Finished [Taeko - The Republic] The Vanishing Villagers

[Gwen_Temi]

Minashigo no Ōkami
​

Okami had gotten a bit of food, rest and drink before nightfall.

No need to let their target be the only one rested and fresh for their encounter at dusk. The Taeko woods would serve them just as well as the setting sun; growing shadows working to support the shroud of leaves and overgrowth that the party used to conceal themselves. The mage had paired up with the mechanic within his iron, rolling contraption that, thankfully, he could silence on command. Okami, in contrast, hid away within the bushes not far from Lord Yukan. It was on his signal that she would emerge from the shadows and strike.

Until then, she would wait and watch in silence.

The Ronin's plan bore fruit with the setting of the sun. A skeletal silhouette- dark and spindly- would manifest before Elder Yoshiro and slowly reach out for him; indecipherable whispers flowing from its shrouded lips. Its arrival was punctuated by the roar of an automobile, then the howl of a firearm. Glowing armor would manifest around the elder. For this, Okami would not move an inch. A moment later, Yukan would leap from the bushes and advance upon the unknown entity.

It was then that Okami would take flight.

From roughly 15 feet away, The Wolf would emerge from the shadows and race towards their unknown foe. As Yukan came down upon it with his yari, Okami would race right past the creature. The sound of thunder would fill the area as she slashed the entity with a [Red River Flow] in passing to bolster Lord Yukan's assault. Then, she would slide to a stop on the opposite side of their enemy. Next, without a moment's hesitation, she'd reach out with her right hand, press it against Elder Yoshiro and use her [Strength B] to try and push the elder at least 5ft away from the enemy and, hopefully, out of range for whatever it was trying to do to him.

Wouldn't have been the most pleasant experience for Elder Yoshiro if it worked, but Okami had a strong feeling that it was better for him than what this skeleton fellow had planned.

Actions (3/3)
1). Move 20ft from cover to a spot adjacent to the unknown enemy that's opposite of Yukan's current position.
2) Use [Red River Flow] to strike the enemy in passing and provide Yukan with a +1 combo to his attack.
3) Use [Strength B] to simply push Elder Yoshiro away from the entity and, hopefully, interrupt whatever it was trying to do.​

Red River Flow- Specialized Fighting Style [Wolf's Blood Red Fang] F, Range F, Deflect F (1)- The Wolf draws and sheathes her sword with such speed so as to leave her blade unseen by untrained eyes as she attacks. The thunderous shockwave released from performing this kata acts as an extension to the strike, allowing Okami to cleave a man in two from distances far beyond the edge of her blade. The name of the form comes from the ominous spray of blood that often follows a successful strike.- Grade F- 1 Action- 10ft range- 0 post cooldown.

Maxxob TheTimePiece Maverick Six Karcen Spoiled Bread EMIYAman

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Rei Unagishi

Rei fought the urge to yawn while she's waiting for the culprit to take the bait. Since she didn't have much thing to do, she had been hanging on the same tree for hours, just in case the creature came also came out during the day and wander around the forest. Though it was turned out to be an uneventful day right until they start their ambush plan.

That's didn't seems like a bloodthirsty monster that eats people. She thought to herself when the figure suddenly appeared in front of the elder.

As Vincent's shot sent a loud bang throughout the forest, Rei used the opportunity to jumped from the top of tree and launched a downward slashing attack. Mostly aimed at the figure's extended hand to prevent them from harming the elder. Once she landed on the ground, she would spin her sword and launched another attack towards the figure, weaving her attack after Yukan's and Okami's attack to overwhelm the figure with their combined attacks.

Action:
1) Jump from the tree
2) Use Cold Steel to try cutting the figure's arm. Cold Steel - Fighting Style (sword) F, Blight (Ice) F, Incurable F, Energized F, Initiative: attack - Launches a sword attack towards a target, the flesh that touches the steel would feel extreme cold - Grade F - 1 action - 0 post cooldown
3) Use another Cold Steel for a follow up attack. Cold Steel - Fighting Style (sword) F, Blight (Ice) F, Incurable F, Energized F, Initiative: attack - Launches a sword attack towards a target, the flesh that touches the steel would feel extreme cold - Grade F - 1 action - 0 post cooldown
​

 

[Maxxob]

Location: Taeko - The Republic
Time: Night

Gwen_Temi | Okami
Karcen | Katja
Maverick Six | Vincent
Spoiled Bread | Rei
TheTimePiece | Yukan
EMIYAman | Kurikara

The robed figure’s lips ceased their eerie muttering, sensing the mana from Katja’s [The Lord’s Protection] enveloping Elder Yoshiro. In that brief moment, a realization dawned upon them—they were not alone with their would-be victim standing before them. Those few seconds, where the incantation faltered, proved to be crucial.

Yukan moved swiftly, his feet barely making a sound as he closed in on the target. When he was about seven feet away, his [Falling Spear] technique sprang into action, the Su Yari spear in his hands glinting in the moonlight. With practiced precision, he launched a [Greater Transcendent Transpierce] attack, the spearhead aiming directly for the robed figure’s heart. The weapon, designed to penetrate through the most formidable defenses, soared with an almost otherworldly force.

But just as the tip of the spear was about to pierce the figure’s flesh, it stopped mere inches from its target, as if striking an invisible wall. A loud, shattering sound echoed through the forest—a barrier, unseen yet undeniably powerful, had absorbed the full impact of Yukan’s strike before crumbling like glass under the force. The air vibrated with the sound, reverberating through the trees.

The robed figure spun around in an instant, their gaze falling on Vincent’s vehicle, which was barreling toward them with a menacing growl that echoed through the village outskirts. Vincent, not missing a beat, fired his weapon, the bullet cutting through the night air with lethal precision. The figure reacted quickly, casting a spell that caused the projectile to slow in mid-air, but the magic was not enough to stop it entirely. The bullet grazed the figure’s shoulder, tearing through the dark fabric and drawing blood.

Feeling the pressure of the unexpected assault, the figure turned back to Yoshiro, determination evident in the swift resumption of their incantation. The dark, arcane words began to spill from their lips once more, the energy in the air growing thick and heavy.

But before the incantation could reach its crescendo, Okami, the Wolf, was already on the move. With a flash of steel, she unleashed her [Red River Flow], the [Wolf’s Blood Red Fang] technique bringing her blade to bear with such speed that it was almost invisible. The thunderous shockwave that followed her draw was an extension of the strike, a force that cleaved through the air, reaching the figure from afar. In one fluid motion, Okami completed her attack and used her superior [Strength B] to shove Yoshiro aside, pushing him five feet away from the attacker and out of harm’s way.

Simultaneously, Rei leapt from her perch in the tree, descending like a shadow upon the robed figure. Her sword, imbued with the chilling power of [Cold Steel], sliced through the air, aiming for the figure’s extended arm. The blade’s touch brought with it an icy blight, a cold so intense that it burned. As she landed, she spun with deadly grace, delivering another swift strike that bit into the figure’s flesh, the cold seeping into their very bones.

The culmination of these combined assaults was too much for the figure to withstand. The force of Yukan’s spear shattering the barrier, the precision of Vincent’s bullet, the overwhelming power of Okami’s strike, and the icy wrath of Rei’s blade—all converged upon the robed assailant.

The figure staggered, their robes now tattered and bloodstained. They crumpled to the ground, their form collapsing under the weight of the relentless onslaught. The once-threatening presence now lay still, the last vestiges of their dark magic dissipating into the night air like mist under the dawn’s first light.

Yoshiro

Yoshiro, who had been shoved out of harm's way, slowly pushed himself to his feet, his cane steadying his balance. He took a moment to gather his breath, his eyes fixed on the fallen figure. "You have saved me… and perhaps, saved us all," he finally said, his voice filled with a mix of gratitude and relief. There was a tremor in his tone, the adrenaline of the moment still coursing through his veins. "Whatever they intended to do, it has been stopped—for now."

The elder’s gaze shifted to the adventurers, his expression one of deep appreciation. "But this is only the beginning, I fear. Whatever darkness has come for Taeko, it will not end with this one."

