Graded [Osun City] There is No End

[Orikanyo]

Finnegan Huttman


It had been...

Actually, rather pleasant for the blonde haired man, yes, it was horrid that folks were dieing bbut all in all he hadn't had too much trouble. Really he had been trying how to best slay the things more than have trouble with them. His armor was holding up, his body was still ready to go and his sword, while it could use abit more of love from a whetstone, was still servicable in most if not all facets.

For each time he went out to fight, he got more used to the beasts. The team up thing worked well enough, but he found it best to cut it from the shoulder down just below the other arm pit, cutting head and armor from the body. He considered this the killing stroke. At that point, even if it still flopped around it was one arm with little power behind it. it was like fighting particularly durable undead... In a sense, thats what they were, he guessed.

he didn't know the ins and outs of how such magics work but rot and dead material made into a humanish form that claws and rakes at people sounds undead to Finn.

But, with that thought experiment aside, things were happening again. Reports coming in and hell was unfortunately once again at their doorstep. Finn wouldn't be reading these reports, he was busy looking over the wall, at the things looking at him. There were a few more than yesterday, when one tried to reach voer he took the chance to deliver a cut to the head or arm reaching up. Suprisingly, he had five slain just from this.

None of them learned from the last, it was, for most intents and purposes, like they didn't care about the ones around them or how they died.

Endless droves, no true end.

Only option when it comes to that is to kill the thing making them.

And hope that thing is controlling them somehow and they will just lay down and die afterwards.

And.. Suprise suprise... it looks like the Lord brought up the same idea. Probably some report or something. Nobles liked those. Really, the idea probably was there for awhile, but who ever would be so foolhardy to be the first to say "Go into the murder woods."

Finn would have, but it would have probably been met with boos and complaining.

Now this guardswoman, acting as if shes some godly herald, comes out and says they should form up for the suicide pact.

"Bravado is good and all, but do we have any clue whats making them? Where is this leader?

Are we to pretend this isn't a last ditch suicide attack and we're being sent in with nothing but hope at our back and Orichallicum balls between our legs?

Because if so I appreciate the candor and honesty and I awas going to go if you said either way I'm tired of staring at them from afar and I want to fight again."

 

[Novama]

Time: 7:13pm
Weather: cold and rainy
Mentions: @Ar Ef See LadyOfStars @Eccentric_Undead Orikanyo Goran Glacial Discusstu RavenSong
OOC: Those not dressed for the weather will have their combat effectiveness cut by 1 grade.
TLDR: the order was met with mixed opinions. Some were too weary to show restraint.
Cooldowns: Magic Sword C : 0 post
Post Listenings:

Highgrove Village

​

Adventurers not actively serving on the defensive line looked up from their brooding. With most resting in tents or wherever they could find shelter from the cold ran, the sudden call to arms for adventurers had more than a few grumble. Getting their coats and boots, the soggy men assembled in the rain to hear out Alanna. Some of them murmurred their approval, tired of sitting around, and ready to end this. Some of them vocally called her out and Linneus.

"How dare you all look down on us and our abilities for the past 3 days treating us like children after we saved this village from immediate collapse. Now you'll have us brave the elements in the dark while there is a hoard of them 'things' out there on some hunch there is something out there causing all this? What about the soldiers? Why not send them out there?"

"Hold your tongue, fool!"

Called one of the soldiers in response, but another soldier piped up, feeling related feelings,

"Ya! What about us? If you dispatch all the adventurers, that will leave our defenses undermanned or running on no rest. When will we pull back to Osun?"

"You?! What about us? We adventurers were hired on to defend a few points. Now wage a suicide battle is some death forest. If anyone should be returned to the town, it should be adventurers. More likely, you just want to send us all to our deaths like you did the sell swords. Kill everyone you had to pay while using them as a shield for your men to pull back to the one settlement that matters."

"How dare you sully our Lord's intentions with your own base thoughts, adventurer!"

"How dare yourself, you fool. Don't you see this lord doesn't know what he is doing and now is done playing soldier and ready to have us all be killed off!"

The soldiers and adventurers shouting started pushing each other. Mud and rain water splashed and flew. No one drew weapons. All knew how pointless all of this was now that the fighting had drug out this long. By morning, the drenched woodland demons wouldn't burn. The current system of defense wouldn't work. The only thing allowing the defense to hold currently was the slightly slower more awkward pace of the demons in the rain. The commotion was enough some of the defensive line and Linneus could hear it over the ran.

Michael

​

Since Alanna called adventurers over, Michael was dismissed from his post. The commotion he overheard as he drew closer, made him hasten his steps at the brief thought the defensive line had failed. Finding out it was just abunch of grown men rolling around in the mud, he was relieved. Baths could be taken. Defending the lord from a horde of killing sticks was not nearly so simple.

Listening in on the gist of what was going on, Michael scowled beneath his water dripping hood. Sending a small army of adventurers into the woods rather than the whole force with soldiers included when the whole army could barely handle the threat as it stood seemed dubious. How were the adventurers expected to push through the demon numbers to even get to the tree line.

