NATURE’S WRATH

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Winter does not wane like usual.
Something is amiss and abnormal.
Nature is reacting.
Nature is bending.
Will you break?

In the usually humid and shady swamp, the wildfires continued to ravage its overgrowth, pillaging and destroying tree after tree, bush after bush. Some spots were left completely charred and smoking, while others continued to burn for days on end. The fire destroyed the homes of many Swamp inhabitants, taking plenty of casualties along its destructive path. Some ran for their lives, others didn’t make it. A group of baboons was doing just that – running away from the oncoming fire, wreaking havoc on their way. Whatever – or whoever – stood in their way best be prepared to meet the stressed primates’ fangs!

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INSTRUCTIONS

Trade Boosted: All barbarians who post at least 3 times to this thread and exit before the end of the BWP will qualify for "+15 BWP exp". All other trades can still collect regular exp.
Minimum Participants Needed: 3
Maximum Participants Allowed: 9

This thread must be completed with exits by the end of the BWP to count for bonus trade experience. There is no posting order. The BWP account will not post again.

pixel credit to DiddyLyn

wrought-iron gate still open behind him,
sword-tips aglow in the May air

The swamp was never quite an enjoyable place. András tended to despise the way the murk clung to his fur, the slow pace at which he had to trudge through the waters, and the large, scaled creatures that lurked within its depths. But the fires had burned back all the moisture, and the water levels had begun to recede. The thick canopies of the tangled and gnarled trees above were alight with fire, set ablaze by some sort of divine intervention that András could neither comprehend nor understand. His nose twitched, a sudden rumbling of the ground causing his careful promenade to turn into abrupt chaos. A large group of baboons came descending down from their burning place in the trees, surging through the forest in savage succession. András had no time to run; he could only brace himself.

It took only a few seconds for them to meet, the sudden burst of primates falling down upon him and everything else in their path. His teeth grit as he bore the brunt of their assault, most far more interested in escaping than they were in ambushing him. But any baboon who dared stray too close to him would be snapped, growled at. Eventually, he managed to catch one by the leg, and flung it skyward in an attempt to frighten them away from his direction. It was without success, however, for there was no lion who was more frightening than a wildfire.

Accessories in this art are not canon—just for artistic stylization representative of this character's personality.

your boy is a soldier As promised, Scorpius scouts the land for signs of change. And he finds it, unfortunately. The smell of smoke isn't enough to deter the prince, because fire can't be that fast, now can it? Besides, it seems far enough away. He carries on, a moth to the flames, until.... A noise. Not just one noise - but many. Growing stronger and closer, louder and louder until it's all he can hear - A chorus of screams. Shrieking, screaming baboons pour of the swamp in a wave of teeth and fur, gripping and grasping anything to get out of swamp. They care little for the oversized teen, and merely ignore him as he turns to flee from their path. He isn't fast enough, and something hard and solid collides with his side. A young baboon, just as scared as Scorpius is and willing to fight for survival. It's teeth sink into his flank and the prince screams, his shout drowned out by the rest. His claws scrape and grapple against the youth holding him, and it quickly becomes a power struggle while fire and smoke creeps ever closer.

code // art // do not use without permission

The humidity was stifling, her thick coat damp from sweat. It didn't matter what had brought her here - only that she was here and she felt miserable. The fires had begun creeping further, taking all that got in it's way. Alizabeth wasn't generally a scavenger, but she was ready to do what was necessary to keep her pride fed. That was, until a hoard of angry, scared baboons came barreling her way.

The King didn't think anything of it, she moved to give them a width berth, but it seemed the fire had kicked them up into a rabid frenzy because they followed her. Panic gripped her heart. Alizabeth could kick ass, but even all that fury directed at her was intimidating. It didn't take long for them to close the distance even with the ivory lioness running. A snarl escapes, a paw lashing out in warning with talons glinting.

It didn't stop them, however, and the Lagoon King found herself surrounded. They took turns lunging at her, swiping with their claws and creating cuts along her hips and shoulders, one even getting her on the face. "FUCK OFF!" She roared, her small form lunging at one as it came toward her, jaws enclosing around its throat and squeezing as it let out a shriek. As this was happening another jumped on her from behind, biting onto her back.

