Fantasy Tales of Raeligard

[Reinhardt]

Arien Bermille​

Location: Heine Warehouse 4​

The recruits have finally made it through the chaos and emerged victorious over their insectile foes. With all the large Holzekts defeated, the young and small ones, whose numbers had been drastically decimated, immediately scuttled away in a myriad of directions - some returning into whatever corner of the warehouse they came from, some dispersing in the vast wilderness. Unfortunately for them, predators lay in wait for their scrumptious bodies, leaving a great many of the remnants to swiftly die off.

Once the area was mostly clear, Arien arrived at the aftermath. Though he didn't say anything, his presence alone was enough of a reminder to the recruits - their job is yet to be over. The inventory check is yet to be fully accomplished, and many of those bugs still presumably lurk within the warehouse's premises. It only took Arien a swift scan of the recruits to tell they were exhausted by the battle they just finished.

"Those who need to, can take a moment's rest. Whoever still sees themself fit to finish the task, follow me.", he said as he marched onward, following the trail of crushed bugs and insect gore - into the opened doors of Heine Warehouse 4.

Under Arien's guidance and with Zest acting as a flying lantern via its innate magical talent, the re-entry to the warehouse's interior proved to be much better than the first attempt. Arien, and those that came with him, were able to identify the cause behind the faulty Manatech lighting of the warehouse - several exposed wirings that were left under the mercy of meddling rodents. The cleanup of the remaining bugs was swift and smooth, even clearing out the various cocoons that lay scattered all over the warehouse interior.

In the middle of it all, the group was able to acquire some clues regarding the hidden infestation, namely:

• A fairly large hole was dug beneath the floor, extending into numerous lengthy tunnels that could have led to the origin of the Holzekt swarm
• Dated pieces of the remains of presumably the first Holzekt, or the mother of the swarm, scattered around the aforementioned hole​

After the cleanup was finished, and the inventory checked along with it, the group locked down the warehouse after exiting it. Sadly, cleaning up the gooey mess would take much time, so Arien waived such an action - assuring the recruits that the incoming inspectors are more than able to deal with such things.

With their first task finally accomplished, Arien, along with the recruits, returned to the wagon that waited for them. As their ride moved onward, the skies began their gradual descent into darkness. Arien, who was quick to notice such change and passage of time, instructed the wagoner to stop at the first inn they see. After some time, the group arrived at a roadside inn, seemingly a tad too small to house all of them.

Normally, upon seeing a group walk towards one's premises, especially if it couldn't hold the group's number, the owner would send them away before they could even reach the doorstep. However, with a quick flash of his badge and some small talk, Arien swiftly convinced the owner to let them borrow the inn's premises for the night. Once all was settled, Arien let the recruits head off to take a rest in the now-rented rooms on the upper floor of the inn, but not without telling them to head back to the first floor come nightfall for a little 'team meeting'.

Though there were only three rooms available, with one already allocated for Arien's use, it proved to be spacious enough to hold all of the recruits. Now, the only issue that remained was splitting the group into who would go into what room.

Interaction/s: Cresslinde ( King Crimson ), Endymion ( lunar_moth ), Lupa ( Silver Wolf ), Talio ( TreasureSniper ), Lori ( ERode )

 

[TreasureSniper]

Interaction: Team B Reinhardt​

Talio, after a brief respite, slowly got back to his feet, his magitek arm roaring back to life from it's limp lifeless state, rotating it forward to indicate he was ready to go. "It's fine. I've suffered worse." He answered the party with a confident nod and a small smile, reassuring them the merchant was still good to go, despite how it looked. Quickly wiping his blade clean of the insect's blood, the merchant would sheath his blade and follow Arien without much hesitation, eager to press onwards. Though, he did take note of how his teammates came to his aid at the time of his need. It was a nice feeling, to have people to rely on. Hopefully, he'll have plenty of opportunities to return the favor. Even a mostly solo merchant like him understood the value of a good party, which was something he had witnessed today.

Reentering the warehouse alongside Arien, he quickly picked up many details that had been missed before. This included a large tunnel network from under the floor along with the remains of the initial Holzekts, like the progenitor of this swarm. This clue gave him a rough idea of how these pests managed to enter and thrive within this warehouse. The damage to the manatek fixtures was also likely to be a contributing factor to this infestation. At first, Talio thought about bringing his cleaning products in to fully clean the warehouse, however, judging from the size and manpower they currently have, the time they have to finish the job was simply not sufficient.

With their task completed, Talio returned to the wagon as per Arien's instructions. The job wasn't too difficult, but he wouldn't say it was too easy either. But he had been told about the specifics of the situation beforehand, perhaps he could have prepared better. Granted, this could just be all part of the guild's initiation mission, letting greenhorns go at it we less information than usual. But even so, he couldn't help but feel that this task had become artificially difficult due to the lack of transparency between parties. Only time will tell if there will be a satisfying answer to this tale. For now, he had decisions to make.

One of them was which team member he would be sleeping with for the night, not that it was difficult. If they were to follow a long-standing tradition, the room would usually be separated based on gender. Taking a step forward, Talio pointed at one of the vacant rooms and chose that as his place of rest. "I pick that room. Whoever is my roommate, don't worry, I tend to sleep early and I don't snore." He gave them a smile before carrying his small pouch with him. Once inside, he takes off his work coat and partially disassembles his arm, to perform regular maintenance on it. Apart from a few pieces of Holzekt chunks, he managed to clean his most precious piece of equipment with ease before fitting it back together. Next, he would carefully oil his swords and prepare a few vials for the next encounter. Whenever that is.

When nightfall came, Talio headed down to the first floor as instructed. Unlike before, he was wearing a plain shirt, revealing his manatek arm with its full splendor. He brought with him a small notepad and a pen. He didn't really know what the team meeting was about, though he had a hunch that it was some sort of performance review. Talio wasn't used to working with a team, so he was prepared to take some criticism in that area. Who knows, he maybe even learn something new about himself. He quietly waited for the other team members to arrive.

 

[ERode]

Location: Roadside Inn
​

Honestly, after a day’s work like that, Lori had expected to bed down in the brush and camp it out on the side of the road. But an inn too? After just a day’s worth of warehouse inspections? That was the sorta luxury you’d award yourself with after getting near the end of a job, not at the very start of one! And it was even crazier that all Arien had to do was flash his badge to get into the inn.

Being a part of the Kriegslowe Guild conferred way more benefits than the birdfolk had considered. She flicked open her pocketwatch once more, noted the time like a true professional, and immediately entered the room that was left over after Talio and Arien had their pick. It wasn’t the most spacious of places, but it was off the ground, relatively warm, and even had two beds to lay on…which wouldn’t be nearly enough for everyone to get a bed, but that just meant survival of the fastest!

“I’ll take this bed too!” Lori exclaimed, immediately diving face first into the straw-filled pillow of the bed closest to the window. It wasn’t as if she actually had anything to drop off or rearrange though, and the bed wasn’t so soft as to be bounce-able, so after simply enjoying the opportunity to rest her back for a moment, the girl popped back up onto her feet again, turning to the others.

“Ok, I’m done. You guys can have it now.”

And just like that, she headed downstairs, ready to have a nice dinner and a good talk with Arien and Zest.

 

[AnonyMouse]

Falion "Falco" Cauphix​

Location: Oytenrand Woods, logging site​

While he would never be accused of using a lady as a human shield, Falco made sure to keep a comfortable distance while Thea spoke to the elf. He stood near enough to the she-knight that he could avoid the eye of the storm if things took a turn for the worse. He wasn’t quite sure what it was about Sen that bothered him. The story they had heard at the Jacobee sawmill? The way she briefly glared at Lucia a moment ago? Her overall ‘presence,’ like that of a barely-tamed animal, rather than a sentient creature?

As far as elves go, she was about a five outta ten. When Thea complimented her child’s name, Sen genuinely smiled. Okay, maybe a six, Falco thought, reconsidering. A bath and some decent clothing might get her to a seven. Yet, even the distraction of such lewd thoughts did not ease his mind. Something about her made him uncomfortable. If he was going to hang around a wild animal, he would rather it be the one they were tasked with removing, not this sketchy adventurer.

