Graded [Ryken City] - The Birds and The Horned Rabbits

[Novama]

Mentions: Clyvelle Youpi NeramoDJI
OOC: Post in whatever order you like and rp among each other if you like as well.
Time: 10am
Weather: Cool but not cold, clear blue sky
Post Listening:

Intro​

This chapter in Isekai Hell will chronicle the efforts of Jareth and Dahlia (and others) to obtain membership with the Adventurer's Guild in Ryken. Michael will be supervising the mission and will report to the guild on the results. Their test for joining the guild will be to aid in the annual effort of curbing the Horned Rabbit population. Each spring time, the Horned Rabbit population explodes. As the population grows, their territory expands to accommodate their numbers. This leads to them becoming an infestation to farming villages and travelers in the plains and prairies of Ryke. Job will be completed after they haul back a sufficient number of rabbits. All test takers will be tasked with cooperating with each other to take down the rabbits as they are encountered. Nests are especially prized. If found, they can be destroyed or collected for greater reward. They have one day to meet quota. Greater reward will be issued for exceeding quota in time limit.

The horned rabbit was a common monster animal in the wilderness of Ryke. Sticking primarily to the plains and fields, it feeds off the naturally growing vegetation in the area. Like regular rabbits, they have large families and live in holes in the ground. Unlike regular rabbits, they are slightly larger and have horns on their heads that allow them to fend off predators. It is best to keep distance from such creatures. If they perceive you as an invader of their territory, then they will use their larger build to launch themselves at a target with incredible force. Their tackles can knockdown grown men. Their horn attack has proven fatal if well placed as well. Meat is considered tasty. Horn is as valuable as the meat to those in the magic industry and alchemists. F grade creature notable for its speed in quick attacks and evasive maneuvers. White, brown, and gray coloration on most.

The fields of Ryke are particularly fertile and make great farmland. Whether grazing animals or growing crops, the land is just waiting for cultivation. The only thing holding up progress would be the lack of manpower to force back antagonistic forces enough to make it happen. That said, much of Ryke is an unspoiled beauty of vibrant colors both in plains and forest. The fields that day were exceptionally pleasant. A good day for monster hunting with good visibility and low chance of injury or weather induced fatigue.

Michael would be in the rear of the party pulling the empty cart for hauling back their hunt. He would be present to answer questions and give guidance as needed. He led them to the general area north of Ryken where they had been assigned. They were still within sight of Ryken when they encountered their first Horned Rabbit. It was nibbling on some field flowers and had yet to notice the party. It was still a ways off and not appraisable yet. Michael parked the cart and watched the party intently for how they would handle the situation. It could either be a promising start or the beginning of a long day.

 

[Youpi]

Interactions: Novama Clyvelle

Earlier that morning, before their party left for the plains outside Ryken, already donning her suit of armor with sword and backpack in tow, Dahlia paid a visit to Oslo's to inform him of her plans for the day. The bell that dangled just above the entrance gently rang as Dahlia entered the premises of the medical facility.

"Oslo." Her voice was cold and monotonous. The old man had his back turned, his head buried in on of his medical books. "I'll be hea-." Interrupted by a raised hand, Oslo gestured to the table beside Dahlia. Without averting his gaze from his book, he wished her a good trip. "Do be careful, Dahlia." Smiling slightly, Dahlia took the sheathed hunting knife that had been prepared for her and went on her way. "See you, Oslo."

-------------------------​

Compared to how winter was, Dahlia was pleasantly surprised at how peaceful the weather was. Though on a mission under the adventurers guild, it felt like a sunny day stroll. It was something she could have gotten used to.

Upon laying eyes on the horned rabbit, Dahlia brought her sword close to her side. It was an oversized rabbit with a long horn. There wasn't much to say about it. And if she was being honest, Dalia wasn't all that intimidated by it.

Turning to Michael, an official adventurer task to supervise their mission, Dahlia made certain she was just being naive rather than foolish. "Michael, these rabbits. How dangerous are they?" Dahlia wondered whether they were just massive pests or an actual threat to the capital when left alone. Seeing the cart Michael brought along, chances were that the former was correct.

Regardless of the answer Dahlia was going to receive, at the end of the day, they were going to face them the rabbits. "So, Jareth. Any suggestions on how we'll handle this?" Dahlia asked her fellow novice as she stared at the horned rabbit in the distance. Two on one might have seemed shameless, but it was better than just losing.

 

[Clyvelle]

Jareth Fletcher​

Admittedly, adventuring wasn't something that appealed to Jareth much. Being away from the city and all its convenience was an absurd thought to Jareth, who had not left Ryken once since he had arrived as a child. There was danger outside the walls of the city. Danger and chaos. Neither of which were appealing concepts to Jareth, whose only thought had been to serve indefinitely under Master Nolan at the eyeglass shop. It took a simple observation from Master Nolan to open Jareth's mind to other possibilities: "I won't be around forever, Jareth. I'm flattered you think so highly of me, but you'll need to strike out on your own someday."

Such was how Jareth found himself stepping outside the walls of Ryken for the first time. Michael was more than happy to show him the ropes, help him get his feet wet in this adventuring stuff. He even helped Jareth pick out his first weapon: a sling. Fairly simple thing being nothing more than a few strips of leather. Good for medium ranged targets. Jareth wasn't sure if he could use it on a person, but he also considered the possibility of using the sling as a deterrent against Osman and his cohorts. That remained to be seen, however, as Osman had yet to make an appearance since the other day. Witnesses complicate things.

In any case, here they were in the fields outside of Ryken to exterminate some rabbits. Jareth wasn't sure how he felt about killing, but generally saw it as justified in this case since the animal in question was considered a pest. Maybe he could just assist the other individual Michael brought along , Dahlia, to do the killing for him.