Michael stood with the adventurers openly confused and skeptical of the latest orders. Without more explanation, things definitely weren't making any sense. Even with explanation, things would struggle to make sense considering the adventurers numbered 1/3 of the fighting power in the village. Sending them all didn't seem to have any tangible benefit as murmured from both sides of the unhappy defense force.

 

[Orikanyo]

Finnegan Huttman



Finn flipped up his hood once more, his cloak was a pleasant enough affair but he had a feeling it may not protect him for too too long. The wet always found it's way in, just how it was. But if it could protect against the cold it would work in the wet... Even if he would be drying it out for ages.

He considered the state of the others, before speaking up.

"Perhaps a joint force then, small amount of soldiers, select adventurers, rest hold the line?" Finn spoke up, pulling his cloak in closer. "The Lord is giving the order, so his guard would be likely best to send on the soldier side.

Those who volunteer for it already for adventurers.

None of us really want to go in there, but as it's probably been said before. Its a chance to end this.

And the less we stand around complaining, the better. We've said our pieces, so those coming better come forward so we can plan a straight shot in.

We'll likely need to perform a rush, slay just enough to get people past the line, then defenders pull back as quickly as they can to hold. The faster the better, these fuckers are slow now so we have the advantage. We got axes, and fire is running out of use.

So, yea. This don't work we're fucked. But if it does, we'll have solved a issue of an ENDLESS horde. A horde insurmountable in size that would plague these lands not a day more." He patted the hilt of his sword before continueing for a moment.

"We've lasted this long, and if we don't come back defenders have the luxury of running. But lack the beauty of glory should we succeed." He told it how it was now, he hated this beating around the bush.

 

[LadyOfStars]

Linneus Light

Novama RavenSong Discusstu Goran Glacial Orikanyo​

Alanna couldn’t even rejoice the quick reply to her call to arms as not long after the adventurers started to group up, they began to bicker back and forth with the soldiers serving the barony. “Everyone….Please.” She watched as they descended into chaos, shoving and pushing one another, arguing and making fools of themselves. She had no real authority over the soldiers and none at all over the adventurers and while she wanted to argue them down, they made valid points to her anyway.

Less so to Linneus however, who happened upon the scene with widened eyes and a racing heart. “Is this how grown fighting men and women behave!? We have an enemy lying in wait, lives hanging in the balance, and a small window of time to operate and you’re all fighting like children with bruised egos!!” His once soft voice carried through the noisy streets, now hoarse and strained. Linnaeus pulled his oversized hood down and let the anger in his face be clear for them to see.

“I am not paying the Adventurer’s Guild for whining and infighting! If you feel as though your job here has been done then leave and I will contest your contracts and payment with the guild when this bloody affair is sorted!” While he did understand where the adventurers were coming from, Linnaeus wouldn’t tolerate a bad investment and that’s what they were becoming now by stirring the pot with his own soldiers.

“My own men should know better as well. Your families are waiting for you to return home with stories of how you protected their homes and properties, not how you argued back and forth with people who came to their aid!” His eyes scoured the crowd, taking in their distasteful appearances and disgraceful actions.

“The rain has afforded us a small advantage and we must be careful how we utilize it. The current plan is for the Adventurers to travel with my guard to dispatch the enemy leader and cut the head off this snake. A smaller group will be easier to lead and less likely to be discovered, if possible. My soldiers will remain here to hold the defenses or fall back to protect Osun if needed. If I had known the mercenaries would fall I would not have entrusted them with my lands. The money, which they were already paid, would not restore my people’s faith in me so do not ever insinuate that I had dubious intentions.”

Alanna looked to her lord and then looked to the Adventurers and soldiers. She had never seen the young baron in such a state, but she was glad to see he was more than smiles and pleasantries. He had a strength to him.

“Alanna.” He said after clearing his throat. “Take my guard and whatever Adventurers wish to be paid, as well as the volunteers, and do what must be done.” Linneus spared one final look at the mob and then looked to the leader of his guard. She gave him a nod and stepped forward.

“We depart for the forest immediately! Gather your belongings and meet on the edge of the village!” Her words called the rest of the guard to her side and the group started towards the rendezvous.

 

[Goran Glacial]

Xack Gransuke


Xack facepalmed midway threw chewing the soggy jerky, although he slapped his face too hard leaving a red hand print he was embarrassed by the crowd of adventurers in front of him. As he raised his head and shouted angrily "Oi! ye' bunch o' Skaglicks!! stop yer' Blasted fightin' Yall' do realize that if this defense falls these creatures will march further inland!! I Know the lot o' ya perhaps don't live nearby but if these arn't stopped here what makes you think they won't eventually reach yer' homes an' families!!" Xack grew hoarse as he shouted before taking a breather. he was utterly stupefied by these novice adventures, What made them think that they'd survive forever if these woodland monsters weren't stopped he didn't know but anyone with half a brain new these things wouldn't be satisfied for long with the nearby animals and people they'd follow the signs of life. these things were a monster of gluttony, at least thats what xack thought.

