Graded &nbsp; [Tri-Nation Point] War Song

Solirus

saxon
OOC: Good job posting. gonna move the round a bit faster this time since everyone pasted and we can make up for some lost ground that way.
Time: evening clear sky
Weather: cool breeze stirs an otherwise warm evening
Cooldown:
TLDR: from the hilltop, the can see the sources of their troubles as well as a couple other curious sights.
Post Listening:

Tri-Nation Point - Old Battlefield

The worried expression on the face of the diminutive fae did not fade as Eris approached. Its iridescent wings twitched anxiously, scattering stardust-like particles in the air around it. As Eris extended her query, the fae replied, but not in the common tongue of men. Instead, its voice filled the evening air with a lilting, melodious response. It was a language brimming with L's and vowels, a cadence so rhythmic that it could be mistaken for a lullaby.

"Llelila... Lu'olla... E'lilla lo'eela..." The singsong of the fae language was enchanting and perplexing.

Eris, with background as a hero of the fae nation, was familiar with their language and customs. Echo, too, could make out bits and pieces of the language of the fae due to her heritage but Eris' knowledge was greater in this matter. The notes and intonations of the fae language, alien to the rest of the party, held meaning for them. They both would find themselves drawn into the conversation, any earlier apprehensions momentarily forgotten.

Meanwhile, the others could only listen to the enchanting melody of the fae language, attempting to decipher the conversation through their expressions and gestures. The echoes of the ancient battlefield lent an eerie undercurrent to the scene, reminding them that they were treading on the remnants of past conflicts.

The scene was a tableau of anticipation and tension, as the party endeavored to communicate with the fae and uncover the mystery of the spirits haunting the old battlefield.

The melody of the fae language was nothing short of mesmerizing, wrapping all those present in a harmonic web of l's and vowels. As Eris and Echo listened, an understanding of the spirit's tale began to surface. The story seemed to dance around them, vivid but elusive, tangible yet just out of reach.

"Lo'li... e'leola, ila le'o... Three... Nations... Lu'ol, e'leola... War... Battle... Lila'lou... e'lla... Decades ago..."

The soft and rhythmic sounds held a tale of a great war that once tore through these fields, a conflict between three nations that unfolded decades prior. The vestiges of that conflict had seeped into the very earth of this battlefield, turning it into a tragic tapestry of regret, strife, and unquenched vengeance.

"Li'olla... li'la... Beastmen warriors... Proud... Unyielding... E'illa lo... Fallen... Cannot rest... Le'lou... Pride... Unyielding even in defeat..."

The brave beastmen warriors, filled with pride and an unyielding spirit, were the ones least able to accept defeat or death. Their noble souls, unappeased and tormented, were on the brink of causing a rampage if not assuaged soon.

The spirit's tale seemed to hang heavily in the air around them, like an invisible veil of sorrow. The understanding was fragmented and incomplete, like a jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces, yet the sense of urgency was clear. They needed to act, and swiftly, to put these restless souls to rest and prevent a catastrophic outbreak of spectral violence. The battlefield, it seemed, was not done claiming lives just yet.

Sepokku · Jul 1, 2023

8f05e69b8ef38fb8aef98e0c6533a87f-1-jpg.1094864

Echo Halflight

With a grimace on her face, Echo listened to the small fae recount its tale. That overwhelming urge to squash the creature remained in the depths of her heart. With a sigh she closed her eyes and tried to pretend it was something else... That actually helped a quite a bit. Imagining the creature to be a tall and regal creature of the Tuatha De, she came to a tertiary understanding of the situation.

Beastmen were nice, for the most part, and the fact that some of their spirits remained uneased and tormented on a battlefield was quite the shame. Taking out her notebook, Echo quickly sketched out a stick figure of a lion man dressed in plate mail. Then completed the scene by having him fight another soldier. On the next page she drew the lionman getting killed, then a third page featuring the lionman's ghost. A fourth showed the ghost wandering around, angrily. Then the fifth had Sant, Waen, Eris, and her holding hands on a battlefield while the lionman's ghost flew away into the sky.

The hastily sketched figures were crude, admittedly, but she hoped it conveyed what needed to be done as she showed the pictures to her party members that did not speak Fae. Energetically she flipped back and forth through the pages, with almost enough haste to make the pages seem animated.

tl;dr - Echo passes on the pixie's warning
Mentions:

Solirus · Jul 1, 2023

Sant couldn't understand words uttered by the pixie, it sounded more akin to a song in an entirely alien language. Looking around it seemed mostly the rest of the party were unable to decipher the words of the pixie, except for Eris and Echo, the latter of which began to draw in her notebook. Sant leaned over a bit to get a better look at the drawings. Albeit simple and rushed they seemingly got the message across. The first pages were explaining the circumstances they were in and the last page seemed to be the preferred outcome that the party wanted to achieve. "You're missing Thomas in the drawing" Sant simply mentioned, hoping the exclusion of the boy was a silly mistake and not a dark omen.

