MISSION: THE DIE IS CAST, PART 2

[ximilian]

● ● ● M I S S I O N   1 1 . 2

THE LEDE • WHEN THE TOUGH GET GOING • THE GOING GETS TOUGH • THE HATCHET • FYI

// INTRO. THE LEDE  

Dawn breaks over the court in grey skies, clouds drooping sadly over the horizon, as Finn (and whoever he has managed to get to train with him that day) arrives at the Knights’ Guild… and meets the beaming face of Jun Shortaxe. It is clear that the depressing weather is not dampening his spirits.

JUN

I’ve got great news!

His voice booms brightly over the Guild’s courtyard, but he seems to think better of the volume as his next words are quieter, only for the Orbers to hear.

JUN

We’ve found a lead. Alena, the Great Mulgrowe, and I. I hear they ran into some of your party, too, and so they were eager to help as well. Anyway — between the three of us, it wasn’t too difficult. Gather everyone on the plains outside Harsby, we’ll meet there tomorrow morning.

And indeed, when the next day comes with the sun finally peeking out behind the veil of clouds, it is not only Jun waiting for the Orbers but also Alena Ironspear, decked in full armour, and the Great Mulgrowe, hooded and deep in conversation with a bird.

When it seems that all Orbers are present, Jun urges his horse forward and raises his hand in greeting.

JUN

Well met, everyone! Some time ago, I was tasked by one of your own to find the heirloom that we nearly had in our grasp years ago. All of us had determined to never try to find the thing again… but if it’s to help my best friend, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do! So we set to work. And we believe we have a good lead.

Next to him, Alena nods.

ALENA

Yes. I have consulted Rahiel, the Saint I serve, and the nature around South Naelor is unsettled. The stones of Fort Gorlouch groan in pain, feeling an evil that has not been there before.

The Great Mulgrowe nods below his hood, eyes slowly opening. He pulls back the fabric to reveal the scaled countenance of a dragonborn druid.

THE GREAT
MULGROWE

The creatures speak too. They tell me they fear what resides in South Naelor and I do not blame them. To give them back their lands, we must seek this presence out.

When next Jun speaks, it is with a gravitas that he seemed to lack before.

JUN

So. That is where we’re going to head. Now… some of you may have heard that South Naelor is the former home of Ellia Roundtree. Whether we will encounter her there… I don’t know. You have given us hope that if she does have the heirloom, she didn’t do what she did out of malice. But just in case… be on guard, all of you. It will take several days for us to get there, and because a group this size would attract too much attention, we will go as three separate groups. Those of you who want to ride along the roads, you’ll come with me. Those who know the wilderness, go with the Great Mulgrowe.

ALENA

And the rest of you, you’re with me. I shall teleport us to Rahiel’s temple on the southern coast, and from there, we will journey to the Fortress.

JUN

Right! So get ready everyone… and let’s go hunt an heirloom!

Hopefully you were ready to leave at once, as the former members of the Songbird Brigade don’t wait for long — it is within the next few moments that the group is split up into three, with each party heading off to their separate directions.

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// PART I.WHEN THE TOUGH GET GOING  

After some quick decisions on who to go with, and some even quicker good-byes, the groups are all ready to go — and so, with Jun, Alena, and the Great Mulgrowe wishing each other good luck, they each take their newly-formed party and get ready to travel: Jun by the roads, the Great Mulgrowe out in the wilderness, and Alena with the aid of Rahiel’s temples and teleportation.

1.0   Those following Jun Shortaxe will find that the roads that lead from Alydhion to South Naelor are well maintained, so whether you are on horseback or have chosen to put your feet to good use by walking, there won’t be too many rocks in your shoe by the end of the day. As you travel, you may hear Jun humming to himself, in a tone that’s actually not bad:

Close the door,
Follow the road

Rich or poor,
Your troubles unload

The path will take you
Stronger it will make you
The adventure that awaits!

So close the door,
Follow the road

Rich or poor,
Sing with me this ode

To whatever the fates
have in store for you!

The tone of the travelling song is catchy, and perhaps you'll want to join in (and learn another song that the illustrious commander of the Ximilia has composed).

As the road is long and darkness falls quickly in the evening, you are required to make camp — so find a good spot on the side of the road, set up your campfire, and spread your bedding around… or, if you’re not a fan of staying under the open sky and watching the stars, you can always try and find a thicket of trees to stay under, or a cave where you’ll be safe from any sudden downpours.