 

[RavenSong]

Aria






Aria had been standing in front of the Barons tent, as others came a small crowd began to form, the troops were restless, tired and morale was dwindling from days of fighting and working hard to keep the village safe. Soon the whispers and rumors became blatant accusations and unfounded speculation. Aria would turn to face the soldier, anger welling up in her usually even-tempered heart, pointing an accusing finger at him.
“Know your place soldier, you’ve taken an oath to serve and serve you will! Whatever is required!” The conspiring soldier would scoff, “I don’t take orders from bootlicking peasants!”
Aria, in a rage, would send a stoney fist at the soldier's nose, which wouldn’t connect as the other companions entangled her. Effectively apprehending her anger, all she could do was shoot a glare, before stepping away from The chaos of mud that would ensue. Emotions and frustrations boiling to the surface. Her frame would regain composure but her expression remained.

Aria would wipe mud off her face as she came back into the line. The baron was displeased, but she wouldn’t show emotion as she continued to cool off. The troops were only human, they feared for the safety of their families. Some wanted to fall back, others wanted to fight. And who could blame them?

Ultimately, she would join the efforts to go into the forest. Clearly, still somewhat flustered she cleaned herself up as best she could, the rain would likely clean whatever mud remained on her cloak. Once again she’d stand at the ready, a bit more pensive, but nonetheless unwavered in the protection of the village.

 

[Discusstu]

Steve

​

The tension between everyone in their camp was as high as the stakes they were up against. Passed the point of simple bickering, the adventurers and soldiers were at each other's throats due to the turn of events they were faced with. Steve had no plans of intervening, but he couldn't deny that his patience was also reaching it's peak. Fortunately, through his words alone, the spite and badblood that had been building up, were temporary set aside.

The conviction displayed by the baron surprised Steve, but it did well to motivate him and steady his resolve. Hopefully, it did the same for everyone else. He was certainly more than just a wealthy noble. He was a leader worthy of Steve's respect.

Heading to the baron's will, Steve gathered himself and turned to the armory. They were heading to what felt like the climax of their mission. The least Steve could do was to make sure he was prepared. Growing accustomed to the equipment he had been using the past few days, Steve no longer found the need to have them replaced. Instead, what he searched for were cloth and garb. Aside from needing to dry his clothes and armor, he had to ready himself against the relentless weather. Though it provided them with an opportunity to advance, in a matter of moments, it could easily make things more difficult for them.

As much as Steve wanted some woolen clothing to keep him warm, and hefty leather armor to function as outer wear to keep moisture out, he only found a padded jacket and a hooded cloak. Steve was a mere beggar and had no right to choose nor complain. The baronry had been nothing but generous with the equipment he was allowed to use. With the new additions to his attire, Steve used the remaining minutes he had around a well lit fire, warming himself up while biting into some of his stale rations. They weren't as

 

[Novama]

Time: 7:33pm
Weather: cold and rainy and dark
Mentions: @Ar Ef See LadyOfStars @Eccentric_Undead Orikanyo Goran Glacial Discusstu RavenSong
OOC: Those not dressed for the weather will have their combat effectiveness cut by 1 grade.
TLDR: All npc adventurers have fled the village. Tired soldiers are struggling to make due and hold morale until morning. The PCs and the baron's person 5 guards, alone, now stand in the northern portion of the south wood on a very dangerous mission.
Cooldowns:
Post Listenings:

Southern Wood

​

The adventurers were unsuccessfully convinced. After Linneus left them, most immediately left. Others took some time to think and then packed up and also left. The fewer people there were, the more impossible the task seemed until none other than Michael and the rookies (the other pc's) remained of the adventurer faction. Soldiers were frantically roused from their rests and breaks to take over for the adventurers, many of whom abandoned the defensive line once they found out about the situation at hand. Soldier morale was at an all time low but many of them had friends or family they were fighting for still. By morning, the village would be impossible to defend. If the infiltration group were caught and swarmed, the mission would likely immediately fail.

Once the small team was assembled, the soldiers let them through the barricade and the group was able to carefully flank the open flood of wood demons pouring out of the forest and enter the woods without incident. The rain did a good job of hiding the despair on the faces of the soldiers. But it also made it practically impossible to see where they were going in the woods. Unable to light torches or a lantern because either may be 'sensed' by the woodland demons (or extinguished by rains), the group needed to rely on their night vision. The trees were massive, the roots made the ground so uneven that climbing and jumping were occasionally required just to keep moving forward. Water that couldn't soak into the partially frozen soil free flowed like flooded river banks, making the ground exceptionally spongey or flooded in places as water streamed down everywhere.

One solace for the suicide team was the glowing flowers. Every once in a while, a soft, blue flower hardy enough to survive the cold would glow in the dark and give some guidance to the party as they made their way through the wood. Unfortunately, it also outlined the endless hoard of woodland demons stumbling and sliding their way into the plain north of the village. Thanks to the rain, the party currently had cover, but were never far from bumping into a demon and they were everywhere.

Michael

​

Michael was confident in his ability to run and escape when things become impossible, but the smothering atmosphere of the forest gave him doubts. One more mission that should have been simple becoming dangerous and not worth the effort. Michael was close to leaving with the rest of the adventurers. the veterans knew more than him. That's how they attained a ripe age in the career. Wasn't until Michael found out the rain would cover them from the demons' senses that he even gave his plan a chance of succeeding.