"Well...I, uh, think not getting impaled by their horns might be a good start." Jareth responded. "Michael if I hit one with a rock, assuming I don't kill it, is it more likely to flee or charge us?"

 

[NeramoDJI]

Matt
​

Matt had been simply walking around before this mission, aimlessly searching for something to do to start his journey, until he overheard about the adventurers guild, thinking that was the best place to start out of any. He had come in to the building, and been told of a starter mission he could go on for hunting a large number of horned rabbits, and upon hearing the word hunting he signed on without hesitation.

He had joined the hunt and hadn't talked much unless he was spoken to, and decided to open up with his opinion upon Michael asking, looking over as he loaded up his quiver, the bow he wore slung around his back. Matt felt no qualms with hunting animals, seeing as he believed they had no thoughts or humanity to them, so with a small noise of him standing he looked over to the others.

"They're probably not that dangerous. Otherwise the guild would have a bigger level of concern than sending a bunch of new adventurers and an overseer." He said, gesturing to Michael. "I wouldn't know where to start looking for them, but I do know when we see them, I won't miss." He said, gesturing to his arrows. "But I don't think getting high ground would help much, since they probably are hard to see in the grass unless you're right on them." He said, trying to rule out options that wouldn't be likely to work. "I don't really have much thoughts myself on how to find em, you guys just point me where to shoot."

 

[Elvario]

Regula
​

Mentions: Michael Novama | Dahlia Youpi | Jareth Clyvelle | Matt NeramoDJI

Regula wasn't in the greatest of moods. Her dragon-hunt led her to the tracks of what was an oversized lizard at best, which also looked like it'd already been attacked by someone before she'd gotten to it. It quickly made her lose interest, as chasing an overgrown lizard all the way into the mountains was more time-consuming than it'd be worth. Besides, it didn't look like the villagers were interested in chasing the wanna-be-dragon any further either, now that it didn't seem to pose a threat to them, so in that regard, it could be considered a job done.

That said, she had made her way back home to work at Rossle's forge without feeling the slightest bit satisfied. Having travelled so far for pretty much no return was a huge disappointment. She also hadn't even fired her gun once, even though she was eager to test it out in practice. It's why the talk of some adventurers piqued her interested whilst she was working her forge, as they mentioned some annual rabbit hunt. It sounded like those rabbits would make great target practice and building up a good relation with the Guild might be worthwhile in the long run.

After obtaining some more information and noting down a few things of note, namely that they'd be tested on cooperation and that nests were prized the most, she set out to the site from which they'd start the hunt. The trip towards it was a pleasant one, as the fields around Ryken were always a pleasure to walk through and the weather was pleasant. It wasn't too difficult to spot the group she'd been looking for, as the empty cart stood out among the open fields.

As she approached them, however, her eye instantly caught one of the fanciest weapons she'd ever seen in her time here. A solid looking Mithril short-sword that, for as far as she could tell, had some special things going on. It wasn't used as a catalyst like her own gear, however, so she wasn't sure what exactly it was. As she approached its owner (Michael), she attempted to use [appraisal] on it, before realising she was being a little rude. “Ah, I'm sorry, but that is one of the fanciest blades I've seen in a while. Anyhow, I'm Regula, I'm here for the rabbit hunt. I'm assuming you're here for it as well?”

She glossed over the others. They were all Humans, like her, but other than one of them having a pretty fancy looking silver bow, nothing stood out. That's when she recalled the team-work part that had been mentioned. It'd be best to properly introduce herself to all of them, rather than just the guy with the fanciest sword. They'd probably already picked up on her name from before, but if they were to work together, she'd better tell them about her little project. Guns weren't all that common, after all, so it'd be rude to assume everyone would recognise her weapon for what it was. “It's nice meeting all of you. For those wondering, I'm here to try out this weapon I've made. It uses magic to launch projectiles at enemies and while it takes some time to charge and makes a fair bit of noise, it should make for a hard-hitting impact. The noise might lure in or chase off any rabbit in the area though, depending on how vicious they are or how far we're into their territory. Anyhow, I'll be looking forwards to working with all of you~”

 

[Novama]

Mentions: Clyvelle Youpi NeramoDJI Elvario
OOC: Order is still loose until you start engaging in combat. We are gonna shoot for faster posting pace if everyone can keep up.
Time: 10:10am
Weather: Cool but not cold, clear blue sky
Post Listening:

Michael​

Michael acknowledged Regula's greeting and nodded to her. Once everyone was gathered, Michael left the cart where it was to stand near everyone so he could speak without shouting. His voice was relaxed and youthful and his face didn't show any tension or discomfort.

"I'm Michael. I'll be supervising this outing on behalf of the guild. Those that prove themselves will be given membership. Those that do well may get to skip some of the mandatory trainings for rookies. Mark is right. The rabbits aren't particularly dangerous. Just keep your eyes open and don't let their horns hit you straight on or in the head. As mentioned in the quest brief, they are very territorial. We are still out the outside of their territory, so our troubles will be minimal. Things will be different when we start going in. There will be several more of them and they have a tendency to fight rather than flee."

Looking at everyone, he added,

"We are also more than equipped for the task. Our mostly ranged methods of attack should hopefully take the rabbits out before they have a chance to leverage their extreme speed. Explosions could be a problem though. At first, it may cause some to flee, but once we get into their territory, they will behave like cornered beasts than regular rabbits. Loud noises will gather the others. Not overly concerning so long as we avoid fatal injury. However, part of our goal is to bring back pelts. I hope you don't blow them all to pieces,"

Michael spoke the last to Regular with a concerned expression. Meanwhile, the rabbit ahead of them had not yet noticed them as it gently scooted from flower to flower. It was still a big far off, but it's ears were straight up and craning. It likely wouldn't take much to send the rabbit running.

