Fantasy The Cyclone - Act I: The Murky Swamp

[Gary Sue]

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Art owned by Wizards of the Coast
(Piece Name: Swamp (Lands))​

The Cyclone
The Great Swamp, Western Cyclone
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After continuous preparations from the group, Irena and Ras had packed enough supplies and gathered enough information to ensure a safe trip for Rove. That's not to say everything went as it should have, however. Until almost a week ago, the black-haired lancer was training alongside the feistier brawler under the wings of Aeredale's weaponsmaster, Kors. Along with them, Irena, a knight stationed in Aeredale who had helped them out with an expedition into the jungle prior made strides to improve herself, and she'd been invited to tag along for the escort of the bard that Ras had run into at an inn one fateful day.

When a sudden wave of sickness washed over the town however and many of the soldiers weren't in top shape, patrol duty became more tedious and there simply wasn't enough people to fill in. In an unlucky for the group turn of events, Irena decided to stay behind and continue to protect the town she had grown to love, doing whatever she could to fulfill her duties as an honorable knight, now with a few skills more. Thankfully however, none of the adventurers fell ill, meaning now was as good a time as ever to hit the road and get going. And so they began their escort mission as a unit, with a kobold by their side to guide them through the swamps, a bard to keep them company and their weapons and newly acquired skills to guard them from danger.

Fighting back against nature's threats was required on multiple occasions, even once before entering the swamp as some of the fey appeared more mischievous than usual and attempted to pull a prank on the group using nearby flora. With Julia's temper and Rak's hotheaded attitudes, one provocation led to another and before long, the group was fighting against some sort of elemental raised in defense of the little critter that only sought to scare the group. The encounters once they entered the swamp were much more tactical however, as even their scaled companion had let them know to not mess with the surrounding wildlife.

"Fight makes sound. Loud ones attract monsters- and monsters are made of meat. Meat attracts Bog Divers, and Rak can only scare those ones away. Don't be loud ones until we get to Col'kirk."

Those were the precise words that they had made well to heed, even when they had to get into scraps with less than harmless fey, the arcane's rampaging offspring and the more territorial denizens. There was even a point when they expected a band of thieving kobolds to attack them from the shadows, but nothing came of the bandits... perhaps a smarter choice on their end. They weren't more than a day or two away from their destination at this rate, and their morale was holding up strong. If anything, their main vanguard was feeling rather troubled.

"I've been thinking back to what Rak told us when we set off, and... It's a fair bit unlucky that Irena was left behind. You had helped her train, right Rak?", Ras asked as he looked to the side at the demihuman, only to receive a curious look that was followed by a smug snort. "Masterful one trained her body, smart one trained her magicks. But pretty one wouldn't be close to half Rak's brilliance."

For a second, Ras was expecting the same volume as when he had last heard about Rak's brilliance, but... thankfully, there was none of that this once. It was almost shocking to see Rak sticking to his own rules- and it only made him wonder if they would really not be too far off without Irena's access to mana. They didn't have a tome yet, but surely burning a scroll fending off a Bog Diver could be worth that price. Come think of it, the group had gotten lucky in more ways than one.

A few hours prior, Julia had finished that story about the man who had left her to sleep out in the wilds, though he knew better than to assume her manners when talking to him had been superb either. "... I would be worried about catching a mana fever sleeping out there, so close to the jungle too.", he said and gave the blonde a glance before huffing. "And you never found out who that other person was, the one who tried to stop you from talking to the blacksmith Kors had proposed you visit either."

Rove was walking along with the group, making sure to look around and take note of the environments. It was when discussions such as this came about however, that he would perk up and shine a wide grin almost from ear to ear. "I could hold myself back when this was being said for the first time, but- there is a story about a figure like that. Truth or fiction noone knows, but it's still a story I can share with the tavern if everyone so pleases.", he hummed in a tune that almost begged for a reason to grab his lute and get to sharing tales once more. He had kept them entertained during their downtime, but a bard thrives on pleasing their audience more than anything- if not every bard, definitely this one.

---

And as the group marched towards Col'kirk, a fateful encounter drew nearer. Unbeknownst to them, the path they were taking would lead them to another group of adventurers before much too long. This group, not unlike Julia's and Ras' own, was equally colorful in shades and personalities. From the curious ginger-haired girl that had taken a moment to look at flora and continue filling her research notes with drawings and scribbles of anything and everything curious, to the no-nonsense dark skinned lad who seemed like the muscle of the group. And while he was setting up a small stone shelter for the fire they were to light, the third of the group was figuring out what new culinary direction to explore.

