Fantasy World of Gea: The Greatest Adventure [IC] [CLOSED]

[Infab]

Devy, you have to let go of things at some point. There will be some that will always be terrified of you. Some that will hate you. But you have friends here. Companions. They'll vouch for you. They'll even defend you, if it comes down to it.

It eats at me, Kat. Every time people find out about what I am, I go from the loveable and colorful harlequin to some sort of hideous abomination that would be better off beneath the dirt they trod on. I saw their expressions change in practically a heartbeat. Their minds shifting straight to complete hostility.

Then continue what you were doing before. Use your abilities, and what you are, to bring some good to the world. You've been doing that the past hundred years, right? Keep at it. Don't let a bad night stop you. Maybe you can change these people's minds again. And we'll be here to help you, if you need shoulders to lean on. Me, Abasi, Kastalli, Syll, Sentry, all of us.

Devereaux sighed, his breath seeping through the thin mouth slit in his mask. He had done just as Kat had suggested, trying to remain as cheerful and fun as he had been before. From outward appearances, at least. Best to keep up that particular appearance, lest others ask questions. Or think he was up to something. Like Berchar, or the others.

The days dragged by, with a variety of different things happening. A death in the company, brought about a rather unfriendly lot. Goblins. A spider attacking Gawain, followed by a tangle with the undead. A fight between an Ogre and... whatever that one eyed-one armed-one leg abomination was. A rather strange salamander, too. At least he got a nice pair of boots out of things, and an adorable gift from Kastalli in the form of a quill. He'd need to get her something in the next town they stopped in.

For now, however, they had reached a forest... with more spiders.

Spiders were creatures he always found sorta interesting. At least, from afar. He never dealt with any up close, unless it was perhaps a small jumping spider. Adorable little things. Some of these spiders resembled them a bit, which surprised him.

During the investigation into the mysterious web-laced forest, Devereaux had decided to remain with the wagons. He hadn't been called to join in the foray into the forest, so there really wasn't much need for him beyond maybe keeping an eye on the spiders on the perimeter. Easy enough. He could hit them with an arrow should they get more antsy.

He soon glanced over to where Kat was, near one of the other wagons. The half-ork looked absolutely terrified, staring at the spiders nearby. Beneath his mask, Devereaux cocked an eyebrow. Eventually, however, his confused expression shifted to a smirk. She had a phobia of spiders, stemming from a job back during her early adventuring days. You don't go raiding a spider's nest alone, especially if said spider recently had children.

"Ahhh, and the so-called fearless half-ork shows her true colors!" he soon said aloud, attempting to draw her attention away from the spiders. He did, though only briefly. She cut him a look, and gave him the old bras d'honneur. He chuckled in response. "Relax, Kat. I'm sure we'll have nothing to worry about regarding these little eight legged beasties. As utterly vicious as they might seem." he stated afterwards, shifting his attention back to the forest's edge where the leadership of the group were standing. Or at least those that had remained behind.

But he soon noticed Gawain rush in with quite a bit of haste. Ceclia's shouting came next. Something was wrong, and it didn't take very long afterwards to see what it was. The others came rushing out of the forest almost moments later, mostly in a panic. Devereaux was quick to fetch his bow in response, drawing an arrow from his quiver in preparation. Were they being attacked? By what?

And soon, he'd see it. A massive spider. Far larger than any he had ever seen, or even heard of. He froze in shock for a few moments. Long enough to witness a handfull of the company members get killed in the spider's opening attacks. Stomping, kicking, eating...

"Kat!" he soon shouted, snapping out of his shocked trance to look about at his half-ork friend. She was frozen in terror by now, gazing up at the giant creature. Horror in her eyes as she took in its form.

An arrow zipped by her, smacking and embedding into her shield by her leg, knocking it over. She snapped out of her own trance, looking down at her shield then about. Devereaux had snatched off his mask, his eyes blood red as he yelled at her from where he was by the wagon. Three arrows in hand and ready to be used. "KATARRIK, GET THE ONES THAT CAN'T FIGHT TO SAFETY!" he spat, fangs bared.

She didn't hesitate, a mix of adrenaline and fear setting in as she snatched up her shield and halberd. And a moment later, she was attempting to get the not-so-combat-inclined members of the company out of harms way. Devereaux watched her for only a moment, to see if she was doing as he had asked, before readying the arrows in his hand as he rushed over to where the archers were. They had to kill this thing, before it did the same to them. Once he arrived, he took aim at the creature's eyes. Blind the creature, and they would have a better chance at killing it. Even if it might leave it thrashing about.

Malthara, quietly reading over a tome she had procured from one of the villages they had passed through, soon poked her head out of the back of the wagon she was in to see what the commotion was about. And as soon as she saw it, she knew she had to do something. Tossing her book aside in the back of the wagon, she sprang out and began reciting a series of spells she had already long memorized. Yards away from the main line of fighters, she would point both of her palms at the ground before her. Her hands soon burst into bright flames, colored an intense yellow.

She was going to summon a fire elemental to fight the creature in her stead. Hopefully it would help... hopefully.

 

[FloweryMuffin]

Korzhev heard the screams and the command issued to him before he could ever hope to look at what was that that was so anxiety inducing that everything degenerated into chaos in the blink of an eye. But he had no time to do anything, much less sort through his own mind, so he focused on the sole task at hand: run.

Run, he did. The old man grabbed the girl as told and leaped. The rush of adrenaline allowed him to get them away and out of the woods, trying his best to overlook how the girl turned warmer and warmer. Korzhev only stopped right outside of the woods where he set the little girl down, as he found that she was trying break herself out of his grasp. He tried to give her a reassuring pat on the head. “I need you to not look so scared, dear. You will not be amongst the ones fighting that thing, but it’s very important if you had faith that we will. We shall defeat so, but we need our comrades’ faith as much as we do strength. Even with a broken leg you’re faster than an old man. So, go. See if any passersby would be willing to lend a hand.” He tried to offer her one of his characteristic smiles, but due to fear and being within hearing range of perilous danger, it was quite unfortunate it was not reflected in his eyes.

“Don’t be scared anymore.”

Not awaiting a response from the young girl, Korzhev dived back into the forest. From where he had turned up, he was far enough for him to safely cast one of his worse curses. The curse of paralysis, although he did not have high hopes of success for such a sizeable creature, yet even if he managed to incapacitate one of its legs, it would be help enough.

He started to chant as envisioned what his magic were to do, relaying this vision to a higher being, the source of his magic and of his faith, his Patron. Korzhev prayed he may receive his and he chanted for the curse to take shape and in his mind he pictured the creature’s blood drying in its veins.

 

[Taigakitt]

Chi'sa
"Szitakötő! - Dragonfly!"
Interacting: FloweryMuffin
​

Chi’sa was panting by the time Korzhev set her down. She looked up at him, her melted orange eyes taking in a golden sheen.

“I need you to not look so scared, dear. You will not be amongst the ones fighting that thing, but it’s very important if you had faith that we will. We shall defeat so, but we need our comrades’ faith as much as we do strength. Even with a broken leg you’re faster than an old man. So, go. See if any passersby would be willing to lend a hand.”

With the pat on her head and the smile from Mister Prince, she took a sharp intake of air.

If not to calm her nerves, but to cool her insides as well.

Afraid to open her mouth to actually speak, she nodded, though she was unsure if he had seen her affirmation before he was off. She understood enough to get the gist, despite knowing only a little of Eranoirain.

Shuddering, she wrapped her arms around herself, glancing at how far the spider was and thinking about Korzhev’s request.

This time she wasn’t in a cage.