Having hopefully answered the questions asked of him, Michael briefly mentioned his shortsword that drew Regula's eyes when she approached.

"It was a gift from a friend and apprentice of Rossle's smithy in Ryken. I call it Alpha. Looks a bit different now, but it was the first weapon I ever owned. It's seen as much action as I have."

He pulled on the sword just enough so the blade's blue glow was visible over the sheath. Channels for mana infusion were barely visible in the metal. He dropped the hilt and the blade sheathed itself. Michael sighed just a bit as he moved closer to the kart. Wasn't his place to get in the way of their efforts and he had talked enough. Time to take in the nice weather.

Spoiler: Horned Rabbit

Northern Ryken Plains

 

[Youpi]

Interactions: Novama Clyvelle NeramoDJI Elvario

Dahlia's previous apprehensions were quelled after hearing what Michael had to say. Her shoulders did not drop, nor her posture changed, but her tense muscles had relaxed. Holding on to her blade by its sheath, Dahlia looked at the unsuspecting creature and sighed. As much as she wanted to put her self-thought skills to the test, she had no plans of stepping forward to take on the rabbit. The thought of having the rest wait while she tried to have a duel with what could have been an oversized pet had little appeal to her. With the armor she was wearing, just getting close without startling it would have been a challenge by itself. She had the same sentiments with the idea of overwhelming it with their numbers; Dahlia found it unnecessary.

The best option she hoped for was the most efficient one. "Matt, was it?" Dahlia approached the archer. If they wanted to avoid causing a commission, an arrow was the best choice. Though not a good judge of character, Dahlia felt that the Matt was confident in his capabilities as a bowman. "I think it would be best if you handled this one. A shot to the head would do the trick, right?" As long as he didn't miss, it was fine with Dahlia. Even if it fled, just wounding it would make it easier to chase down.

 

[Elvario]

Regula
​

Mentions: Michael Novama | Dahlia Youpi | Jareth Clyvelle | Matt NeramoDJI

“I guess we'll know how to lure them or distract them once we're in their territory~” Regula said, after Michael mentioned they'd be lured by explosions. As for the second part; “The bullets aren't much bigger than an arrow, so it should be fine, unless they get close and I'll be forced to focus on self-defence with direct explosions.”

She was surprised when she heard Rossle mentioned, but also by the fact he'd given the sword a name. Name-giving for a weapon was surprisingly cute for someone trying to come across as a stern superior. The blue glow confirmed there was indeed more to the blade than one would first expect. Perhaps she'd ask him more about it later.

As for the upcoming 'battle' against the lone rabbit, Regula agreed with what the swords-woman was saying. There was one thing she did consider, however, which might be slightly better, depending on how confident the others were in their abilities. “We could also see if we can wound it just enough to scare if off and slow it down so it can lead us towards its nest, if we're confident enough to take on a nest before having had a warm-up~ Perhaps that plan would be better saved for later though.”

She got her own weapon ready. “Either way, I'll stand by for now and keep watch over the area in case another one shows up.”

 

[Clyvelle]

Jareth Fletcher​

Jareth took out his sling and pulled the leather taut, ensuring it was good to go. It was the cheapest basic armament the merchant had. Only now, out in the field about to use the thing, did he question if going cheap on a tool he was going to be depending on was a smart move. Too late for regrets now.

If it was going to break, Jareth figured he might as well get it over with sooner rather than later. He was certain he'd be relatively safe with three other comrades, as well as Michael overseeing the whole thing. The prospect of his only weapon breaking when they were tackling an entire nest, however, gave him pause.

In the middle of his nervous train of thought, Regula introduced herself to the group. Instinctively, Jareth's shop persona took over. Straightening up and looking at her with a practiced smile, he bowed slightly while introducing himself.

"My name is Jareth Fletcher. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Regula. I hope that we can, uh...do our best...out here...today." Jareth blushed as he realized too late his programmed responses to customers weren't a proper fit for the current scenario. He did manage to awkwardly jumble together a halfway decent thought, however, so he silently counted that as a win for his communication skills. Thankfully, his oddly forced introduction was quickly left behind as the conversation returned to the mission at hand.

"I-I think...I think we should split into pairs until we find a nest. We can demonstrate our strengths better in pairs, while still showing we can work with others." Jareth suggested.

 

[NeramoDJI]

Matt looked around to those around himself, humming a bit as he listened to the suggestion, shaking his head a little bit. "Might make things a little harder for Michael to supervise if we split up. I think it's best if we stay together." He responded, looking towards Jareth, before turning back to Regula. "I don't think that'll work. They said they're more likely to attack than retreat, but I'll give it a shot." He said with a shrug, drawing his bow slowly and taking a deep breath. He looked towards the rabbit, searching it before looking at it's hind thigh, slowly pointing towards it with two fingers, before notching an arrow in the string. "Ah, and before we begin. Name's Matt. Nothing really more than that. But uh, good luck everyone." He added, focusing back on the rabbit

[Slayers Eye]

With a deep breath, he drew the string back, his eye shining blue for a moment. He was confident he'd be able to hit the target, and with one last huff of air he shot the arrow, letting it soar through the air towards the rabbit, the chord doing that vibrating thing for a moment before stilling almost immediately. He stood up, pulling another arrow from the quiver in case the rabbit wanted to charge so he'd be ready.