Were they going to go after the berries they were oh so used to and turn them into a stew, or would she finally take the leap and try to hunt after the nearby Lightfooted Rabbits who were known for their ability to scurry away at a moment's notice? There was a spreading rumor from those who never got the chance to taste their delicious meat that it was similar to farm animals the residents of the West and Central Cyclone were used to, though it had a smoother texture and sweeter tinge to it. And it's not like they were as small as their name would imply either- they were some of the largest rodent species after all.

Had the group been travelling at a more peaceful time, they'd maybe even be called poachers by some for considering hunting these animals for food. But at a time when anything can go berserk with magic and begin wreaking havoc, something that hasty at climbing up trees and gliding from treetop to treetop, if not setting a temporary haven that high up, was as good a choice as ever. After all, nothing was as friendly as it looked and everyone in this group appeared to know that, to a degree. Perhaps most of all the paler traveler who seemed eager to find out where that rustling and splashing just came from and where it went to.

---

All players have begun in The Great Swamp. Currently, Julia and Ras are heading down the Western Path alongside the NPCs Rove and Rak, while Neve, Elijah and Bianca are coming from the Northern Path.

Whenever posting, make sure to add to the bottom of your post the following:
Mentions: (@ tag anyone whose character you are mentioning along with the character name, if an NPC @ me instead and add their name to a bracket)
Interactions: (@ tag anyone whose character you are interacting with along with their name, as above)
Location: (mention where your characters are currently)

Key of Stars Honeybuzz OONNII Spoiled Bread Heyitsjiwon

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[Honeybuzz]

Neve had never been this far from home before and she was delighted by it. Every new sight, sound, and smell had made her overjoyed and it wasn't uncommon to catch her straying off the path to note down some new flower or strange looking plant she managed to spot. The girl had no basic survival skills and could barely tell her left from her right but she sure knew how to quickly and effectively document the flora around the group which came in a pinch for when food was low; so far her success to fail ratio for edible plants was looking pretty good.

As she crouched beside the dark green plant full of budding flowers of an almost shiny yellow hue, she felt a pang of hunger hit her stomach. She had thought to offer her help to Bianca but she was by no means skilled in the way of hunting and though she carried her sword with some amount of experience and skill, using it for more than self defense wasn't quite in her plans. As she continued to scribble in her book the general shapes and shadows of the plant and its flowers, she wondered for a moment if she could convince one of her companions to taste one of the petals; for science, obviously. Maybe..

After confirming the plant wouldn't eat her or spray her with acid she plucked a single petal and turned it over in her fingers, inspecting it. While her methods may have been odd to other herbalists it hadn't failed her or her father in his time which meant either she was extremely lucky or the 'method' actually worked. "Not poisonous.. may cause.. indigestion? Perhaps.." She mumbled to herself before placing the petal in her book and rising to her feet, ignoring the mud that caked the bottom of her cloak. She then turned on her heel and approached Elijah, watching him for a moment or two as he was building their small firepit.

"Do you require any of my.. assistance?" Neve inquired softly, slipping her book into her small bag and clasping her hands together. "I would've offered my help to Bianca but-" she waved a hand in their other companion's general direction, "-I'm not all that good with the 'hunting' thing."


Mentions: Spoiled Bread [Bianca], OONNII [Elijah]
Interactions: OONNII [Elijah]
Location: Northern Path

 

[OONNII]

Elijah crouched low beside the half-formed pit, his hands busy cleaning the soot-stained stones he had gathered. He intended to fix them into place to make a makeshift stove, but the uneven rocks weren't cooperating. Each time he thought he had the foundation just right, a stone would wobble, slide, and tumble back into the dirt. His lips pressed into a thin line as he muttered a curse under his breath, adjusting the stones again with a bit more force than was probably necessary. It wasn’t that he couldn’t get it done—he just hated when things didn’t go according to plan. He rubbed at the back of his neck, trying to shake off the frustration that had begun to knot in his chest.

After the third stone slipped out of place, Elijah clenched his fists, his patience wearing thin. The cold air, while nothing new to him, felt harsher when things weren't going smoothly, and it only added to his growing irritation. He wiped his hands on his pants, the grime leaving streaks that he didn’t care to notice. With a low growl, he bent back down to try again, determined not to let a few stubborn rocks get the best of him. That’s when he noticed Neve out of the corner of his eye, she was watching him quietly, her head slightly tilted. He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath to steady himself before meeting her gaze as she spoke.

Taking a brief pause his critical nature flared briefly—what could she possibly do out here? Still, Elijah wasn’t one to turn down assistance when it was offered. She had proven her usefulness with plants, and though he doubted she wanted to stabilize some stones, maybe there were other ways she could help.