As the adventurers gathered around the body of the fallen assailant, a sense of foreboding lingered in the air. The robes, now soaked in blood, seemed ordinary at first glance, but there was something off—perhaps a hidden pocket or a concealed item that could offer a clue to the mystery still at hand. The figure's possessions could reveal the key to understanding the true nature of the threat that had befallen the village.

With the night still young and the moon casting its pale light over the village, it was clear that the answers they sought would not be easy to uncover. The battle had been won, but the war for Taeko’s survival had just begun.

 

[Maverick Six]

Vincent​

Interaction: Maxxob Gwen_Temi TheTimePiece Spoiled Bread Karcen EMIYAman
Equipped Titles: Human [Mundane], Novice Tinkerer, Novice Blacksmith, Isekai, Mechanic
Language Key: Common | %Analog% |

​

An old saying came to his mind.

"If it bleeds, we can kill it."

Blood drawn from the bullet was about all that Vince needed to see to know that they had a shot to beat it, though given the fact that Yukan appeared to shatter a field that struck at the creature -- it seemed like it was certainly surrounded by something to defend it, which did not escape Vince's notice. Not only that, but the thing seemed to almost eat Yoshiro. It seemed to notice Kata's barrier and yet proceeded undeterred anyway.

If Okami hadn't shoved him away, he might have died.

The others struck at the thing, showing further the thing despite it's float nature and appearing out of what looked like thin air, wasn't really a ghost. Vince was prepared to drive off if it was ethereal or ram it if it if it was solid. But it seemed like neither of these things were the case. The creature was assault from left and right by the others, who did the bulk of the damage needed in order to kill it. One sword cracked like thunder in a motion he couldn't really process well. And the other sword froze where it hit. Just like that, the big bad monster hit the dirt.

The car clicked open as Vince walked over, flipping his helmet up to look down at it's fucked-up form.

"Man, with blades like that, I'm sure you do just fine without guns." He said to the three. "Nice work on shoving the old man, I think. It noticed the field looks like, but it didn't seem to stop...whatever it was doing." He said.

Vince would then thus squat next to the creature and start rummaging through it, using [Devil's Details] on the creature's corpse and anything he had on it. If he could, he'd try to unravel the cloak which the creature so that everyone could see it. If there was any object on it's person, he'd make sure to show it to the group openly during his rummaging.

"Wonder where it came from. Could be something exotic like another dimension. But might be as normal as just another location, but far away. Makes sense why this thing wouldn't leave a trace either way." There was a little bit too much known about this creature for his tastes. If he couldn't fight half as good as a lot of the people in this group, least he could do was try to figure out that bit.

"And you, you crazy old goat...dunno if we'll be needing you much longer. I thought you had that cane cause of your age, but it turns out you need it to walk with balls as big as yours." Vince said without missing a beat, before continuing. "I'll probably be giving you a ride back to the village in my....metal carriage. Town is probably safer, given that it doesn't seem to have appeared there...yet." The foreigner said, referring to his car in words Yoshiro might find more familiar.

---

HP: 2/2 (E-Grade Vitality)
Armor HP: 1/1 (F-Grade Heavy)

Actions: 3/3

1. Vince gets out of the car and walks over to the creature
2. Devil's Details - Appraisal E, Investigation F, Engineering F - Vince dedicates his skills to finding out information about something 5 feet in front of him. - E Grade Ability - 1 Post Cooldown
3. Vince searches the creature, trying to unravel the cloak to show it's face, body and anything it might have on it's person.


Cooldowns:
Vince
F - 0 Posts Remain
E - 1 Post Remains

 

[Gwen_Temi]

Minashigo no Ōkami
​

Okami chortled to herself as she turned away from the corpse of the perpetrator and walked towards a nearby tree.

"Aye," she replied to Vincent, "That couldn't have gone much better."

She walked over to a tree roughly 5 feet away from Vincent and the corpse, then leaned up against it. They would stand well-within range of even her weakest strike from her current position. She would pay neither of them much mind, instead keeping her eyes on Elder Yoshiro, the space around them and the woods beyond. It would seem that the Ronin was true to her word. She was more than happy to aid in the hunt, but she would leave it to someone else to inspect the corpse afterwards.

"Those of you with a keen eye for detail should assist the tinkerer in examining our fallen foe. Those of you with a strong arm should stay out of their way and insure that no uninvited guests interrupt them," Okami's posture and general disinterest in the corpse should've made it clear where she sorted herself, "If The Elder is correct and this thing isn't working alone, then we should be prepared to engage its comrades at a moment's notice. Especially if they move as it did."

For a brief, contemplative moment, The Wolf's eyes locked onto Elder Yoshiro before returning to their surroundings.

"Elder. I hate to ask more of you, but do you mind waiting with us for a moment while my comrades inspect the body? I would not have you return to the village without an escort. But I would also not have our group be divided for the purpose of escorting you home. This thing, whatever it was..." Okami's eyes narrowed as a memory of the brief clash came to mind. Lord Yukan's yari struck an invisible force- armor- that had to be stripped away from their foe before any of their strikes could land, "...despite its clandestine methods, it came prepared battle. I could not say how much longer that battle would've lasted had we all not been here to strike it down. But I prefer that our enemies fall as swiftly as possible should they lie in wait to bring harm upon The Elder. Or one of us."

Actions (2/3)
1) Move to a nearby tree and lean up against it.
2) Keep watch of the surroundings in the event that a new threat approaches.
​

Maxxob TheTimePiece Maverick Six Spoiled Bread Karcen EMIYAman

​

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Rei Unagishi

Rei stared at the bloodied figure on the ground. That was rather anti-climatic after hiding on the tree for hours. Of course going down immediately after being jumped by six people was understandable, but she was hoping for more fight. Her main reason to accept the job was to hone her sword skill afterall, helping people and earning some money was simply a bonus for her. She would let the goatee guy inspect the body and instead approached the elder. He just said something that piqued her interest.

"Oh? It will not end with this one? So you think there's more? You said the village has never been able to trace the entity before this so how can you be so sure about that?"

Maxxob
​

 

[Karcen]

Katja Galinka

Mentions: Maverick Six Gwen_Temi TheTimePiece EMIYAman ​

With the thing seemingly dealt with it seemed things were over for now at least. Still the creature if creature it had been had clearly been intelligent and had used magic itself. That meant it might now be just any old monster, depending on how one defined a monster and how smart monsters were in this world. in her world the monsters were kind of random in what they could do and just seemed to gain powers as the labyrinth needed them to. Well katja doubted that was the case as things here seemed to have a better logic than her world that was seemingly at dictated by the whims of a mad god. Vincent it seemed had no filter about what he said in terms of showing respect towards others. his world must have been more casual about such things , and if Katja remembered right hers had been like that, but she had been a child and children are never as respectful as they could be. Katja honestly had little she could contribute right now aside from [ Aprasail isekai f] which she would look over the body with as combat was something she did not do and while her skill was weak it was something. Though first she did feel someone needed a reminder of things.

" Vincent while your homeland might be more casual i would suggest you try to act and speak in something closer to the locals " She said in much the same tone a mother might towards a kid being disruptive but not being bad, not mad just disappointed. " Now every world would share as many phrases as it seems ours do "


actions

use appraisal isekai F on the creatures body.

 

[TheTimePiece]

Yukan Koyake
​

Maxxob Maverick Six Gwen_Temi EMIYAman Karcen Spoiled Bread

Surprisingly Yukan's Su Yari strike did not draw blood, now knowing that whatever that thing was had a strong enough barrier to withstand one of his most powerful attacks was certainly relevant information indeed which he had not been expecting to encounter so early on necessarily. Thankfully everyone else's follow up attacks fell into place after whatever that barrier was had been broken.

First Yukan would bow toward elder Yoshiro, "Thank you for putting your trust in us Elder Yoshiro. You have helped us gain invaluable information against this threat."

He'd pause before then looking to Okami. "Thank you for thinking quickly Okami." Yukan would say with a small bow. "And thank you to the rest of you for acting with precision and decisiveness as well against such an unknown threat at that."

