Graded [Gloomhold Swamp] The Kink in the Food Chain

[Vaudivolt]

This Roleplay is part of the Isekai Hell setting. More information regarding the world and its denizens can be found [here].

This Roleplay will follow Paru, Darin, and Ko as they hunt down a monster causing trouble within Gloomhold Swamp.

Paru will be played by StarPrincessVal

Darin will be played by Voider

Ko will be played by Orikanyo

Narration will be provided by me, Vaudivolt

---

​

Within the southernmost reaches of the Republic, just shy of crossing the border into the See, lay the Gloomhold Swamp. A freshwater swamp that depends on the occasional heavy rain and seasonal flooding of the nearby river to maintain the level of its slow, murky waters. It is a humid and rancid place with the stench of stale water and rotting life clinging to anything within its grasp. And while that natural odor, and the abundance of oversized insects, kept many away, there were those who claimed to feel drawn to something hidden within the swamp's heart. Some enamored individuals went as far as stating that something is calling them like a siren's song...

And while that alone could be considered unusually dangerous, something else vile has recently begun stirring within the murky depths. The sounds of larger-than-usual animals trudging through the saturated mud, the snapping of branches resonating from deep within the underbrush, if not entire trees crashing down without warning. It has gotten so disruptive that someone – or something – has reached out to nearby settlements for help. However, its means are far from conventional. Within nearby populated areas, stone surfaces have begun displaying cries for help written in a tangled mess of Common and Sylvan. And locals had observed an unseen force burning these messages into the stone through unknown means...


Whether through a shared desire to offer assistance to the mysterious cry for help, an attraction towards the swamp's heart, or nothing more than a fateful encounter, three individuals would soon find themselves standing together on the muddy bank of a mostly abandoned settlement. It was a place without a known name that overlooked the edge of the Gloomhold Swamp. The previously inhabited area appeared long since overtaken by nature. The few buildings that had yet to fall apart from the wood rot now served as the protective shell for insect hives. A few of which – dragonflies that appear no less than a foot in length – whizzed by overhead.

The air felt thick and hazy. The fog drifting over from deeper within the swamp clouded their view, but in the distance, on one of the shoddy piers, it was still possible to make out a human-esque form casting a line into the water.

---

 

[Voider]

Darin​

​

---

Darin had heard of and seen the stone carvings; it was both intriguing and odd, and he was not entirely sure of what to make of it. However, whatever made these was requesting help, and he felt inclined to assist. Thus, Darin set off with his equipment, hoping that some gunpowder and lead could help solve this seemingly dire problem.

...

Darin was now questioning this decision.

Wading through some murky water, Darin held his firearm up to chest height, with his bandolier slightly adjusted so that it wouldn't hang down too far. The stench of rot and buzzing bugs did not make this any more pleasant, and he could not wait to find something, anything, that actually brought him to his objective. While the thought of simply turning around and leaving occasionally sprung up in Darin's mind, he had already been travelling through here for about a day, and quitting now would simply weigh on his mind later.

Reaching the other side of the swampy pond that he had been forced to cross, Darin looked over his equipment and rucksack to make sure nothing got wet. Fortunately, the water was fairly shallow, so besides his legs and tail, as well as some of his lower coat, everything was still adequately dry. Though what was of true priority to Darin was his gunpowder, which he very much did not want to get soaked.

With everything checked, Darin continued onwards.

...

After walking further through the trees, Darin came upon a slightly more open area, present to some desolate buildings. He stopped, studying each of them in turn from a distance, attempting to decipher his location. It seemed like it could have been a village of some sort; that is, if it did not appear abandoned. As Darin's eyes scanned the area, they landed on a lone figure, who appeared to be fishing on a pier of dubious quality.

Not one to make rash decisions, Darin did not yet begin walking to the unknown figure. Instead, he stood there for a minute with his musket gripped firmly at the ready, with a [Watchful Focus F] of the area; according to the plea for help, there was some form of threat within this swamp, so Darin thought it prudent to first take stock of the situation, as well as to make sure he was not falling into any kind of trap.