It was also clear that since this was a battlefield, the party would be dealing with more than a singular spirit and Sant hoped the method for dealing with such spirits would not require such violence. Alas he was ignorant to how these things were handled and thus would allow the more experienced members take the helm in preventing a disaster from occurring.

Darkbloom · Jul 1, 2023

The atmosphere in the air was still incredibly tense as the people around him didn't know what to make of the fae having showed up. Echo had decided to hide herself behind him, which he found a little confusing. Something like this wouldn't normally happen but even still Thomas wasn't all that scared of the fae. Was it confidence in his current spells? No, that's not it. Was it his normal way of looking at things in this world despite the fact that he didn't originally come from it? No, that's not it either. Many reasons popped up in his head, though one stood out above the rest. Yes, that's it. Thomas isn't scared because he's thinking of keeping everyone else safe. It sounds silly, maybe even a little cliche. But that's the truth of the matter here. There needs to be someone who isn't afraid, or at least doesn't show it visibly. He has decided to take up that role in this group. When the fae started speaking, it was in a language he didn't know. Echo seems to pick up on it, and after the fae finishes speaking she draws pictures of what she heard. "A lion man? how perplexing... I've personally never heard of or seen one of those myself. Maybe he was the last of his kind." It wasn't the best drawing he had seen, but also not the worst. Echo's last drawing seems to have a good ending, as far as he could tell. Thomas can't stop a yawn escaping him. He had stayed up too late the night before and was rudely awakened from slumber by the family pet. "Anyone have ideas? I'm not in my best form tonight."

saxon · Jul 2, 2023

Eris scratched the back of her head as the fae spoke in the odd language, only catching small parts of it; more than likely, it was probably an old dialect based on only a few recognizable words. Eris repeated the words that she understood from the message the fae was trying to give them. Though they explained what was going on and who to look for, they didn't tell them where. Though she figured if they followed a path that kept on getting heavier and heavier, they would find the answer.

Spinning on her heel, Eris turned back to the group as Echo was starting to draw pictures of what the fae had said, a rather crude way of explaining but it got the message across. "As our friend here said, there was a battle between the three nations that border this region. The spirits that remain are those from the beastmen," Eris explained as she folded her arms across her chest, leaning forward against her staff. There was still some unknowns but she figured if they found the area with the most dread they would be in the right place.

As Thomas mentioned, the lionman Eris looked over in his direction, "The lionman part isn't important she was just showing a beastman, there are multiple spirits here and they will have to be put to rest, I'm sure you all can feel the impending sense of heaviness it's only gotten stronger since we've been here. Which I think we can follow it to the source," Eris suggested as she looked at the group, waiting to see what they would decide. Of course, she could always bring light to the darkness and see what happens. However, she would rather not draw everything to a single location. "We will need to be careful though the fae did mention prideful so we should keep that in mind," Eris concluded.

Mentions:

Solirus

Sepokku · Jul 2, 2023

Echo Halflight

Wrinkling her nose, Echo examined her drawings. Sant was right, she had forgotten Thomas somehow. 'No matter,' She simply added another page to the drawings, this one featuring Thomas arriving, late as usual. She even gave drew little "Z's" next to his head so people could tell that he was exhausted from being up all night. Then, since she was already adding things, she decided to draw Waen taking root and then turning into a tree. Sant of course, would then have to start climbing the tree, and Thomas would use time magic to make the tree grow really fast, which was, of course, problematic as Sant was still on the top of it. Before she knew it, several more pages of doodles had been added to the notebook.

Embarrassed, she tried to focus on the mission. Eris's mention of Pride prompted Echo to write her a quick note that read, 'We needn't worry about Pride! I am the humblest person in the world!' With a stupid smile on her face, and oblivious to the irony of what she had said, Echo started out in whatever direction felt "heaviest."

tl;dr - Echo "amends" her drawing and listens to Eris
Mentions:

Novama · Jul 3, 2023

Mentions:

saxon
OOC: Holyhalo skip 1. Didn't feel like the party was decided on an action, so have more spirit
Time: evening clear sky
Weather: cool breeze stirs an otherwise warm evening
Cooldown:
TLDR: spirit doing spirit things while the situation seems to get worse over time.
Post Listening:

Tri-Nation Point - Old Battlefield

Twilight swathed the land in long, cool shadows, punctuated by the spectral glow of the fae spirit that hovered above the hill. The spirit's light, a shifting kaleidoscope of iridescent hues, cast an ethereal pallor over the nearby landscape. It was a celestial body fallen to earth, its luminescence a stark contrast to the encroaching dusk.

