Graded [Frontier] Journey Through the Eastern Outskirts.

[Elvario]

Ceylan
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Interactions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse

Ceylan couldn't help himself from raising an eyebrow at Cayde's suggestion of foraging for more mushrooms. “I feel like I've dealt with enough mushrooms to last me a lifetime in just last night...” The feeling of not really being in control of his own emotions had made him feel surprisingly grouchy. He wondered if it was sinful to let yourself get lost like that. If it was on purpose, it was a way of altering your own bodily functions just for some escapism, which he definitely knew wasn't going to fly by many religions. This had been an accident though, so he hoped he'd be forgiven.

He got even more serious when Cayde asked him what he was looking for. “There's something odd going on in the forest. I can feel it, but I can't place it. It's not something good though, that much I know. The only way I can explain it, is that it feels like the entire area is screaming in a muffled voice.” He looked around, but shook his head. “I can't figure out where it's coming from. Just be careful if you stray from the path to gather.”

Edge of the Forest

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As they moved further into the forest, it was becoming increasingly clear that it wasn't just a sixth sense thing. There were far fewer sounds than one could expect, with a few crows being one of the only birds that could be heard. A small creek provided a background of running water, but otherwise, it was eerily silent.

As they were progressing, Cayde would eventually pick up on a faint scent, managing to smell it before Ceylan. Whether or not his books had told him so or whether he'd know from practice, there was only one type of liquid that seemed to fit this particular scent. Blood.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario ​

Cayde nodded in understanding. Though he was still unsure of what happened in the barn, whatever he did must've left Ceylan in a sour mood. From the Blue Dreams to the barn partially collapsing, no doubt something went awry back there. He'd have to apologize for that later, but for now, Cayde was still trying to process what Ceylan said earlier. Though Cayde did feel tense entering the forest, he passed it off as simple unease from a new environment, but if Ceylan shared that same feeling, perhaps something was going on in these woods. "Alright, I'll keep an eye out."

The deeper Cayde progressed into the woods, the more agitated he became. Despite it being broad daylight, the forest was deathly quiet, and other than the foreboding caws of crows, Cayde didn't see or hear any other woodland creature. Trying to find something take his mind off of it, Cayde decided now would be the best time for that apology. "Hey, Ceylan," he called out, "I, uh, I'm sorry for what happened back there. Y'know, in the barn? I don't know if it was the Blue Dreams or if I was just too tired, but I wasn't acting like myself, so I'm sor-"

Before he could finish his apology, a familiar scent wafted in his nose. "Sorry, one second, it's just..." Cayde lifted his mask and took a few more sniffs, the smell becoming ever more metallic. His face scrunched as he searched his mind for whatever could be the source of the odor, and finally, he recognized it. It was the same smell from fresh meat or whenever he nicked himself with his knife. With the grave realization finally hitting him, Cayde turned to Ceylan, "Do you smell that? It smells like... blood?"

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan
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Interactions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse

Ceylan wasn't eager to discuss the past night. He didn't particularly blame Cayde for it, but the dopamine high hadn't been that great of an experience for him. He'd rather not think back on it, yet Cayde brought it back up. Ceylan was debating how to brush it off until Cayde interrupted himself to smell the air.

After Cayde pointed it out, Ceylan could smell the blood as well. “I do.” He replied, as his mind was working overtime. “I... don't think it's of a person?” He couldn't say for sure, but it didn't smell the same as when he'd been treating patients with his healing. Even so, they'd better be careful. “Let's proceed with care and hope it's just a hunter with fresh prey and not the gnoll, as I don't think we'll be able to find our way if we stray from the path here...”

Edge of the Forest

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As they proceeded further along the path, it turned out to be neither the gnoll nor the hunter. It was the rather gruesome sight of a squirrel being cut open, partially torn apart and nailed to a tree. From the looks of it, the little forest critter had likely been alive when all of that happened. Flies had already gathered around its corpse, but there wasn't a smell of rot yet. The kill wasn't fresh, but it couldn't have been here for more than a day either. Were Cayde to investigate, he might be able to learn more about the gruesome faith had befallen the creature.

Ceylan, on the other hand, had stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the dead creature with some intensity. His hands were clamped tightly around his staff, as he somehow looked both on high alert and deep in thought at the same time.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario ​

Cayde shifted his eyes to the ground. Though he sorely hoped it was a hunter, he had his doubts: if it was a hunter, why was the forest so eerily still? No human could have possibly silenced the woods - or at least no human he's ever seen. Of course, it could have been the gnoll, but he didn't want to bet on the worst-case scenario. So instead, Cayde tried to convince himself that it was just a wolf or maybe a bear, something much more palatable for his anxious mind. Nevertheless, Cayde didn't want to see where the smell was coming from or whatever created it.

As he traveled further down the path, Cayde finally found the source of the smell, and for a second, he almost gagged. He approached the squirrel, or whatever remained of it now, and observed the carnage before him. The squirrel's corpse wasn't put here by some beast, no wolf or bear could have nailed it to a tree, but the sheer gruesomeness of the body rivaled that of a freshly-eaten carcass. It could've been a person, but Cayde couldn't imagine who would do such a thing to this poor creature. "Oh, you poor thing..." He muttered, slowly backing away from the corpse. Now Cayde was certain: He didn't want to be in these woods anymore, not with whatever did that.

Cayde turned to face Ceylan, his voice wavering, "Ceylan, come on. We've got to go." He peeked at the carcass over his shoulder but quickly diverted his gaze, "Just... Just don't look at it. Come on."

 

[Elvario]

Edge of the Forest

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Interactions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse

As Cayde observed the squirrel further, he would notice something of interest. It hadn't just been nailed to the tree at random. Quite the opposite. It had been nailed to it with great precision. The nails were going through exact places in its little paws, which were stretched out in angles that were as close to a 45 degree bent as possible. Even the incision made into its stomach went exactly through the middle of the squirrel, although the abundance of flies made it a bit difficult to spot.

Ceylan
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As Cayde spoke up, he snapped Ceylan out of his silent stare. “It all makes sense now...” He mumbled, as he looked at Cayde with a worried look. “It's not just some animal cruelty.” He shook his head. “I've read about this before, it's a ritual to an ancient demon that requires sacrifices to be nailed to a surface and to let them bleed out. It'd explain a lot... the squirrel, the odd feeling in this forest, the eerie silence...”

He tried to gather himself, but didn't quite succeed. “It could be the gnoll's doing, but I don't get why... Should we stop it? If this succeeds, it might be bad, but... I've never heard of a ritual like this succeeding...” He swallowed as he tried not to gag at the thought, but voiced it anyway; “We should take it down! We'd risk angering the gnoll if we encounter it, but it might help disturb whatever ritual its trying to perform.”