---

Watchful Focus - Focus F, Perception F, Insight F - Darin takes the time to focus on keeping aware of his surroundings, sensing for any abnormalities or specifics within in his vicinity, as well as studying the speech and actions of those around him. - Grade F - 0 Post Cooldown​

 

[StarPrincessVal]

Paru

Mentions: Vaudivolt Voider Orikanyo
Languages: Common | <Beastial>​

Paru looked out over the village, frustrated. Somehow she had once again found herself in the wet parts of Kuridan, and the sickening squelch of her shoes as she tread through the mud didn't help. Also familiar was the sword mutt, but that one wasn't so bad. He could be handy for taking down a monster. She had taken this jobin one of the nearby villages, maybe a days walk from here. With no money left to keep herself fed and housed, helping out a village for some... what were they called... Rykes...? seemed like a no brainer. And no brain decisions were her specialty. Unfamiliar to her was the other member of their group, a lizardman who carried a strange object with him, most likely a weapon from how he held it. She noticed the figure on the pier, wondering who would live in a location like this, or at the very least frequent it. Shadowy figures didn't exactly appeal to her, after that business in the dream world, so she headed into the town, her heat vision scanning the edge of the woods for anything that could help them. "Call out if you see anything. I'll do the same." She said it to no one in particular as the group began their work.

 

[Orikanyo]

Ko Matatsu
Mentions StarPrincessVal
People around: Voider Vaudivolt

​

"...Tsk... Why in blazes did you drag me out here Paru? Theres plenty of better places to gain money." the hound grumbled as he trudged his way forwards, this time his clothes were well enough made, if not exactly protective... He swatted a tiny mosquito as it tried to land softly on his neck, and watched as the dragonflies fly overhead... their wings were thunderous, and their hunger was ravenous. He preferred the dragonflies over any other insect, at least they ate things less pleasant, but these were certainly loud!

Really, he didn't have much else to say about the whole place, it was a swamp, swamps are gonna be swampy. The swampier the swamp the more swamped the swamped will be. And he was swamped, therefore, he was in a swamp. A swamp wasn't a sword so really what else could he say beyond...

"This place is horrible, why would anyone live here? Willingly? Fish? Eels? Eels taste good but hardly enough to LIVE here... Perhaps people with dispositions (Read: beasts readily used to living in swamps) might... Gods above and below this wretched mud doesn't stop..." the swordsman grumbled, genuinely unhappy with the whole place, in general.

 

[Voider]

Darin​

Mentions: Vaudivolt StarPrincessVal Orikanyo ​

---

"I shall stand watch for the moment." Darin commented simply to the other two; they seemed like interesting characters, who appeared to be acquainted with each other to some degree or another. He did not know anything about them other than the obvious, though Darin simply trusted them to at least know what they were doing.

Darin pulled his attention back to immediately in front of him, before setting the musket vertically on the ground, muzzle reaching to about the height of his neck. Moving a hand to grab his bandolier, Darin proceeded to pour gunpowder into the barrel, before ramming down the projectile, which was simply a lead ball. With that finished, he then reached for his scabbard, which lay under his coat. Gently but swiftly drawing out the bayonet, Darin firmly attached it to his weapon, checking that is was secure.

Once having ensured that he was duly prepared for any combat, Darin's eyes returned to his surroundings. Stepping onto any rocks or raised portions of ground, he'd continue scanning the area, occasionally glancing to see if he could make out anything more of the obscured figure; while the other two conducted their own investigation, Darin essentially acted as a [Sentry].

---

[Sentry]: Darin excels at guard duty and is likely to be tasked with it a lot. Darin inspires a sense of safety and rest-assuredness.​

 

[StarPrincessVal]

Paru

Mentions: Vaudivolt Orikanyo Voider
Languages: common | <Beastial>​

Paru scrunched her face at Ko's words. "I didn't know you were going to be in that village when I wandered into it. Hell, I don't even know how I got there. How does anyone find there way around here? And I needed paid now. I didn't have time to hope a better job came along. Besides were just killing a monster. We can do that easily." She couldn't argue with his next complaints though. This place was awful. Dragon flies and mud. She nodded at the lizardfolk as he declared he'd keep watch. "I'll look for signs of anything in the area. Something causing trouble nearby should leave signs."

 

[Vaudivolt]

Before too long, an unlikely trio had discovered they shared a purpose for traversing Gloomhold Swamp. A mutual goal that quickly grew into an agreement to assist one another. And their first collective decision became assessing their surroundings for potential trouble and tracks.

