Graded [Ryken City] Whispering Pests

[DarkKitsune]

DARK
INTERACTION: Novama Gwen_Temi Voider DSLIX Goran Glacial ebonheart98 Trystan1295
LOCATION: FARLON FIELDS / KAEL —VILLAGE HALL

Dark was relieved that Naomi and Guy were okay. They decided to follow Naomi and Glacier to Village hall regardless. Any answers to what was going on would be great right about now. Guy seemed to want to stay behind to see what he couldn’t find of the corpse. Stella also appeared, they said.

“I’m going to go to Village hall. If you find anything please let us know”

Then Dark left. They couldn’t forget Guy would had told them. The man’s life had appeared to only be sustained through magic, which Dark had nullified, unintentionally getting rid of the villagers' life support, which in of itself still confused them on regular occasions it would only nullify magic temporarily. It never lasted long. Did they kill the man or was the man already dead? Regardless, it set sinking in their stomach and much like the last memory of their past life that haunted them day to day, they felt stuff such as sorrow, regret, grief, anger at themselves and stuff like that. That man was a patient and they had failed to save him. But could he even be saved? They didn’t know, but much like that past memory, this was burned into their head and it bothered them. They had to save the other villagers somehow. Somehow they needed to. So they made a mental list of what others or themselves had noticed to organize their thoughts on the way.

The villagers' mindless behavior, and aggressive behavior.

The beetles hover around the villagers.

The beetles have parasitic-like behaviors.

Naomi sensed dark magic coming from the beetles.

Guy’s hypotheses of Magic sustaining that villagers life. If it was doing that, wouldn’t the same logic apply to the other villagers?

Naomi’s healing magic not working on the villager.

The decaying crops.




This was their list so far as they tried to piece together like a puzzle. Yet they didn’t have the info to use their medicine skill and make a proper diagnosis. Everything seemed mashed together.


SUMMARY: Dark thinks over the events with severe grief, sorrow and remorse. Trying to figure out what exactly is happening in the village, they compile a list of things brought to their attention on their way with Naomi and Glacier to the village hall.



​

 

[ebonheart98]

Vilde watched on as the tormented old man suddenly turned on Naomi. Between the spectral hand that rose from her ring and the strange nullification ability that Dark displayed, the viking was quite impressed.

'Heh, what strength they possess. Seems they can take care of themselves just fine', Vilde mused to herself.

Still, Vilde cursed herself for having waited so long to act. If only she had been paying more attention, she could have done... something. Literally anything would have been better than just standing there like she had.

It had all happened so fast.

But this was no time for lamentation.

Vilde pulled her sword from its scabbard, and ran to get a closer look at this ghoul. Besides, Guy and Stella were unarmed for all she knew, and could use her help. Even if they weren't, she was curious to see how they would fare in a fight with these... things.

Vilde saw once more the columns of billowing smoke, climbing into the twilight sky, and once more, she charged forth into the fray.
This would make for a great story to tell.

Summary: Vilde laments her inaction, and runs to the side of Guy and Stella.

 

[DSLIX]

Tupu Maa

Mentions: Gwen_Temi Voider DarkKitsune Ice Ice Ice Trystan1295 ebonheart98

Tupu's felt an eerie sense of malicious foreboding as the sound of the mysterious and seemingly parasitic beetles only seemed to become more present in his ears seeing the glare of the sunshine off their carapaces every few seconds as they cluster and scatter around in the shadows. Tupu was stuck trying to see all the possible areas the beetles could hide in making his paranoia only grow more seeing small bits and pieces of them moving through the shadows of nearly every dark corner he looks at. He eventually was brought back to his senses by the sound of Naomi yelling out a startled 'Nope' and he turned around to the old man seemingly trying to get a good scratch in on the young lady he was about to quickly introduce the man's jaw to his fresh leather loafers but was stopped when he seen Guy intervene and merely stepped on one of the man's hands to at least keep one arm contained. It didn't matter at all soon after though as when the young healer Dark came he seem to quickly put the man out of misery with....[Nullify Magic]? A strange reaction something Tupu wouldn't expect and he questioned himself "What the hell type of parasitic disease reacts to nullify magic?" Then an answer just popped into Tupu's mind "What if it's not? What if it's some type of brain control magic instead would make sense but far too early to make any solid assumptions." Tupu then hearing guy's thought's on the matter agrees and simply keeps quite about his theory for now as everyone seems to be focused on getting to the village hall and moving on. He was ready to head off when Stella offered to pulverize the body to prevent the man from being revived which caused him to stop and hold his arm up to stop Stella as well saying “That’s considering the fact that they can reanimate corpses as the man was for sure not dead until the magic was nullified around him, plus I wouldn’t think thats too necessary as no point in controlling a decomposing body if anything they’ll probably just consume him once we leave like he never existed.“ Tupu tried to reason with the android feeling a little strange that an android could resort to such methods but this isn’t his world so differences in technology is to be expected. He was rather entertain by Vilde’s late but aggressive entrance as her excitement for battle is shown all in her body language saying with a kind expression “Hold now warrior the fight is done for right now but do keep that energy for later.“ Tupu suggests Vilde should stay vigilant for right now as a direct fight with an enemy like this can turn into an instant loss if not careful.

Summary:
1. Disagree with Stella on pulverizing the body
2. Wait with Guy, Vilde, and Stella to investigate the town more and see if Guy can get a solid understanding of what’s happening.

Cooldowns:
[Heightened Senses D] -1 post

​

 

[Novama]

Mentions: ebonheart98 Ice Ice Ice Gwen_Temi Voider DSLIX DarkKitsune Trystan1295 Goran Glacial
OOC: Glad we all in. Sorry for the delay. Feeling better and it looks like we all managed to get posts in too. win win.
Weather: a cooling off summer day with occasional gusts
Time: Sunset
Cooldown:
TLDR: Baxter and Guy make some realizations. Meanwhile, the party get screamed at by a woman from the town hall claiming they killed her father.
Post Listening:

Kael

​

In the dying light of the day, the scene laid itself bare to Guy's piercing gaze, like a tragic picture painted with sorrow's brush. There was something about the man's body that caught his attention—a twitch of a limb, a shudder of breath that hadn't quite escaped him before death took him. The man was not some desolate corpse, a mere vessel for the spectral, but very much alive before Dark's intervention.