The trees seemed ideal for climbing and traversing, but the rain gave him pause. Everything would be slicker. The glowing flowers then gave him an idea. Drawing closer to one while trying to leave enough space between him and the nearest demon, he was able to better see the surrounding trees and run an Appraisal. Finding what he needed, he activated the rest of his ability [Parkour] to quickly scale the tree without incident.

From his vantage point, Michael was able to better take in the surrounding terrain, demon movements, and get a sense of what the party could try. He was also safely out of the grasp of any woodland demons so long as they didn't suddenly start climbing trees. He could probably move faster than the party on the ground so long as he kept to the tree canopy, but he opted against separating the group in case something happened. On the off chance any of the soldiers survived, he didn't want them making claims he was anything but helpful after risking his life on the suicide run.

Despite the demon army and the thick forest closing in on him in his mind, the truly disturbing thing for Michael was the unknown. Looking around in the dark forest full of sounds, it was easy to image another boogieman just hiding. It didn't help that he recognized this world as a fantasy one, meaning the boogieman really could be hiding in the dark crevices. These thoughts that plagued his mind since he came to this world also kept him close to the party.

In an attempt to be helpful to the party, Michael would stand on a branch over a glowing flower so the party could make him out, and point in the general direction the party may want to end next. Shouting down to them seemed like a bad idea. Where they were going was unclear, but the path of demons seemed like a good enough lead for the time being.

 

[LadyOfStars]

LInneus Light
​

Alanna and her companions moved as carefully as possible and tried their best to remain quiet. The heavy armor, poor vision, and web of tree roots and stones made even walking difficult for the group. Having worked together for so long the guards could communicate without words, but even that was only semi-affective when the darkness made reading hand signs and lips nearly impossible.

Everyone wanted to turn back, to find shelter in the village and fight the demons on their home turf, even if they thought they might still die. The guards wanted to make Linneus proud and live up to the expectations put on them, but this was more than they had ever expected to do when they took the positions.

Alanna watched the adventurer who had healed her ascend to the tree tops and she had to subdue her jealousy. Being up there probably felt a lot safer than being down on the ground where the demons were wandering around so closely. With a pout now plastered on her face, she ran her hand through her hair to comb the wet strands out of her face. Hopefully they would find this enemy leader soon.

 

[RavenSong]

Aria




Aria didn't have much more to prepare, the decision had been made and she awaited for the final call. As the crowd dispersed, some gave each other their final glares at their rivals. Some doubts went through her mind as she ate some of her rations. Mostly about what would happen should they fail to find the plant demon leader. The weather didn't help her spirits as she let out a sigh. Her breath turned into small clouds as they were illuminated by the communal fire.
When the call finally came, she'd tighten the leather strap connecting to the sheath of her sword. A solemn look on her face as she tread across the courtyard. The ground felt sludgy under her boots as she continued towards Alanna and the royal guard. She considered her a strong leader, although they had not exchanged any words, perhaps it was her overall spirit.

She would turn around to look towards the wall as it fell out of view and entered the forest. There was an eerie feeling about this ghostly woodland as she passed by the first series of trees. The cold, damp, frosty air chilled her lungs as she walked against the icy stream of water that went up to her ankles. It didn't help that she could barely see the glistening plate armor of the guards in front of her. She relied mostly on hearing, making out where the others were stepping on the slushy ground. Aria would climb the roots of the trees then carefully back down on the other side, sometimes not even knowing how far to extend her legs to reach the ground.

When they reached the first flower, Aria immediately noticed the plant demons on the move. Her tendency was to draw her sword immediately, but after careful evaluation she resisted the tendency to do so. She keeps a hand at the hilt of her sword behind her back, stepping out of the flower's light. It was just then that she noticed the adventurer from before, standing atop a branch as he pointed the way.
Did he know where to find the leader? She wondered in silence, after nodding thankfully.
Movement would be slow, and who knew how far they must traverse through the forest before their presence was revealed. She would have gestured to be carefully quiet, but in the pitch black forest it’d be impossible to discern any form of hand signaling.

Novama

 

[Orikanyo]

Finnegan Huttman


This, was a very unpleasant place.

In all seriousness even if the demons weren't hete Finn would have stayed far away. The damnedable lay out of these woods was beyond terrible and everything he did made an unpleasant squelch.

But hey at least it was better than mud and bitching soldiers right?

Right.

He followed the trail of others, he was a point defence man before a scout, in any form or capacity. Be that as it may he'll just keep his mouth shut and follow. Until they found their target, if there in fact was one and not just the whole damn woods they stand in, he would be ready for it.

Until then his sword remained sheathed and his hands at keeping him steady. One of their number went towards the flower, and with some effort he also managed to go upwards into the treeline. Clever, if only Finn wasn't in heavy armor... And had that skillset.

But... With the light of the glowy flower, he could see things more clearly... The strange outlies and words were back... But they pointed out creatures. Copying the man who's name he had forgotten felt abit off but you had to learn from somewhere. But this flower.. And the many like it... Perhaps if they had some form of conformity, they would lead somewhere....?