He was clearly gathering up the mental fortitude to do the job himself, which he would succeed at eventually, thought it'd take enough time for Cayde to beat him to it if he wanted to. In either scenario, once the squirrel was taken down, Ceylan would nod and press on. He wasn't the type of priest or goody-two-shoes to start burying animals, he'd just leave it for the predators. He was, however, the type to have trouble ignoring an ongoing dangerous dark ritual.

Heart of the Forest

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As they carefully proceeded onwards, the forest around them got increasingly dense. They also ended up spotting more sacrificial animals, which Cayde was able to spot and identify with relative ease. The second animal they spotted was a hare, nailed to a tree in a similar fashion as the squirrel. If Cayde had taken care of taking down the first animal, Ceylan would end up looking at him expectantly. If Ceylan had done it himself, he'd do so again, this time with a little more conviction and less delay. The third animal they ran into was a lot heftier, as it was a boar.

Both Cayde, with his knowledge of nature and survival and his perception, as well as Ceylan with his knowledge on healing, would immediately spot another difference. This boar had been killed much more recently. It couldn't have been more than a few hours ago, perhaps even a single hour, as some blood was still dripping from it's open-cut stomach. The flies hadn't even descented upon it en masse.

Ceylan whispered nervously. “We'll have to proceed very carefully...” He tried his best to remain silent, but with neither Ceylan or Cayde having any talents for stealth and sneaking, they'd both be painfully aware of every branch they stepped on and ever rock they knocked aside on accident. Their situation looked rather dire, but turning back now wasn't necessarily going to be much better, as they hadn't been able to spot a clear sign of the gnoll's movements.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario ​

Ceylan's answer did not ease Cayde one iota. A gnoll was one thing, but a gnoll summoning a demon? It sounded like something straight out of a folk story. While he was never the religious or the superstitious type, Cayde had heard tales of people disrupting such wicked rituals - and the tragedies that would eventually befall them. Cayde didn't want to test those stories, but Ceylan had other ideas, "Wait, so you're saying a demonic ritual is causing all this? and you want us to go and stop it?" Cayde replied incredulously, "But the adventure, We can't just-" he paused, taking a moment to consider his next words.

Everything thought in his head was screaming for him to turn around and run, but deep down, he knew he just couldn't. If he had left, he would've escaped relatively unharmed, but what would happen to the forest? To his companion? Sure, he'd be able to continue his mundane days at the apothecary, but he'd have to live with the guilt of abandoning his first adventure. If a demon was summoned, he'd also have to live knowing that he could've done something, but instead, he let fear take hold of him. Cayde shook his head, finally making his next choice, " Ugh, never mind all that. Let's... Let's put an end to this."

The further Cayde ventured into the woods, the more sinister it became. Every time he and Ceylan made progress, he spotted even more woodland animals, butchered, and sacrificed just like the squirrel. He had reluctantly removed some of the creatures, but the recently slaughtered boar required some aid from Ceylan. He did, however, notice that the boar's corpse was relatively fresh; whatever was sacrificing these animals was drawing near.

"We're getting close," Cayde murmured back, his eyes shakily scanning the forest, "If we're quick enough, we might catch them in the act..." Despite his evident unease, Cayde was certain they could catch up with whatever was causing this, but it probably knew they were coming from all the noise they were making. Regardless, Cayde kept both an eye and an ear out; he wasn't looking forward to an ambush.

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan
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Ceylan was rather grateful when Cayde ended up helping him despite having some reservations. Getting the boar down felt like the pinnacle of what they were dealing with, as it was by far the biggest creature and the freshest kill. However, when Cayde mentioned catching the gnoll in the act... “Perhaps... but if we manage to sneak past and take down any other animals we spot, we might delay them long enough to reach Aston and get back-up.” Ceylan didn't think their chances against a gnoll were all that high. Some subtle interference was well within what Ceylan desired to do, but an outright confrontation? He was neither heroic nor suicidal enough.

Heart of the Forest

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Just as Ceylan and Cayde got ready to move on, the rustling of leaves announced that they were no longer alone. With how silent the forest had been thus far, it was very unlikely to just be a mere animal. It came from far enough away to give them a few seconds to debate what to do, but it was too close to have a decent change to outrun whatever or whomever was coming for them, especially with how slippery the moss-covered forest path was.

Ceylan held his orbed staff tight. It wasn't really a weapon, but it was all he had.

It wasn't long after they heard the first sounds that the creature they'd anxiously awaited showed itself. It walked out of the forest, carrying itself across the uneven and slippery soil with relative ease. It had clearly been here for long enough to adjust itself to the area.

Spoiler: Gnoll Witch Doctor

Depending on how one looked at it; they were in luck. This gnoll was a male, the smaller and weaker of the two sexes among gnolls. It was also not a warrior, something that its attire and relatively scrawny built made clear. However, the combination of the ongoing ritual and the looks of this gnoll made it difficult to ignore that they were dealing with someone versed in some sort of evil arts, which likely meant it was more intelligent than most of its peers. The way the gnoll approached them suggested not the slightest worry or fear. Just annoyance.

Gnoll

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“You're interrupting my ritual.” It spoke with a low growl and heavy dialect, clearly not having used the common language all that often. Even so, it pointed at the boar and put its teeth on display whilst doing so. “Why?”

Whilst the fact that it wasn't outright attacking them was good, the gnoll didn't look patient and Ceylan was clearly needing a moment to come up with a reply and gather his nerves well enough to voice it, so if Cayde desired to step up, now would be the moment.

 

[The Last Curse]

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Mentions: Elvario

After setting the boar down, Cayde heard the rustling of leaves around him. He snapped his head towards the source of the sound, and as soon as he saw what made it, his blood ran cold. It was none other than the creature they were trying to avoid: the gnoll. As the beast came closer, Cayde's hand jerked towards his knife, but as soon as it made itself fully seen, he stopped. Intrigued, Cayde straightened himself.

By looks alone, Cayde knew the gnoll was, in fact, a gnoll. It fit all the descriptions he'd read in his books: a large hyaenid head, bipedal posture, razor-sharp claws, and terrible, jagged teeth. However, something was off. While Cayde expected an armed, bloodthirsty beast ready to tear out his throat, this gnoll, in particular, looked like nothing more than a shaman. Though the beast was versed in magic, judging by its unsettling clothes, it wasn't the war-mongering monster the books had set it out to be - or at least it didn't look like it. Cayde was terrified, but he couldn't help but feel just a little bit curious.

