Fantasy Tales of Raeligard

[King Crimson]

Current Location: Roadside Inn​

The skewer; a meal that Cressey come to grow well acquainted with since she'd first started her travels.
It took precious little to make, left one's belly full and satisfied, was infinitely portable, and was so easy to prepare, that even a complete novice like herself could master the recipe within the course of a day.
Served alongside a small bowl of thick, hearty soup of meat and vegetables, and it was the perfect specialty for a roadside inn to serve to weary travelers and starving adventurers!
It was funny; at one point in her life, Cressey dined regularly on exquisite cuisine prepared by one of the most gifted chefs in all the land, and the mere thought of eating such humble food from such a humble little cottage on the outskirts of civilization would have had her turning her nose up in protest.
But now, in light of the day's events, and with an empty, gluttonous stomach, she sat alone at a table relishing the savory, homecooked meal with sweet, wanton abandon as she waited for the other's to arrive.
It wasn't until the sound of a familiar pair of footsteps coming down the stairwell that she took her attention away from her meal, watching as Talio's familiar form descended into view from above.
With her mouth still too full to properly form any words, she acknowledged her fellow Valgemian with a simple, muffled "Mmph!" before daintily wiping her mouth clean with a small patch of cloth as she swallowed down the rest of her meal.
"Ah, Talio! Seems you're no less worse for wear!" Cressey remarked, remembering how she had seen one of those vile insects lunge towards him with the intent to rip his arm out from his socket, only to be foiled, meeting it's end at his blade.
The thought inevitably caused Cressey's eyes to wander towards the boy's arm as she took another sip of warm, creamy soup.
If not for the sleek, black metallic sheen that contrasted sharply with his fair, pale skin, it would be almost impossible for her tell from a distance that the arm was not his own.
The curious sight filled her mind with questions; where did he get it? How did he lose his arm? How much of him was still human?
Of course, she perished the thought of asking such things.
It would be untoward of her to pry into the past of others.
...But it wouldn't hurt to sate her curiosity just a little.
"You know, I've seen more than a few prosthetics in my day," she began with quizzical wonder, her eyes fixated on how the arm moved so organically, all of it's joints and cords seeming to move in a way almost indistinguishable from her own.
"...But I've never seen one made entirely out of metal, nor one so impressively designed."
Reclining back in her chair, she asked, "If you don't mind my asking, is that one of the Valdergeuse family's works?"

Another set of footsteps soon echoed down the stairwell, though they sounded a bit more...awkward, and were accompanied with the faint sound of something sharp scraping across the wooden floors with each step.
Lori... Cressey noted mentally to herself, already bracing herself for that venerable storm of wild hair and immutable energy to come thundering into the galley to join them.
Not that she minded; after all, she was more than a bit eager to hear some tales of the courier's travels.
...And perhaps, call upon her to deliver a letter home someday.

Interacting:
Talio ( TreasureSniper )
Lori ( ERode )

 

[Reinhardt]

Arien Bermille​

Location: Roadside Inn​

Somewhere outside the establishment, hidden from prying eyes, Arien could be found sitting down on a patch of grass, carrying a distant gaze that seemed to get lost in the evening sky as it gradually turned into the night sky, the glimmer of the stars popping up like sprouts. The usual stoic look on his face appeared softer if one even had the time, or the light, to notice such. The small, blue avian, Zest, silently perched itself at the top of his head, instead of its usual resting place.

He remained there, unmoving for an extended period, amidst the occasional noises from the nocturnal wildlife that now came to life and the cold, yet gentle night breeze. However, this serene ambiance came to a sudden halt as a sudden gust of wind blew towards Arien's direction, and only his. The noises faded, and the cold night breeze suddenly ceased to blow - at least that was how it felt to Arien, once he closed his eyes when the new wind came in touch with him. This strange wind lasted only for a few seconds, but in that brief moment, a subtle, yet genuine smile formed on his face.

Once all returned, the noises of the nocturnal wildlife and the cold night winds, he rose from the ground. The small, blue bird atop his head perked up to his sudden movement and chirped - to which Arien responded. "Indeed. Let's get back inside.", he uttered as he headed to the doors of the inn.

Inside the inn's premises, he found a few of the recruits in the vicinity - who were already gathering around one of the larger tables in the dining area. With a swift turn from the entryway, he headed towards the gathered group and sent a nightly greeting their way to make his presence known.

"I trust you've rested well?", he said. The bird atop his head followed with a chirp, and swiftly flew onto the next head it could, or more accurately, wanted to rest at - which was no other than Lori's head, specifically the rather small, nest-like dent on her hair.

Arien sat down on one of the empty chairs. "The others are still resting, if this is everyone.", he said. "We shall continue regardless. I trust you can relay to them what I shall be telling you in this brief meeting of ours."

His eyes finally caught sight of Cressey's bowl. "That reminds me.", he added. "Would you all prefer to have this over a meal, or do you prefer to have it afterward?"

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

 

[AnonyMouse]

Sen Hyazari​

Location: Oytenrand Woods​

The Syrieth huntress tossed aside a large bone she had been chewing on for many minutes. She preferred to eat lightly when on-mission, but this time was different. Despite spending most of the morning roasting an entire boar, she only took a small portion for herself, most of which was dried and stuffed into a wad of cloth to nibble on throughout the day. The rest of the meat was carved up and buried in an iron pot she had found in the logging camp, to be shared with the newbies later.

Sharin’ a fresh kill with a buncha folks I don’t even know? The fuck is wrong with me? Must be gettin’ soft, she thought as she watched Marcel begin to nod off to sleep. His fate was sealed the moment he finished his lunch. “What a life, ya get to suck a titty and sleep in the middle of the day. Some of us gotta work for a livin’ ya know,” Sen remarked with a smirk as she stood up and carefully covered him with a blanket before exiting the relative warmth and comfort of their tent.

She trudged across the misty camp, expecting the newbies to still be where she had left them, probably arguing about how to skin a cat. There’s a thousand ways, after all. It can be hard to choose. But, to her surprise and delight, they were gone. And, best of all, the tracks in mud suggested they had not simply fucked off and went their separate ways. No, they departed together. Perhaps the tension she had sensed was merely her imagination. Perhaps she had underestimated them.

Damn… I was hopin’ I’d get to break up a fight or somethin,’ the elf thought as she studied the tracks in the mud to ascertain which direction they had chosen. Satisfied that she had the gist of what they were up to, she returned to the tent to gather her gear, including Marcel, who was now fast asleep, before venturing into the woods after them.

Soon, she was into the familiar embrace of the Oytenrand Woods, a place she knew all too well. Mayor Johnson certainly enjoyed hiring Kriegslowen and most adventurers found themselves here at one point or another. Sen had been twice, though quite a few years had passed since her previous Oyten mission. This region provided a decent challenge for newbies. It was relatively safe, as long as they don’t go to deep. F-Ranks might meet some minor difficulty, but there were enough of them that she felt confident they could get the job done… assuming they aren’t total idiots.

Sen prowled through the thick undergrowth, behaving as if she was one with the trees. She leapt from root to root to avoid the deepest mud and dense foliage. She had an idea which way the newbies were headed, based on her knowledge of the land and what the knight had told her, and knew how to save time. The path they were most likely to take was a meandering one, so she took a more direct approach, charging through the untamed wilderness, occasionally cutting her way through with her knife and, eventually, scaling the trees to travel among the branches, the way their target would.

At last, she found them. The rookies had arrived at a clearing, deep into iron oak territory. Hmm…. Not a bad spot to set up an ambush, Sen thought as she crept along a branch, high in the canopy. The place where she had encountered the beast was about a fifteen minute hike west of here, so they were definitely in the right spot. Just as the knight had said, they appeared to be laying a trap: the spider was preparing webbing, while the others appeared to be scouting around and gathering materials to conceal themselves.