“Actually, yeah,” Elijah said, his voice gruff but steady as he pointed toward the nearby trees. “I could use some sticks, something sturdy. Need to get this fire going before the sun dips too low.” He paused, eyeing her small bag where she often kept her notes and plants. “If you spot any herbs or something we could use to season the food, that’d help too. Might as well put those plants of yours to good use.” He wasn’t sure she’d know what to look for in terms of seasoning, but at this point, anything was better than nothing.

Mentions: Spoiled Bread (Bianca) Honeybuzz (Neve)
Interactions: Honeybuzz (Neve)
Location: Small Clearing Off The Northern Path

 

[Key of Stars]

Julia happily tromped along, not too worried about the nature she was potentially disturbing. If you could even call this swampy landscape that. Her new gauntlets occasionally produced a little clank as they bumped into one another hanging at her side. Well, new, she'd already used them on multiple occasions to defend herself and the group. Those fights had given her the opportunity to vent her frustration at Kors, who she had ultimately decided not to give a beating, for giving her the name of that exceptionally rude blacksmith.

She'd spent the journey so far complaining to Ras about the money he still owed her. When not fighting for her life, at least. Only after the 10th or so time of complaining without receiving much of an answer had she switched it up and begun talking about her trip to the blacksmith's to the others.

"Yea, well, what should I have done?" She asked as Ras noted she never found who the other person present was. "The guy didn't even take my offer of lip powder. You think he would have told me his life story if I asked? Fat chance." She said, besides, if Ras was so curious about the guy, he could go and make the bloody trip and sleep on the ground himself. "But..." She made a frustrated noise. "It does annoy me that he didn't answer me when I asked how he created that sword. Would have loved to pick up that little trick for myself. In fact, it reminds of a novel we had in the library back home. About heroes using silvery swords appearing out of thin air after ten heartbeats. Sure, a sword of ice might not be quite as cool as that, but it was a fiction novel, and that ice sword was real." She explained, eyes shining.

She glanced at Rove at his declaration. "I somehow doubt you can hold it in even if I tell you I don't want to hear it. Well..." She gestured for him to continue. "Luckily for you, I'm intrigued, even if just to find out more about that magic of his. Let's hear it then, your ballad or symphony or whatever about the grumpy man with the cracked lips."

-

Mentions: Gary Sue (Kors)
Interactions: Heyitsjiwon (Ras) Gary (Rove)
Location: Western Path

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Bianca

The leaves rustled as Bianca split the bushed in two with the massive wooden scabbard of her great sword, her heavy boots crushed the twigs beneath her as she walks and her red cloak creates a striking contrast with the greenery around her. For someone who was chasing down a rabbit, she definitely didn't put any effort at being stealthy. Instead she just keep walking towards the rabbit with a firm pace, her eyes carefully scoured the ground in front of her for any potential threat. She didn't know this place that well afterall, she needs to be careful.

Her plan was simple. Keep chasing the rabbit until it got tired or cornered, then chop it in two. Honestly, she realized that she wasn't much of a hunter and her chance of catching one would be slim, but she needs her weekly dose of fresh blood meat. She had enough of those dried salty jerky. Also, she kinda enjoy the thrill of chasing something down, it would be better if it screams in terror though.

"Go on, run. Let's see who preserve to the end." She stared coldly at the rabbit as she walked towards it, dragging her wooden scabbard on the ground and creates a trail as she moves.

Mentions:
Interactions: Gary Sue (Rabbit)
Location: somewhere near the northern path

 

[Gary Sue]

If Julia's nerves were growing tired of Rak's constant blabbering, she had succeeded quite well in getting him to shush. "... Tall ones don't answer everything when asked..?", so far he had thought only Kors carried that trait, so it came as enough of a shocker to shortcircuit his brain for a minute. That did reduce the chances of him shouting and alerting any nearby creatures to their presence, a fact Rove definitely noted and appreciated, though in silence as he usually did.

Averting his attention from the kobold folk and turning back to Julia though, a glint in Rove's eye shone as he smirked. "Throughout our travels, I sense you've grown warmer to my company friend. If only your manners had improved too, that'd be nice...", that last part was a murmur under his breath, but a bit too loud to be completely inaudible, though Ras didn't seem to react much to it and Rak was too busy pondering the inner workings of human societies all too deeply.

