping the small branch in both his hands, Gromp shook the branch to and fro. He levered it this way, he yanked it that way, all the while grunting and cursing up a storm.
Maybe it was the universe's way of playing a joke. As soon as Gromp felt the sweat break in his beard, the branch gave way-sending the bearded gnome and all the berries tumbling backward. Gromp let out a frustrated yelp as he fell. There he lay. A gnome, huffing and puffing in the matted grass, laying flat on his back, some berries still attached to the branch clenched in his fist.
Gromp stared up at the foliage above. Fine. He could lay here for a moment. Take a breather. What was he in a rush for?
People, Gromp thought with a roll of his eyes and a tug at a particularly unreasonable collect of berries. People were everywhere. Big, stinkin', lumbering, loud, why wouldn't these damned berries give?!
The gnome let go of the berries and huffed. He folded his arms, evaluated them for a beat, and then launched his attack. Grasping the small branch in both his hands, Gromp shook the branch to and fro. He levered it this way, he yanked it that way, all the while grunting and cursing up a storm.
Maybe it was the universe's way of playing a joke. As soon as Gromp felt the sweat break in his beard, the branch gave way-sending the bearded gnome and all the berries tumbling backward. Gromp let out a frustrated yelp as he fell. There he lay. A gnome, huffing and puffing in the matted grass, laying flat on his back, some berries still attached to the branch clenched in his fist.
Gromp stared up at the foliage above. Fine. He could lay here for a moment. Take a breather. What was he in a rush for?
Seeing the small man struggle with a berry bush kinda... took some wind out of her earlier caution. She winced a bit as he fell back and just laid there. This... would be the first time she's seen foliage win a battle. She crawled out from the bushes and stepped forward, only to feel a snag and fall onto her face. Ouch. She rubs her face whimpering something foreign under her breath. Looking back she saw what it was... her scarf had gotten snagged on a branch. What more, she started to notice her altered shape, along with a tail... a tail!? She rubbed her face again, an existential crisis would have to wait.
She tugged herself free and made her way by the wheeled construct, feeling the wheels and chassis. Perhaps while he is incapacitated she could take the wheeled—no, not only does she not know how it works, she would just more likely incite an unwanted conflict. She made her way over to the small man instead and crouched down beside him.
"Ayph any?" she utters meekly in a foreign tongue with her voice, at the least, seems familiar coming from her own throat. "Ham ath hy..? Hhhhh... hello?"
The last word that escaped her throat came unexpectedly. What was that utterance?
She tugged herself free and made her way by the wheeled construct, feeling the wheels and chassis. Perhaps while he is incapacitated she could take the wheeled—no, not only does she not know how it works, she would just more likely incite an unwanted conflict. She made her way over to the small man instead and crouched down beside him.
"Ayph any?" she utters meekly in a foreign tongue with her voice, at the least, seems familiar coming from her own throat. "Ham ath hy..? Hhhhh... hello?"
The last word that escaped her throat came unexpectedly. What was that utterance?
Out of the corner of his ear, there was a slight kerskuffle in the bush. Gromp let out a slight grunt. Screw the bushes. Surely there was an easier way to get the damned berries. Harvesting them by hand was a personal touch, a luxury.
Expensive.
He rolled the idea of manufactured dyes applied to his hand crafted leathers in his head, noting the pros and the cons and constructing various realities in all directions. He could turn the dye pit into a hot tub, he mused upon, and smiled. He was busy calculating all of the time he could reallocate to anything at all, when someone said "Hello?" far too close for comfort.
Gromp snapped opened his eyes to something peering down onto him. A lurch later and a milisecond backward, the gnome was back to his full height and on his feet. He pawed at his red hat with one hand, quick-drawing a FUNGONA G9 with the other. This one was custom, his own piece. Made of imported silver from some far, far away planet.
"THE FNUCK!?" Flabbergasted, he aimed his pistol but didn't ready it for fire. He took in the raccoon...thing...before him, and figured it didn't seem the most dangerous. It was weird as hell, but it wore a scarf. A scarf meant it either had sentiment, or it understood how to reason around the cold. The thing had a brain.
"Inappropriate!" Gromp scoffed and shifted from foot to foot. He harrumphed. His pistol hand relaxed. He glanced back to his bike, noting that it was still there.
Expensive.
He rolled the idea of manufactured dyes applied to his hand crafted leathers in his head, noting the pros and the cons and constructing various realities in all directions. He could turn the dye pit into a hot tub, he mused upon, and smiled. He was busy calculating all of the time he could reallocate to anything at all, when someone said "Hello?" far too close for comfort.
Gromp snapped opened his eyes to something peering down onto him. A lurch later and a milisecond backward, the gnome was back to his full height and on his feet. He pawed at his red hat with one hand, quick-drawing a FUNGONA G9 with the other. This one was custom, his own piece. Made of imported silver from some far, far away planet.
"THE FNUCK!?" Flabbergasted, he aimed his pistol but didn't ready it for fire. He took in the raccoon...thing...before him, and figured it didn't seem the most dangerous. It was weird as hell, but it wore a scarf. A scarf meant it either had sentiment, or it understood how to reason around the cold. The thing had a brain.
"Inappropriate!" Gromp scoffed and shifted from foot to foot. He harrumphed. His pistol hand relaxed. He glanced back to his bike, noting that it was still there.