Beneath the spirit, the world unfurled, an old tapestry woven with invisible threads of buried histories and hidden tales. The spirit watched as darkness seeped into the land, a growing stain of ominous potential. Each pulse of its radiance seemed to resonate with the spectral menace growing in the distance, a melody of spectral resonance in the silent night.

The fae spirit, a small and delicate entity within the vast expanse of the world, emanated a sense of serenity that belied the underlying concern that had begun to ripple through its essence. Its light flickered and danced, painting abstract portraits of unease on the windswept grass beneath.

Yet, to the uninitiated observers, the reason behind the fae spirit's concern remained cryptic. Its language, an ethereal symphony of resonant sounds and flickering lights, communicated only the most nebulous of clues. The spirit's concerns were encapsulated within a language not bound by the mortal tongues, its words painted in luminescent whispers and sung in spectral melodies.

In the spectral embrace of the encroaching night, the fae spirit's light held steadfast, its radiance undiminished. There was a silent, steadfast vigilance about it, a ghostly sentinel in the face of looming peril. And so it remained, its ethereal light a beacon against the dark, its song a symphony of concern and hope, its ethereal narrative echoing unanswered into the unfolding night.

saxon · Jul 5, 2023

Eris looked at Echo as she gave her grin and wrote her response to which Eris shook her head. "I think that is reason enough to worry," She responded ass he looked back over at the group and brought her hand to her chin. There was still several things that were unknown to them. They still had no idea where exactly to go and following their feelings seemed to be the only way to really know where to go. Maybe if we follow the fae they will lead us somewhere? Eris thought to herself as she snapped her fingers and looked back up in the direction of the fae.

She could see Echo wandering off from the group, "Hey! Best not to go off by yourself, you don't know what is out there!" Eris argued turning to now fact their wondering companion. "What if we follow the fae maybe they will lead us somewhere," she was going to continue when the fae started to speak in a tongue that she couldn't understand. She in her mind knew there was something supernatural about the whole event but to what end was still a mystery on the matter.

The made an audible click of her tongue, as her normal carefree expression was gone, souls needed to be put to rest and wondering around cluelessly didn't seem like a way to. But what if they brought the spirits to them? That was something that might work depending on the situation. "I have an idea about something that might bring them to us, but I will be focusing on that so I won't be able to use any other spells; this will either draw them to us, or I will look like an idiot," Eris stated as she gripped her staff as she smiled.

Clearing her throat, she struck the ground once with the butt of her staff, “Book of Icarus verse 16-20, in the beginning, there was nothing, weary travelers rest upon my gentle light. The faithful shall never want for protection, for I am the church and maker of holy ground. The foundation is my very soul; I consecrate this ground!” Eris chanted as she struck the ground three more times and on the third a barrier in the form of a church erected itself.

Mentions:

Solirus

Consecrated Ground - Barrier F, Selective Magic F, Magic E, Magic Range F, Magic Area of Effect F, Spell Duration F, Religion E, Divine Affinity F, Healing E - The ground within 10 feet of the point selected become sacred ground for 1 hour. The caster erects a barrier; it takes the form of a church, and allies with minor wounds are healed or prolonged from death. While the caster can select those, who can pass through the barrier. - Grade E - 1 Post Cooldown

Darkbloom · Jul 5, 2023

His picture was added to the previously existing sheets, quite fitting being perpetually late and sleepy. A good rest would have to wait since Echo started walking somewhere. No one was offering to walk with her and as far as he knew, she relied on him more than any of the other adventurers available. So he quickened his pace to catch up. Eris is right, no one should go somewhere without a partner. Not that he was playing favorites. If anyone else had started walking off alone he would still choose to go with whoever it was. This time it happened to be Echo, who appeared to like Thomas more than most of the group. "The priestess is right. If you don't terribly mind I'll join you. What's the plan?" Thomas, although he was a magic user, didn't have the ability to read minds. As useful as it'd be, he doesn't want that ability, surely it'd drive him absolutely crazy. Walking wherever Echo chose to go is actually doing something useful in this group of indecisive people. He preferred the diplomatic approach but if it came down to a fight he is 100% ready with his grand total of two spells. Over time he expects his spellbook to be littered with a lot of useful and powerful spells, which he finds incredibly hard to wait for. He takes another stab at talking about something. "What brings you here on this adventure?"

Sepokku · Jul 5, 2023

Echo Halflight

Eris's words made Echo freeze midstep, a shiver running down her spine. The mention of what might be out there suddenly conjured images of ghosts and otherworldly specters. Skeletons and zombies would be fine, but if she came across something like a Dullahan? Then all bets were off. Thankfully Thomas joined her before she was forced to meekly make her way back over to Eris's side.

"I have an idea... this will either draw them to us, or I will look like an idiot."