"The blacksmith being secluded and on one of the many edges of Cyclone reminds me of a different story too, but... come think of it, he and the man you talked about... His cracked lips aren't the issue- it's more so about the... the mystique of this cloaked figure emerging from the shadows, using magic to form his weapons and protecting those who needed it. There is one issue, but-"

He was rambling, and he caught on quite soon. "... I shall explain after I am finished with the story. Ahem... Give me but a moment to remember how it went.", the bard said as he took the lute into his hands and strummed its strings softly, looking down at the instrument and closing his eyes for a moment to take in the beautiful sounds of the rather unsightly environment they were in. The water underneath their shoes and boots splashed, with drops from the tall trees towering over the entire swamp rippling once they hit the surface.

From the insects buzzing in the humid mist that floated all over, to the squeals and squeaks of animals... The splashes that their paws made against the water while they hopped away from whatever was hunting them, it was all nothing of the ordinary... At least that's what Rove thought before he opened his eyes and looked at the rest of the group. It didn't look like he was the first to catch on either, though. "I think I hear something running this way, and it's making a lot of noise too. Do we hold our ground or do we try to move out of its way?"

The cause of the sound wasn't quite in sight yet, but the speed at which the Lightfooted Rabbit was hopping about and towards them was high. It ran and ran as far away as it could from Bianca, and the clanking of her boots wasn't helping the group feel any more reassured it wasn't one of the locale's apex predators. "Lots more water swimming about if the big one is a Bogger."

Rove would have loved to try and lighten the mood with a request for a translation, but they had been dreading encountering a Bog Diver the entire time, so it wasn't hard to imagine what Rak was referring to. "Rak is ready to magick away.", the demihuman seemed to have taken to a battle ready stance, cementing Rove's and Ras' certainty in their course of action. They'd duke it out, if need be, right then and there.

The rodent kept running and running, looking behind it every few hops to check if its pursuer was still giving chase. It squealed frequently and loudly, given Bianca's efforts had fully alerted it to her presence and it knew its one way to ensure it'd escape- making more of a ruckus to get the pale woman in trouble too. Whether it'd work or not... it was up to the faint and distant sounds of swooshing water to reveal.

"Perhaps it's a golem- hold your grounds and get ready to attack the core once it rears its ugly head, if so.", the group remained on fairly high alert as Ras had already taken steps to draw his lance and shield out, keeping a good hold on their frontline. "... Julia, do you see anything?", Ras posed the question to the brute of the group, though the sound... did the animal take a turn at some point and start running parallel to them again? At least the noise it made didn't sound like it got much closer anymore, though it persisted.

Maybe in the far off distance too, the two setting up the campfire could hear the somewhat unpleasant ambience produced by this hunt as no more than a quiet echo drowning out in the Great Swamp's expanse.

---

Mentions: Honeybuzz (Neve), OONNII (Elijah)
Interactions: Key of Stars (Julia) as Rak, Rove and Ras & Spoiled Bread (Bianca) as the Lightfooted Rabbit
Location: Western Path & Northwestern Path

 

[Honeybuzz]

"Sticks? That's.. all?" Neve pondered aloud, almost offended that Elijah thought her skills were best put to use gathering sticks of all things. "Well, so be it. You'd be mindful to remember my herbs are more useful than just.. cooking additives." With a huff she turned on her heel, cursing herself mentally for allowing her obnoxious pride to seep into her tone again. She couldn't help herself sometimes and the stress of their journey and being in a place like this meant her mind was not exactly focused on making sure she minded her manners. What would her mother think of her now, being such a nag to others?

Letting out a soft sigh she stared into the swamps just beyond the edges of the path. It was always shadowed no matter where the sun was in the sky and she could almost make out the shapes of hideous and horrible monsters waiting to eat her the second she set foot on the dense undergrowth. "Stop it, Neve. You're being silly." Hiking her skirt up a bit and securing it to her belt to avoid tracking more mud around she ventured into the brush, following a similar path she had seen Bianca take before. Sticks weren't hard to come by, littering the ground and hanging loosely from the branches they were in the process of snapping off from. This would be quick and easy, and then she could get back to cataloguing some more of the plants she saw as she trekked through the mud and foliage.

Suddenly, Neve stopped. Come to think of it, where had Bianca gone? She had heard the pale woman tromping through the swamps trying to catch who knows what and failing from all the noise she was producing, but the swamp had gone still. eerily still. Quickly gathering the sticks she had found she began back towards camp, eager to both inform Elijah of her gut feeling and to show him just how good she was at gathering sticks. She didn't want to be out here any longer than absolutely necessary and with darkness approaching she knew it would get worse if they didn't have a fire going.