Yukan knew full well she had been important in protecting the elder's life in that moment when she had shoved him so he did want to give her some extra attention, whilst Yukan had focused on dealing as much damage as possible. He would then look around the area to see if any of them had been hurt which thankfully did not appear to be the case. Yukan might have had a desire to wince with just how casually Vincent spoke to the village elder, but he did not, instead maintaining a stoic expression, understanding that he meant well in his words and that he had helped them out after all. However he did appreciate Katja's words on the matter. Ultimately if Vincent took them seriously he'd get farther in the Republic, he already had the disadvantage of being human, not being as respectful as the culture typically asked wasn't probably going to be a benefit for him.

He'd nod in agreement at the points of Okami mentioning there might be more as the elder did. For now he'd stay on guard perhaps hoping to make use of his Six Sense Danger Sense F + Dark Vision F just incase, not having a ton to work with beyond senses as far as investigating the body, even if he did take a look at it after, glad to see that it did in fact bleed.

"I will say, I agree, you should take an escort with you, we do not know if there will be a retaliation tonight, we should be on high alert, and assume that if there are others they could be just as powerful or even potentially more powerful than the one we encountered. Knowing what we know now, I recommend that at minimum we are always in pairs, traveling anywhere alone with potential threats like what we just encountered proves that traveling alone could prove to be fatal. These are the best practices moving forward I believe."

 

[Maxxob]

Location: Taeko - The Republic
Time: Night

Gwen_Temi | Okami
Karcen | Katja
Maverick Six | Vincent
Spoiled Bread | Rei
TheTimePiece | Yukan
EMIYAman | Kurikara

Yoshiro

As the tension of the battle faded, Vincent crouched down near the fallen robed figure, his sharp eyes narrowing. He activated his [Devil's Details], carefully appraising the body with the practiced precision of someone used to uncovering hidden secrets. Rummaging through the folds of the figure’s dark cloak, his hand brushed against two peculiar items—a map and an armband.

The map, roughly sketched but detailed enough to be recognizable, showed the region around Taeko. A single mark stood out—a location even closer to the border with the East Empire, near a mountainous region. The second item—a red armband emblazoned with a black dagger. It was a symbol he didn’t immediately recognize. His [Appraisal E] also returned some basic information: the titles [Human - East Empire] and [Expert Mage] were clearly visible on the figure’s status board. However, a dozen other titles remained obscured, showing only as [?].

As Vincent continued his inspection of the fallen figure, he reached down and began to remove the dark, tattered robes that had concealed the assailant’s true appearance. The cloth fell away, revealing a disturbing sight beneath.

The figure was unmistakably human, but his skin was an unnatural shade—pale, almost grayish, as though it had never seen the sun. His body was gaunt, skeletal, with sharp angles and bones protruding slightly beneath the skin. There was no trace of hair upon his head, leaving him entirely bald. His features were hollowed, as if drained of vitality, and his eyes… those were the most unsettling of all. Entirely pitch black, they seemed to devour light, offering no hint of emotion or life.

Despite the haunting appearance, the clothes beneath the robes were oddly plain—just a casual, unremarkable shirt and pants, as if he had blended into society before cloaking himself in the mantle of death.

The elder chuckled softly, clearly amused by Vincent's words. “Your words may be brash, but I sense the care behind them. I’ll take you up on your offer, stranger. Though I admit, riding in that… contraption of yours sounds like an adventure in itself.”

To Okami's words, Yoshiro nodded solemnly. “I understand your concern, Okami. I’ll wait. My safety pales in comparison to the safety of the village. You’ve all risked much for me; I’ll not make things harder by rushing off.”

Hearing Rei's question, the elder’s eyes darkened as he reflected on past events. “Yes, I fear there is more to this than we’ve seen tonight. There was one instance, years ago, when two villagers vanished from opposite ends of Taeko on the same night. No signs of struggle. No clues left behind. It was as if something or someone had spirited them away. This… this is not the work of a lone force.”

Meanwhile, Katja stepped forward, also using her [Appraisal F] on the body. Like Vince, she noted the same titles: [Human - East Empire], [Expert Mage], while several others remained concealed, appearing only as [?].

Yoshiro returned Yukan's bow with a nod of gratitude. “The trust you speak of is well-placed. You’ve all shown strength and wisdom beyond my expectations. Together, we may stand a chance against this darkness.”

Turning his focus to the forest, Yukan activated his [Sixth Sense - Danger Sense F] and [Dark Vision F], scanning the area for any potential threats lurking in the shadows. But the forest remained eerily still—nothing out of the ordinary appeared to be watching them. Despite the quiet, a sense of unease clung to the air.

Yoshiro nodded once more, acknowledging Yukan's caution. “Wise counsel, Yukan. We must indeed remain vigilant. I will accept an escort, but know that your efforts here tonight have already lifted a great weight from my shoulders.”

Finally, Yoshiro’s attention was drawn to Vincent, more precisely, the map he held. The elder leaned in, his gaze following Vincent’s. “That region," Yoshiro remarked, his voice thoughtful, "is mountainous, known for its caverns. A place where one could hide… or be hidden.” His eyes then drifted to the red armband with the black dagger, puzzlement crossing his features. “As for this symbol… I have no idea what it means. But it does not bode well.”

 

[Maverick Six]

Vincent​

Interaction: Maxxob Gwen_Temi TheTimePiece Spoiled Bread Karcen EMIYAman
Equipped Titles: Human [Mundane], Novice Tinkerer, Novice Blacksmith, Isekai, Mechanic
Language Key: Common | %Analog% |

​

While he listened to things being said, oddly enough, Vince didn't seem to loose focus on the task at hand. At the same time, he hardly missed a beat when it came to banter.

"Ha that's rich coming from you!" He said to the woman who appeared to be nun, but wasn't. However, Vince didn't know this yet. "You sure you're world's like mine? In my world, wouldn't catch any nun dead wearing something like that. At least not unless she wasn't really a nun. And probably had a whip." He teased, his tone indicating more banter than malevolence. Though his tongue quite loose.

"It was a compliment! Guess it's hard for me to feel, long as I'm bein' a decent person and doing the right thing." He said, mostly concerned with the practical more than optics. Vince had come from an oddly ordinary job of being a mechanic, being more concerned with doing a job right more than looking good doing it. Focusing on optics beyond levels which were intuitive was a bit lost to him, particularly given he'd never been to another country beyond his world's version of the United States -- to say nothing of the world.

Still, he did pause for a second after he looked to the elder, ready to apologize if he'd caused any offense. But it seems he was chuckling as much Vince was, causing a laugh to creep out of Vince himself.

With that out of the way however, a few things had been revealed.

"Alright let's see what we got here." He plucked the map out, careful not to tear it. And he gave a look at the armband. He gripped the cloak to reveal the creature's face and body. The results of the appraisal confounded him -- telling him this thing was human. And yet the man looked anything but. His appearance reminded Vince of something personal. There a moment of quiet, before Vince sighed. As if he needed to recompose himself. The creature seemed strikingly familiar to Vince.

But him being pale, coming at night and kidnapping people just had to be coincidence, right?

Gotta keep my head in the game.

"....We got this armband." He showed it to the group, one embezzled with a black dagger. "And we got a map. Looks like it's of the area." Immedaitely, he walked over to Yukan and handed him [The Map]. "You probably know about this better than I do." Then came the mater of the results of his appraisal. "When I tried to "Divine" some knowledge about this guy, couple things came up. Human. East Empire. Expert Mage. Looks like this is far less extra-dimensional than we thought."

A step out of the way and everyone could see the guy's unusual looking mug.

"And uh, this guy looks like that. Reads human but uh, most humans don't look like that." He scratched the back of his head, some discomfort heard in his voice. pointing out pale flesh, beady eyes and a gaunt form. "I'd....almost swear this guy was a vampire. You guys do have that in your world too, right?" He moved to inspect the body again slightly, making an odd choice to check the corpse's teeth for fangs as he pulled them back.

"Since Rei made a good point in askin', anything else you wanna let us know before I take you back? Myths? Folklore?" He waves his hand along his wrirst, cycling through possibilities.

"Will be nice to know, cause I got a feeling we'll be goin' somewhere dark."

Vince takes a moment, making a mental list of things to do at the village.