Putting weight on her injured leg, she sniffed.

It didn’t take much convincing her body to listen to her brain as she took off running in the opposite direction on the path, away from the spider.

 

[Elenion Aura]

Fleeing in the face of such a monstrosity was the most logical course of action. Coming to a halt alongside the Company, Cal approached the old knight, Alberto and said, "Thou shalt find no glory in there," pointing to the gullet of the mighty, many-legged fiend. "Abandon the lost and we may yet survive." Though he'd said it, a sickening sense of understanding settled in Cal's mind. These humans were all insane. Thinking they could kill something that cannot be, should not be. Their hubris would be their downfall. But it would not be his.

The Gendur'Orbb poked its fuzzy head out from the fold surrounding Cal's mantle, numerous eyes staring wide at its enormous cousin make short work of men, elf, dwarf, and hob alike as the Dökkálfar began to slowly slip away from the Company, prepared to leave them all to their fate. Darkness of the forest encircled him in midnight as he took one last look at them all before turning away, the fools.

Pain. A hot, sharp blade between his eyes. Cal doubled forward and let out a soft, strangled moan. He took one haggard step forward, toward the safety of the quiet dark wood, and the road beyond. Another lance of agony struck him like a bolt of lightning. Through the haze of his pain-addled vision, Calocis spied a sinewy wisp of a figure in the wood ahead that disappeared into a halo of moonlight as his eyes focused upon it. The light streamed over him, through him. Cal turned to see that the pale glow illuminated once again the Company, as it had in Waterham. Is this truly Your will?

"... So be it."

Shadows rolled over him like waves as the dark priest raised his hands in prayer, beseeching the Umbral Lord Himself.

"Dumoas D' Alantha" Blessing of Midnight be upon you.

Darkness crept forward, crawling, dragging itself toward the Company like some living thing with myriad hands reaching out. It was greedy, cold, and hungry, much like the Spider itself, enveloping those it touched with a cloak of undulating shadows, a dark hedge of protection against harm.

 

[Roda the Red]

Frustration, Fear, Panic, Impotence

A cocktail of feelings swarmed Syllannan's mind as he ran for his life. A creature that dwarfed any other living being he had seen prior in his life was now approaching at terrifying speeds towards the scouting group. Never in his life had he felt this way, he had always being a person with a strong natural "fight" acute stress response, even in the face of vicious creatures. But right now, his legs were moving on his own, escaping from the beast as fast as he could, any attempt at a different kind of action was met with cold, mechanical helplesness.

By pure luck, albeit temporary, the group had managed to reach the road unharmed. But the Spider was not hesitant on continuing its ceaseless charge. Syll understood what time now was even before hearing the muffled words of Alberto. They had to fight it off.

Could they achieve it?

Could they really survive from something like this?

Was leaving Brannoria a good idea after all?

Horror and Uncertainty clouded the elf's judgement as sweat ran down his forehead and his legs shaked. The members of the company charged at the Spider with awe-inspiring tenacity, some, if not all of them, sure to be facing their doom head-on. His freezing fear finally became partially melted, however, after one of the younger members of the company, Yvette, was snatched. Syll finally managed to step forward, breaking into a sprint while retrieving his battleaxe. He attempted to stop monster's attack by stabbing him with his weapon alongside Kastalli, but this was met with utter futility, as Yvette was ultimately devoured. The realization had finally hit him as he watched the scene play out in utter shock, he had to give it his all or else more people would end up the same way.

Syllannan took some distance, concentrating the mana within his body into his fingertips, igniting a flame in each of them. Cecilia had mentioned that the creature was resistant to magic, but given the disadvantaged position the Elf found himself in, the believed that a well-placed spell on the creatures maw could prove more effective than simply hacking at its legs. Placing his hands close to each other, the flames started to rapidly approach each other as well as increasing in size and temperature drastically. Once this fiery amalgamation had reached the size of a barrel, Syll motioned his hands forward, launching the orb of flame at the creature's face.

 

[joshuadim]

• Player Turn •​

The counteroffensive began from the main members of the company as they launched their assault upon the deadly monstrosity attacking the group at large. (1d10 = 4 | Success | 1 damage.) Ziggy was first to launch into the fray as he leaped upon one of the spider’s legs and began to thrash and gnaw at it with all his might. His teeth sank into the thick chitinous outside of the spider and felt a bit of gooey ichor stain the roof of his mouth but was shaken off shortly after as he did not have strong enough of a grip into the beast’s protective layer. A small bite mark remained where he had latched onto, but ultimately it was superficial damage.

(1d10 = 1 | Failure) Nora joined in shortly thereafter with a bladed attack, looking to the damage having been dealt onto the creature’s exterior prior in order to further weaken its natural defenses. On one of its legs, she could clearly see a broken gap between its joints, leaking a dark ichor from its innards as it thrashed about with a need to kill. She swung with precision and with ferocity that did not betray her outward demeanor, but unfortunately for her the beast adjusted its position at the last moment as it focused on larger opponents nearby and her blade struck just above the wound, jutting itself into the chitin and thus failing to wound the beast.

(1d10+2 = 12 | Critical Roll!) Suddenly, the ground burst further in a spectacular fashion as the roots of the trees came forth in a fury against the beast. As if they were angered for what it and its kin had done to the woods, Gsera had called upon the great flora itself to aid them in their battle to rid the world of such a creature and end its ceaseless hunger. The roots twirled in great number onto one of the spider’s legs, binding it in place with great strength as Gsera gritted her teeth and felt her hands sink deeper into the soil below. And now, it was surely hindered in its ability to wreak more havoc upon the company itself! The Spider has one less attack for the coming turn.

This sudden show of force reinvigorated an assault as both (1d10 = 3 |Failure) Waylond and (1d10 = 3 | Failure) Sentry attacked simultaneously, with the latter weaving between thrashing legs and sliding underneath the spider itself. Waylond himself in the meantime occupied himself with another of the beast’s legs and swung at it with all his might. Unfortunately for both, the creature’s chitin was rather thick in both places where they had chosen to target and their attacks only cut into the beast’s armor without much harm done to it.

(1d10+2 = 10 | Critical Roll! | 8 damage.) This however caused quite a distraction for the spider to deal with and opened it up to attack, particularly from Devereaux as he drew his bow and aimed carefully. The creature had not taken notice of him, and thus he could focus entirely in the moment. And when he loosed his arrow, his aim held true and a masterful shot was placed into one of the beast’s many eyes! The spider let out a loud hiss of pain as it staggered back from such a shot, bleeding ichor from its new wound and in great pain that had been delivered by the vampyr.

Taking advantage of the creature’s pained state, both (1d10 = 5 | Success | 4 damage.) Malthara and (1d10+2 = 6 | Success) Korzhev would practice their own magics in a bid to hurt it more as well as aid their allies. For the latter, his hex began its work as he chanting aloud and waved his arms about nearby. He called upon for the spider’s movements to be stilled, drawing upon the practices of his people as he rattled his cane and blew a puff of powder into the air. And soon enough, a sudden current carried it forward towards the beast and settled atop its exterior in many places. And although it did not slow the beast as intended, it did have another effect as Malthara summoned forth a fire construct to fight alongside the group after a series of chants. The servant of flame, beckoned by its master, sprung forth and belched a wave of flame at one of the spider’s many legs. The flames hit, and with a fiery scorch it burned a small chunk of the chitin in a significant manner as it was aided by Korzhev’s own efforts. The beast had become weakened to magic temporarily, despite its nature.