It was a bit nerve-wracking to live right next door to a literal forest fire holding no signs of stopping, even Myra had to admit that. The Mire residents had tried to put some measures in place to ensure that their territory would remain safe from the flames growing ever closer, but the longer this went on the more ominous that orange glow seemed. She'd expanded the range of her patrols, dipping into the swampland that existed outside the range of her home with the purpose of checking to see how close the inferno had spread.

The distance between the flames and the muddy waters seemed to grow shorter with each visit she made. Today, that distance seemed near nonexistent.

When the stinging smell of smoke became far too apparent to be healthy, the huntress decided it was time to turn away and retreat back into the safety of the mire. But it was already too late - and it wasn't the fire that she should've been worried about.

The unearthly shrieking made her pin her pointed ears flat to her skull, her blue eyes widening as she turned back to witness the stampede of baboons racing out from the burning trees, their movements frantic and their eyes wild with terror. Their sharp teeth gleaming menacingly in the orange glow of the flames. Myra stumbled back, but they were upon her before she could even think to run. She roared in pain and anger as a baboon slammed into her, sinking its long canines into her shoulder. She sunk her own fangs into its nape to wrench it off and throw it away, but two more came to replace it in the blink of an eye, attacking her from all sides.

Someone loudly cursed nearby, and with no other recourse Myra would try to push her way towards @Alizabeth's white form, partially hidden amidst the swarm of panicked primates. "Here!" She called, raising her voice to be heard over the deafening as she swiped at yet another baboon blocking her way. "We need to band together! Form a circle!" If that tactic worked well enough for herd animals, then it might just work for lions as well.

ART COPYRIGHT IRISH

Like the good little soldier, Apollinaire was off to scout out more territories for prey. The Bluffs were in a perilous situation, their resources could end at any second. He was certain that Amara would be glad if someone was out there looking for other options, although he didn't doubt that Charax was already on it.

Either way, he had taken off to the Jungle today. However, he didn't expect the lush greenery to be burning. From afar his crimson eyes could see the orange glow of flames and the rise of dark grey smoke towards the heavens.

Where there was fire, there were casualties.

If he could find some food to bring back to Wolfbron, it'll be a plus. Bonus points if it was a lion.

As he traversed the Jungle and entered the premises of what seemed to be a swamp, the fire began to catch up to him. Immediately, the heathen began to retreat, but it seemed that he wasn't the only one with that idea.

Shrieks and cries surprised him, as a group of primates descended down from the tree tops and he was in their way. Whirling around, he lashed out with bared teeth & claws, digging into flesh. Teeth pierced through his own skin, claws leaving wounds across his pelt. No matter how many he felled, more came.

The voice of others caught his attention and for the split second he heard someone call for banding together, he chose to do the wise thing and moved towards @Myra and @Alizabeth, fighting off more charging creatures along the way.

coded by flea + art by rabbit

s

o she raised us come hell or high water / into godless gods, girls, wolf daughters

How exhilarating it was to see the kiss of fire reach into the sky like red-hot veins. The deafening crackle of trees burning and snapping, ancient and brought to heel by the fury of mother nature. The screeching cacophony of baboons caterwauling in their desperate escape was the only thing to break the blissful noise of the wildfire, racing through the trees with great usherance and desperate to seek their safety in higher ground. Arsynia's eyes turned skyward, watching their dark silhouettes dance from between the gnarled limbs of trees. Her lip twitched, eyes narrowing thoughtfully as she observed them; the far younger and faster ones, despite their heightened aggression, seemed to be far more keen on an out-of-reach escape, while the older and more fragile ones struggled to keep themselves up, and chose to race along the ground, throwing themselves at the mercy of the lions who had gathered here.

Until strangely, they all started to come down. Furious, screaming.