However, they still hadn’t noticed the elf spying on them. On one hand, she was pretty good at camouflage. The mud, dirt, and rust on her attire naturally obscured her from view. Her scent was masked as well, due to the rain and amount of time she had spent in these woods, literally marinating in its odors. And, most of all, she kept her distance, using a small sight glass to spy on them from long range.

Well, I guess we ought to make ourselves comfortable. Looks like they’re gonna be here for a while, she thought as she picked out a sturdy cluster of branches she could safely recline upon. She stabbed her knife into the dense bark, hung her hammer by its leather strap, and waited.

“Still can’t believe they’re gonna try to capture this thing,” she whispered as she peered through her spyglass at the spider. Her gaze slowly panned to the knight. “Fuckin’ tryhards…”

With a sigh, she sat back and munched on a few strips of meat from her stash. Might as well get cozy. They’d be here for a long t-

Sen’s ears twitched. She sensed movement and quickly turned to see their quarry had arrived. About thirty feet away, a pair of golden eyes peered through the branches. The beast’s gaze met hers as it materialized into the shadows. Sen lowered herself into a crouch as she retrieved her hammer from its resting place. The hooktail’s spotted fur bristled as these two creatures assessed one another.

Well, come on then. You wanna finish what we started, hmm? Sen thought. The beast was obviously considering it. But this elf had never lost a staring contest, to man nor beast, and certainly wasn’t about to blink now. After what seemed like an eternity, the hooktail turned up its snout and melted away into the shadows from which it had emerged.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought, tough guy,” Sen muttered, annoyed that this stupid cat didn’t just go down there and start the party. The nerve of him, to think I’m an easier target than those rookies! Shoulda bashed his fuckin’ head in for even considering it. Fuckin’ dumbass treecat…

Her steely eyes surveyed the branches for a few more minutes, in case the creature tried to come at her from another angle, but it was clear he’d wised up. Now she just had to wait for him to grow a pair and pounce on the rookies.

A few minutes after the cat departed, Sen heard shouting and movement down below. Yes! Finally! she thought, hoping the attack had begun. She maneuvered to a better viewing position, only to discover the shouts were not from the adventurers….

Falion "Falco" Cauphix​

Location: Oytenrand Woods, hunting grounds​

Bait.

Such a simple word, yet he couldn’t get it out of his head. I just gotta draw the beast out and avoid getting my guts ripped out on the first attack, he thought. After that, his ‘friends’ would jump in and rescue him and they would all go home victorious.

After taking some time to set up the site, the others concealed themselves as best they could. Now, they only had to wait. If Falco squinted really hard, he could see Thea. The knight was crouched and covered in leaves. Her sword looked like a branch. Sakura, Hyss, and even Lucia, seemed to be doing a surprisingly good job of staying hidden. If Falco looked away, it was easy to lose track of them. Risax was a little harder to conceal, but he sort of looked like a boulder, as long as he didn’t move.

“Wow, I sure feel delicious. If I were a beast, I’d totally eat me,” Falco said as he paced in the clearing. He really hoped they didn’t have to keep this up for long…

The location they had chosen seemed appropriate. A small clearing. Small enough that the beast could pounce on someone standing near the center --i.e the ‘bait’-- but still large enough that the victim and his saviors should have time to react, as long as they are paying attention to their surroundings. That last part was key…

Sen said she had sensed it stalking her. One of the loggers from Lewis and Sons said the same. But both were far more accustomed to this forest than Falco. How, exactly, does someone ‘sense’ when a wild animal is about to bolt out of the green curtain, like a flash of lightning?

How can he hear it coming, when the patter of rain washes out all sound?

How can he see it coming, with this mist hanging in the air?

How can he smell it, when everything in this godforsaken forest smells like damp leaves and mud?

These thoughts ran laps through his mind all day. Saying stupid shit to attract the beast was his way of coping: “Here, kitty, kitty kitty. I bet I taste like chicken. Everything tastes like chicken.”

To his surprise, the beast replied: “Oi! Oi, you there, lad!” A deep, raspy voice called from the shrouded forest.

Falco nearly shat himself. T-the b-beast can talk!? his daggers were in his hands instantly as he braced for a horrifying abomination to emerge from the treeline. But, to his surprise, this was no beast:

A grizzled, middle-aged man shambled forward, moving swiftly, despite his slight limp. He wore a fur cloak. Bearskin, perhaps? His left shoulder was drenched with blood and he appeared to be armed. Falco spied at least two hatchets, a knife, and a quiver on his back, but no bow. He had the look of a hunter… but also the look of a man who had had a very rough day.

"Whoa, that’s close enough, pal. What’s up?" Falco said, readying his stance and swapping one of his daggers for a throwing knife. The man wasn’t close yet. And I’d like to keep it that way, thanks.

Fortunately, the man stopped at the edge of the clearing. Falco had lost track of his companions’ hiding places, so he wasn’t sure who was closest, but surely someone could take this guy down if he tried anything sketchy.

“Help me, boy! My brother…” The man stopped to catch his breath. “We were attacked,” he wheezed. “I can’t carry him alone… he’ll bleed out if we don’t get ‘im to a healer.”

The doubt was written on Falco’s face. It sounded like Jacobee’s hired help had bitten off more than they could chew, but was helping him worth the risk? They already had a pretty good ambush spot set up here. If they headed deeper in, they might end up like this guy’s brother… or worse.

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

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Thea Schuerer
Location: Oytenrand Woodlands
​

As the day progressed and the trap was laid, a group consensus was to let it play out and give the trap a couple hours before heading back. Though it seemed only Thea was eager to talk to the woman. Sure, she was a bit vulgar, but she was veteran and at least amiable enough to reach C rank. She had also found with the right words of respect and kindness she was given to chatting. Just common manners and a little glib of tongue was all it took. Though she would not say she didn't take some issue with her.

As she cloaked herself in leaves and soil with her actual cloak on, Falco took up position as the bait and the rest were hidden around the pair of them. All they needed to do was wait for it to show... For an instance something felt off and she was not sure why, as the sun to hover low, it was about time to call it quits and return on the morrow. As she was fixing to stand up and call it off, a man of all things came bursting from the undergrowth, as he said his peace, Thea got to her feet, the camouflage falling off, close enough to hear the conversation. Walking over with purpose and speed she was analyzing his words, playing them out in his mind as she stood ready to offer what medical help she could provide.

"I may b-" It was then that she put together the context that her teeth clenched with anger and her already pale skin grew more so, this was one of the hunters, they had gotten in the way. "By the Goddess!"

Whistling loudly and waving her arms, she shouted out orders behind her. The ability to perform some tactical advance and to modify her plan. "Falco, Hyss, Lucia! Stick to the plan with flanks and tail! Risax, Sakura! Follow us and keep the bastard pinned to a tree or off of them! I take the front!" Looking at the man, she then points at him and motions for the woods. "You must lead us to him at once, by leaving him alone he is in grave danger! I can heal him to an extent, but we must go. Now."

Discarding the plan, they had spent the last while putting into motion, the focus was now a rescue mission. Questions could be asked, disagreements aired, or a demand of what they were doing could be done while on the move. If she was wrong, they would take the wounded man to the camp. No plan survived first contact with an enemy. There was real danger here and now and they may be too late if they tarried on. And she would not just leave one of the people they were held to protect just to keep her plan intact. That would be a hard one to explain to the Guild and if not the Guild, then to the Goddess.

Interactions: EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko AnonyMouse Huntertabbysandshark3 Topless

 

[EmperorsChosen]

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

Lucia wasn't exactly thrilled to be covered in mud and leaves, but she could be thankful that it was silent at least. Or rather, she didn't have to nor was expected to converse with the rest. Falco however, was Falco, and seemed to be rambling either as a nervous tick or to garner the creature's attention. Perhaps it was both.

