Crisis in Gigage Awoyeni -- Hippogryph Ulun'suti Meta

[Soquili-Activities]

(please note: All the characters in here might no longer follow the story line after being homed, and are 'godmodded' by staff until the event is over. This may not be the 'canon' background/personality of the soquili.)

Part 1: Crisis in Gigage Awoyeni

“An ostrich with its head in the sand is just as blind to opportunity as to disaster” - Unknown

For generations the sands had shifted in the heart of the of the Uunule Noyi Desert, a thick column of sand and dust spinning counter clockwise, and strange lights and rumbles escaped from deep inside. All who entered seemed to either find themselves turned around and dumped back out, or forever lost within. The Kawani people called it the “Gigage Awoyeni”, or Red hand, for how it reached out and blotted out the sun, leaving a red haze, and spoke of spirits that swam through the sands like fish in the water, or made of sand and wind, lightning crackling from the ends of their wings, and warriors transformed. It was a place of eternal magic.

And then with a rush of air exploding outwards, the sands stilled and the dust settled with a roar.

Approximately Three Hundred miles away, over the crest of the southern mountains and through forests, the first omen the Kawani people saw was the haze of red in the distant horizon to their north, the first omen that their world was about to change…  

[Soquili-Activities]

Unravel the Mystery: Hippogryph PoV

Quote:

Going back before the great Gigage Awoyeni sandstorm died out and its sands quieted, history was about to be made through conflict. And as with every conflict, there are many players.
There is no right or wrong answer to this following question, as there is more than one side to each story. Now is the time to choose your side.
What are you most willing to fight for?
A) Freedom at any cost, even if it means you must die to gain it for your fellow Soquili.
B) The safety of your people, devoting your life to it in ways that they won’t even understand.

If you chose A

You are a Hippogryph Freedom Fighter!
(And totally not a mutant Either!)

For too long your people have lived trapped in their homelands by the despicable scaly creatures, and today you and your band of Freedom Fighters were going to try to put an end to it. While some of your people were happy with it, claiming that it’s for your own good. However they were codependent fools, as none of them knew why.
You should know, You used to be one until you heard your current leader spoke, opening your eyes and making you realize just how discontent you were with the sand that circles your land, of the scale wings shadows as they flaunt their powers. It divided the older Hippogryphs from the younger, but created unrest and resentment towards the Ulun’suti that lived there.

But today was your chance to end it. You were hand selected by the leader from the freedom fighters to steal the artifact that grants the Ulun’suti enhanced elemental powers to prevent the ceremony.

Every five years one of the scalewings would come bearing an item, and they’d all take turns in some mysterious ceremony off in the half sunken temple, returning to full power and returning to their job of guarding the prison that your home was because of them. You were sick of the constant red haze, the grit of sand forever in your eyes, nose, and feathers. You had never noticed before, but now your eyes were open to how you had always taken what they were doing to your friends and family for granted.
With a chirrup, your team is called to be on the move – the location for setting up the ambush has been discovered! Spreading your wings, you and your group headfor slightly north east of the Borax Field.

Finally arriving at the location, your teams scatter, carrying palms fronds from the oasis to cover yourselves and dig out your hiding holes. Selecting a spot in the scrubs, you spend a good hour in the burning sun when no sane Soquili would be out in the heat, using the heat as a cover, before settling into your hole and pulling over the sap and sand covered palms.
Sweat dripped in your eyes and stomach starting to ache a little from hunger, you find yourself regretting having been too excited to eat, and curse your lack of for thought. If only you had thought of something other than the mission, you would have packed yourself some cactus flesh to refresh your parched mouth and feed your hunger. However, you’re unsure of how long it’d be until your targets showed, so you remain in your hole.
After an hour or two of waiting, your body aching from being so still, you suddenly find dirt being flung your way and smacking yourself across the face. You shake your head blinking as you looked over at the Jackrabbit nearby digging a hole nearby, as if trying to borrow under the cactus there. You swallow, throat parched, dizzy, and now grumpy as another splat of dirt and sand smacks your face. You feel like there’s something you should do, so you wait patiently despite your thirst and Hunger.

You growl at the Rabbit, giving a bit of a hiss through grit teeth, “I don’t know if you’re spirit touched or what, but cut it out.”
The rabbit looked over it shoulder and then made a rather rude gesture before flinging another bit of dirt at you while insinuating your mother was a llama. Yeah, it was definitely a familiar, but that didn’t change the fact it was being a pain. It resumed its digging, and you returned to trying to ignore it. A few more hours tick by slowly, with you partially covered with dirt and tongue sticking to the roof of your mouth. Your head was dizzy from hunger. You cursed yourself again for not preparing yourself better and glanced over the cactus again. And you continue to wait patiently as possible given the current situation.

While it was trying on your nerves, you manage to continue staying at your post, your body screaming to move and body parched. However the hours wore on – where were they? Did you get the wrong location? Did the main party of your group get them already and forget about you as they tried to figure out how to stop the barrier? Or did they find them, do the ambush, and died in the fight?
Your thoughts are interrupted again as the Rabbit heckled you, wanting you to leave his territory and tossed a pebble at you from around the other side of the cactus.


