Were-Oquiesa

[PoisonedPromise]

Fall hesitantly trotted out into the clearing, only to find, with a sigh of relief, no new victim. But something nagged at her. What if the Were was playing games with them and had just chosen not to take a new victim for the night. Or what if... and the thought made her skin crawl.. what if there was more than one? Whether Strike had been one or not, if there was more than one, the other, or even worse, others, could still be out here. Planning and scheming.

And what if Strike's first accusation from the day before had been right? After all, a predator sneaky enough to blend in with the rest of the Sams in the first place had to be very sneaky indeed. Being friendly and sweet was a hard task for anyone, a predator whose natural urge is to attack had to be very smart indeed at acting the opposite. But wouldn't that make them the greatest predator!

Fall's eyes wandered to look for Rush. That mare was awfully sweet and friendly. What if she was hiding something darker? She noticed Rush speaking with Wrath and sidled over to the two of them. "How are you feeling this morning, Rush?" She smiled hesitantly at the other mare. "and you, Wrath? Such a relief to see no one slumbering still," she added in Wrath's direction, wondering if maybe the two of them weren't both Weres!

[SilverDapples]

"I was hoping that all of this was over, Fall." Rush glanced at the mare with a frown at how oddly she was acting. "However Wrath here, she seems to think that all this isn't over. Perhaps... we should ask the others what they think?"

[Bluestarwolf12]

It had been a long night.

Hunter had gone to bed with everyone else, fully hopeful that their troubles were over but not able to shake the thought that even if they had captured one of the beast, there may well be more about.

And he awoke, the sky still dark and littered with stars, to the sound of growling and the snapping of teeth. Memories of that great grey beast that he had faced so long ago flickered across his memory as a new monster pounced upon him.

He could feel his consciousness slipping away from him... But he wasn't ready to be done with these beasts yet. As they abandoned him, thinking they had won, Hunter pulled a scroll given to him from a pocket in his cape, uttering the words as quickly as he could and casting their magic upon himself. The evil seeped from him, purging the were-Oquiesa venom from his system. The scroll deteriorated in his paw, unable to be used again.

That was a close one.

The stallion did his best to get back to sleep, and eventually managed a couple more hours before dawn.

As the Samanayrs began to wake the next morning, Hunter was quick to awaken. He needed to tell the others.

"It is not over yet," he said, ears pinned back as he glanced from one Samanayr to the next. "I was attacked last night. I had been given a single use spell during my travels to purge evil magics from myself. I was bitten last night and so forced to use it to save myself from this eternal sleep.

This is not over yet, and one or more of you are still Were-Oquiesas. What I saw of the beast did not appear to match anyone here, unfortunately, so we have no way of knowing who amongst us is guilty."

[PoisonedPromise]

"Oh no, Rush, I don't believe it is over yet either... something just doesn't seem right!" She turned quickly as Hunter came forward bringing with him news of his attack. Her blood chilled to the bone. "Oh, this is not good!"

[Origami_Dragon]

Wrath lashed her stubby tail as now it appeared that the mares were going to start fighting amongst themselves too. Tossing her antlers irritably she stomped one spike (not good for making noise, quite good for gouging deep holes in the ground). "I just want to go home! But I can't! Not while something is still hunting heyre! Eveyryone needs to be safe befoyre I can look foyr moyre magic to go home! And no one has even told me wheyre we ayre!"

As she slumped, Hunter emerged with his tale of a close escape the prior night. A soft moan escaped her as the thorn twisted deeper into certainty that this wasn't over yet. She couldn't go home still. Sinking to her knees, the mare twisted, thwacking her antlers into the ground repeatedly in frustration. "Why, why, why? Who's still hunting us?" Was it one of the two quarreling mares? But which? Or both? Or what of the final mare still there, the one who hadn't said anything yet this morning? Fall, Rush, Delicacy...names bobbed through her head. Among the scattered threads of thought bobbed one anxiously wondering if Hunter told a true tale, an overly real dream, or a ruse to lead them off track.

Flopping over onto one side with a sigh, Wrath stared at the torn patch of earth before her, then rested her chin on the ground. "At least when Sa'kyrien hunt you you know who they ayre. And Madness might want to eat me...but she doesn't make you go boyringly asleep. I don't think she yreally wants to eat me anyways...she's just playing. These were-Oquiesa ayren't playing nice."

[FoxyJhai]

Delicacy was relieved to see that no more sams appeared to have fallen victim, but she still felt unease. Were they still in danger? Her unease turned to fear at Hunter's words.

"Oh no, what do we do?" Delicacy whispered as she curled into herself. She quietly watched the others, but startled when one starts slammed her antlers into the ground. "A-are you alright?" She stutters so quietly she thinks she may not have been heard. Delicacy curls back into herself, and silently agrees with the strange mare's next words.

[Bluestarwolf12]

"At least when actual Oquiesas hunt you they look the same during the day," Hunter muttered in agreement with the spike-footed mare, becoming frustrated with not having a clear target, a clear enemy. As fascinating as the idea of a were-Oquiesa had been to begin with, Hunter was beginning to fear that he may not make it back to his mares in one piece.

All of the mares before him seemed to be in varying states of fear, jumpiness, and concern. Who amongst them could it be? Which innocent face (or more terrifying, faces) could be a beast behind a mask? Which was an act?

Fall seemed... perhaps a bit more suspicious to him than the others. Something about her over-the-top concern, maybe. He couldn't place it. Oh how he wished he'd gotten a better look at the beast when it had attacked!

