Graded [Arborhaven City] Lost and Found

[Beetlebuggo]

Wonton Denver - Slavers surrounding Haruki LadyOfStars |Ceylan Elvario

Wonton gave a silent nod, going in quickly enough to yank his spear out of the downed slaver's body, and quick enough out to avoid confrontation with the one holding Ceylan hostage, as he trusted the dog man's words.

Navigating through the smoke, he took a route that consisted of going under tables to avoid getting tripped over or trampled..

He then stopped, seeing the silhouettes of a man trying to wrestle a spear out of a deer kid's hands....

'Got you now, bastard.' Wonton's mind said to himself as he retreated to the smoke... Come to think of it, Meta never allowed him to say a swear word, even mentally.. It was something about preserving innocence...

Anyway, now that he had a clear shot, he ran in close enough, and thrusted his spear...

Right towards the slaver's buttocks.

 

[LadyOfStars]

Ceylan's scan of the enemies would reveal a number of things, from their [Slaver] and [Murderer] Titles to their [Minions] Title. They were F Grade threats so not too difficult, but their numbers made up for their low Grades. His success in learning of the enemy would be short-lived as his assault on the slaver earned him some pain of his own. Still groaning and grunting in pain, the man plunged his dagger into Ceylan's leg, letting the short blade sink into his muscle and rip apart his veins. "You piece of shit! All you had to do was come quietly!" The man berated while he pulled the dagger back out.

Stumbling around in the smokescreen, the slaver looking for Tia cursed and swore as he looked for the girl in the darkness. The noise from the surrounding conflict made it hard to focus, but he marched around with confidence to rival his frustration and anger. Then came the scream that made her position more easy to locate. He wandered around even longer, unaware that he was now the prey and not the predator. It wasn't long before he was the victim however and a soft gasp left his lips as the tendril broke through his skull and ended his life.

The body fell to the floor just as Wonton passed by as he left Ceylan to fend for himself against the slaver. The small spearman was safely able to maneuver around the room to where Haruki was struggling with one of the remaining slavers. The young cervitaur fought hard and while the man was just as strong. The fearful young buck couldn't escape the idea that he might perish in this fight and soon be reunited with his parents and the rest of their herd.

But by the grace of Aegrizora, a spear punctured the man's left leg, missing its intended target as he wrestled with the buck. He let out a loud scream, crying out and letting go of Haruki's spear. When the man dropped to the floor, Haruki let out a heavy sigh and wiped the tears from his eyes. In a fit of anger he swung his spear, hitting the man in the face with the blunt end of the weapon and knocking him down.

"Thank you." Haruki bowed his head to the stranger and flashed him a smile.

Beetlebuggo Elvario EMIYAman

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan
​

Mentions: Haruki LadyOfStars | Dog-eating monster? EMIYAman | Goomba Beetlebuggo

A single thought raced through Ceylan's mind when he saw that the orange creature took his words in all the wrong ways. After all, he most definitely meant 'don't worry me being held hostage, focus on stopping these men including the bastard trying to keep me hostage', but the fact he'd been kidnapped had made him cut out a little more words than he, in hindsight, should have.

Hindsight was too late, however, as his appraisal showed him exactly what type of people he was dealing with. Slavers, murderers and worse, they were merely someone's minions. That said, his kick-back had earned him his freedom, as the man would've had to let go if him if he wanted to aim down far enough to hit Ceylan in the leg. It hurt a fair bit and Ceylan wasn't the type of manly man to brush it off as 'just a scratch' either, but luckily, he didn't have to do so. A quick Healing Prayer (at C Grade) was enough to feel the recently severed muscle and ripped veins attach back together.

Instinctively, he wished to wait out the pain a bit more, as his healing didn't magically make it vanish. However, he knew that he'd only get one shot at catching his attacker off guard. The slaver would expect him to be unable to sprint off with his leg ripped up like that, so sprinting off was exactly what he needed to do, before the slaver would notice what was going on. That's when he heard the monster from before scream his name. There was something really off about it, as he just couldn't imagine that ominous feeling she'd given off being in true despair. He was also enough of an Empath (D) to interpret her cry for help as lacking any actual fear.