Guy's eyes, trained and knowing, took in the pallor of the skin, the twisted countenance. The old man's demise had been a dark dance of forces: the nullification magic and underlying health issues and frailty waltzing together to stop his heart. Madness had put him in prior state, he had been no magically manipulated corpse. The truth of it came with grim realization: all the crazed villagers were still alive and in need of saving from themselves or perhaps the bugs.

Malik, always the voice of calm in the storm, turned to the group, his eyes thoughtful as he shared Glacier's opinion. "We should relocate to the town hall as Glacier suggested," he said, his voice carrying a weight that transcended mere words. He glanced around at the faces of his companions. "The quicker we move, the less attention we'll draw."

As if to mock his words, a scream split the air, wild and ragged, tearing at the silence. From the shadow of a nearby town hall, a woman emerged, her face contorted with grief and fury.

"You killed him! You killed my father!" she shrieked, pointing a trembling finger at the lifeless body. Her voice was like a raw wound, and behind her, other villagers peeked out from the town hall, their eyes wide with a mixture of fear, curiosity, and sanity that seemed to be fraying at the edges.

The shrill cries of the woman seemed to stir something unseen, a dark rustling in the shadows. The bugs, previously unnoticed, became agitated, their movements more erratic. They didn't attack, didn't approach, but the very air seemed to thrum with their disquiet.

Baxtor, standing a little apart from the chaos, would observe the bugs. They didn't seem to care much for the party. he would also note unless something interfered directly, the bugs were content to scavenge whatever food was laying around. His gaze would then follow the crazy villagers meandering into the square, a puzzle without an answer, yet.

And so they moved, driven by purpose and guided by the unseen hand of fate, towards the town hall and whatever awaited them there. The echo of the woman's screams lingered, a haunting refrain that promised more darkness to come.

​

 

[Gwen_Temi]

Naomi Plumfoot​

Ice Ice Ice Voider DSLIX DarkKitsune Trystan1295 Novama ebonheart98

Naomi let out a heavy sigh at this new development and used [Mage Eye] on the woman who’d just emerged to see if she was okay and if the insect plague had touched her in any way yet.

At the edges of the settlement, the dark magic beetles stirred in response to the woman’s cries. Just behind, Guy discovered that the man who’d fallen in the street had still been alive… in some capacity, anyways. Naomi knew neither of these things and, quite frankly, the knowledge might not have changed anything about the current situation.

They’d finally found someone in town who could speak. Someone who might’ve been able to help them figure out just what had been going on. And it just so happened that the man lying dead in the street was all that was left of her father.

Truth be told, she didn’t feel apologetic. It’s kinda hard to feel that way when someone you tried to help attacks you. But she did sympathize with the woman. It was part of the reason why Naomi doubted that explaining what had happened to father would do anything to amend the situation.

But it’s also why she would still give it a shot, regardless.

“Yeah, we did. And I’m sorry about that. Genuinely. It's not how things were supposed to go. Your father attacked me unexpectedly when I was trying to help him. One of my companions then moved to defend me at that moment. And your father, unfortunately, ended up losing his life in that scuffle.”

She chose not to lie or evade the subject. But, she also chose not to drop Dark’s name. Regardless of how that brief interaction turned out, she was grateful to Dark (and Guy) for moving to defend her. And honestly, even if they hadn’t, Naomi damn sure wasn’t above using violence to defend herself.

“But it’s the plague that made him attack me in the first place. The insects that spread dark magic throughout your village; bringing illness to the crops and the people. They're the cause of a lot of problems going on in this town right now.”

Surely she knew about it. She merely needed to look at the other residents of the town, the sickly crops, or the swarms of insects skittering around to confirm for herself. Of course, that was assuming that the plague hadn’t infected her mind enough to blind her to it. And as she spoke, her eyes drifted away from the mourning woman and met those of any of the locals who still displayed and signs of sanity.

She wanted them to understand that she was addressing all of them as she spoke.

“And they're what brought us here to your village in the first place. We want to put an end to it so that nobody else in your village gets hurt. But we need information. I know that we haven’t made the best first impression, but our intentions haven't changed. So, will you help us to help you so that we can put an end to all of this suffering?”

Summary
Action 1) Used [Mage Eye] on the shouting woman.
Action 2) Attempt to reason with crazy people, lol.
​

Mage Eye- Appraisal E, Investigation F, Arcana F, Academia F - Naomi utilizes her innate appraisal ability in conjunction with her analytical mind to study a target or place and acquire obscure and useful information about it.- Grade E- 1 post cooldown.

 

[Goran Glacial]

~baxtor everfrost~
baxtor sheathed his sword upon noticing that both the pests and the crazed townsfolk were not interested in the the party, which was quite curious what could be so important at the town hall that everything is congregating there? baxtor said to malik "well these possessed townsfolk seem to be going there maybe we will get an answer if we go there" Baxtor scratched at a scale on his neck as he followed the group quite curious on what was going on. was there something controlling them, was there a mastermind? baxtor thought it likely as pests and possessed people appearing at the same time in the same village was highly suspect and most likely premeditated.

 

[DarkKitsune]

DARK
INTERACTION: Gwen_Temi Ice Ice Ice Novama Trystan1295 ebonheart98 Goran Glacial Voider DSLIX
LOCATION: FARLON FIELDS / KAEL VILLAGE HALL

At the new information that had been brought to light, Dark was more than distraught. They felt sorrow, remorse, grief, guilt and so many other emotions that could prove to impact their mind negatively. The woman’s father was their patient that they not only failed to save but accidentally killed. In their mind they didn’t care It was an accident because the man died. They apologized to the woman and took responsibility for it all the same. Though they were grateful to Naomi for not dropping their name, they also acknowledged that a simple apology would not be enough to bring the old man back. For the sake of everyone else in the village and as someone who, despite only being a healer in training, they were going to find out a way to stop this one way or another. However, they’ll have to keep an eye on themselves and make sure they don’t make any rash decisions. Whether or not clear how clear it was about how much the turn of events affected them, they weren’t quite sure, but they didn’t exactly care.