(1d10 = 9 | Success | 6 damage.) Yet the assault did not stay, as Syllannan came forth with a spell of his own by summoning a ball of fire in between his hands. It grew more intensely in strength until finally, it was set loose by the Hobalfar and collided straight into the spider’s side. The beast stumbled back a few steps and let out another loud hiss of pain as some of its hairs burned while a large portion of its chitin melted from the heated impact. A resounding success for Syll as the beast had to reorient itself to continue the fight.

(1d10 = 10 | Critical Roll! | 4 damage.) Petrocles would then charge forth and strike with a furious blow straight into one of the spider’s pedipalps, cutting into one of its exposed joints within the exoskeleton and nearly severing it with a clean blow. Such a blow caused the spider to let out once more a strong hiss that vibrated the air, but did not deter both Kastalli and Gawain from their attacks as well. (1d10 = 5 | Success | 4 damage.) Gawain let loose a small ball of dark magic that splashed against the spider with a strong impact that rattled the beast while (1d10 = 6 | Success | 2 damage.) Kastalli rang her bell that chimed in the air and hit the spider’s senses head on, aided by the temporary weakness provided by Korzhev.

Cal would provide a boon for those fighting against the monster, as his prayer from his dark god swept forward and provided a defensive shroud over those it claimed. Black as midnight, one could imagine as if the very night itself had appeared out of thin air and came alive to protect those beckoned by its summoner. This in turn would provide protection of some manner against the strength and deadliness of the spider. Nora, Syll, and Korzhev take reduced damage for two turns!

Giant Wolf Spider's HP: 1017/1200 [29 Damage]​

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Running as she never ran before, the young Chi'sa tried her best to not be slowed down by the brush and fallen trees of this plagued forest. Being this young and having been exposed to so much death in a couple of days have left the young child vulnerable both physically and mentally and running through these woods more complicated than it would normally be. Having tripped and fallen plenty of times now, she pondered for a moment whether or not she would be able to find help for the people that rescued her, but that's when she heard something in the distance. Laughter.

"Merde, tu n'es pas drôle!" shouted one of the soldiers travelling in Olivier's entourage, the soldiers around him laughed, one them having told a rather offensive joke about lord Amani, knowing full well the foreign princeling did not speak Eranoiran. "Allez, c'est marrant!" said the other soldier with a wolfish grin on his face as he looked over his shoulder to look at Amani. But suddenly, the company sergeant, Gwenaël, stopped the others. "M'lord Olivier! there's a child running towards us!" shouted the sergeant in his native tongue.

Olivier rode in the back of the company on top of a pristine white courser, riding next him were two of his knights riding on top of heavily armored war horses, both of them looked at each other upon hearing the sergeant's words. Behind Olivier was Mihret, riding on top of a brown courser while Amani and Hazel both rode together on top of a slow, but reliable grey stumper, Lucius and Tate on the other hand, sat uncomfortably on the supply carriage driven by Ser Percival, the half-Fir Bolg knight of Olivier, who was too heavy to ride his own horse.

Upon seeing people on the road, the young Chi'sa started to shout incoherently, she was exhausted but relieved over the fact she had possible encountered help, she had heard the strange men wearing armor and blue tabards talking in Eranoiran, and while her handle of the language was far from adequate, she attempted to ask for help, but due to the adrenaline and confusion, she spoke a broken language, combining Eranoiran, Ælian and Mezeikan.

"Merde, I don't understand what she's saying!" said one of the soldiers, that's when the sergeant shouted back to the carriage. "Monsieur Tate! Your expertise is needed!" he said before ordering one of the soldiers to bring her a blanket. "What are you looking at you buffoon?! Get this young lady a blanket!" He ordered to his unnerved troops. "S-Sir, the child... she's got horns, s-she's a... a changeling! a half demon runt!" said one of the soldiers. "Right now, all I see is a little girl asking for help! SO HELP!" He said before pulling out his marching whip, with that being said, some of the soldiers went to the carriage to get a blanket for Chi'sa.

Interacting: Chi'sa ( Taigakitt ), Olivier ( Elenion Aura ), Tate ( SilverFlight ), Mihret ( The Prophet ), Amani ( BriiAngelic ), Hazel ( AriAriAbabwa ), Lucius ( simj26 )

• GIANT WOLF SPIDER •
• 1017/1200 Health Points •
• Arach-Attack: The Spider can attack 4 times at 3 random targets, 1 target always being the Company | Maelanima: Magical attacks directed at this creature will receive a -2 point debuff •​

The many blows having been dealt to the beast by the foremost members of the company reinvigorated many of those in the fight as they saw how much of a punishment the beast took. It was bleeding and hurting, which meant that it could be killed. This also meant that for those in the fight, they could survive this if they continued to hurt it. Further along, a few cheers were heard as the spider struggled to break free from the roots around one of its legs; Alberto in particular was the loudest among those in that moment. He knew that it prevented more damage and devastation being done by the creature, even if for just a short moment. "Well done, Sera!" the old knight boasted aloud as he prepared to attack the beast again.

He was looking for an opening, but that would have to wait as the spider continued to attack. It thrashed about again in an assault, however unlike last time many of its strikes missed. Its claws hit and kicked up the dirt from the ground, missing many of the nearby company members. A few shouts and yelps of surprise were heard in the air as they felt death graze them by mere inches in some cases. (1d10 = 5 | Partial Success | 2 damage | Company loses 2 fighters.) Unfortunately, not everyone was as lucky: Grégoire, an older fighter from Eranoire known for both his good fighting skills as well as his prickly personality, was crushed by one of the spider’s legs with an audible splat. Bones crunched as the force drove through his entire body and left his body lifeless on the ground. Another Eranoirian fighter by the name of Claire, a well-liked lady amongst her peers, was launched into the air with a hard strike that send her screaming until she landed into the side of one of the trees near the road, a sickening crack permeating the air as her spine completely shattered and she too fell lifeless to the ground.

• Claire and Grégoire have been killed by the Giant Spider •​

(1d10 = 7 | Success | 4 damage.) (Ziggy's HP: 6/10) Ziggy too was victim to some hurt, as he remained fixated on the spider with tooth and nail. The spiders shrugged itself fiercely to try to get him off before whacking him with one of its pedipalps, sending him tumbling to the ground with a harsh thud. He rolled for a few meters but was able to get back up much to the relief of Alberto. Such recklessness was risky, and invited danger, as he knew from experience. The spider continued to angrily thrash about and let out another hiss as it pulled on its leg entwined in the roots again to try to break free. The recent casualties rattled some of the company again, with one of the fighters yelling out after Claire with tears in their eyes as her body set still at the bottom of the trunk nearby.

For a moment, Gsera took her attention away from what she was doing and saw this unfold. Another friend has been lost; another voice silenced. And for some, that was too much to bear the grief of in this time. She turned her head over to them and shouted to them: "Stay strong!" Her voice cried out amidst the chaos in the area, raising a bit of confidence among some through her support. She had more to say, but in that moment her lapse in attention would come back to strike her. (1d10 = 10 | Critical Success! | 8 damage.) (Gsera's HP: 4/12) Her voice stilled as she felt a sharp thud against her chest, and the air went quiet. At first she was confused, and then she looked down to one of the spider’s claws impaling itself into her. Her own blood gushed out as she whimpered, trying to make sense of the situation. Reality then struck her in full as she was raised above the ground, and she let out a horrifying scream into the air.