You’d be no used to the team dead of dehydration, so you finally give in and stand, streatching your aching body, stepping away a bit and casually stretching, so if anyone looked it looked like you were out on a hunt and would over look you.
You went to move to get the cactus when a sharp cracking noise caught your attention – you were just barely able to jump out of the way as the Jackrabbit pushed the cactus, who’s support it had severed from below, down onto your hidey hole. You look over the look with a stunned expression – you could have been under that when the rabbit pushed it over, and it would have taken longer to get out from under its falling form. You also notice with this closer inspection that the cactus had been sickly to start with, and was fotted on the inside, fermenting into a sick making hallucinogenic mess. It wasn’t nearly suitable for eating.
You then turned your attention to the rabbit, enraged, and chase after it, careful not to expend too much energy. However, after a while, you flop yourself down to rest in a new spot, panting. Your species never was much for endurance, and you were already exhausted. You quickly eat another cactus, this one safe for consumption, and buried your face in your claws, rubbing the grit from them.
You didn’t realize you had drifted into a light doze until you woke to the sound of voices in the sandstorm, feeling refreshed and the sun low in the sky, coloring the sky red through the dust and the haze a good hour before sunset. It’s the dignitary and his party! They’re off target and you’re the only one actually there!

At first, you moved slowly, not wanting to spend your energy right away, or if they saw you give away your intention. They had turned away, however, and headed northwest, making it easier to sneak up on them. Finally close enough, you burst into a run, making a move for The one in the middle – they’re obviously being the most protected, they’re likely the dignitary!

As you leap towards the group, your target takes to the air, and you meet them, going right over the guard and tackling into the dignitary, crashing into his belly unexpectedly and pushing him into the mare beside him. You all tumble, skidding down the side of a sand dune, the sands shifting and drawing you away, sweeping you, him, and the young earth Elemental sliding down over each other away from the bodyguard. Shaking your head, somewhat stunned, you look around quickly for the artifact, and spot the bag laying not too far away.

Throw sand at the guard – if you can get him off of his feet or blind him after having stunned the others, you could get a head start.

Your digging and tossing of sand on the dune caused them to shift under the fire breather, sending him sliding down awkwardly and falling on his back as he tried to leap from the dune sliding down and crashing into you, sending you loose from the pile and stunning both of you.
The Earth mare recovers first, and makes a dash for the Bag, grabbing its broken drawstrings and running up the sand, it hardening under her hooves as she makes a run for it. Spreading your wings, you take to the air heading closer to the northwest.


You fly up high, vanishing into the dust, and watched the darting silloette of the running Ulun’suti as she ran in a blind panic towards you. You swoop down and screech loudly, herding her southwest, back the direction you came from and the rest of your party, and let her run ahead as you floated higher. However the rush of heat warned you of the fire coming, and you dropped quickly to avoid it, landing behind the mare as she ran and keeping up, using her as cover. You were so close, and she was more exhausted then you were and was slowing down despite being slightly swifter on foot being fully hooved. Her feet sent up a spray of sand, thumping against the fallen cactus that had covered your hidey hole, and you cheered in a loud whistle – you were within hearing range of the others! Now was the time to attack these dictators, and dethrone them from their high places!

You needed to get in front of this frightened mare, to get the artifact. You could sense she was tiring, but so were you – both of your breeds weren’t made for long distances. You were slightly better off, having spent most of the day laying still and resting to beat the heat, but such a hard run for so long was exhausting rather than gliding peacefully on the hot air currents until prey was spotted. This hard run was not something you’re used to.
A wave of heat breaths across your back, and glancing back you see flames as the Fire Ulun’suti stumbles, a cactus to his face and flames sizzling to nothing on the sands. He rolls and staggers in pain as he tried to unattatch the cactus from his skin, and the the Wood Ulun’suti dodged another flying cactus and pushing into his run after you to try and make up for lost ground. what in the blazes?

That’s when you spotted that blasted Jackrabbit Familiar Charging towards you, pissed off and wielding an arm from the cactus carefully like a club, “Oh you have GOT to be kidding me!”
As if it was the cue to act, suddenly more of your brethren burst from their hiding places, sand covered clothes and palm fronds cast aside as they crowed. Your cry and the sudden appearance of more Hippogryphs caused the Earthen’s steps to falter – the break you needed!

With a leap, you soared over the mare and turned around as you landed, Slashing your claws out at the bag in her teeth –
(continued below in the post after this one)  

[Soquili-Activities]

Unravel the Mystery: Ulun'Suti PoV

Quote:

Going back before the great Gigage Awoyeni sandstorm died out and its sands quieted, history was about to be made through conflict. And as with every conflict, there are many players.
There is no right or wrong answer to this following question, as there is more than one side to each story. Now is the time to choose your side.
What are you most willing to fight for?
A) Freedom at any cost, even if it means you must die to gain it for your fellow Soquili.
B) The safety of your people, devoting your life to it in ways that they won’t even understand.

You are an Ulun’suti Dignitary!
(And STILL not a mutant!)

Today, you think with a smile smiling down at your reflection, and one you had been training since you first showed the makings needed for the next Gayatahi Adawehi Ceremony Master. It’s a grand honor to have been selected out of your family to follow your ancestral duty, passed down generation to generation. It was an important job to do – if it wasn’t done, the Ulun’suti’s elemental powers would revert back to their weaker states, and your people would be incapable of maintaining the defenses required to protect your people and their allies, the Hippogryphs of Clearspring Valley, and their ancestral nesting ground. While those in the nesting grounds had been weary of joining the Ulun’suti all the way centuries ago, since they didn’t wish to leave the grounds, it was in the alliance agreement to protect them non-the less.

This was why some of your people had to stay and defend them for as long as your people’s history can remember. As well as why it is your first assignment to aide the volunteers that remain to keep the natives safe from the Monsters that had hunted both their people.

