Of Sickness, Death and Decay

[Ethereal-Star]

[Open by request]

This section of the woods at the current time was not as it should be. The trees were dead and dying, the very ground one walked upon twisted and barren of grass and nutrients, no flowers or plants grew and those that were still left were wilted and blackened. The springs and ponds had dried up. The air itself felt stale and lifeless.

Indeed this entire part of the forest was dying, infected with a twisted curse of sickness. For it is rumored that a malevolent spirit had taken control of the woods, something that was not of the natural order. It had unleashed a blight that wreaked havoc on the wildlife and inhabitants both. While the plants, trees and foliage were dying, those who made their homes here were infected with an unnatural darkness, a fury which consumed them from the inside out. Sometimes their true nature would surface from time to time, but it was extremely brief when it did happen. Something had to be done, for fear of this unnatural illness reaching the entirety of the Niahi Woods. Not to mention those who traveled through were hardly ever seen again, mauled to death by vicious animals or killed by the now berserk nymphs and fauns of the woods, their magic having also darkened with the curse.

One such nymph of the woods stood here, eyes now black with the effects of the curse where they were once a vibrant green, her face twisted in an ugly sneer of malice and hate. Her latest victim lay motionless on the ground, having done nothing except try to pass through. Gwilwilethneth had killed him with her magics and ripped out his heart in the process. His face permanently frozen in endless agony, never to breathe again. Her companions also affected, stood with her. The wolf who was once a gray wolf of ordinary size, was now a massive black warg and the butterfly a ferocious bloodsucking black as night butterfly had also increased in size, double what it normally was. The atmosphere around them dark and heavy with foulness, like the rest of their once beautiful and pristine home.

"That's better." dark Gwil chuckled evilly. "Beautiful silence once again, my lovelies. Although his screams were marvelous to hear." The warg, a dark version of who Talon used to be, nodded in silent agreement, red eyes a fierce crimson light of vileness. The black butterfly who was once an innocent Twinkle fluttered her wings in agreement as well. No birdsong was heard, only a deathly silence like that of a tomb. Not even a breeze could be felt.

Meanwhile, the malevolent spirit behind it all laughed a soul-chilling laugh that could freeze the blood in terror of any unaffected who heard it. The Niahi Woods were in dire need of help. Without it, the curse would only get worse with time.

[DaGlobster]

[Finally got around to this, Lol]

"Curious."

Swarm were all knelt in a grove, examining something in their hand. It was a bee, but it was twisted. Unrecognizable, almost. It had fangs, gnarled claws, irregular eyes. Unfit to continue its life.

"What did this to you?"

Silence answered him as the bee buzzed gently in his hands, futilely trying to sting flesh he didn't have through his heavy cloth wrappings. Spider legs burst through a fold in his palm, and snatched the bee up, dragging it inside before it was silenced with a crunch.

More food for Swarm, but also a new curiosity. Swarm stood up, and glanced around.

If something was affecting the bees in this area, it potentially posed a thread to all insects. Swarm, in their collective consciousness, came to a democratic decision. Many felt it was unsafe to investigate, but many more found it crucial to investigate.

And so he set off, heading deeper into the forest.

[Ethereal-Star]

Dark Gwil and her animal companions were also wandering the woods but for a different reason. After defiling the corpse in unspeakable ways, blood now stained the wood nymph's hands as she walked through, admiring the sickened forest. Deep down, there was a part of her that knew she should be completely appalled by this, scared of what had happened to her beautiful home but all she felt was a dark sort of glee as she looked around with blackened eyes. The voice of nature had been silenced, replaced with an unnatural force that Gwil found in her deteriorating state to be quite fascinating and eerily wonderful in its own twisted way.

"Look around my friends!" She called out to her companions and the other inhabitants who were also under the curse. "The woods have never looked better!"

A couple wood sprites and another nymph all chuckled in mirth as they too admired the devastation wrought upon the once lush, green forest. Birds in the trees, now black carnivorous things with enormous talons dripping in a green poison, let out in their mutual agreement loud eerie caw caw caws! One flew off through the forest, large wings tattered and leathery like a bat almost.

Something caught Gwil's attention then, as it did everyone else in the vicinity. Someone or something was coming. As it drew nearer, Gwil smiled darkly. She couldn't say what it was, but she sensed it to be of nature and most importantly, untainted nature. Perfect for corruption. And if it refused, it would die. "Twinkle dear, go scout ahead and see what's coming this way." Gwilwilethneth said in a sickly sweet voice that sounded like it was dripped in the sweetest of honeys.

"Yes mistress!" And off the butterfly went to scout out the surrounding woods. She soon came upon something intriguing. It looked to Twinkle like a walking mass of bugs of all kinds upon a humanoid frame. The butterfly let out a loud ear-piercing screech! that should definitely not be heard coming from a butterfly, fangs bared before she flitted off back the way she had come. Back to inform her mistress.

Twinkle arrived back in no time and said to the evil nymph. "I think you should see this." Briefly sending Gwil and Talon a mental image of what she had seen before they all headed off that way. This should be interesting indeed. thought the wood nymph druid.

[Kiri de Kismet]

To any casual passerby, the birds that skirted past the treetops were merely birds, and nothing more— but to Sio, they were the voices of the forest, microphones that amplified the forest's cries. And how they cried.

After spending centuries 'midst this greenery and dirt and leaves of the Niahi Woods, Sio could not help but know what it was in peak condition— when the forest critters awoke from hibernation and collected seeds, plucked berries from the brush— and when the forest slept. But the forest was in neither state; instead, it seemed ill, bending over at the waist, pressing a hand to its chest and coughing up bile. Sick the way a grandmother could be sick, laying on clean, white sheets, smiling while holding her son's hand with a grip that grew weaker and weaker by the second.