Darin took on the first shift of guard duty as if it were second nature to him, finding higher ground in the form of rocks and porches to survey the area more globally than Paru and Ko. Who instead took it upon themselves to take a more detail-oriented approach. Paru attempted to use her heat vision but found little use in their current situation. The insects buzzing around, no matter how large they were, remained as cold-blooded as their tiny counterparts. In fact, nothing in the area appeared to have a strong heat signature - if any. Even the fisherman on the pier seemed cold-blooded at a glance.

Still, what Paru's heat vision failed to see, her investigative eyes made up for. The half-rotten houses appeared dented along the direction of whatever remained of the main road. The wooden walls cracked and splintered into odd angles. It almost looked like something had run into them with great force. Although neither she, Ko, nor Darin could find any deep tracks in the abundant mud that suggested anything of meaningful size had barreled through recently.

However, as Darin expanded his search, [Watchful Focus] caught proper sight of the mysterious fisherman by the pier. He turned out to be human-like but far from human. His skin was a glistening green color. His form appeared slightly doughy and bloated, with thin legs and firm arms. Something akin to a frog... A frog that was wearing overalls and a crudely made straw hat. Darin could even make out he appeared quite contented, even if the empty fishhooks reeled in from the murky waters revealed his pastime had not been enriching thus far. Still, it seemed to distract him enough not to notice the trio wandering around town.

---

StarPrincessVal Voider Orikanyo

 

[Orikanyo]

Ko


"...Oh hey Paru, remember what we fought last time? Yea, the giant Hill Toad. Guess we were on the money for folks being Amphibians and such." Ko gave a nod, talking to his compatriot and sort of being unsure if the... Talking skink was going to be helpful with that stick. The canid man struggled his way through the swamp, step by step trudging through ankle high water or the occasional muddy sink hole before he found a path, in a sense.

He was just thankful his clothes were covering his legs nicely because he'd hate to fish out a leech after last time... Gods he hated leeches...

He made his way over to the fellow before speaking up, with abit of a wave.

"Oi! You lot looking to get rid of a monster?" He asked out loud, more or less a yell. "Heard theres trouble, so, yea know. Came to hunt the bastard causing it." Really he couldn't put it any simpler than that in truth.

 

[Voider]

Darin​

​

---

Darin continued to scan the area, until the man with dog features called out to the stranger. With the area seemingly clear, and with more information on the figure, Darin gradually walked closer to the frog-ish man as well.

After approaching the two of them, Darin added his own words to the conversation. "Greetings, do you possess any knowledge on the threat within this area?" He asked the frogman, as this time Darin used [Watchful Focus E] to keep an eye out for anything close or far. It wouldn't hurt to take precautions after all, especially in these circumstances, regardless of if it seemed excessive to some.

---

Grade E Cooldown: 0/1

Watchful Focus - Focus E, Perception E, Insight F - Darin takes the time to focus on keeping aware of his surroundings, sensing for any abnormalities or specifics within in his vicinity, as well as studying the speech and actions of those around him. - Grade E - 1 Post Cooldown​

 

[StarPrincessVal]

Paru

Mentions: Orikanyo Voider Vaudivolt
Languages: Common | <Beastial>
​

Paru frowned as Ko reminded her of the Hill Toad. "Let's hope this guy's of a more agreeable disposition. And try to keep your clothes on this time." She smirked smugly and followed behind the others, hands behind her head. It was strange that there was such extensive damage, but no traces of tracks, or fur, skin, or blood. Must have happened some time ago. And the lack of heat any where was disconcerting, causing Ko to stand out like a sore spot. She thought for a moment, then tried to reach inside herself for that power that seemed to manifest itself before, but couldn't find anything there. In fact she hadn't felt it since that time... What was it the Hijiri had said...? Something about leylines...? Was that why she couldn't access it anymore? Or was it only possible within the corrupted spaces? Her foot sank and she scowled as a dragonfly flew past her head. This place wasn't corrupt, just unpleasant. Ko's loud voice brought her back to the moment at hand and she waited for the frogman's response to her companions' questions.

 

[Vaudivolt]

Burt Florid
At the edge of a shoddy pier stood a lone frogman. A large sheet metal tub at his side contained a mass of twitching dragonflies. Bulbous eyes kept glued to the large bobber drifting in the murky waters. Then, something appeared to distract him. Not the people approaching, but rather a loud buzzing. Overhead, a few dragonflies whizzed by, to which the fishing frogman responded by flicking out his tongue to snare one of the bugs.

As he pulled his tongue back and unstuck the fresh bait, he seemed surprised to hear something else. A loud wolfman asking about some monster. “Ain't it funny--?” The frogman began as he turned around to face Ko.