Your new job, given to you by your mentor, sends you out to the Shifting Sands temple in Gigage Awoyeni to protect and transport the Artifact to the Ceremony that recharges the elemental powers of the Ulun’suti and adds additional ones to their abilities.

You’ve mentally prepare yourself for years, but still nervous butterflies fluttered in your stomach as your escort – a fire Ulun’suti trained as a bodyguard walks into your sanctuary. He had arrived a week earlier to introduce you with a young Earth Ulun’suti who would be traveling with your party to refresh the ranks of those holding up the defenses.
“Are you Ready?” The stallion shifted his wings, cocking a brow.
Sigh a sigh, you stood, putting the artifact into a bag, having been inspecting it up close now that you had the chance to, “As I’ll ever be.”
The other stallion chuckled, shifting to walk beside you, “You’ll do great. It’s all about boosting the moral of the troops and letting the artifact do its work.” He let out a roar as the two of you hit the edge of your location and took to the air. Soon he was joined by the mare, and you sighed.
Smiling, you roar in response and take off, flying away from your home at the Secluded Grotto.

It takes a hours to fly over the crest of the mountains and down over the desert sands, letting the warm air currents carry you most of the way. The Gigage Awoyeni was visible in the distance for much of it, but slowly seemed to loom ever closer. Your body guard was nervous, keeping an eye out to make sure they weren’t being followed by hunters on horseback. It may have been ages since anyone of the Clearspring Alliance was known to have been killed by a hunter, but the primordial memory was taught to every foal growing up, reminding them of the Two legged monsters that turned horses against them and would use their nets and spears and high endurance to wear down and their people to near extinction back before the artifact’s discovery.

Man was their Wendigo, their boogie man, the thing that went bump in the night, and was known to attack in broad daylight. There was always that hint of danger whenever they left their mystically guarded valleys, and the Gigage Awoyeni was their least secure of locations. Your body guard had every right to be nervous.

Thankfully, you neared the sandstorm, starting to feel the sting of the stray bits of sand, and with the earth mare charging up her powers to protect you, you choose to Land and go right through the sandstorm.

While traveling on foot was easier with the mare creating solid patches to walk on and a shield of sand to protect you from the buffeting winds, it was still blinding, and you find yourself lost, unsure of where the eye of the storm was. You pause, squinting into the darkness, seeing nothing but strange silhouettes and more sand and dust, and struggled to decide what direction to head. With some trepidation, you command your party to travel with the wind.

Still lost in the sands, your group pauses, pondering which way to continue. Looking at you, it seems your allies have picked you to state where to go next. With a sigh, you tell them to zigzag into and with the wind.

Traveling back and forth, it takes more time than expected to get in, but as the sun got lower, you were finally able to see the suns location and follow it west through the thick, stinging dust. Moral boosted, your party wearily travels westward, chatting lively despite the dust coating your tongue and making your eyes water. The storm winds had reduced to a strong breeze. Wanting to reach your location, you head northwest towards the Shifting Sands Temple.

The whistling of the wind filled your ears as you traveled, the dust seeming to thin, but still obscuring much of your vision, stifling your usually keen sense of smell. Exhaustion left your body aching, and you longed for the cool underground pool of the temple to quench your thirst and wash your face of the grime, your thoughts wandering. It’d been a long day and the heat was so much more unbearable than the chilled misty capital that was your home, resting under the trees twisted together by the magics of your ancestors into a temple by the grotto’s waterfall where the Clearspring Alliance council resided.

Growing impatient you take to the air, wanting the ease of flying the rest of the way – You’d like to get to the Shifting Sands Temple before nightfall.

As you took to the air, suddenly you were hit hard, winding you and sending you falling, your world spinning as you, your attacker, and one of your companions – the earth elemental you think hazily as you get a face full of sand – tumble down the steep slope of the sand dune. You could hear your guard yell out, but as you hit the bottom, you come to realize that the bag containing the artifact seems to no longer be in your possession. Blinking blearily, you let yourself recover from the fall -- if you acted too quickly, you could pass out from how dizzy you had become.

As you recovered, you found yourself pinned by your bodyguards mass, helplessly watching as your female companion ran off with the artifact, “Get it to safety! Get... oof.” Your guard shifted and you tried to shoulder him off. You watched as she vanished over the crest of the dune, your attacker vanished in the haze of dust. You summon vines to lift your body guard from your body, needing to be unstuck.

Lifting your body guard, you settle him on his feet and stabilize him. After a brief nod, you both take off after the mares, trying to seek them out. They seemed lost in the dust of the storms edge, the sounds muffled and strained. Why would a Hippogryph turn against you? They were your allies, it didn’t make any sense!

A loud screech directed you in the right direction, and you and the fire elemental tore the shallower dunes and rockier ground chasing after, kicking dirt and sand up. You were the first to spot the Hippogryph as she rose back up in the thinning dust, “THERE!”

A click was heard in the back of the fire breathers throat, and a blast of flames burst through, the elementally boosted stream barely dodged by the mare, who took to foot. Swearing through a puff of smoke, the fire choked off to prevent the stream from hitting their companion he charges out ahead as you continued to follow last in the trail, puffing heavily. You were never overly athletic and you’ve all traveled since morning, but you managed to keep up, and now free from the dust cloud, could see as the two sped past a patch of scrub with a fallen cactus in the distance, and your guard closing the distance.