She entered the forest with narrowed eyes and a clenched fist, silver eyes roaming over the once-lush, verdant treetops with a queasy feeling building in the pit of her stomach. Deer normally ate their fill here; squirrels normally gathered fruits and acorns here; but now, the forest seemed near barren of all its usual beauty. And while Sio was not a sentimental person, these lands had been her home for as long as she could remember. If such a sickness had sprouted anywhere but here, perhaps she could've turned a blind eye. But here? In her home?

Her fist clenched tighter, fingernails digging into the soft flesh of her hand.

She followed the dying greenery, the path of corruption — only to pick up on the sound of... humming? It sounded, almost, like a hive of bees, except larger, almost unnatural. Perhaps such was the source of this catastrophe. Curious, Sio parted through the dead bramble, heading towards the noise. If it was not the source, then perhaps it could give her some hint about where to start her search.

[DaGlobster]

"Infection. No..."

Swarm's head panned over the edge of the infected forest, following the scent trail of that one mutated honeybee. What they found was neither reassuring nor troubling to them all. It was distress, an emotion Swarm had never felt before as a collective. Every being that comprised it found itself reluctant.

"Curse."

The form beneath the rags shifted, swelled and shrunk.

None wanted to enter, but all knew it was necessary. Swarm's first step was a bit broken, yet soon, they'd all managed to synchronize again. Swarm held out a hand, and a smattering of flies buzzed out from the wrappings of their wrist. These scouts spread out into the forest, serving as distant eyes.

To better protect themselves, Swarm conjured up a spell. Basic divine protections, to keep whatever cursed these woods from spreading to them as well.

[Ethereal-Star]

Stepping over a blackened withered plant, the dark nymph and her companions made their way toward where Twinkle had indicated. The sound of buzzing flies drew near and when Gwilwilethneth came upon the one group of these insects, she immediately knew they were not your normal flies. She could sense a certain kind of intelligence to them, as though they were part of a greater consciousness. Moreover they were untainted, the curse not having had affected them yet.

With her magics having gone rogue and twisted, she raised a hand to infer some of the curse to them, to let it fester as it will. However there seemed to be something blocking her magic. A sense of a holy power or some such emanated from the flies, protecting them from the effects she tried to infect them with. A whitish glow surrounded them and she frowned in distaste. That simply wouldn't do at all, she thought annoyed.

Looking around, the wood nymph tried to discern where its main hive was for it was surely part of some greater collective. There was no doubt about that. Gwil in her one hundred or so years of life, had never actually come upon something like this. Hives of course were completely natural in nature, but they didn't possess the power she felt either. The druid continued walking, hoping to pinpoint the source soon.

[Kiri de Kismet]

The buzzing finally seemed to reach its loudest point as Sio stepped into the edges of this forest. That buzzing — it was louder than any swarm she'd ever heard, enough to spout an instant migraine, and make her wonder if she was hearing things... for while she definitely heard a swarm of pesky bugs, she couldn't see one.

Until she parted back the brambles and branches of the nearby bush, and saw it: one large amalgam of bees, bugs and insects, all forming the shape of humanoid... creature.  She had seen a lot of strange things in her day, but nothing as uncanny as this. Was that a person, wrapped up in a coat of bees and flies? What other explanation was there for it? And yet— the person seemed oddly calm about the state they were in...

Sio stood there for a few moments, at a total loss of words, before finally waving over towards the creature. The creature seemed to be sending insects out into the forest— but for what purpose? She wouldn't know 'til she asked.

"Excuse me...sir?" 'Sir' seemed appropriate; the creature didn't have a malevolent aura, really... "You wouldn't happen to know what's become of the Woods, do you?" It seemed like a risky idea, asking this amalgam for advice, but it was better that than continue roaming these woods without answers.

[EDIT: Saw your note - my bad, Glob! I'll fix it in further posts!]

[DaGlobster]

[I feel like mentioning that Swarm isn't just a mass of insects. He's wrapped up in rags to hide it :I]

Swarm were too engrossed in the deployment of its scouts, and too interested in the results one of them was relaying back to notice Sio creeping up to them. Once she made her presence known, however, the idle buzzing sound spiked up in intensity, and Swarm wheeled around, holding an open palm out to her.

"You wouldn't happen to know what's become of the Woods, do you?"

Swarm lowered their palm, although all eyes were now on her. They considered their answer.

"Infection. Spreading through a malignancy deeper inside. Troubling."

[Ethereal-Star]

As the trio went through a patch of shrubbery, albeit a dying one at that, Gwilwilethneth's eyes focused on what she believed to be the source of the loud buzzing. It also matched the description Twinkle had given her so this...creature...must be what she was looking for. Black eyes narrowed in malevolence as she examined the collection of bugs and insects upon a humanoid frame covered in worn, tattered rags, trying to assess its weaknesses. Remembering the holy power from before, she surmised the entire being to be protected by this magic.

The wolf-turned warg also studied the scene with interest as did Twinkle. Not a couple seconds later, the bushes parted to reveal a girl with distinctive Fae features--but also some demonic ones as well. She asked the creature of bugs if it knew what became of the woods. Gwil thought this the perfect time to intervene with her own answer.

"Isn't it glorious?" the dark nymph chuckled, a sinister note behind her laughter. "A most beautiful display of decay and rot, it is. You would do well to leave now before an accident occurs. Or would you care to join our ranks?" Directing this question to both parties present.