That said, if she was luring these men toward herself, she probably had a way to deal with them... right? As much as Ceylan wasn't eager to rely on the aid of a monster, he wasn't going to be able to do much on his own here. It's why he actually hurried to where his name had been screamed from. He also recalled spotting Haruki pulling away the monster just before the smoke filled his eyes and made them tear up, so with some luck he'd find the cervitaur as well if he could locate the monster.

Upon (hopefully) locating the others, he'd immediately ask “Are all of you alright?” whilst glossing over them to check for himself. The only contribution he could make was keeping everyone in top shape health, so he'd best make pretty sure he was doing that job properly. That, and he was genuine concerned for them. Whilst trying to locate the others and keep the orange creature between himself and the slavers, in an attempt to prevent being held hostage once more, he shared what little he'd been able to find out. “They're not strong, but they're true scum and there's quite a few of them. They're also just hired hands.”

• C Grade Ability Cooldown [0/3]
• Healing Prayer (C) – Healing C, Religion C – Character asks the gods for their aid when healing someone. - Grade C – 3 Post Cooldown.
• D Grade Ability Cooldown [1/2]
• Divine Appraisal (D) – Magic Affinity D, Magic Range E, Magic Targets E, Appraisal E, Religion D – Character uses their [god]-given appraisal ability on up to 5 targets within a 30ft/10 metres range – Grade D – 2 Post Cooldown.

 

[Beetlebuggo]

Wonton Denver - Haruki LadyOfStars Ceylan Elvario

Giving the Deer kid a pat on the head, he replied.

“Anything to help, kid. But we gotta help that man with dog Ears. Im gonna need you to find the girl.”

He said to Haruki before departing..

He took a slightly different route under the tables, and eventually now standing close enough to see the last slaver’s back..

Without wasting a second, he charged in, unleashing a rapid [Thrust Barrage]

 

[EMIYAman]

Tia
Interactions: Elvario
​

The mans body had gone limp the moment her tendril had pierced his skull. His corpse hung from the spike protruding through his face, now dripping with blood and chunks of meat. Some of which had landed on her face from the force of the impact. She examined the corpse of her prey for a moment considering eating it, but she didn't have the time. Instead she consumed the remaining portion of his brain through her tendril then retracted it letting the body fall with a wet thump onto the ground. Paying it no mind she stepped over it and raised her head up sniffing the air her eyes widened a bit as she picked up a familiar scent. Ceylan was close by. However, the smoke was beginning to dissipate if she didn't act fast not only would she lose the element of surprise on her prey but her true form would be seen. She struggled with that internally; it felt nice to have a pack. If her being a predator and of a different species was revealed they would no doubt try to kill her or run away. It was illogical and simply wasn't the safest option for her. But, she would risk discovery anyway. She simply couldn't bring herself to allow her pack to die whether it put her at a disadvantage or not. Was this feeling normal for humans?

With light measured steps she followed the scent. She carefully stepped through the smoke prepared to kill another enemy. When she felt the smell of Ceylan mingle with the foreign smell of the attackers she sped up, her lips partially parted in a threatening growl. By the time she caught up emerging from the smoke in a stance reminiscent of a pouncing cat, which looked not all intimidating in her current form, she came upon Ceylan. He was wounded and nursing a leg which impaired his movement but otherwise he was still alive. Her growl morphed into a wide smile "Ceylan!", and with the rapid pitter patter of her feet she ran up to him. With blood marring her face and her arm coated in bits of flesh and dripping with blood she took his hand in hers just like before. Then flashed him an even bigger smile radiating child like joy. So emotional was she that the top parts of her hair which jutted out to the sides began to twitch slightly up and down. Seemingly invoking the image of a particularly pleased animal.

 

[LadyOfStars]

Ceylan had impressed his captor with his resilience and tenacity. As the smoke started to thin he was able to see that the dog moved away and quickly went to pursue him. An arm reached out for the canine's ear and would have grabbed it had others not come to the man's rescue. A bright flash of light burst into existence between Wonton's spear and the slaver's body, conjuring a shield of holy light. Simultaneously chains slithered around the slaver, made of the same holy energy and bound his body together, causing him to fall and hit the floor.