Suddenly the guard staggered as a green blur smacked him in the face, and roared in pain, a wild stream of fire sweeping the field as he staggered and fell. Slowing slightly in surprise, you tried to figure out what happened, when you spotted the Jackrabbit before it hurled another chunk of rotted cactus your way.

Dodging the cactus with a quick swerve, you push forwards, noting the familiar running on ahead. An ally of this crazy Hippogryph? Or simply territorial? You hoped your guard was ok.
Risking a glance back, you noticed the guard scraping the cactus loose as he staggered up. You looked back and noticed the Hippogryph mare glancing back over her shoulder right back at you, your eyes meeting – you could see the desperation in her eyes. She ran a bit more before glancing back again, and a confused and somewhat befuddled expression crossed her face when she spotted the Rabbit. She turned her attention forwards, panting heavily through her words, “Oh you have GOT to be kidding me!”
Beside you the sand seemed to explode as Hippogryphs covered in crudely woven dugouts burst from the sand, pouncing on you to keep you from coming to the earthen’s aid. You tried to get them off with vines, but it slowed you to a stop, dancing with them until the flames of your guard chased them away, “Get to the Artifact!” before turning and sweeping back and forth with his flames, keeping Hippogryphs off of your flank as you ran.
Your Hippogryph assailant struck out at the bag just as you began to leap between the two, just as if not more desperate to stop the disaster that was unfolding…
(Continued below)  

[Soquili-Activities]

Unravel the Mystery: The Story Continues

The Hippogryphs claw met with the bag, ripping it open and striking the Gayatahi Adawehi Artifact and tearing it from the bag, her talon tip pressing between the stone statuette and the faintly glowing, glittering orb inside. The world seemed to go in slow motion, sounds muffled and sluggish as the stone arms of the dragon holding the orb cracked slightly, and orb split from its home with a sharp noise.
The rush of sound was deafening as the energy exploded outwards, ruffling fur, hair, and feathers and blasting sand out from the epicenter. The stream of fire from the bodyguard caught in his throat as smoke and ash, his eyes rolling upwards as he collapsed from the sudden loss of energy crashing down on him. The Dignitary crumbled to the ground into a collapsed pile, tumbling slightly until he slid into the similarly passed out Earth Elemental.

The tawny colored Hippogryph mare blinked in startled surprise as the air cleared, the glittering orb rolling between her claws, “…We… We won!” She laughed, scooping the pretty stone up, looking around for the statue it came from, and her gaze landed on the two earth colored Soquili before her, “… What do we do with them? When they wake up…”
The Dark colored Stallion that lead the rebel group stepped forward, frowning as he investigated, “IF they wake up, they’ll likely come for us.. All of us. “ he pondered, frowning in thought, “… Bind and muzzle the males – their allies will be coming shortly. We take the mare with us, to insure that we have some leverage should we encounter any one trying to stop us.. Freedom awaits!”
The rebels cheered as he turned his attention toward the young mare, smiling softly, “You did good.. You should keep your trophy close.”
Soon, the fabrics many used to cover themselves were maneuvered around, Binding the front legs and covering the faces to the two stallions, while a hammock was made for the small female. With a cheer, Hippogryphs soon gathered her up between a group of them, and headed south, some flying above in the glowing twilight of the deepening night, heading towards freedom with hope.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

From the sands, a gasping Soquili broke the surface, sprawling herself over the sands and shaking her mane out as she coughed, eyes watering. The Older earth Ulun’suti, a veteran of the Gigage Awoyeni Sand Guards, lifted her gaze upwards wearily, then froze as she saw an open expanse of stars, “no… Nonono This cannot be happening. “ She focused her energies, trying to strike up the storm she had been working on with her team, but found herself too exhausted, her powers drained, “The barriers down. Oh spirits no…”
She stumbled through the flat lands, not having the energy or ability to go over the steeper dunes that were once her creation, under her full command. She had the Afternoon shift with ten others of her troupe. Did her Air Ulun’suti partner pass out with that strange crackle of draining energy? She closed her eyes, hoping if he did that he didn’t die in the fall.
“Is Anybody out there?!” She called across the empty sounding desert, unnerved by how still the winds were.
At first, she was met only with silence. Then, a soft muffled cry was heard, and she made her way towards it. What she encountered startled her – A young Wood Ulun’suti stallion and one of her old troop mates, bound, blindfolded, and gagged on their side.

Removing the face bindings of the Wood stallions face, the earth elemental shifted her nose against his vine and leaf covered mane, and nosed at the cattail that grew on it comfortingly, “What happened? Are you alright?”

“The artifact! Where is it! Maybe we can fix it.” The young Artifact Keeper sobbed, trembling, “They came out of nowhere and took it! Took one of our party – an earthrumbler like yourself, she was a fresh recruit. Our people… I need.. We need to tell the council.” he squirmed again, trying to free himself from the rest of his bindings, “If the G-g-gayatahi.. Gayatahi Adawehi Artifact isn’t restored to its whole… Our people are doomed”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Yawning, the Rabbit familiar returned to its burrow, pondering over the occurances of the day, wondering why those Soquili had to keep messing with its territory. Its nose wrinkled at the smokey smell of the burnt grasses, stupid Soquili always collapsing my tunnels. I hope I showed them a thing or two. Never mess with me, that’s for sure!
It smiled softly, curling up to drift peacefully asleep, content and unaware of how it had a hand in changing the world…

The story continues shortly in Part 2

Notes

"Unravel the Mystery" was posted as a Flash CYOA, brought on suddenly with minimal time to simulate both the suddenness of the loss of the Gigage Awoyeni to the Kawani people and the Small number of individuals who actually knew what happened.