To his credit, it did work, or rather it attracted someone's attention. Not the beast though.

A hunter appeared from the brush, battered and wounded. Lucia narrowed her eye slightly, though didn't move as the man babbled on. He had been ambushed with his brother. The beast was here, though it did not take a liking to them, but rather the hunters hired by the loggers. A coyote indeed.

Thea was first to act, barking orders with a sense of urgency. She sounded desperate to reach the wounded hunter, so much so that Lucia wondered if she still held onto the foolhardy idea of trying to detain the damnable thing. With each new occurrence, the Caskarieth became more grounded in her opinion. However, this was perhaps the first time this excursion the two were truly on the same page. Pulling herself from her concealed position, she regrouped near Thea, ready to depart despite Falco's caution.

"Something we can finally agree on," Lucia commented. "This thing hunts for solitary targets. You need to show us the way, now. "

@Team A

 

[ERode]

Location: Roadside Inn
​

"Hey hey," Lori sang, hopping down the last couple steps. It looked as if Cressey was already well on her way to finishing her food, but the birdkin herself could hold out for a bit longer in terms of the whole food thing, so she did. "I'm good with not eating till after! So, what's the plan with the meeting anyhow, Arien?"

She plopped down on one of the empty chairs as well, pulling it further away from so her long, gawky legs could fold without bumping her knees against the table.

"Lupa's a bit busy with her fur, but Endy should be down here soon! Anyways, we talking about how to tackle the warehouses faster or something?"

 

[AnonyMouse]

Falion "Falco" Cauphix​

Location: Oytenrand Woods, hunting grounds​

Falco didn't like this sudden change in events. He continued to study the so-called hunter and held his daggers ready, even as Thea burst from her hiding place and began barking orders, followed almost immediately by Lucia. Under any other circumstances, he would be pleased to see the knight and elf agreeing on something, but such thoughts were far from his mind right now.

Falco noted the man did not look immediately relieved when the two women appeared. Shouldn't he be glad there were more people to help carry his wounded kin, especially one who could heal the man? If anything, he seemed troubled that there were more people than anticipated. His eyes lingered on their Kriegslowe badges for a fraction of a second too long and that was enough to push Falco from 'mildly skeptical' to 'nah, fuck this.'

"Now hol' up," Falco said, waving his hands. "We don't know this man. And what kind of guy leaves his 'wounded brother' alone, bleedin' out in the woods? Who's to say you ain't full of it or your bro's already dead?"

The hunter's features went hard as he looked to the boy. "He's in a shelter, you fool," the man said. "There's a rocky outcropping. Best I can do is pray the beast can't squeeze inside... if not, ya might be right. Asshole." Falco recalled seeing such a thing on maryl's map, and it wasn't terribly far from here...

He relented. "If trying to keep my friends from walkin' into a trap makes me an asshole, so be it," Falco muttered. We're in the danger zone now. I leave the pleasantries in town, douchebag. He was only marginally satisfied with the man's response, but if Thea really wanted to do this, he wouldn't argue any further. The entire situation still smelled funny, but the clock was ticking, so he relented: "Whatever. Let's go."

"I thought Kriegslowen were supposed to help," the man grunted as he turned to the knight and elf. "Come. I'll show you the way." He took two steps toward the direction from which he had come, only to be abruptly cut off by another figure joining them.

Sen dropped down from the branches and blocked his path. Even Falco emitted a small yelp of surprise, but the hunter's reaction was twice as powerful. He literally recoiled in fear, as if she were the beast itself. I really wish people would stop bursting out of the fucking bushes! Falco thought, trying to steady his heart.

"Fancy runnin' into you again," Sen said, her cold gaze burning into the man's soul. "I coulda sworn I told you boys to head back to town and leave this to the professionals. What happened? Ya got lost?"

The man stammered a response, which sounded more like a string of excuses, but Sen cut him off:

"Fuck him," she said, turning to Thea, as if the man no longer existed. "I already 'helped' this shit stain. I ran into he and his dumbass brother this morning and told 'em to kick rocks." She muttered a string of expletives under her breath, before going on. "But if you're set on doin' something stupid, I know the shelter he's talkin' about. I'll take ya there, so we can wrap this up."

"Thank you, thank you," the man said, relieved. "I was heading to the logging site to find you-"

"You're lucky you found them first. I'd have beat the shit outta you and left you for dead," she said, pointing her hammer at him. With a grunt, she began to trudge into the woods. "I weren't born yesterday. I knew we'd see you again, just didn't think you'd still be suckin' air. C'mon rookies, let's get after it. And keep an eye on him, would ya. I ain't babysittin' a grown ass man."

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

 

[TreasureSniper]

Interaction: King Crimson ERode Reinhardt​

"Like I said, I've been through worse." The young man reminded her as he reviewed the notes he had taken earlier. Even now, he still thought that it was odd how infested that warehouse was. Such a level of neglect could not have happened overnight. Who knows, maybe this small meeting will get them some answers. Noticing that lady had taken an interest in his arm, the Valgemian merchant couldn't help but think what he was allowed to say to her. From his perspective, remaining silent could draw unnecessary suspicion and speculation as to how he acquired such a "unique" tool.

And so, the merchant decided to follow his business principle of being honest and upfront when dealing with "important" clients. "It's a custom piece made by House Ferromanus. A prototype, that I am "testing" out." Talio shifted his pen to manatek arm and began spinning around the fingers, demonstrating the dextrous ability of the metal hand. "As you may have noticed..it still had a few kinks that need to ironed out..." Talio was of course referring to it overheating after delivering the death blow to the giant bug. "Though if I am being honest, it's the biggest drawback it's still its cost of production. Its current price is...not affordable for the general public." It's best if he kept the true price of his arm a secret, though he did mind declaring his intention to find ways to make it more affordable.

Hearing Arien and Lori's shift arrival, Talio turned his attention to the dining table and sat down next to the senior krieglowen, eager to listen to what he had to say. "I will take note of this discussion and relay everything back to the others." He responded while brandishing his notebook, ever-ready to jot down whatever the briefing was about. "I second Lori's sentiment. I'd prefer to eat after we have finished with our business for the day." Clearly, Talio was used to a strict work policy of only resting once the work was done.

 

[Topless]

Location: Oyten

Sakura was in position. She stood on top of a tree branch hidden in it's thick leaves. She stared down at Falco as he made an attempt to call out the beast. Corny, but worth a try. However, instead of the beast as expected, it was a wounded and battered man that came out of the brushes. He told Falco that he and his brother got attacked and left him at a safe place as he went to look for help.

It looked like there has been a change of plan as Thea announced to go look for the man's brother. Sakura was quiet throughout the whole conversation, yet she heeded the call and went hopping from branch to branch, remaining in the shadows as she followed both Send and the hunter. An unexpected turn of events indeed.

AnonyMouse Reinhardt RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko Huntertabbysandshark3
​

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Currently: hiding for the plan
Thinking: "It's not like I'm against helping them... but it could interfere with our mission..."

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


Hyss was snuggled deep in her hiding spot. Even at the best of times she was rather hard to notice. Now she was basically completely invisible. The ability to conceal oneself was a trait all snakes shared. She was confident there was no way even a confident predator like this beast would be able to detect her.

As she waited, Hyss had tugged down her mask. Her mouth was open and she was flicking her tongue in and out, trying to catch a scent on this crisp, rainy air. Catching a scent would be difficult, so she was really just focused on heat signatures. A cat-like beast would likely be warm and be easier to detect through its heat.

It was then that she caught the 'scent' of a heat signature approaching. The hooded girl tensed, readying herself for what may come. It wasn't coming from the trees though, and the signature itself wasn't too big, so she doubted it was the predator they were looking for, but she was still on edge. A moment later some man revealed himself barking about an injured brother or whatever.