“I’m going to follow them. And see if the answers are there”

It was the last thing they said to the party before leaving. They threw away their mental list. This wasn’t anything they theorized it to be and they would find the answers they were looking for to help the townsfolk. They had an oath to uphold.

SUMMARY: After taking responsibility for their own actions they follow behind the towns folk to see if the source and answer of what’s happening is at town hall. While also trying to keep themselves from doing any rash or sudden actions.

​

 

[Voider]

Glacier​

Mentions: Novama ebonheart98 Ice Ice Ice Gwen_Temi DSLIX DarkKitsune Trystan1295 Goran Glacial ​

---

Glacier watched the scene unfold, with mixed feelings. This was one of the reasons he had not initially intervened; while Glacier did not agree with cruelly keeping the man bound, they had no information as to why it was done, and he did not want to change that if it was for good reason. On the other hand, Glacier felt bitterly glad for the crazed farmer's death, as it meant the man was no longer suffering from the terrible affliction.

At Naomi attempted to speak to the woman accusing the group of killing her father, which was technically true, Glacier refrained from adding any input that could possibly worsen things. With the horrid situation here, Glacier began to question just what had drawn him to this desolate place; regardless, he was here now, and he would make sure to assist these people how ever he could.

Turning his head back, Glacier would call out to those who remained by the body. "I must agree with Malik... moving quickly may be in our best interests." With that, he'd continue on to the village hall, ears lowered. He looked around at the now stirred-up bugs, which certainly had a major part in all of this mess. "I already miss the simplicity... of the cold snow and ice..." Glacier mumbled.

---

Summary: Glacier pondered the circumstances, called out to anyone remaining by the body, and moved on to the village hall.​

 

[Ice Ice Ice]

GUY​

While fondling - in a professional manner - the newly deceased elderly man, Guy was pleasantly surprised with what felt like a sudden muscle twitch. He raised an eyebrow momentarily before taking taking notice of very faint exhaling. "Agonal respirations?" Guy's lower lip curled. These findings could have just been post mortem changes in the body; it was not unlikely. However, given the fact that he skipped the whole process of resuscitation, it was not a long shot to say that he could have been wrong. Fortunately for Guy, he was a quack. He was allowed some leeway when it came to his practice of medicine. Well, at least that's what he tells himself.

Giving the old man's pulses another check, Guy was indeed proven wrong, but did he need everyone else to know that? Probably not. "I've done it!" He exclaimed, his voice obviously louder than it usually was. Looking around, Guy had to make sure there were witnesses. "I've brought this man back to life!" This was his chance to make a name for himself. It would have been a waste if he didn't take it. Though the villager was elderly and frail, Guy needed to elicit a more apparent response from him to make his claim that more convincing. And the best way was to introduce some stimuli; some noxious stimuli to be exact. With a flexed finger, he drove his knuckle into the old man's chest, performing a sternal rub hoping to get a scream or some grunts to make him appear more living than dead.

 

[Trystan1295]

Model ST3-LL4
[Construct] [Android] [Ryken Adventurer F]
Location: Kael Village
Mentions: Novama , Ice Ice Ice , Voider , Gwen_Temi , DSLIX , ebonheart98 , Goran Glacial
Interactions: Guy ( Ice Ice Ice ), Tupu ( DSLIX ), Glacier ( Voider ), Vilde ( ebonheart98 )

Summary

Stella is surprised by Tupu's reaction but agrees to take it easy. She applauds Guy for saving the old man, but quickly realizes the bugs are approaching and calls for everyone to retreat.​

---

Stella let out a soft "Eep!" as she noticed Tupu's massive hand stop her right in her tracks. She hadn't really assessed this before, but this behemoth of a man stood at almost double her size in height alone. Come to think of it, Guy was also much larger than most of the adult humanoids she'd crossed paths with. She had to crane her neck up almost to the point where it felt like the delicate wiring inside was being strained to its ductile limits just to lock eyes with Tupu. She gave him a nervous chuckle and raised her eyebrows before addressing his suggestion. "You have a point... I may have gotten a little ahead of myself. Sorry, I'll take it easy."

She had barely finished apologizing when Guy's demeanor changed completely. A concerned Stella watched as Guy noticed something about the body that everyone surrounding it had presumed had passed away. "What's wrong, Guy?" she asked the doctor. "Did you find someth--"

Stella didn't even get the chance to finish her sentence when Guy yelled something at a volume she didn't expect from him. Her audio receptors peaked, so she couldn't really take in the message at maximum quality, but assuming her speech interpreter wasn't bugging out, she could have sworn she heard him say he'd brought this man back to life. The chain of events was strange at best, but she was no medical professional, so it was in her best interest to take Guy's word for it. She clasped her hands together and exclaimed, "No shot! You actually saved him!?"

It wasn't as if Stella didn't believe Guy when he proclaimed it, but it was a surreal experience for her. She'd never witnessed a miracle quite like this that she could remember. Much to her dismay, though, Guy immediately followed his declaration by driving his knuckles into the man's sternum. Her bottom lip pulled up into a pout. The idea of "Why couldn't that have been me?" crossed her mind for a split second, but then she remembered what she actually wanted to punch the man's body for. "Given his build, he must be holding back severely if I can't hear him outright shattering the old man's ribs," she told Tupu. "There's no way someone as inexperienced in combat as I am could be able to pull her punches that much. Not to mention—"

A strange sense of dizziness washed over Stella, and she cupped the side of her head with her right hand. "Woah..." she muttered. She shook her head to snap herself back to reality, only to realize any memory of what she'd just been telling Tupu was wiped from both her short and long term memory. "I'm sorry, what were we talking about again?"

Stella's attempt at returning her train of thought to its tracks was cut short by the rapidly increasing volume of the buzzing noise caused by the approaching swarm. She noticed Glacier calling out for them, and Stella nodded in agreement. She called out to Tupu and Vilde, saying, "C'mon, everyone. We'd better get a move on. We wouldn't want to be left behind, would we?"

Then she called out to Guy directly, saying, "Guy! If you can't transport the man safely, I suggest you drop him. We wouldn't want two victims on our hands instead of just one." With that said, she spun on her heel and hurried (as "quickly" as her F-rank Speed would allow her to) deeper into town, following behind Glacier as best as she could.