A small twinge of pain popped into his head as he remembered something that he didn't know, a fish? With a string on it's forehead that had a light on the end? It had a monsterous face and was surrounded in blackness...

He shook his head, he felt unease about the flowers now, but they were requirements for figuring out their way...

He bit his tongue, preventing himself from voicing his words, he was long since certain, that he was surrounded by deaf ears anyways.

Best to save the breath for the fighting... And wait for the scout's words from above.

 

[Discusstu]

Steve

​

Steve was clearly out of his comfort zone, but to be fair, most situations would put him in such a position. Being cautious of the amount of noise he was making coupled with traversing the dark, heavily rooted forest, in the pouring rain, was a challenge different from any he had encountered before. The only thing that was helping him overcome the tension of his predicament was that everyone else, or at least the majority, were experiencing the same thing. Aside from the tree-hopping adventurer, they were all on the same boat.

Using his polearm as a walking stick, Steve carefully walked forward, his strides appearing exaggerated and slow as he tried his best to establish a stable footing. He didn’t get much from senses given how dimly light the surroundings were and how quiet they were trying to be. Aside from Michael’s scouting attempts and the occasional luminescent flora that helped guide their way, they didn’t have much.

Though dark and not really sure on what was around them, Steve couldn’t help but still try to make things out. As he squinted his eyes to focus on whatever he could catch, Steve used his ability to appraise the area around and in front of them from time to time. Even if he couldn’t see anything, maybe his ability could pick something up that could be useful for the group.

 

[Goran Glacial]

Xack Gransuke



Xack slipped and slid on a muddy footing here and there as he peered through the darkness ahead of him, he was soaked to the bone before they reached this forest and now he was starting to look like a mud monster with mud matted in his hair and covering his armor. he didn't even attempt to eat some jerky for fear of mud being stuck to it, Xack was gifted in the strength and endurance department but his agility sucked as he could never keep a solid footing. Xack spotted monkey-boy from time to time pointing the way through the trees, xack followed but didn't think deeper he was too busy concentrating on his footing to wonder anything deeper.

 

[Novama]

Time: 10:33pm
Weather: cold and rainy and dark
Mentions: @Ar Ef See LadyOfStars @Eccentric_Undead Orikanyo Goran Glacial Discusstu RavenSong
OOC: Xach suffering from -1 grade to combat effectiveness. Source of problem present. Time make some calls/plans/actions.
TLDR: Party wonders through the forest for hours. Eventually they find a clearing where the demons spawn. There they find a creature seemingly directing it all.
Cooldowns:
Post Listenings:

Southern Wood Clearing

​

The trek was long, arduous, and nerve wrecking. Wet, muddy, and weary, the party narrowly evaded the hordes of woodland demons to make it deeper into the forest. The nightmare parade they followed did not let up and only added to the burden of their troubled spirits. For the rookies in the party, this likely would feel like a fool's errand. For the veterans, they were likely wondering how they would survive this one or cosigning themselves to an honorable fate.

Then the parade ebbed. The massive trees gave way to an opening and in this opening the wood demons were formed and dispersed into 2 thick columns that would make up the marches to Highgrove and RedCliffe. There were several more glowing flowers here as well as stones with archaic symbolry on them. All together, the space was well let, making the party's nightmares very apparent. A large pit of roiling black ooze seemed to be the source of the demons as the twigs, sticks, vines, and other that shot out of the abyss hit the muddy soil with a hiss and immediately formed up into the woodland demons so common to the party now.

Beyond the army of living forest and the pit of endless night were the glowing, shimmering stones and a humanoid creature standing next to them. Its voice filled the space. The noises it made were less words and more continuous sound of a fluctuating and haunting nature. Infused with mana, as much of the space was, it, the glowing stones, and the black pit all seemed to be connected and hum at the same frequency. As the creature croaked its otherwordly tune of conquest, it danced about and gestured with inhuman hands. In the pale, blue glow, the exact color of the creature was undeterminable, but it was about 6ft tall, covered in a shimmering spiked plating, and had an amphibian like appearance but it was twisted and monstrous.

Steve was too far away to use his appraisal skill, but of the woodland path they had taken up to that point, it occasionally noted better foot and hand paths to make his travel easier.

Michael

​

Keeping a tight grip of the trees and branches he found to traverse, Michael continued to move slightly ahead of the party and lead them at flower checkpoints. When he saw the clearing ahead, his stomach felt like it had a weight in it and the weight grew heavier as they went. While the army of demons was lighter around the clearing, the dancing creature at the center, the dark pit, and the crystals all gave off bad vibes in Michael's opinion.

Magic. One of the alien things Michael had to get used to and accept as reality in this world. It made the world a very frightening place. There didn't seem to be any limit to the way magic could be used, based on his own research into it with the skill systems. It just meant that whatever someone could imagine was likely a plausible magic. It was one thing if the caster was a heroic mage or inventor of the era, but what if they were evil, twisted, and reprehensible beyond all measure. What then could they do with magic? The creature at the center of it all reminded Michael of such thoughts. If the party didn't handle this right, people would die.