Many members of the company were frozen in shock at first, but quickly became horrified by the display as Gsera was wounded in such a grievous manner. Cassandra could only watch in silence and a horrified look plastered across her visage, while Cecilia covered her mouth with her hounds and almost screamed herself. Some of the braver members rushed in to try to help in whatever way they could, whether it was trying to distract the beast or otherwise, before the spider flicked her off its claw and sent her tumbling down to the ground with a thud. Some of the fighters nearby began to panic as one yelled aloud: "Oh gods, she’s dead! She’s dead!" Alberto himself was terrified for her, but he dared not entertain such a thought that she had perished.

He quickly turned his attention away from attacking towards getting aid, shutting down the panic from spreading as best as he could. "HELP HER! QUICKLY! SOMEONE!" he cried out with both rage and fear, looking at where she laid now. He saw what the spider had done to her, and for a moment it did seem as though that the worst had come to pass. Much to his surprise however, she was still moving! If only just, she showed signs of life as battered and gored as she was. "Thank Gaia…" he muttered to himself as he turned his attention back to the spider. She would be in good hands with the others. He gritted his teeth as anger filled his heart, as he now became intent on avenging such a grievous attack.


Once again, Pottrey was forced to ride away and once again let Waylond risk his life for needless heroics. He could be back there, helping in some other way! Frustrated, the young squire kept riding down the road, that was until he saw a rather unusual sight, a fork in the road with three paths heading to different directions and with signs next to each one of them - but what caught his attention was the strangers standing in the middle of the road that led to Gildestad, Guildtown.

Pandora had reached far, and fate once again placed her in a rather interesting situation - in her attempts to gather more knowledge, taste exotic foods and expand her already sizeable wealth, she joined a local guild of adventurers, the Red Dragon Guild, named after a fearsome beast that the founder had killed nearly 80 years ago. Most members of the guild were warriors, rogues and hedge wizards, all the them seeking fortune and glory legally by taking jobs for the guild. It wasn't exactly her forte but that did not matter, her words and tales captivated the Guildmistress enough to grant Pandora the honor of leading a squad of fresh recruits - their mission was rather simple, to kill a spider menace that has re-stablished itself in the woods leading to Gildestad and Kastel van der Draak.

Pot made an attempt to call Pandora's attention, since the sorceress was immersed on a rather outdated map of the area. However, the adventurers behind her noticed the lonesome rider standing several feet in front of them. Ahanu, a Ircinak dwarf now forced to live in Helmos, poked Pandora's legs to warn her of Pottrey. Behind Ahanu and Pandora were a couple of other interesting characters that stood out among the other recruits. A young, red haired goblin looked at the squire with mild amusement, while next to him was a rather handsome human rogue with long black hair and tanned complexion.

​

But it wouldn't be Ahanu's poking that would Pandora look away from her map, it was the sound of marching slowly approaching to their location. Coming from the road leading to the Kingdom of Iuaden, the echoing sound of marching boots made the guildmembers look at each other confused. Pot would notice that in the distance came a large company of armed men, followed by an even larger caravan of civilians, as this foreign company grew closer, the now attentive Pandora recognized their clothes to be from Hamalan origin, with the men in the front donning clothes often associated with the mercenary culture of the Hamalan Empire.

In front of this company were two battle-hardened men who, throughout the span of 2 months, have gone through a lot - undesirables on their own homeland, leading tired warriors and helpless refugees in their quest to find a new place to call home. Both mercenaries looked at each other when they noticed the group of adventurers ahead of them. At first, they suspected yet another bandit attack, but then, something caught everyone's attention. The blood curling screams of Gsera.

Interacting: Pandora ( Mook-LandStrider ), Ahanu ( BriiAngelic ) Ser Pottrey ( Breadman ), Cassius ( Terrier B ), Klaargiz ( Roda the Red ) Bertilak ( The Gunrunner ) Odo ( Moritz )

 

[SilverFlight]

Tate was engrossed in his writings as he sat curled up in the wagon, pressing the book to his knees and his tongue between his lips in rapt concentration.
He thought out loud occasionally: "If I add half the amount of chillsteep, and perhaps just a little winterfoil, I could control the burst pattern on impact and give it direction, what do you think?"
Thinking out loud helped him, and he felt that even though the stoic, silent warrior he was riding with didn't give any indication that he wanted the conversation, Tate felt he might like to be included.
The soldier's crude joke at their companion's expense made Tate look up to furrow his brow.
"I don't like these men." He admitted to Lucius quietly. "They remind me far too much of the boys who used to throw my notes in the fountain back at the academy."

Shouts up ahead diverted his attention again.
"I wonder what could be the matter?" He craned his neck to see around the horses, leaning out of the wagon to do it. When his name was called he was so startled, his hand slipped and he went careening over the edge and into the dirt.
He rose quickly, jogging as he dusted the hem of his red coat. There was dirt on his face but he didn't notice.

He saw the girl, face horror-struck and panicked. The soldiers' distasteful outburst was curbed by a sharp word from the sergeant, still Tate felt the need to chase it up with:
"Y-you leave her be!"

He drew the coat off his shoulders and draped it about the girl gently.
"You're safe. Now, try to breath," He spoke in his native Ælian. "Tell us what happened."
For good measure, he added the other two languages he had heard her shouting.
At the same time, he dug into his bag and produced a small vial, uncorking it and holding it out to her.
"It's Valerian root. For your nerves, if you want it. I sweetened it with honey."
Whatever she said, he intended to relate it with utmost accuracy as he heard it.

Interaction: Taigakitt

Mention: BriiAngelic , simj26

 

[The Gunrunner]

Bertilak Lohmeyer

On, the Road to Iuaden​

One... two... one... two... one... two...
Bertilak sighs. He picked the short straw today, and that meant he would have to lead the caravan. It was the worst job for the march - First to get hit if the caravan is attacked, first to blame if an ambush isn't seen. Most of all though, it was so dreadfully boring; for hours he'd silently watched ahead, scanning tree lines or across fields. Normally he could pass the time with conversation, or read, or draw something in his journal, all things he can't do while he's the eyes up front. Odo stood next to him, a comrade of many years. It was good to have him by his side, though he knew him from childhood - The man was never a conversationalist. It had only become worse since the Terminus. Bertilak had tried to break the silence with a joke every so often, though it never landed. It was a half-hearted attempt anyhow - a method to give something else to think about, or perhaps just speaking for its own sake. Regardless, with nothing to do, he simply counted the steps.
One... two... one... two... one... two...

Two shapes peek out on the horizon, something that draws in his attention - A group of adventurers, or bandits, or mercenaries? They had noticed the caravan. He and Odo share a look before Bertilak looks back [h)"Sighting, small, forward."(h] he speaks over his shoulder. There were more fighting men behind him, guns loaded but held lazily over shoulders or hanging from their slings. On hearing Bertilak's report this shifts immediately - Guns shouldered, muzzles low but hammers cocked, the gheists spread out to screen the caravan of civilians behind them. There is no guarantee of conflict, but they had been through too much to take any risks, especially when it could concern bandits.

Odo and Bertilak move into a light sprint, going ahead of the others to discern the nature of the sight. Bertilak had his gun held across the body, ready to bring it to aim if needed. [h)"Shame you didn't like my jokes, Odo."(h] he pants, [h)"A last laugh is better than dying grim."(h] They continue their approach, the group becoming more distinguishable now; they were armed, though most of them carried themselves with an uncertainty. A lack of familiarity with conflict, or perhaps their equipment, and seemingly with each other. Recruits, he considers. Not all of them seemed this way however. He slows his sprint once within earshot, and opens his mouth to speak - though just as he does so, his ears peek to a sound off the path. There is a scream, feminine and painful. The kind given when one's life is forfeit, or when a convincing actor is laying a trap. His brow furrows, and his eyes go from the source to the strangers. He shakes his head in frustration and looks to Odo, frustration laced within his voice [h)"We can't risk having threats at our back. We have to see what that was."(h] It was a lesson learned a month ago; once, when a group of bandits risked attack, there were simply not enough gheists to protect all sides of the caravan. Thus, they realized, when a threat was left behind the guards would have to separate so the front's protection is never neglected. Thankfully, that time, their potential enemies had decided not to risk combat with such a large group. Still, it was a troubling realization. They had made it a process now to see what a threat was, and wait it out with it remaining at the front, or to take the risk and deal with it personally. Both options had their own risks, though one outweighs the other when they are running low on food.