 

[ebonheart98]

Vilde Iversdatter

When Tupu spoke, Vilde stopped in her tracks. Watching as the great, buzzing horde mounted in the distance, Vilde knew he was right. Throwing her life away trying to defend against a horde this size, wasn't heroic at all.
It was... well, it was just plain stupid. She could just see it now. The skalds would tell such wonderful stories...

The Shield-Maiden Vilde, a woman out of time, died defending her village from invaders, only to wake up in a new world where she was then promptly eaten by bugs.

She shuddered at the very thought. At Stella's insistence, Vilde eyed the horde warily and sheathed her sword, preparing to fall back. This wasn't over.

"Time for a tactical retreat, then."

Given that her comrades were heading back to Town Hall, Vilde followed behind, insisting to herself that no, she was not running away. She was just exercising common sense. Vilde wasn't looking to be eaten by bugs. Surely, Odin had better plans for her.

Summary: Vilde sheathes her sword and heads back to town hall with the rest of the group.

 

[Novama]

Mentions: ebonheart98 Ice Ice Ice Gwen_Temi Voider DSLIX DarkKitsune Trystan1295 Goran Glacial
OOC: Tupu skip 1. Posting days sure seem to be on bad days lately, but good job to those that don't need regular reminders to post.
Weather: a cooling off summer day with occasional gusts
Time: Sunset
Cooldown:
TLDR: the villager woman does not accept the excuses of the party, malik tries to persuade, guy's claim tricks the villagers into allowing the party inside as the bugs and mad close in. inside the hall, they are now turned to for guidance after an elder of the village recounts what happened.
Post Listening:

Kael

​

The evening sun bled through the trees, casting shadows that flickered like candle flames. The wind bore a mournful whisper, almost lamenting the dissonance that now permeated the air. Naomi, her voice a quiet plea, attempted to bridge the gulf of misunderstanding with the grief-stricken woman. But there's a certain kind of anger, a deep, searing fury, born from profound loss, that words seldom assuage.

"I care not for your reasons!" The woman's voice cracked, tears brimming in her eyes. "You come here with promises to help, and yet, it is by your hand my father is no more."

Before Dark could voice their remorse, the woman's eyes flared with unmistakable rage. "You! It was you who took him from me!"

Sometimes, the weight of one's actions spoke louder than any apology ever could. Were brave enough to bear that weight?

Amidst this raw display of emotion, Malik seized the moment, his voice cutting through the tension, a beacon of pragmatism. Turning to Baxtor, he nodded. "You're right and anger and accusations will not serve us now." He faced the gathering crowd, voice resonating with authority. "The plague of beetles comes, and the mad ones with them. Alone, we are easy prey. Together, we stand a chance. Let us into the town hall. Let's unite and face this threat unless we wish to join them."

The crowd was a sea of uncertainty, but they shifted uneasily, the looming danger evident. Their glances darted between the outsiders and the woman, who now bore silent testimony to her loss, shoulders shuddering with grief.

However, it was Guy's exclamation that drew their collective attention. His triumphant proclamation of having brought the old man back to life was a spectacle. The village watched with bated breath as he pressed his knuckles into the old man's chest. A ragged gasp emerged from the man's lips, eyes fluttering open momentarily. The stunned silence that followed was palpable.

A murmur rose from the crowd. "A miracle," someone whispered.

The grieving woman, while her heart remained lacerated by her father's abrupt end, couldn't help but gaze in awe. Here, before them, was hope incarnate. The revival, miraculous as it was, became a beacon of trust.

"The door," an elderly villager cried, motioning to the town hall. "Open it!"

As the heavy wooden doors creaked open, the buzzing of the beetles grew louder, an impending cacophony. Malik's voice, warm but firm, echoed through the din. "Together, we stand. Divided, we fall. Let's take shelter and quickly come up with a plan for ending this nightmare."

With a wary glance at the closing dark cloud of beetles and the shambling mad ones, the villagers ushered the party and old man's corpse in (unless anyone wished to remain outside), the atmosphere inside a cocktail of trepidation and newfound determination. The old man was definitely still dead, but the villagers didn't need to know that while securing safety while pressed for time was paramount.

The old man would be given a room in the hall on which to lay. Guy would be made to accompany him and his daughter would be at his side weeping tears of joy at the thought he might be alive again. Meanwhile, the rest of the party were guided into an interior room of the hall. On the way, the party would note most of the windows and doors were nailed shut or otherwise covered. Any holes looked to be too small for the sizeable beetles to wiggle through. The majority of the people inside the hall were women, children, and the elderly. Only a few men were inside, most nursing a cough or other injury or ailment.

In the dimly lit heart of the town hall, away from the cacophony and impending chaos outside, sat an old woman. Age had drawn intricate patterns upon her skin, making her look like a relic from another age, but her eyes held a sharpness that belied her years. The weight of sorrow they bore, though, spoke of stories that would break younger souls.

The room was filled with the scent of old parchment and the hushed anticipation of those eager for knowledge.

She began, her voice a raspy lullaby, echoing the stories passed down through generations. "It started mere weeks ago, as the summer sun warmed our fields and the promise of a bountiful harvest was in the air. The first sign was the darkness."

Her fingers danced through the air, painting a vivid picture of a sky suddenly blotted out, the sun eclipsed by a swirling, black mass. "They came, the beetles. From where, none can say. But with them, they brought more than just shadows. They brought hunger."

She paused, a sorrowful heaviness to her eyes. "Our crops, which we had so lovingly nurtured, were devoured within days. Fields of golden wheat reduced to barren patches of earth. Trees stripped of their leaves, fruit, and even bark. Our very livelihood was taken from us, leaving despair in its wake."

A deep breath. "But it wasn't just the crops. The madness... Oh, the madness." Her eyes, so full of life moments ago, now grew distant, haunted. "Some villagers began to act... strangely. Speaking in tongues, lashing out at loved ones. As if some dark spell had been cast over them. We tried to help, to understand, but the madness spread like wildfire."

As her tale unfolded, the candlelight in the room seemed to flicker sympathetically, casting shifting shadows that mirrored the heartache and horror in her words. "Those taken by this affliction... They are no longer our kin, our friends. They wander the village aimlessly, driven by some unseen force. Some whisper they are searching for something, or someone."