Rather than remaining in his perch, Michael took this opportunity to slip out of the tree and join the party in the soft ambient glow of the clearing. They were for the moment safe from the demons, as they seemed predestined for the villages rather than lurking around the clearing, but it wasn't a guarantee that would always be the case if they were suddenly discovered.

In the dim light and cloaked by is damp hood, Michael's expression was hard to read, but his feet couldn't keep still. Anxious and constantly looking around, Michael felt the urge to turn around rather than face what was ahead. Heaven help them all if they did nothing when the opportunity was presenting itself to them though. He then caught sight of it out of the corner of his eye. Turning to look at the clearing with mouth agape, he saw the pile of corpses. Several of them Light soldiers, a few of the adventurers that died the first day, and several sell swords from Redcliffe. It was easy to miss since the stack was larger than one would expect and partially grown over. A grotesque boulder of massive size and likely more horrific purpose. Likely their fate if they messed up here. One corpse hung upside down from the stack, its soulless eyes staring blankly at the party in their hiding spot. Then the maggots....

 

[LadyOfStars]

Linneus' guards were tired like everyone else, but unlike the adventurers they had more to lose than just their own lives. If they failed here then their friends and loved ones would pay the price. It was agonizing wanting to turn back and not being able to. They were mentally and physically drained, but there was nothing else to be done. As the group neared what seemed to be a clearing, the guards froze, paralyzed by their fear and despair. The sight of new woodland demons being spawned in such great numbers caused all of their stomachs to twist and knot. Alanna stepped forward with her mouth agape and her eyes darted left and right, watching the creatures line up and get into formation.

Working guard duty for the baron they had never seen something like this and living in their small country homes they weren't used to magic either. One of her comrades walked up beside her and quietly pointed to the architect of this grand scheme. The creature was hideous and it not being a human disgusted the guards even more.

Alanna turned and looked to the rest of the party and tried to read the faces of those that had traveled this far with them. The hanging body and pile of corpses was a sign of what awaited everyone in Ryke if they failed here. She drew her weapon and in doing so told the other guards to do the same. They were ready to give their all, even their lives to stop this monster.

Novama

 

[Orikanyo]

Finnegan Huttman



"Finally..." the young man sighed, his eyes went to the others, then back to the beast... It was as one might expect. A pit of rot, a disgusting monster, death all around. No need to worry about half measures, it was time to do what they came here to do...

And now it was up to the job of getting it done. And all he could do is hope the others actually know how to take advantage of a distraction...


"Oi! Oi you ugly bastards." Finn walked out from his spot, into the glade the beast as taken up residence. "Yea i'm talking to you, having fun making monsters eh?

You got alotta nerve spewing your filth around here." The man walked on ahead, sword being drawn and a strong slice cutting neck to under the shoulder on a rotting wretch.

"Alright you putrid cyst on the ass of nature. Hurry up and die so I can be rid of this stench." He twirled the blade in the air it's razored edge still holding from the last care he had givin it...

He spread his stance, strengthening his form, he had made the first move, the others better not wimp out and cry now... The dead they have already seen, getting second thoughts now is akin to giving this thing to go ahead to continue it's work.

 

[RavenSong]

After what seemed like days of walking in the cold, dark haunted forest, Aria would lean on a tree to pause after some of the others went ahead. Panting as quietly as she could, the blackness of the environment seemed to be creeping into her thoughts. A feeling of dread overcoming her resolve to continue. Was this just a mindless, suicide mission as the soldiers said back at the wall? Would she ever see the light of day again? The barmaid turned soldier now was being tested in ways she could have never imagined. All but nearly stripped of her sense of sight and the ever present threat of being discovered and torn to pieces by the demons that marched towards the wall. Aria would lean her shoulder on the root of a tree, thinking about death, and if she would be lucky enough once again to maybe go to another world. Unlikely.
She finally managed to muster the courage once more to tread further. Her legs were sore and her feet aching, although she was fairly dry under the cloak save for the sweat due to the grueling, quiet march.

Before long the seeds of their pursuits would bear fruit in the form of a clearing, only for Aria’s apprehension to grow to a new height as she gazed in silent horror at the scene before her eyes. A sort of low croaking continuous sound would emanate from the slimy toad like humanoid creature, far enough to go unnoticed. Now would be the time to plan their next move.
A slight feeling of panic would well within her before shaking her head and reminding herself of the situation at hand. She was a soldier now, and playing chicken would not achieve anything. She reminded herself of the village. Should they fail here, the village will certainly fall.
Upon noticing the demons were significantly less in numbers from their vantage point, she signaled everyone to come together and devise a plan to move forward. To her it was probably the best chance to succeed.

To all those present she would begin, speaking as softly as she could as she urged them all to get close. “We must seize on this opportunity, perhaps we can divide into two groups, one to the left and another to the right. We’ll use the edge of the forest for cover to get into position.”
She’d look at the others briefly, “Anyone else have any ideas?”

A plan that would foil as Finn began calling out towards the toad mage, preparing for battle. “I guess that concludes our battle plans.” She remarked as she drew her sword, while her other hand drew her dagger, activating her focus. (Psionic Blade)
She would stand further behind Finn, waiting for the blighted toad to make a move using the armored warrior as a shield. Should he take damage, Aria would use the distraction to teleport towards the mage striking at the fatty neck, while her Psionic Blade would pierce its stomach.