"There has been enough bloodshed." The words signaled the end of the fighting as the religious group entered the restaurant and looked upon the survivors and the victims. An elderly man stood at the head of their pack, his skin grafted with tree bark and his robe penetrated by several branches that seemed to grow from his own body.

Haruki slowly and cautiously made his way across the eatery to where he saw Ceylan and Tia standing. "Your both alright!" He cheered while holding onto his spear tightly. He trotted up beside them, standing as close as possible without stepping on any of their small feet. "Thank you for helping me earlier, Sir." He expressed his gratitude to Wonton once more, certain that he owed his life to the stranger.

"It is wonderous that you all survived, but the guards are sealing off this area, it is best not to linger and be trapped in the red tape and paper work that an incident like this can warrant. We know a place you will be safe, and you are all welcome. Take your time to collect your things and meet us outside." The old man and his acolytes turned to leave, giving the others a little time to talk amongst themselves and decide what they wanted to do going forward.

Haruki looked to Ceylan and Tia and inhaled deeply. "I...I would like to stay with you guys." Ceylan didn't owe them anything and Tia seemed like a handful by human child standards, but then there was the fact that she was now covered in blood and had defended herself during the attack. She certainly wasn't just a human. So with all that, the young cervitaur could understand if Ceylan chose to part ways with the two of them. Perhaps their new friend would step up to the plate if the canine chose to leave. "What about you Tia?"

Elvario Beetlebuggo EMIYAman

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan
​

Mentions: Haruki LadyOfStars | Tia EMIYAman | Wonton Beetlebuggo

For a moment, Ceylan feared he'd be captured again. Then he spotted the small stranger and monster girl both trying to come to his aid, but being beaten to it by an elderly man from the religious group. “I'm alright.” Ceylan said to Haruki, as he looked around. Other than the two dead slavers, there didn't seem to be any casualties. He sighed in relief. “I'm glad nobody got hurt.”

He had some mixed feelings about Tia, as she'd clearly been enjoying the fight a little too much. Whilst it was great to see her fight those who actually deserved it, it would be very difficult to hide her monster nature like that. In fact, it wouldn't surprise him if the religious folk might've already gotten suspicious from seeing her come of this fight as she had...

On the topic of the religious folk, Ceylan was pondering over his options. When Haruki approached, Ceylan decided to share some of this thought process. “I'd like that as well, but I'm worried about her.” He nodded in the direction of Tia. “It'd be the safest for her if she's out of this city as soon as possible, but I have to go and figure out what's up with the tree deity. Something felt really wrong about it. Besides, something about these religious folk seems a bit off. Their oddly timed arrival to save just the last of the slavers is one thing, but them advising us to avoid telling the authorities what happened is an issue at an entirely different level. It's almost like they're asking us to commit a crime or like they're trying to act like nothing major happened here. It could just be a coincidence, but it's odd at best.”

He sighed. “I'm torn between going with them in order to investigate and getting this girl out of town so she won't be killed.” He only then realised he'd screwed up, as the orange dude was still around and might not have noticed anything off about Tia. Then again, if he hadn't noticed anything thus far, perhaps even being this direct would go above his head. Even so, Ceylan figured he needed to address him properly at the very least. Ceylan turned to Wonton. “Thank you for your help, by the way, sir. My name is Ceylan, High Priest of the Syncretist Church.”

After yet another deep sigh, he came to a conclusion and turned back towards Haruki. “I'm afraid I'll have to be selfish. After all, I need to figure out what's up with the tree, but I'll need all the help I can get. I've seen how she can handle herself against opponents and she's managing to blend in somewhat decently. So... I'd like for the two of you to accompany me, even though I have to strictly advise against doing so. Your own safety is much better guaranteed if you ask the mister here (Wonton) if he's willing to escort the both of you out of town and make sure you're not captured by more slavers. That'd be the safest and most logical option, unlike adhering to my request to accompany me in what might be a rather big conspiracy and what is likely to only lead you into more trouble.”

Having made up his mind, he nodded. “Whatever you chose, I won't hold it against you. I'll be going to meet up with the elderly man from before, if you were to follow me, please know the risks involved. If not, I wish you all the best during your travels and hope our paths may cross again in the future.” With that, Ceylan left the room to go find the bark-faced elder. He figured it'd be best to give the others some time to think and secretly hoped they'd just leave. As much as he figured he'd need them, he feared the consequences of them wishing to help and them getting hurt as a result far more.

