Active &nbsp; [Othaia Frontier] Rescue Kevin&#039;s Friend

Aimi nodded in Desmond’s direction as he admired the glass weapon. "It was made more with function in mind, but aesthetics can play a key role in demoralizing an enemy, so that reaction is a good sign."

She then turned to Velvet, pondering the rather bizarre story. "It sounds like an unfortunate case of propaganda that could have been solved with more effective censorship of undesired narratives. I expect to be able to solve this and similar issues shortly." Having given her sales pitch, Aimi left it there.

Aimi quickly backed away from the window in shock as the monstrous beast showed itself. "What… is that!?" she asked, for once at a loss for words. Goat? Mammoth? Dump? It had the smell of a dump, at least as it let out a powerful breath in her direction. She did not appreciate having a nose in moments like this.

"Well, I… suppose this is bound to be an efficient transportation method, given its size…" she finally concluded, clumsily trying to board what may as well have been a house strapped to the thing’s back.

Skyswimsky · Nov 17, 2024

Aiko

< Human > | < Mundane >

"Woah!" Was the first thing that left Aiko's lips upon seeing the giant beast. The sparkle in her eyes well hidden behind tufts of hair. Having long come to accept the wonders of this new world, she fixated on the hut that was on its back. "So it's like a self-driving capsule trailer! Just less efficient." After all, there was a time when people used horse wagons instead of cars.

The whispers and focus on the A-Rank Adventurer didn't escape the young hero either, leaning over to the side to ask any one of her compatriots. Poking their side. "Pssssst! Is this guy important or something?" Of course, she would eventually find herself boarding the fluffy beast together with the others.

Develius · Nov 18, 2024

Desmond wagged his tail upon hearing Aimi's brief explanation on her 'glass cannon'. Personal firearms were practically unheard of back in the Fantozoica, though cannons were utilized for defense and siege conflicts. And in this world, Desmond had only remembered (supposedly) seeing a few of these guns in non-active use. How this thing would work without shattering seemed beyond Desmond's ability to comprehend... though he supposed he'll find out eventually.

"WOAAAAGH!" The raptor screeched as he tumbled to the ground, "DAS A YUGE GOAT, YEZ!" Standing before him was a giant shaggy beast; the biggest caprine Desmond had ever seen! He looked up at it in sheer awe, recalling the other giant mounts present in his home world. This thing - Tonkis - certainly rivaled what they had in size... though he was more used to them having scales rather than mangles of fur. Then again, those types of beasts were popular on the third continent anyways. "HALLOZ MISTER TONKIS!" the raptor called out, waving his hand to greet the big goat.

The crowd began to murmur as a wizard stepped out from the carriage atop the beast's back. A human male. Relatively young; wearing a robe and a pointy hat akin to those most stereotypical wizard wore. He also sported a staff in hand. As Kevin ran off to grab weapons for the road, Desmond took the opportunity to greet the superior magic man with a bow. "Nice to meet youz fellow Magic Man!" the eager raptor called out, "Desmond's name is Desmond! Desmond's a fellow summoner and magic wielder! Who does Desmond have the great honor in speaking towards?"

Spoiled Bread · Nov 19, 2024

Velvet

"Hmmm... Oh.... bigger fluff...." It didn't take long for Velvet to immediately followed the lizard and jumped into the giant's hair and used the fur to climb to the top. After several moment of disappearing, the vampire emerged atop the beast's head and made herself comfortable on the wooden pedestal.

"Good morning, we will be in your care~" She casually greeted the wizard, seemingly not realizing the significance of the supposed A-rank.

"Are you Kevin's friend?" She asked.

Gwen_Temi · Nov 20, 2024

"Tonkis, eh?" the young conjurer repeated as she caught sight of the large goat creature, "Sure. I can work with this."

Climbing wasn't exact her strong suit, but all of the beast's hair and embroideries gave her plenty of footing and handholds to make use of to climb up onto the beast. A supposed A-grade mage made his way over as the group prepared to embark, though his appearance left... much to be desired as far as Helena was concerned.

"A-ranked Wizard, huh?" Helena would make no effort to hide her skepticism. The wizard could easily dispell it with a worthy display of magic in time. She found her sights drifting towards his... oddly familiar-looking weapon, "Interesting staff you got there."