 

[Novama]

Mentions: Clyvelle Youpi NeramoDJI Elvario
OOC: Make sure ability cooldowns are clearly visible on posts following posts with ability use.
Time: 10:15am
Weather: Cool but not cold, clear blue sky
Post Listening:

Michael​

Michael nodded his head at Mark's comment. It would be difficult to properly protect and evaluate the group if they split up beyond eyesight. While Mark made his shot, Michael added for the group's benefit,

"In addition to seeing how you all handle fighting a weak monster, I'm also checking out how you function as a group. It is not uncommon to be paired up with strangers on missions unless you form official parties. Being able to work with others is crucial for taking on bigger and better paying challenges until you have enough ability by yourself."

Michael finished. Mark's arrow skewering the rabbit. It would likely die quickly if it wasn't dead already based on the body shot close to vital organs. It was barely different from hunting regular rabbits. Despite how easy the takedown looked, however, closer inspection would reveal a very large rabbit with thick muscle. It was more skill than luck or a weak monster that brought the horned rabbit down.

Michael would bring the cart as the party was able to move up on the kill to collect it and analyze it as they wished. It was during this time, Michael would scan the group and the rabbit all in one fell swoop. It was more strain to do it this way, but he didn't like doing it on an individual basis. His hand would brush against the hilt of his mithril sword alpha and raise it just enough that the blade's eerie glow escaped the sheath.

"Area Appraisal," he murmured, ([Appraisal D, Magic Affinity D, Magic AOE E])

His eyes would briefly unfocus and shimmer and sparkle as if blue glitter in a water twister. Reading what information he could on the horned rabbit and everyone in the party, as well as the immediate area around them, he had a strong sense of who he needed to keep an eye on and who could probably handle themselves. Sheathing his sword, he brushed his hair absentmindedly, his fingers lingering on a scratch on his cheek from when he had to rely on the adventuring party to pull through.

Unless anyone wished to stop, the party would press on into rabbit seized territory. They would need to remain vigilant but could talk and plan as needed while they traveled.

Spoiler: Horned Rabbit

Northern Ryken Plains

 

[Elvario]

Regula
​

Mentions: Michael Novama | Dahlia Youpi | Jareth Clyvelle | Matt NeramoDJI

“They'll only attack once we're in or closer to their territory.” Regula reminded Matt of what Michael had told them a few minutes ago. That said, the guy got the rabbit down without much issue, which either proved these rabbits weren't the toughest or that his arrows were powerful. “Good shot.” She did wonder just how fast these rabbits were, as they'd been warned about their speed, so she decided to [appraise] the rabbit once they got close to it, to see how its speed would compare to that of her own.

As for Jareth's odd introduction, it vaguely reminded her of when she first started to accept customers in the smithy. It had something cute to it. “Thank you, and likewise.” She replied with a smile.

It was time to get down to business though. “How about I keep watch to our right, the rest of you cover the front and left while we travel?” With that thought out in the open, there was something else she'd been thinking about. “If we run into a group of them at their territory, I could bait them from a distance with the noise of a gunshot. If get them to come at us from the largest possible distance, we'd be able to thin out the herd with ranged attacks before clashing with it, even if they're fast runners. I'm confident in my ability to hold them off for a bit at close quarters if needed, so that shouldn't be a worry either. All we'd need to make sure off is that none of them would be flanking us, but we could have someone dedicated to keeping watch on it.”

Truth be told, it felt like planning this much was a bit overkill for just some rabbits, but she figured she'd put her best foot forwards. After all, why be an 7/10 student when you could aim for the 9/10 or higher? That said, she did also just want to start seeing her self-made weapon in action, so she might've been a little biased towards giving herself the best options to test it out.

 

[Clyvelle]

Jareth Fletcher​

As to be expected, strategizing for combat was wildly different than planning work at the shop. Jareth's proposal was soundly shot down by Matt, the archer, and Michael. He would have to watch and try to absorb what tactics they employed going forward, so his input could be more valuable in adventuring objectives in the future.

The first rabbit was quickly dispatched by a single arrow from Matt's bow. Jareth marvelled at the skill and power of the shot to have felled the small but hearty creature in a single blow. After moving forward to collect the carcass, Jareth was a little concerned about the density of the muscular body. Would his blunt stones be able to fell such a thing? Daze it perhaps with a proper head shot. He'd have to see on the next one they encountered. Given the apparent offensive power of the current party, if all he could do was daze a couple, perhaps that's all that would be necessary for someone else to secure the kill.

Looking around, it was apparent, on some more than others, that the other party members were itching for some action. Regula made another suggestion that they divided their attention to cover cardinal directions, in order to better prepare for the possibility of being surrounded once fully in horned rabbit territory. Jareth being the weakest and least confident among them, figured it would be best to stay to the back. If he could handle anything it was keeping watch. Minutes and hours of carefully molding eyeglasses into shape had taught him how to focus.

"In that case, I'll keep watch behind us." Jareth said, attempting to sound confident.

 

[Youpi]

CD Monitor: Clinical Eye D [0/2]

Interactions: Novama Clyvelle NeramoDJI Elvario

After seeing Matt's capabilities with a bow, some of Dahlia's unease were put to rest. It was a single shot, but she would have been foolish to just ignore it completely. While their party continued to strategize, Dahlia approached the downed rabbit, pulling out her hunting knife as she kneeled down. Fortunately, Michael spoke earlier and reoriented their group of the purpose of the mission they were on. Aside from the elimination of the rabbits, they had to gather their leather as well. Although Dahlia's primary objective was to test her skills as an adventurer and aptitude for combat, it would have been a waste if she did not maximize the opportunity that was in front of her. Dahlia had grown accustomed to the anatomy of humans and some beastfolk, but other creatures she had yet to study.