Graciously, Thea’s recount of their investigations in town shifted toward the beast. Upon her mentioning that it should not be here, Sen’s brows rose, as if she had something to add. She appeared to weigh that thought for a moment --surprising for someone who seemed to verbally fire from the hip all the damned time-- before choosing to remain silent. She clearly knew more, but the conversation moved on without comment.

”Sounds like the old man hasn’t changed a bit,” Sen said in regards to Mayor Johnson. “I’ll have to pay him a visit after we’re done here. Wonder if he’s still mad ‘bout last time…” she grinned as the full weight of her gaze fell squarely upon Falco, despite her next words being aimed at Thea: “Anyway. Movin’ on. So, your plan is to lure it out with some human bait, huh? Not a bad idea… but is he up to it?”

"I am," Falco said, stepping forward. He knew exactly what she was doing. I know a challenge when I see one, he thought, feeling his heartbeat quicken.

“Are you, tho?” Sen said, cocking her head to the side.

“That’s for me to know and the stupid treecat to find out,” he replied, defiantly. “If you can dodge it with a baby on your back, I think I-”

Falco narrowly avoided a punch that would have taken off his head and peppered the ground with his teeth had he failed to react in time. Even he wasn’t sure how he’d seen it coming or how he’d magically avoided it. His body simply moved on its own. Her leather-clad knuckles grazed his hair as her lightning-fast right hook raced past his cheek. The attack began and ended in the blink of an eye and, once it was over, she was laughing and he was left standing there wondering how he was still alive.

But, despite confidently staring back at the laughing elf, Falco was trembling inside. The rush of adrenaline, and Marcel’s smiling face, were the only things holding back his terror at the knowledge that she had not held back at all. The kid was too adorable. The mother, a fucking psychopath.

“Like I said, I’ll be the bait. I got this,” Falco repeated, putting some bass in his voice, in case anyone else had any doubts about his skills.

“Not bad, ya cocky little shit,” Sen said, wagging a finger at him, “but watch out for the follow-up. There’s always a follow-up. This fucker’s persistent and right ornery. It’s gonna double back on you. Be ready to dodge more than once, kid.”

“Not a problem. I can do this all da-” His boast was cut short by every ounce of air --and possibly his soul-- leaving his body as Sen buried her fist in his guts. The second punch was quicker than the first.

“Told ya, watch out for the follow-up,” she said, taking a step back as he collapsed to the ground and curled into the fetal position, sucking shallow breaths as the corners of his vision blurred. “Aww, you okay down there, lil guy? Need a healin’ spell? A hug? Both?”

“Y- you… hit like a… g-girl,” Falco wheezed as he gathered himself up into a sitting position.

The insult, if it could even be called such, only earned a slight unamused roll of her eyes before Sen turned her attention to the entirety of the group. “He’s fine. Bet he won’t make that mistake again,” she said, grinning like a fool as she cracked her knuckles. “I think I’m startin’ to like this whole mentor thing, ‘molding young minds’ and whatnot. but enough about that. I still haven’t heard a real plan,” she said, gesturing to Thea. “Metalhead o’er here is spitballin’ ideas. Sounds to me like the rest of ya don’t know what the fuck ya’ll wanna do. Sounds like a fine way to die.”

“I already told you what I’m gonna do,” Falco said, finally getting to his feet, though he continued to clutch his sore abdomen.

“Yah, but throwin’ yourself at the beast ain’t worth a damn if the rest ain’t got your back or if they trip over each other like a buncha shit-faced goons.” She sighed and rested her hands on her hips. “Never thought I'd be sayin' this, but y'all need to come together as a team. Pick a strat --even if it's a stupid one-- and go all in. Workin' fine for us in my bandit days,” she muttered under her breath before addressing them all in a stern tone. “Here’s the deal, rookies. I’m hungry as fuck and it’s almost Marcel’s lunchtime. While I go do mom stuff --don't ask-- y’all sort out how ya wanna tackle this thing. Talk it out. Duke it out. Spin the fuckin' bottle. Whatever it takes. When I get back, I’ll show ya to where I last saw our feline friend and you can have a crack at 'im, for better or worse. Or, if you’re feelin’ froggy, you can head off without me. I’ll catch up. Won’t hurt my feelings, I promise.”

Interaction(s): RedArmyShogun (Thea) / EmperorsChosen (Lucia) / Thalia_Neko (Hyss) / Topless (Sakura) / Huntertabbysandshark3 (Risax)

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Thea Schuerer
Location: Oyten ​

Nodding as the display went along and taking note of Sen seemingly holding back something from them, Thea watched as Falo got a little bit of a hard lesson from the wildling. At note of being a bandit, or formerly being one, Thea seemed to tense her eyes in the same manner as she did back in the sewer with Sakura's revelation, but she says nothing and the tension fades. Regardless of her past she was now part of the guild and had proven herself. It was just a shame they did not know whatever it was she knew about the beast. Looking at her comrades, Thea knew how this would go if left to debate and while she did not know them all well enough for a perfect plan, she did know enough to form a basic plan that they could improvise or offer improvements on.

"Very well, if we are finished with this, regardless of if I or Falco is the bait, and what little we know of this area, I do know the basics of your skill sets, or maybe I don't. Therefore, challenge me if you like or make your own suggestions, but this is the bare basics of a plan I could come up with. And it shall allow us to capture and if not capture, to kill the beast.

Falco and I should be in close proximity to the beast. Given our armor and weaponry we must do this. It however seems to only attack lone targets, so if Falco wishes to be the bait I shall hide beneath my cloak, foliage and earth with something to mask my scent in close to help keep the beast busy and from falling back.

Given the skills you all possess and the habits we know of the beast I would like you all within 10 to 4 yards of the beast and our positions, minus Risax and Sakura. You shall be back beyond ten meters, if it possible... above the target. We shall lure it to the edge of its preferred trees and have Risax lay a web above the targeted spot, not in the trees it uses but just on the other side of them and just "behind" us. If you can get up in the trees that would be for the best, but if not then if you have a means to trigger and drop your webbing down upon it, or even if a snare pull must be used to lower it. This net is the most important part of our plan. If it fails, we have no means to capture the beast and must then kill it. The problem is signaling when this plan is to go into action.

As loath as I am to rely on your help, I shall use the resources the Kreigslowe has given me. Sakura once the beast breaks from us, if it does, you are to fire arrows into its feet or tail in the area the drop net will be. To be clear you are not to kill the beast and even if briefly I would like for it to have its movements stopped. Risax, then you shall deploy your trap and if successful launch some blunted arrows or rocks from those siege weapons of yours, aim for the center of mass, see if we can wind it. But only after the net has landed.

As to the back up or should the net not stop it at all, then that plan is simple. Should the beast not run or if the net fails, I shall personally attack the creature from the front and will aim to batter and beat it into submission or death. Falco, you shall deal with the Tail. Hyss, Lucia, you both are fast and nimble fighters, but I do not think it wise to put you against a bear sized cat, you will be operating from the less than 10-yard range. Your duties is done the best sticking to cut off its attempts at escape, to batter and taunt it, but always in such a manner to lead it back to Falco or I. In the case of the net making purchase, I would like you to use strong sticks or your weapons to turn the net from a blanket to a proper net and try to piece the sides together so that the best cannot escape. Should this fail, then your jobs become immobilizing its feet and bringing the hate of the beast back upon me.

We need only find an area on the map that will work, and likely some foul-smelling animal dung or piss, or plant so I can lay about wherever Falso is. In the case of Lucia and Hyss, your signals fall upon the Arrow shots of Sakura. If Sakura cannot make the shot or fails, then it falls upon Risax to do the blow. Should both fail, then we group, that being I, Falco, Hyss and Lucia and we attempt to bring the beast down with pure force and violence, you three stick well clear of its face and front claws, so I don't accidentally stab you. Hyss or Falco would be ideal to handle the tail. Lucia and whichever one of those two aren't dealing with the tail should focus upon hindering the back mobility of the claws. Bare in mind, the request was to take it alive. It did not say unharmed or not a bit neutered of it's natural abilities." With that Thea stops for a bit and sighs.

"Least this is my idea."

Interactions: EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko AnonyMouse Huntertabbysandshark3 Topless

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Currently: discussing the plan
Thinking: "Are all Caskerieths like this? Falco.. are you okay?"