'It's too late for one of those things,' Echo snickered silently as she and Thomas put some distance between them. He asked her what the plan was and she would have loathed to say she didn't have one. So instead she came up with something on the spot. Taking out her notebook she penned down some notes: "Beastmen cannot rest, unyielding even in defeat. Probably not able to be bested in combat, which is all I'm good for really. Then..." She looked around the battlefield a bit before scratching out another sentence, "Think their bodies need to be laid to rest?"

"What brings you here on this adventure?"

She stopped her observations to turn back to Thomas. 'What brought me here?' She doubted he meant the God that had reincarnated her, so specifically here, to Ryke? That was... complicated. She thought about it a moment longer before penning out a reply, "I'm looking for someone, and the village Elder asked for my assistance. The person I'm looking for told me to always respect my Elders, so... Here we are."

tl;dr - Echo looks around the battlefield a bit, trying to talk the situation through with Thomas before replying to his query.
Mentions:

Holyhalo · Jul 6, 2023

Waen

Scanning the darkening battlefield became harder and harder as time passed while his companions conversed, or something, with the little floating fae and shared its words. If the problem was beastmen, Waen could possibly be of help there but he wasn’t sure how open these spirits would be to a conversation with a construct. What little he remembered from the actual battles that were fought here seemed to have been mostly due to the three kingdoms being different, which always led to fighting, for some reason or other.

His thoughts stopped abruptly as he heard the priest call for two of their party to stay with the group. He had been so focused outward that he’d failed to notice himself. What were these people doing? He shook his head and turned his head enough so that his voice would carry towards the group. “Stick together now. Getting lost in the darkness is probably the kindest of fates you’ll find out there. Until we figure out exactly what is going on, best stick with the priest as they seem to have a grasp of the situation.” For whatever that was worth.

And apparently it was worth quite a bit as a sudden rush of power burst out from the priest and bathed the area in magic. Even Waen, with what little magical sense and understanding he had, could feel that something was going on back there. With his eyes ever vigilant outward, he slowly backed towards the group and into whatever magic the priest had called forth. He hoped it would work, or do something big. The sooner they got this done, the sooner they would be safe and the sooner he could stop worrying.

"You don't happen to have any of that magic spare for my arrows? I don't know how much use they'll be if any of these spirits decide what you just did is quite offensive to them."

Mentions:

saxon
TL; DR: Waen keeps an eye out on the battlefield while his allies converse with the fae and backs up into the safety of Eris' magic once it's cast.

Novama · Jul 8, 2023

Mentions:

saxon
OOC: Holyhalo skip 1. solirus skip 1 last scene time
Time: evening clear sky
Weather: cool breeze stirs an otherwise warm evening
Cooldown:
TLDR: As the party split up, stood around, or otherwise, the spirit fae's light illuminated the hovel of an samurai hermit. The hermit's song drawing the attention of all nearby.
Post Listening:

Tri-Nation Point - Old Battlefield

The starry landscape was a murky canvas, painted with unsettling shadows. It whispered secrets through the rustling grasses, an eerie symphony of the night, punctuated by the low, distant howl of the wind. The celestial fae spirit, unyielding in its illumination, glowed steadily, drawing their attention to the path that meandered through the hilly terrain towards an imposing outcrop of stone. A sense of anticipation lingered in the air, the landscape seemingly holding its breath, the ever-distant threat of the growing spirit menace weighing heavy in the atmosphere.

Not far from the hill the party was on, outlined by the muted starlight, was a humble cave dwelling, a silent testament to a recluse's existence. Even in evening light, the characters could glimpse the strange assortment of artifacts from the Republic era, an anachronistic array of items from the outside world, adorning the entrance like trophies of a bygone age. Among these, the worn emblem of a beastman samurai was a stark reminder of the dwelling's occupant - a war veteran, secluded from society.

The interior of the cave was shrouded in shadow, obscuring its deeper mysteries. Occasionally, the glow of the fae spirit glinted off of a metallic object or highlighted a piece of aged parchment, revealing fleeting glimpses of the resident's past. One could almost feel the weight of his memories, the lingering ghosts of battles fought, victories won, and losses mourned.

Beneath the sound of rustling grasses, a distant melody hung in the air, a haunting tune full of sorrow and yearning. It was the song of the samurai, a melody known only to the beastmen of old, now carried on the wind like a faint cry from the past.

Sepokku · Jul 9, 2023

Echo Halflight

Her search for bodies yet unburied didn't yield anything she expected, and yet, it led her to where she needed to be. A string of various armaments from battles long since passed meandered its way through the hillside. Excitedly, she sheathed her spear and put one arm on Thomas's back. With her other arm, she swept him off his feet, picking him up. She felt there was no need to explain she had found something, as anyone with eyes could tell she was following a trail, right?