Gaius Danius Griinia · Nov 20, 2024

Inside the Wizards Sanctum

"Sit anywhere you please. The Wizard has even taken the liberty of bringing out the froggy chair he wrested from the clutches of an evil Tanuki thief. Be not alarmed at the creature on the windowsill. He is merely the Wizards familiar, King Turkey. As long as he is made aware you have no ill intent. King Turkey will be happy to share the windowsill" said the Wizard, acting as if the seemingly mundane or moderately interesting objects inside his hut had some deeper meaning. The Wizard himself was pretty normal looking despite the very garish white getup. However he did prove to the gathered individuals his credentials as an adventurer after showing them his guild card, which had a faint gold tint to indicate his A-Rank ADVENTURER status. Kevin had returned at this point, freshly armed with what appeared to be a potlid shield and some kind of rusty machete that looked barely sharp enough to cut butter.

"As you may have heard earlier. The one you see before you is The Wizard. True to this moniker. The Wizard seeks only the secrets of the arcane, no matter where they may hide themselves. Kevin over there once assisted the Wizard when a group of sand people tried to steal Tonkis so they could EAT him. Getting you to and from the ruins is the Wizards way of repaying this debt. However the Wizard has no interest in Kevins conflict with the gnomes. It will be up to all of you to wrest the Burning One from their hold" uttered the Wizard, using a convenient blackboard to explain all of this to everyone. Kevin had taken the time to start digging through The Wizards cabinets in search of food. As for Helena's misunderstanding on his ranking. The Wizard was about to give a grand and elaborate speech on how the world simply wasn't ready to classify him properly as a prospective A-Rank Wizard. Kevin cut through the fluff and told it like HE saw it. "Silly Fren Helena. Wizard only big important at guild because he worky work lot of quest. Important Magic people just think Wizard annoying, Kevin understand this" stated the foul smelling lizard so matter-of-factly that The Wizard deflated for a moment.

The entire hut began shaking as Tonkis immediately began trotting away from the guild hall towards the ruins. It may have been a bit upsetting to the stomach for those with motion sickness. However the Wizard offered a lovely herbal tea for everyone to partake in to help ease their first time Tonkis sickness. Noticing Helena looking at his staff, The Wizard showed it to her in closer detail. "The Wizard obtained this relic by helping the Sage of the Forest fight against the Fae. It was made from the arm bark of his mighty Wicker Man familiar" said the very proud Wizard. At this point, King Turkey had left his usual perch to curiously prod at the guests his master had brought. His appearance was that of a chick but his size gave away his identity as a magical beast. Confused by whatever Desmond was, King Turkey gently pecked at his feathers before chirping out a greeting. Not sure what the deal was with Aiko not showing her eyes, he covered his with both wings before running around her feet. Finally he stared up at Aimi but ran away when her gaze was a bit too intense for him.

1 Hour until Arrival

Spoiled Bread · Nov 23, 2024

Velvet

"Please excuse us~" Velvet said as she stepped into the room. It looks a pretty comfortable place, but the sight of the green froggy chair piqued her interest.

"C-can I?" she asked for the wizard's permission before taking a seat on the green chair, all while grinning from ear to ear like a kid. The chair looks like something that came from her previous world so she felts a sense of nostalgic feeling as she sat on it. She remember having something like this when she was 10 or so years old. It was the yellow electric mouse plastic chair is she remembers correctly.

As the King Turkey left his spot to inspect the guests. Velvet kneeled forward and opened her arms, inviting the familiar to come into her embrace. The giant chick looks so bouncy, so fluffy and so juicy that she couldn't help but want to ruffle him a bit.

Tau · Nov 24, 2024

Aimi

Aimi stumbled into the room, which felt oddly unstable as the giant creature below gently rocked it up and down with deep breaths. Despite the unease that came from the gentle waves of giant goat breath, it was a cozy looking place. At least, that was, until Kevin showed up. Aimi’s nose scrunched up involuntarily, as she wished desperately to return to her former, digital existence. The sweet sweet home of what some might call ‘cyberspace.’ Either way, smell was quite possibly the worst physical sensation humans were capable of, and this, the worst of the worst

"I see," Aimi replied to The Wizard shortly, crossing her arms and showing a clear distrust in the man. "Well, thank you for your assistance," she added, wandering around the room. Despite The Wizard’s invitation, she didn’t sit down at all, choosing instead to inspect and investigate some of the ‘magical’ items. Poking around and learning more about how this magic system functions would surely help speed up her technological growth, she thought, though something told her The Wizard had a tendency to exaggerate a bit.