1. Escort the elder back safely.
2. Get torches and lanterns, just in case. Or make some off materials in the village.
2. Spread the word about the fight and how to beat it, if it comes to that.

---

HP: 2/2 (E-Grade Vitality)
Armor HP: 1/1 (F-Grade Heavy)

Actions: 3/3

1. Gives Yukan the map.
2. Checks the human, to try to see if he's a vampire.
3. Asks the Elder if there is anything else to know.


Cooldowns:
Vince
F - 0 Posts Remain
E - 0 Post Remains

 

[Karcen]

Katja Galinka

Mentions: Maverick Six Gwen_Temi TheTimePiece EMIYAman ​

While other might be insulted or at least put off by the rather blunt reaction of Vincent and his near insult about what katja wore, but Katja honestly did agree with him. The dress was not something she had completely chosen, in her world it had held power and aided here, but was a back handed gift from the labyrinth. it was as if the labyrinth had decided to be beyond petty and give her something she would not like but had to accept because it was to good to pass up. Though he was also wrong about her status, she as about as official a nun as the ones he was thinking of. There were vows she had to take and never had instead deciding to venture off to gain money for her home, and now she was starting to think of what she could do in this world and sadly that required money. Katja could never officially complete the vows and thus to her could never be a true nun.

" Well i would agree with you, Vincent thus it is a a good thing i am not a nun " she explained " I am just another follower of god. This dress was well lets say where i come from a different god has descended and it is very petty " that kind of answer really wasn't very good at explain the whole situation " These are also the only clothes i had, so i would rather wear them than go nude, and in some way i have grown slightly attached to them, an unwanted keepsake " The paradox of a keepsake that you didn't want to keep wasn't lost on her but still it was what they were.

As for the situation at hand katja had learned nothing special that the others had not already mentioned or well Vincent as he seemed to have the most powerful inspection skill. She did wonder why such an inhuman thing would show up as human to the both of them, btu well perhaps it was just human enough to count or somehow hiding its true titles even in death. the arm band might be something and while it was a long shot Katja decided to see if her skill [religion F] might tell her something about the dagger mark on the arm bands perhaps it was the symbol of a cult.

actions
1 use religion of on the arm band to check if the marking is religious in nature.

 

[Gwen_Temi]

Minashigo no Ōkami
​

"Sir, yessir." Okami nodded in agreement to Yukan's orders.

Her attention remained more focused on the area surrounding the party as they examined the body, but she let herself relax for the moment as they planned their next actions. And she began to notice a few things as her comrades spoke. Vincent's personality seemed to have dramatically shifted from earlier when he... seemed almost incapable of expressing emotion. And Katja became... increasingly more suspicious in Okami's mind; enough so to make Okami tilt her head and furrow her brow.

At the very least, her suspicion had nothing to do with current events.

"Did something happen during that battle, tinkerer?" she asked Vincent. Her gaze was nowhere close to his actual position but he could likely hear a bit of playfulness in her voice, "It's as though you've just found your tongue upon the forest floor."

Katja and Vincent would reveal their findings. Okami... couldn't say that she was overly surprised. A mage with the East Empire come to terrorize the people of Taeko for what was, most assuredly, nefarious means. The... exact thing that she'd suspected the two of them of at first glance, funnily enough. The group had a map and a reason to bear arms against whoever they found at the marked location, but no idea of what kind of force lay in wait there. It...

"I doubt that anyone here has the skill to properly scout the enemy base and I wouldn't want to waste the chance to catch them off guard, either way."

Well, it presented Okami with two distinct strategies to utilize moving forward.

"Hmm. After we've escorted Elder Yoshiro back to the village and informed the townspeople of what's going on, we could just make our way to the marked location. I won't lie, this is preferrable to me, but it does seem a bit foolish to advance upon our enemy with no information on their numbers in a group of only six. The East is not be to underestimated."

She then turned to The Elder; wanting to observe his live reaction to her second suggestion as a sort of litmus test.

"Alternatively, we do have a tinkerer. Which means that every able-bodied and willing man and woman can be armed and armored. So long as we properly prepare ourselves, we could potentially come down upon our enemy with what's effectively a small militia. I doubt that they'd have used such furtive methods if they didn't have some fear of being discovered by the people. They probably don't have the numbers to withstand an attack like that, but it would put those who volunteer to fight in danger."

Then, she turned to Yukan with a light grin; a bit of confidence radiating from her as she deferred to him. The map was entrusted to him, as though he'd been chosen to decide the path upon which they'd advance.

"What say you on this matter, Lord Yukan? This next part won't be quite like fishing, will it? It seems a gamble either way. Shall we strike the enemy as six, or build a force to overwhelm them?" It was his call, and she would follow him into battle regardless of what he decided, "Or, perhaps, you have an even better idea for us?"

Maxxob Maverick Six Karcen TheTimePiece Spoiled Bread EMIYAman​

​

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Rei Unagishi

"Huh, so this is not the first time something like this happened. That's interesting." Rei rubbed her chin as she approached the corpse of their enemy. It definitely looks human, and the titles that Vincent managed to glace the corpse made her raised her eyebrows.

"Human? East Empire? Wow, that's unexpected. This guy doesn't looks like a vampire though... Most human vampires are kinda hot, and rich. This one looks more like someone who had been trapped in a dungeon for years." She commented as she poked the corpse with the tip of her scabbard. She wanted to try ruffling through the corpse for clues too, but the figure's barebone appearance made her lose her mood for it.

"I guess our best option for now are to raid the marked place." She nodded at Okami's suggestion. "But I don't like the idea of involving the villagers. Any mages worth their salt can wipe out a bunch of untrained targets with ease."

"Oh, yeah, Elder. You might want to try bringing this thing to your daimyo." Rei pointed at the corpse on the ground. "Probably won't do much for now, but if they think there's a threat from the empire they might give you some help in the future."

Maxxob Maverick Six Karcen TheTimePiece EMIYAman Gwen_Temi ​

 

[GodlyDnD]

Young Bariton Bard

Languages: Common, Terran human

The talented one found himself entering this village of Taeko, while he had thoughts about something important for him to do, he should keep his focus on that. There not far into the village he found the notice, and chose then that if betterment was to come with things he was to do, helping in this for defense of the village was also him with the things he could do.

He soon heard that a party of volunteers had just left, who would deal with it. But he could go after them and catch up. So with careful attention to the directions he was shown, he then went off in that direction.

He came to deep divide crossing the land some way out from the village. There was still a bridge over it to cross easily, with this path continuing on beyond it. Yet when he had come onto the bridge and was going along, suddenly a very great hand reached over from under that side of the bridge. So great was it that it reached around Bariton and he was pulled off the bridge and down, in that grip, to the space below.

There below was a very huge ogrish hag. Few personal b elongings were laid around that dry bottom, indicating to Bariton that this was a place where this monstrous one made a home.

The monstrous hag said then, "I was out of food, it is so good you came by. I can now start cooking a meal, and can have enough to eat tomorrow." She wrapped a stringy ropey strand around him to hold is arms in and laid him down. She then brought sticks from a nearby pile, and laid those carefully over a small fire she had burning there, making a greater pile. She then went to a pile of things she had together in another spot, and brought out a very huge pot, near to the fire.

Not having something else for him, Bariton then started singing, softly at first. The monstrous hag stopped, with a puzzled expression. Bariton continued on, and she sat down, as if to listen. And as Bariton continued on, she seemed more fatigued, and slumped gradually down, and soon went to sleep. When she was surely asleep, Bariton worked at standing up, still constrained, but able to walk with his legs, and he did so, quickly, on through that deep ravine.

 

[TheTimePiece]

Yukan Koyake

​

He'd give a nod glad to hear that the elder appeared to be agreeable.
Yukan's face furrowed a bit with seriousness when the body was revealed and he heard what the titles were...He'd accept the map from Vince and give it a look over, using History E + Warfare E to access it as well as the band symbol if applicable.

He had more important matters to focus on than whether the nun type was dressed appropriately for the time being so he focused in on the data they had, listening to what everyone had to say. Rei mentioned a vampire but Yukan wasn't exactly entirely completely convinced of that. Then there was what Okami had to say, Yukan giving a respectful nod of acknowledgement toward her too from the yessir and then her assessment of the situation.