Dashing forward, she followed the relics towards their source, and before she knew it, Echo was once again with the rest of the party and the fairy from before. Her shock managed to quell her inherent dislike of the tiny Fae creature and in her confusion, the overwhelming need to squish it was gone. There was something in the cave ahead of them. Her lungs swelled with air as she inhaled. She looked at Thomas, still cradled in her surprisingly strong arms, then put him down.

Drawing her spear she assumed a battle-ready position, it would be simple enough to blitz the Beastman, tearing him to shreds and his blade along with it, if he even managed to parry in time. Then the fae's words came back to mind, 'Unyielding even in defeat,' Her spear arm went lax and she frowned. Grabbing her notebook, she tore a page loose and scribbled some words on it.

Marching into the cave, her spear still gripped in her free hand, she presented the note to the Beastman, "Your packmates are restless in death. They stir and threaten the Tri-Point Nation. Bushido dictates you reason with them."

tl;dr - Echo addresses the Beastman, informing him that his old allies are threatening the peace
Mentions:

Darkbloom · Jul 10, 2023

Thomas meandered around the area, looking for anything that could cause trouble but he wasn't seeing anything. If he had any sort of drawing ability he would draw this scene of the battlefield and the fae spirit, but he could only draw stick figures. He turned one more time to see Echo suddenly very close, having picked him up and gone with the wind wherever she was going. "Crikey!" He exclaimed upon being picked up, then just accepted his fate being carried along. He was put down after they reached a cave. Inside appeared to be one of the beast folk. He waits to see what happens, how the beast responds to Echo's inquiry.

saxon · Jul 11, 2023

Eris looked around as the barrier took shape, after a few moments when nothing happened she brought her hand to her chin. Well, I suppose that means that the spirits are not roaming at least not yet. She thought to herself as she looked out onto the field seeing the other two more toward the cave that was faintly glowing earlier and still was. With nothing coming close she dispelled the barrier and let out a sigh as she squinted her eyes looking toward the cave.

"Come on, lets go join the others at the cave, maybe they will have some better luck," Eris stated as she looked over her shoulder back at the group and started to walk toward the two that had gone off on their own. Though the cave had stood out to her earlier though she assumed the glowing was from a moss of some kind. But that was neither here nor there. As she made her way up to the hill she looked at some of the fae as she passed by them.

Upon getting closer to the cave she saw Thomas get picked up and carried by their small companion. Which caused Eris to stop in her tracks for a moment. As she reached the cave she saw Echo draw her spear and there was what looked to be a samurai of some kind there. Approaching the two she mentally prepared herself to be ready if something were to happen.

Mentions:

Solirus

Consecrated Ground - Barrier F, Selective Magic F, Magic E, Magic Range F, Magic Area of Effect F, Spell Duration F, Religion E, Divine Affinity F, Healing E - The ground within 10 feet of the point selected become sacred ground for 1 hour. The caster erects a barrier; it takes the form of a church, and allies with minor wounds are healed or prolonged from death. While the caster can select those, who can pass through the barrier. - Grade E - 1 Post Cooldown 1/1

Solirus · Jul 13, 2023

Sant

Sant had remained near the priestess, expecting any spirits and such from arriving yet none had seemingly come forth. Perhaps they are invisible? He thought to himself as he then followed the priestess who suggested moving towards the cave the other two had traveled towards. Sant didn't think it wise to split up, especially in such a potentially hostile environment at the dead of night.

Arriving within the cave Sant's attention was immediately thrown at the samurai. He was able to recognize the individual as an individual from the beastmen species, the only other time he'd somewhat interacted with one was when encountering the merchants, one of them being a beastman and glaring daggers at Sant anytime he was in sight. Sant was never sure if that was a personal hatred the individual held or if it was something their race held, but to remain on the safer side Sant did not approach further and searched the area instead avoiding eye contact with the samurai. He also listened to the music as odd and alien as it was to him.

Novama · Jul 17, 2023

Mentions:

saxon
OOC: Holyhalo skip 2. solirus skip 1 this round and another. try to post if you can.
Time: evening clear sky
Weather: cool breeze stirs an otherwise warm evening
Cooldown:
TLDR: beastman scoffs at the note but is compelled to rise. He alone would not be able to hold back the tide of malice.
Post Listening:

Tri-Nation Point - Old Battlefield

As Echo held out the scrawled note to the hunched figure of the Beastman samurai, the old warrior's thick-furred brow furrowed deeper. His knotted hands, crisscrossed with the white lines of many scars hidden under several dirty bandages, reached out slowly to take the paper from Echo. The samurai brought the note close to his clouded eyes, squinting hard in the cave's dim light.

A rough, throaty scoff echoed off the cave's jagged walls as the Beastman attempted to make sense of the characters that danced in the shadows on the paper. The paper trembled slightly in his weathered grip, and despite his visible effort, it was clear that the scrawled note was barely more than a maze of incomprehensible lines to his failing eyesight.