 

[Soquili-Activities]

Part 2: Rebels of Gigage Awoynei

Fear makes strangers of people who would be friends. -Shirley MacLaine

Fear.

Fear is what, in times of antiquity when it was just Man and Soquili, before Winds, before Kalona, before Angeni and Skinwalkers, fear took root, and the form of ‘monster slayers’, brave warriors who fought what they considered to be demons, and drove them away.

Fear of these hunters is what lead the hippogryphs and the Ulun’Suti, who lived together as friends to seek out the Gayatahi Adawehi Artifact, having been seen as monsters by the early Kawani and Soquili that traveled the land. While as a majority the species was good or even simply neutral, both breeds where frightening to behold, and as omnivores frightened those outside of their culture. Deadly claws, powerful jaws, sharpened beaks and fangs, and even bursts of Elemental power, neither species was one to underestimate. But, they were also lightly boned and fragile, nearly petite. While formidable, they were outnumbered and easily broken compared to the strong Regular Soquili, or to ancient mans arrows, spears, and nets.
Fear is what drove the two breeds to separate their numbers into various locations, and fortify them using the now powered up abilities of the Ulun’suti to keep their people safe, and protect their ancestral homelands and the temples that came from times even they could not remember who had built them. It is also what lead the Hippogryphs of what is now called Gigage Awoyeni, their ancestral nesting grounds to not leave their homes for the safety of the more fortifiable locations of what would be the main territories of the Clearspring Alliance, herds united for the protection of their species from those that had hunted them as monsters. Yet, as man still hunted them, they had cried for protection, and lead to the Gigage Awoyeni Sandstorm.

Over the years, those who had chosen to not to mingle with the Ulun’suti and live in their old ways of life forgot the reasons for the storms as the decision drifted into antiquity. And even then, grew to fear their protectors, distrusting them, isolated from the outside world, and dreamed of the world beyond the storm.

It was that same fear that resulted in the attack by the rebels on the Young Artifact Keeper Dakarai'reth, temporarily stripping the entire Ulun’suti breed of all of their elemental abilities, causing them to go from Super powered to Elementally broken, needing to learn their new limits, and what abilities they can and cannot use anymore.

A few weeks later, some a Kawani hunter reports sightings of an unusual looking herd of Soquili with feathery manes, beaked lips, front claws and hooved feet, with a small portion of the herd seeming to be guarding a reptilian looking mare, who looked frightened, but whole and unabused.

Listening in, a Green eagle nodded, feathers ruffling and took to the air, and began its flight north east to the secluded Grotto, North of the Giant Oak Grove. It now had a good idea of where the Hippogryphs, enjoying the cool woods, had the missing Earth Ulun’suti and the artifact.. And it was bad news, considering now there was no way they could get either back without alerting the Natives of their presence....

.... To be Continued in Part 3

Notes

This was posted as a Flaffle, however it ended up being paid for by one of the colorists!

 

[Soquili-Activities]

Part 3: First Contact

" We all knew about the task ahead of us, but we didn't know about the task ahead of us. It was kind of like a culture shock..” - Corey Mays

Three days after the Hippogryphs and the Lone mare were spotted heading south West of the Kawani Village, a group of similar Soquili were found waiting patiently to the North East, the party consisting of Three Hippogryphs, two Ulun’suti – one of whom the fiery bodyguard of the Artifact Keeper Dakarai'reth, and a cloaked Soquili of undetermined species.

The Icy colored Water Ulun’Suti mare moved closer toward the village, leaving the others to hang safely behind, looking carefully for a lone Soquili, which she found a young wind who’s existence surprised the more delicately boned mare – Back when their people roamed the lands with comfort and ease, there were no other breeds that wandered the land beyond the regular ground Soquili. After a brief discussion between the two, the Wind assured her that they would be allowed safe passage around the Kawani as long as they didn’t attack any of their people – after all the young wind thought as she watched the Ambassador returned to her group, why would anyone chase them away? They’re just a little odd, after all.

Traveling through the village, the group watched in slackjawed awe as various forms of Soquili interacted with humans despite the lack of ability to actively communicate, from the small group of imps in a circle playing a game of Sparks as children watched in awe at the dancing lights created by the game, the Majestic looking angeni that gave them a nod and a smile as they passed, his four wings folded tight against his body, and even Soquili that seemed to be formed out of pure shadows, fire, or with bone wings and legs getting their coats brushed or picking offerings that were tied out for their foals.

Past the village, the group finally were able to speak – what they had just seen had been so wildly different than what was told in their oral histories, it was deemed best to leave a few members behind – one to present a peaceful front to the Rebels, and secondly to observe the natives to insure they wouldn’t form a trap behind them, just to err on the side of caution, and act as a reserve should the rebels respond with aggression. It didn’t help that the fire Ulun’suti leading the guards had been guarding the dignitary they had stolen the artifact from.

Once the three were left behind by the rest of the emergency team, they cautiously watched the local activity of Kawani village, alert and waiting signal to aid, yet enthralled by the warm, friendly energy of the natives.  

[Soquili-Activities]

Part 4: Meeting of Ideals
“All men are prepared to accomplish the incredible if their ideals are threatened.” - Hermann Hesse

Entering the territory of the Rebels, the current, Temporary leader of both Ulun’suti and Hippogryphs paused tentatively, glancing back at what remained of her team – her dear friend, who like her had been voted in to make emergency decisions on this mission for the sake of the entire Clearspring Alliance, selected from the council for their ability to cut down to the root of the matter with tact and poise. She smiled softly at her frosty colored friend, nerves fluttering in her stomach, “This has been... An unusual past Month.”