“Oh, I'll be damned! There's a lot y'all.” The frog seemed surprised enough to comment on the number of people. But not concerned enough to stop ripping the wings out of the caught dragonfly. “I ain't heard of no trouble, tell y'what. But, fish sure ain't bitin' no more.”

The frog's eyes inspected the group before resting on Darin. “Greetings? No need to get all fancy on me, Dan! Name's Burt! Burt Florid!” He introduced himself and held out a hand, covered in bug juices, for the fellow cold-blooded creature to shake. “I'm the mayor of good ol' Fishhook! Chosen myself since ain't nobody here no more since that pile of pond weeds barreled through!”

---

Orikanyo Voider StarPrincessVal

 

[Voider]

Darin​

Mentions: Vaudivolt StarPrincessVal Orikanyo ​

---

Darin looked at the offered hand, visibly covered with the liquid remains of insects, and hesitated for a second. Giving a brief glance back at Paru and Ko, he turned back and respectfully shook Burt's hand as best he could. "I'm Darin, [Apprentice Marksman]. Nice to meet you, Burt." After shaking hands, Darin stepped to the side, in case either of the others decided to shake the frogman's hand.

"'Pile of pond weeds'? I would appreciate some elaboration on that." Darin continued in order to gather information, curious as to what had happened, as well as to ignore the bug juice now on his hand.

 

[StarPrincessVal]

Paru

Mentions: Orikanyo Vaudivolt Voider
Languages: Common | <Beastial>
​

"Fishhook? Oh..." Paru glanced over her shoulder at the decrepit village, with it's damaged and barely standing buildings. "Place has kinda gone to shit hasn't it?" Another dragonfly flew past her head and she swatted at it furiously. Didn't these damn things know not to run into people? She brushed some hair stuck to her face aside, and sighed. The humidity was killing her as well. "There wouldn't happen to be any alcohol still in the town, would there? I could use a drink." Paru watched the handshake take place between Darin and Burt, and decided she would not be shaking his hand, choosing a polite wave instead. "I'm Paru. And I'd also like to hear about this 'pile of pond weeds'."

 

[Orikanyo]

Ko



"Pond weeds don't tend to barrel... Anything... Really." Ko added his two cents, before giving a look to Paru with a raised eyebrow. "Alcohol on the job dulls your senses. And dulls your swordarm, remain swift and strong." he lightly scolded his fellow swordsman... Swordsman... Should it be swordswoman? Swordsperson? Odd, either way.

"If this pond weeds is our quarry then they are what we must slay, with a few cuts that pile shall be reduced to a bushel..." he... didn't have much else to say.. this was a beast not some warrior, really he should be out fighting more duels... but after his last defeat he cannot allow himself to go without a win of some sort. Tsk.. to think he was so stupid to udnerestimate his opponent... he would get back at that woman after this...

Maybe they will meet again, soon, and he will have a chance to destroy her in battle!

...

"...So whered the reeds go?"

 

[Vaudivolt]

Burt Florid
“That'd be the swamp you smell,” Burt commented while his hand was still waiting for a handshake, “ain't never not smell like shit, y'get used to it.” As he spoke, one of his black, bulbous eyes drifted toward Paru while the other remained locked onto his own hand. Perhaps it was his attempt at dividing attention between the group surrounding him.

“Fishfolk never complained much, ain't never asked if they had noses though!” He added with a loud chuckle that sounded more like croaking. “And I don't think there's much alcohol to dull the smell neither. They ain't drinking much here, dries them out in seconds, tell y'what.”

As he joked, his attention – and drifting eye – returned to his hand. Attracted by the feeling of Darin shaking it. “Pleasure's all mine, that goes for all y'all!”

“So, y'all wanna know that badly about weeds? Well, let ol' Burt tell y'all a little some--” He fell silent as Ko added his two cents to the conversation. In response, both Burt's eyes locked onto the wolfman with previously unseen clarity. The vocal sac in his throat swelled slightly. “I'd say y'all ain't take it too easy...”

“I saw it myself, tell y'what... Size of a house, at least! Whatever weren't weeds were teeth the size of daggers, and it were pissed like I ain't seen an animal be. Ain't nothing 'few cuts' about it!”