Making you of her [Clinical Eye], she observed and moved around the downed rabbit, assessing its surface anatomy and determining whether it had actually died. If it was near death, she planned to finish it off. It was the least she could do for it. Dahlia was aware that skinning an animal out on the field wasn't the most ideal scenario, but she deemed it necessary. Whatever she could learn and pick up from her little dissecting project may come in handy not just for her, but for everyone else in their party. With her hunting knife, she would make an incision around its torso. Though she planned to cut through it hide and flesh, but Dahlia remembered to be careful enough to slice into any superficial muscle or deeper organs. Once the cut was made, Dahlia turned the knife's edge upward, proceeding to cut from the stomach to the neck. With enough skin loosened, it would be easier to separate the rabbit's hide from its body.

In the interest of time, Dahlia was honestly rushed and crude in how she handled the rabbit. She would have wanted to take her time, but she disliked making others wait. With her hands bloodied, she chimed in on their discussion, wanting them to know that she wasn't completely immersed into what she was doing. "It may not be much, but I can serve as some sort of vanguard if need be."

Spoiler: Ability Used

• Clinical Eye - Appraisal F, Medicine D - Dahlia finds diagnosing illness or identifying subtle symptoms easier - Grade D - 2 Post Cooldown

 

[Novama]

Mentions: Clyvelle Youpi NeramoDJI Elvario
OOC: I noticed an item was used that was neither listed on character sheet nor hinted at in the category of items carried. Be careful to limit the pulling of items out of thin air, especially items useful in combat or niche situations.
Unless all rabbits are dispatched combat will start. Combat limits each character to 3 actions (move, defend, attack). The actions can be in any order or switched out for each other, but only 3 are permitted. Generally magic casting and ranged attacks perform better when characters don't use the move action. Posting order is still loose, but only one post per round is permitted.
Time: 11:15am
Weather: Cool but not cold, clear blue sky
Post Listening:

Michael​

Despite the creatures small size, there was much learned by the party as they traveled. While Dahlia got some hands on with the musculature of the rabbit, Regula was able to peer at the rabbit it as if looking through it and discern its overall strength was around E and stronger than the average human. Especially in its legs. Its speed was beyond Regula's ability to grasp, but that fact was sufficient in noting how swift the rabbit was. Dahlia didn't have the animal knowledge necessary to glean more than the rabbit was indeed dead and likely from the bleed out from a cut on what looked like a major artery for the rabbit.

"While the skins can be sold, we don't have to do the skinning right now. All we really need to do is just cut them and hang them on the kart so they can drained. Supposedly the blood can ruin the meat if allowed to sit for long after a kill,"

Michael informed Dahlia as she was doing her work. Once the group was able, they were back under way and traveled for a good while into what was supposedly the rabbits' conquered territory. With the bloody carcass on their kart, it would likely cause them troubles if the wind wasn't favorable. Fortunately, favor smiled upon them.

Ahead was another group of 3 rabbits. If the group was careful and took them all out at once, they could avoid any hassles, but if they left one or more alive, they would be in for a fight. As Regula noted earlier, their speed was high, which meant hitting them after they were on the defensive would likely become tricky for some members of the party.

Spoiler: Horned Rabbit

Northern Ryken Plains

 

[NeramoDJI]

Matt smiled at the clean hit, taking the praise in stride. "Thanks much miss." He said, giving a small nod to Regula, walking after them all. He didn't have much worry about being able to hit the rabbits, since he figured his aim was pretty dang good, but he would rather not be too close to them, even if he could fire while moving. "Well, I'll cover whatever you guys don't I guess." He said with a shrug, keeping his bow at the ready, knowing they were in the rabbits territory now.

"Well, I uh... I guess we just let it bleed out for now then." He said, grabbing the arrow from the rabbit to see if it was still any good using. No need letting it go to waste if he could still use it. When they came upon the group of three, he loaded up an arrow, looking towards the leftmost rabbit. "Alright, I've got one dead to rights. We can try to like, take them all down at once if you guys want." He said, slowly drawing back the string.

 

[Elvario]

Regula
​

Mentions: Michael Novama | Dahlia Youpi | Jareth Clyvelle | Matt NeramoDJI

Regula was a little taken aback when the swordswoman (Dahlia) went on to take some time for a full-on dissection of the rabbit. At that rate, it almost felt like a shame they couldn't roast its meat. She definitely wasn't drooling a little at the thought of it. Now that they were this close to having butchered it, she could see that those rabbits were pretty juice. That said, they had to move on, which left her confused by the kid from before offering to watch their backs. Considering they were still on the edge of the rabbits territory, the chance of a rabbit sneaking up behind them was negligible. She figured she'd leave him to it though.

It wasn't long after that they spotted their next three victims. Matt was quick to lay aim on one of them and suggested taking them all out at once. “I'll aim for the middle one, in that case. Jareth can try that sling of his on the third. Whilst Dahlia can stand vanguard in case one lives and attacks us. Does that sound fair?” If they gave her all the 'okay' or another version of agreement to her plan, she'd continue. “Right then. On three~” With fair bit of enthusiasm, now that she was finally getting to test out her weapon, she aimed for the rabbit at the centre, hoping to hit it with a [Combustion Shot] between the eyes, as that would leave most of its hide and horn intact. “One. Two. Three!” The noise of her gun being fired could soon be heard across the plains.

• Grade E Ability Cooldown: 1 Post
• Combustion Shot – Magic Affinity E, Combustion Affinity E, combustion gun – Character uses combustion magic to fire a bullet from their gun. - Grade E – 1 Post Cooldown.