“Calling it unusual is something of an understatement.” The Outter Valley Ambassador shook her head, still marveling at what they had witnessed in the village, “Though seeing two legged be so… Accepting of us was certainly the most unusual thus far; we at least understand why there was the attack on Dakarai'reth, Tae-Hyun, and Tierra Avani.”


There was a loud chirrup and two Hippogryphs moved in on either side of them, and the Icy colored water elemental curled her tail protectively around her Daughter, silently wishing the girl hadn’t insisted on coming, even if she understood the reasoning for it. Their party leader took a deep breath and stepped forward, her front claws digging into the soft ground, “We wish to speak to your leader. There seems to have been a grave misunderstanding, and you have one of our people captive.”


The Hippogryphs looked at each other in confusion before Terepia, the mare that had struck the blow to the artifact, frowned as she turned her attention back to the Hippogryph that addressed them, heart pounding slightly, trying not to give away where she had hidden away her trophy “… She’s not our people. She’s one of the leather-wings.”


“The Ulun’suti and the Hippogryphs are allies… This would be much easier if we could speak to your leader. It’s…” The Alliances Temporary Emergency Chief glanced back at her friend, her mane feathers drooping back slightly, before returning her gaze to the rebels, “It’s a long story and I’d rather we only have to tell it once. If you could fetch him-”


“There is no need.” Stepping from the shadows of the underbrush, the dark stallion snorted softly as he ventured boldly into the light, flanked by the rest of their group, standing beside the shorter Earth mare they had captured, Tierra Aviani having been kept unharmed, “What is this ‘story’ and what are your parts in it?”


The Water ‘Suti stepped forwards, talking softly in a smooth, rippling voice, like water bubbling over a rocky stream, speaking of ancient times where man and Ground Soquili hunted their people relentlessly, and eventually the Hippogryphs and Ulun’suti banded together with the discovery of the artifact, and hid away in the more defendable areas of the territory. She then took a slow breath, “Your ancestors however, chose to remain in the ancestral nesting grounds of your people in the heart of the Desert, with the cactus forests and the Oasis, and wished to retain your original culture, apart from the Alliance.”


The Hippogryph mare leading the party nodded, her crest flaring as she continued, “However… The hunters continued to pursue them, wishing to purge our people from the land, and take the Oasis for themselves. Eventually, they pleaded for assistance, and requested two things; one, for Ulun’suti, powered by the artifact, to come and create a barrier between Man and the Hippogryphs.”


“And Two, for the Ulun’suti sent there to keep their distance from their herds, and keep contact between the two just brief contact at the watering hole if necessary, no words exchanged to prevent further corruption of the culture.” The Water Ulun’suti concluded, her frilled ears backing slightly, “We’ve been sending our people to your homeland ever since, and keeping to your wishes. We were never approached and requested to stop by your leaders over the centuries – to be honest, we haven’t had any verbal contact with your people since the Sand Wall was instated.”


The rebels shifted awkwardly, the Rebel leader frowning slightly as his crest feathers bristled pondering what was said, “How can we tell that you are telling the truth? How do we know you, the supposed ‘leader’ of this party are not just forced to act accordingly or else have a loved one’s life be forfeit, and that this supposed alliance of yours treats our people as equals and that this was all just the leather-wings following our ancestors wishes? That this scale wing isn’t here to kill you should you fail?”


“Perhaps I can be of assistance?” The quiet mare, hiding her face and body in the awkward cloak spoke up, lifting her head slightly, and looked over to her mother, who nodded. As the Rebel leader watched with a mix of doubt and curiosity, the young mare tugged the cloak off, stepping out of it and kicking it to the side as murmurs traveled through the rebellion. Flapping her feathered wings, the young water Hippo’suti smiled softly, her feather tipped serpentine tail curling around herself slightly, “As you can see, we’re not really all that different from each other. I’m not the only mixed breed back at the alliance, and I’m treated no differently than any other in my herd. We mostly just want Tierra’s return to freedom.”


The Rebel leader swallowed, eyes wide – the thought of a Hippogryph and an Ulun’suti getting together and creating a happy, healthy child shook him to the core, having not even realized that it was possible to breed outside of the species until then, “… I think… Perhaps we should talk, in relative private. Huapala. Terepia. You come with me with our guests. The rest of you, stay with Tierra, make sure she doesn’t make a break for it while we negotiate her release, and whether or not we owe them all an apology.”


With that, the Dark stallion strode side by side with the tawny, pale haired mare and the brilliant sunset colored stallion that had aided their quest, leading the trio of representatives to a secluded area to talk.  

[Soquili-Activities]

Coming to an Agreement
Written by: II--Gen3sis--II, Roniel Targaryen, Syaoran-Puu, and Dixie

The two groups left, walking side by side but still not seeing eye to eye on what must be done. It wasn’t long before they reached their secluded area, but with the silence hanging heavy between them it seemed like much longer. There they stopped, spreading themselves in a rough circle with the members of the Alliance on one side and the Rebellion on the other. Hakidonmuya found himself directly across from the crossbreed mare by their positioning, leaving him unable to ignore her. The confusion he felt didn’t show on his face but he still was mentally reeling at the idea of a crossbreed existing between the hippogryphs and ulun’suti. If such a thing was possible, it shook some of his most basic assumptions about their race.