"Can I help you?" Aimi replied to King Turkey, as the strange little chick glanced up at her. She stared back. In her mind, it’d been a calm look. Inquisitive, yet approachable. Facial expressions were still a bit new to her, though. It was one thing to know the muscles of a human face, and another to know how to use them. Aimi watched as it ran away, shrugging and moving on.

"Hm… Mr. The Wizard, you wouldn’t happen to have any books describing the intricacies of this world’s warfare, would you? I imagine ‘magic’ has significant use in combat?"

Once again, she’d intended that to come out friendly sounding, but it sounded completely detached and even a bit psychopathic. She’d have to work on that.

Skyswimsky · Nov 25, 2024

Aiko

< Human > | < Mundane >

"Uuuhhh...." Rejection. Helena, the person she had poked to inquire about 'The Wizard' (as they both shared the same sort of hat), ignored Aiko! Confused, the black-haired human AI tilted her head as she watched the female magician climb up the goat. Had Aiko offended Helena in some way? Maybe Aiko didn't poke aggressively enough! Ultimately, what happened happened and she could only move on. Or up in this case.

"UUhhh...." Not only was this method of transportation more inconvenient, but it was also quite turbulent! It took the young woman a little bit to catch her balance and take in the weirdness of the room. The Wizard was strange, the doodads were weird, but the bird was- "Oh my gosh, aren't you the cutest!" Aiko grinned from one end of her face to the other, combined with the hair in place of eyes, she looked more like a psychopath than hero! So it was no surprise that the tasty chicken continued on to greet the other guests.

Thus, Aiko instead re-focused her efforts on 'The Wizard'. Her grin now replaced by quite a neutral expression she took some slow and steady steps towards him. Poke. She squished his cheek. Her face was as neutral as Aimi's voice. "What can you do?"

Gwen_Temi · Nov 26, 2024

"Still impressive." she replied to Kevin.

Guy might not've have much in the way of accolated amongst academics, but he probably saw far more danger and challenge than them on a daily basis all the same. Still, his rank with the adventurer's guild certainly wasn't something she would've suspected given his choice in familiar... and decorum. It was a shame that they wouldn't have him alongside them during the rescue mission, but at least they weren't going to have to walk all the way.

And besides, Kevin looked more prepared for it now then he ever did.

Velvet was getting comfortable, Aimi started playing with The Wizard's familiar, Aiko began to inquire about books and Helena... well, she was starting to wonder what their schedule was going to look like riding in a house atop a giant goat.

"Oh, Great Wizard... er... 'The Wizard'," she began, "How long of a trip are we expecting here? Should I stay alert or find somewhere to kick my shoes off and take a quick nap?"

Develius · Nov 27, 2024

As Desmond entered the hut atop the giant goat, the young bard was rather impressed at the neat decor and furniture arranged within. It was like a cozy private study room, being accommodated by numerous bookshelves and other necessities. A nice comfy bed, a warm furnace for those colder nights... oh it was lovely! Desmond wished to have a room quite as nice as this. Even his dorm room was lacking... and he was in a magic school! Though as he gazed out at the windowsill, he'd see a large avian sitting derply with a cute expression, who was referred as "King Turkey".

"BYRD!" Desmond cried as he inspected it curiously. His eyes were wide and his head playfully cocked to the side, eagerly attempting to communicate with him while sniffing him. "King Turkeyz! Meet the great and mighty Desmond! Youz wanna be Desmond's friend?" The bird seemed a bit confused as to what Desmond was, gently pecking at his feathers with what sounded like a friendly greeting. The raptor giggled upon being pecked. "Oohoohoo ticklely!" Desmond yipped, "You and Desmond are both feathery folk! Desmond heard that saurians and birds are closely related... does that make you Desmond's long lost cousin, mayhaps?"

Shortly after, the man would introduce himself in kind. "Wizard's name is... Wizard?" Desmond asked curiously intrigued by his so-called titled name, "Wellz, Mister Wizard, nice to meet youz!" Backstory wise, the Wizard explained how Kevin had helped to save Tonkis from being eaten by sand people, which was enough to him to offer ferrying the group towards the ruins. However, he would decline from directly joining Kevin's fury against the gnomes.