He was just seconds away from whispering to Ceylan as the gnoll spoke, demanding to know why they were interfering with its ritual. Cayde looked to Ceylan as he tried to gather his words, but it seemed Ceylan was just as perplexed. He had to come up with something quick; although the gnoll wasn't exactly what he was expecting, it was still a gnoll, and a fight was the last thing he wanted. After a few seconds passed by, he finally knew what to say.

Cayde cleared his throat, "Hail, friend." He cringed at his forced formality, "My colleague and I were just passing through. We caught sight of your offering here and wanted to take a closer look. We apologize if we interrupted anything important." Then, Cayde took a short bow. He wasn't sure what "sorry" was in gnoll culture, but hopefully, the creature got the right message. "But, If you don't mind me asking: what's the purpose of all this?"

 

[Elvario]

Gnoll

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Interactions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse

The gnoll bared its fangs and snarled upon the 'hail friend' and clearly didn't really take well to it. He also didn't buy the excuse. “Your kind 'looks' by bringing down my offerings? No.” Oddly enough, the gnoll actually looked a bit surprised when Cayde showed interest in what the purpose was. “Are you interested in the arts, bird-mask? Your friend seems to think differently.” The gnoll once again bared its fangs, this time in a mean grin towards Ceylan.

Ceylan
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Ceylan had gathered himself just enough to reply to the gnoll. “Demonic rituals like these have always ended in immense suffering for nearly everyone involved. Surely you must know that whatever outcome you desire can't be worth it. Tell me what you wish to accomplish and perhaps we can help you achieve it through different, safer, means.”

The gnoll laughed like only a gnoll could. A mixture of the yipping laugh of a hyena with undertones of a low rumbling growling noise. “I desire the suffering, dog-boy.” The laugh and the creature's words gave it an air of danger, with his ritualistic knowledge and intellect more than making up for the lack of strength and fierceness he had in comparison with most others of his species.

With a grin still on his face, the gnoll turned back towards Cayde. “How about a deal? Help me finish the ritual. I'll explain everything I'm doing.”

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario ​

Cayde didn't like where this was going; not only was the gnoll bent on chaos, it also wanted him to partake in it. But, as intrigued as he was, Cayde knew he couldn't put even a spec of trust into this beast. From its malicious intentions to its dangerous demeanor, Cayde was sure the creature had nothing good planned for him if he were to accept. Besides, there was no way Ceylan would stick around and help continue such a ritual, and the thought of being alone in the woods with this monster was anything but pleasant.

"Er, as enlightening as that may be, I'd have to decline." He pointed over the grassy path ahead of them, trying his hardest to keep his arm from quivering, "We have business beyond the tundra. If we make it out of the forest quick enough, we'll get there in no time."

Cayde had a feeling the gnoll wouldn't appreciate his refusal, but the introduction of a deal interested him, "But, now that you've mentioned deals, I think I've got one of my own." He took a glance at Ceylan before returning to the gnoll, "We're both busy people: you've got your ritual, we've got our job. So, if you let us pass, we won't interfere with you anymore. If you don't trust me, that's fine; you could follow us, and after we make it out, you can go back to your ritual."

"But, you don't have to follow us out. We could leave now, but then you'd just have our word. The choice is yours." Finally finished, Cayde stood with his arms crossed against his chest, nervously awaiting the gnolls answer.

 

[Elvario]

Gnoll

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Interactions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse

The gnoll bared his fangs at Cayde's refusal, but allowed him to finish explaining the counter-offer. “Heh... hehhehehehhe!” The odd yapping laugh of the gnoll was heard echoing across the forest. “Sure, sure, I'd gladly accompany the two of you on your way out of the forest.” The eager acceptance and menacing laugh were clear signals that Cayde had overlooked something.

Ceylan's shocked look was another. However, as Ceylan stared from Cayde to the gnoll and back again, he couldn't come up with something to get them out of their predicament.

“Well then, after you two...” The gnoll said, pointing towards the path.

Ceylan hesitantly started walking, waiting for a moment at which the gnoll was just far enough behind them before whispering to Cayde. “We're not going to be out of the forest before nightfall. At this rate we'll be stuck in this forest with the gnoll when it's getting dark. We've gotta figure out a way to get rid of it.” The only thing worse than being followed by a gnoll through a forest was being followed by a gnoll through a dark forest. Whilst gnolls didn't have perfect darkvision, their sight was still a lot better at night than that of the average person.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario ​

Cayde slightly recoiled from the gnoll's insidious laughter, but he quickly composed himself, giving a courteous nod of his head. "Thank you." He said, trying to facade a tone of appreciativeness, "I'm glad we could come to terms." With that, Cayde made his down the path, eventually catching up with Ceylan. He glanced behind him, watching the distance grow between the gnoll. Though he felt relieved knowing he could finally move forward, the now lingering presence of the gnoll only made him more anxious.

Cayde gave a deep sigh mixed with relief, frustration, and unease. Though the thought of being followed wasn't pleasant, Cayde truly worried about what the gnoll had in store for him and Ceylan. "Yes, but... I don't think we can get rid of it right now." He shook his head, clearly frustrated by the predicament he put himself in, "It knows the woods better than us, and if we scare it away, it'll just come back later." He looked around him as if searching for something to use, "There has to be something we could use around here. I'll keep my eye out."

As he progressed, Cayde's eyes studied the forest. Not only was he looking for some material to use, but the sight of the trees helped calm his nerves. However, the gnoll and the ever-approaching night were still fresh in his mind. He knew they couldn't set up a campfire, not with the gnoll stalking them, but traversing the woods with no source of light would prove difficult. Cayde closed his eyes, attempting to think of a solution, and in his blinded state, he carelessly brushed past the trunk of a tree. He winced from the pain and looked over to his shoulder, seeing several drops of a waxy amber-colored substance staining his jacket. Promptly identifying it as tree resin, Cayde was about to wipe it off, but before he could, an idea popped into his head.

He looked back to the trees, and as he passed by, he started to notice more orange abstract-shaped substances dot their trunks. Though he saw none that were still liquid, most of them appeared to be in a soft, waxy state, just like the resin he found on his shoulder. Cayde turned to Ceylan, a little bit more optimistic than he was before, "Hey, Ceylan. I've got an idea." He whispered before pointing over to wax coating the trees next to them, "You see that on the trees? That's resin. We're gonna need some of that." Cayde took a moment to look around him, spotting some unordinary sticks and branches littering the floor, "And we need some sticks - the longer, the greener, the better."