Hyss was considering the situation when Thea suddenly leapt out from her hiding spot -shortly followed by Lucia. Hyss could scarcely believe those two! Did they not care about their current mission? Supposing that monster was watching Falco, now it knew Falco had allies that were hidden! The Beastkin could feel herself growing a bit hot under the hood with irritation. It was that type of recklessness and sudden plan-changing that could screw a mission!

But what's done was done. So Hyss remained where she was hiding, just observing the scene now, and watching to see how it would progress. Sen showed up. Again, she was as brutish and ill-mannered as ever. But it was some of her words that made the scenario even more sketch. Just like the young Beastkin had figured from the beginning. Anyway, the others seemed to be going to 'help'. Hyss would remain in the shadows.​

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Thea Schuerer
Location: Oytenrand Woodlands
​

It was then that Falco took the skeptics path, Lucia seemed happy to oblige and most of the others either did not show themselves or were remaining cautious. Before she could address any of these, Sen showed up. Seemingly and unsurprisingly the Company was cheap and hired just these two hunters, least there were more and Sen warned them to leave. She could not blame her being uncharitable with the circumstances. Then she caught notice of Sakura leaping through the trees, branch to branch. She had rarely felt the need to scream, but she remained composed. Sen seemed unwilling to help but was the first to head off towards the path.

"Falco..." With that she decided to offer him some reassurances, she had not bothered to think this was some sort of deception, could not devalue his words or thoughts. "...if it is a trap of some sort, he will be right next to me or Sen. My Armor or hers means we can take a few hits, the rest of you must react between that, and though I may not be as wise to the happenings I do not think there is deception in his words."

Had Thea been suggesting they would kill him if it were a trap? Maybe. Already the plan she had issued was falling apart, she would just have to improvise with uncertain forces and a shaky spread. Either way most of her allies were keeping hidden and Thea would allow this, as if she had any say. But she was at the point that she would just use her physical power to batter the beast down.

"Sen, I'll handle the wounded man enough to get him moving again once we arrive, I thank you for assisting. If the beast is there, I'll ask that you let us attempt to take it on. With that said..." A tired sigh exited her mouth as words followed soon after. "...I still wish to take the beast alive, but that will come about if it is willing after we fight it with whatever we have on hand. Should it not be there we get them back to camp and set up our ambush again in the morning." For the noble, street rat and any nearby allies she clarifies. "Without a fixed position we must fight as if we intend to kill it, only stopping short if it seems compliant or sufficiently maimed."

There were no lengthy orders or commands this time as she checked her sword, she had a plan to attack the thing, but the questions were now, if it were here? and if they could keep it pinned down. Either way with as stretched out as they were getting an ambush from it was also possible. For now, she followed the two, her hand on the hilt of her greatsword and the hunter close.

Interactions: EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko AnonyMouse Huntertabbysandshark3 Topless

 

[Huntertabbysandshark3]

interaction: AnonyMouse RedArmyShogun Thalia_Neko Topless EmperorsChosen​

Risax chose to simply tune out the squabbling that had become the ubiquitous feature of their mere little party so many clashing ideas and sharp short tempers on the part of certain people made any attempt to try and calm the fruitless least their plan to use falco as bait was in acted to a degree.

They'd found a nice small clearing for them all to stage their ambush risax breaking spend his own efforts getting proper nets ready and making sure they were strong enough for the task at hand.

Up until an injured man presented them with a serious problem, seemed that hunters who were hired had found themselves on the wrong end of the monstrous cat. Sen rightfully berating the idiot about getting himself and his brother seriously injured to the point one of them was bleeding out. Thought the beating up part was a bit harsh to be honest then again, sen was harsh as a personality trait so it wasn't anything unexpected. the others decided on what they were actually going to do, seemed half of them were actually going to go help.. oh great more issue.. but the arache would remain in the cover of the forest at least there he could be of some use beyond being a big open target following the other carefully already having removed his own sword form its scabbard just incase.. as his crossbows would be of little value in the tightness of th forest

 

[lunar_moth]

At only a smidgen late, Endymion peels hid crusty eyes open and sighs up at the cieling. Ugh, what a non-restorative nap. Unfair, how that works sometimes.

The good news is that, since Arien had apparently had his own fancy-schmancy private lodgings, Endymion got to sleep on an actual bed. While he could tolerate a floor, the alternative was much preferred, and he had gladly laid down for a moment’s rest after a quick scrub-down to rid himself of goop. His clothes, well… they were laundered, but his cloak definitely stained on the rear where his inkwell had shattered and spilt. Oh dear; while it was obvious the stain was ink, it was placed unfortunately so that wearing his cloak made him look like a squid that had gotten startled. Instead of dealing with that issue Endymion had decided he was too tired to care and simply changed into his spare outfit, a much simpler set of black laced breeches and tunic, with billowy sleeves that reminded him of flowing water in their movement.

Spoiler: clothing insp teehee<3

Anyways, that was at least a half hour ago, not that Endymion was paying attention, and since then he’s surely rumpled his clothes and left a bit of a drool stain on one of his arms. Just in time for a team meeting!

He stumbles blearily to meet up with Arien and a few of the others; seated at a table in the inn’s foreroom, some more awkwardly than others. Endymion casually folds himself into an empty seat, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge his late arrival.

“…We’re talking about getting faster at tackling warehouses? Or something?” he responds to the last statement he heard, which happened to be Lori’s. “Um. I mean, I agree that would be better, but I also think we have a lot of new problems to consider first before we get to speed.”

Reinhardt ERode TreasureSniper Silver Wolf King Crimson

 

[King Crimson]

View attachment 999736
Current Location: Roadside Inn​

"Hm, I figured as such..." Cressey pouted in response Talio, the visions in her head of towering proudly over her peers atop a pair of magnificent, mechanical legs cruelly dashed before her eyes; she would never be able to afford such a hefty price, not in her current position.
Sadly, it would seem that she would have to put up with being teased and looked down on as a child and a midget for a while longer...
Casting such shattered dreams aside, she focused back upon some of the other details in the boy's words.
"Ferromanus..." she repeated to herself, sampling the name on her tongue.
Indeed, there was some note of familiarity to the name. She'd heard it once or twice before, in her old life, but nothing quite so grand as to be of concern.
And as for Lori, well she didn't seem like she would care either way about her past, simple as she was.
She could relax a little around them, and relax she did, the corner of her mouth ticking slightly into a small, teasing smile, as she jokingly replies, "Well, you'd best not let The Clockwork Witch see it!"
"...Otherwise, she'll take your limb out from it's socket and take it away to her study, never to be seen again!"
As she raises her hands up in mockery of a covetous beast baring it's claws for extra, dramatic effect, the inn's front door swings open, as Arien steps back into the hall, almost as if summoned by the sound of her badmouthing one of her guild superiors.
His pet followed shortly after, taking it's usual spot atop Lori's head, and following that, Endymion stumbled drunkenly in, all but collapsing into a nearby chair.
All of them gathered around the table, Talio withdrew a notebook from his pocket, and the playful mood of before seemed to disappear.
Now, it was time to return to business.
" 'Well rested' seems a good way to put it..." Cressey remarks, crossing her arms across casting a sideways glance towards the disheveled mess melting into his chair.
"...And it would be a good idea for us to keep our strength up. We still have three more warehouses to go through, after all."
Looking down at the near empty bowl and platter before her, a sense of self-consciousness burned in her cheeks, as she quietly added, "...And I would look rather uncouth, eating all alone while the rest of you spoke strategy..."
After burying that muttered confession under a few throat-clearing coughs into her fist, she says, "A-As for the warehouses, I'm more than eager to hear of how we can hurry this task along..."
Turning to Talio and Lori she remarks, "You both seem to have some knowledge of those creatures we encountered, "Holzeckts," was it? Do either of you know of a way to more quickly be rid of them?"