Upon finding the bark-faced elderly, Ceylan would start off with a proper introduction. “You have my most sincere gratitude for earlier, sir. I'd also like to introduce myself. I'm Ceylan, High Priest of the Syncretist Church. I came hear hoping to learn more about Aegrizora, or rather, to see and experience what I've learned about first-hand.”

 

[EMIYAman]

Tia
Interactions: Elvario LadyOfStars Beetlebuggo
​

She clutched Ceylans hand tight and growling at the remaining enemy, her hair bristled. She blinked in surprise and curiosity at the strange orange creature moving to attack with a long stick sporting a shiny claw at the tip. She ceased growling but remained wary as she took in this new being she had only just noticed. Its attack was intercepted however by a strange light. Then shiny vines made of the same light wrapped around the enemy. She heard the sound of a voice and turned on a dime regarding the newcomers with narrowed eyes. Looking at the elder among them leading the pack she sniffed at him picking up the sent of the forest but tinged with something else. She didn't quite like it, made her uncomfortable. She clung closer to Ceylan and looked at them from behind his back.

The fawn came running up from the side sounding happy from the pitch of his voice. The elder and his pack spoke aloud to them but she didn't listen whatever they wanted to communicate to her she didn't want to hear. The fawn came up to her a serious look upon his face with a twinge of uncertainty. She couldn't quite get what he meant but from the prey whos brain she had consumed she was able to pick up on some stuff better. She looked at him tilting her head in question as she listened then while keeping hold of Ceylans hand she walked out from behind him and clasped the fawn hand in hers as well grinning at him. Though, that was the bloody hand... Then he had called her something. She wasn't sure how those identifiers worked but Ceylan was Ceylan so she supposed she would have one as well. Tia. She thought over the sound finding she liked the simplicity of it Ceylans took her a little bit to learn this one was much easier. It also let her show off her ability to intone through her vocal cords, she was quite proud of that. She pointed to herself. "Tia." then to Ceylan. "Ceylan." Then to emphasize her desire she pointed to the fawn expectantly.

Soon after Ceylan addressed them looking rather serious. He spoke for some time and as he continued Tia noticed his eyebrows nit together and eyes narrow, Ceylan seemed to be thinking deeply. He looked at Tia considering her, she tilted her head back at him. Then he took his hand from Tia's and walked away. A little dejected he had let go she began to follow him. The intense look on his face startled her somewhat like he was looking at something beyond here, she stopped for a moment gazing at him. He was leaving but why wasn't the fawn following. A pack should stay together after all especially in such a populated place. He shouldn't leave with the other pack it could be dangerous with the strange tree people. She ran up to him gripping his arm and tugging trying to get him to stay.

 

[Beetlebuggo]

Wonton (Not the Soup) Denver - Ceylan Elvario

Seeing that the new arrivals had things handled from here, despite now being slightly suspended mid air by his spear’s shaft as the tip stood there, lodged inside of the light shield.

Hearing the dog man, now known as Ceylan, a Priest, Wonton nodded.

“Always a pleasure to help, my name’s Wonton, Wonton Denver.”

He said the same thing to Haruki too, before now hearing Ceylan’s suggestion and the tree man’s offer.

“I really appreciate the offer sir, but I’m afraid that if I’m out for any longer, my Mother and Father would start to become worried..”

 

[LadyOfStars]

Haruki hadn't realized that he had called the girl, Tia, a name that he hadn't used in a pretty long time. It was an accident, but seeing how she had taken the name so quickly, he couldn't bare to retract his statement. "Haru." He replied with a soft smile. He remembered her struggle with words and names earlier and chose to go with a nickname instead of his full name. As he turned his attention back to the religious group and Ceylan, he got a bad feeling from the elderly man the longer that he looked at him. In the forests creatures who were in tune with nature naturally possessed features of the element or aspect of nature that they were connected to. This man however...he seemed to be imitating that. Haruki wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing in the human cities, but where he was from they did not approve of such practices.