“And y'all wanna know where it went?” Burt asked as he reeled in his fishing line. The hook was once again disappointingly empty. He shook his head and pointed the end of the rod toward the bank across the murky waters. “There's a branch in the river some ways upstream. I've seen it go there, so should be y'alls best bet.”

“Y'all can take one of them rowboats there.” He added while he nudged his head towards a few boats drifting slowly in the water near the pier. Each of them were bound to the wooden supports with algae-stained ropes. “I'm sure them fishfolk don't got use for them no more!” And he croaked with amusement once more.

---

Voider StarPrincessVal Orikanyo

 

[StarPrincessVal]

Paru

Mentions: Orikanyo Vaudivolt Voider
Languages: Common | <Beastial>​

Paru pondered over what Burt had said. If the frogman's words were true, this was troubling news indeed. It looked like she'd be dealing with the swamp, the weed creature, and Ko all while sober... "I've never killed anything the size of a house before, but I've been pretty damn close." She pulled her new sword off her back, examining the beautiful craftsmanship and excellent artistry put into it. The dark brown leather grip the color of dried blood, the blade gleaming in the little sunlight that made it through the trees, and the gorgeous design of the antlered dragon guard. "If it can die, we can kill it. Upstream you say? We'll head that way then." As Burt pointed out the boats, Paru turned to the other two, smiling at Ko. "Well I'm lucky to have a partner with such a swift and strong sword arm right now aren't I?" She turned to Darin. "What about you? You a rower, or would your talents be wasted there? Not like I can do much in a boat anyway, so maybe you should keep an eye out while we move us forward." She held her sword out once more, smiling as she looked it over before putting it back. Teeth like daggers, moving pile of weeds, size of a house, and pissed. "Whenever you two are ready then. Let's kill us a Monster."

 

[Voider]

Darin​

​

Mentions Vaudivolt StarPrincessVal Orikanyo ​

---

"I see..." Darin stated after Burt explained the creature, contemplating this new information. Well, at least they now had something to go off of, though the true nature of this monster was still quite the mystery.

Darin raised a nonexistent eyebrow at Paru's comment of the group being able to kill it if it can die, but quickly regarded the important matter of transportation. He nodded in agreement to the impromptu plan. "I must agree; I will continue to keep watch for us. If this creature also happens to appear while we're on water, I can take a shot or two at it as well." Perhaps it was his [Sentry] speaking, but Darin wasn't going to turn down the job of looking out for threats, especially in the current circumstances.

He walked to the rowboats, and began to thoroughly inspect each, searching for whichever seemed the most durable of them all; he didn't know how long ago it was when the residents here left, but Darin wasn't going to blindly trust a boat that likely hadn't seen maintenance in a long while, was in a swamp, and was going to be their transportation to catch a rampaging monster.

 

[Orikanyo]

Ko



Hmm... a tall tale... Suppous he had it coming since he was one of the types. Suffice to say he had a clear description... Even if it was mostly just "Reeds and teeth." but he could tell from a few thoughts on the matter it was a more brutish beast. He compiled what he could surmise...

"So what can be summarized...

1. It was a more brutish beast, one that relied on strength and was confident in this strength, for it did not stalk or hide. Possibly relies on an ambush and excessive quick violence.
2. It camouflaged it'self to aid in this ambush.
3. It had superiority in this muddy and swampy terrain.
4. It was carnivorous, sharpened fangs for biteing and tearing.

We'll take the boat, those with keen eyes watch for tight groupings of reeds... Plenty in these woods for sure, but tell when they move.. It will likely try to come upon us quick... So... be ready to jump ship. the best case scenario it will attempt to jump me, with proper warning, i can defend well." Ko turned to approach the vessel, cautiously eyeing the brush...

"...there are other things out there to be certain, and we cannot say it'll just be one beast..."

 

[Vaudivolt]

Burt Florid
“Sounds like y'all're mighty confident,” Burt commented, but his attention slowly drifted toward the gleam of Paru's blade. He knew better than pretending he knew anything about weaponry, but it seemed like fine craftsmanship. For a moment, he wondered if that blade was the reason for their confidence. Still, fine weaponry or not, they were heading into the depths of the swamp.

“I ain't gonna come looking if y'all don't return, y'hear?” Burt clarified as the group carefully selected the best vessel for the job, “But, might y'all wanna do ol' Burt a favor and bring some of that pile of weeds back? I reckon it'll be fine bait!” He croaked and waved the group off as they pushed away from the pier.