 

[Discusstu]

Steve

​

Impatience loomed over Steve as his misadventures in the dark and muddy forest left him ankle deep in pasty dirt and on the verge of mental and physical exhaustion. However, he remained quiet and focused, as if an inkling kept on urging him to push through. None had complained up to this point; it would not make sense for Steve to start. Their arduous exploration eventually turned fruitful as they made their way out of the narrow path they had took to a well-lit woodland clearing. Unfortunately, they were not given any time to appreciate the scenery they had just discovered as a foreboding presence revealed itself to their group.

Steve’s brows furrowed as both hands clenched tightly on the handle of his weapon. He wasn’t sure what he was laying his eyes on, but it was certainly more grotesque than the demons they had encountered the past few days. At a loss for words, Steve simply bent his knees, lowering his stance and preparing for an inevitable battle. After clashing with several of the plantkin, Steve had grown used to their demonic appearance and was able to stand his ground despite the growing army in front of him. What he wasn’t familiar with was what he caught in the corner of his eye.

Steve felt a cold sweat pass over him as he saw the pile of human remains not far from them. As soon as he became aware of the corpses, it was as if the smell of flesh that had begun to decompose rushed towards him. His back arched forward as his stomach turned; it felt as if he was punched hard from the inside. Trying to shake the sudden sensation of nausea and disgust away, Steve’s attention veered away from the toad-like monster as thoughts of confusion and shock filled his mind. While his fellow adventurers and the baron guard readied themselves for combat, Steve appeared frozen in place, frustrated, and disoriented by what he was seeing. Although subtle, his knees began to tremble. Even after days of fighting, and his lack of experience, Steve had never felt the fear of actually dying. Given his restored youth and vigor-filled body, it was like it was never an option. But the harsh reality had presented itself to him, and it was something he couldn’t just ignore.

 

[Goran Glacial]

Xack Gransuke

Xack emerged from that shadows of the journey as... a mud monster, Completely slathered in mud Xack caught up with the group after a short delay but too late to stop or say anything to Finn and Aria, while steve was frozen in fear. Sadly Xack didn't have enough emotional strength to fear or help steve, he was more distracted by the floating crystals all around. "Maybe if we break one of those crystals the spawning will stop?" Xack said to Alanna and Micheal before walking over to the nearest crystal and started swinging his longsword as hard as he could with two hands at it using the flat side of the blade.

 

[Novama]

Time: 10:33pm
Weather: cold and rainy and dark
Mentions: @Ar Ef See LadyOfStars @Eccentric_Undead Orikanyo Goran Glacial Discusstu RavenSong
OOC: Xach suffering from -1 grade to combat effectiveness. Stop time machining actions and prepping actions with if statements. Assume actions go off in the order they are posted and know that for each post, you'll get the chance to react it and do something in your next post.
Combat time. Each post may contain a movement (aka reposition or walk around), a defense action, and an attack action or some combination of those.
TLDR: Party now engaged with monster and demon army.
Cooldowns:
Post Listenings:

Southern Wood Clearing

​

The demon Finn sliced lost its head and arm, but the remaining arm and two legs landed and rebalanced the creature. Its legs plopped around in the mud for a second to rebalance itself before leaping at Finn to attack him with all three clawed hands/feet.

The monstrous creature did not break its night parade opera but the apparent mirth of the creature was clear and sinister. Continuing to prance around as it croaked its unending song, several more toothy maws opened across its body. Some seemed to laugh. Others to cry, but most would start up a new song of wavering tempo and pitch. In doing so, the creature slowly faded from vision. The illuminated clearing did not grow dimmer as both the central stones and the glowing flowers around the periphery continued to share their soft glow, but the monster was clearly absent. The only proof it still remained was its unending songs that filled the space with a haunting foreboding. Xack's efforts did little as there were no crystals to attack, the stones at the center of the clearing were stones and would not break from simply swinging a sword at them, and the glowing flowers would continue to glow even after being chopped or trampled.

Squeltch Squeltch

The sound of squishing mud and vegetation with a slight tremor of the ground near Aria was her only warning that an unseen attack was coming her way.

Michael

​

"Shoot...this has turned sideways already,"

Michael breathed as he readied himself, unsure where the monster was. His appraisal, as it was now, only worked on things he could see. Now they had not clud what they were fighting and it was allowed to make the first move.

Michael moved away from the Light soldiers and Steven. Holding his short swords at the ready, Michael was lightly illuminated more by the soft glow of his mithril blade in one hand. The rain continued to trickle down around everyone, but Michael felt particular annoyed by it. He had to keep blinking his eyes to keep them clear as rain would occasionally plink off his angled blades and splash his face. The low visibility coupled with the blinding effect of the rain would not mix well with an invisible enemy.

 

[RavenSong]

Aria


The sudden jump into the fray set all of Aria’s senses into high alert, her blade was drawn and held firmly onto the grip of the sword with both hands at her hip, as her activated dagger hovered within range. Her eyes scuffled from the plant demons and back to where the noises of the toad shaman had originally begun as it evaporated from sight. Its croaking melody echoing through the clearing in strange and complex pitches as the others hastily acted upon their prefered tactics.