Hesitantly, Haruki stepped forward and followed behind Tia as she pursued Ceylan. As they stepped out of the restaurant people screamed at the bloody sight of, Tia. They quickly scurried away from the eatery and fled from the street altogether, hoping to avoid more violence. The elderly man looked to Ceylan and his motley crew with a faint smile on his face.

"Unfortunately Aegrizora is not open to outsiders, but there is a church dedicated to the great Aegrizora not too far from here where you can all take shelter." Seeing as the group was somewhat conflicted, the old man dismissively waved his hand to send away his disciples. "We have to be going, you can find the church fairly easily as it is the largest building just west of here."

"I think we should all stay together, but...I don't think that we should go with them." The cervitaur whispered to his companions as he looked to the others, Wonton included.

EMIYAman Beetlebuggo Elvario

 

[Beetlebuggo]

Wonton Denver - Haruki LadyOfStars Tia EMIYAman Ceylan Elvario


Wonton pondered a bit.. bringing a nub on the lower side of his front in a thinking pose.. He considered his options:

-Stay here

-Return home, whilst inviting Tia and Haruki


He chose the latter.

“Haruki, was it? How would you and the girl like to join me heading home? I’m sure my father and Mother would accept visitors.”

He offered.

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan
​

Mentions: Haruki LadyOfStars | Tia EMIYAman | Wonton Beetlebuggo

Oddly enough, Ceylan had some mixed feelings about Tia. Now that the monster had a fairly cute sounding name to her, it was a little easier to see her as a girl and a little more difficult to just see her as a monster that needed to be gotten rid of. On the other hand, these more humanizing aspects made him wish to get her out of here before she'd be killed even more. The crowd's reaction to seeing a bloodied Tia, one of fear more than concern, only showed that these weren't the type of folk to overcome their own fears easily. That also meant Tia was indeed in a lot of danger here.

That said, he couldn't help but feel a little happy that they'd chosen to follow him, his tail moving about every so slightly in response. Until he realised it was more of an accident than something they intended. After some more debate, Wonton suggested to bring along Haruki and Tia. Considering Wonton and Haruki also expressed their fear of going along with Ceylan's quest, it was by far the best option. He sighed deeply, giving Tia a gentle pet on her head and squatting down. “Tia, you stick with Haruki now, okay?” He said, as he pointed from Tia to Haruki. Hopefully that'd convey the message well enough.

He then turned to Haruki. “I'm afraid I can't ignore this calling, but don't worry. I'm confident in the path upon which the gods have led me.”

Finally to Wonton. “Please take good care of them.”

With that said, he hurried to catch up to the elder and the church the man was heading for, leaving the others to find their own path and a hopefully much safer future than whatever he was going to get himself caught up in.

 

[Beetlebuggo]

Wonton Denver - Ceylan Elvario , Tia EMIYAman , Haruki LadyOfStars

"I shall to my best ability, Priest. And I wish you the best of luck in your next endeavor. " Wonton gave a salute, tapping the shaft of his spear on the ground before turning to Haruki.

"I still have some meat left from the kebabs if you or the girl want some.”

 

[EMIYAman]

Tia
​

As her packmates began speaking too each other Tia grew anxious. She wished she could understand them better. If she could then maybe she could tell why Ceylan is leaving and convince him to stay, or even take her with him! A pack should stay together after all there is safety in numbers and surviving alongside those you were familiar with. She understood that now. It was unfair. Ceylan looked at Tia before squatting down and petting her upon the head. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his hand. She gave a slight whimper when it withdrew. He pointed from her to Haru, he wanted her to stay with him. With a noticeable frown she watched as he gave some final words to the orange round creature then joined the tree people. A weight settled in her chest and a pain she had never felt before ached.

She followed the orange creature with a neurotic gate and absent eyes. She looked to the orange creature her instincts flaring up. She briefly considered consuming it, maybe it would remove this pain in her chest? As she thought on it she found she had no appetite. She simply did not want to eat anything, that had never happened before. "Ceylan..." she muttered to herself longingly. And for the first time she cried, she made no noise or seemed to even take notice but a few tears came down either way. For most animals the mark of growing into adulthood and gaining independence is separating from their parents. She was not a being meant to care for parents or family. But, while she did not know or understand this,to Tia, her father was gone.