 

[Elvario]

Heart of the Forest

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Interactions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse

Their trip had taken them to what must be the 'heart' of the heart of the forest, as the trees were close together and a lot less light was piercing through here. The colder climate and rocky soil was ideal for the sturdy pine trees to grow, however, which made it easy to gather resin and sticks.

Ceylan
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Ceylan, however, had absolutely no clue what Cayde wanted with sticks and resin. He didn't have any idea on how he'd be able to gather it without raising suspicion either. “I'm not sure what you're planning but... I think I can at least distract him for a while...” He wasn't entire sure of himself when he said it, but he still slowed down his pace, allowing Cayde to move ahead for a bit.

The gnoll instantly spotted it.

Gnoll

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“What're you doing doggy-boy? Are you giving your companion a chance to start making a run for it?” The gnoll spoke with an 'ugly' condescending tone.

“I merely wished to ask you why you desire chaos.” Ceylan knew he was playing with fire here, as he got close enough to the gnoll to be caught and mauled to death in mere moments. However, if he'd stay at a distance, he wouldn't distract the gnoll effectively enough.

“Heh... hehehehe...” The gnoll yapped his laugh again. Oddly enough, he actually replied. “It's a repayment, doggy-boy. A creature like you wouldn't understand.”

“We're both beast, aren't we? I'm sure I can understand some of it.” Ceylan wasn't great at bluffing, which immediately simmered through.

“Heheheheheh.” The gnoll seemed amused enough for the distraction to be working. “You don't know what it's like to be cast out by an Alpha due to a fault of her own, nor do you know what it's like to be an outcast to your entire species due to it. You won't know the sweet, sweet taste of being able to avenge that injustice either. We're nothing alike, doggy-boy.”

Ceylan wasn't sure if he'd bought enough time yet, so he pushed his luck. “Why were you cast out?”

The gnoll snarled, rather than laughed, at this particular question. “Cursed by her rotten womb and cursed by her clouded mind, but that is none of your concern. I'd suggest you hurry back up towards the bird-mask, unless you want to become the next sacrifice.”

They hadn't been talking for long, so Ceylan doubted he'd given Cayde enough time yet. He also realised he wouldn't be able to keep this conversation going without considerable risk. That's when he decided to switch to his emergency emergency plan. He picked up speed to get closer towards Cayde, making it seem like he was catching up on Cayde. Just before, however, he purposefully took a misstep. Instantly, he could feel pain shooting up form his ankle. He'd twisted it for sure.

Ceylan had considered faking a fall, but he knew the gnoll would pick up on it, unless there was a considerable injury. Luckily enough, the gnoll didn't know of Ceylan's healing magic, so it wouldn't know that Ceylan would be able to heal it later. To the gnoll, Ceylan had just messed up badly enough to never be able to run away from it, which was sure to make it let its guard down further.

It worked.

“Hehheehehhehee.” The gnoll's laugh echoed through the forest again. “Keep walking, doggy-boy, keep walking.”

Ceylan gritted his teeth. He had a legitimate enough reason to slow down now and his pain was clearly distracting the gnoll from whatever Cayde was doing as it enjoyed watching him suffer. He sure hoped it'd be worth it though, as ever step he took was excruciatingly painful. He'd heal himself, but he knew he wouldn't be able to fake it well enough, so he'd have to push through until Cayde finished up with his plans and keep his healing magic hidden until then.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario ​

With his knife in hand, Cayde got to work. First, he fished through the side of his pack until he found a glass beaker. He then approached a nearby tree and carefully sliced a piece of resin from its trunk, depositing it in the container. He went from tree to tree, repeating the same process until he had several pieces of resin resting in his beaker. Next, he needed some sticks and something to act as a wick - fortunately, everything he needed was right in front of him. Cayde bent down and picked up sticks and branches of various sizes as he moved. He inspected each one and threw away whatever was dry, flimsy, or simply too small, leaving him with a couple of sturdy, medium-sized branches. During his search, he also picked up a few pinecones.

Now came the most lengthy part: assembling the torch. First, Cayde split the ends of the branches into four quarters. Though his knife was no ax, he managed to cut through with a little bit of leverage. Next, he set down the branches next to him and started working on the pinecones, taking the resin from the beaker and smearing it onto their surface. Finished with the brunt of the work, all he had to do next was insert the pinecones into the branches.

Just as he was about to do so, Cayde heard the gnoll's dreadful laughter once more. Thinking it was laughing at his crude creation, he turned his head to shoot it an annoyed glare, but instead, he saw Ceylan limping over to him and the gnoll flashing its signature grin. Gritting his teeth, Cayde hastily constructed his torches, grabbed them, hurried over to Ceylan, and threw the priest's arm over his shoulder for extra support.

"Come on, Ceylan..." Cayde muttered, "I've made us some torches. I doubt that thing's afraid of fire, but at least we've got a light and something to defend ourselves with." He then slightly hoisted upwards, attempting to take the pressure off his hurt foot, "Let's go... I just hope we're close."

Though Ceylan's injury was more a minor nuisance than a major setback, Cayde knew the gnoll was eating this up. He was already thinking of another plan to stave it off, or better yet, get rid of it for good, but he had no clue how far they were from the forest's exit. So, for now, he'd keep that plan on hold; he needed to focus on moving forward.

 

[Elvario]

Heart of the Forest

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Interactions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse

Thanks to Ceylan's work at distracting the gnoll and Cayde's large amount of book-knowledge ready to be put into practice, Cayde was able to finish his torches. That alone told him another thing that might be important. The gnoll wasn't really bothering to keep an eye on the both of them, as it allowed itself to be distracted way too easily. If Cayde really wanted, he might've even been able to make a run for it on his own. Whether that was due to the gnoll being careless and overconfident or due to it having another motive was unclear.

Ceylan
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As Cayde came to support him, it gave Ceylan an excellent opportunity to whisper his plan to Cayde without raising suspicion. He was surprised to learned what Cayde had been up too, but figured it was their best shot. “Alright. I don't think the gnoll caught on to the fact that I'll be able to heal my injury, so it'll have its guard down. If we wait for a moment during which it seems distracted and sprint off, we might be able to give ourselves a head-start.”

The moment of distraction didn't come soon. The gnoll kept his eyes on Ceylan and Cayde as they continued through the forest. The sun-rays that made their way through the treetops were slowly starting to fade, indicating that night was about to set. With their best guesses, they knew they would only be slightly past the midpoint by now. They would be in for a long night.

That's when their distraction arrived. The squealing of a boar suddenly echoed loudly through the forest. Putting two and two together, it was likely a victim to the traps that the gnoll must've set to gather its sacrifices. The gnoll itself clearly looked into the direction of the sound. That's when Ceylan acted, healing himself and giving a nod to Cayde. Now was the time to be off. In his best attempt to be silent yet quick, Ceylan set off in a sprint, hopefully with Cayde in tow.

