Tuunbaq Attack - Open Log

[thetuunbaq]

The tuunbaq paws at an ice-cap. The wind whips up the snow, lightning flashes above illuminating the quick work it makes of the ice. Two swipes from its massive claws and the tunnel is open.

The tuunbaq crawls through. It can smell the fresh meat waiting for it on the other side of the ice.


((This is an all-purpose thread for the tuunbaq attack! Inside you'll find various jumping-off points for characters at different stages of the attack. Please jump in and respond to your heart's content, and add any additional threads and character interactions.

Happy Tuunbaq Day!))

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[thetuunbaq]

Tuunbaq runs through one of the paths and disappears into the snow, leaving behind a trail of blood leading in a different direction from the one created inadvertently by Goodsir.

The whipping wind slows, then suddenly clears completely.

[una_persson]

Una wants nothing more right now than to collapse onto the deck and start crying again, for Sheehan and Crozier and Goodsir, for everything that's just happened, but she also has a distinct and unavoidable impression that she's at least partially in charge now, if not completely so.

Bloody typical.

She stands up straight, looks around.

"Everyone on deck," she calls out. "I want an accounting of everyone still here before anyone runs off to find Goodsir, and anyone who goes is not going to do it alone. And I'm going to go find Jopson. Does anyone know where he is?"

She wants to bring him the bad news herself.

[wishiwasatree]

When the creature flees back into the snow and ice Trixie carefully climbs down from the rigging. Her feet and hands are frozen, and she thinks she might have fucked up her leg, but with so many other horrors to focus on she barely notices her own limp.

The survivors look rough. The ship looks like a disaster. There's blood everywhere, and not all of it is from the creature.

She lays her rifle down and rubs her arms.

"I want to find the doc, but I'll wait for someone to come with." She gives Una a nod.

[nextrightthing]

Anna follows Trixie down the rigging and over to the others, unable to look away from Croxier's body. She can feel the same dark despair tugging at her that she felt when she thought Elsa was dead, but there's still work to do, and people who need help, and they can't stop yet.

"I can go with you. But I haven't seen Jopson," she says, finally looking up again.

Nearby, Mahir is looking around the deck, frowning as he takes a mental head count. "Neither have I. Has anyone seen Shaun?"

[kingsroads]

Strange stays where he is, watching the tuunbaq as it leaves. Exhaustion is starting to overpower rage, keeping Strange from doing all the stupid thoughts that are flying through his head.

But they're talking about Goodsir. And other missing people. And Strange, though he honestly just wants to pass out right now, knows that he's got to stay away at least until everyone is returned to the ship.

"I can attempt to scry on or discern the location of whoever's missing. But whoever goes to search for Goodsir should bring a sled. I suspect the beast killed him." He tries to say it as calmly as possible but there's really no gentle way of putting it. Strange takes a deep breath before turning to look at Una. "We should have made sure that creature died."

[una_persson]

"If it died, it might have returned as strong as before, and soon," Una replies wearily. She's applied the logic of what happens to the dreamers when they die, hopefully not in error. "We've hurt it, badly enough to buy us more time."