"But big goat can crush gnomes under giant hooves like antz!" Desmond countered the Wizard, almost as if attempting to convince him to join, "May knock down ruin blocks too! Should be effortless task for Tonkis, yez? Makes mission go quicker too!" Admittedly, he was still more than willing to go at it alone with friends, but it was fun for him to try and probe for a reason regardless.

As Tonkis began to get the move on, Desmond attempting to search the bookshelves for any spellbooks or interesting mundane books to read in order to pass the time.

Gaius Danius Griinia · Nov 27, 2024

The Tonkis Runner Strides Across the Forest Floor

King Turkey was quite happy to have guests considering just playing with his master could get boring. He was still quite scared of Kevin given that the lizard always looked ready to pounce on the chick at any moment. While he had no idea what Desmond was saying. King Turkey could at least tell that the small raptorkin was being friendly. Once Velvet offered her embrace to him. The hefty little bird ran headfirst into her arms. Whilst stoking the fireplace so he could use it to heat his iron kettle for more tea. The Wizard could only look on in dismay as King Turkey was making it seem like he was starved for affection. The little chick had come into his care after his own inexperience with magic caused a rockslide that an avaricious hunter took advantage of to bag many of King Turkeys family members. The Wizard was able to save everyone except King Turkeys parents. Taking in the chick was the Wizards way of atoning; intending on raising the bird until he was strong enough to lead a flock of his own.

Aimi's inquiry took The Wizard by surprise. He was confused as to why she would desire something like books on warfare. "The Wizard has no tomes on the matters of war. He actively avoided requests from the Empire to join in the most recent conflict with the Fae. However he does have this beginner guide to combat magic written by the magus Skil'Izue. There are also research notes on how the Wizard acquired different elemental affinities over on that shelf" said the Wizard while handing one of said notes for Aimi to read. At first glance it was a mixture of a diary entry and chicken scratch. Aimi's intelligence would allow here to parse the hidden secrets. It detailed The Wizards attempts to obtain Lightning affinity. At first he had done actions like having his Orc friends touch him with static electricity. After that it was actions like grabbing on to shock-eels while they tried to bite his face off. Finally there were a few pages about The Wizard standing in storms so he could get struck by lightning, varying his methods to adjust to the feeling of being electrified.

Next was Aiko's questions about what his capabilities were. "The Wizard is a wizard, eyeless woman. His power lies in study and experimentation. He has tamed the mighty King Turkey and reared the strong bodied Tonkis. Although he is currently serving as chauffeur. The Wizard is still a wizard through and through" whispered The Wizard, his red eyes staring intently at Aiko's lack of eyes. Pouring more tea for everyone while making sure Kevin didn't try to eat King Turkey. The Wizard turned his attention to Helena and Desmond. "The Tonkis Runner should arrive at the ruins within the hour. Rest while you can. No doubt the gnomes will have employed their vile farm-grown protectors to deter you from rescuing the Burning One. The Wizard has no desire to involve himself in such matters. Hence why it is important that you make sure you are prepared" stated the Wizard, blunt as ever with his words. He then proceeded to use his mighty arcane powers to mold a block of ice into the shape of a chinchilla.

Spoiled Bread · Dec 1, 2024

Velvet

Velvet pampered the King Turkey in her arms, stroking and pinching it like it was her own cat. The soft feeling of his feathers made her think that maybe she should get a pet after this. Maybe something energetic like a dog since her career as adventurers mean she's going to move around a lot.

"Here, here. Do you want to eat this?" Velvet offered King Turkey one of her living food. The leech on her hand wiggled frantically like a fat caterpillar.

Develius · Dec 2, 2024

Desmond still wasn't quite sure why the Wizard still distanced himself from what should be a cake walk with Tonkis walking over their quarry... but alas it wouldn't matter much to the young raptor. While the wizard recommended they all rest and prepare for the conflict at hand, Desmond's energy was still up and unbound. There was still some time to kill... better he use it for something. Desmond hopped onto a chair before pulling out his guitar and began strumming a tune.

"Marching forth, up to the north,
We come henceforth with blazing mirth!
Gather your spells, your gels, and your bells,
The gnomies end will send em to hells!
Magics and tinkery they may compress
But we possess the power to success!
Victory here and glory to bare,
Beware foul fae, we are here to slay!"

Gwen_Temi · Dec 2, 2024

"An hour? That should be plenty of time," Helena replied before waltzing over to a corner, taking a seat and leaning up against it, "Wake me up when we arrive."