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

 

[Silver Wolf]

Location: Roadside Inn
Interactions: Arien ( Reinhardt ), Endymion ( lunar_moth ), Lori ( ERode ), Cressey ( King Crimson ), Talio ( TreasureSniper )
​

Lupa hissed outside as she placed a rag over her injury, doused in cheap alcohol to sterilized the injury. While the bleeding had stopped, she had also picked at the scabs to get to where the actual infection could nest. It wasn't a glamorous or fancy solution, but it worked, and it wouldn't be the first time she needed to use improvised sterilization. When out on the frontier, hygiene lost its traditional meaning that it did in cities. Hell, her foster father even spoke of using maggots as infection control as they ate dead tissue and could be used to ward of necrosis. Either way, infested flesh is a killer.

The leg would heal in a short period of time, but the wrist concerned her more. A swordsman was useless without their sword hand, and that bothered her deeply. She could always compensate her dodges with the other foot, but her right hand was irreplaceable to her. Sure, it was mostly shallow cuts and bite marks, but they were still wounds that needed time to heal.

As she gently cleaned the wounds and bandaged them she thought about Hedwig, and his 'business' after the knowledge of the hole. If anything of her time in the city guard said something, unexplained holes with fresh activity of any kind were usually a bad sign, and it did not make Hedwig look good. He was lucky, as he could bullshit his way out, and he would probably dance around their schemes if he was a bad actor himself. Underground crime networks in her experience tended to favor abandoned buildings not in use, and maybe the Holtzek infestation was pure coincidence or a misunderstanding about the warehouse's layout, but she couldn't shake a feeling that Hedwig himself was involved, directly or indirectly, in something much darker. Why would a businessman hire adventurers to take stock of his warehouse? Why was the warehouse infested with a Holzekt swarm? Why was there a mysterious hole they didn't know about? Questions, questions, all these thoughts only ultimately served to temporarily distract her, but one thing remained true.

What was down that hole?

She knew why they weren't going down, but it didn't sit right with her. Every moment they wasted was a chance a possible disaster had to slip through. Had the warehouse fully succumbed to Holzekt, they would look for other food sources. Could more come back?

"Dammit...I would rather be learning the truth than licking my wounds like some wounded animal..."

Either way, she finished her work and returned to inside the inn where they were having a conversation about their encounter. Before anyone could answer Cressey, however, she chimed in.

"Whatever the case, I'm more curious why the warehouse has a secret tunnel. That could explain where they came from, and more importantly it could clue us to something bigger. Also, apologies for being late, I usually like to be thorough with wound care."

With her piece said, she sat down with her tail folded over her lap and looked around. Waiting for something to be said.

 

[AnonyMouse]

Sen Hyazari​

Location: Oytenrand Woods, hunting grounds​

Two had chosen to stay behind. Sen did not like this development, especially since she had already seen the beast prowling in this area. On the other hand, the spider was a large target and had wisely drawn his weapon, and the snake-girl was still in hiding. Perhaps the cat would choose to follow the larger group. Or, should that fail, perhaps the two who remained would survive long enough for them to return and lend aid.

I don’t need no dead rookies on my watch, Sen thought, her annoyance growing with every passing moment. Let’s scoop up what’s left of this fucking idiot’s brother and get back before this whole thing goes ass-up.

“Ay, stop preachin’ and move your ass.,” Sen barked at Thea when the knight gave orders about fighting as if she intends to kill it, as if these goons weren’t already gonna do that. She laughed: “Like they give two shits what you say. They’ll fight it however they can, because they’re fuckin’ amateurs and that’s all they know. Now move!”

Sen doubled her pace, veering off the somewhat narrow path and into the brush itself, shoving aside branches and skirting around trunks with the agility and sure-footedness of someone who knows exactly where she is going and cares not if the others arrive with her.

“Single file, stay tight!” she commanded, more as a deterrent for the beast than from a desire to keep the group together. “Oi, Fox! Yip if ya see anything!” she said to Sakura, as she would be the first to know when / if the beast arrived…

“Hey, watch it! She’s not a dog, ya know,” someone spat back. It sounded like the boy she’d hit earlier, but Sen didn’t bother to glance over her shoulder to see. If the fox had half a brain, she’d take advantage of the parts of her that are dog-like, but this elf wasn’t gonna argue with a simping virgin about a damn cannibal’s feelings.

The group emerged from the dense forest to find a thin stream, little more than shin-deep. The remains of a dead animal lay nearby. It looked as if it used to be a large deer, but was mangled beyond recognition. Worst of all, it barely looked eaten, merely mauled and left strewn along the water’s edge. The stab wounds near its midsection were classic signs of a hooktail attack. The mutilation of the body, however… not so much.

Sen barely paused to take it in, though there was no doubting she noticed the corpse. The Syrieth huntress’s eyes quickly looked to the left, then to the right, possibly scanning for predators, and then she was moving again, sprinting upstream, just as swiftly as before. The water became deeper and the flow stronger. The air smelled faintly of death.

“I’ve never seen a hooktail behave this way…” the hunter commented as they traveled. “It kills without reason! I sank five arrows into its hide and it kept coming…”

Fucking liar, Sen thought. She had seen the beast a few minutes prior. It didn’t even appear winded from the encounter, much less peppered with arrows.

“Less talk. Move. Almost there,” she said as she leapt over the aging remains of a… coyote? Wolf? The mess of fur and entrails made it difficult to tell what the creature used to be. The amount of viscera suggested it could be multiple creatures, perhaps a small pack. In any case, the elf’s long strides gave them no time to stop and count the dead.

They soon arrived at a large rock formation, which created a small waterfall in the stream. This spot was a fairly common landmark for those who hunted or foraged in this region. The mighty roots of the iron oaks had lifted the bedrock here, creating a cluster of boulders and slab of stone, over which the stream tumbled. The largest of these rocks was literally cracked open by roots, forming a comfortable little shelter where two or three people could squeeze inside and be safe from the elements.

“In there,” the hunter said and quickly made his way toward the opening, gesturing for the knight to follow. “Rick! Riiiiiiick, I brought help!” he called out as he scrambled over the rocks. Sen grimaced, both at the excessive noise he was making as well as the scene itself: There were bloody prints on the rocks, as well as claw marks where the beast had tried (and, she hoped, failed) to reach the injured man inside.

“That thing’s on a tear and you already know how I feel about this shit. Guy might already be dead,” Sen grumbled under her breath as she knelt to fetch her shield from her back and check on Marcel who was, of course, no longer asleep thanks to the rough sprint through the woods. She patted his cheek as he began to whimper, as if building up to a big cry.

“Knight, go do your thing, so we can get movin.’ I’ll check the perimeter. Dead or alive, we can’t stay here. I don’t like it,” she said to Thea. Once the infant began to calm a little, Sen stood and cinched the straps on her shield, preparing herself for combat. The only question on her mind was 'did that cat follow us here or stay with the other two?'
Interaction(s): RedArmyShogun (Thea) / EmperorsChosen (Lucia) / Thalia_Neko (Hyss) / Topless (Sakura) / Huntertabbysandshark3 (Risax)

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Thea Schuerer
Location: Oytenrand Woodlands
​

"Even if they will not follow or are incapable of following orders, it would be nice to assume my team is competent enough to carry out the request of the Mayor." She says in rebuke and defense of her orders, though bit by bit she knew Sen was right. Wasting further words was just that, a waste of time, energy, words, thoughts and expectations.

As they hurried through the underbrush, and forest, the elf seemed rather well adapted to this landscape, she moved through it with a finesse that was equally natural and unnatural, Thea did her best to keep pace, her long stride and armored gauntlets catching purchase on the passing trees and vines. While she was sure Sakura was likely somewhere up above still, she would not linger behind the rest, giving up on stealth he armor clanked and clanged here and there, but she did keep up a speedy advance. For the time being focusing on what laid ahead was enough.