Bertilak looks back to the caravan, [h)"Scouting forward! Hold the caravan here!"(h] he bellows. The words are repeated by others, carrying the message through the rest of the caravan. He looks to his fellow, nodding once, then to the strangers on the road. "Well... if you are going to that scream, we are too. If you are not, please do not approach the caravan," his english was fluent, though the accent thick, and evidently had no struggle with the language - he had years of time to learn it. With that, he begins walking towards the source of the noise. He shifts the strap of his sheath closer to the edge of his shoulder, and clicks the hammer back for his rifle. He is ready, for something anyway, though remains cautious of the others and frequently looks to them with suspicion.
Moritz EdwardDewey98 joshuadim Mook-LandStrider Breadman BriiAngelic

 

[Beann]

This could have been avoided. The initial spiders nesting in the trees was their warning sign. Kastalli and a handful of others suggested going around the area; the forest was not safe and it quickly became very clear how much danger they were in. She had thought the maelstrom was that scariest moment of her life but she was wrong, so wrong. Never had she felt so small, so delicate. She was from Skæg after all, she was a hunter — a predator. However, as she tilted her head far up to take in the entire view of the spider, she realized now that she was merely prey.

Her first instinct was to run.

There was no way they stood a chance, not after watching their fighters get thrown about without a struggle. Even so, Alberto shouted the commanding charge and many followed after him. In a panic, she looked for her friends and it took her a long moment to realize her own feet were carrying her in the direction of battle. This was absolutely insane but she couldn't just do nothing.

Their attacks reached the giant spider as it thrashed around as any wounded animal would. This inspired many others — though it would be difficult, it was killable. Kastalli was not convinced though, especially as she watched Grégoire get squished under the weight of the spider. Her ears flattened as she almost gagged at the horrible sound that followed. As Claire was flung, Kastalli shot Syllannan a look of terror. She couldn't do this. She couldn't just watch her friends die one by one. She needed to get out of here.

"Stay strong!"

Sera's voice reached her. Yes, they needed to stay strong. They got through Waterham so they could get through this — time slowed down the instant she saw her friend impaled by the claw of the spider. Kastalli watched as she was lifted up and flung, and for a split second, the image of Sera happily drunk at their first inn crossed her mind.

"S-! SERA-!"

Kastalli nearly tripped over her own foot as she spun herself and took off sprinting towards her friend. Faster. Faster! She needed to get to her friend now! The fur on her tail and ears stood completely straight up, almost feral as she forced her legs to sprint faster than she ever could. As she was approaching Sera, she unceremoniously slid to her friend's side, kicking up dirt and grass to stop her momentum. "Sera! Sera, PLEASE!" Kastalli looked around in panic as a few others rushed to aid their comrade. "We - we have to get her away from here! NOW!" She hissed out the command as her entire body trembled in fear for her friend but most importantly: anger.

 

[joshuadim]

Everything hurt. It had happened so quickly that she only now realized what had happened to her as she lay on the ground, bleeding profusely into the soil below. The taste of blood was thick in her mouth, and worse still her vision doubled and blurred as she was wrought with such horrendous agony. All sounds around her became more muffled and muted as the yells of horror from others seemed so far away. Was she dying? In her mind, there was no doubt that this was likely what was happening as she couldn't formulate words in her head. There were only feelings at the moment: mainly of fear and despair. And all the meanwhile, she heard that dreaded and horrible voice of the best in her head:

FOOD.

It compounded the pain she felt with additional mental anguish as its voice pounded against her head, making it feel as though it was trying to burst out of her skull. She tried to move, but her legs were like jelly from the shock of it all, and her arms were weak. Her fingers dug weakly into the dirty below as she tried to lift her head upwards, only managing to bring it up to see vague outlines of what was going on around her. She did see however, on close approach, that Kastalli had come over to her and yelled aloud for both her and for help. Gsera tried to speak but found herself coughing up a ball of blood instead at the moment as it splattered around both the edges of her mouth and the ground beneath.

A thought went through her mind about her father, and how right he seemed in this moment. The world was dangerous... she should've stayed home. "I'm sorry..." she managed to eke out in between labored breaths. Please... don't let me die... my friends need me... she thought to herself in a silent plea to Mathair.

FOOD.

The beast's voice thundered in her mind once more, sending another wave of pain out into her head as she slowly inched her hand and squeezed it underneath her chest and tried to focus on healing herself as best as she could. At the very least she could try to stop the bleeding as she focused as best as she could in calling upon her connection to the wilds to heal what was broken.

 

[Moritz]

Odo Baumann

On the Road to Iuaden​

It had been a long day. One of many that had begun to mix with the fatigue that Odo felt, causing the days and nights since the Terminus to blend into one seemingly endless hallucination. The Terminus lay well behind the Caravan in both a literal, and chronological sense, though some days still saw Odo waking in terror. Stomach clenched into a knot of nausea, Terror dancing in his eyes as if he were pulling himself from the bloodied mud of Uhland's fields once again. It wasn't a unique problem amongst the Men, Women, and Children of the Long March; If anything, It was tragically common, and painfully debilitating. Much to his shame, Odo suspected Bertilak was well aware of his affliction, little else would explain the sudden uptick in the man's endless array of jokes. It had begun to grate, but... the fact that the man had survived to tell his jokes was blessing enough. The March would certainly have been worse off, at any rate, Morale was at an all time low and the Gheists needed as much of Bertilak's Charisma as they could get.

The small grin that had formed on Odo's face was wiped away as his focus was slowly drawn to the handful of figures positioned ahead of the Caravan. Brow furrowed, He met Bertilak's glance with one of his own. They had certainly been noticed to some degree, Wonderful- Toll-Thieves, Perhaps? It mattered little. "[h)Sighting, small, forward.(h]" Spoke Bertilak. Odo didn't bother breaking his gaze from the group of armed Strangers, He could tell well enough by sound that his Kinsmen had already begun spreading out. As Odo surveyed the strangers, his hands calmly drifted towards the weapons dangling from his hips, A large Flintlock pistol and an aged Iron Sword. He moves in lockstep with Bertilak, trailing after the man as they jog ahead of the Caravan, "[h)Shame you didn't like my jokes, Odo.(h]", Odo's focus is on the assembled Strangers but he can hear the grin in Bertilak's voice, "[h)A last laugh is better than dying grim.(h]", He rolls his eyes before offering a curt reply, "(h) Keep trying, My friend! One day, I might just die with a smile on my face!(h)".

Odo lags behind as Bertilak slows to a stop, coming to a pause himself as he idles a mere three steps to the man's right. He clicks his tongue, right hand coming to rest atop his Flintlock, "(h)A tad chaotic, Bertilak. They don't strike me as the Marauding type, Eh?(h)" He gives his moustache a lefthanded tug, "(h)Unless, of course, the Local bandits have begun employing Dwarven Cav- (h)" A scream splits the air, and for a moment He's back in Uhland; Fire, Smoke, Screams. He's staring down the hulking form of a Crimson-clad Knight. Odo blinks hard, willing the image away as he snaps his Flintlock towards the Forest. He glances towards Bertilak for a moment, "(h)Too real to be a trap, Brother.(h)", He cautiously steps towards the Forest, watching as a look of frustration rolls down Bertilak's face, "[h)We can't risk having threats at our back. We have to see what that was.(h]", He agrees with a firm nod.

He gives the Caravan a heavy-handed wave as Bertilak barks, "[h)Scouting forward! Hold the caravan here!(h]". He fights down the pang of anxiety as he watches the Caravan huddle in on Itself, Gunmen circling tight like a living wall. So many gaps, So many missing Brothers and Sisters. He keeps his attention towards the Forest as Bertilak addresses the cluster of Strangers, "Well... if you are going to that scream, we are too. If you are not, please do not approach the caravan.", and suddenly he's laughing, thumbing his Flintlock's hammer to Full-cock before drawing his blade with his left hand, delving into the Forest alongside Bertilak. "(h)Bertilak! Warrior, Poet, Stunning Conversationalist!(h)" The Forest darkens, the forest floor grows thick with foliage and the roots of trees, a distant chaos makes itself known to his ears.

 

[Breadman]

"Gods damn this thing!" Waylond shouted as his sword bounced off its hide like it was rock. The knight paused only for half a second as he heard Gsera's scream. His sight quickly traced towards the amazon nearby. Screaming and thrashing with her own sword at the spider in a fit of rage. They say that the mountains move slowly with the passing of millennia, they would move a step. What he was seeing was a small mountain moving at a speed unknown to its older kin fueled by anger. Words from an ancient language echoing with each strike. The knight counted his blessings that he wasn't a target for her aggression this day. Like any man of chivalry, he would let the lady lead when she could. The route was simple, fight for the fallen, fight for the living and bring the monster down.

 

[Mook-LandStrider]

Pandora of Lykoss


​

‘Where in the hell were they?’ Pandora began to muse internally. She had led the team through a fair share of brush by now…. Or did they lead her? It was a little difficult to tell at times, but she knew they had to be close! She could almost taste the sweet scent of land crab in the air, or at least that is what she kept telling herself. Finally, snapping back to reality, she turned the map upside down, then right side up again to try to get a grasp of where the hell they were. In the end, she couldn’t quite figure it out and let out an annoyed huff of frustration. Feeling something prodding her in the leg, she reached down to swat at the hand, “Hang on, I think I-”.

She didn’t have a chance to finish the sentence as the noise of marching caught her attention. Finally looking up from the map, she saw the lone rider before a larger force of individuals began to come up behind them. “Hamalan.” She voiced almost silently. Pursing her lips, she folded the map up, resigning herself to the fact that they were lost and that asking for directions couldn’t hurt. Just as she was above to speak up, she realized that they were beginning to realign themselves. Narrowing her eyes, she crossed her arms in a slight show of defiance. How dare they assume them to be some sort of ne'er-do-well. Then again, perhaps they were the bandits! The thought crossed her mind and she thought about throwing up some sort of distraction. Just as she uncrossed her arms to begin, she saw two of them begin to move forward at a sprint.

Her semi-protective nature began to simmer away as the men approached, but it seemed fate had another curveball to throw them. The scream shut out everything, changing the mood and bringing with it the thought that their query was nearby. The sudden rise of hunger followed by intense curiosity filled the gap, and immediately she was looking in the direction of the sound. Mindset shifting, Pandora looked to the others “We are where we need to be I feel, if they are going I think our best bet is to work with them. Come, we are near the climax but most dangerous part of our outing.” she spoke before beginning to move towards the sound of the screaming. Taking a moment to digest what was spoken, she turned her head towards Bertilak, speaking in his own language, though in a rough but understandable manner. (h)”We are with you.”(h) she spoke, forming the words with some difficulty.

 

[Taigakitt]

Chi'sa
"Szitakötő! - Dragonfly!"
Interacting: SilverFlight
Mentions: Sera ( joshuadim ) | Korzhev ( FloweryMuffin )​

Adrenaline was a powerful substance.

Hearing the screams, shouts and fighting behind her propelled her forward. It didn’t take much to convince her mind or her body to cooperate when it meant going away from the threat.

Obstacles crossed her path— reminiscent of her own performances. If she was calm, collected, and in good shape, she would have been able to propel herself forward without an issue or break in her step.

That wasn’t the case this time around.

This time, she felt like her heart was in her throat, her body burning from her fear and from pushing herself. Her stomach twisted into knots that she needed to ignore. If she had taken up her saviors for the snack, she probably would have expelled it by now.

She’d tripped and scraped her hands and knees up a few times. The silken bandage Korzhev made for her was in tatters by now.

Noise came to her ears.

People!

Only for a heartbeat did she hesitate, afraid to approach the strangers.

What if the strangers took one look at her and assumed she was a beast?

It was only that heartbeat before she continued running in their direction.

As the group came into view, she was panting hard, her breath hot in the air. Her roughed up hands rested on her skinned knees only to her gulps of cold air into her lungs.

“Help! Big Spider! Need help!” came the mix of three languages that she herself could barely keep straight.

She didn’t fully understand what they were saying back and forth. All her eyes noticed were the hands going to a whip.

Startled, she took a step back, her eyes widened.

“I-I’m not bad! Please, help the others!” Voice raw and shuddering now, she pleaded. This time, in Mezeikan, her first language.

Another approached, but he seemed dressed differently than the soldiers. He didn’t carry any visible weapons towards her that she could see.

He spoke a language she recognized.

As the fabric was draped over her, she tugged the ends closer to herself.

After a couple of shaky breaths, her honey eyes looked carefully at the solider with the whip before speaking specifically Ælian back, “There’s a ginormous spider attacking the people that saved me. I think it’s the mama of the smaller spiders that attacked my family.”

She took the vial in her hands, her fingers accidentally brushing against Tate. If he noticed, her temperature was a lot warmer than a normal being.

“I need to save Mister Prince and Sera and the others but I can’t fight. Please help. Please.” Her eyes welled up as she stared big-eyed up at the kinder man.

 

[SilverFlight]

Tate was surprised at the warmth of the girl's hand. She'd been running of course, but it felt...much warmer than any human could be, yet her appearance was obviously further evidence to that point, still it was not important now. His curiosity could wait.

Tate paled visibly when Chi'sa related what happened.
"People are being attacked!" Tate related in a language most could understand. "A giant spider is accosting a group of travelers just down the road. We have to help them!"
He wasn't sure what he could do, and his fear had already sunk icy claws into his heart, but seeing the girl, terrified and alone made him ball his fists in determination.

Tate rushed back to the cart to retrieve his alchemy bag.
"L-likely this creature is mutated due to a mana maelstrom, it's size is....probably gargantuan...it may have a resistance to magic, we'll need to rely on physical attacks to subdue it."
He began selecting vials and stuffing them in his pockets for easy access.

"If it is built anything like a normal spider....it will likely be nocturnal...therefore highly sensitive to bright light...It's main method of breathing is through a ribbed structure on the underside of its thorax that must be kept moist if the creature is to breathe...given the likely size, this structure may be all the more important. Drying it out might slow it down...and last thing: its legs. Most regular spiders move by pumping fluid through their limbs, attacking the joints and expelling the fluid may do enough to hobble it, slowing its attack."

Tate turned to the road ahead, shaking visibly by this point. He glanced back at Olivier, Amani, Lucius and the others.
"This will...be extremely dangerous."

The last thing he did was kneel beside the curious young girl again.
"We'll help your friends. Don't worry." He reassured her, trying not to sound as afraid as he actually was.

Taigakitt Elenion Aura simj26 BriiAngelic The Prophet AriAriAbabwa

 

[BriiAngelic]

• Amani al Kassam || Prince of Kassemid

• 
  
  
  
  Interacting With:
  Hazel ( AriAriAbabwa ), Tate ( SilverFlight ), Chi'sa ( Taigakitt )
  Nearby:
  Mihret ( The Prophet ), Lucius ( simj26 ), Oliver ( Elenion Aura ) Knights ( EdwardDewey98 )
  

  ~ The Forest ~
  ~ Midday || ~12pm ~
  
  Faolan || Amani's CS File
  
  Journeys were never without people passing, to imagine you were the only one pathing the roads would be to set yourself up for conflict. Yet still this deep into the woods he didn’t imagine that someone would so brazenly run toward an entire caravan. He could hear the shouts in the same foreign tongue that the majority of the knights spoke. Though this shout left far less complexity to the sounds. The speed was clearly slower, he could almost catch individual pauses. Not a native tongue then?
  
  Wait were those Ælian words mixed in?
  
  He gave the horse a tug stopping him in his tracks. He caught Tate’s name being called at what he could only assume was a pled to translate. Amani dismounted from the shared mount handing the reigns to Hazel as he swung down slower in his approach of the child. Age didn’t necessarily correlate with docility and anyone could manage some serious damage if they felt threatened enough.
  
  “Do you really want to be drugging her with a relaxant while in the woods? It's not exactly the safest location to diminish your reaction tim-.”
  
  It seemed his words would not matter as he had taken too long in his approach. No matter, she’d lasted this long on her own seemingly. Perhaps the root wouldn't take quick enough for her to fall to whatever she was so desperately running from.
  
  The man had switched back to the tongue of the caravan and all he could make heads or tails of was noise. He turned back to the girl who seemed to have a passing knowledge of Ælian. He spoke in a low light tone trying not to stress the child any further. He was concerned at what she might consider a ginormous spider. The claim that it attacked her family was concerning. For one it might be a ploy, though she would have to be a remarkably good actress granted, and what point is there in a lie that would keep their guard up? Another concern was that it was not a lie. In which case should they step in they should attempt a quick ambush and use the distraction of the spider being engaged already.
  
  “How big of a spider was this kid? My sized? The size of the soldiers on the horses? Bigger?”
  
  He paused thinking more about what she said. At least two people were fighting for their lives. One a prince? Assuming they had any training it would have to be a sizable threat for them to consider her running alone in the forest a lesser threat. Even other humanoids would probably cause danger if the hesitance of the weaker-willed said anything.
  
  “Just how many were fighting it when you last saw them?”
  
  

 

[Taigakitt]

Chi'sa
"Szitakötő! - Dragonfly!"
Interacting: SilverFlight | BriiAngelic ​

Chi’sa kept the vial in hand, stomach too twisted up to think about ingesting anything. She’d probably just throw it all back up. Still, she held it in case she changed her mind.

She watched timidly as the kind man rushed back to one of the carts as another, pretty, darker-skinned person approached.

This person spoke to her as well, in Ællian.

“How big of a spider was this kid? My sized? The size of the soldiers on the horses? Bigger?”

Only a pause before he asked another question.

“Just how many were fighting it when you last saw them?”

Chi’sa looked at the pretty man as she struggled to find something that equated to the spider’s size.

Fidgeting, she shuffled back and forth on her scraped up legs, being careful how much weight she put on the injured one, “Bigger. It a-ate someone whole.”

Indeed, she witnessed it but with all the terror, it didn’t fully register until she said it out loud.

Chi'sa started shaking harder, her hand grasping the vial with more strength than she had as her eyes slowly started to “melt” into something more orange. A couple tears slipped from her eyes and down her cheeks.

“I-It—“

She fell to her knees just as the other man came back and knelt beside her. She no longer found the strength to stand as she started sobbing. Her tail slightly wrapped around her waist.

Note: Italicized words are in Ællian.

 

[Elenion Aura]

Olivier de Lyonesse​

"People are being attacked! A giant spider is accosting a group of travelers just down the road. We have to help them!"

Olivier reined his courser around as Tate relayed the words of the frightened girl, who spoke in a tongue he did not comprehend. But Tate, luckily, had. Their travels had luckily not been fraught with perils to date. Though... They had seen their share. But if what this girl claimed was to be believed, then the bandits and petty monsters they'd encountered on the roads thus far traveled would no doubt pale in comparison to the beast that lay yet before them.

He turned his ear toward the words of his friend. Ever was he the wisest man Olivier had ever known, if hesitant, and at times uncertain. He trusted Tate's assessment. But he also knew that, if lives were at stake, then there was little time to sit idle. Olivier wheeled his horse around until they were, both of them, pointed in the direction of the darkening road, from whence the frightened child had emerged.

As his steed stamped its hooves, bristling with anticipation for the coming gallop, Olivier threw his head over his shoulder and spied Tate rushing to collect his alchemical supplies. "Tate, look after ze girl."

Without affording his friend a chance for a rebuttal, Olivier drew his sword and raised it high, his voice rising to the ringing of silver-steel as his horse reared, "Chevaliers! To me!"

Voices high and swords unsheathed, the knights of Lyonesse rallied to their lord's command.

As one they thundered down the beaten road, with Olivier and his silvermere stallion at the head of their gleaming column. The sound of their hoofbeats was like an uncoming avalanch of steel and swift judgment.

Spoiler: Tags

SilverFlight
The Prophet
BriiAngelic
AriAriAbabwa
simj26
Taigakitt

 

[BriiAngelic]

• Ahanu ka Yup'kwa || The Exiled Heathen

• 
  
  ~ The Fork~
  
  ~ Midday || ~12pm ~
  
  Pray to the Dark || Ahanu's CS File
  
  The march of an army was such a foreign sound to her ears even as the recent years saw her passing many more than she had ever seen in decades with her tribe. She expected that her exile would lead to solitude, and in a way it did. Despite the great number of people she passed not a sole beyond Pandora had she ever met who spoke her native tongue. What irony there was in finding such a great many people and being unable to converse with a single one.
  
  Bly would have found great humor in this, perhaps the lad would even wish to learn their language. She herself found no mesmerization in the foreign otherness of this new land. She would have coveted this land for her own tribe and cursed their luck at being borne on the other side of the oceans if not for the blood she had already seen shed in her short time.
  
  No, this land was no better than the one she fled, only more densely populated.
  
  She gave the men a bored glance as she brought her bow down into her hand. She had no real way of knowing if they meant well beyond their body language and Pandora’s direction but hell if she’d be caught unaware. Nimki circled the skies above ready to swoop down and fight at the call of Ahanu. Kwahn was brushed up to her side as he belonged. She would not allow the little one to waste away its stolen life.
  
  She nocked an arrow ready but lowered as the men sprinted to them. The scream had her whistling her cue to Nimki. The beast descended landing before her. When Pandora turned to the others she listened. Though she could not understand the words she followed her bodily clues. She could tell when a fight was brewing. She mounted the giant hawk with ease, waiting a moment for Kwahn to climb up as well before reaching behind her to offer a hand back to Pandora.
  
  “Would you like to scout from above? The vantage may have us spot the screamer if they aren't already gone from this world. It may be too much to hope that we could easily deal with it without getting closer but it is worth a shot at least."
  