They didn't hear anything from the gnoll for a bit, until they suddenly heard it growl. “If it's a chase you want, I shall grant it!” It clearly wasn't going to let them go easily, but the sound of his voice was faint and distant. Perhaps they'd gained enough of a head-start?

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario ​

Cayde gave an affirmative nod. "Alright then. I'll be right behind you," he whispered, still helping Ceylan down the path. Along the way, Cayde tried his best not to look behind him, trying not to give even a hint of their plans to the gnoll. He even threw in a couple of light-hearted "Easy does it"s and "Come on now"s to keep up the farce. Whether the gnoll bought it or not was of no concern - Cayde had to prepare himself for the distraction.

However, as they both progressed further down the trail and no diversion presented itself, Cayde started to feel a bit restless. "Ceylan, I don't think that distraction's coming. We should-" Before he could complete his sentence, a horrible squealing sounded around them. He stopped in his tracks, trying to find the source of the sound, and while he searched, Cayde noticed the gnoll was looking for it too. He didn't need another hint to know that this was their distraction, and neither did Ceylan, it seemed; the priest was already making a break for it. Immediately, Cayde ran in tow, drawing further away from the gnoll.

He made it a good way ahead before he heard the gnoll speak. Fortunately, its voice was still far, but that didn't mean it'd stay that way for long. Now with the gnoll chasing after him and the darkness starting to envelop the woods, he figured he'd need to light one of his torches later. However, he needed to make the best use of them, and there was still some more ground to cover.

Cayde looked over to Ceylan and gestured to his pack, "Do you have anything that can start a fire? We can light one of my torches further up ahead."

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan
​

Interactions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse

Ceylan did his best to dig through his pack without slowing down too much, digging up his tinderbox before long. “Here!” He said, handing it over to Cayde. It wouldn't be much longer before it was indeed dark enough to need a torch. Whilst it allowed them to continue at full speed and with limited risk of tripping, it did come with a severe setback. The light would make it even easier for the gnoll to stay on their trail. Whilst they had never been under the illusion that they could play hide and seek with the gnoll, any chance at delaying it due to making it look for them for a bit was still off the table now. That said, with how little they knew about this forest, it was probably not going to end well if they strayed far from the path to begin with.

Whether it was due to them being quicker than they thought or due to the gnoll simply toying with them was unknown, but they were able to stay ahead of it for multiple hours. By now, it was probably past midnight, yet there was still no end to the forest. What was even worse, was that they could both feel it. The gnoll was getting closer. Or was that just their fear speaking? Either way, they would start to feel the exhaustion kicking in as they could only keep going through-out the night on mere adrenaline for so long.

That's when they heard it. “Found you!” It sounded like it came from their right somewhere, followed by its typical laugh. “Hehehehe.” For a moment, it went through Ceylan's mind that it was odd for the gnoll to reveal its position to them, but he quickly passed it off as the gnoll merely toying with them. Cayde, however, would know of another possibility. It was common among lots of creatures to distract their competitors when they were encroaching upon their nest or upon a previously slain prey. Considering the gnoll had remained silent through-out most of the last few hours, it might be possible that it was doing the same.

Was there some place it didn't want them to run into? Perhaps it was just the tiredness speaking to gain a false sense of hope, but if it wasn't... Besides, didn't its laugh sound slightly different this time around? Slightly less confident? Wasn't there also something that looked like a small side-path in the direction of the gnoll's sounds? Something that looked like it could lead somewhere the gnoll wouldn't want them to go? None of it was a guarantee, but it started to look like they wouldn't make it for much longer if they just kept running. Ceylan was clearly growing exhausted as well, but he clearly hadn't made the same connections as Cayde had, so it was up to Cayde to trust his instincts and go with this riskier option or to ignore it and keep running in the hope they'd somehow make it.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario ​

Cayde grabbed the tinderbox and immediately got to work. Removing the flint and steel from the box, he bent down and repeatedly struck them over his torch. Though he managed to create some sparks, none seemed to ignite it. Frustrated, Cayde furrowed his brows and gave one last strike, and finally, a tiny ember was born. He lifted his mask and gently blew onto the flame, and soon enough, it slowly engulfed the pinecone. Reclaiming the contents of the tinderbox, Cayde rose from the ground, and as the flame ate away at the wick, it bathed the area with faint orange light. He handed the box back to Ceylan and motioned down the path before walking down it himself.

After what seemed like hours, Cayde started to feel his adrenaline depleting, exhaustion taking its place. Although he hadn't seen the gnoll for a while, it appeared the woods stretched on for eternity. On top of that, he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched; he knew the gnoll was somewhere out there, but it felt as if it were right behind him. He tried to dismiss it as his nerves getting to him, but that didn't make him feel the slightest bit safer. Trying to calm himself, Cayde gazed at the dying torch, seeing liquified drops of resin drip off the slowly charring pinecone. He squinted as if trying to recall something, but before he could, he heard a familiar, dreadful sound: the gnoll's laughter.

Safe to say, Cayde was a bit puzzled: the gnoll had the cover of darkness, and it knew the forest way better than they did, so why would it reveal itself? Especially after hours of complete silence? It could've been messing with them, but Cayde did notice something about the gnoll's laugh - it didn't sound as assured as it usually was. Maybe it was trying to steer them away from something that could benefit them? Considering the gnoll's previous contempt towards the two, it wouldn't be the most farfetched guess.

Cayde's eyes shifted to his right, and in the direction where he heard the gnoll, he saw a smaller path diverge from the main road. Though there was no way to be sure, this could have been the path the gnoll didn't want them to take. "Hey, Ceylan, look over there. It's another path." He said, pointing towards it with a free hand, "We should take it, right? I don't think the gnoll wants us to go there, so maybe it'll lead us to something good?"

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan
​

Interactions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse

Ceylan was definitely not eager to head closer towards the gnoll, but he also knew that he wouldn't be able to keep running for much longer. In a worst case scenario, they'd end up facing the gnoll before having ran themselves to utter exhaustion, which was still likely to put them at better odds than being butchered after collapsing from exhaustion. In a best case scenario, Cayde was actually onto something. In order to save his breath, Ceylan merely nodded to Cayde.

As they traversed into the side-path, doubt was likely to start to creeping in. The sparse light of the torch didn't show much, but what it did show suggested this might merely be an animal trail, rather than something man-made. Had the gnoll's laugh really been different, or had it merely sounded different due to being further away? Second-guesses like those were likely to occur, but they'd settled on their path and were likely to be in even bigger trouble if they'd backed down from it.