As they neared a spring it seemed this creature was rather blood thirsty and a prime predator. This was likely it's hunting grounds and nothing short of imprisonment or relocation would keep it gone... Or Death. Entering the water, the Knight growled a bit, she would have to take care of maintenance and drying herself off later. Overhearing the hunter she snorts. "It's not a hooktail from what we learned, rather a Shadowlyger is what most information led to." She also doubted the number of arrows, much like Sen, but did not voice it.

Soon they were at the hiding place, and it seemed to have seen better days, the hunter for his part screamed and made a racket, calling for his brother. She could understand his feelings, but unknowingly or knowingly he had left his brother in the lair of the beast. Claw marks and blood, but the entrance was rather narrow and silence from the man was not always a bad sign. Though it was ominous. Nodding at Sen, Thea got to work.

"I concur, we best not linger. Calm yourself huntsman. Stay here and I will tend to him, you invite the creature to return."

Her long blade would be no use in here as she entered with her short sword drawn, in truth this outcrop was a pain for her to get in, never mind the cat. Reaching the man inside, he was thoroughly bloody, dirt and rock was torn asunder near him had he been a couple finger spans closer to the entrance the beast would of had him. Checking his pulse and laying a hand upon his head, Rick looked a bit like his brother, well minus giant gashes, bloody and bruised. He lost a lot of blood and was getting cold, passed out due to shock more like than not.

Should she help him or give him the Goddess's blessing as he slumbered? The answer was obvious. Even if it took a bit of her supplies and was a thankless task, she should help the fool. She didn't care if she just got thanks for it then so be it. Setting the sword down and taking the body out she carefully laid him out in a flat space, lifting his feet above his head, she then grabs at his clothing, loosening and opening his tunic and shirt, where most of the wounds seemed to be, this would be the difficult part, as she looked where the "hook" had caught him clean through on the right side, the kidney there was likely shot or damaged and she was no surgeon, she wasn't even a medic, she knew basic first-aid. He also had a few cuts here and there, from the beast's claws.

"Please be Silent. All of you." With that she grabbed the relic around her neck and kissed it, mumbling a prayer before releasing it. "Goddess above high I ask you to empower these hands and this instrument."

With that she reached into her bag, bringing out bandages, needle and thread, her lantern and a bottle of alcohol for medical purposes. This was not the purpose of her tier one spell, but it was doing this or letting the man die, the magic alone however would not be enough. Holding her gauntleted hand out, a blue glow emanates as water flows from the ear turning into a wispy like orb, throwing a portion of the alcohol over her gauntleted hand she reached into the wound. "Waters of life, mend the tears and open wounds! Soothing Waters!" With that she used the outwardly aimed healing spell internally to mend the cuts and broken flesh to the most seriously damaged of places, which prompted the closing of some of the blood vessels and mending the wounded tissue, she could not heal the full wound, but this would have to be enough. She did not have the skill to suture him up from the inside either. taking her hand out of the wound, blood covered her armored hand, but minus a wince or two, his breathing seemed to have became more stable and even. Going back for the needle and thread, she cleansed that as well in the alcohol and applied it to the wound.

With that she then proceeded to stich up the entry and exit wounds from the tail, then went about using the bandages. Having had thoughts on using the lantern to mend his wounds closed with scalding heat, she thinks better of it and puts it back into her bag. Wiping bloodied hangs along her cloak, she frowns a bit and sighs, detaching the cloak from herself, she still had the fabric from her chest clothing and skirt, next time she would make note to bring a blanket along, but the man needed this till they got back to camp and near a fire. Wrapping him up in it, it would provide the warmth he needed to recover, though Thea would now lack the cloak and hood, though Sen seemed no worse for wear in her own getup.

"He should be fine. I want to get him back to camp and by a warm fire. Give him water and any good food you can find or have, slowly, once he wakes." Looking around it was then that a look of pure primal rage descended over Thea.

​

"WHERE IN THE FUCK IS HYSS AND RIXAS?!" She growled out as she looked around at who all was here. Now she was in a bind. Slamming her bloodied fist into the rocks, she soon composed herself, looking at the hunter who's name she could not recall, and calling out for Sen, she was sure the woman would likely be near, more so with her sudden scream.

"If I make a quick stretcher, do you think you can get him back alone? Just get him to the camp and wait for us. I want that cloak back come the morning. If you cannot, Sen would you be willing to escort them back? If not, then I'll give him my lantern as well to hopefully scare the beasts of the woods away."

Then she looked at the rest. "I want everyone ready to fight, as that damn beast may jump us here, or it may be after our stragglers. If they are already not dead or in battle, we will collect them and head for the Camp. We are not able to battle this beast at night least a full moon approach, I suspect they are still at the ambush spot or if they are lost, well Goddess Mercy be upon them. We shall aim to slay the beast, should we face it. I cannot hold with any confidence we can capture it."

Interactions: EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko AnonyMouse Huntertabbysandshark3 Topless

 

[EmperorsChosen]

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

As they sprinted off through the woods, Lucia did her best to keep pace. If the disheveled nature or barbaric demeanor of Sen didn't give away that she was at home in such environments, the way she moved through the flora did. An urbanite such as Lucia dragged behind a bit, not maneuvering the brush and woods with as graceful agility as the older Caskarieth.

Keep tight, she said, despite barging ahead. Lucia wondered if she trusted that they could keep up or just didn't care if they could. She didn't plan to comment on it, nor Thea's remark. It was clear neither were going to see eye to eye on what was very obviously a stupid idea.

Falco took exception to Sen's demeaning remarks toward the fox, one which Lucia didn't find amusing, but certainly didn't think fondly enough about the woman to speak up either. She was far more concerned with keeping in line with Sen, and being wary of the beast should it decide to strike them. Her gaze centered on the corpse of the--Whatever in the Goddess' name it was. She suppressed a disgusted scowl as she carefully stepped around it.

As they came upon the cave, Lucia glanced at their surroundings, scanning up into the trees.

"Thea will do what she can. Please do not attract unnecessary attention," Lucia stated dryly to the panicked hunter. She understood that it was his brother, but they had no idea where this thing was. They wanted to fight it on their terms, not its own. Sen seemed to be of the same mind.

They found its home, seemingly, which was less than comforting. However, as if nerves weren't already high, Thea's exclamation upon returning from the injured cause Lucia to jump, startled. She shot around before letting out a relieved, yet annoyed huff and glanced around to confirm what they already knew.

"Obviously, they decided to remain at the ambush site," The younger Caskarieth replied with a scoff.

Now they would have to sprint back the way they came, lest the others get attacked while they are separated. Lucia hoped the beast would take a day off, given how winded they would be running back and forth through the woods. Surprisingly, Thea seemed to no longer care for capturing it, a conclusion she should have reached at the very beginning.

"If we go back the way we came we'll rendezvous with them regardless," Lucia stated, urging them on.

@Team A

 

[Topless]

Location: Oyten

Sakura quietly acknowledged Sen's word and felt rather embarrassed when Falco defended her for being called a dog. She immediately shrugged the feeling however as she is focused on saving the hunter's brother. Not long after, the group stumbled upon a deer's corpse. It looked as if it was recently attacked and killed, and the corpse itself does not looked pretty. It looked like it was partially eaten and left in the river to rot. Sakura hopped down to take a closer look at the corpse.

"What a waste..." She spoke meekly. She knelt down and dragged her finger across the deer's wounds, coating it with blood. She stood up and rubbed her bloody finger to lay three red lines on her face, a mark of a hunter. She used the stream to clean her bloody up before they continued on until they finally found the hunter's brother. It is from there that for the first time, Thea lost her cool. Even if Sakura didn't flinched at the sudden rage, inside she was shaken to the core.

"Calm down, Thea. Anger does not suit you." She thought. Once Thea had calmed down, Sakura calmly went over to her, removed her cloak and offered it to the knight. "Here, you can temporarily use mine. It's of the commoner quality, but it should be as good. I'll be fine without it." She said.