Around them, the cave held its breath, the tension so thick it could be cut with a knife. The steady dripping of water from the cave's ceiling onto the cold stone floor was the only sound to break the heavy silence. It was a punctuation to the scene, as though nature itself was waiting with bated breath to see what would come next.

The faint glow from the forgotten armaments cast eerie shadows on the rocky walls, the rusting metal gleaming dully under their soft light. The fae spirit fluttered near the cave entrance, its light throwing shifting, luminescent patterns across the dark stone. Its tiny form appeared to shimmer with an anxious energy, the echoes of the Beastman's scoff causing it to flit about in a flutter of ethereal wings.

Outside the cave, the landscape lay still under the soft gleam of the moon. The once raging battlefield was now only a silent monument to wars long past. It stood, a haunting reminder of the samurai's past, of the lives lost and the memories that still held the old Beastman captive.

Inside the cave, the ancient samurai's features softened, as though lost in a time long ago. He continued to stare at the note, the corners of his eyes crinkling slightly, a silent testament to his internal struggle. Yet despite his scoff, there was no aggression, no indication that he would lash out. The burden of his past seemed to weigh heavily on his broad shoulders, turning his scoff into a melancholic echo that permeated the air.

The silence was oppressive, a quiet so profound that the adventurers could almost hear the whisper of the past and the ghostly murmurs of ancient battles, their echoes lingering in the very air they breathed. The Beastman samurai's scoff hung heavily in the cave, a scoff filled with memories and weariness, hinting at a lifetime filled with strife and lost companions.

The beastman's deeply etched face was shadowed, the eye that wasn’t milky from age glinted with the wisdom of past battles. His mouth, set in a firm line, twitched as if holding back words. His gaze traveled, piercingly slow, from one party member to another.

Turning the note over in his calloused hands, the Beastman grunted and shook his head, his facial fur bristling with apparent irritation. Yet underneath it all, there was a flicker of something else. Was it recognition? Or perhaps a resurgence of the old warrior spirit that was buried deep within his scarred and battle-worn exterior?

He pushed himself up from his resting spot, the movement making his armor creak, and the air shifted in response, filling with the faint smell of rusted iron and aged parchment. A dull gleam caught their eyes as he unsheathed his sword with practiced ease, holding it up to the faint light. The samurai studied the blade, his eyes tracing the old, chiseled runes that ran along the worn steel. His grip tightened, his knuckles becoming more pronounced under their wraps. The sharp tang of memories cut through the damp air of the cave.

Without words, the Beastman reached for a fallen banner that lay forgotten on the cave floor. Unfurling it revealed a crest they did not recognize, weathered but still vibrant, an emblem of the Beastman's past allegiance. It was clear, despite his initial scoff and the reluctance in his weary eyes, the old warrior understood the gravity of their plea.

The samurai's throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, a faint but noticeable reaction. His eye flicked back to the entrance of the cave, to the battle-scarred field stretching out into the moonlit distance, its scars hidden under the silver glow.

There was a moment, just a fleeting second, where the fire of a once formidable warrior flashed in his gaze. His voice rumbled in his chest, a low growl echoing off the cave walls. “Mm... The restless spirits of the fallen," he said, his voice deep, gruff, carrying the weight of a thousand battles and the heavy tongue of someone not used to speaking out loud or in common. "Their song, their peace... I might not be able to give it to them, but I can try. For them. A war chant. Unlike the humans, out battle songs were not to rile our hearts but to steel our resolve and focus our minds.” The old beastmen then broke into a fit of coughing. His statement hung in the cave, quickly fading into the chill, damp air, leaving the echo of unspoken promises and the reality he likely would be unable to perform the chant that may let his brethren rest. Despite the reality, the old warrior slowly trudged out of his cave to face the growing horde.

Sepokku · Jul 17, 2023

Echo Halflight

'Of course, the only way to placate the spirits would be with song. That would be how today ends.' It was that nightmare with Pan all over again, except this time, she didn't have her voice to facilitate music with. Suddenly feeling exhausted, she turned back to the rest of her party, her mouth hanging agape while she sighed mutedly.

Turning back to her party, she took solace in the fact that the priestess at least could sing, probably... All that time in church, surely, she learned how to carry a tune, or at the very least the Beastman spirits wouldn't be that picky. As for the rest of them, well Waen was a ranger type, woodsmen knew how to whistle a jaunty melody. Between the two of them, surely it’d be fine, right?

Grabbing a spare shield from the relics strewn across the field, Echo used the haft of her spear to tap out a beat. She could keep the tempo going, if nothing else. Expectantly, she gave everyone nearby a pointed look and then did her best to follow the Beastman samurai's lead.

tl;dr - Unable to actually sing, Echo tries to make sure the chant gets done regardless
Mentions:

Darkbloom · Jul 18, 2023

Thomas was slightly startled when the beastman stirred. He wasn't paying close attention to anything even though he was trying earlier. His lack of sleep was getting to him, so he took both hands and slapped his cheeks to wake up. "Ooowww..." It partially worked, and if combat began then he's sure he would be fully awake. When he sees a look from Echo he figures... Nothing. But she walks after the beastman so that means something is happening, and he follows them to wherever they go.