 

[LadyOfStars]

It was tough to watch Tia's mood sink as Ceylan started to say his goodbyes. He was a man that they had just met, who was had his own goals and plans, they could not expect him to turn from his desires in order to join them on a mission with no goal. Haruki held inhaled deeply, trying to subdue his own emotions. He wasn't as attached as Tia clearly had grown to be, but for the first time since he lost his family, he felt happy and safe.

"Don't worry....Tia." He started. "We will stick together and when Ceylan is done here, we'll find him again." The cervitaur trotted up beside the girl and flashed her a small smile in the hopes that it'd cheer her up. Even a little bit. "Mr. Wonton, We'll stick with you for now if that's ok." Haruki said softly.

Aftermath
​

Arborhaven was briefly rocked by the appearance of slavers in the city, but their beloved festival continued on all the same. As the citizens celebrated the tree and their beliefs, Haruki, Wonton, and Tia were able to depart without trouble. They came to the village without a single connection, but now were leaving having made strong bonds. The days ahead are full of possibilities for the two orphans and Wonton might have his hands full.

Ceylan's decision to stick around and investigate the stories behind Aegrizora and the cult that worshipped it has left him alone in the city. The Elder has left him in one of their many churches to learn more about Aegrizora, until they are certain he can be trusted to journey to the roots of the tree and meet the deity in person.

EMIYAman Beetlebuggo Elvario

 

[Novama]

Isekai Hell RP Grade
​

Big trees like the ones in this village are generally more native to the massive forests of the fae nation to the south. I don't recall the exact positioning, but this town likely situated close to the southern border of Ryke. While Ryke is not known for a massive slave trade, it does exist and it is one of the ways in which criminals can redeem themselves. The practice is outlawed in Ryken City, but the undercity deals in the stuff enough. Kidnapping for slavery generally doesn't grant a criminal title since the would-be slaves tend to be valuable product and are not maliciously harmed. It's questionable how many if any of the slavers were criminals when they were murdered, but we'll assume they had other baggage prior to rp that made them okay to murder. Several uses of abilities in this rp. Good to see a full narration as well as engagement with the system. A few strange things in the rp for the sake of narration happening, looks like. True monsters, unlike Tia, generally have an innate desire for death and carnage. Would not be an understatement to suggest anyone aware of a monster title in the presence of people/creatures not monsters and not raise an alarm is mentally impaired or hoping for bad things to happen. Some characters have rp history or pasts that may allow them to suppress acting on that world fact, but monster identity should be tightly suppressed to avoid problems before the monster is strong enough to cope. Should also be noted there is no shortage of beastmen and fae folk in Ryke so attitudes among peoples of all trees (minus monster) is generally fairly accepting.

Aftermath
The odd slaver attempt to abduct folk in the public eye did not go unnoticed. Such behavior was not uncommon among the poor/destitute or criminals, but never in public. There were thoughts and suspicions that slavers from the Eastern Human Empire were running short on quotas and investigations were launched into the matter as word and worry found its way to the ears of the various faction halls. Merchants would wish to capitalize. Nobles would hope to curb theft of nation's people. And the adventurers would love nothing more than hunting down kidnappers.

Rewards

Haruki - 43 points (narration included)

• optional title acquired [Country Bumkin] - Character hasn't spent enough time in civilized society to know basic things like compensating someone for goods and services rendered. Character will be seen as ignorant when it comes to most things.

Tia - 43 points

• Mandatory title acquired [Theft F] - character has stolen. Character may not remove the title unless a point penalty is paid or penance is served. Non-monsters with this title lose all rights and protections afforded to them under natural law and are generally not welcomed into any settlement or faction that can test titles.

Wonton - 8 points

• optional title acquired [Orange Thing] - Character stands out in the world for having few similarities between Fae, Beast, or Man trees. Primary identifier is the orange color. Not likely to be suspected as a monster, but unlikely to fit in well anywhere. The perpetual outsider.

Ceylan - 43 points

• optional title acquired [Shepherd] - character has guided those of beastial natures or stupid minds to better paths and pastures. Character will be more likely to gain recognition as being wise but will also garner no shortage of problem creatures to his side.

Elvario LadyOfStars Beetlebuggo EMIYAman