Location: Oyten
Interacting: everyone on the oyten mission AnonyMouse RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen Topless AnonyMouse
Mentions:


Hyss furrowed her brow and lips. That wasn't a good enough answer. She explained how she hadn't killed it. But she hadn't explained a good enough reason to have allowed a murderous monster to live. Their kill? Theirs? Says who? The guild? Nonsense. The guild's power was in name only. Your normal everyday person didn't answer to the guild. The guild's word was not law, nor was it absolute. If a monster was causing problems, then it was causing problems, and needed to be dealt with. Sure, the guild was hired to do the job. But waiting on their group to kill it was foolish. It was likely to harm or kill others by the time that transpired. If she had been given the opportunity, then she should've ended the problem then and there. Hyss would never turn her back on her current mission. But if her current mission had been or could be completed before she even needed to try, then she would simply thank the individual who had finished her mission for her. She lacked all arrogance or ambition in that regard.

What transpired next only cemented in the young snake's mind -that she did not like this "Sen" person. Hyss watched as she assaulted one of their companions, knocking him flat with a hard punch to the stomach. Falco! Hyss cried out in her mind, taking a step forward. Then she held back and glared under the shadow of her hood at Sen. Falco was still going on and on about 'being ready' and such, which Hyss had already been concerned about. But striking him like that was not the way to go about it!

Surprisingly, the boy managed to get to his feet in short order. Even Hyss found herself impressed by his fortitude. She hadn't expected that from him. Still, Hyss's worry didn't leave her.

Still scowling, Hyss said. "I can handle the tail." Seemingly agreeing with the plan. "We should not wait on her. That one has nothing of value to offer us." In the short exchange with 'Sen'. Hyss had concluded that she was utterly useless. Worse, she was an active detriment to their group. Even her information didn't really help any more than what they already knew. She was right about one thing: this was their team. Not some rogue arrogant Caskerieth who was sticking her nose in their business.​

 

[King Crimson]

Current Location: Roadside Inn​

The passage of time had eluded her, stuck in that miserable, dark warehouse, so it was quite a surprise when she leaned her head to look outside the carriage door, and found a glittering sea of stars beginning to appear on the horizon like waves on a shoreline.
Already nightfall? she hummed to herself, reclining back in her seat with her hands knit behind her head, closing her eyes as she let out a big, rueful sigh.
Further investigation of the warehouse, alongside Arien, Talio and the others, proved that conditions within the warehouse were far worse than any of them had anticipated; rats chewing on wires, more holzeckt's lying in wait within chewed up boxes, a hole to a network of tunnels that Cressey nearly tripped over!
She had hoped to have finished this sordid business within the day, that way she could finally look forward to something more challenging, instead of dealing with this malfeasance.
But now, she had only the sinking feeling tomorrow would bring with it similar irritants; more boxes, more bugs, more boredom.
" 'Quality storage' my left boot!" she cursed to herself, doing her best to relax in her stiff, wooden seat, dreams of planting that selfsame boot somewhere between that old, negligent fop's legs brewing in her mind.

It was not long, however, before the jostling of the cart coming to a stop roused her from her half-asleep state, and after stretching out the stiffness in her muscles, she stepped out of the cart, finding herself and the others standing before a small, homely building, almost infantile compared to the warehouse.
In her travails across Raeligard, she had come across many such establishments as this one; the roadside inn, though whether because of lack of funds, or a general distrust of what may be lurking within, she had never given them her business, but there was the promise of food, bedding, and running water to wash herself off in, and for that, she graciously welcomed the opportunity to try, as...crowded as it may have felt the moment the party walked through the doors.
With some diplomacy from their senior with the bird on his shoulder, the owner hesitantly gave the group a few spare rooms to lie their heads in, leaving Cressey and the new recruits the task of divvying them up accordingly.
After watching Talio claim a room, Cressey turned a leery eye towards Endymion, planting her hands on her hips as she proffered, "Well, it's only proper the boys should share a room together, don't you think?"
A sentiment Talio echoed, always the gentleman.

With that business squared away, Cressey sluggishly pulled her sheathed lance, and backpack off of her shoulders. "And as for myself..." she tiredly began, nearly dragging her supplies behind her as she hurriedly advanced towards the closest room that promised a working bath.
"I'll claim a bed for myself later. For now, I'm going to wash this horrid mess out of my hair!" she exclaimed as she opened the washroom door, seeming to disappear behind before the group's very eyes as the door slammed shut.

After enjoying a nice, long, pleasurable soak in an admittedly shabby communal bath, and clearing off as much of the holzeckts' remains as she could off of her armor, Cressey returned, refreshed, her cheeks rosy with the relief of finally being free of that awful, permeating stench of insect organs that had clung to her for the past few hours.
"Phew! Thought I'd never get those stains out..." Cressey hummed to herself, her long, blonde hair let down to hang well past her shoulders as she tended to it with a small, abalone comb.
With expert, practiced dexterity, she pulled her hair back, weaving them back to twin-tailed form, and holding them in place with her two favorite ribbons, feeling ready as ever for their scheduled "team meeting"
Hells, she felt ready to take on another warehouse!
Grrmble. An empty, shuddering growl reverberated suddenly through her body, echoing in her empty stomach.
Perhaps, I should get ready for dinner first..." she mused to herself, placing a hand on her abdomen to muffle the embarrassing ache of hunger.

Interacting:
Arien ( Reinhardt )
Lupa ( Silver Wolf )
Lori ( ERode )
Endymion ( lunar_moth )
Talio ( TreasureSniper )

 

[Huntertabbysandshark3]

interaction: AnonyMouse RedArmyShogun Thalia_Neko Topless EmperorsChosen​

ok, he had to laugh at what happened to Falco he got punched in the gut.. consider how Sen acted Falco should have expected the punch to the gut honestly, she seemed the type to show you how to use a sword by attempting to stab you with them frankly it brought a bit of cheer to the dreary wet day. "well if hitting people is your idea of being a mentor id say you'd work rather well as one especially for troublesome students" Risax would say with a hearty chuckle. of course, hissy had to shit-talk the woman because that seemed to be a tread at this point Rixas had enough of it he'd turn his attention towards the woman glaring down at her. "please don't be so rude, she clearly vastly more experienced than us despite her abrasiveness, that's just how you survive out here.. i suspect we might all end up in a similar situation eventually" Risax said dissatisfied with how she acted consistently, however, thea actually had a rather good plan, nodding and taking notes. "understood thea i should be able to get into the trees"

 

[lunar_moth]

ROADSIDE INN​

The carriage ride back to the safezone is spent with Endymion’s stomach balling into a tighter knot. His adrenaline high’s worn off by now— now, he’s feeling a little past shabby, hyper-aware of the dried Holzekt remains that crust over his skin and clothes and beginning to dread the return to investigation tomorrow. He scrapes a thumbnail across a patch of dried goo on the back of his opposite hand, and he watches as it flakes up pale against his dark skin and then falls off. Lost in the jostle of the cart’s movements.



It feels like they’ve almost learned less, somehow, despite their hardly-fought battle for information. Of course there is still more exploration to be done in that sad excuse of a warehouse; but even then, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that something’s not quite right, and the lengths to which its secrets are protected can only be a bad sign.



Still, life moves on: they reach their lodgings for the night in little time at all, and his sorry musings to himself take a backseat. Endymion slides feet-first out of the back of the cart, coattails fluttering behind him. He blames his frazzled state of mind for his slow response to Cressey.



“..Mmh? Oh, y-yes, you’re right. That works for me,” he says, and gives a drowsy little salute that could mean just about anything. Living it up, guys’ night!



Endymion dutifully follows Talio into the assigned boys’ room. He immediately faceplants into the next free bed; then, just as fast, he realizes this is a bad idea whilst still covered in bug remains, and without hesitation he rolls over onto the floor instead. He lands face-first with a bit of a thunk and gives naught but an exaggerated groan in complaint.



“If you two want the beds, I am one hundred percent okay with taking the floor for the night; I have slept on infinitely worse,” Endymion calls out to Arien and Talio, still muffled by the floor. He lifts a single hand to wave non-commitally at them. “Sides, it’s good for your spine, you know. And if it’s no problem, I might try to sneak in a twelve-hour nap and a bath before dinner.”