 

[Clyvelle]

Jareth Fletcher​

Jareth had glanced around behind them briefly as a warm up for his role. He looked straight, left, then right, being sure to cover most of their rear. Of course, all he saw was Ryken not too far off. The prairie grass gently blowing in the cool breeze. Rabbit country was ahead, not behind. Good practice, though.

When Jareth returned his gaze to where the others were, he saw Dahlia crouched down doing something. He couldn't quite make it out, so he ventured forth to get a better look. Coming up on a bloody murder scene was not what Jareth expected. The last time he saw this much blood was....

No....

"Jareth where are you?!" a concerned voice cried from his past.

No, no, no.

Jareth immediately turned away as he began to recite, "The grass is...green. The sky is...blue. I feel...cold. I hear...voices, and the wind blowing through the prairie. I am...on a mission. I am on a mission for the Adventurer's Guild. I am present. I am present...." He finished with a deep exhale as he turned back to the group. "S-Sorry. The blood...caught me off guard. I'm better now."

Jareth was glad he had taken the rear after an episode like that. He didn't fall behind, but he definitely gave himself some space. As they went along, he mentally rehearsed similar statements to what he had spoken before to ground himself. Memories had a bad way of distracting him sometimes.

Thankfully they had found the rabbits at last. A group of three unwittingly awaiting their demise at the hands of these would-be hunters. The young woman named Regula took the lead with her interesting weapon, rallying Jareth and Matt to help her finish the trio off in one joint attack. Jareth had his doubts, but thanks to his mental exercise, he was present and able to make an attempt. Lining up with the other two, he loaded a stone in his sling and began whirling it around.

Alright, Jareth. [Focus]. thought the artisan to himself as he locked onto the rabbit on the far right. Revving the sling up to a dull whistle, he released his projectile at the rabbit.

 

[Youpi]

​

CD Monitor:
Clinical Eye D [1/2]

Interactions:
Novama Clyvelle NeramoDJI Elvario










Succumbing to her apparent interest in the medical arts, regardless of whether what she was working on was human or not, Dahlia failed to realized sooner her poor judgment in the timing of her actions. After apologizing to their group, she silently followed as they moved forward, busying herself in getting as much blood off her hands and knife as much as possible.

Their eventual encounter with the herd of horned rabbits came sooner than she had expected. Seeing how everyone else were quick to act, Dahlia pushed herself to not fall behind. "Roger." She nodded to Regula before rushing forward. Lowering her stance by assuming a partial duck while she moved forward, Dahlia tried to avoid the line of fire of her ranged allies. As soon as all three had attacked, Dahlia increased her pace and observed while advancing for the moment one of the rabbits would leap away. Not being to confident in her speed, Dahlia presumed that chasing one down would be difficult. What she was watching out for was where the rabbits would run to and hoped to meet them halfway, lunging at them with a thrust. Even if she wasn't fast enough, she hoped that the length of her blade would help her close the gap between her and the horned beast.

Spoiler: Dahlia Information

Equipped Titles: Human, Adept Physician, Apprentice Swordswoman
Height/Weight: 5'8"/150 lbs
Stats:

• Strength [Grade E]
• Precision [Grade F]
• Intelligence [Grade C]
• Vitality [Grade D]
• Speed [Grade F]

Skills:

• Appraisal [Grade E]
• Healing [Grade D]
  • D - Emergency aid to prolong life of dying, ad restore senses so long as organs are still present
  • E - Cure one common disease at a time, non-lethal poisons
  • F - Basic aches and pains, symptoms of minor sicknesses (cold), small cuts and superficial wounds
• Medicine [Grade D]

Equipment:

• Long Sword [Grade F]
• Heavy Armor [Grade E]
  • A set of silver plate armor that reaches her mid-thighs with a belt around her waist.
  • Dahlia also wears a pair of silver gauntlets, a white shirt under her armor, silver knee guards, and simple brown boots.

Items:

• Hunting Knife
• Whetstone
• Bedroll
• Fire Starter Kit
• Rations
• Waterskin
• Medical Supplies
• Backpack

 

[Novama]

Mentions: Clyvelle Youpi NeramoDJI Elvario
OOC: combat rules currently in play, but you have some breathing room.
Time: 11:30am
Weather: Cool but not cold, clear blue sky
Post Listening:

Michael​

Michael let go for the kart to move closer to the party and listen in on the planning. He noted Jareth's behavior, but said nothing. His brow furrowed while his eyes showed concern for him quietly. However, the worry was unwarranted. The party coordinated and unleashed a barrage the once again instantly ended the life of the targets. Any still twitching were swiftly ended by an executing blow from Dahlia. There was a problem, however.

BOOM

Regula's metal pipe released an explosion that echoed across the plains in all directions. The moment was followed by a silence, in part because some of the party may have been deafened by lack of ear protection.

"...an actual gun..."

Michael said absentmindedly, some of his thoughts escaping his mouth. There was not much time to wonder about the merits of the weapon, the ground started to tremble ever so slightly. Like a breeze across the plains, the tall grass of the plains was swept in uniform direction like the ripple on a pond that slowly arcs outward. Dozens of horned rabbits poked their heads out of the tall grass or lumbered into view. Drawn by Regula's weapon, the rabbits now severely outnumbered the party.

"This is way more than reports put in any one area. We must be near one or more nests or we have drawn rabbits from other areas as well,"

Michael noted out loud to the party, but was still too inexperienced to caution the party on what to do next. There were too many to fight, probably. However, the rabbits were too fast to outrun, probably. The best course of action was unclear and time was not on their side.

Dahlia would note, as an aside, Jareth's attack was the least lethal but left the pelt intact and unstained. Regula's shot tore the little beast's head off and damaged the horn on the other hand.