2.0   The journey through the Forests of Gha’har throws you into the middle of wilderness, away from the comfort of roads: instead, the Great Mulgrowe will lead his group through thick bushes, over fallen tree trunks, and under the canopies of the tall, old trees of the forest whose presence seems almost oppressive. There are moments when you may look around and feel as if everyone around you has disappeared; moments when the trees rustle above you with a quiet, menacing sound… only for it to be broken by the trill of a bird, or perhaps a druid friend among your party, settling the trees once more.

Eventually, you will hear it: the unmistakable sound of water. From behind the trees, you see the river gleaming in the sunlight like a silver snake, twisting this way and that as it flows towards Naelori Lake. This means that you have finally made it out of the Forests, and traveling by the riverside is a nice change in scenery… at least until you’re required to cross the river in order to make it to South Naelor. Well — better be ready to get your feet wet, or figure out an alternate way of crossing the river with dry shoes!

3.0   Whereas Jun and the Great Mulgrowe lead their respective groups immediately towards South Naelor, Alena takes hers back to Harsby; the reason for that becomes apparent when right outside the borough, a beautiful temple surrounded by flowering vines comes into view. It is the temple of Rahiel, and Alena explains to the group that she is only able to teleport so many people from one temple to another — and the one closest to the ruins of South Naelor lies at the mouth the Gulf of Ifyln.

It is almost as soon as everyone has stepped inside the temple, its walls decorated with paintings of the Seven Sisters, that Alena claps her hands together and a golden light envelopes you… and the next moment, you smell the sea air, and feel the cool breeze blowing your hair. When you open your eyes, feeling a little disoriented, you see the steep cliffs that line the coast from the open temple.

The cliffs don’t persist for long, though, and Alena quickly leads the group to the shore, where a small ship awaits them: just large enough to fit all of them below deck, you best hope you’ve got those among you who know how to raise the sails and steer the ship through the tides… and lower the anchor when it’s time to stop for the night. At least you’ll have a cosy rest in the ship’s cabins, or on the deck watching the stars.

However, don’t get too attached to your little ship: soon enough the river becomes too shallow, requiring you to make the rest of the way on foot.

TOP

// PART II.THE GOING GETS TOUGH  

However, the journey to S. Naelor isn’t without its challenges. The skies above might seem to darken one day, the heavy clouds splitting at their seams to let out a torrential downpour. You and your group might also stumble into the wrong place at the wrong time, not uncommon for many parties that travel through (and across) the boroughs. Whether by foot or on horseback, it would be wise to keep your senses alert and your weapon close. A battle of some nature is never too far away.

4.0   Past the crest of gently rolling hills you might hear the sudden rapid stomping of hooves against dirt as a party of bandit orcs on horseback appear, their shrill cries meant to scare and alarm you. Seek a place for cover or meet them with full force, weapons at the ready — if you’re traveling with Jun Shortaxe, he won’t be far behind, expression steeled into one of strength and determination. Within the thick, lush foliage of the Forests of Gha’har, if you’re traveling with the Great Mulgrowe, you may encounter winged bat-like creatures in the trees that squawk and cry as they fly out to attack you. Mind their sharp claws and sharper teeth — and anyone with the ability to communicate with creatures might want to utilize their skills to placate the flurry. Finally, steering the small ship on the river past Rahiel’s temple may seem quiet at first, but past the temple’s walls and emerging from the Gulf of Ifyln, winged kelpies appear to have caught wind of your group’s presence. Alena Ironspear will fearlessly lead the charge but she’ll need your help to keep the winged kelpies at bay and continue your journey northwards to Fort Gorlouch.

5.0   Along the way, whether through grassy plains and grey skies, the darkness of trees and thick foliage, or the sandy coast and the salty ocean waters, some of your party will experience some obstacles and immunities specific to their chosen race and form. Unnatural phenomena and sudden spots of darkness and flame appear to pop up like a presence following close behind.

If you suddenly become shrouded in a strange, thick fog, you’ll hear haunting voices and see visions of malevolent creatures all around you. You might try and swing your weapon forward as the voices command you to defeat every last creature trying to crowd in on you — but only your human party members will see what you can’t and will need to snap you out of the presence currently trying to control your mind, persuading you to attack your own friends and fellow crew.

While there is no shortage of dangers to be found no matter what path you travel, it might seem that there is something intentionally challenging your journey through South Naelor. While it is easy enough to take up your weapon against a stray bandit or wild creature (to some degree, anyway), it is much harder to cast off an avalanche of boulders from the nearby cliff edges, or to catch a fallen tree trunk that aims to block you and your path. Call on the orc-kind in your party to help, as their superior strength will allow them to swat boulders away like flies, or catch heavy tree trunks in mid-fall.