 

[Topless]

Location: Oyten

Sakura did not like what Sen did to Falco. In fact, the moment the elf threw the second punch that put Falco down in pain, her eyes briefly changed from gold to blood red then back to normal. Somehow, it triggered her. It made her very angry for a short while when Falco stood up to prove his determination. Some mentor Sen is. Even Sakura's own mentor was more gentle than her.

On the topic of strategy, Thea devised, or rather improvised, a plan to go into action. Sakura nodded in response to her given duty of providing covering fire from afar in the hopes of at least hindering the beast's movement. "Understood, but..." However, there is something else she wanted to add "If I may, but I would like to keep watch of our bait, that being Falco. As much as he is very confident with his role, we would need to ensure that nothing will slip up once the beast caught wind of him. I will keep my distance, so long as I still have sights on him no matter."

AnonyMouse Reinhardt RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko Huntertabbysandshark3
​

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Location: Oyten
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Lucia was surprised by the sudden swing from the older elf, though more surprised when Falco evaded it. The follow-up, however, caused her to wince slightly. It caused her to frown, even if Falco seemed more or less okay with it. None of them needed to be battered prior to what would ensue. Lucia linked together that gaze she noted from before. The damned vagrant was absolutely going to take a swing at her. Lucia bet she would’ve used the hammer too.

“Yes, molding young minds.” As much as Cephilia, anyway.

Waiting for her to leave, the one-eyed elf glanced at Risax. “More experienced, yes, however that does not imply every action taken by her is faultless. That abrasion will impact Falco’s evasion and performance.”

However, Lucia’s largest gripe remained with Thea. Still, she continued to push for capturing the bloody thing. She folded her arms, huffing with a nod as the knight finished her plan.

“A sound stratagem that I agree with… except that you persist with the idea of detaining this creature. Especially given the risk with merely drawing it out, we should take whatever chance given to eliminate it,” Lucia replied, her agreeable nod turning to an exasperated shake of her head.

“We shall make the attempt Lucia, if we kill it then so be it, but it will not be as we didn't even make an attempt to do our Duty. Or would you like to explain to the old man why the guild could not live up to his expectations?" The knight says in terse response.

"Our duty is to get rid of the thing and prevent it from killing anyone. That I find is much easier to explain than explaining to a corpse why superstition gave an animal's life more value than theirs," The Caskarieth retorted sharply.

With that Thea stares a bit pointedly at Lucia and lets out a sigh before speaking. "As a Kriegslown do you want to be known as little more than a Butcher? I can do this, in fact I doubt my knightly manner of being will change. I can talk to people, I can pay the clergy and the lords their respects. And I can take what are just kill quests. But is that what you wish to do? If we cannot take it alive, then so be it, my plan incorporates that eventuality, but we must at least try for the name we bear."

Lucia scoffed offhandedly at the woman's reply. "Risk is not what I have qualm with, it is the reasoning to justify it. This is not a bandit with knowledge of a captive. This is an animal. An animal we were asked to attempt to move to avoid angering the woods," The Caskarieth said with an exaggerated tone. "You have also failed to think the remaining task through. We catch it, and then? Would you like to haul it some miles on foot or see if the Dwarves will allow us to bring it with us home? What prevents it from returning?"

“I had honestly intended to hand it over to the town, what they do with it then falls upon them. If it has to be dealt with again, then it shall not be us. Our job was left vague and most of you incorrectly assumed it to be a kill quest. The requester told us his desires. My plan will only endanger a couple of us and it has the option of killing it if efforts to subdue it fail. The creature however will not return. Should we fail then I’ll ask our guest to kill it. We do not fight like a band of Mercenaries, we are the Kriegslowe.”

“Ah~” Lucia hummed with an air of smugness about her, paired with a sarcastic nod as she strutted with a methodical suaveness. “But that was not our job either. We were to move it away. By your own logic, that is leaving our duty only half-fulfilled.” Her smirk then dropped, clearly unamused. “Thea, I find you to be rather sharp-witted, except wherever a pecking order is involved. You are correct, we are Kriegslowe, not obedient little soldiers, and as far as I am concerned when the beast escapes it confines, kills one or even maims them because we wanted to restrain ourselves at the behest of delusion—The failure to take appropriate action when one could have, as I see it, places sin on us all… But no, our duty was to remove it. That is our prime directive, and I will not toy around with some mythological beast we know little about, nor will I put faith that our guest will arrive to save the day before any significant damage is done.”

“The plan stays the same.” Thea says with military bearing. “Should any of us perish I will accept the responsibility of Command. Our Job was not even told to us, though with these missions I have more and more figured out the Kriegslowen’s nature. Either way the plan would not change. The beast is exact in its nature of hunting. Dropping the net on it will only ensure my attempt can happen or your preference plays out. Also do not think I am ignorant of the threat of this matter, I fully intend to engage the best from the front. We face dangers so others do not.”

“Yes, I’m sure your responsibility will console many a’ loved ones,” Lucia replied dryly with a roll of her eyes and flick of her wrist. “Regardless, it will fall on us all, whether you claim command or not. I will not hold back, nor will I hesitate, so I suppose you should pray that Ser Risax’s net and whatever initial strike is landed on the beast coaxes it into slumber. I will certainly not stay my hand if it is alert by the time I reach it.”

It was with those words that something harsh descended over Thea, like a hint of anger, or rather a full on display at it, with something else. “Don’t speak to me as if you are the only one that has lost something! I know full well the weight of those words and how little comfort they bring! My path was always set to be measured in blood, it already has been, Princess! Be it mine, those of mine or those that get in my way..” With that she takes on a cold hard stare, pointing at Lucia briefly before conducting herself as a proper knight, lowering her hand and moving her facial features to be more neutral. It seemed like a nerve of sorts had been struck, or more to Thea’s tale.

“And do as you will, if our opening act does not stop the beast we will have no choice but to kill it lest it escapes.”

Contrary to what one might expect to be befitting of a normal reaction, Lucia smiled. An arrogant smile sharing some similarities to the look Cephilia shot her in the cave during their first assignment. “Ah~ There it is~ The knight has some emotion after all,” She goaded with words dripping in mockery before finally scoffing as her tone grew icy. “Then do not speak to me as if you are already resigned to lose another. I will not blindly leap from a cliff at the behest of another simply as they are above my station. You would do well to think for yourself an inkling rather than to solely please would-be masters.” Huffing at that, she folded her arms and stood with her hip jutted slightly to the right, waving a hand slowly as if inviting them to progress on. “Let us pray our opening act isn’t the only chance we receive.”

“I have done what I seen best, this prattle does not serve us well. We shall ready our Ambush and make some use of this time..” Thea says before turning her attention to other matters.

 

[Topless]

Location: Oyten

Sakura looked on as the knight and the Caskarieth began to bicker on whether or not they should eliminate the beats or not, both sides have points. However, this could prove to be very damning. Is upholding the Kriegslowen name really that important? What is the problem with having a duty to fulfill? Could there have been a much simpler solution? What even is a "knight" anyway? Sakura's thought began to race with these thoughts.

Sensing that Falco, being the nice guy who is, might interfere with the two's bickering, Sakura would halt him from entering their squabble, looking at him as if she is telepathically telling him to do nothing of what they're doing as his interference might add more fuel to the flames. When the two have done letting out their anger at each other, Sakura walked up to them and asked "So, are you two done now?"

AnonyMouse Reinhardt RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko Huntertabbysandshark3
​

 

[AnonyMouse]

Falion "Falco" Cauphix​

Location: Oytenrand Woods, logging site​

Thea wasted no time beginning to lay out her --rather lengthy-- plan of attack. She only got a few seconds into it before Sen muttered "boring," under her breath, shrugged, and shambled away, leaving the rookies alone to sort things out, as promised. She was clearly not one for longwindedness.

While he was nowhere near as impatient as the wildling, even Falco had to admit Thea's plan was... complex. In his opinion, she was expecting much from this group, most of whom probably didn't even want to take the creature alive. Everyone had a part to play, with some roles more critical than others, but most seemed geared toward capture, with killing only as a last resort. Falco stood by silently, because he could already feel what the others were probably thinking, and shared that sentiment, but was willing to bite his tongue and at least attempt Thea's chosen course of action. She was their leader after all. For her sake, he'd try to see things through.