He'd let out a bit of a sigh, looking like he was in thought, before replying. "It concerns me that this human is in this state, from the East Empire no less...I do not know how much you are all aware of their history but, the East Empire has a past reputation for utilizing most unnatural magic in the form of necromancery...I certainly hope that this unusual figure is not a result of such dark magics, but we cannot rule this possibility out, given what has happened so far I Would not rule it out at that..the costs for necromancery can be quite grim from what I've heard."

"If it was up to me we would see about gathering some more trained forces before committing an assault, but with short notice and leadership whom I am not certain would be interested in helping immediately.."

Yukan would turn to Elder Yoshiro,

"While I do not ask this lightly are there any around this village who have experience serving in any armed role who would be fit and willing to serve? As much as I would like to say we should rush in on their position with just us six, it is notable that there may be multiple just as strong as the one we took down and it took our combined effort to deal with this one alone, charging in without reinforcements strikes me as an inherently risky move... with so little information at that, even more so if they have been building up their forces through the undead or something else nefarious if it is not possible to garner more support without risking the lives of civilians then I understand, but garnering additional armed support would be the most realistic option if we wish to purge these enemies at their roots."

Back when Yukan had faced off against a horde he had a whole hunting party at his disposal, this situation wasn't looking as promising but he could ask at least.

​

 

[Maxxob]

Location: Taeko - The Republic
Time: Night

Gwen_Temi | Okami
Karcen | Katja
Maverick Six | Vincent
Spoiled Bread | Rei
TheTimePiece | Yukan
EMIYAman | Kurikara
GodlyDnD | Bariton

Quick observation for grading purposes: I'm the only narrator in all my RPs, unless stated otherwise.

Yoshiro

As the group gathered under the dim glow of the pink moon, Vincent examined the body more thoroughly, posing the question of whether vampires existed in this world. The elder, his expression darkening with distaste, responded with a solemn nod. “Vampires... Yes, such creatures haunt this land. But they are not like you or I—they are monsters.” His voice wavered with both apprehension and revulsion. “Vampires prey upon the living, spreading their corruption wherever they roam. Their presence is a scourge, and all races hold them in contempt.”

The elder’s tone conveyed the deep-rooted hatred that all creatures felt toward such abominations. For a moment, the group could almost feel the weight of the centuries of fear and destruction wrought by these ancient beings.

As the conversation shifted, Vincent asked about local myths or folklore that could provide insight into their mysterious foe. Yoshiro’s eyes narrowed as he recalled a tale from long ago. “The Kappas... An old legend from the rivers. Aquatic creatures that would snatch children who wandered too close to the water’s edge. They are said to be cunning and merciless.” His voice lingered on the word “cunning,” as though the ancient legend bore eerie similarities to what had been happening in the village. “We have never seen such beings in flesh, but the memory of their malice is not easily forgotten.”

Meanwhile, Katja inspected the red armband with care, her [Religion F] skills allowing her to scrutinize every detail. At first, the black dagger emblazoned on the cloth appeared devoid of religious meaning. But as her fingers traced the fabric, she uncovered a hidden symbol, barely visible on the interior. The sight of it stirred a distant memory: "The Cult of Nyzzum." The name alone sent a chill through her thoughts. It was a fringe cult, one that whispered of doomsday and the world’s end, worshipping a deity that would bring forth that dark future. Information on the cult was sparse, and few dared to speak of it, but Katja knew enough to recognize its sinister nature.

Yukan, inspecting the same armband with his [History E], found another clue. The black dagger set against the crimson fabric belonged to a small-time gang—The Crimson Cutthroats, notorious only for petty crimes and banditry in Ryke. Their reputation was hardly that of world-shaking villains, and this discovery only deepened the mystery. Why would such an unremarkable group’s emblem be worn by a figure with such monstrous power? The contradiction gnawed at Yukan, leaving the group with more questions than answers.

As the adventurers discussed their next course of action, Okami suggested rallying the villagers to arms. Yoshiro listened intently, though his expression remained grim. The idea of sending untrained villagers against mages and monsters gave him pause. He shifted his gaze toward Rei, who voiced strong objections, noting the danger of pitting inexperienced fighters against such potent enemies. Yukan, however, sided with Okami, believing strength in numbers could turn the tide.

Yoshiro pondered their words, his old eyes heavy with the weight of leadership. After a long silence, he sighed. “If they are willing, I will not deny them the choice. But they must know the peril that lies ahead. I will not send them to their deaths blind.”

With that, the group prepared to head back to the village, the tension palpable as night deepened, the pink moon casting an eerie, faint glow over the land. Vincent’s vehicle roared to life, its alien noise echoing through the quiet night as it carried Yoshiro back to the village. As they arrived, the metallic beast drew the attention of the villagers, who emerged from their homes in curiosity and fear.

The elder, cane in hand, made his way to the village center. The firelight flickered across his weary face as he addressed the gathered crowd. His voice, though worn with age, carried the weight of urgency. He explained the adventurers’ plan—to arm those who were willing and march toward the place where their missing kin might be. But his words were not without warning. “This foe is not to be underestimated,” he cautioned. “The road ahead is fraught with danger. I will not force any of you to join this fight, but know this: it may be our only chance to bring back those we have lost.”

The villagers murmured among themselves, the fear of the unknown heavy in the air. But after moments of silence, ten figures stepped forward, each with a look of determination on their faces. A young man, his voice steady despite the trembling in his hands, spoke first. “My brother is still out there. If there’s a chance to save him, I’ll fight.” Another, an older woman, her hands hardened by years of work, stood tall. “I’ve lived through many winters. If I can still swing a hammer, then I can swing a sword.”

One by one, the volunteers spoke of their reasons—families to protect, loved ones to save, or simply a desire to fight back against the terror that had gripped their village. Each was equipped with the weapons and armor Vincent had crafted, their faces set with grim resolve as they prepared to rejoin the adventurers.

[ Maverick Six be free to describe the supplies (torches/lanterns) Vincent found, as well as the crafting of the material]

Together, the adventurers and their new allies made their way back to the forest, the tension thick in the air as they prepared for the journey ahead. The path was clear—they would head toward the location marked on the map. Whatever awaited them there, they would face it together.

---

Elsewhere, under the same dim moonlight, Bariton the bard trudged through the shadowed ravine. The lullaby he’d sung to the ogrish hag still lingered on his lips, though his heart raced from the near escape. The hag had been moments away from making him her next meal, and now, every rustling leaf and distant howl seemed to mock him for his foolish bravery.

The night was treacherous. The pink moon gave little illumination, and the jagged paths of the ravine twisted and turned, offering no clear direction. Shadows danced on the edge of his vision, and the occasional sound of nocturnal creatures made his imagination run wild. Every step felt like a gamble, the ground uneven beneath his boots, the dark pressing in from all sides.

The bard’s usually sharp wit was dulled by exhaustion, and the uncertainty of the path ahead only heightened his sense of dread. Somewhere in the distance, he heard the faint trickle of water, a reminder that danger could lurk around any corner. Whatever awaited him in the night, Bariton knew it could be just as deadly as the hag he had left behind. But the road ahead was his only option. The shadows, for now, held their secrets.

 

[Maverick Six]

Vincent​

Interaction: Maxxob Gwen_Temi TheTimePiece Spoiled Bread Karcen
Equipped Titles: Human [Mundane], Novice Tinkerer, Novice Blacksmith, Isekai, Mechanic
Language Key: Common | %Analog% |

​

Vince raised a brow at Okami's comment. "Dunno whatchur talkin' about. I had a Job needed doin'. And even then, I talk plenty." When he'd gotten here, he had a job to do and didn't know anybody there much. And even then, he'd practically yelled at Rei for her apparent shyness. Okami's impression of him as quiet was a bit confusing.