She tipped her hat forward until it both covered her face and blocked out the light. Then, unless she was interrupted, she'd gently drift into slumber. Better to tackle a mission fully rested when you can.

Skyswimsky · Dec 3, 2024

Aiko

< Human > | < Mundane >

"Hmmm..." Aiko narrowed her eyes... MAYBE she narrowed her eyes. Who knew? "Why is 'The Wizard' speaking of himself in third person? Is this some dialect?" She wondered out loud, just the same as Kevin did. "But The Wizard sounds like he has been on many epic adventures! Aiko wants to go, too, alas she has to make sure Aimi isn't setting her most vile plans into proper motion." Finally, she too gave a little in to assume their manner of speech. Fit in with the locals and all!

... Though having lots more energy than the 'bookworms' around her, an hour wasn't even worth starting to rest for!

Tau · Dec 4, 2024

Aimi

"Hm…" Aimi took a long look at The Wizard as he answered her query. "That would be an acceptable alternative," she answered quietly, selecting the book he pointed out and beginning to read. Her face soured slightly, however, once she realized just how slowly her fleshy eyes were absorbing the data.

"What a nuisance." She was speaking to herself, but the timing was uncomfortably right after Desmond started singing, and Velvet unveiled a leech, leaving the interpretation up in the air. "You have a very ‘hands on’ approach to research. While this can be effective, it can also be dangerous and lead to serious injury or death. You should always look to consult a trained professional before y—" she cut herself off suddenly. "Never mind."

Aiko earned herself a very awkward looking eye-roll. Briefly, Aimi opened her mouth as if to speak, but closed it again shortly after.

Gaius Danius Griinia · Dec 4, 2024

"Say Humphrey. Why is it that we're guarding this here entrance to an abandoned ruin here in the middle of nowhere? Not like some archaeologist is going to STUMBLE in with a permit to search"

"Right you are Bernard. However the chances of adventurers trying to get through here are still high enough that the higher ups assigned us to guard the entrance"

"I'm just saying Humphrey. If the higher ups really wanted to keep people away from this place. They could have just bought it. No doubt they have the political clout and financial power to scoop this place up even IF its an important place out here. Its just frontier lands round these parts"

"Nono what you aren't understanding Bernard is that the higher ups wanted this whole operation to be hush hush. Now I'm certain they COULD have bought this here ruin. It'd just draw too much attention if they did. Same reason why its only us two guarding the entrance rather than a troop of elite security officers.... whats that sound?"

SQUISH

"Aw Tonkis, you've killed someone again. Hopefully they weren't too important otherwise the Wizard will have to tackle a bunch of PAPERWORK"

Tonkis had elected NOT to follow the path that the Wizard had instructed him to take. Instead the massive goat had veered off of a slope, causing everything in the hut to shake. Kevin in particular was puking over the edge onto some mulberry bushes. King Turkey was practically attached to Velvet given how terrifying the experience had been for him. The Wizard was a little shaken himself but elected to focus on the matter at hand. Poking his head out of the hut to scan the area. He could see that they had arrived at their destination. Kevins directions could be pretty spotty but the fact he had followed the gnomes here on foot just a few days ago spoke to his determination.

"Frens.... is ruin where Friend is being held....bleh......we go now to save him....bleh" was all Kevin could muster given the experience he just had. The lizardkin rolled off of the foundation where the hut was seated and onto the grass. Once back on stable and solid ground. Kevin immediately got up and began running around in a circle on all fours. His attention was grabbed by something that smelled like food. Underneath that pillar that Tonkis had knocked over were two squashed lumps of meat. Kevin wandered over and picked up what looked to be an arm. Blowing some fire onto the severed appendage. He proceeded to stuff his face with the remnants of whatever person that arm belonged to. Kevin, with arm still in his mouth; picked up a severed leg and waddled on over to Velvet. Since it was still dripping with blood. He assumed she'd be able to drink it.

"This place is an unnamed ruin that the gnomes have taken interest in. Beyond that archway lies the brigands who absconded with the Burning One. Once Kevin is done with his snack. You'd best be wary. The orcs and ogres engineered in their farms are bred for battle. No doubt they're fully armed and awaiting the chance to crack your skull open once they find you.... before you go....please rate the Wizard five stars so he can receive a free meal ticket from the Guild" stated the Wizard while holding out a small clipboard with a form attached.