Small Forest Clearing

​

The path led them to a small forest clearing. In any normal circumstances, this place would've been idyllic and serene. It would've all-around been beautiful and peaceful. These weren't normal circumstances. One thing instantly stood out. At the centre of the clearing was the most gruesome sight thus far; the mummified remains of what seemed to be a stillborn gnoll. Its remnants were laying on some sort of altar, on which various runic inscriptions were made. Multiple animal corpses hung from the trees around the clearing, all cut open and bled dry like the ones they've seen so far, but the stench indicated they'd been here for far longer.

One of those corpses, however, wasn't animal, but a beast.

Spoiler: Sheep Girl

The sheep girl had cuts covering most of her body, which, were they to observe them from closer, would've been made on the perfect places from which to slowly let someone bleed to death.

Ceylan, who was stunned in disgust, fear and panic for a moment, somehow managed to overcome those feelings and rushed over to the girl. To his great relief, he could feel a pulse, although it was very weak. “She's still alive! I'll try healing her. I just need some time.” Her wounds technically weren't severe, as they were made specifically to make her bleed to death in a slow and steady manner, rather than quickly. However, the blood-loss had caused her to lose consciousness and something about the wounds prevented the wounds from clotting as they normally would. Perhaps she'd been poisoned in some way, or given something that thinned her blood. Either way, to get her back into a decent condition, Ceylan needed time. The more time, the better he'd be able to bring her back.

It would be up to Cayde to buy that time, as the gnoll was likely to be very close and he wouldn't be happy about them having wandered into its ritual site. How he would handle it would be entirely up to him, but various things would stand out upon investigation, as with his skills and perception he'd spot more opportunities than most.

For one, the sheep-girl looked like a warrior, as she was muscular and had some scars that looked older than the most recent wounds. If she'd come here to fight the gnoll, her weapons and equipment would likely be somewhere nearby. If Ceylan managed to heal her, she might stand a chance against the gnoll for as long as Cayde would find her equipment in time and if they backed her up.

Another thing that stood out was the intricacy with which the altar was build and the level of detail with which the runes on it were carved. Whatever ritual was going on was likely to be precision work and if bringing down a few animal sacrifices could cause a disturbance or delay, what would dealing with the altar itself do? It'd be a risk for sure, but it might delay or stop the gnoll.

A third option was the mummified gnoll baby. It was clearly playing a vital roll in what the gnoll was doing, so it might serve as a deterred against it if used as a 'hostage' in some manner. It was one of the more gruesome options, but it was also one that had a fair chance of succeeding. The care with which the baby gnoll was mummified suggest the gnoll needed it intact, after all.

A fourth option, thanks to Cayde's own survival skills, would present itself in a stack of bear-traps he spotted laying in a corner. The gnoll was likely using them in attempt to catch bigger prey for its rituals, although looking at the sheep-girl's feet, she'd also fallen prey to one of them. Perhaps that's why she'd been defeated before. Cayde could attempt to make the gnoll fall for its own traps, but it might be difficult to lure the gnoll into them without some sort of plan.

A fifth and final option was the simplest and riskiest one. The shrubs in this area were rather dry, as it hadn't rained for a while. Cayde had a torch. Putting one and one together made for an easy two, but there was considerable risk to their own health if they turned to pyromania. Perhaps the threat alone might serve as a deterrent? Or perhaps Cayde would find a desire to just want to watch the world burn.

Whatever Cayde would chose to do, be it any or some of the above options, something new entirely or a combination of them, he'd have to act quick and he'd have to carefully think through the order of his actions, as he could be caught by the gnoll's arrival at any moment.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario ​

What Cayde saw when he entered the clearing could only be described as depraved. To the animal corpses hanging from the trees to the desiccated gnoll baby lying in the center and to the unbearable stench that stung his nostrils - this was far worse than anything he could ever imagine. The sight got even worse the further he stepped inside, Cayde spotting an altar marked with strange runes and lying at its base, the body of a beastkin woman. Ceylan was the first to run up and help her, and Cayde, though hesitant, eventually followed suit.

Upon closer inspection, Cayde could instantly tell she was another victim of the gnoll's cruelty. Her body was riddled with cuts, all of which aimed to prolong her suffering, and on her feet were wounds that could only be associated to bear traps. Having no clue how long she was here, Cayde immediately assumed the worst, but as soon Ceylan spoke up, he felt just a tinge of relief. "Good, I'll leave you to it!"

Now that the problem was being resolved, Cayde had another issue to worry about: the gnoll. There was no doubt it was lurking around here, and now with him and Ceylan directly interfering with its core sacrifice, it was bound to be angry. With the priest currently healing the woman, Cayde had to figure out how to buy some time. His eyes scanned the clearing before finally landing on a pile of bear traps off to the corner. Then, after a brief moment of thought, Cayde had an idea. If he could somehow trap the gnoll, that'd buy him more than enough time.

He rushed over, grabbed an unprimed trap, and rigged it towards the clearing's entrance. Then, he repeated the process with two other bear traps, setting them around the perimeter of the grove. When he finished, Cayde took a moment to inspect them, but they still looked a bit bare even in the darkness. That's when he recalled something he saw during his time on the city outskirts. Back then, he'd often stumble across traps lying in the woods, and they were always concealed with leaves or foliage, making them practically invisible to the unwary. Despite him being in a relatively open area, Cayde wondered if that trick could work here too.

He jumped into action and quickly walked around the glade, gathering whatever leaves he could find and placing them around the bear traps. He also dropped a few extra leaves haphazardly around the grove, hoping to draw away some suspicion. In the end, the traps were not fully concealed, but with a combination of darkness and some distraction, Cayde hoped it'd be enough.

With most of his time spent rigging his snares, Cayde had to find something to catch the gnoll's attention - and quick. Although he couldn't see or hear anything approaching, he had a feeling the creature would rear its head real soon. He looked to the altar and saw the mummified corpse, and what he thought of next made his stomach twist. He walked up to the altar and slowly picked up the mummy, cradling it in one of his arms. Then, he shakily unsheathed his knife and held it up to its throat.

He swallowed the lump in his throat, planted the torch behind him, and took a few steps forwards, eyes peering into the darkness ahead. "I know you're out there." He called out, "Come out and speak to me face to face." He slightly held up the mummified corpse, "We have the... 'centerpiece' of your ritual. Answer me, and I'll return it."