But that was definitely a tall order, pun unintended. The Stabby Tabby had already proven to be quite aggressive and was also annoyingly large, if Sen was to be believed. Not to mention, he had no idea what they would do with it afterward. What if the mayor wanted them to transport this thing miles away and release it? The idea of trekking another day or more through this shithole, with that thing snapping and snarling at them, was not a pleasant one.

However, they were under no obligation to do that. Thea herself had already said to Mayor Johnson that they might have to kill it. He knew the risks. And if, by some miracle, they managed to capture it alive, they could say to him, 'here's you stupid cat. It's your problem now,' and swagger off into the sunset without a care in the world. They would be well within their rights to depart, and he could hire someone else to take care of the rest.... or they could coax more pay out of him to do it themselves.

But, frankly, Falco had no interest in doing that, no matter how much coin was offered. Killing it put a tidy bow on this entire debacle, while taking it alive opened more cans of worms than he would rather deal wth -- and probably more than they were capable of dealing with.

"I'm fine, guys. Really," Falco remarked when the others showed concern for his well-being. "Been hit a lot harder than that, believe me." Looking to Hyss, he added, "She's a good teacher... just not in the way she thinks she is. As a wise man once told me: 'every encounter is a lesson learned. If you can't take somethin' away from it, that's on you.' Anyway, I'm down with the plan and ready to do what I gotta, so let's get this show on the road. Our 'mentor' will either catch up... or she won't."

Unfortunately, Lucia chose now to voice her displeasure at Thea's plan. While many of the Caskarieth's gripes were in line with Falco's own reasoning, the way she chose to deliver them brought a scowl to his face. She took it too far, venturing into personal attacks. Being unintentionally hurtful was one thing, but she seemed to take delight in striking a nerve, grinning madly at the frustration she caused, and that is what made Falco take a step toward the two girls to put a stop to this. However, Sakura intervened, silently warning him that it might be best to simply let them have it out. The fox's eyes made him second guess himself, because she had had his back at nearly every turn, even when he didn't have hers.

"Nah, they're far from 'done,'" he said grimly, when the matter reached its abrupt and disappointing end, "But we need to get moving. If we're gonna be assholes to each other, let's at least walk and talk at the same time." He took the first few steps northward, where the attacks were said to have taken place, praying they'd take the hint that standing here insulting one another was literally getting them nowhere.

But even he couldn't bring himself to simply walk away and leave this unchecked: "Ya know what's really gonna get someone killed?" Falco said, half-turning to Lucia as he strolled backward. "Fucking up the plan. Where was all this talk when we sat down with the client, hmm? All you've done today is bitch and moan and buy some shit. Typical noble," he said, gesturing wildly. "If you're not gonna cooperate, stay outta the way," he added, wagging a lecturing finger at her. "It's not as if you'll be much use anyway. What ya gonna do, punch it to death with your fuckin' mittens!? How is the richest girl here the only one without a damn weapon!? Sit back, relax, we'll bring you some snacks or somethin' once we're done, Your Highness. You ought to be used to watchin' peasants and knights do your dirty work."

He punctuated this rant by kicking over a rusty pail that happened to get in his path and shoving his hands into his pockets like a child throwing a tantrum. He could barely bring himself to look at her anymore, which meant he was now deprived of his favorite pasttime as well. Falco hadn't intended to go on the attack, but the elf's remarks from earlier in the day still stung. He was no longer willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. It wasn't a mere slip of the tongue. She truly was the worst and likely wouldn't change any time soon.

Interaction(s): RedArmyShogun (Thea) / EmperorsChosen (Lucia) / Thalia_Neko (Hyss) / Topless (Sakura) / Huntertabbysandshark3 (Risax)

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Thea Schuerer
Location: Oyten ​

Glaring at Sakura as she made her presence known, the knight is a bit hostile, tongue and cheek, as red eyes narrow in on the other, a stone face with a hint of anger and annoyance looks at vulpine and responds; "Oh, do you do know how to speak to others without throwing a weapon, or was there just no bugs for you to mutilate?" Then Sen showed up and left, though that was before this, she seemed displeased with the plan, or maybe it wasn't bloody enough to her liking. Still several of them seemed to have issue with this, one way or another.

Which begged the question, should she even trust them all with a plan that required such timing and co-operation? Listening to what Falco has to say, she was starting to have doubts, should she just ask Sen for a plan they could do? No, the woman was just an observer, and though she had offered, Thea was not yet at the point to admit defeat. They didn't have reliable trackers, in spite of what the other two had said and even if they did, they did not have tree climbing equipment, nor a way to cut down those massive trees in a quick fashion, they weren't all that skilled and they had to fight an agile, bear sized beast.

Even if she were willing to trust Sakura or to just take Lucia's preferences at face value, they did not have a way to kill this beast in one shot, no matter how much they protested, they would have to get into the thick of it and fight the beast in hand to hand. Or steel to claw. Why couldn't they see this? At least Hyss was agreeable, which was a change. Shaking her head and pulling out the map, she tries to find an area that met their needs.

"Yes, I agree with Falco we should talk as we walk. If any of you have changes to the plan or a concrete plan or concern, then state them. I do not care to hear about feelings on the matter. But I am unsure of our means of co-operation, nor do I think this beast will be so easily slain, much less captured. We will be going into danger, if any have problems with that you can stay back with Sen." With that Thea leads the group off to observe the areas around the camp, she doubted Sen would not hear them unless they got far, or would have any issue tracking them if they did get far.



Interactions: EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko AnonyMouse Huntertabbysandshark3 Topless

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Currently: discussing the plan
Thinking: "Everyone needs to think of each other as allies. Why don't they? C'mon."

Location: Oyten
Interacting: everyone on the oyten mission AnonyMouse RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen Topless AnonyMouse
Mentions:


"Rude? She's the one whose been rude this whole time. Abrasive attitude, poor language, lackadaisical attitude and laisse-faire mindset regarding our treacherous mission. Then there's the whole thing with injuring Falco. One of our comrades. Who we are basing our entire plan on. She says "be careful" in one breath to him, then injures him the next. How is injuring him before the mission with a dangerous beast beneficial? Her experience isn't an excuse for all of this poor behavior. Not to mention, you'd think someone with 'experience' would know to not injure an ally before a mission. Does she want him to get killed? That's what would happen injuring your 'bait' before you place it so enticingly before the hungry beast." Hyss argued, huffing afterwards, folding her arms. "Sometimes being rude is warranted, towards those who have gotten their way for far too long. Sen's a mentor only in name. She hasn't shown us anything worth that title yet. This is our first interaction with us. If she wanted to come of mentor-y and gain our respect, then she should've done so. You don't do so by punching a subordinate and comrade. Hmph, I guess I was the only one who considered you all comrades."

Hyss overheard the verbal squabble between Thea and Lucia. She found herself agreeing mostly with Lucia, however, there was one thing she did agree on with Thea. "If it is our mission to capture it, as silly as it sounds, then we should attempt to do so. Not even attempting the mission given is failure, no matter if we do 'succeed'." There was one thing about Hyss, you could always count on her to aim towards completing the mission. She nodded towards Sakura, glad she said she'd watch over Falco, "Then we shall leave it to you." Although, Hyss would still keep her eyes on the boy, as well. Hyss trusted Sakura's abilities more than most -perhaps it was because she was a fox woman, which came with it certain beneficial traits and inherent talent. Kinda like her own. Regardless of what he said on the matter, Hyss worried for Falco. Worried his performance would not be what he was used to. A hit like that would probably cause a bruise, then momentary pain that would slow him down. Why had their 'mentor' hit him? Maybe it was a calculated move? To see how they handled the situation? No... Surely not. Sen was an observer, but she didn't strike Hyss as the calculating type. Just a blockhead being a blockhead. Why on earth had Risax defended her? It was clear to see that Sen was a bit of an idiot. Risax was either too trusting, therefore naive, or a bit of an airheaded fool himself. Neither of which was good. The former was a bit better. But now Hyss worried about their big spider friend, too.