Spoiled Bread · Dec 6, 2024

Velvet

Velvet tighten her hug on King Turkey when the hut suddenly shook as the goat decided to go off the road. Thankfully it didn't take long before they finally reached their destination. Velvet put down King Turkey and gave him a few last pats on the head.

"We will be going now, be a good bird okay?"

Sliding down back into the ground, the vampire shielded her eyes from the sunlight, gradually veered off under the shade of a nearby pillar. The lizard approached her and handed her a freshly disembodied leg of an unknown person. Velvet smiled at the lizard and took the leg.

"Thank you Kevin, I will save this for later." Putting the leg on the ground, she then placed her leeches on it. The leeches immediately noticed the fresh blood and started drinking from the leg like a line of kittens sucking milk from their mother. Their already bloated body became even bigger.

Develius · Dec 7, 2024

Sometime later after what felt like hours of Desmond's screeching melodies, the young bard grew tired and proceeded to nap the rest of the trip. Yet as the hut shook upon the big goat deciding to take a detour, the raptor bolted awake with an ear-splitting squawk. "WUZ GOIN' ON?!" Desmond cried madly as he held onto a bookshelf for dear life. Then a thick book from one of the top shelves got dislodged and bonked the poor raptor on his head. With a yip, Desmond fell to the ground with a pained grunt, knocking himself out briefly until Tonkis finally arrived at their destination.

"Oooooogh..." the raptor grumbled drowsily as he slowly got to his feet, "Whatz happened... is Desmond deadz or alivez?" His question would be quickly answered as Kevin came in to confirm their destination, with the faint stench of vomit permeating his scaly lips. "DESMONDZ ALIVEZ!!!" the bard screeched joyfully before proceeding to go outside to check their surroundings. A lush forest lain before them, coupled with the cacophonic noise coming of all manners of fauna echoing around them. In addition to the massive trees towering above them, old stone pillars and rubble littered the forest floor... these were the ruins. With the air was crisp and the sun high in the sky, their adventure could now formally begin.

Hopping down from the great goat's hide, Desmond was eager to head deeper in to find the ruins, but forced himself to wait for the others. That's when he noticed Kevin circling around towards one of these massive pillars, picking at the meaty gory scraps of recent casualties brought down by the great goat itself. Desmond was unaware of how this came to be, but seeing the lizardfolk EAT the arm of a once sentient person caused the raptor to reel in silent disgust and horror; his eyes wide and beady from what he bore witness to. Even more horrifyingly, Kevin brought a dismembered leg to the soft-spoken Velvet who... had blood-sucking leeches gorging themselves on the blood that she claims she'll use for LATER?!

How... how gross! How awful and gross indeed!

Even for a small sentient theropod carnivore, the world in which the Deinonychian came from had prohibited the consumption of other sentient life under any circumstances. Animal and monster meat were already plenty sufficent both in dietary and taste anyways. Even here he'd never seen cannibalism or anything of the sort take place before. To him it was quite the culture shock. "WHY EAT LEG FROM POOR PEOPLEZ?!" the raptor cried horrifyingly towards Kevin and Velvet as he began coughing and gagging exaggeratively the thought of tasting such flesh, "DAS GROSS! YUCKY! MAKES POOR DESMOND SICK! EGH!" Was this some sort of practice nobody told him before? Was this legal? Was this ILLEGAL? Desmond was more than utterly confused.

In the meantime, the wizard would address to them the location they're in, as well as warning them what they may encounter going forth. Upon being given a clipboard, with directions to give the Wizard five stars, the raptor unquestioningly followed his orders and scratched the five star rating. "Desmond done didz dat." the raptor replied, trying to distract himself from the traumatizing experience he witnessed just minutes earlier, "Lez go save fren! Yez!"

Skyswimsky · Dec 8, 2024

Aiko

< Human > | < Mundane >

"Abpdsfdfsdgnasfarfaaaaaaaaaaa" Aiko gave unrecognizable sounds from herself as the Goat Carriage decided to make the last stretch of her journey a tad more adventurous. As a sentient ex-AI, she had never experienced a bumpy goat ride before!

"Urgh..." Leaving the now-stopped animal behind and patting down her hair, the young hero looked for Aimi. "Are you okay?" She asked for just a moment before addressing the wizard. "I can not give the ride a five-star rating with good conscience!" Scribbling down:

The Ride was okay. The end had been too bumpy. There's a cute chicken. 4/5

The Wizard would go hungry, unlike Velvet and Kevin.