It was Sanyue that finally broke the silence, her voice ringing out strong and clear. “My name is Sanyue and I have been charged with making the decisions for the Alliance in this meeting.” She looked squarely at the rebel leader. “Anything that I agree to, the rest of the Alliance will follow. You have my word on that.”

Haki nodded briefly. “My name is Hakidonmuya and I serve the same purpose for the rebel hippogryphs.” His eyes flicked briefly to the only pureblooded ulun’suti present but then returned to Sanyue. “We won’t give the ulun’suti back their artifact. We’ve been kept under their hooves for far too long.”

Faaria spoke up then, her voice as fluid and calm as a winding river. “The artifact is of lesser concern to us today. Our first priority is the safe return of Tierra, one of our own that you hold captive.” The heavy gold balls on the end of her hair swayed softly in a light breeze. “You can see that we have brought no army to harm you, so certainly you do not benefit from keeping her captive, do you?”

Wary of trickery, Haki didn’t agree right away. “We have not harmed Tierra since she has come under our control. We only keep her to be certain that we won’t be attacked by your forces.” The ulun’suti might seem outwardly placid but he knew too well how dangerous they could be underneath that calm.

Suddenly, Aleemah spoke up. “I could go with them to replace Tierra,” she said, stepping out into the center of the group. She smiled warmly at Haki in attempt to dispel the tension that stood between them. “I would gladly teach them about our culture and show them that those in the Alliance mean them no harm.”

Faaria blinked in shock at her daughter’s sudden declaration. It was bold, yes. It even might possibly be the sort of trade that the rebels would accept. However... she couldn’t imagine letting her daughter go into that sort of situation with soquili that might secretly hate her for her ulun’suti heritage. She remembered her beloved mate and how she had last seen him leaving off for a similarly brave and altruistic mission.

“No,” said Faaria. Aleemah blinked in surprise and disappointment at her mother’s statement. “We are not going to do some sort of hostage exchange,” Faaria continued. “Even if we agreed to that plan, it would still leave the fate of the orb in question.”

“The fate of the orb is set!” snapped Haki. His discomfort at the hybrid was expressing itself through explosive anger now, anger that he didn’t bother to contain. “We will NOT return it to the ones that have forced us to scratch in the sand for all these years!”

“Please listen!” replied Sanyue, her voice more sharp than she had intended. “We don’t intend on-“

They argued. While the argument raged, Faaria took her daughter aside. “Aleemah,” she said. “Now is the time that you must leave us for this discussion. I know that you mean well, but... it is not the place for you.” Most of all, Faaria wanted to make sure that Aleemah didn’t have the chance to make any more bold declarations. She had already lost her mate to the service of the common good. She couldn’t bear to lose another.

Aleemah was not pleased and protested her mother’s decision fiercely. While Sanyue debated the matter of the orb with Haki, Faaria debated Aleemah’s involvement with her. Eventually, Faaria’s concern won over Aleemah’s desire for involvement. Aleemah left the proceedings with frustration set into her face. She was defeated but still determined, and Faaria worried what her daughter might be planning. With these worries fresh in her mind, she headed back to the group and the debate.

They had made some progress but not as much as could be hoped for. Haki had agreed to let Tierra free, but Sanyue wondered whether that was simply so their group could travel faster and unburdened with a captive. They still could come to no agreement over the fate of the orb, and soon Sanyue began to wonder if negotiation was even possible under such circumstances. Haki was obviously acting from the position that his culture and upbringing dictated. Though he seemed to be trying to understand the Alliance perspective, it was still exceedingly difficult for the two sides to culturally connect.

The hours dragged by, filled with historical lessons on the friendship between their people and the necessity of the orb to prevent human invasion and ensure protection of both races. There were several times that they almost came to an agreement, only to be cut off by some comment from Haki’s companions, or a reminder of the cultural importance of the orb from Faaria. Both sides were getting tired and the fatigue was doing nothing to make them more compromising. It was starting to look like things might end that way when a small cough from behind their group drew their attention.

Aleemah stood there, smiling softly but with a sly glint to her eye. Faaria was frustrated to see her return after their agreement, but she gasped in surprise when she saw what was standing next to her daughter. Haki responded even more dramatically. He snorted and flapped his wings in alarm, wheeling away from the new arrivals and preparing to take flight. Even Sanyue was shocked into silence.

Beside Aleemah stood a human.

Though none of the soquili present were adept at reading human faces, they could discern nothing hostile about the human. He carried no weapon and wore a wide and awed smile on his face. He said something in a language that the soquili could not comprehend and held out several objects suspended on strings to the arrayed leaders. Closer inspection revealed that they were dreamcatchers, and that Aleemah already wore one around her neck.

“They mean us no harm,” said Aleemah, her smile widening. “Mother, you always said that the humans would hunt and hurt us... but they mean us no harm!”

Faaria’s mouth gaped wide. They had passed through the human village, but in her heart she had assumed that without the guidance of the wind that the humans would have attacked their group on sight. The humans might be friends with the other soquili in the area, but the ulun’suti and hippogryphs were more wild looking and strange than their local counterparts.

Haki joined her in staring at the human. “Where did you find him?” he asked, dumbfounded. “Are you sure that he isn’t just... some sort of aberration?”

Aleemah laughed and shook her head at Haki’s worries. “The rest of the humans are kind too, I promise. I went back into their village and they all were very welcoming. Don’t you see what they made us?” She nosed her dreamcatcher proudly then looked back to her companions. “He wants to give them to all of us, I think. Why don’t you let him? It won’t hurt!” With that promise, she gave the human a friendly nudge toward the others.