"Falco!" Hyss shouted, rounding on him, staring up at him, a frown under her mask. She was worried about him and his current physical state, but still! "That was uncalled for. I agree that we should put our focus on the mission now, and cease petty squabbling. Not focusing on your part will endanger everyone -" she gave an eye towards Lucia, so the Caskarieth understood her meaning, turning back to the boy "-but that is no way to talk to a comrade! Especially not if it was your intention to get her to do her part and focus on that. Throwing insults around and chastising is a sure way to make your ally resent you and do their best to not do as instructed! While, yes, on first glance, her lack of weapon is strange, just like you, Lucia's here for a reason. She's Kriegslowe just like you, which means she deserves to be here. It isn't your place to decide that. It isn't any of our place to decide that of each other -" -this time she eyed Thea, who said something similar before. "We don't have to agree on each others' view points. We don't even have to like one another. But we're here and we're all allies. Start thinking as such." That last bit was spoken to Falco, but it was more meant for everyone's ears.

"Now, yes, lets get to it." Hyss stated as she began to fall in line. While she agreed with Thea's plan, she was having doubts. - "Our 'leader' stated her plan, we should follow it." On this mission, Thea was the appointed leader, so she should be respected as such. But in the grand scheme of things, Thea was on equal footing with all of them, and she should remember as such. Her words held no inherent authority. "That being said, not listening to others' council is a foolish leader made."

She turned her head to Thea. "Also, you should not think that way. How can you say that? This is your mission, your plan, leader. If you think that way, it is best to keep it to yourself, while espousing the opposite. If our leader says she thinks we cannot handle it, then the troops will be demoralized. Even if it is a lie, you proudly claim the opposite. That will raise morale, and make sure your troops perform at their best. Even if it is ultimately futile." Hyss told her in a softer tone. Hyss understood the position Thea was in. It was not an enviable one. This was what made Thea a bad leader. She considered her own position as leader, but didn't consider the position of those under her. She gave out unfeeling orders and expected those under to follow them unfeelingly. But Hyss couldn't really blame her; she likely learned this. As a knight she was likely used to following orders unquestioningly and listening to unfeeling or even assertive and aggressive superiors. This is the type of crap that Hyss hated from Valgem. But Thea still had room to grow -- and Hyss sincerely hoped she would.​

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Location: Oyten
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Narrowing her eye briefly at the fox, the Caskarieth added nothing verbally, but proceeded onward with the rest as it was suggested they discuss while moving. Sarcasm aside, Lucia was "done" so to speak. It was clear she wasn't agreed with, so there wasn't any point to arguing further. She would just partake in the proposed plan, albeit without the restraint of attempting to capture it from the start.

However, the argument was far from over it seemed. Falco spoke shortly after they began, her eye glancing over to him as he spoke. Her gaze narrowed subtly as he went on, a scowl forming though her face appeared more displeased than angry or hurt. A skill learned from her upbringing, a mask even if it didn't seem like one was worn. She inhaled deeply, though let him speak for the most part.

"Last I made my concerns known in the presence of the client I was chastised," She replied almost monotonously. "My uncle educated me in this combat form, and you seem to forget these mittens are attached to an arcanizer for which I can bring forth flame. Mittens that also had no issue combatting the bandits in the sewer. But of course, I'm sure your petty knife will serve much better than I against this beast when you struggled so much to dispatch one man with aid."

Staring forward, she moved onto Thea's statement. "The organization of the plan I have no qualms with, I simply will not hold back for superstition. If I have the opportunity to fell it, I will take it."

Then Hysydice spoke, seemingly taking great issue with what was said. The retort by the beastkin in her favor may have been comforting if Lucia hadn't erected metaphorical ice walls around her by this point. It was clear that she was just a petulant, unwanted, noble. To hell with them. It wasn't the first time she was disregarded or looked down upon, and it wouldn't be the last. It certainly wouldn't demoralize her from proceeding forward.

"It is fine, Hysydice. I need not Fallion's recognition or respect, nor anyone's here. I will do my part regardless," She answered, in the same icy, indifferent tone as before.

@A team

 

[Topless]

Location: Oyten

Sakura looked over to Falco and felt sorry for not himself, but also herself and others for having to put up the likes of the spoiled brat that is Lucia. She may have the skills that could make her an adventurer, but her attitude is rather unwelcoming. Someone should really give her an attitude adjustment. Just then, Sakura heard Thea spoke in a rather mocking tone. "I'm only asking you politely Thea. No need for you to throw a hissy fit onto someone else." She responded calmly.

The party had begun to make their way and Sakura chose to stay close to Falco. "Hey, Falco..." She spoke "Don't be too hard on yourself. Even I couldn't stand how spoiled Lucia is. Tell me something; is this how Tylsen people act towards each other? Never in my whole life would I witness such negativity to one another. From where I came from, we're always supportive to each other through and through. We treat each other as if we're one big happy family. It's how our clan got strong through our bonds. But what about Tylsen? Are people willing to turn each other all for the sake of doing things their own way? Are the higher class always like that?"

AnonyMouse Reinhardt RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko Huntertabbysandshark3
​

 

[AnonyMouse]

Falion "Falco" Cauphix​

Location: Oytenrand Woods, logging site​

"Clearly not injured!" Falco said, oustretching his arms as he walked, when the matter of his condition was brought up yet again. "Nice to know everyone here thinks I'm made of wet paper. Only thing hurt is my feelings, but thanks for checking," he added, with a sigh.

At least they were moving now. That alone made the bickering slightly less tiresome. With any luck, the beast would drop down and end it all. Unfortunately, they weren't even out of the logging camp yet, though they were nearing its outskirts and would soon be into the woods once again. According to Maryl's map, the attacks had taken place of north of here. They seemed to be headed in the correct general direction, he just hoped everyone stayed alert when the time came.

Sen was right about one thing: they needed to get this out of their systems before they reached the hunting ground. For all of her faults, the elf seemed to have a good grasp of how foolish people can be in the face of danger. As a former bandit, he suspected she preyed on that sort of thing, once upon a time. As a former(?) thief, he understood. Then again, fear had never been his modus operandi. Preying on people's inattentiveness was a pickpocket's bread and butter, not fear.

"C'mon, do you ever give people the benefit of the doubt?" Falco commented when Hyss continued going on and on about how awful of a mentor the 'useless' elf was. "She soloed the beast with a baby on her back. It's ridiculous to think we can't learn anything from someone like that. Yeah, she's a shitty teacher, but maybe learn to read between the lines, soak up some things as ya go. That's all I was tryin' to say," he said calmly. "Speaking of, we should've asked where she fought it, so we could at least be headed in the right direction and save some time. She's the only proper witness we've met thus far. Everyone else either had hearsay or barely caught a glimpse of it as they were running scared."

She might refuse to tell them more, on account of the 'no helping' rule, but it couldn't hurt to ask. Also, he doubted it would take much convincing to make Sen break a rule. She seemed to take pride in crashing against the grain.

Falco kept his eyes trained straight ahead while the discussions continued, but promptly whipped around when the beastkin began to speak of teamwork and everyone deserving to be here. Wasn't this the same girl who accused him of throwing their lives away to save their own skin? Wasn't this the same girl who accused Thea of having 'callous faith' when she agreed with Falco's plan to serve as bait? Didn't this same girl immediately follow that harsh accusation by saying she wouldn't act as bait herself? The hypocrisy of such a person trying to throw olive branches now made his blood boil.

But an olive branch is an olive branch. As much as it pissed him off, he wasn't going to sabotage an attempt at peace. Thus, Falco bit his tongue... until she set her sights on Thea and began to lecture her on leadership. By now, he had heard enough.

"You yourself questioned her leadership before the landferry's wheels ceased, and have objected to every decision she's made today," he said. "Give it a rest, snake. Please." No, that was not a reference to her beastkin nature, though he doubted she would see the double meaning.

"You had my respect," he said to Lucia. "But you're half right: it ain't needed. I've worked with people who would literally stab me in the back, if given the chance, and none of you guys are anywhere near that awful. You said you'd follow the plan. I'll take you at your word. We still got this," he concluded, though the words sounded hollow and half-hearted, lacking the confidence he had shown all day.