AnonyMouse Reinhardt RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko Huntertabbysandshark3
​

 

[AnonyMouse]

Falion "Falco" Cauphix​

Location: Oytenrand Woods​

Falco paced nervously while Thea tended to the wounded hunter. Though he did not allow it to show on his face, his heart was pounding, even more than it had been when he was acting as bait. Changing the plan. Leaving behind Hyss and Risax. Going deeper into the beast's hunting grounds. Everything they had done lately, compounded with the bickering and discontent, only added to the feeling that this quest was doomed to end in failure... or worse.

Sen disappeared, presumably to secure the perimeter or scout around, leaving the rookies to stew. Falco wanted to help Thea, partially because he needed to do something with his hands, but also to speed things up. Unfortunately, he knew almost nothing of first aid, other than 'disinfect it, wrap it up, apply pressure.' Perhaps thats something he should work on later. Girls like a sensitive guy, who can take care of them, right? he thought, with a slight smile. Sadly, even that thought couldn't brighten his mood. The smile vanished just as quickly as it had come.

He kicked a small pebble which had the audacity to cross his path. I expect this kind of shit from Hyss, but Risax should know better! he thought, becoming more annoyed the more he reflected upon the current state of affairs. Then again, maybe Risax stayed behind to protect her. Ugh... I can't even stay mad at this guy. That pisses me off even more!

"I'll keep watch over here," he said as he shuffled slightly away from the others. He wasn't dumb enough to leave the safety of the group, but keeping his eyes on the forest seemed like the smart thing to do. And, to be brutally honest, he was in a bad mood and didn't want any of them to see him like that.

A few minutes later, Thea very loudly reminded them all that he was not the only one in a bad mood. Seriously, you didn't even realize they were gone!? Falco thought with a sigh as he trudged back. While Thea wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, he had no idea her tunnel vision was this bad.

He moved two paces before something very heavy landed behind him. The beast! Falco whipped around, daggers ready, only to be greeted by a light thump from Sen's shield. "Jumpy much?" the elf said as she shouldered her hammer and marched past him. But, in a low voice, she added, "Relax, it'll be over soon... one way or another."

"Huh? What's that supposed to-"

"Yo, knight!" Sen barked, pointing her hammer at Thea as she stomped up to the tall girl, brushing right past Sakura as she did so. "I already told you, I ain't babysittin' this fuck-up! Did I stutter? Savin' him was your call, now you gotta live with it. Rally your troops," she spread her arms in a grand sweeping gesture, encompassing the adventurers surrounding them. The hammer dangled from her wrist by its leather strap. "Have them carry your mistake!" she said, as one final blow to Thea's pride.

As this went on, her words made Falco's blood boil. The way she spoke to Thea made him want to throw consequences to the wind and take the first swing at this damned elf. Whatever happens, happens. But, more importantly, something seemed... off. This same elf who had warned them about being too loud was now shouting, gesturing, drawing attention to herself. And her eyes repeatedly flitted to the treeline, instead of remaining locked on Thea.

It'll be over soon...

"Duck!" Sen shouted as she swung her hammer by its strap. Two or three quick revolutions and it was off, sailing toward the trees. Falco hit the grass and narrowly avoided having his head taken off by the lump of heavy metal.

He glanced back just in time to see the beast exploded from the trees with a mighty roar, snarling madly as it bore down upon them. The scene seemed to play out in slow motion before Falco's eyes. Bear-sized. Angry. Its fanged maw and striped reddish-orange fur was speckled with blood, which was clearly not its own. Arrows peppered its sides and flank, but seemed to have no affect on its feriocity.

The hammer, however, did. The beast took the full brunt of the strike. The deep, impacting sound of heavy metal meeting bone made Falco wince as the big cat veered off its path and tumbled through the grass for a split second before finding its footing once more. Sen's preemptive strike had only brought them time, nothing more.

"There's two beasts! Two!" she said as she sprinted toward the big cat.

Uhhhhh...... excuse me, wut? Falco thought, the color draining from his face. Come again?

"I'm goin' after the snake and spider! You're on your own!" the elf said as she slid past the beast feet-first, using the slick wet grass and mud to carry her momentum and her shield to defend against strikes from its tail, which was tipped with a viciously-hooked, bony appendage which made Falco's meanest daggers look like butter knives. The elf scooped up her hammer and ran off into the woods.

He prayed to Aurelia, Aurelia's mom, sister, brother, daughter, father, next-door-neighbor, ANY gods, real or imagined, that the beast would go after her. But, to his horror, Falco watched as Sen vanished into the trees and the hooktail's sinister yellow eyes scanned the smorgasboard of supple adventurer flesh standing before it. It began to slowly approach. Each step felt like a threat. Every movement was punctuated by a mountain of muscle rippling beneath a veil of bristling fur.

"W-we g-got this," Falco said, readying his stance.

* * * * *​

Alone.

The Oytenrand Woods could be remarkably quiet at times. Thea, Falco, Lucia, and Sakura had only departed a minute or two ago, yet the silence set in almost instantly, swallowing up the two adventurers who remained. Risax and Hyss were one with th forest now. Every breath they take. Every twig they snap. It was all being closely scrutinized by the forest itself... and those who dwell within it.

Thick paws glided along a sturdy branch, each step as silent as a gentle breeze. The hooktail walked on its pads, preventing the sounds of scratching claws on hardened bark. It stayed downwind, allowing even its scent to be carried away from its prey with the drifting mist and fog. It remained in the shadows, obscuring its pinkish red, mottled fur. its long, prehensile tail gripped a fragment of bone, blackened by rot and sharpened to a cruel edge.

Unlike its companion, this one was patient. Smart. This one would wait for the right moment and strike from the perfect angle. The forest was alive, chaotic. So many interlopers. So many strangers. But now, their numbers dwindled. The scary one with the long ears was gone and had taken many with her. Now, only the spider remained.

The hooktail observed him. Were they truly gone? Would they come back? Was this a trap? The spider had fashioned white vines. For what purpose?

Does it matter? He'll be dead soon.

The beast readied itself, slowly lowering its forepaws and bracing its hind legs against the sturdy trunk of a tree, until it was nearly inverted, aimed at the ground like a ballistic missile in reverse. It tail rose over its head, aimed at its prey. No blinking. A stillness fell over the scene. A cool breeze. A calm before the storm.

And then, without warning, it pounced, launching itself downward, claws and tail extended as the enormous feline rocketed through the air toward the unsuspecting arachnid.

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

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Thea Schuerer
Location: Oytenrand Woodlands
​

How had she not noticed, was she that caught up in keeping up with the adventurer, or dismissive of the team? It was true she wanted space to herself in the march, but she didn't expect they would stay put after being called out. This was the result of inexperience and of expecting the rest to understand the need to move out. Sen was quick to show up as Sakura offered her own cloak, to which Thea shakes her head in refusal. She noted the fox seemed to be a bit wet, with faint stains of... It didn't matter. While she didn't care much for the Barbarian the offer was kind in and of itself.

"I want the beast to see me and hopefully stay engaged. You however are an archer and need the concealment. I thank you for the offer, but you actually do need it. Now get ready to-" Before she could finish, Sen carries out yelling and gesturing widely as she looked at the trees time to time, calling out what the knight had done and stating she would have no part in it. She could not speak up about the fact she made mistakes, however what that mistake was, did cause her to speak up as she locked eyes with the other for a brief instant. "Helping those in need is not a mistake." Though, those glances, that was someone pretending everything was fine when it wasn't. By the Goddess, she wasn't going to like this would she?

Rally the troops? I knew it.. With her short sword in hand, Thea switches arms to her Zweihander, putting the smaller blade away before pointing to the rocks as events played out around her. "Defend yourself should you need it, move nowhere till we or the beast lies beaten. I would say run now, but that would only get it to chase." Though she could not yet see it, the massive warhammer flew through the air striking the beast as Sen shouted to them.