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan
​

Interactions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse

Ceylan was healing the sheep-girl as best as he could, but he spotted cracks forming in his focus. The crystal-orbed staff wasn't strong enough to withstand the full extend of his healing powers, so he had to carefully manage his 'output' and attempt to see if he could 'manually' solve some issues while at it, trying to bandage up some of the wounds with scraps of cloth whenever he couldn't heal them as easily. Even so, it would take time, regardless of how well he would manage to balance everything out. He didn't even have a moment to watch Cayde go around, so he would have to trust his companion's ability to buy him that time.

Small Forest Clearing

​

Whilst Cayde had put in some effort into hiding the bear-traps, it was highly debatable whether or not the gnoll would fall for it. This also occurred to Cayde himself, as he reached for the mummified baby gnoll. It was... not as unpleasant as one might think, at least for as long as you didn't think about what exactly you were doing. The rigor mortis had fully set in, so it was like holding some sort of doll. The balming method to mummify it had gotten rid of any stench it might have, unlike the corpses surrounding the clearing, but then again, he did just grab a mummified baby gnoll with the intent to hold it hostage.

Cayde's challenge didn't go unheard.

Gnoll

​

“Grrrrrrr.” The gnoll announced himself with a low growl. It appeared from the shadows, standing at the edge of the clearing, with Cayde between it and Ceylan. It was brandishing a clever-like blade, which looked every bit a crude as it looked lethal. Whilst it was likelier to be used for copping up animal corpses, it could probably do a fair deal of harm to the living as well. “I've answered. Now put it down.” The gnoll looked absolutely furious, which got even worse when he spotted what Ceylan was doing. “Tell the dog-boy to stop, or I swear upon my life that I'll make your deaths the most painful experiences in existence.”

There was a single bear-trap between the gnoll and Cayde and it looked like the gnoll hadn't spotted it yet, as it had its eyes fully focussed on what Cayde was doing with the mummified baby gnoll. The creature didn't even hide the fact that it needed the baby gnoll to remain intact, as it stopped from moving in on them. On the other hand, the absolute fury in its eyes was a clear sign that it was on the verge of snapping and letting go of all rationale in order to just get rid of the nuisances. Cayde would have to play his cards very carefully if he wished to keep buying time by keeping the gnoll just below the point of anger at which it would go in on a blind attack, unless Cayde would be able to come up with a plan to use its clearly nearby anger outburst against it.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario ​

Cayde's eyes immediately locked onto the gnoll as it emerged from the darkness, and as the beast fully revealed itself, his gaze fell upon its weapon. Although not as refined as a traditional blade, the gnoll's cleaver looked just as menacing as its wielder. Whether it was lethal or not didn't matter; Cayde did not want to be on the receiving end of that thing. However, as the gnoll delivered its grave warning, Cayde knew that cleaver would be coming at him at any second. He took a deep breath, and finally, he answered, "No. I don't think he will. But I might have something else that'll interest you."

His grip on his knife loosened as he continued, "You and I had a deal, and... well, I didn't hold up my part of the bargain." Cayde eyes shifted to Ceylan, "Now, I could sit here and ask for forgiveness all night long, but you're not one for apologies - you've made that clear. So, it's only fair if I make it up to you." Cayde took a tiny step back, and slowly, he lowered the mummified baby to the ground. "Look, let's just make one last deal. You can resume your ritual - just spare the woman and my friend. If I have to take her place, so be it."

Cayde continued to unload his gear, first throwing his knife out of sight and then dropping his backpack by his feet. Eventually, his hands found the bindings to his mask, and with one quick motion, he removed it. Now with no barrier between him and the grove's deathly stench, his eyes started to water. Regardless, Cayde still maintained eye contact with the gnoll, "No more tricks, no more lies - nothing. It's just you and me," He said, the edges of his lips curling into a disingenuous grin, "Friend."

 

[Elvario]

Gnoll

​

Interactions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse

A fiery flash of hatred shone through the gnoll's eyes when Cayde refused to stop Ceylan. The gnoll even bared his teeth and leaned forwards, as if ready to just jump at Cayde regardless of circumstances. If it wasn't for the immediate 'offer' made by Cayde, the gnoll might've lost it already. However, the beast managed to keep itself 'calm' for just long enough to hear Cayde out.

Although it was faint, there was something visible beyond the hatred now. Confusion. Even so, the gnoll didn't look confused by what Cayde said, but by what he intended with it. The beast clearly wasn't in the right mindset to consider any such offers, as he didn't even reply. However, when Cayde had set the mummified baby on the ground, the gnoll displayed its most wicked grin yet. “Big mistake.” The gnoll didn't even wait for Cayde to say anything else. With a surprising speed, the gnoll lunged forwards, ready to slash its cleaver directly through Cayde's neck before the latter could get to the mummified baby gnoll. For a moment, Cayde was likely seeing his life flash before his eyes, as the fully enraged gnoll was coming at him with enough hatred for it to almost be tangible in the air.

That's when the scraping of something metal could be heard, as if something was pressed down. Within a split second, that scraping was accompanied by a loud snap and an angry yet pained howl of a gnoll. “Ärghgh! You fucker! I'll bleed you dry and feed you the worms... argh...” Hatred, pain and frustration overwhelmed the gnoll as its right foot was bleeding heavily whilst completely stuck in the bear-trap. In its wicked hatred, it attempt to just pull loose its foot, which only served to further wound his foot and tighten the trap. With tremendous effort on the gnolls part, he calmed down just enough to reach down in an attempt to properly disarm the trap. He didn't seem bothered about looking more vulnerable or laying his cleaver beside him for a moment. This gave Cayde some time to act freely, if he so wished.

Ceylan
​

Ceylan had tried his utmost to ignore everything but the woman he was healing, which hadn't been all that easy. His sixth sense was picking up on the immense hatred stemming from the gnoll with such intensity that he felt like he was sitting next to a blast furnace. However, the first signs of success were starting to show. The girl was breathing normally again and her pulse was becoming stronger and more stable. She could wake up at any moment and if he kept this up, he might even be able to get her healed to a good enough degree for her to help them fight the gnoll. She wouldn't be able to fight it bare-handed though, so Ceylan let his eyes dart around to look for something that might serve as a weapon, but he immediately regretted his choice, as he lost his focus on healing her and spotted new cracks forming in his focus.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario ​

For a moment, Cayde thought he got through the gnoll, but as the beast barreled towards him, clearly he was wrong. His face shifted to one of shock, and his arms instinctively went to cover his face. He shut his eyes, bracing for impact, but was only met with the sound of metal clanging and the gnoll screaming profanities. Finally, Cayde opened his eyes and saw the gnoll struggle before him, ensnared in his trap. "Yes!" Cayde muttered to himself as he began to look around wildly, trying to find something to exploit this opening. Eventually, his gaze fell upon the torch next to him and then unto the globs of liquified resin running down its base.