Spoiler: Horned Rabbit

Northern Ryken Plains

 

[Elvario]

Regula
​

Mentions: Michael Novama | Dahlia Youpi | Jareth Clyvelle | Matt NeramoDJI

“Hmmm...” Regula said, upon witnessing the results of her shot whilst her ears were still ringing. “It seems like the output was a fair bit more than expected, my bad. I'll try holding back next time.”

As expected, the noise drew more rabbits towards them. So far, nothing out of the ordinary was... Then she heard Michael tell them there were way more rabbits than the reports indicated. That wasn't good, as she doubted they could take down all of them. Considering these creatures were likely able to outrun them, a quick retreat might not work either, so a careful and steady backing up might be their best option. “How about we start falling back and only attack the ones that come for us? With some luck, some of them will stay here to defend their nest or territory, rather than chasing us. If we fight and move in turns, we'll always have a few people facing them, rather than all having our backs turned.”

As she was speaking, she'd keep track of the rabbit's movements. She'd be careful not to fire too soon though, as the others might have a better plan that wouldn't include the risk of drawing them in even more with another loud noise.

If there was no such plan and/or if they'd go with her plan of trying to back off, she'd continue. “Right, I'll fire, then move. If someone joins me while the others do the opposite, we should be able to keep switching out.” She'd then fire at another shot between the eyes of whichever rabbit was closing in on them the most. This time, she'd keep it down to a [Combustion Shot] at its lowest output (F Grade), rather than going all in again. Hopefully that'd bring down the noise and destructiveness without sacrificing its killing potential. Having made her shot, she'd move whilst the others (if they were going along with her plan) would be firing.

• Grade E Ability Cooldown: 1 Post Cooldown (currently on CD)
• Combustion Shot – Magic Affinity E, Combustion Affinity E, combustion gun – Character uses combustion magic to fire a bullet from their gun. - Grade E – 1 Post Cooldown.
• Grade F Ability Cooldown: 0 Post Coldown
• Combustion Shot – Magic Affinity F, Combustion Affinity F, combustion gun – Character uses combustion magic to fire a bullet from their gun. - Grade F – 0 Post Cooldown.

 

[Youpi]

​

CD Monitor:
Clinical Eye D [2/2]

Interactions:
Novama Clyvelle NeramoDJI Elvario

Dahlia's attempts at assessing the horned rabbit corpses were delayed and put on hold. Initially by the waning ringing caused by Regula's attack. "...an actual gun?" And secondly, by the sudden appearance of more horned rabbits. "Fuck." Dahlia couldn't help but whisper, not in frustration, but due to the looming sensation of impending doom. Instinctively, Dahlia reached for the rabbit Jareth had downed but stopped midway before getting to grab it by the horn and just got back up. With the numbers they were looking at, they would get more chances to gather pelts, horns, and meat later. Now, they just had to survive. With sword drawn, she cautiously paced backwards, slowly distancing herself as much as she could from the herd of horned beasts in front of her.

As she kept her eyes locked forward, Dahlia couldn't help but be impressed at Regula's level-headedness. While she was thinking of ways on how to properly handle and get through the situation they were in, Dahlia just hoped to not get skewered. Although she volunteered to take on the responsibility of the vanguard, when push came to shove, Dahlia rued her decision. She realized that the life of a tank may have not been for her. It was too late to do anything now, but she'd remember for next time. Well, assuming if there would be a next time.

She was prepared to strike down any rabbit that came her way. Dahlia was aware that she wouldn't be able to take all of them down if they decided to rush at her, but that was okay. Her priority for now was getting back to the group and keeping herself alive. She was a novice adventurer, she wasn't a hero.

Spoiler: Dahlia Information

Equipped Titles: Human, Adept Physician, Apprentice Swordswoman
Height/Weight: 5'8"/150 lbs
Stats:

• Strength [Grade E]
• Precision [Grade F]
• Intelligence [Grade C]
• Vitality [Grade D]
• Speed [Grade F]

Skills:

• Appraisal [Grade E]
• Healing [Grade D]
  • D - Emergency aid to prolong life of dying, ad restore senses so long as organs are still present
  • E - Cure one common disease at a time, non-lethal poisons
  • F - Basic aches and pains, symptoms of minor sicknesses (cold), small cuts and superficial wounds
• Medicine [Grade D]

Equipment:

• Long Sword [Grade F]
• Heavy Armor [Grade E]
  • A set of silver plate armor that reaches her mid-thighs with a belt around her waist.
  • Dahlia also wears a pair of silver gauntlets, a white shirt under her armor, silver knee guards, and simple brown boots.

Items:

• Hunting Knife
• Whetstone
• Bedroll
• Fire Starter Kit
• Rations
• Waterskin
• Medical Supplies
• Backpack

 

[Clyvelle]

Jareth Fletcher​

Jareth was reeling in the aftermath of their volley. His vision had gone blurry as well for some reason. About the only thing he could clearly feel was the deafening ringing now pulsing in his ear. Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion. Jareth raised a shaky hand to his ear in hopes that the ringing would stop or that steadying his head would lift the haze from his vision. It took a moment, but he started to come out of the momentary shock.

First thing he noticed was that the side of his face was caked in a granular material. He didn't have to see it to know that it was sand. Brushing himself slightly to alleviate the scratchiness of it, he looked around at the party. Now that his vision was returning, he could see smoke still issuing from Regula's weapon. That was the source of his present trauma.

The look on her's and the other party members' faces gave him pause, however. Following their gaze beyond the three dead rabbits, he now saw a growing number of the creatures assembling on their little patch of the prairie. An innumerable gathering of horned rodents.

"There's...so many...." Jareth uttered in disbelief.