The designated rowers pulled the oars through stale water, and the rowboat slowly made its way upstream. They had been rowing for a while when it became noticeable that Burt had not been exaggerating about the lack of fish. Or any aquatic life, based on how eerily still the waters had been. There were no bubbles, no other movement besides their oars disturbing the calm surface. Only the buzzing in the air reminded them that something was alive around them... until they neared the branching stream. The area grew silent, and the thick air surrounding them became rich with tension. Something else was close by - and it felt capable of putting the entire swamp on edge.


Up ahead, the semblance of a muddy shoreline came into view. Barely visible through the sprawling plant life and gnarled trees. Their roots snaked across the muddy ground, and crooked branches intertwined to form a tight canopy. It left some space, but only for the most determined of the sun's rays to cut through the shade and illuminate a crude stone arch amidst the trees. The foreign structure, held together with hardened mud and vines, appeared to have drawn the attention of a local swamp dweller.

The creature opposing the arch's existence had all the characteristics of a bear but appeared covered in thick roots and hardened plant matter. Its unnatural condition gave the beast a scaly appearance but did not appear to limit its movements. It let out a roar that felt pained rather than fierce before lashing at the stone arch. For the time being, its relentless assault kept it unaware of the approaching rowboat.

---

StarPrincessVal Voider Orikanyo

 

[Voider]

Darin​

​

Mentions: Vaudivolt StarPrincessVal Orikanyo ​

---

"We'll see what we can do, farewell for now." Darin responded to Burt, climbing into the boat.

...

Darin sat at the front of the rowboat, keeping an eye on his surroundings. He was no expert on swamps, but the place felt desolate, and obviously not in a good way.

This silent watch was continued by Darin until they began to approach a shoreline; as the strange sight of the bear-like creature attacking some kind of ruin came into view, Darin's grip hardened further and his eyes locked on to the scene. "It would appear that our disembarkation point is insecure." He noted, speaking in a low voice to Paru and Ko. "I'll drive it away with some shots, so that we can land safely."

Darin meticulously aligned his musket, aimed at the creature, and took in a deep breath; with a pull of the trigger, a loud shot rang out, a plume of smoke blasted forward, and a lead ball flew through the air[1]. Wasting no time, Darin quickly got to work loading a firing a second shot[2], and shortly after a third[3].

---

Action [1]: Basic Attack [Gun]
Action [2]: Basic Attack [Gun]
Action [3]: Basic Attack [Gun]​

• Precision - D
• [Gun/Spear] Musket/Bayonet E - A smoothbore musket; fairly simple, but effective if used properly. With a detachable bayonet, it can transform the firearm into a lethal melee weapon.

 

[StarPrincessVal]

Paru

Mentions: Vaudivolt Orikanyo Voider
Languages: Common | <Beastial>​

Paru stared out at the water as she and Ko rowed. It was awful looking. Dark, murky, lots of algae covering the surface. Nothing like the beautiful clear rivers and springs near her village. No wonder the animals left, she wouldn't stay here either. As Darin spoke Paru turned her head to see. She couldn't quite make out what he was talking about from her lower vantage point in the boat. And what did he mean "some shots"? She didn't see a bow on him. She turned and tried to find the thing he was pointing out, when suddenly a loud burst erupted behind her, startling her and causing the boat to rock. "Wh-what the hell is that?! I-It's not already dead is it? It better not be, I haven't gotten to try my new sword out yet!" She tried to stand in the boat making the rocking worse, before dropping back down. "Alright, dog boy, lets get us to shore, before all the fighting's over." She begins to paddle the boat toward the bank.

 

[Orikanyo]

Ko Matatsu




"Not to be that fellah, but, I know how these things go. It may look like it but I highly doubt that will be the creature that we're suppoused to..." and thats when the shots rang out, gods he hated firearms of all kinds. The noise they make is second to none in terms of hurting the ears! He remembered during training, they had to bat away incoming shots from thrown stones, firearms packed with salt, blunt arrows... He had welts for days till he got the technique down and it still sucks! Espeacially if theres multiple people firing off on you!!

Grrr...

"Fine lets hurry." He got on his side of the rowing paddles and pushed aling to get them to... Whatever counts as shore around here really.

"The swamps are what I imagine hell would be, devil spawn bloodbugs and boiling swamp water. Fetid horrors and disgusting broth of misery with each step. How do people live here! Do they love being wet at all times! Do they even care about cleanliness or smelling nice!?