Looking over the body, the creature didn't seem to have any fangs, even though it did resemble the vampires of his world to a great degree. "That so?" He said to Rei. "If I meet one again here, maybe I can die to something that looks a little prettier." He couldn't help but think of movies that had shown what used to be fantasy to him. But it appeared some of it was very real. Both in his seemingly normal, modern world and this one. He couldn't claim to know much about this world's creatures at all. The Elder confirmed other creatures, but they didn't seem to match the description of what they were facing. Vince merely nodded in acknowledgment.

Indeed, Vince's lack of knowledge in this world was filled by others -- giving him more reason to be thankful for their presence.

Despite how experienced the other two were in combat.

"Can't help but agree with Rei. Not a lone wolf, but if someone's too unskilled or loses their nerve, might end up babysitting them. If he's a necromancer like you say, might make it worse. We cremed this thing pretty good. Not just that, but I made those weapons for defense. You'll still want a good amount of people there to protect the kids. Unless you really do feel like babysitting." He mentioned -- thinking a bit about Taeko's future.

More bodies meant a bigger force. But it also meant more untrained people who'd never signed up for this. Bringing the entire village sounded like an good way to lose a good portion of it.

"But it's your call." He said, voicing his concern but ultimately leaving the decision up to Yukan.

Old habits died hard. Wielding his crowbar, he was about to open up the thing's skin to make sure it doesn't get back up. However, he Rei mentions using the thing as evidence, which might have been a good idea. Especially if whatever the end to all this was didn't bring about an end to the war. Vince was getting a sneaking suspicion this was getting more complicated than it seemed.

"Can't say I know much about the empire. Aside from the fact that they're human, look like my world's romans and my neighbors. Had no trouble passing through there." Vince leaned down to the thing, picking it up with greater strength than his lean body implied [Athletics F] and carrying it off.

"But I do know one thing: Whatever the hell's going on here isn't right." There was a lot more going on then Vince truly knew, with him being so subsumed in his work as to know nothing of the empire, the war with the Fae See or much about the relationship with the Republic at all. But that singular statement explained why he would act without hesitation.

He placed the corpse of the "man" they'd killed in the trunk. However, he used some rope he had inside to hogtie the corpse on both hands and feet. Vince would then open up the opposing car door for Yoshiro.

"Come on Elder. I'll drive nice and careful for ya."

The Village​

---

The car slowly sauntered out into the village. And the Elder would be returned safely. He opened the door for the old man and made sure he didn't have any trouble getting out.

Then he spun to the trunk and hauled out the creature's corpse, slinging it over his shoulder and then throwing it out at the feet of the villagers -- still tied up despite being dead. "Here's the thing we fought. And your evidence. Might let you get some help."

Only a few people came forward. And Vince was relieved it was just a couple and not the whole damn village. For those two he had a few words. While the Elder covered the pep talk, Vince mentioned the practical. "If you swing a hammer in life, let's get you to swing a hammer in a fight. Swap with this person." He motioned out to her to retrieve a War Club F. It was basically a wooden club, but opened up at the top and loaded with metal. The other would be granted a War Scythe F -- a farmer's tool in the form of a scythe, simply modified to function like a spear. "Your hands are shaking a bit. Give this a couple practice swings but careful. Get comfortable with it. Stick 'em with the point end."

Assembling some torches was pretty easy -- even given the supplies here. He needed only some sticks, cloth, and animal fats to soak them in. All things farmers possessed in relative abundance. Once he had all he needed.

"I'll show you to our group. You'll meet a guy naned Yukan. You'll probably love 'em. Follow him and do what he says."

Once he returned, each and every person there would receive a source of light.

The Journey (Retrieving Bariton)​

---

GodlyDnD

(The following is done with the narrator's approval and does not fall under the purview of advanced rules)

Do I hear music?

The car drove slowly at first along the journey. There was a pleasant quality to the music, but Vince consciously decided to check it out rather than follow it. Hearing singing out in the woods was a good way to disappear. He plugged his ears out of paranoia.

"I hear somethin'." He looked down below. And he saw a guy who was tied up, standing next to some cooking supplies, a pot, and a big ass ogre looking... a woman from what he could tell. He narrowed his eyes as he investigated the scene, leaning forward to barely get within range from the top of the bridge. And one title came up, which meant something.

Monster.

The ogre seemed dangerous to fight, so Vince walked back to his car with hardly a word and shut the door.

VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

The car speeds off, veering down the slope and driving into the space beneath the vehicle. The sleeping ogre would be awakened to the sound of Vince's steampunk-styled car ramming right into it. Surprisingly, the car didn't hit very hard, but it could haul a lot of weight. In this case, it would be good enough to shove a sleeping and vulnerable ogre far away. The car wasn't the most damaging, but its mass and fair speed allowed it to push the creature away. Rather than contesting its toughness -- he kept driving until he simply shoved the creature off with his battering ram-equipped car.

SKRT

The breaks halted just at the edge of the cliff. And there'd be an eerie quiet as the ogre could potentially be heard plummeting to her doom off a cliff before...it simply came to a very abrupt end. Bariton would see a man exiting the steampunk vehicle. Picking up a kitchen knife the ogre had, Vince would walk over and begin cutting away the rope, wearing little currently beyond a tank top, a set of jeans, and what looked like a welding helmet.

"Yeesh. Good thing you got a set of lungs on you. You're real lucky." He said, just as the rope snapped off.

Despite the fact that Bariton had come to assist, Vince didn't know he was an adventurer. And thus saw fit to point him off in the direction of the nearest town, Taeko.

"Nearest town is that way. You're close. Pretty dangerous out as you can see. Would escort you back but, we got another monster we're huntin' for...." Vince said before waving Bariton off, not realizing at all in the slightest...that he was there to help them.

Vince soon hopped in his car, reversing it as he drove off to rejoin the group.

---

Spoiler: TLDR

• More banter
• Vince disagrees with Yukan and Okami about bringing villagers and agrees with Rei, but ultimately goes with Yukan's judgement
• Vince loads the corpse of the "Man", ties it up and places it in the trunk.
• Vince returns to the village, dumping the tied up corpse with the villagers
• Vince makes torches for everyone.
• On the Journey, Vince drives his car into the ogre to save Bariton and frees him, not realizing he's there to help them.

 

[Karcen]

Katja Galinka

Mentions: Maverick Six Gwen_Temi TheTimePiece EMIYAman ​

The Cult of Nyzzum a name that came almost magically to her mind, that was who was doing this. Doomsday worshipers, seeking to send the world tumbling into the hands of a devil. There had been those in her world that had worshiped the labyrinth thinking that by trying to please the thing, the destroyer, the monster that it was they would be rewarded or spared its evil. That had never worked it existed to consume and torture everything it could and only took pleasure from that alone. That was the nature of those what worshiped darkness, be it the devil, Nyzzym, the labyrinth, or any other god that called itself dark. Their worshipers were always shortsighted or deluded.

" How strange to see labyrinth worshipers on this world. It seems all worlds have those lost sheep that are tricked by wolves in a shepherds garb " Katja said knowing in some part of her mind that to others all that was gibberish except maybe to Vincent, but he didn't seem that religious so he might not even get it. " There is a cult at work and behind this " She continued her voice losing her normal soft kindness as she could not help but hate those that dealt with such dark forces. She didn't say the name of the cult as she didn't know the rules of deities in this world as well, she understood there were some and they existed. She didn't follow them, but she couldn't blindly deny them, and so she didn't want to name the god incase that might draw it's attention. To name something was to hold a power over, to speak the name of god was to try to call upon god's power. So she did not know if this dark god would be onto them if she spoke aloud its name and drew its attention.