As the human approached them he murmured soothingly in foreign words. He walked to Sanyue first, holding his hand out in a gesture of welcoming friendship to the astonished hippogryph mare. Sanyue was still surprised and unsure of what to make of the new advancements, but she didn’t move as the human reached out to caress her face and slip the strings of the dreamcatcher admiringly over her head. The human then went and repeated this ceremony for each soquili present and soon they all had brightly beaded dreamcatchers hanging against their chests. They waited for the human to leave but he and Aleemah didn’t seem to be in any hurry to go anywhere. Aleemah stood to one side, smiling smugly as a cat while the human hummed to her and stroked her long feathers.

The silence that followed wasn’t tense like the one that had fallen when they first gathered. It was thoughtful instead. Sanyue was the first one to speak her thoughts out loud. “If the humans are all truly as gentle as this one, perhaps...” She paused, knowing the impact that her next words would have. “Perhaps we don’t need to isolate ourselves from them through the power of the orb.”

Faaria found herself nodding as well. She could feel the dreamcatcher against her belly scales, a reminder of her own mistaken assumptions. “This is true. We have nothing to fear from them, it seems.” Awe spread slowly over her at that thought.

Haki too was lost in thought after the new development. “So,” he said slowly and thoughtfully. “So we would retain the artifact?”

“Keep it as a token of peace between the ulun’suti and the hippogryphs,” said Aleemah, and this time her mother did not silence her.

Haki looked to Sanyue to see her response to the crossbreed’s offer. To his surprise, Sanyue nodded after a short consideration. “Yes, I too believe it would be a fitting gesture,” she said before glancing at Faaria. “What do you think? Do you think the other ulun’suti would accept this agreement?”

“Yes, I do,” said Faaria simply. “If the humans are no threat then there is no need for the artifact.” She looked Haki straight in the eyes and smiled with welcoming friendship. “Let this be the gift that bonds our people.”

And so it was. Tierra was returned to the Alliance forces and the Rebels were allowed to keep the artifact as a symbol of better times to come. Peace had been achieved that day, though with a new world to explore, their adventures were far from over.  

[Soquili-Activities]

Part 5: The End And The Beginning
“ What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.” – T.S. Eliot

Hakidonmuya, the rebel leader himself, made sure to escort the diplomatic party and the human that had joined young Aleemah to welcome their people to the Kawani lands. Tierra spread her wings in triumph as they stepped into the sunlight, eyes closing blissfully at its warmth, knowing she would soon be home with her family once again.

Sanyue strode boldly towards the town, looking around for the three they had left behind as backup, “Tae-Hyun? Pyre? Eleftheria?” She chirruped as they ventured into the town, trotting out ahead around incredibly large teepee, built so Soquili could enter. What she saw, however, made her snort in laughter.

The brave and bold Tae-Hyun was surrounded by children and even a few adult humans, an unnerved expression on his face as they traced his brilliant scales and stroked their fingers across the soft leather of his wings. A Garland of flowers had been draped over his head. The optimistic Elefthera bounded around playfully with a child on her back, and the self-assured Pyre sat in enthralled, animated conversation with an Angeni as he sampled some of the offered foods left out for Soquili to claim.

It was amusing to see the bodyguard treated as if he was a beloved Uncle by the human children, even if she could see a few other parents holding their children back and eyeing the Ulun’suti and Hippogryphs suspiciously, still unsure of them. It was sweet to see Eleftheria play with the children and being followed merrily by those who wanted their turn on the feathery mare. And the honestly welcoming yet curious gaze of the angeni, a species they had never encountered before but obviously welcome to the kawani people, as he listened to Pyre speak of their Alliance home In the Eastern Mountains showed no fear or anger that had been spoken of for generations.
Taking a deep breath, the Emergency Leader smiled as she turned towards the motley group that had filed in beside her, “it seems… It’s about time we see some change.”

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Months after the Gigage Awoyeni Sandstorm died with a roar of dust and sand, the last of the remaining barriers that had not died along with it, from the great Ice Wall of the Sacred Pools, the twisting vines of the Deep Jungle Kingdom, and the Rockfall barriers cleared out by hoof and claw to open up the many passes through the mountains to the Clearspring valley and the eastern and North western passes to the Secluded grotto, high above Big Oak Grove.

Click Above for full size of the newly Opened Map locations.
Descriptions coming soon to the RP guide

And with the barriers dropped, and word spread of the new land available, all breed the breeds mingled and mixed all across the Kawani lands. And while the majority of the newcomers were good, a few of them, finally free to find places of isolation away from the alliance, began to plot their wicked schemes for the lands. However they were the minority – just as with the Standard Soquili, both Ulun’suti and Hippogryphs had to be treated as individuals, just as capable of being good as wicked.

With training, the Ulun’suti rediscovered their true abilities and limits, no longer as supernaturally powerful as they had been with the artifact. Some abilities seemed as if they were to never to return. Others were discovered to be just part of a more basic power. However, to most Ulun’suti it was worth it for being able to finally no longer need to fear the world beyond the fallen barriers, and could venture forth to brave the world around them.

And, in the shifting Sands of the Gigage Awoyeni, the lost half of the Gayatahi Adawehi Artifact covered itself in sand, the winds washing away the last traces of the Crisis in Gigage Awoyeni, and the beginning of a grand new adventure.

.-The End-.