They were nearing the edge of the camp by now. A wall of trees loomed ahead, with many branching trails leading northward. If Maryl's map was accurate, they still had some time to go before reaching the hunting grounds, but they were now about to cross the metaphorical Rubicon and venture back into the wild. The beast was not the only creature in this region, despite assurances that this area was relatively safe. Now that they were leaving the relative safety of the camp, it was time to properly focus, yet Sakura spoke.

It's fine, I can multi task, Falco thought.

"Of course not. They're just scared. It makes people act weird," Falco said, giving her a light pat on the head, but awkwardly recoiled his hand. He hadn't meant to 'pet' her. Sakura was not an animal, nor an obedient puppy at his side. It was an unconscious action, further proof that even he was stressed and subconsciously reaching for comfort. He lightly cleared his throat and tried to pretend that the touch hadn't happened.

"The sooner this cat shows up, the better. Once the job's done, we'll all have a laugh about it and stop being jerks to one another," he paused, "or we won't. That's life." He shrugged. "And Lucy was raised... different. I guess I expected too much, too soon. Imagine if you or I joined a 'tea party guild,' or whatever it is fancy people do," he chuckled. It felt good to laugh, even a little. "I'd probably steal the cutlery. You can never have too many 'petty knives,' ya know," he joked.

Interaction(s): RedArmyShogun (Thea) / EmperorsChosen (Lucia) / Thalia_Neko (Hyss) / Topless (Sakura) / Huntertabbysandshark3 (Risax)

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Thea Schuerer
Location: Oytenrand Logging Site - Great Wood
​

The coming responses and ordeals of it only made the knight grit her teeth as she lowered the map briefly to get her bearings. What Hyss had said was the first cause of speaking up as she scoffs a bit. "For one that seems to take the mission above all else you are overly attached. Falco was never in any danger, I know some of our number like to think they are powerful and a veteran, but Sen back there could have likely killed us all without issue had she wished. Falco presented himself as the bait, she hazed him to see if he were all talk or if he could take the hit and keep moving. She also is not our mentor. She was not sent here to teach us, but to observe us with bonus pay that we all come back alive. As to your comments on leading, I have been doing such, only to be met with resistance by two of you the whole way, while a third does as she pleases."

While it was not immediately clear who she was talking about, it did limit it to one of three options. "However, I shall note this and might as well stop trying to rationalize anything past any of you. For all the worries on injury and death, questioning orders and debating them on the field is a good way to end up in either of those two positions when a clear plan of action is to be taken."

Then there was Falco's reply to Hyss and his own comment on Sen. "I don't plan to attack it today, it's midday, unless we wish to sleep in these woods we are only going to get the lay of the land and set up our trap and return on the morrow least you all are that eager, I can sleep in the woods, it's all the same to me. I will ask Sen these things when we return. Least as noted the beast sets upon us at once, then there is no plan, only orders to strike it."

With that she pauses in her walk briefly. "On that note be on the Alert, more than that beast stalks these woods, I doubt anything will be brazen enough to attack a group talking casually, neither would the hunters, but it is best to not be surprised."

With that her attention shifted to Lucia, who's response to Hyss and Falco was rather cutting, and Thea decided to put the girl in her place, here and now. "What you have is a Gauntlet with a cheap basic spell, the same as us all. Relying on our magic to kill the beast is foolish, and while you have instruction from your family, or at least one member of it towards the guild, you are still F rank with little practical experience. That bandit also was no push over. What we are dealing with now is likely a beast that weighs a bit more than any of us, that climbs trees with speed, leaping from branch to branch. I doubt any of our weapons will pierce deeply in what it calls a hide.

Our Mission is to remove the beast from the Great Wood and we will at least attempt to capture it. When or if that fails, we'll kill it. Or should we fail, then Sen will kill it."

Then when Falco had finally tried to calm the situation, the savage from the wilds had to casually speak up in regard to herself and Lucia as if they were not here. The fact she had ignored her warning was a bit much, then there was the situation with her eyes upon Falco's hazing. And now she had the nerve to speak down to herself once more, and now she was coddling up to Falco directly stirring the pot in regard to Lucia. And there was Falco's response to factor in as well.

"I would not say I am scared, though I am wary of this place, ignoring the land is a dangerous thing. It is not even my preference we face the beast now, only that we set up the trap to draw it in. What I fear is that personal feelings and these pointless grudges may led to accidents in the line of one's duty. Furthermore, Fox Girl..." Thea said, purposefully not calling Sakura by name,"...if your people are so great, so trusting, with one another's backs and affording an ignorance of the nation you exist within, then why are you here and not with them? And I hardly wish to hear a barbarian discussing the faults of class and others when you committed a grave violation twice now in service to the guild.

Should you browbeat your comrades again while they are still around you, I will teach you a thing or two about discipline in the Kingdom. Regardless of what Lucia may or may not seem to be to you, she is your ally. If I can tolerate your existence, you can do the same to her."

With that Thea picked up the pace to reach the area she had in mind to set up the trap where the other attacks had happened, the rest would have to pick up speed or grow in distance from her, in truth she hoped for the later. Falco had said they all could have a laugh when this was all done and stop being jerks to one another, the Knight would be content in not having to slug it out with one of them before this was all said and done.

Interactions: EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko AnonyMouse Huntertabbysandshark3 Topless

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Location: Oyten
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Still, Lucia said nothing. Walking silently with her gauntlets folded underneath her chest, staring forward as she tried to tone out the stupidity that was around her. The fox, the knight, the thief. The only one who was failing to irk her was the snake and the spider, the latter of which was wisely abstaining from the brunt of the argument.

First it was the Fox who spoke, stating her apparent disdain for the Caskarieth. Oh, how Lucia had the urge to bring up the awful sight of the woman goring a corpse. The elf certainly held disdain for that sight.

Next was Falco, continuing to speak plainly as if the rest of them weren't there. He too sought to presume her upbringing. It was partly correct, though it all stemmed from their complete misinterpretation from practically everything she had said that day.

Case and point, Thea's following comments. The Caskarieth thought it plain that her speech meant that she wouldn't take chances if there was an opportunity to kill it, or hold back to simply try incapacitating it. She had no belief nor intentions of tackling the beast alone. As for her comments toward Falco, it was an obvious she was retorting to his comments that she was useless. Her entire point was that they were all on the same level. Lucia hadn't waltzed into the Kriegslowe looking down on them all, however at this point, she was starting to wonder exactly how large a disparity there was between theirs and hers education for linguistic understanding.

"I would retort to that. Though, given every time I speak someone someway hears, or hallucinates, an exclamation of my immortality, overbearing power and physical prowess, I do not think I will bother," Lucia commented tiredly. "And much as I may agree, I do not require nor care for your defense, Thea. Educate her under justification of your own name."

As the knight began to jog, Lucia did not immediately increase in pace. She, too, was not so keen to be in such a tight formation with the rest of them. Separating herself a bit further in distance from the fox and Falco, she deigned to let them mutter amongst themselves rather than subject herself to listening to it.

@Team A

 

[AnonyMouse]

Falion "Falco" Cauphix​

Location: Oytenrand Woods, traveling to the hunting grounds​

So much for trying to lighten the mood. Falco sighed when Lucia spoke of everyone misinterpreting her words. There seemed to be far too much of that going around today and not enough apologies or restraint for the amount of friendly fire being exchanged.

"Lucia, I'm sorry," Falco said in a slow, quiet tone. It was difficult to hold a civil conversation while trudging through the soft earth, avoiding logs and roots and such, but he made a genuine effort to control his breathing and not sound as if he was shouting.

"When you said it better be incapacitated before you get to it, it pissed me off, like whatever we do doesn't mean anything to you. Thea's trying hard to make a plan we can all work with, so hearing you say you'd screw that, if given the chance, kind of got to me, alright. I'm sorry. Obviously, I was wrong and got carried away... especially... ummm, especially in light of, uhh, other things said today," he replied, awkwardly raking his fingers through his messy, damp hair. "I don't know you. I don't know any of you guys half as well as I thought I did. But I would still like to, if given another chance. But we gotta get through this first, of course."