The idea of drafting villagers into the fold was not one Katja liked, she didn't like others getting hurt, but sometimes desperate times called for desperate measures and Katja internally said a prayer that things would not end with a slaughter. it was a plea towards a distant deity, that had seemed to only grow more distant on this new world, but one she would not give up on, she had faith and that would never waiver. She wished for kindness and compassion, that even those that fell under the dark gods sway could come back tot he light and she believed if they wanted to even the worst person could be a good person.

there was little Katja could do when it came to preparing for a fight, she would never harm any other being it was a promise she had made and one she would never break. That meant she had no experience with weapons, or combat strategies, There was one thing she could do, what priests had done for centuries before combat, that was to tend to the spiritual and morale needs of the troops. While the people here did not share the same faith as her, and she was not priest it was what she could do. While the people here might not fully trust her Katja would find those that would help and would at least listen and minster to them, not preaching of hellfire and brimstone, but tell the tales of the righteous warriors and that deity had helped them. while their faith might not be hers perhaps the stories and idea that some deity any deity was watching over them would calm their hearts and steady their hands for the coming fight.


actions

1 Katja is out telling stories and preaching to the people that will help them to bolster morale

 

[Gwen_Temi]

Minashigo no Ōkami
​

The Ronin offered her thoughts on the situation, Yukan made the call, and Elder Yoshiro offered his support. The villagers were given the choice to remain at home or to venture out to support the adventuring party in ridding the village of its unseen enemy once and for all. The tinkerer supplied them with arms and armor before they took their leave. The mage decided to tell stories of brave warriors to embolden them.

And, as the expanded party ventured out towards the mountains to face the threat of the empire, Okami felt a growing sense of pride in the villagers.

"Take pride in what what you're doing here, today. Few have the courage to dive into the unknown to protect their loved ones."

The Ronin had a few ideas for how to honor those who survived. Even more for those who didn't. Thoughts on how to set the village on a path where they may not have needed to call upon the Adventurer's guild the next time a hostile force sought to invade them. But those thoughts would have to wait until after she'd seen the conclusion of their upcoming battle. For now, she would make use of their strength, and honor them in ridding the woods of this Eastern menace.

And, once again, The Wolf would open the floor to discussion between her comrades during a moment of peace.

"I propose we take a simple formation when we reach our destination. Lord Yukan, Rei and I should take point and engage the enemy first. Those of you who've taken up arms follow just behind and strike the enemy when you perceive any openings. Overwhelm them. Katja... I understand your reluctance to fight, so I'd advise you to remain in the rear and shield the locals as you see fit. If the enemy is, indeed, lurking within the caves, then we can use them to our advantage and keep the enemy at the front of our formation. If anyone has any objections, speak up now," Okami explained, "I'm open to hearing better ideas. I encourage it. But we all need to be on the same page before we reach our destination."

With a raised brow, The Wolf turned her head and caught Vincent knocking a hag straight off of a cliff before almost falling off of it, himself. She noticed the bard, but paid him little mind in that moment. The sight of that brief encounter brought... another concern to mind that was, probably, also best addressed before they reached the cave.

"Tinkerer?" she called, "Can you fight without your metal box? I have doubts that it will fit into the mouth of a cave."

Karcen TheTimePiece Maxxob Maverick Six Spoiled Bread GodlyDnD

​

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Rei Unagishi

Rei can only sigh as several villagers volunteered to join the raid. She understand why they joined, still didn't sit well with her though. The moment the people they're supposed to protect feels the need to arms themselves was the moment she failed as a warrior, at least that's what her father would say. She didn't like his rigid principles, hence why she fled to Rotia, but whether she wanted it or not some of his teachings had been deeply carved into her soul. The only thing she could do right now was at least making sure all of them returned home safely.

"Nice fancy stuffs." Rei approached the volunteers as they received weapons from Vincent,

"Now line up! We're going for some drill!" Unsheathing her sword, Rei would demonstrate some techniques to the volunteers. Nothing fancy, and she was mostly focusing to teach them on how to [deflect] the enemy's attack.

"Mages tend to not be doing too well once you close the distance, but that doesn't mean they're not dangerous! Watch their hands closely! If they move it in a pattern they're likely to cast another spell, if they hide their hands under their robe then expect some surprise attack. Probably from a dagger or something similar!" She walked back and forth in front of the messily lined up volunteer, unconsciously mimicking her Rotian instructor.

"Now follow my move!"

=================

Back to the forest, again. Rei yawned as they marched towards the cave. Okami suggested some formation and Rei nodded at it.

"Sounds good, we bait them first before revealing our true strength. Would be good if we can infiltrate them first... but with our number it might not be a good idea. Oh, I'm sure the car can be useful outside the cave. I actually want to see some of them get flattened by the car. I think that would be hillarious." Rei smirked at the thought of some cultists cartoonishly run from a metal box approaching them at high speed.

Action:
1. Teach the volunteers some [Deflect]

Maxxob Maverick Six Karcen TheTimePiece EMIYAman Gwen_Temi GodlyDnD ​

 

[GodlyDnD]

Young Bariton Bard



Languages: Common, Terran human

Once free from being bound by an unknown rescuer who was gone suddenly just as he had appeared, Bariton knew he must now climb out from the steep gorge that he had been pulled into. So, once making sure the valued items, most certainly his lute, were still tied in place securely right behind his shoulder, he examined the side of the gorge, and worked at carefully climbing up that very steep incline. At great length, later in the day, he was at the top and came out from the gorge, tired from that. After another few moments, he got himself up, looked about, and went to that path that he had gone some distance from, and then went on along it, very watchful for any approaching dangers, as this was certainly a dangerous country, and maybe he would find such others who could fight as he had hoped already to do.

 

[TheTimePiece]

Yukan Koyake
​

After making his discovery he'd share it with the rest of the group, "I'm concerned that my suspicion has more evidence in it's favor, the dagger this individual has on their person belongs to The Crimson Cutthroats a group of petty thieves and bandits who operate from Ryke. Normally such criminals would not be so strong, so I am to believe that dark magic may very well be at play in bolstering their powers, Not to mention the involvement of cult activity makes this scenario even more of a possibility which we must consider." He'd also add after Katja sharing that information with them.

Yukan would give a respectful bow to the elder at his decision to ask, which he was thankful for, only having willing fighters would make sense for the operation regardless, should nobody come Yukan would still go fight the foe, but he had a feeling that this would be an essential decision moving forward.

"With all due respect, I have experience leading a hunting party against a horde of the undead. Having numbers is essential if it turns out this is the sort of foe we are dealing with. " He responded matter of fact toward Vince's and Rei's concern.

"While I agree that needless civilian causalities should be avoided at all costs, it is a great honor for a [Beast] from our lands to fight for what is right, who am I to deny those who wish to join up in arms against their terrorizers and oppressors? They will understand the risks themselves, and I will do what is in my power to ensure that as many as possible survive should they decide to join us."

It seemed that Yukan was not one to let these sorts of decisions weigh on him, he had made up his mind, and would roll with the success or consequences of the decision having a strong conviction that what he said was correct.

When the villagers came forward who would be joining them and Okami spoke allowed Yukan gave a respectful nod to the group.

"Your bravery and honor in the face of evil will not be forgotten, I commend your decision and will do my utmost to ensure that our operation is successful as possible."

Thankfully they weren't just sending a bunch of unexperienced people, they had the support of people who had fought in battles before, like Okami, and Yukan himself. He was also thankful that Rei was willing to help prepare them some with the combat aspects, and that Vince was able to provide them with equipment.

When Okami went over the formation however Yukan knew there was information he could supplement there given his warfare knowledge and having been on the fields in formations.

With Leadership F and Warefare F (E if Maxxob not doing cooldowns out of combat rn) Yukan would speak up,

"I believe a modified Hoshi formation is in order, since we have ten volunteers they should form an arrowhead shape behind us with us taking point at the 'tip' Katja you should remain in the back center of the triangular formation so that you have access to cast your support magic. This formation will ensure that we will have coverage on all sides from a frontal assault, and the supports can support from within, with melee protections on all side. This formation can quickly be adapted into a more tailored suitable one should the situation call for it once we know what we are up against, but I am operating under the assumption we are possibly outnumbered, and that not every enemy we encounter will be as strong as the last one."
----
Yukan would travel carefully, and listen to hear a response to the one with the odd traveling contraption had to say as far as using their metal box in closer areas.

 

[Maverick Six]

Vincent​

Interaction: Maxxob Gwen_Temi TheTimePiece Spoiled Bread Karcen GodlyDnD
Equipped Titles: Human [Mundane], Novice Tinkerer, Novice Blacksmith, Isekai, Mechanic
Language Key: Common | %Analog% |

​

Guess we're doin' this.