--

Mentions: Spoiled Bread (Bianca) OONNII (Elijah)
Interactions: OONNII (Elijah)
Location: Somewhere off the Northern Path

 

[OONNII]

Elijah watched Neve’s back as she huffed and turned away, her pride clearly bruised by the simple request. He bit back a sigh, rubbing his temple as he tried to keep his own temper in check. It wasn’t that he didn’t think she was capable of more, but they needed the basics right now. Fire, warmth, and something to cook with—he wasn’t going to waste time on anything else until they had that sorted. He worked his jaw, irritated that she had taken his request the wrong way. “Sticks,” he muttered to himself, shaking his head as he repositioned the stones once more. “If we don’t get this fire going, herbs won’t mean a damn thing.”

His mind raced as he replayed the last few minutes. Neve’s pride was one thing, but his gut told him something else was wrong. Bianca had been out of sight too long for his liking, and the stillness was becoming unnerving. He set the last stone in place and stepped back, glancing toward the fog-covered trees where both women had ventured. “To hell with it,” he growled. There was no sense waiting around when they could be in trouble. If the swamp was as dangerous as everyone said, they couldn’t afford to be separated like this.

Without another thought, Elijah followed Neve’s path, his boots squelching in the mud as he pushed through the dense forest. The air felt thick, the humidity pressing down on him with each step. His mind raced with a thousand scenarios—wild animals, hidden dangers, or worse, magic-fueled creatures lurking in the shadows. As much as he liked to think he could handle himself, he knew they were out of their depth in this place. “Bianca better not be chasing some rabbit into a death trap,” he muttered under his breath, eyes scanning the trees for any sign of movement.

Mentions: Spoiled Bread (Bianca) Honeybuzz (Neve)
Interactions: HoneyBunny (Neve)
Location: Somewhere off the Northern Path

 

[Key of Stars]

"Oh shut it and play your little tune Rove, there's nothing wrong with my manners. You should be glad you actually have an audience for once." She shot back at the bard's mutter. "I'll have you know that I was the most popular bachelorette back in my hometown." She squashed a flying bug against her arm with an annoyed look, bloody swamp had way too many infuriating small creatures.

"Protecting those who need it?" She snorted. "Fat chance, that guy wanted me gone. Would have been more likely to place that sword between my shoulders than protecting me, I tell you." She said, gesturing for the bard to get on with the story.

"Isn't it your whole job to have these things memorized, really you should..." She fell silent, reaching for her gauntlets, best not to ignore strange sounds in an unfamiliar environment. A few seconds later, she pulled her hands back up, new gauntlets comfortable around her fingers. "I swear if this is another prank by one of those fey." She clenched her fist. "I'll strangle the next one I see."

She swiftly moved to a nearby rock next to what passed for a tree in this environment, testing her weight before swinging herself up into the tree a few feet off the ground. She peered into the fog towards the sound, tuning out Rak. She hummed affirmatively as Ras addressed her. "Too fast for a golem, the sound of the splashes isn't spaced far enough apart." She called back, still focusing on the direction of the sound.

There, that was... a rabbit? Well that made sense she supposed, but the vague silhouette she could make out chasing said rabbit looked, well, human. Or at the very least not like a giant swamp monster. "Hold off on that magic Rak, but keep it ready." She called back. "I think the thing coming at us is not nearly as scary as you think, but with the ruckus they're making, what follows might just be."

-

Mentions: Spoiled Bread (Bianca (Sort of))
Interactions: Gary Sue (Rak, Rove, Ras)
Location: Western Path

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Bianca

What started as a simple hunt had now become a chasing scenario as Bianca relentlessly pursue the rabbit through the swamp. It had been a long time since she had done something like this, and the rabbit's squeal made Bianca more excited. She became less and less careful as she picked up her pace and sprint towards the rabbit with her sword raised, ready for a final strke.

"You can run but you can't hide!" She said to the rabbit in a voice that sounded way different than her usual voice. It sounded much deeper and guttural, almost like she's growling, like she's getting possessed by an entity.

Bianca took a leap forward to close the distance between her and the rabbit before slamming her sword down, making a loud thump as it split anything caught underneath it. Whether the rabbit was done for or not, the woman realized that she had been exposed to another group of people. A brief glance informed her that the group was in a tense atmosphere as they had their weapon drawn, ready to strike anytime. Although she didn't realize that she was the cause of it.

"Greetings, fellow travelers." She greeted them nonchalantly with her normal voice as she lifted her sword over her shoulder. "I come to seek some protein."

Mentions:
Interactions: Gary Sue (Rak, Rove, Ras, Rabbit), Key of Stars (Julia)
Location: Western Path