He still believed what he said: they were all afraid. Hot? Yes. Tired? A little. Soaked by the rain and humidity? Most definitely. Frustrated? Of course. But, most of all, he believed fear and uncertaintly reigned supreme right now. Thea was afraid they'd fail --or worse, die-- and she'd be blamed for it. Hyss's fear was making her far too cautious, and even erratic at times. Risax was so frightened he hadn't spoken in what felt like forever. Sakura, who was usually quiet and reserved, was lashing out at others. Lucia was even more cynical and rebellious than usual.

And Falco... well, he just wanted this to be done. Fear drove him forward, right toward danger. It was both his best and worst trait, the one most likely to bring him victory, but also most likely to get him killed. He never froze up, even when he should. And never shut up, even when he should.

By now, they were well and truly into the woods. The path narrowed. The wide, open spaces of the logging site fell away behind them and the trees closed in. Looking up, their towering trunks and tangled branches vanished into a barely-seen, pale grey sky. Were these the iron oaks Maryl spoke of? Unlikely. The sketches she had given them depicted something larger still, though these trees did seem more substantial than what they had seen previously. Occasional evidence of human activity could be seen: a rusting discarded pail, a broken axe head, a slash of red paint marking trees not fit for harvesting. They were still within the parts of the forest frequented by the loggers and scholars.

The time was likely just past noon or one o'clock, thanks to their very early start. But the overcast sky and heavy canopy made it difficult to judge the sun's position. All around them, everything was swallowed by thick fog. Ears and noses would be their guide, though the oppressive rain made the former unreliable. Even still, Thea quickened the pace. Some struggled to match her long stride.

"Uh, Thea... map check?" Falco said to the knight. "Where we going, exactly?" The scholars' map could guide them to the beast's hunting grounds, but what, exactly, was Thea looking for once they got there? That area spanned a fairly wide region. He hoped she wasn't simply charging north to vent her frustration.

No, not Thea, Falco thought, reassuring himself. She had mentioned making camp and tackling the beast tomorrow. he definitely didn't like the sound of that, but it at least proved her patience was still intact.

Interaction(s): RedArmyShogun (Thea) / EmperorsChosen (Lucia) / Thalia_Neko (Hyss) / Topless (Sakura) / Huntertabbysandshark3 (Risax)

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Thea Schuerer
Location: Oytenrand Woodlands
​

As the group marched onwards and the hour grew later, Thea was half tempted to respond to what she heard from Lucia as she pushed on ahead, she would speak to her later but for now all she said while partially alone was, "It wasn't for you." As they penetrated deeper into forest, the hand of man grew less and less, though even still there were some signs. Which was welcomed as far as she was concerned. Tugging at her cloak, she was at least protected from the rain, the hood and thick material keeping her dry, though for now the rain had abated. A thick Fog was rolling in, or more like had never fully left them. It was likely the time to slow her movements for the rest to catch up.

It was around then that Falco himself had come to check in with her. His question was one she covered before, but she wasn't going to let her irritation blow up on him for something so simple. Stopping at that she unfurls the map after taking it out of her side bag. "There should be a marker a little more north of here, about as far as the cutting teams have prospected, according to the map we'll find the edge of the Ironwoods from around where the attacks happened, plus other hardwoods near there. I'm gambling that the other trees can't support it and hoping one of us can lure it just out of reach of its normal grounds. We'll make preparations to our plan and set up our later trap. Make our hideaways, learn the local land, then we'll go back to camp and try in the morning. Least any of you want to camp here."

Showing him the map, she was careful to keep it shielded from the elements as she did so. "I don't much like the idea of staying out here, but it gives these hunters another day, and there is a risk some wildlife could disrupt our plan. If not said hunters. But I don't know if we have much choice in the matter. Still, we need to find a good area for Risax, need to make a hiding place for me or you, depending on which of us isn't the bait. And make sure Lucia, Hyss and Sakura has a place to hide their scent and to ambush the beast. All of these preparations will take time and I rather we do the work carefully should the beast be watching, so as to not tip it off. We should be there in about twenty minutes." Waiting for him to be done with the map, she then continues speaking;

"As you said, we have things to ask Sen and we may need to entice the beast, I figure two to three hours out here then we can head back and be back with time enough to eat, sleep and talk, though I think I rather the sleep than the talk."

Interactions: EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko AnonyMouse Huntertabbysandshark3 Topless

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Location: Oyten
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"If I was so deluded to believe myself more capable than the lot of you, I wouldn't be here, nor are their any misconceptions that I can slay the creature on my own," Lucia replied pointedly, though still with the same monotonous tone, glancing over to Thea and the others briefly. "Nor did I or do I have any intentions of sabotaging the plan. My point was and is that if there is an opportunity to end it, I would take it, as should we all."

Feeling as though she spoke enough on that, the Caskarieth attempted to tame and corral her hair and swooped it neatly over her left shoulder, or as neatly as could be done in these conditions. Her voice certainly gave the impression that she was finished with that conversation with no interest in revisiting it, nor did she address the apology or present her own. Instead, turning her attention to watching the tree-line and surrounding flora, though that was perhaps just an attempt to avoid further communication.

As they continued on and consulted the map, Lucia continued focusing her attention elsewhere rather than the group, though she did eventually speak up. "Considering the ones who hired them believe it to simply be a big cat, I don't think we have to worry about the hunters." If they hired just ordinary hunters that didn't know what they were truly getting into, they might just be dead already.

They were still in the territory of civilization from the items and marks about. However, not twenty minutes forward, and they wouldn't be. Lucia stared ahead for a few moments before a soft exhale steadied her.

A mythical beast should've been exactly what she wanted out of this. Finally something of merit, no trash collecting or farmhand escorting or sewer scrounging. However, Lucia wasn't exactly trained as a monster hunter, and she wasn't as brutish as Sen to likely be able to choke the thing with her bare hands. Perhaps she could stab it in weak points, but otherwise would be reliant on the spell to shepherd the creature or startle it.

"I have no qualms," She stated, simply and to the point.

@A Team

 

[Topless]

Location: Oyten

Scared. Is this what the majority of the group are feeling right now? The fear of one day they'll lose their lives in a blink of an eye? The prospect of fear had altered their minds into a state of paranoia if prolonged. Sakura stayed shut when Falco inquired about the map. Until then, she hopped on a sturdy tree branch with a great leap and looked out from a distance.

No sign of the beast, yet her nose caught wind of a faint leftover smell. They must be close, somehow. "We're not too far off guys." She spoke "I've already caught a faint scent. Leftovers to be precised. Looks like Maryl got right on the money."

AnonyMouse Reinhardt RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko Huntertabbysandshark3
​

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Currently: in the woods
Thinking: "Just complete the mission and go home."

Location: Oyten
Interacting: everyone on the oyten mission AnonyMouse RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen Topless
Mentions:



Overhearing Sakura speak about her clan, Hyss was reminded of her own. What she described sounded a lot like her own clan, and it made her miss them bitterly. But she was doing this for the Lamia. She had to stick it through.

Falco constantly boasting wasn't doing him any favors. She didn't think he was critically injured or anything, but even a small bruise could cause him to tense up at the wrong moment. If she thought he was seriously injured she would seriously bring it up to Thea -- to change the plan. Though, after hearing what nonsense Thea had to say, Hyss was rethinking even talking to her. Thea was their 'leader' -but only provisionally so. She hadn't earned any leader position. So her talking down to them all was incredibly irritating. Her condescending attitude had only gotten worse to the point that it was beginning to bug Hyss, and she was realizing she did not like the knight. She had no business educating anyone or anything. Thea's skills were what she could rely on, but even so, they weren't anything special. Hyss would simply rely on the knightess's skills, and that was all.

"Lecturing?? So, you think that was lecturing? No, I was giving advice," she stated. Though, why bother? Thea certainly wouldn't listen. Thea didn't listen to anyone. Hyss's mistake even trying.

Still, Hyss was like Lucia, in that she had no desire to continue this conversation. Listening to Falco and Thea had grown tiresome, and the hooded snake didn't even like talking all that much. So she simply bent her head down and carried on behind the taller members, hiding a bit from the rain, tongue flicking out here and there to take in the scents, which were slightly muddled by the rain. The snake had no input in regards to any further questions or discussions, she had simply resolved herself to do her part in the mission from this point onward.​