The old woman leaned forward, the urgency evident in her voice. "You must understand, before these beetles came, we were a thriving community, living in harmony with the land. Now, we are a village on the brink, torn apart by darkness and madness."

A hush settled in the room, each member of the party absorbing the weight of her words. The stakes had never been clearer. They weren't just facing a swarm of beetles; they were confronting the very essence of despair that threatened to consume an entire village.

​

 

[DarkKitsune]

DARK
INTERACTION: Novama Gwen_Temi Voider DSLIX Goran Glacial ebonheart98 Trystan1295
LOCATION:VILLAGE HALL
Dark hadn’t believed guy’s act. It did actually bother them a bit, but regardless, it did allow the party inside where the woman explained everything that happened to which Dark listened attentively. To know how things had been doing until the beetles showed up.

‘so they are a form of pestilence after all’

They think. But it still made no sense to them. Yes, pestilence was spread through bugs and rodents, but there was more to causing illness than that. And
with how the villagers were being affected by this affiliation…they wouldn’t be surprised if it was dark magic. Naomi had talked about sensing it coming off the beetles…if they used Dark nullification on the beetles what would happen? Though it would be a dangerous thing to test right now.

“There’s more to this than what I thought. It sounds like the affliction is a type of illness but something’s still off about it. Naomi has mentioned sensing dark magic coming off the beetles as well…”

They would wait to mention dark nullification for a better opportunity. Not that the party was unaware Dark can temporarily disable magic, but they had a ability that allowed them to temporarily nullify dark magic specifically as well. Dark also gave the villagers their bag of berries.

“It’s not much. But you guys do need to eat something. And…”

He looks at the others in the party.

“If you guys have rations, do you think you’d be able to share with the villagers? They may die of starvation or resort to eating the dead crops….I wonder if the crops also play a factor into it’s spreading.”

They still had a guilty conscious over the woman's dead father but they tried to hide it for the sake of being able to assist. They were still thinking over the woman's words.

‘Spreads like a pestilence. acts like a parasite. And something involved with magic what could it be?’
SUMMARY:After listening to the woman explain what happened, Dark thinks over her words and wonders what would happen if they used Dark nullification. They also give their berries to the villagers, suggesting the others in the party do the same while they try to come to a conclusion. ​

 

[Gwen_Temi]

Naomi Plumfoot​

Ice Ice Ice Voider DSLIX DarkKitsune Trystan1295 Novama ebonheart98

Yep, it was going about as smoothly as she'd expected.

Agnes was on the verge of tears and wasn’t particularly interested in listening to anything anyone had to say. She fingered Dark as the one who’d done her father in immediately. And, when Malik tried to appeal to the people with a sense of urgency, they weren’t particularly responsive to that, either. But, before Naomi could get another word in…

…Guy called out claiming that he’d resuscitated the old man.

Naomi’s head turned on a swivel, wide-eyed, to see what he was talking about.

Now maybe it was because she was closer to the man at the time when Guy pulled his ruse, but a sense of dread swept over the young wizard as she watched this man press his fist into a corpse to make it honk like a horn. And she felt the task of making peace with the villagers grow ever-more daunting with that haphazard stunt. There were a lot of things that she was expecting to hear when she turned back to the locals…

…words of gratitude and welcome certainly weren’t on that list.

She was downright flabbergasted. Incredulous. But, given the situation with the approaching bugs she decided to let things be for now and uh… well, I guess this was one of those situations that you just had to ride and see how it played out, wasn’t it?

Guy was led to a room with the corpse and his daughter where he would, supposedly, keep up his ruse? That was probably for the best. The rest of the group finally got the story behind what had happened to the town and, with it, some potential leads to follow.

“Thank you.” she replied to Dark, taking a handful of berries to snack on, “At a glance, my first thought is necromancy. But then I find myself asking what a necromancer would stand to gain from this. Well, beyond… you know…”

The many bodies of the deceased, themselves. That, in and of itself, might’ve been a decent prize if there really was someone who’d unleashed these insects onto the town.

Naomi turned to the elder woman.

“You mentioned rumors that the infected are searching for someone or something. Do you have any more details on that? You know, behaviors that might suggest that they’re searching for something. And their ramblings? Have you noticed any phrases that they repeat when they speak in tongues?”

It wasn’t much. But, of everything that the woman had said, those were the two things that Naomi felt might’ve led the party to discovering some useful information.

Summary
1) Moved into Town Hall with Group.
2) Accepted Berries from Dark.
3) Inquired about the rumors of the infected searching for something, as well as their ramblings.​

 

[Voider]

Glacier​

​

Mentions: Novama ebonheart98 Ice Ice Ice Gwen_Temi DSLIX Trystan1295 Goran Glacial
Interactions: Dark ( DarkKitsune )​

---

Glacier tilted his head to the side as Guy was diverted elsewhere, believing the man to have lost his sanity. Glacier did not believe himself quick to judge, but the previously crazed farmer did not look any more... alive, than before. Regardless, Glacier entered the village hall along with the others; he listened intently to the woman, doing his best to understand the information provided to them.

As Dark tried to convince the group to give their rations to the villagers, Glacier could only shake his head. "If I had brought sustenance along... I would gladly hand it over. Alas... I do not have any." It was unfortunate, but there was none on his person to give, as Glacier had no need for food.

Glacier then turned to the elder, bowing his head in respect. "I am sorry... that this plight has befallen you." He began, pondering what to inquire. "Did this madness... appear to have any pattern? Is it more common for specific ages or genders... and how long does it seem for the madness to take full effect?" Glacier did not know if this information would be useful, or even known, but he believed that it would be unwise to ignore any possible details.

---

Summary:
Glacier would briefly ponder over "Guy", before moving into the village hall. He would then state to Dark that he unfortunately had no food to give, before Glacier asked the elderly woman his own questions.​

 

[Ice Ice Ice]

GUY​

As much as Guy wanted to revel in the moment resulting from his faux miracle, he could not. The chaotic nature of the events that surrounded them prevented this from happening. It was unfortunate, but bad things tend to follow good people. It was a harsh reality Guy knew all too well. Genuinely believing the old man to be alive, he carried him over his shoulders and fled with the rest of the villagers towards the town hall.