She turned her head toward @Myra's call, her eyes catching too the forms of @Alizabeth and @Apollinaire. Even she knew not to battle both the baboons and the wildfire; only a fool would see himself strong enough to endure both and think they would come out the victor. Thus, Arsynia quickly ducked her way through the thicket and rampaging monkeys, clawing her way toward the forming group, knowing there, she could avoid losing her head to the swarm.

THIS PLACE IS DEATH

let's writhe, let me see you trip. one move that will keep you wet. let's fall in a long sadistic trance

A small sense of dread curled in the chest of the beast as his eyes swelled with the reflected fire and its sprawling chaos. There were too few escapes from the disastrous onslaught of a merciless winter - the dunes blown over by dust storms and locusts, the shores brimmed with a tumultuous current. And now, a forest engulfed; a once peaceful throng of greenery the cold wouldn't dare to touch now blackened by smog.

He had earlier turned back from the wildfires that consumed the jungle before finding his entryway blocked by flame and charcoal, and had coughed his measure of smoke to consider trampling his way through the swamp. It was, perhaps, his least favorite route - but the black waters could not be so fraught with the violent heat, no?

Instead, baboons.

Gauthier heard them before he saw them, the cackling, fang-gnashing blackened mass of them shooting overhead. Beyond, the devilish things carried a banter with more than flame or fellow.

One soared overhead and he ducked the length of his body - but another yanked the flesh of his shoulder, and yet another grabbed for a heel. In the overgrowth beyond carried on the voices and shades too familiar - and for a moment he considered abandoning them (surviving seemed more fortuitous than aiding) but the sound of @Apollinaire heeled a grunting sigh of relent.

The call of @Myra does not go unheard, and Gauthier rushed as the barrage of baboons warred with the oncoming group of lions - but paused to snatch a feral primate gnawing on the small form of @Scorpius. Hardly a fabled hero, he spent only as much time to throw one monkey and attempt to seize the one that's bitten into the cub before he'd move on to help his pridemate.

He is alone when the screams begin; a haunting rumble in the distance that near shakes the forest floor. Amidst the spitting ash of the wildfire and the smoky haze, Thrain believed he could dodge it just be diligent, watching the wind as Jafar had taught him.

Yet the fire had slowed by that point, and instead the earthly rumble and shrill squawks were a sign of something unexpected. Perhaps, near as lethal. He scrambled, not sure which direction to go, his heart beating. Suddenly, he found his way upon a group - perhaps having subconsciously sought their voices - but they were being assaulted.

Baboons! He froze as the raging creatures pooled around the thrashing lions, the vision of @Scorpius getting his hide torn into enough to cause a rush of adrenaline. But Thrain was not yet a match for such powerful creatures. Instead, he shudders, locking eyes onto the heroic form of @Gauthier, and then the rest of them within the circle (@Arsynia @Myra @Alizabeth).

He made a dash to them, no doubt likely to have found himself colliding with one or more of the adults - "I don't know what to do!" a troubled wail, wanting to be useful, and yet knowing his youth had no place here. "That kid needs help!" an amethyst glance to Scorpius, who had in essence been saved by Gauthier, but surely needed further assistance?

_{art by yumpy}

Whopper loved the smell of fried baboon in the morning. Something smelled really good and tasty. All the recently dead things couldn't escape her when they were dead! With half a mind to find and steal a burnt corpse and present it as her own kill, (and no further brain cells committed), the ragged lioness traipsed and scavenged ahead of the fire as the wind brought ever more delicious smells to her. Like, what fire? Fuck off fire. She was hungry.

She could well have been engulfed, heedless to any danger that was not immediate, but her king's curse snapped her to attention. It sounded violent and where there was violence, Walpurgis would help!

She charged in... slowly... already dry-tongued and panting, with dry fur, seeing a horde of lions (enemies?) but mostly an upstart baboon trying to ride her king's coattails! "Nuh uh!" she snarled and tried to rescue @Alizabeth. By trying to scramble across the smaller lioness's back herself, all claws unsheathed and indiscriminate in their haste to try to knock the baboon off.

--Whopper is... helpfully... jumping on @Alizabeth