[silvermoondragon]

The group was in quite the state of disarray after the announcements from this morning and they were left with really only one option, the were-oquiesa threat must be dealt with or there would surely be another victim the next morning, right? Of the many accusations floating around Rush(SilverDapples) and Fall(PoisonedPromise) seemed to be the most commonly heard. Who would the group choose to confine that day?

[Origami_Dragon]

Delicacy's whispered question seemed to snap Wrath out of it as the mare suddenly leapt back to her feet. "NO! I'M NOT ALRIGHT. I'M BEING HUNTED AND I DON'T LIKE IT!" Pivoting in place on one pointed hoof she whirled to glare around the shrunken group. "Who's hunting me?! Is it you? Or you? Or maybe you?" Her final glare was directed at Fall.

[FoxyJhai]

Delicacy nearly jump out of her skin at Wrath's shout. She watched the other mare direct her gaze at Fall, was she the one terrorizing them? "Oh dear..."

[PoisonedPromise]

Fall stepped back in utter horror at Wrath's angry questioning. "Me?! NO! Please don't make this choice!" Rush had to be one, why couldn't they see!

[silvermoondragon]

And with that the group confines Fall(PoisonedPromise) to the cave and return to their beds hoping they had finally put the matter to rest.

We are now heading into the night phase. For those of you needing to send me pms, please do so, and for those waiting for pms, I'll get to them in the next few minutes.

[PoisonedPromise]

Fall bowed her head at the other Sams' verdict, and with one last sad look at the others, she turned and walked into the cave.

((Thanks for the game, Silvermoondragon!))

[Origami_Dragon]

Wrath watched as Fall, the first Sam she had met here, was taken away to the caves. Her head drooped, the anger fading again. She had made up her mind. She didn't like were-Oquiesas, not one bit. They made everyone turn on everyone and life was no fun when you couldn't trust anyone to be what they looked like. She just wanted to go home and find her mom, and her dad, and her song-aunts, and her sibs, and her new friend Madness and give them all big happy licks and headbutts. Even if most of them would get annoyed with her over that...at least she knew what to expect.

[silvermoondragon]

((Thanks for playing PoisonedPromise!))

[silvermoondragon]

The next morning comes by all to fast. Once again, the remaining Samanayrs awake to another surprise. This time there are two victims, Wrath(Origami_Dragon) and Rush(SilverDapples), sleeping in the clearing, although Rush is missing the mysterious bite mark. What will our remaining Samanayrs do?

((Thanks for playing SilverDapples and Origami_Dragon))

[Origami_Dragon]

((Good game; will be watching to see how it all ends. Looks like our Mystery has struck as well. Thanks for hosting silvermoondragon!

And just for the sake of it...rainbows. Why? Who knows. Maybe Wrath is dreaming of them as she slumbers in the cave, waiting to see what becomes of the bitten.))

[SilverDapples]

((Thanks so much for hosting silver! Shocked I stayed in so long X'D, very good game guys! I wish I could play this in person now!))

[Bluestarwolf12]

And so only two Samanayrs remained; Hunter himself, and the quiet, jumpy mare. Was it over? Or was Delicacy a were-Oquiesa too? He couldn't force another Sam into the caves on his own, and she couldn't force him in either. So it would be a stalemate unless Delicacy would go willingly.

Otherwise... the night may end it all. He didn't have a spell to protect him this time, and if it was her... That would be the end of it.

[FoxyJhai]

Delicacy carefully looked around herself. "Hunter, what did you do?" she whispered.

[Bluestarwolf12]

"Rush will awaken once we can get outside help to ensure that she is not a were-Oquiesa. A simple temporary sleeping spell to keep everyone safe." he said, eyeing her. "I am not a were-Oquiesa, nor have I ever been, and so those bitten are not my doing."

"But are they yours?"

The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife, an odd crackling of the air that sent him into an unusual state of calm.

Neither of them would be going to the caves.

But would Hunter awaken in the morning?

[silvermoondragon]

With both Hunter(Bluestarwolf12) and Delicacy(FoxyJhai) blaming the other, it was clear that no one would get confined to the cave that day. The two sat in the clearing waiting for the the other to make the first move. But as night fell and the moon came out from behind the clouds, Delicacy began to change into a were-oquiesa and all was revealed. With all his experience with Oquiesas Hunter was able to put up quite a fight, but Delicacy managed a quick bite as Hunter spun around and from there he drifted softly to sleep.

A couple of days later, a wandering Tribal Healer came by the abandoned hotspring, Delicacy(FoxyJhai having since moved on to another, to find the cave of confinement. Quite surprised to find Samanayrs inside, she quickly let them out and rummaged through her pouch to bring out a potion that would wake all the slumbering Samanayrs.

[Origami_Dragon]

((And so apparently it is the quiet ones you have to watch out for. Congrats FoxyJhai on surviving the game!))

The days of slumber past unnoticed by Wrath in a sleep as deep and undreaming as death. When the Healer's potion was poured down her throat, the poor mare was quite startled when a coughing Wrath suddenly leaped up and licked her nose before looking around the cave. "What happened? Can you tell me wheyre I am?"

((Now...the question is does the potion actually cure them...or only wake them...))

[amazondreamer]

((*claps* Well played! Of course it would be the quite unassuming Delicacy who was the monster! That was a lot of fun and I loved watching how everyone reacted!))

[Rythe]

(( Awww, it's always the quite ones. :P Well played, Foxy! Quite fun to read the events and RP bits too, so great job all. ^^ ))