Seeking refuge in what felt to be their last and only bastion against the madness and pestilence that followed them, Guy was allowed to accompany the elderly villager and his daughter inside a room separate from the rest. With their situation momentarily calming down, Guy finally had the opportunity to lay the old man unto a bed, hoping to continue to tend to him as much as he could. Unfortunately, it only took a quick glimpse for Guy to realize that there wasn’t much he could do anymore. However, before he could say anything, he had to make sure first.

Despite the response he previously elicited, the old man remained unconscious once again. Guy could no longer appreciate his pulses and the lack of any muscular activity or even a chest rise did not make things any better. Turning to pain for one more time, Guy hoped that he could get a visible reaction that he could make use, but he had to be subtle.

“Excuse me, miss.” Guy’s hand slowly moved towards the old man’s finger. “If you don’t mind me asking, who is he to you?” Guy had overheard her irate outbursts from before and knew that they were father and daughter; he just had to distract her for a bit. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but you look young enough to be his daughter?” With his superior strength, he pressed on the old man’s nail bed. Typically, in the living, this would have caused excruciating pain. But to a dead man, nothing. Coming to the realization that the man in front of him was very much not alive, Guy knew he had to think fast.

Despite his earlier queries towards the young woman, Guy paid little attention to the actual answers. “This man’s struggles are far from over. As we speak, he continues to knock on death’s door. At any moment, he could leave us.” Technically, he had already left, but if Guy said so, being the pseudo-miracle-worker, he was seen to be, the young woman might just believe him. Hopefully, his eccentric appearance and looming stature helped in making the situation feel more grim than it really was. “I'm sorry, I am no miracle worker. I am but a humble medical genius.” A cocktail of self-pity, humility, and a plea for forgiveness; these were the perfect false qualities he had to portray. “Before he crosses over, I think it would be best if you said your goodbyes. This is the best that I can give you.” There was no point in talking to the deceased, but like we said earlier, they didn’t need to know that.

Placing his fingers along the old man’s neck, Guy gestured to the young woman to come closer and take the opportunity he was presenting to her. “His body is far too weak to even open his eyes, but scholars have said that even when nearing death, one’s hearing was the last of the senses to leave.” Guy just made this up, but it could have been true.

"Again, my sincerest apologies." Though he did not believe them, these were words he had uttered numerous times, too many than he could actually recall. Was Guy being genuine? Yes, you could say that. He genuinely wanted to get away with the lies he was spouting.

 

[Goran Glacial]

~Baxtor Everfrost~
As baxtor received his answer he followed the group inside before standing by the door incase an emergency happened he sat making sure his sword was sharping and whistling a tune to himself as he checked its edge he was bothered by the death that happened but there was nothing he could do he was no doctor nor a priest with white magic so he was best left to guard or fight as he had yet to gain skills that would make him able to do more. Baxtor wished he could do more to help dispel the despair in the village but sadly he had no clue what to do, but he was ready incase they faced conflict that he could do. so he sat tightening his suit and checking his sword making sure he wouldn't be inconvenienced at a bad time.

 

[DSLIX]

Tupu Maa

Novama Gwen_Temi Ice Ice Ice
Tupu stood silently as the daughter of the now dead old man they’re currently standing around was now yelling at us with a cold hatred in her vocals making Tupu feel a desensitizing emptiness overwhelm his emotions as he stares silently at the girl. Luckily the Fae man Malik decided to show off his speaking skills as he truly brought the crowd in with an applaud worthy speech. Though the applause would have to wait as Guy soon yells out next to Tupu 'I've brought this man back to life!' Followed with a solid sternum strike knocking all the wind out of the dead man’s lungs resulting in a painfully loud yelp of sorts. Tupu honestly thought the villagers might just out right attack us after this, but to his surprised they called it a miracle and praised guy. Tupu was honestly shocked couldn’t even wrap his head around how the villagers could be so ignorant but some things are just better off misunderstood. He quietly followed along behind the group observing and looking upon the cloud of beetles as the slowly closed in on the village.

After crowding into the town hall Tupu stood casually and listened to the tales of the elderly lady describing the coming of the black beetles. She speaks of them like a evil force of nature which Tupu takes light of believing most insects to be the abominations of nature. When Naomi asked the group to share any spare rations they had Tupu without any hesitation pulls out a small bag of berries and packed dry meat offering to any lone children or women with children before anyone else deciding to ask a lone child “Is it just you kid? Where’s your parents?”

Summary:
1. Silently follows behind the group letting them do most of the interaction
2. Offering his food to those who are hungry enough to take it.

​

 

[Trystan1295]

Model ST3-LL4
[Construct] [Android] [Ryken Adventurer F]
Location: Kael Village
Mentions: Novama , Ice Ice Ice , Voider , Gwen_Temi , DSLIX , ebonheart98 , Goran Glacial
Interactions: Baxter ( Goran Glacial )

Summary

Stella reflects on the life she left behind. She excuses herself from the group and runs into Baxter at the entrance.
​

---

The tension in the hall was palpable, and the feeling of voidness inside Stella was crushing.

She zoned out as the elderly lady droned on and on about the state of the village. She wasn't sure if it was the environment around her or the lack of applications her narrow skill set could offer to a situation like this one, but something inside of her resigned itself to the fact that she wasn't going to make herself useful by trying to piece together a puzzle that was beyond her capabilities. Not to mention, she was no healer or psychiatrist. She couldn't even offer the families anything to eat, since she didn't have any food on her, nor did she need to eat any for sustenance to begin with. At the end of the day, she was a robot—a computer with a body attached to it. She was given a task to complete by one of the guards at Ryken, and she felt compelled to complete it.

That task started and stopped with ensuring the safety of the party she was traveling with.

That being said, though, Stella couldn't bring herself to stay in that hall much longer. Everyone's looks of concern and despair were too much for her emotional soul to handle, and if she continued under such stress, the logic circuits keeping her composure would fry. She had never experienced it herself, but her [Instruction Booklet] described it as a "very embarrassing and potentially dangerous event that should be avoided at all costs", so she was incentivized to avoid it. She was aware that too much stress was dangerous for humans too, so she figured what the book said was accurate.