Solirus · Jul 18, 2023

Sant

If Sant still had a beating heart, it would've been pulsating wildly, in his past life he was never great at handling tense situations, thus he preferred to remain alone with his own company, but now he had no other option but to remain, his unmoving metallic face hiding his feelings at the moment the beastman started moving out of the cave. These feelings vanished as Sant heard the coughing.

Sant slowly approached the warrior, trying to making eye contact with him, "Please, allow me to try and heal you" Sant's voice was clear and transparent, yet he was aware he could startle the warrior and perhaps be struck, but he was to potentially take a strike from the old warrior. He simply couldn't stand to listen or witness the suffering of others.

Novama · Jul 20, 2023

Mentions:

saxon
OOC: Holyhalo skip 3. solirus skip 1, saxon skip 1. We are at the end. The party's efforts will pay off here or not. We will probably have one more round after this for outros based on how well the party resolved the mission.
Time: evening clear sky
Weather: strong cold breeze chills the party and beats agains any walking toward the undead legion.
Cooldown:
TLDR: beast warrior relents to Sant's healing and the party's aid. Gives them all guidance on what to do, then begins trudging toward the undead army singing.
Post Listening:

Tri-Nation Point - Old Battlefield

The old beastman samurai stood, an immovable object in the dim light of the cave. His heavy, lupine eyes swept over the eager faces of the adventurers. He seemed to weigh their offered assistance, their earnestness echoing around the stone chamber as surely as their spoken words did. There was a rustling of the old armor he wore, a barely perceptible shifting of weight as he leaned on his long, curved blade for support. Its sheath as tattered as his armor. He grumbled deep in his chest, the sound resonating with the unsaid burdens of decades past.

In the dim light, they saw the slow rise and fall of the samurai's broad chest, signifying a long, deep breath. His visage softened, the harsh lines of battle-hardened resilience giving way to a fleeting moment of vulnerability. If there was any judgment in his gaze, it was drowned by a flash of what seemed to be gratitude, offering a glimmer of hope to the party.

His mouth opened and closed again, as if tasting the words he wished to share with them, his gruff voice barely rising above a whisper, carried on a sigh that held the echo of battles fought and brothers lost. The samurai's grip on his blade relaxed, the first sign of yielding they'd seen. The harsh, steel-like exterior seemed to crack, revealing beneath it a stoic determination, a warrior's spirit worn but unbroken.

He nodded, once, in the slow, deliberate manner of one not accustomed to accepting help. It was not a grand gesture, but one heavy with meaning. It was a begrudging acceptance, a tacit agreement to their offer. To an outsider, it might seem a minor thing. But to those within the cave, those who had sought his guidance and now offered their aid, it was as loud as a battle cry, as significant as a war-won.

His gaze moved from the worn stone underfoot to lock onto the figure of Sant, the one who'd offered healing. A glimmer of acceptance, hard-earned and filled with prideful resistance, flickered across his weathered features. He hesitated, a moment of internal struggle evident in the twitch of his ears, then gave a short nod to Sant, his silent approval barely perceptible.

His rumbling voice, heavy with age and wisdom, filled the cave once more. "Each of you will have a part to play," he began, his eyes sweeping the group. "The tune of the war song is not a simple melody. It's a chorus, an orchestra of voices and beats working together." His gaze lingered on Echo with her shield and spear, ready to keep the tempo. Then it shifted to Eris and Waen, their roles in carrying the tune and the melody unspoken but clear. And then to Thomas, who could contribute with his own unique rhythm. The spirit fae that hovered just outside the cave would be called in as well. It's song like language naturally made it a capable participant in the comparably crude war hymn's production.

Finally, the beastman's eyes fell on Sant again, and he placed a weathered hand on the mechanical man's shoulder, his touch as gentle as it was firm. "Your healing is crucial, too. Not just for me, but for the hearts of the fallen, the souls in pain. Perhaps not now, but someday. For now, give these old bones strength."

He then stepped toward the mouth of the cave, his gaze turning to the path ahead, where the restless spirits of his comrades were stirring, and the echo of past battles was growing louder by the minute. "When you're ready," he growled, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through the cave, "we will face the shadows of war together." With those words, he turned to face the approaching danger, his resolve unwavering, inviting the adventurers to follow him into the inevitable clash with the undead horde. His voice rang out in beastman so only Waen would know what the beast man sang through his howls and growls in the moonlight. As if the undead realized what the party was up to, the malicious aura emanating from the army intensified and created a formidable wind that pressed against those marching with the old warrior.