We're going to die. I'm going to die. Stabbed to death by a bunch of rabbits. Not even heroic. The punchline of a horribly written tragic comedy not worth the rykes paid to print it, much less see it. I never became a master artisan. What will Master Nolan do? I'm replaceable, I suppose. Perhaps he'd find an apprentice with some actual skill.

Yeah...?​

Mr. Boris can dote on someone else. Perhaps the children of the family next door. Maybe this is a fitting end after all.

You really think that?​

I wouldn't have to deal with Osman anymore either. He always blamed me for his frail body. If I died, he'd finally be able to make peace with his life. Maybe he'd even be cured if I died. My death might actually help the other omen children.

They should save themselves.
​

I won't have to hurt anymore....

You hurt because you're weak. Quit your whining and DO something about it.
​

I'm scared....

Then let me do it. I'LL save us. At the very least I won't sit here and die like a coward.​

Jareth had hopelessly sank to his knees, but now he suddenly stood, shaking his head as more sand dispersed in a momentary cloud around him. He looked from the encroaching rabbit horde to his party that was falling back at Regula's suggestion. He followed suit as he collected his thoughts.

What do they do? Run? But to where? Fight? But per volley they can only clear three rabbits at a time. Dahlia and Michael would have to get too close to make use of their swords unless they have hidden abilities. The cart could be used as a shield but hauling it could be a liability. There's got to be something....

"If only my ear's would stop ring...ing...." Jareth started to say as an idea began to blossom. It was risky as hell, but if he was disoriented by the blast, there's a chance it would affect the rabbits similarly. "Regula I have an idea and you're not going to like it. What if we upend the cart and give ourselves a wall on one side that would funnel them to a more predictable area, then wait until they dive in on us and unleash a blast from your weapon, the most powerful blast you got. We could all send out a volley along with it pulling out all the stops. Michael I know you're overseeing this mission, but we don't have a prayer without your support here. We take out as many as we can in a single joint attack, but the main ploy is to disorient a whole swath of them so we have a brief moment to run away. Then we can use the distance between us to pick off more along the way." Jareth spat out quickly. "And if you like, I'll offer my body as an additional protection. I'm used to pain so I'm slightly more durable than your average adventurer. Just make my sacrifice count."

 

[NeramoDJI]

Matt slowly began to draw his bow, slowly exhaling as he took two arrows from his quiver, getting ready to fight for his life against all these rabbits. He didn't really have much thoughts of what would happen here. He died once. Wasn't what he expected. Who knew, maybe there was a super afterlife if he died a second time. No real way to know. But his apathy was almost palpable on his face. Someone who didn't really have much reason for anything they did. "Lets bring down as many as we can then. They're doing us a favor and saving us the trouble of finding them."

He had a moment of surprise at the appearance of a gun, but slowly dropped his face once more after that had happened. He looked around at all the different rabbits in the area, slowly trying to think of what the group could do, before he realized a potential idea. "Turn the cart over. We can hide behind it and hope they don't notice us." He said, slowly lowering himself into the grass with the hope of not being noticed by the rabbits, ready to fire an arrow if it looked like there would be any that noticed them.

He didn't really have much of a plan other than to try and hide, and if it failed to run and gun as many rabbits as he could. After all, who knew, maybe in his next life he would be one. Wouldn't that be some irony. Huh. What if rabbits had their own Isekai kind of life. That'd be something. Anyway, life or death situation he supposed. He turned to Jareth at his idea, shaking his head a little bit. "I don't know if that would be the best. Regula's gun might just attract more enemies. Lets just try hiding a moment, and if it doesn't work, then we try to fight back with that." He said with a small shrug, not really caring one way or another which plan was picked.

 

[Novama]

Mentions: Clyvelle Youpi NeramoDJI Elvario
OOC: combat rules currently in play. The enemy is upon you with more seemingly on the way. Neramo said to skip him this round.
Time: 11:31am
Weather: Cool but not cold, clear blue sky
TLDR: flipped the kart to give the team cover. Regula and Dahlia have rabbit attacks coming their way. Matt and Jareth have rabbits in front of them after the rabbits leaped past the kart.
Post Listening:

Northern Ryken Plains

Michael​

It was too late to hide. Regula blasting another rabbit away before trying to run made that clear. While the dust cloud and another dead rabbit startled some of the rabbits, there were several that behaved differently from the rest. With eyes redder than the black ones of their peers, they honed in on the enemies attacking them and aimed their bodies appropriately while big, muscular legs bulged even further.

Michael wasn't certain about the last half of Jareth's plan but the kart wasn't good for much else now. Michael helped Jareth with his idea (and matt) to heave the kart over on its side. Hunkering down behind it, they were able to safely hunker down behind the bed of the kart as furry missiles whirled past. Of the 5 rabbits that came for the party first, 3 flew past the kart with powerful leaps, their horns leading their mid-air spiral attacks. Their targets gone, the rabbits landed and slid to a stop before whirling around to face the men hiding behind the bed of the kart.

On the other hand, 2 of the rabbits had clear targets for Dahlia and Regula. Regula didn't have a prayer of outrunning the rabbits so long as they were capable of giving pursuit and Dahlia didn't attempt to run. Both characters will will need to dodge/defend against F grade [Flying Horn Attacks] on their next posts.

"They are beasts, but they are not unaware of our presence just because we hid behind the kart. We also need to deal with these ones in front of us,"

Michael lectured while gesturing to the 3 in front of them looking to attack again. In the chaos of the developing moment, Michael also had a confused expression on his face when he listened to Jareth's plan. It didn't sound like the timid and nervous Jareth from as recently as an hour ago.

Spoiler: Horned Rabbit