  

  
  
  Interacting With:
  Pandora ( Mook-LandStrider ), Knights ( EdwardDewey98 )
  

 

[Beann]

"I'm sorry..."

“Sera –! Do not move, you must save your strength!”

Kastalli urged her friend as she quickly shuffled to the head of her friend, sliding her hands underneath to support Sera’s head and neck. “You will be okay — calm yourself,” she instructed though her words were more for herself than her injured friend. Her body continued to shake, albeit less now that she was directly caring for Sera but she found it rather difficult to combat the tears that were beginning to form.

“You will be okay — you will be okay — I will not lose you — not again, please not again,” she whispered as she looked around. Kastalli was unsure of Sera’s injury, moving her could potentially do more harm than good. She didn’t want to risk that. Tears began to obscure her vision as she searched for the only person she trusted to help.

His silvery hair and midnight skin stood out despite the chaos, like a beacon.

“Ca — CALOCIS!” Kastalli was hardly one to raise her voice outside of singing which only amplified her desperation to save her dear friend. “Please! Come quick!”

Elenion Aura

 

[Elenion Aura]

Calocis righted himself as the shadowy sinews spread out before him and cloaked a few of their number in a cocoon of dark ether, shielding them for the time being from the many-legged creature's vicious onslaught. It would not be enough. All of these men were going to die here, beneath the shade of trees. And if the light of the moon—a portent of Nyarlaexedum, or whatever fell presence guided him—continued to stay his egress, so too would he.

The sound of a shrill voice crying out his own name cut Calocis out from the tightening noose of his despair.

“Ca — CALOCIS! Please! Come quick!”

Shocked and shaken into action, Calocis came when she called him. Bidden by neither fate nor signs from powers beyond understanding, Calocis came. The readiness with which he answered the call shocked even himself. Though, that keenness did little to grant him compassion in the face of the grievous sight that now lay before him.

Kneeling in the muck beside the prone girl, he did not extend his hand to even attempt a healing before he rose again. Turning to Kastalli in a stony voice, he said aloud, "She is going to die. T'wouldst be a waste of His Grace."

Beann joshuadim

 

[Dmaster]

The undead wizard was not known for his athletic leaps and bounds, so it was quite apparent that he would be too late to warn the others. When the giant spider was upon the company, he stood there aghast as their first instinct was to fight the creature rather than flee. Admirable bravery, yet incredibly stupid. Yet somehow Gawain found himself rooted in place for a moment, not out of fear or confusion, but with the futility of trying to understand precisely why he was filled with the desire to aid them. The logical thing to do was withdraw to better ground, prepare for the threat with some kind of ritual to contain or fell it. Yet he witnessed the massive beast devour company men with ease, and saw those legs and mandibles coming upon the scouting group next.

Shadow enveloped his fingers and forearms, and the next thing the wizard knew was that he was casting a black bolt of magic at the beast and had also joined in the fray. Though his strike was true, it did not deal nearly as much damage as he could hope for. Yet he was not afraid - for he was already marked. This overgrown arachnid paled in comparison to the captivating horror he had survived. Cecilia's panic over the beast's resistance to magic did not dissuade him, in fact it only emboldened his efforts. A swipe of his hand and he sent his wraith to assail the creature, trying to keep his distance as he began to weave another spell. Yet Sentry was in its sights, and the undead wizard was unfortunate enough to be slashed by the backswing.

A slight gash cut through his robe, blackened blood seeping from a cut to his side as a hand applied pressure and inspected it.

"Try to not die Gawain, you'll force me to actually shed a tear over your mangled corpse."

A shame it would take me perishing to bring forth such a touching moment, Gawain retorted back in the recesses of his mind, sarcasm palpable in his telepathic tone. In the moments that followed, he would witness Gsera get gored by one of the spider's limbs and then tossed aside like a ragdoll. Though he could not emote with his skeletal features, it did give him just a modicum of pause as the company only began to grow more demoralized.

"I won't expire here -" Gawain spoke aloud, still speaking to Edgar in almost a whisper. His fingers curled, ring and pinkie fingers making contact with his palms while the others clawed into a carefully studied position. An orb of bright white light and another of complete blackness hovered over either hand, and the wizard spread his stance while manipulating them with careful yet straining movements. They arced with lashes of energy, and he steadily brought them closer and closer as some sort of reaction was weaving between them. Whatever forces these orbs represented would be extremely volatile once bonded. "I shall be the one to challenge a god, and I will not let this vermin stand in my way! You think yourself invulnerable to magic, beast? Allow me to educate you - face utter disintegration!"

There was a loud clap as he joined the orbs together, a pressurized vacuum effect of the air around him heralded the beginning of his spell. A single point of utter nothingness was created between his palms, and he exerted a terrible energy through that tiny pinprick in reality: a bright purple beam lanced forth to strike the gigantic spider, the spell capable of boring through an entire mountain! As he sustained the spell, purple electricity jolted at his body, yet Gawain maintained his focus. He was willing to use every aspect of his being to push his spell forth.

Special Rule: Catalytic Casting​

 

[Beann]

Although she would have appreciated more urgency to his step, she was relieved that Calocis answered her cry. Kastalli felt a heavy weight lifted off her shoulders, knowing that someone capable was here to tend to Sera. However, that feeling was short-lived when he made a quick assessment of Sera’s situation.

“W-What do you mean? She is not dead yet, Calocis! You are not going to try?!”

She looked at him in disbelief and for a split second, she almost justified Syllannan’s mistrust of him. “I was going to die in Waterham — yet you saved me! Why is this any different?!” Was it even worth attempting to convince Calocis to aid Sera? She feared the battle against time as her gaze searched through the rest of the able bodies in the fray. Who else was capable of helping?

“Please try, Calocis — if it were you injured instead, any one of us would have helped till the very end!”

Elenion Aura

 

[Anne Boolean]

After some doing, Ziggy felt the tough exoskeleton give under his teeth. A thick fluid spilled into his mouth, one with a taste so unpleasant, he normally would have unlocked his jaw. Not now, though. Despite the disgusting taste, it meant he was making progress. Even he was smart enough to know the slight damage he was doing to the leg wasn't enough to subdue the creature, but he figured if he kept at it, he might be able to injure the leg enough for it to at least somewhat hinder the arachnid's movement. And that was just what we would do.

Or at least it was what he would have liked to do. Instead, he found himself suddenly airborne, the spider seeming to grow more and more distant. He let out a yelp when he finally hit the ground, tumbling backwards a bit. As he rolled, his body would temporarily lose its dog form before cycling back in a few times until he came to a full stop. It took some effort, but Ziggy was able to pull himself to his feet again. Ouch. That was not pleasant. Seeing what their eight-legged foe was doing to his other companions made him realize that he had gotten fairly lucky.

His eyes widened as Gsera, amidst rallying the rest of the companion, was impaled by one of the spider legs. He felt his tail start to shrink between his legs as his gaze shifted from Gsera to the giant spider. Thankfully, Kastalli had appeared by her side and was trying to help. The orange-furred hound hurried over too, watching as the woman attempted to enlist the help of another in aiding their injured friend. He arrived just in time to hear Calocis deem any first aid pointless. After hearing Kastalli continue her pleas, he whimpered his own before turning to look at Gsera.

What could be done? He wanted to help too, but he couldn't make a leaf disappear, much less heal someone on the brink of death. He ended up laying down next to the woman, gently letting his head rest on her arm. His whimpers softly continued as his eyes shifted from between Gsera and Calocis, pleading for one to hold on and the other to do anything to make the situation better.

Beann Elenion Aura joshuadim