"From the earth our spirits rose, born of fire, ice, and stone,
Roaring rivers, soaring peaks, the wild heart in our bone.
In the light of morning sun, under the moon's gentle sway,
We honored life, we honored death, in the dance of night and day.

Raise your voices, sound the drum, let the war song fill the air,
Echo through the hills and dales, let it reach the spirits there.
Call them home, ease their plight, with our melody so strong,
We stand united, one and all, singing the beastman's song.

Through the storms of time we marched, beneath the stars' watchful eyes,
With blades in hand and hearts ablaze, under the endless skies.
In the face of the world's rage, we met our fate head-on,
For the love of our kin and land, until our days were gone.

Raise your voices, sound the drum, let the war song ring out true,
Stir the winds, move the earth, let our call reach through.
Bind their wounds, soothe their pain, with our harmony so long,
We stand united, one and all, singing the beastman's song.

Oh, spirits of the fallen, hear our song resonate,
In the stillness of the night, accept your unchanging fate.
With our song, we offer solace, and peace to those who've strayed,
Return now to the earth's embrace, rest in the shade.

Raise your voices, sound the drum, let the war song echo far,
Underneath the celestial dome, under each steadfast star.
Guide them home, quell their storm, with our symphony so strong,
We stand united, one and all, singing the beastman's song.

As the echoes of our song fade, in the quiet of the dawn,
We remember our fallen kin, their memories forever drawn.
In the dance of life and death, in the beastman's endless song,
We find strength, we find peace, to these lands we belong."

Solirus · Jul 22, 2023

Sant

The strike of the beastman occurred, Sant felt relieved that such actions had not come to pass. Before healing however he heard the words of the warrior before him, addressing the party and then Sant himself. Never had he imaged he'd be in a situation like this, and yet to him it felt natural, like the right thing to do, he didn't feel shame, fear, nor anxiety.

Sant channeled his magic into his staff, brimming turquoise. That light then flowed from the staff to his chest and into his left hand which he opened as a palm placing it near the warrior. The rough flow started taking the crude shape clocks, surrounding his wrist and forearm as they softly ticked. With a gentle motion, Sant turned his hand counterclockwise, the magic flowing from the palm of his hand to the warrior.

Eventually the spell ended, the flow of magic seizing the and the clocks disappeared. The warrior had been healed to the best of Sant's ability. Though old, the beastman would feel rather refreshed and ever so slightly younger. Sant gave a light nod to the warrior as he retreated his hand back to his side, hoping it was sufficient.

saxon

Sepokku · Jul 22, 2023

Echo Halflight

Echo watched with a curious expression on her face as Sant use some sort of spell on the old samurai. It seemed everyone in the party but her knew some form of magic. She would have to remedy that at some point, but today was not that day. With a shrug of her shoulders she reoriented her grip on the spear and shield so that she could more or less tap out a tune while still bringing the weapon to bare if necessary.

Not a word of the song made sense to Echo. The noises reminded her of her past life, the noise her dog used to make when he was caught outside in a rainstorm. That sort of forlorn yowling that could only come from an animal. The thought was strange, perhaps the stereotype that most Fae held of Beastmen was truer than she would have liked to admit.

Dispelling the thought, she began to beat the haft of her spear against the shield, creating a rap-tap-tap of tempo.

tl;dr - Echo follows the Beastman's lead
Mentions:

Darkbloom · Jul 22, 2023

Thomas is confused at first. Song? Melody? What? Creating sound with time magic isn't something he had ever thought about before tonight. He has listened to the music of the bards in taverns before in his hometown playing whatever instrument they bring along. He's talked to the bards about some small amount of music theory. First, the instrument, his time magic. Second, a musical note. Third, a melody. Or is it? Thomas might be skipping a few steps from notes to melodies, being no expert. He looks within himself to access the font of magic to make any kind of sound, even if it doesn't match the current song. Some seconds pass by before the font of magic replies to his query, making an eerie sound that could only add to the fear of the dark night to make children scream if any were present.

Solirus

sound:

saxon · Jul 22, 2023

Eris listened to the old beastman as she stepped further into the cave as the sounds echoing continued to get louder. Seems they are coming, so I guess now is the time. Eris thought to herself as she centered herself on the group as she looked deeper into the cave. Though she wasn't entirely sure what he meant she got the part that they all had a part to play in this situation. She tightened her grip on her staff as she brought it up and struck the ground twice.

“Book of Icarus verse 16-20, in the beginning, there was nothing, weary travelers rest upon my gentle light. The faithful shall never want for protection, for I am the church and maker of holy ground. The foundation is my very soul; I consecrate this ground!” Eris chanted as she struck the ground two more times. "Stay in the barrier and it will heal you," Eris stated as she selected the party members and the beastman as targets to enter and leave the barrier freely.

Mentions: