The Judgement of Sinners (Complete)

(Available Creatures:

Foretold In The Stars Nova Astrum

Mindspeech: #a66200

Never has any Astrum been more in love with space than this Nova; not only has she managed to memorize every constellation in the sky, but she is all too eager to drag others out to stargaze with her. Like most of her kind, her moods can be a bit extreme and when angered, it is best to either stay far away or to placate her somehow (a trip to an observatory usually does the trick). Because of her love of stars, she prefers to sleep during the day and wake up at night, often staying up until the last star has disappeared from the sky and only then will she return to her bonded for some sleep only to do it all over again the night after. She only wakes up during the day if disturbed from her slumber.

Her fur, while it tends to stick out here and there, is just as soft and airy as a cloud might be expected to feel, and her eyes are a lovely golden yellow. Her fur is more sleek than fluffy, making her appear a bit smaller than others of her kind but her size doesn't bother her in the slightest.

A Coat Of Sugar Razor Sharpblade

Mindspeech: Italic #fbbee1

Aside from the blue band across her eyes, this Sharpblade is primarily pink in color with her lower half leaning towards an almost raspberry shade. Standing at nearly six feet tall, she exemplifies the definition of royalty in the way she carries herself; one might believe her to be a queen rather than a junior queen if not for her slender build.

While she may appear calm and composed initially, she can be downright terrifying when she gets aggressive. Used to getting what she wants and being obeyed, she can easily become irritated when someone fails to listen to her. Oddly enough, she will avoid using violence herself unless there is no other option even if she does take excitement from ripping her prey to shreds; afterward she takes her time with her kill, daintily consuming the meat like she hasn't just gotten blood on her claws. This Razor loves to mask her thoughts behind a smile, ranging from small and inviting to something you'd expect to see on the face of a gleeful serial killer.

The Beautiful Beast Of The Seven Seas Reef Hippocampus

Mindspeech: Italics #f060ff

Larger than most Reef hippocampi, she has a color scheme that consists of a green lower half, a flesh-colored upper body with a splash of blue upon her chest, and purple hairlike frills that hide poisonous barbs. She has eyes the color of turquoise, though they have been witnessed to change to an acidic green on occasion, and possesses a pair of scars on her left side that she prefers not to discuss.

Vivacious and flirtatious, she uses her appearance and body language to lure sailors to their deaths like the sirens of seafaring folklore. While she is normally amicable to those who enter her waters, those with ill intentions are likely to meet a more grisly fate of being dragged down to the depths and presumably devoured. However, this Reef has a particular fondness for those smaller in size than herself (which extends more often to females than males) and is more likely to display genuine open affection for them. She gets along swimmingly with eels, turtles, and seahorses but other fish and sea creatures tend to shy away from her.

What Do You Call A Cup That Falls Off A Swing? Riddle Sphinx

Mindspeech: Bold #1979e6

If this sphinx had a profession, it would likely be a clown; he loves making people laugh with jokes and puns, often bending over backwards if it means getting a smile out of someone. When there's a circus in town, his bonded can bet that they are going to be dragged to it especially if they are feeling down and his jokes aren't working. He has trouble keeping a straight face even in serious moments, occasionally letting a giggle or two slip out when he can't quite hold them back. Luckily his goofy-sounding laughter tends to ease the tension in the air and some might even find themselves laughing along, regardless of whether there is anything to laugh about; his cheerfulness is contagious. He can't sit still for more than two minutes.

Standing a little smaller than most Riddles at about five feet eleven inches tall, he possesses bluish-colored wings streaked with black though if one looks closely they might catch a glimpse of the occasional gray feather. His fur is a very light shade of brown, bordering on being cream colored. His eyes are a vibrant yellow and nearly always dancing with joy and playfulness.

Variety, The Spice Of Life South Hippogryph

Mindspeech: Bold #ff161

This Hippogryph is just as energetic as his species suggests, but this also means he gets bored easily. He doesn't like routine and is always on the lookout for an adventure even if it might get him into trouble. He's learned the hard way that he shouldn't recklessly charge into things (such as playing games with strangers or shifty individuals) for the sake of money even if he's still somewhat materialistic. His primary hobbies consist of collecting shinies such as gems or coins, and playing games of chance. He is also extremely loyal to those he considers family, hardly hesitant to fight tooth and claw to protect them, and despite his penchant for getting himself in over his hand, he is mature enough to take responsibility for his actions.

His plumage is primarily red in color with red-orange undertones, and on his left side (tucked under his wing, to be more specific) is a diamond-shaped birthmark hidden under his feathers. He possesses dark brown, nearly black eyes, and stands at roughly average height for a hippogryph of his particular rank.

Innocent Until Proven Guilty East Hippogryph

Mindspeech: #19a8e6

Though not biologically related to the South that often gets himself into trouble, this East has taken it upon himself to attempt to keep his adopted brother safe. He isn't always successful, but he does his best. He is polite and intelligent though he occasionally uses his intelligence and innocent appearance to get away with things. He does find a certain fascination with swordplay, as long as no one ends up getting hurt in the process. Similar to the South, he is also quite loyal to those he considers family and would rather stay together than be separated. This East is quick to forgive mistakes, even ones that could or did end up with someone getting hurt, and he is a strict pacifist unless forced into a situation that he would need to fight his way out of, whether physically or by strength of will.

His plumage is primarily a soft blue in color with aqua undertones; on his right side is a spade-shaped birthmark hidden underneath his feathers. He is a bit smaller than average size for a hippogryph of his rank and his eyes are a similar color to his adopted brother's though closer inspection reveals them to be a very dark gray rather than brown.

Carrot had been relaxing when he heard the drums. He wasn't sure what they were for but they sounded urgent. He stood up and stretched before shifting to his dragon form and took off towards the sounds of the drums.

It wasn't too long before he got a glimpse of a aqua colored Hippogryph and the closer he got the more he could see that there were others and they were chained up. What was going on here?

Carrot tilted his head when The Hippogryph spoke. "Oh none taken. I am actually half human and half dragon so no worries." He perked up when he heard a roar. "This isn't good at all. He approached the Hippogryph. "My name is Carrot by the way. What is yours?" He looked over the chains, thinking what he could use to break the chains. "I could use my horns to break you free."

Nat wasn’t quite sure how she’d ended up here - perhaps her ship’s navigational system had malfunctioned? Either way, she was quite certain that this unfamiliar, barren wasteland of a planet couldn’t be where the distress signal had been leading her. She wasn’t much of a mechanic, so she supposed she ought to contact someone for help, but when she deployed her PAK’s communication device she could only hear static - there seemed to be some kind of unknown interference. She nibbled on her lower lip, debating what to do next - should she wait for a signal, or see if any local life forms could help? For all she knew, this place could be the domain of one of the Empire’s many enemies, and it could be dangerous for a lone Irken, especially one not trained in combat...

Startled out of her own thoughts, her lekku perked up at the thump of drums, coming from not too far away. Despite her reservations, she decided to investigate, hoping that the locals would be friendly or could at least be reasoned with.

She hadn’t gotten very far before she spotted them: a gathering of what looked to be exotic species, like none she had ever encountered before. They seemed to be in chains, but one of them, the blue-winged sphinx, sounded like it was...*laughing*? Nat tilted her head at the sound - it was not a joyous laugh, but shrill and panicked, and something in it told her this strange yet beautiful creature needed help. Before she could think better of it she was running over to them.

“Hello!” she called out, her PAK automatically translating her words into a language they should be able to understand as her wide, curious gaze swept across all of the creatures in their bonds, finally settling on the still-giggling sphinx. “Are you natives of this planet?” Perhaps they were slaves, but who left their slaves lying around so carelessly - unless they had outlived their usefulness and had been abandoned to die, a thought that made her squeedlyspooch constrict. “Do you perhaps require some assistance...?”

::Mini-Update!::

Oh, we don't actually have names. We have to find someone to bond to and then they'll give us one, the South answered Carrot. Before either of the two Hippogryphs could continue, however, the Razor huffed. Unless your horns are made of diamond, sugar, that's not going to happen. Maybe you could try picking the locks somehow? the East piped up. If Carrot had claws small enough to fit into the keyhole or Necthan put his lockpicking abilities to use, maybe they would be able to get free.

Thank you so much, the Reef said, no shortage of gratitude in her voice, when Noah brought out his water bottle. Even the smallest amount would be enough to keep her from drying out for a little while longer. If you could pour some on me, that would be even more helpful. Near her, the Nova also felt some relief wash over her. Maybe there was some hope for their motley crew yet, though they still needed to focus on getting out of these chains. When Noah inspected the chains, however, it revealed that while the chains were quite strong, the wooden embedded in the ground that said chains were attached to wasn't as sturdy, and could potentially be broken if he had the proper tools or even just enough strength to pull the chains free. That was probably so the dragons in these parts didn't have any problems yanking their meals free from their bindings and chowing down. Perhaps if the three of them worked together they might just be able to liberate the group of six from their terrible fate, or Necthan might be able to pick the locks if he was fast enough to get the creatures out of their shackles before they all wound up on the menu. Whatever they decided to do, they would need to act quickly as another roar sounded, this time closer than before. The South Hippogryph froze for a moment and then began to struggle even harder against his chains despite his ankles already being rubbed raw from his earlier struggles. The Razor pulled at hers as well, twisting this way and that in an attempt to loosen the chains from their wooden constructs. They were running out of time. 

Nat's arrival had gone almost unnoticed at this point amidst the struggles and panic of the creatures trying to get free, but the Riddle spotted her out of the corner of his eye. H-Hey there, little missy... What did the one-armed skeleton say to the doctor? I don't suppose you could give me a hand? He giggled again and looked up at the sky, scanning it for the dragons that had to be closing in. Would you quit making jokes already? We're all going to die if we don't escape! the Razor snapped at him as she tried to pull her legs free again.

If you ask me, now isn't the time to be arguing either! the Nova exclaimed, her tail and fur fluffing out even more than usual. So save the petty fighting and let's focus for heaven's sake! She was attempting to claw at the wood that her shackles were affixed to, but she wasn't having much luck either. Don't look now, but I don't think this will dragon for much longer... the sphinx giggled out nervously, having spotted what looked like a steadily-growing black dragon in the distance. No, no, no! I don't want to die like this! The Reef sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

Nat blinked, unable to help a startled giggle of her own at the Riddle’s joke - in any other circumstances she may have enjoyed them more, as most Irkens rarely made jokes that weren’t at the expense of those shorter than them - but quickly composed herself as the severity of the situation became apparent, with not only the six creatures struggling in their chains but also another three equally unfamiliar species who seemed to be working to free them. Trying to remain focused on her task despite the mounting panic, as she would during an operation, she knelt and quickly examined the chains. “I can try and cut you free with my PAK - it has lasers, and various other tools...But I’ll need you to stop struggling hold still, I don’t want to hurt any of you,” she added, softly but urgently as she raised her head, briefly meeting the sphinx’s eyes before she looked to the ominous black shape in the sky, a shiver running down her spine - it seemed she might soon be encountering the local fauna after all, but this one definitely didn’t look too friendly...

It wouldn't appear that Nec had even heard the second roar of the dragon. He glanced in the direction, registered the incoming dragon, and turned back to the nearest shackled creature, the hippogryph. "If someone could work on the stakes, I'll try to take care of the locks. Unless there's more of of you who can pick a lock, then I suggest you get to it." Voice calm, like he was giving advise on how to knead bread rather than release creatures before the dragon ate them, Nec focused on the first lock.

The first one popped open fast, it was a simple one with a rolling tumbler, a kind he had plenty experience with. One lock open, Nec didn't waste time to move on to the next, the East had four, damnit! Looked like everyone had one on each leg, this would take time... He could only hope they had enough to free them all, but even with all the locks being as easy as the first it would be really close.

So far he hadn't paid much attention to the other helpers either, but did note Carrot, who was vaguely familiar, maaaaaybe one more, he'd probably seen them in the village, but no matter, no time now this wasn't a social thing.

click

Two open, dragon still some distance away, come ooooon!