At that moment, Cayde had an idea. He bent down and rummaged through his backpack until he found an empty glass vial. He scrambled over to the torch and held the vial to its base, watching as sticky, searing resin slowly dripped into it. Cayde's eyes darted from the gnoll to the glass, impatiently waiting for it to fill up. He gritted his teeth and gave the torch a slight shake, hoping to increase the flow slightly faster, "Come on, come on, come on..."

Cayde watched as the last dollop of resin filled, and with adrenaline coursing through his veins, he turned to face the gnoll. The creature had already freed itself from his trap, but with the pain of having its leg mangled, Cayde hoped it'd be enough to hold it for just a little bit longer. His eyes locked onto the gnoll's, Cayde's vision tunneled, and he threw the vial and all its contents towards the gnoll's face, aiming specifically for its eyes. His breath quickened as he watched the vial fly to its target; if this worked, hopefully, he'd be able to buy Ceylan even more time.

 

[Elvario]

Gnoll

​

Interactions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse

Whilst Cayde was working on his vial-filling, the gnoll managed to disarm the trap and pulled his foot from it. He struggled a bit to find out how much he could lean on it, but soon managed to stand upright, grabbing his cleaver again and snarling at Cayde. He was just in time to see the vial thrown at him, which he instinctively slashed at. He managed to break the vial in its flight and while some drops of resin and shards of glass hit him, he didn't seem all that hurt by it. He was, however, confused for a moment, quickly checking what in the world had been thrown upon him. The slight burn-marks the hot resin made in his fur made him grin. “You're gonna need more than that... but you won't be able to.”

Although the gnoll wasn't walking stably, as it stumbled with one foot mangled, it was still able to come at Cayde with a fair pace. It also looked like he was going to be swinging that cleaver of his with all the more force, now that the pain was causing him to be at his most enraged. What was formerly just fair pace, without much prior notice, turned into a lunge, as the gnoll used the full force of its good foot to push off and jump at Cayde, cleaver swaying directly at Cayde's neck.

“No you don't!”

The sudden yell had distracted the gnoll just enough to gave Cayde a chance to dodge the incoming cleaver (assuming he didn't want to be beheaded by it). After that, he could suddenly see the gnoll launched side-ways, as he was head-butted away from Cayde and into a nearby tree. He easily lost his balance thanks to his wounded foot.

Sheepgirl

​

The sheepgirl Ceylan had been healing was back in action. She didn't look all that healthy, but she was in just a good condition to fight. For a moment, she even looked more fierce than the gnoll, as she managed to step on the gnoll's wrist before it got up and prevented it from being able to grab a hold of the cleaver it dropped nearby.

Instead, the sheepgirl herself got a hold of it. For a split second, a terrifying look of pure hatred filled her eyes. Then she hacked at the gnoll below her, cleaving partway into its neck. Any sign of the gnoll's fierceness was gone, as it was clearly terrified. This didn't seem like it would stop the sheepgirl. “That one's for stealing my sheep!” She slashed again. This time, she cut into the gnoll's neck far enough to cause it to start choking on its own blood. She didn't seem satisfied yet. “That one's for sacrificing them in your stupid ritual!” With one more slash, she separated the gnoll's head from its body. “And that one's for trying to do the same to me!”

With the gnolls head separated from this body, she dropped the cleaver and stumbled for a moment. She clearly wasn't back in full condition, but that didn't matter for now. They'd survived the encounter.

Ceylan
​

“Are you two alright?” Ceylan asked, looking at Cayde and the sheepgirl with concern. He himself was entirely unharmed, but he looked pretty exhausted. Running through-out the night and spending a lot of energy on healing the sheepgirl had taken a toll on him. Even so... he wasn't done yet. That said, first things first.

“I'm Ceylan a priest, this is Cayde, an alchemist. Would you mind telling us how the gnoll got to you?”

“I'm Janja.” The sheepgirl said with a smile. The latter faded when she answered the question. “I'm a shepherd from Aston. The locals hired me to watch their flock, but this fucker was stealing our sheep. It took me a long time to figure out that it wasn't some predator taking them, but when I did, I was furious and chased him carelessly. I got caught in a bear-trap and before I knew it, the gnoll hit me from behind. Fucking coward.” She spit on the ground as she said it.

Ceylan, a bit taken aback, replied. “Right... Aston is where we're headed too. Although before we continue, I've got to cleanse this place. I can feel the ritual is already on its way. If we just let things sit, this forest will attract all sorts of evil spirits, so the sooner we start, the better... would you mind helping me?” He looked at both Cayde and Janja as he asked it, as it was clear he was tired and wasn't eager to do a lot alone.

Janja shrugged. “Well, I own you two for saving me, so I guess I'll help. Just tell me what to do.”. With or without Cayde's help, they'd set to work. Ceylan knew a bit of gnoll's religions, which required a funeral pyre. Ceylan decided to make one for the baby gnoll, as it was only respectful to finally lay its remnants to rest. He wasn't concerned with the shaman, however, which he burned with a lot less ceremony and respect. Even the animals he brought down from around the altar were treated with more respect by him. After wafting around some sticks of incense whilst offering up prayers, he was finally done. By now, it was already the dawn of a new day. The sheepgirl had found her weapon again whilst aiding Ceylan. It was an impressive looking glaive, which suggested she might be a bit more than a normal shepherd.

“I've got a little hut just outside of the forest, for when I herd my sheep near the forest's edge. It's not much, but we can rest there for a bit there.”

The hut as indeed 'not much', but it offered enough room for two people to sleep. The sheepgirl herself told them she'd go out to check up on the rest of her herd, but told them they could use any of the supplies available inside. There was some bread, although it was bit old, as well as sheep's milk and sheep's cheese. It was early afternoon when she got back and when Ceylan and Cayde would've been able to get a few hours of sleep. The sheepgirl was happy to inform them her herd was doing fine and told her she'd be willing to take them to Aston.

The journey from there was pretty easy, as the tundra was easy to traverse and Janja knew the way well. It made this the ideal time for some talking, which Ceylan started. “Say, Cayde, I've been wondering. What do you think could've made that gnoll so.. well... wicked? I know gnolls aren't know to be the nicest of species, but this was clearly much worse than you'd expect.”

OOC note: feel free to time-bend a little if you want to react to certain parts prior or if you want to converse about more than one topic with Ceylan and/or Janja. I'm planning to make the next post of mine the last, so I'd suggest getting anything you want said and done in this RP out in the next post!