As she spun on her heel, she gave the group of humans--which was mostly composed of women, children, and the elderly--one last look, and she winced. The hall by itself reminded her very much of the orphanage she'd run before setting out on her adventure, but the atmosphere was something completely different. The children weren't frolicking or sharing stories, and even the adults displayed disconcerting postures and faces, like they were just as hopeless as their children.

She waved her hand at the group and told no one in particular, "Excuse me for a second. I need some fresh air."

She really hoped no one would ask her why a robot needed to breathe "fresh air" to begin with, and if anyone did, she didn't hear them. She wasn't lying about what she was doing or where she was going, after all. She just had to step away and stand guard at the front gate. That's all she was good for, after all. Also, it'd give her a much-needed moment to drain her stress levels with some peace and qui--

Oh Gods, what is he doing here.

It turns out she wasn't the only one who had the idea to stand guard at the door. She noticed Baxter standing just outside, performing menial tasks such as straightening out his suit or eyeing up his sword. She let out a sigh and resigned herself to the fact that she had to share her solitude with someone she'd hardly spoken to, if ever. With that decided, she stood on the opposite side of the door frame and decided to speak out to the empty sky. Whether Baxter was willing to answer was not her concern.

"It feels rough to be unable to make yourself useful when you need to be. I guess we're all good for something, but right now I wish that 'something' was more than being a glorified hole-puncher for anyone my employer doesn't like. Is this really the life I gave up my orphanage to follow?"

 

[ebonheart98]

Vilde Iversdatter
Vilde offered her rations without a second thought. Her mind was busy elsewhere. Leaned up against the wall, Vilde watched as the shadows flickered and danced about the room, enraptured by the old woman's sorrowful tale.

This village really was like home. This reminded her of listening to her mother, the village skald, tell stories around the longhouse fire. Stories handed down generations, that told of great, fantastic things that happened long ago, and far away.

But this was harrowing, and devastating. And it was happening right now, and just outside that door.

Between Guy's perceived shamanry and her barely being able to squeeze herself in, Vilde was still trying to make sense of things. It seemed like this world had a lot more going on than she originally thought. Standing here, by the fireside, she felt a familiarity, and yet, she felt so out of her element, and so very far from home.

But this village was like home. And these people were like family. And they were in danger.

One simple thing that she learned from her mother's stories: Whether man, god, titan, or bug... if it bleeds, it can be killed.

"Can these bugs be killed," Vilde suddenly speaks up. "Have you tried exterminating them? Has that any effect?"

 

[Novama]

Mentions: ebonheart98 Ice Ice Ice Gwen_Temi Voider DSLIX DarkKitsune Trystan1295 Goran Glacial
OOC: Tupu skip 1. Good round. What will the party do next?
Weather: a cooling evening with occasional gusts
Time: mid evening
Cooldown:
TLDR: Old lady answered questions until there was a sudden ruckous that made the whole building shudder as madmen started pressing and banging against the hall's walls.
Post Listening:

Kael - Village Hall

The old woman, frail and weathered, looked upon Dark's offering with weary eyes. Her fingers, twisted and calloused from years of labor, brushed aside the proffered food, and she declined with a firm but tired voice. "We have known hunger in this village," she began, the weight of countless seasons behind her words. "We have plowed our fields and sowed our seeds. Our cellars are filled with the fruit of our toil, enough to tide us over even through seasons as harsh as these."

The old woman's gaze softened in response to Naomi's questions, but there was a sadness in her eyes, hinting at memories too painful to share. "They search," she whispered, "for those they have lost, for those they have loved. Be it family, friends, or even those long passed into the embrace of the earth. The madness drives them to seek what was once familiar."

"None," the old woman responded to Glacier's question with a sorrowful sigh. "Be it child or elder, man or woman, demi-human or the simplest beast of the field. The madness knows no discrimination. It descends upon them, sudden as a summer storm."

A heart-rending sob echoed through the room, drawing their attention. Agnes, with tears staining her face, clung desperately to the cold hand of her deceased father. Her sobs were punctuated by mournful pleas. "Don't leave me, Papa," she cried, "Please, don't go."

The old woman nodded slowly in response to Vilde's question. "Indeed, child, they can be crushed easily. But," she sighed deeply, "the challenge lies in their vast numbers. And as our village succumbs to madness, fewer of us remain to battle this dark menace."

Malik, always hopeful, furrowed his brow in thought. "But if we were to crush them all, would that not end the problem?"

She shook her head, her eyes filled with a quiet resignation. "It seems for every one we destroy, another appears to take its place, as if summoned from the very shadows. We do not know where they came from other than the day we saw their black swarm appear from the south east. No knowing whether they came from just beyond the fields, the fae see, or even beyond as the monsters do."

As the weight of her words settled, a chilling cacophony of whispers, screams, and demented laughter grew louder outside. It was an unsettling symphony, punctuated by the rhythmic bangs on the town hall's doors and walls. The setting sun cast its last orange glow, and as it disappeared, darkness engulfed the village, with the mad ones closing in. Several of the villagers moved to the door to brace it shut. Others moved to nailed shutters to ensure they remained closed. The villagers were a motley crew of women and elderly.

​

 

[Gwen_Temi]

Naomi Plumfoot​

Ice Ice Ice Voider DSLIX DarkKitsune Trystan1295 Novama ebonheart98

Glacier and Vilde joined in and helped Naomi with the questioning.

Unfortunately, none of the elder’s answers seemed to be particularly helpful when it came to actually finding a way to stop the plague. And, before the young wizard could ask her any more, an ominous pouding filled the room. The infected townspeople howled and laughed as they banged on the walls.

While her first instinct was to prepare for a fight, Naomi couldn’t shake the memory of Agnes' tears. Whether or not those people could be saved, the locals loved them just as they had before the plague swept through the town. If push came to shove, she wouldn’t hesitate to attack the infected villagers to protect herself and others.

I guess that meant that her first priority was keeping the situation from getting that dire.

“Uh, guys?” Naomi called for her companions, “There’s a chance that the… infected people are just drawn to loud noise. Agnes’ screams seemed to draw them to the town hall, after all.”