It must take fortitude beyond mortal man to want to live here!"

 

[Vaudivolt]

Something stirs within the area...

As Darin pulled the trigger, the wooden rowboat rocked from the recoil. The wild swaying cast ripples over the river's murky surface. And as forming bubbles gathered into short-lived foam on the surface, the first lead ball found purpose in the bear's hind leg. The impact of the solid projectile carving into the hardened plant matter, forming cracks over a small area, drew the beast's attention before the noise of the shot had.

It swung its head around with a piercing roar, its eyes locked onto the rowboat just as the follow-up shots fired. Despite the boat's rocking, the lizard marksman's accurate shooting hit the cracking hind leg twice more. The second ball split the hardened roots, and the third shattered the impact area. The total volley exposed a dark layer of animal fur hidden beneath the interlocking vines.

The bear roared again, enraged by its hind leg that buckled under the animal's weight. As the beast struggled to regain its freedom of movement, Paru and Ko took the opportunity to steer the boat to shore. Their quick thinking allowed the group a window to disembark just before the bear forced its wounded leg to once more carry the weight. And as it did, the vines began to tear further. They wildly lashed around the shattered area as if they had a mind of their own - trying desperately to reseal the created opening in their defenses.

Then, as the lashing vines began the slow process of reforming, the beast came rushing for the shoreline [1]. Reaching the group, it first swiped its claws at Ko [2], attempting to knock him down as it exposed rows of glinting teeth that dripped with foaming saliva. But, before it could follow up on its claw swipe, wild eyes caught the glint of another blade. Feeling threatened, the bear changed targets and trained its open maw on Paru as a karmic reward for her eagerness to fight - attempting to sink its teeth into her instead [3].

---

Action [1]: Movement [Fast F]
Action [2]: Basic Attack [Claws]
Action [3]: Basic Attack [Fangs]

Strength D
[Fangs/Claws] Natural Weapons E

---

Voider StarPrincessVal Orikanyo

 

[StarPrincessVal]

Paru

Mentions: Vaudivolt Orikanyo Voider
Languages: Common | <Beastial>
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Paru took the opportunity to leap from the boat and ready her sword as the beast charged them. It was heading straight for Ko, which would provide her a perfect opportunity to ready a powerful swing. "Just keep it busy for a second and I'll-" The beast suddenly charges at her after swiping at Ko, causing her to panic. "Wait, I'm not ready!" Damnit, now would be a great time to have some armor. But it looks like she would once again be relying on her sword. But a new shiny one now. "Alright, you asked for it." She watched it as it closed in on her and swung when the moment was right, using the opening created to leap into the branches of the trees around her.

Action 1: Move
Action 2: Swift Rebuke - Drain [Strength] F, Knockback F, Deflecting F - Effectiveness 10
Action 3: Leap into the trees - Jump F, Acrobatics F, Special Movement [Balance Running] F

Cooldowns:

• F - 0 posts​

Spoiler: Full Calculations

Swift Rebuke - Crippling Fang F, Denying Strike F - Paru repays an attacker in kind, using the opening to strike a vital spot. - Grade F - 0 Post Cooldown

• Denying Strike - F - Knockback, Deflecting - Paru times her swing carefully to reduce the impact of an incoming attack and punish the attacker.
• Crippling Fang - F - Drain [Strength] - Paru lunges forward, aiming a slash at a targets vital point to lessen their ability to fight.

Swift Rebuke F (1) + Nodachi C (4) + Strength B (5) = 10 Effectiveness

 

[Orikanyo]

Ko Matatsu




"The nerve." it was straight into battle, and with the ferocity of this thing he couldn't be caught unawares. it charged, but.. not without tells, it was to beset upon them and ravage them, it's plan was brute force, but unfortunately for it... That wouldn't work.

Not because it was wrong in it's ways, but because it thought it had enough strength to do such a thing.

In return he drew his sword upon the incoming creature and struck out at the offending claw but once, a swift drawing strike that split the air with it's razor sharpness.

• Sword of Descernment, Weapon Mastery F, Continueing (Bleed) F, Blight F (Razor sharp), Contact F, Penetrating F, Accurate F, a practiced strike of the blade, from whence the rest come. Grade F, Action 1 Grade effectiveness: Strength C, Weapon D, Ability F 8 grade effectiveness

"Begone."

Actions:
1 Ability
2/3 Nothing