Two beasts? Was it only two? Still, if that was a hooktail it was very unusual. Though the hunter did seem to have struck it a bit as he claimed, for what good that did him. Calling out to Sen as she ran, Thea wasn't sure if the woman would hear or not, but still, she would do it all the same, "Swift winds carry you, we shall hold!" She didn't have the time to worry about Rixas and Hyss, they should have come with them, or should she have stuck with the plan and left the man to die? No, her choice was right. They were not enemies and even if he had been warned just callously allowing a preventable death to happen would not be something that would be looked on kindly, least not by herself.

The hammer had struck and yet now that it was back up the beast still came at them. There were two for sure.. But was that all? Even if they killed both, she would lead the team here tomorrow as well, to be sure there were no signs of another.

The only way to secure this site would be to kill or relocate them, or the loggers give up on this section of the forest all together and leave it to these creatures. As doubts started to creep in, Thea shut them out. Reflection would happen when and if they survived this. "To Arms! What we discussed before! Be warry of my blade and do not allow the beast to escape!"

With that Thea charged right at the beast, her zweihander at the ready in a cross guard position, no hesitation at all. Was she not afraid? No she was a bit, but being afraid would not help her here at all.

The plan could not be followed through fully, but now they had little choice but to fight.

Interactions: EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko AnonyMouse Huntertabbysandshark3 Topless

 

[Topless]

Location: Oyten

"...Understood." Sakura did not object to Thea's refusal of the offered cloak. After she had put it back on, she stepped away for Sen to give the knight some sort of speech. Sakura stayed silent throughout the whole ordeal, but even she is not happy with what the elf has got to say to Thea. And then her ears suddenly twitched. They've been spotted. When the hammer was thrown, Sakura retreated to the tree branches as the beast made it's appearance. Sen would yell out something that would puzzle the group as she left the area; there are two beasts.

Whatever thoughts Sakura had, she blocked them off. Even though the plan didn't go as Thea had wanted, some of it can be still be put into motion. As such, when Thea proceeded with her full frontal assault, Sakura began to fire off her arrows aimed for the legs. More specifically, she is going for the joints in order to incapacitate it.

AnonyMouse Reinhardt RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko Huntertabbysandshark3
​

 

[Reinhardt]

Arien Bermille​

Location: Roadside Inn​

"Very well.", Arien said after hearing the three's decision on having the discussion occur before the meal.

"Not quite.", he replied to the recruits' words, regarding a faster means of sweeping the warehouses. "But we can add that to the things we'll be tackling for tonight. That said, let us be-"

His words were cut short by the arrival of the last two members of the group, Endymion and Lupa, which routinely took the remaining empty seats. With the group finally complete, Arien gave a short nod to those who had just arrived, acknowledging and seemingly letting through whatever reason they had for running late - not that being early or otherwise mattered for the current gathering.

"Well then, let us begin.", Arien returned to the usual composure he held, akin to when the guild orientation. "Consider this as an early evaluation of your work, both as a team and as individuals."

Arien began to retrace the events that had transpired early in the day in great detail, almost as if he was indeed present with the group when they entered the warehouse. In the midst of his retelling, he would occasionally point out something or give a remark. He told them that while splitting the group was a good idea to cover more ground, they must learn to be careful with such a tactic, especially in areas that they are not quite familiar with - if the Holzekts weren't mere beasts, they could have been picked off one by one. He also remarked that Talio triggering the Holzekt swarm was an avoidable incident, but understandable given the circumstances they were in.

One of the things that he gave greater emphasis on was that though being alert and swift to act were good traits to have as a Kriegslöwen, they must still learn or at the very least, develop some control and restraint - making note of Lupa's actions to break open a crate despite the fact that their client had requested them to be careful with the wares. He also added that they would most likely have to explain such an incident to the client, should the client deem it to be necessary.

After pointing out some other avoidable, but negligible mistakes, as well as praising them on what they did well, Arien concluded his early evaluation of the group with a sound note.

"You performed well, given the circumstances. I would dare say you are even better as a team than the other group of recruits.", he said, as if to make Cressey hear the not-so-subtle message he was hinting at. "Though you have yet to come to any sort of dispute, so that is still up for change."

He remained silent for a short moment for the recruits to reflect, or revel in his commendation, then went on to change the topic.

"Now I'd like to know what you think of the Holzekt swarm that you had just cleared the warehouse off, given what you've witnessed and found out during your time in the warehouse., he asked them, with a slight tinge of intrigue in his eyes. "How do you think did they come to such a place? Could there be more lying hidden in the smallest nooks and crannies of the warehouse?"

It seemed as if Arien, in the short sweep that he did of the warehouse, had already come to a conclusion. But of course, he had no intention of sharing what information he held - for now, at least.

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

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Currently: waiting for the perfect moment to strike!
Thinking: "Risax... hold out.. I'm with you.. C'mon. C'mon...!"

Location: Oyten
Interacting: everyone on the oyten mission AnonyMouse Huntertabbysandshark3
Mentions:


Hyss remained hidden in her bush wondering if she should've followed the others. She was thinking that, no, she shouldn't. Revealing herself would've been foolish. Shadows stayed hidden. They lost their purpose if revealed by the light. Still... she wondered. Her allies went off that way...

Even if she didn't think they needed to worry about the wounded hunter, since it conflicted with the mission, she still understood why the others went to help. Even if it messed with the mission...

She was lost in her thoughts when there was sudden movement. Erratic, chaotic movement. Her tongue whipped back into her mouth after having caught a different, mangy scent. Snapped out of her thoughts her eyes sharpened and glanced that way. She barely noticed a giant creature descending upon where Risax was supposed to be hiding! It was their quarry! Whatever the beast was, it had found Risax and was after him!

Whether her choice to remain behind was correct, she was at least here for Risax. Instantly the small girl grabbed her glaive. Only to freeze. Was this right? Risax was pretty big, too.. Likely he could handle an attack or two... Maybe.. Though the surprise attack worried her... But... she couldn't just attack. Not yet, right? Hyss bit her lip. Enough to draw blood. Obviously the creature didn't know she was here. Or it would've gone for her! And she probably would've been dead.. with how lost in her thoughts she was. Though, Hyss silently denied that, believing herself capable of avoiding that strike. So, it didn't know she was here. Or it simply wanted a bigger meal to fill its belly.

That meant her own surprise attack was very valuable! She.. She had to wait. Until the exact moment to strike. -Just like the predator itself. She had to make her strike count. If she couldn't fell it then... Then she had to make sure her strike damaged it enough to give her and Risax a fighting chance!

Please, Risax... Hold on... She pleaded in her mind, eyes focused as slits on the chaos, hand and weapon ready, gritting her fangs. She hated it. Hated not jumping to his help instantly. Hated waiting. But if they stood a chance, it was because of her hidden strike.​

 

[Huntertabbysandshark3]

interaction: AnonyMouse Thalia_Neko​

The forest was… quiet as risax walked, he was already on edge having expected to be the one to get jumped by something so when everyone seemed to hush he knew something was very very wrong he’d freeze up for a bit internally panicking as he fumbled around in his mind for what he should do in this situation, then he had an idea he’d raise is arcanizer finally putting it to uses by casting a single spell.. causing a shimmering shied to appear around him.. just in time too as if he’d left it any later he would have been slammed by the hook tails deadly ambush, but instead the beasts pounce slammed into the shimmer topaz glow that had only JUST in time formed around him shattering upon impact, it had saved his.... sizeable arse form the hook tails strike, he’d manage to pull up his hand ballista Firing the bolt into the murderous cat monster scuttling backward in the process, least he wouldn’t fall over with so many legs but it wasn’t necessary as fast as a normal person.