“Somebody destroy those stones!” she exclaimed, out of instinct. Now that the parties location had been exposed, it was but a matter of time they would get overwhelmed. The empty eyes gazing coldly back at her from the pile of bodies had been freshly seared in her mind. She drew a deep breath as she raised her sword up to eye level. “Show yourself..” she muttered under her breath.

It was almost as if her wishes had been granted. Aria didn't have much time to waste as the ground began to quake before her with a booming crescendo, Aria would look to the ground as she noticed the creature's feet printing onto the soft mud. It was during this moment that she’d manipulate her dagger to cut away from her at eye level, with the intention to pierce this singing toad creature. In conjunction to her dagger attack, she would teleport to her left side, dodging the intended attack, as she exited the teleport, Aria, still maintaining her battle stance would bring her sword down with all her might at where she estimated, where the chanting and footsteps seemed to emanate. (teleport strike)

 

[Orikanyo]

Finnegan Huttman


"HAHAHAHAHAHHAA! BRILLIANT!" The creature continued even without a head! That was bloody hilarious!! The beast continued to strike, gods above these things were fun! The claws raked against his defences, but still found little purchase. With momentum, the young man cut downswards and rips back to deal a finishing cross, splitting all the limbs from one another.

"Follow the bastards music and steps. Big fuckers like that are hard to miss even when not able to be seen!

Ah, another demon! Haha! Come on everyone! Fight! Slay! Let us sing the song of life and death!" His features belied to a shark toothed grin, he would take on another demon, keeping them off the others was his goal. Was it revelry in this bloodshed? Or perhaps, the rush of adrenaline?

Mattered little, if people focused on him, they were failures of the highest order.

Death to the enemy.

 

[LadyOfStars]

Whatever faith the guards had in the adventurers was dwindling and fast as they watched the group act with little regard for planning and cooperation. Those who did want to take the time to prepare were either spoken over or ignored by those with grander personalities and even bigger egos. Now they found themselves in a situation more dangerous than the one they had initially stumbled into. The beast that had struck fear into some of their hearts was now aware of their presence and showing them just what it was capable of. When it turned invisible the guards immediately put their backs to one another. They could see some adventurers attacking the demons, some were going for the stones....and then the demon made its move in attempting to attack female adventurer.

"On me." Alanna raised her spear and trudged through the mud with hast and with her comrades right behind her. They were better armored than the young woman was and could serve as a decent distraction while she did her thing. "Keep the demons off her!" The guards spread out over a fair bit of space around the light-haired girl to act as a barrier between her and the smaller enemies while Alanna raced to stand slightly in front of her. "Let us help you. I can draw its attention for you."

While she didn't particularly enjoy the blond knight, she couldn't deny his skill in combat or his use of the fundamentals. Just as he said, Alanna looked for the creatures by paying attention to where its tracks were and where the noises were coming from. "Come here ugly!!" Alanna roared just before she thrust her spear upward at an angle, hoping to pierce the monster's face.

Novama RavenSong

 

[Goran Glacial]

Xack Gransuke

Xack shrugged at his obvious idiocy before deciding to join the fight at the center as any subtlety would be beyond him. dragging his long sword behind him Xack stumbled over to where finn and alanna were fighting the tree demons. when xack arrived he moved to expand on the guards encirclement and swung at the nearest demon first vertically and then horizontally before taking a breath and adjusting his stance again.

 

[Discusstu]

Steve​

While consumed by his crippling uneasiness, Steve's gaze stuttered from left to right as he saw everyone else around him move to the best of their abilities. True to their oath, the baron's armored guard remained determined and resolute. His fellow adventurers, although loud and impulsive, never stayed idle and did what they could to contribute to their cause. And most impactful was the villager who simply refused to just stand on the sidelines; her home called out to her, and she immediately answered it's call.

Steve couldn't help but feel foolish for his grand aspirations when he couldn't even act when faced against a foe as sinister and vile as the one that was in front of them. If it was something of this caliber, he could and should be able to overcome it. After meeting god, Steve convinced himself that to reach his goals, he was prepared to face the devil.

Apparently, he was just all talk. But, that had to change. Gritting his teeth, Steve gave himself a hefty punch, hoping to knock some sense and courage into his quivering form. His head ringed for a moment, but it did the trick. With halberd in hand, Steve made his way into the fray and joined Alanna and her men. With knees bent and both hands on his weapon, Steve prepared himself to lunge forward and strike. If one of them could land a successful blow, it would be easier for the rest to follow up if they were close by.

Recalling how his Appraisal worked, it gave him just enough information about the path they took to make travelling easier. If it required him to see his target for it to work, it would be pointless for Steve to use it on the invisible toad mage. Instead, he used it on the ground. Turning his eyes to where the squelching sounds and music was coming from, Steve could at least guess where the demon was at and reduced the amount of ground he had to keep his eyes on. He just needed a hint, enough to give him an idea of where to attack. As soon as he could, Steve would pivot and take a large stride forward. This would increase his reach, give him a more stable footing, and more momentum when delivering an overhead diagonal slash.