"WHY EAT LEG FROM POOR PEOPLEZ?!"

"It's not like they need those anymore, do they?" The fledgling Hero tilted her head, unfazed by the whole happening. Staring at the two dead bodies squashed under the giant animal for just a moment, Aiko refocused her attention on the way forward. Nodding to Desmond in agreement. "Yeah, lets."

Gwen_Temi · Dec 8, 2024

Helena was a bit of a heavy sleeper.

No doubt the symptom of the cushy life she lead before setting out into the world to further her studies into summoning and teleportation. She wasn't stirred to life until the sound of Desmond screaming-

"DESMONDZ ALIVEZ!!!"

-woke her from her slumber. She stared at him like he was insane for a hot minute before slowly working her way back up onto her feet and enjoying a good stretch. She was going to need it for the climb down the Tonkis' back. Desmond, again, drew her attention as he started shouting at Kevin and Velvet in protest of some supposed cannibalism going on. Given how Helena would probably be relying on both of them for survival in the next few minutes, she made a mental note of their... concerning culinary tastes but put that issue aside so that they could focus on the mission.

And the wizard's review.

They'd gotten to the ruins alive, and at no expense out of her pocket, so she went ahead and gave him the five stars.

"Alright. Let me go ahead and do this, now."

Before the group could find themselves in danger. Helena decided to go ahead and prepare for an upcoming battle. She pulled out "The Book of Creation" from the satchel on her side, opened it, and held it up with her left hand. Then, she would wave her right over it, a dim light beginning to illuminate the the ink etched within as the pages began to flutter wildly. She would chant, softly, as she calculated her spell. Then, she would throw her hand forward and summon-

...well, she wasn't entirely sure, yet.

At her current skill level, it was always a mystery what she might bring into battle unless she was summoning something on the same plane of existence. And, right now, she wasn't. A plume of smoke would erupt from a space just 5ft in front of her; concealing her conjured creature for a few fleeting moments. Hopefully, when it cleared, it would reveal a creature that was ready to kick some gnome ass.

...

Or at least something that could hold its own in a scrap.

Actions (3/3)
1) Exit the Tonkis Hut.
2&3) Cast [Summon Creature Proper] to summon an entity to fight for the group and analyze its abilities to prepare for the upcoming battle.

Summon Creature Proper- Magic E, Magic Duration F, Summoning (1) F, Appraisal (1) E- Helena invokes the Book of Creation to summon an F grade creature within 30 feet of her current location and have it reemerge as her ally within 5 feet of her current location. She immediately receives information about its abilities and nature. If there is no suitable creature on the same plane, or she chooses not to summon a creature on the same plane, then she will summon something from another plane of existence. She has no control over what she summons in this instance, only what it does after being summoned.- 2 Actions, Range 5ft, Summon Range 30ft, Duration 1 hour- Grade E- 1 Post Cooldown.

Tau · Dec 9, 2024

Aimi

Aimi made her best effort to read the entire trip, which was made exceedingly difficult with the constant tremors and squawking that might have passed for music in some other universe. Thankfully, she had a steel-willed focus, when it came to absorbing useful knowledge, so she did… reasonably well. Better than average, at least.

"Did you just say someone died…?" Aimi had ignored a lot, but the declaration that someone had just casually been killed was a pretty extreme distraction. Humans truly were fragile as paper. Terrifying.

Dismounting, she witnessed the baffling decision to roast dismembered mystery meat and then infest it with leeches, which elicited a certain reaction from her that would best be described as… disgust? It would be appropriate. This reaction didn’t move her facial muscles in the slightest.

"It’s generally more effective to simply simulate the desired review score and disregard user input, as humans tend to have certain cognitive biases that can be at odds with the objective quality of a product or service." Aimi nodded at The Wizard, passing on the review board and handing him back his book instead. She turned to the mission at hand.

"Let’s try to find and establish a killzone and lure them into it. Some area in which we hold a significant upperhand and, ideally, can bottleneck the incoming forces so we can take them out, one by one, with all of our combat abilities combined. This should minimize casualties and ensure a solid victory for— what are you doing?" Aimi cut herself off as the witch suddenly began casting a spell.

Gaius Danius Griinia · Dec 10, 2024

The Party Faces the Gates to their Quest

Skyswimsky

Spoiled Bread