To Yukan's comment, Vince answers was very simple. "I'd for damn sure love an army. But this looks more like an angry mob." He said., his voice low so as to not discourage anyone. "But your call at the end of the day. Said most of my piece." The thought didn't sit right with Vince, but ultimately he left the decision up to him. The culture was a bit different than anything he'd been used to in his modern times. He'd have understood more if they weren't here. But the thought of it being a "great honor" didn't sit right with him, despite the fact that nobody was forced to.

At this point, they'd all just have to see how this goes.

For now, he played his part -- watching as Rei took to undergoing some drills with them. I was a good idea, even they couldn't do it as effectively. People had to be real familiar with their weapons. How it felt to swing it, how accurately they could swing it, when they would get tired and what types of strikes seemed best with it. He made sure to make inspect their weapons. Among them, he noticed the bard he freed. A man whose name he didn't know was "Bariton"

"Didn't I just save your bacon? Yeesh. Sounds like everyone wants in on the action today, eh?" The bard looked almost lost.

Then came a speech. Vince would remain quiet while Okami and Yukan spoke, until he was directly addressed.

"Much as I'd love to be running cultists and bandits over like Rei said, probably won't be the case. At the moment, I'm just bringing it to transport anyone who needs it. We still don't know what happened to the people who were caught. Maybe they're alive. Or maybe we need to bring a body back. Same applies for carrying any wounded or otherwise. Won't fit in any cave and I don't wanna bring it in there even if it did." He answered why he was bringing his car at all.

Next question.

"Nowhere near as good as you, Rei or Yukan. But I'll hold my own in a scrap." He takes out his crowbar, idly twirls his crowbar in his hand and then rests it on his shoulder. He's at least used it. "I plan on supporting you all in the fight. And going where I'm needed." Hopefully, it answered Okami's questions concerning his role in combat.

"If anyone wants a ride or to load up any supplies in the trunk, feel free. Otherwise? Let's go crack some skulls." The last thing he said, before their journey to the point on the map began.

Vince would be keeping his wits about himself as they did as he continued to cruise along with the crowd, ready his engine making a low rumble as it continued steadily along.

 

[Karcen]

Katja Galinka

" It sounds acceptable and God willing al who joins will return with us " katja said to the plan not really having much to add. She had done what she coukd in terms of morale and in truth had wanted to sheild the villagers or those she could anyways. The only thing she could do was sheild those she could and heal those that were close to her. It was a far cry from her past power, but one day she might regain her past power of God allowed.​

 

[Maxxob]

Location: ???? - The Republic
Time: Night

Gwen_Temi | Okami
Karcen | Katja
Maverick Six | Vincent
Spoiled Bread | Rei
TheTimePiece | Yukan
EMIYAman | Kurikara
GodlyDnD | Bariton

At the village, the body of the pale, unsettling assailant was carefully hoisted from Vincent’s vehicle. Villagers, disturbed by its unnatural appearance, whispered among themselves, casting uneasy glances. As Rei had suggested earlier, they resolved to present the corpse to their Daimyo as undeniable proof of the evil that had encroached upon their home. The man’s corpse, with its hollow, skeletal features and soulless, black eyes, seemed to represent a piece of a much larger, darker threat that had stalked their quiet lives from the shadows. The villagers prayed this offering would affirm their fears and rally the Daimyo to their cause.

Meanwhile, back at the edge of the village, the newly conscripted ashigaru—ordinary villagers who had traded their plows and tools for spears and swords—stood in a rough circle, listening intently to Vincent’s words on handling their new weapons. With determination in their eyes, they began to mimic his suggestions, their movements unrefined but eager. Their practice drills started clumsily as they fumbled with the weight of their unfamiliar weapons. Axes, spears, and swords felt foreign in their calloused hands, but with each swing, each deflection, the ashigaru’s confidence grew. The weight that once dragged down their arms now seemed lighter, their footwork less awkward, as they started to settle into the rhythm of their training.

Across the clearing, Rei led her own drills, a more intense focus surrounding her as she commanded the attention of the ashigaru. As she demonstrated tactical maneuvers, her voice carried sharp warnings about mages—the rare but deadly threats that these villagers had little to no experience with. Magecraft in The Republic was an anomaly, a power that could devastate unprepared troops from afar. Her warnings carried a gravitas that found deep resonance among the ashigaru, especially as she painted vivid pictures of the destruction that such magic could wreak if not approached carefully. She emphasized not just ranged threats but the danger mages could pose in close combat, instilling a clear sense of the stakes ahead.

Katja, Okami, and Yukan also played their roles, ensuring that the ashigaru’s spirits remained high. Katja’s storytelling and brief sermons, interspersed with Okami’s and Yukan’s supportive words, ignited a fire in the ashigaru. Her tales of courage and the divine light bolstered their resolve, casting aside the weariness and fear that had lingered in their hearts. Okami’s encouragement, combined with Yukan’s tactical insight, ensured that their formation remained tight and disciplined. Morale soared as the ashigaru, emboldened by their newfound purpose, began to see themselves as more than just villagers. They were soldiers now—warriors ready to fight for their home. They positioned themselves in an arrowhead formation, five on each side, as Yukan had instructed, ready to follow their leaders into whatever lay ahead.

As the adventurers and ashigaru moved deeper into the forest, the sounds of their march were muffled by the heavy underbrush. Leaves rustled softly, twigs snapped underfoot, and the pale pink moon overhead bathed the forest in a ghostly glow. The only constant was the low growl of Vincent’s vehicle, rumbling alongside the group as they pressed forward. The deeper they went, the thicker the tension became, as though the trees themselves whispered of the impending battle.

At last, the group reached the edge of a cliff, where Bariton stood amidst the thick bushes and overgrowth. The bard, clearly weary from his recent ordeal, gazed across the expansive ravine that stretched out before them. Down below, a sprawling mountain stood ominously, the moon casting eerie shadows across its surface. The mountain loomed large and foreboding, but it was not the towering rock face that caught the group’s attention, located at 40 feet from them. Instead, their focus was drawn to the ramp carved into the mountainside, descending into the earth, wide enough to allow four people to walk side by side. At the base of the ramp stood the dark maw of a cavern—its entrance so black it seemed to absorb the light around it. The thick veil of shadows within concealed whatever lay beyond, a gateway to the unknown.

But it wasn’t the darkness alone that unnerved them. Standing guard in front of the cavern entrance were four figures, and they weren’t robed like the earlier assailant. These guards were clearly prepared for battle, wearing armor of varying weight and style. Two were clad in heavy plate armor, one human holding a massive greatsword, and the other a beastwoman with a spiked club almost as large as she was. The other two, both elves, were dressed in lighter leather armor—one with a bow slung across his back, and the other cradling a rifle, his keen eyes scanning the horizon. Each of them wore the same armband the group had found on the would-be attacker, the black dagger emblazoned against a crimson background marking their allegiance.

The guards stood with rigid discipline, their eyes moving constantly as they kept careful watch over the cavern entrance. There was no sign of slack in their movements—no hint of weariness. These were not casual bandits or mercenaries, but skilled combatants prepared to defend the mouth of the cave at any cost.

The sight of these armed figures and the darkness looming behind them posed an immediate question for the adventurers and their ashigaru. The group would need to tread carefully. One wrong move, one miscalculation, and the alarm could be raised, turning this stealth mission into an all-out confrontation. The ashigaru shifted uneasily, their hands tightening around the hilts of their weapons as they looked to the adventurers for guidance. How they would approach this situation would be the first test of their coordination as a unit, and with the stakes so high, there was little room for error.

Would they attempt to sneak past? Launch a surprise attack? Or perhaps engage the guards with deception? The path forward was fraught with danger, and the choices they made now would determine the course of the battle to come.

Spoiler: Ashigaru

The villagers, or ashigaru, will work as a single unit. They will act when ordered, however, not all orders will be followed. To order the ashigaru, at least 1 action has to be used. As they sustain damage, morale and base effectiveness will be lost. If morale falls low enough, dice checks will be conducted to see if they break formation or continue in the fight.

Ashigaru
HP: 10/10
Base Effectiveness: 10/10
Morale: 10/10
Learned skills: [Deflect F]