Was Naomi certain of that? Not in the slightest. One of many things that she had to discover about the plague. But she had an idea that might’ve gotten them out of this without having to hurt any more of the beetle-infested locals, so she figured it was worth a shot.

She turned to the people that her party had come to protect and spoke with a soft voice.

“Residents of Kael. Can I ask you all to make as little noise as possible? There's nothing we can do about the hammers and nails, but that's only temporary. Tupu? Baxtor? Vilde? Stella?”

She glanced over at each in turn. Three of them were covered in armor with a sword at their side. The latter was a literal machine. All visual cues that caught her eye.

“You guys are clearly the physically strongest in our group. Could you help the locals keep those doors braced while they nail them down? Keeping them out of here is the best way to keep anyone else from getting hurt. Dark? Glacier? Malik?”

Then, she turned to the more mystical members of the party. Guy was busy working his ruse, so she’d leave him to his own devices for the moment.

“Can you guys help me find… literally anything in this building that might make a loud sound when it crashes against the ground or another building? Malik, you might even be able to distract some of them with your illusions. If we run up to the second floor and start chucking stuff away from the building as far as we can, it might draw the villagers away from here and take some of the burden off barricade downstairs,” Naomi explained in a light voice as she began to survey the area for junk and trinkets lying about, "Ideally, we wait until after the hammering stops to get full effect, but we might have to play it by ear and help brace the doors first depending on how things go downstairs. There's no point if they get in the building."

It wasn’t much, but it was the best idea that Naomi could come up with at that moment. And, honestly, she wouldn’t have minded if someone else had a better one. But, until she heard one, she’d go ahead and start searching the place for anything she could find that would make a loud crash on impact after flying out of the second story window.

Summary
Action 1) Propose a plan of action.
Action 2) Search the area for something noisy to hurl out of the second story window.​

 

[Voider]

Glacier​

​

Mentions: Novama ebonheart98 Ice Ice Ice Gwen_Temi DSLIX DarkKitsune Trystan1295 Goran Glacial
Interactions: Naomi ( Gwen_Temi ), Malik ( Novama ), & Dark ( DarkKitsune ).​

---

Glacier's ears twitched as he turned to look at the door of the building, then to the walls, as the crazed people banged on the building. He remained frozen there, watching the villagers within the building secure any entrances.

When Naomi called out Glacier's name, as well as Dark's and Malik's, he quickly directed his attention to her. "A very good idea, Naomi... I may also be able to assist with such a plan." Glacier began after a moment. "I have learned much since our adventure at the academy... one of which, is summoning creatures resemblant of myself." His head turned towards the stairs, leading up to the second floor; Glacier tilted his head in contemplation.

With a sudden shift of his body, Glacier then addressed Malik. "Combined with your illusions..." Before shifting to Naomi and Dark. "as well as any loud objects that can be acquired, and thrown..." Glacier continued with a final shift to the door. "I do believe... that we could hardly fail in distracting them, no?" He finished by looking back at them.

---

Summary:
Glacier agrees with Naomi's plan, while adding his own thoughts to the mix, as well as proposing the use of his minions in the distraction plan.​

 

[Voiremine]

Rieger had been pretty surprised when he was sent on one of those "Prove your worth" type entrance exams, he thought there would be more paperwork. Not to say he was unhappy, but this sounded fine, mysterious crop stuff, mayhaps an infestation? He hoped it was an infestation, he wasn't good with hydroponics or whatever. The walk was kind of annoying, though system stat nonsense made things a bit easier. When he arrived, and discovered all the weird beetle things, and blatant mental illness, he got a bit more excited. After taking a bit to investigate the crops, and watch the townsfolk and bugs to little effect, he noted that a fairly obvious adventurer-coded team of people had arrived in town. leaning back on old habits, he moved closer, watching the colorful cast of characters causing a bit of drama in the town, and quickly following behind the townspeople leading them into the town hall, after all, he was planning to go there at some point anyway. After listening to the words of the old lady, it was only at the sudden escalation of intensity and call to action by the girl, that he realized he was falling into the same old patterns he had entrenched himself in before.

At the realization that he was doing something he swore he wouldn't, Rieger answered the call.

"Hey!" he ceased his lurking, stepping forward, "I can help keep those doors braced... or anything else that's needed really!" He declared in a raised voice. "I'm Rieger Tread, I'm a prospective adventurer here to prove my worth!" He ended his last sentence with a thumbs up, a metal cuff gleaming on his right wrist.

That was only mildly embarrassing. Well, he was just going to have to get used to it. People who truly lived weren't embarrassed by loud introductions.

~Summary~
Rieger arrived in town before the group and lurked in the background for a while, sort of following the group once they arrived, before being made aware of his relapse into old habits by Naomi's words resulting in him stepping forward, introducing himself, and offering to help.

 

[DarkKitsune]

DARK
INTERACTION: Gwen_Temi Ice Ice Ice Trystan1295 ebonheart98 Goran Glacial Voider DSLIX Voiremine
LOCATION: FARLON FIELDS / KAEL VILLAGE HALL


Dark thinks for a moment. What could be thrown? All Dark really had in their bag was first aid supplies which they surely couldn't throw that. They then heard Rieger and was confused for a split second. When did he get there? Regardless, they shook their head and grabbed a pile of books.

"Well, Rieger you can help by assisting the others with the door. It would help stall a little bit more time. And my name is Dark. I'm a healer in training"

They didn't exactly know how to cope with that very loud introduction, so they repeated the way they introduced themselves when they first met up with the party but in a quieter tone. They put the pile of books down for a second. They took off their purple hood and wrapped the books with them making sure to tie them securely before they began to take the books up to the second floor, they also said.

"But you can also help by aiding us in a distraction. We're going to be throwing stuff off the second floor to hopefully cause a distraction. Either way should hopefully help."

Dark adds gesturing towards the stuff in the house
Dark was by no means against Naomi's plan as they had struggled to formulate one themselves. It was better than no plan at all and wasn't the worst plan either. They took their stack of books and started heading up to the second floor.

SUMMARY: while Dark starts going along with Naomi's plan they also sort of welcome the sudden new comer into the party offering Rieger two chances to help. After tying up a pile of books with their hood to make them easier to toss they head up the staircase.




​