Some of you might find when you try to start a campfire, either during the day or the evening, for warmth or for cooking, that the flames might appear to grow hotter and larger than usual. Keep the fire going for too long and you’ll be (un)pleasantly surprised by the sudden voracious appetite the flame has for the measly kindle you have collected. It spreads and seems to grow into a predatory form that can only be challenged by those with an immunity to fire. Your tiefling companions will be able to tame and put out the fire before it does any more damage than singe your bedroll and turn your dinner to charcoal.

In the evening when the last of the daylight has disappeared past the horizon, the darkness may feel thicker, even blacker. For most of you it will seem difficult, almost impossible to see; you won’t even be able to see your hands before you. Only the dwarves in your group, possessing dark vision, will be able to decipher your surroundings and guide you to a safe place to wait out the darkness before it passes. (And thankfully, like a passing shadow, it won’t last for too long.)

Even your Brigade leaders appear to be having difficulty at moments. It will be more important than ever to chip in when you can and keep your fellow team members afloat as you trek through this perilous part of the journey towards the fortress. But one thing is clear at least: you’re getting closer.

6.0   It isn’t difficult to guess that the path to South Naelor is one less traveled — the dirt road is crude and beaten down by wagon wheels, hoof-prints, and feet but there isn’t much else around for miles. Aside from the random attacks from bandits and hungry creatures, and the strange happenings, there are also the natural elements to contend with.

Windstorms, rainstorms, and the changes in temperature (generally warmer in the day, cooler during evenings) are common in this part of the land being situated between the ocean waters and too far away from the shelter of Ffuren and the Jolnora Peaks. The plains experience heavy monsoons of rain at times, and with trees so far and few between it can get cold in the nights. The tides can rise, taking in a large part of the beach by the coastline, making it too easy to be swept into the water if one is not careful enough. Rain isn’t uncommon in the Forests of Gha’har either, and may require brief moments of shelter under the large leaves of the trees to escape getting soaked. The best thing to do during these moments is to find a cave or shelter of some sort and wait it out, catch up on some sleep, or once again go over your plans for when you arrive at Fort Gorlouch.

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// PART III.THE HATCHET  

They say that it’s more about the journey than the destination, but sometimes it really is a relief to arrive where you want to be. The gates to South Naelor appear on the horizon in the form of long stone ramparts and large towers. Only ... these gates appear to be in serious need of repair, the walls partially broken, chunks of stone missing, and wooden posts hacked in half, leaving crude sharpened points directed at the sky. S. Naelor appears to be a court that had once seen better and brighter days, and it isn't hard to think that the court of Alydhion itself might one day see a future like this one. It is unclear whether this once majestic court had always been in decline or if this is a more recent event. Whatever the case may be, there’s only one way to find out … it’s time to ride forward.

7.0   The travels might begin to feel like they’re taking a toll on you but you and your party finally arrive — and in mostly good spirits, too. South Naelor as it stands feels nothing like the court of Alydhion, which seems so vibrant and alive by comparison. If anything, it is a court now mostly in ruin, an artifact in the history of this world. Over the centuries, nature has reclaimed some of the built structures, and rivers have carved wide canals through the land, connecting to the Gulf of Ifyln. Without needing to be told by your former Songbird Brigade leader, you might already begin to feel the prickle of goosebumps along your skin, or the hair rise at the back of your neck. It’s that sensation of expecting something dangerous that will keep you alert as the three groups converge just before Fort Gorlouch. The Great Mulgrowe bows his head in Alena and Jun’s direction, and Jun nods, opening his mouth as though to address the crew at large.

But just before he can speak, deep and guttural growls fill the quiet air from somewhere within the old fortress walls followed by the sudden blinking of bright light as though there are doors opening and closing to let these unwanted guests through. Claws frantically click and scratch against stone as the lanky greyish-white furred creatures, long-limbed and snarling with venomous teeth, rush out to meet the teams.

Alena’s eyes widen as she swears under her breath.

ALENA

May Rahiel help us all.

One of the patchy-furred beasts rises on its hind legs atop one of the half-battered ramparts and howls into the sky, commanding all of its brethren. One does not need to be a druid to understand their message: they mean to attack, and they mean to kill you.

THE GREAT
MULGROWE

Beware that the Dremnin do not bite you. One touch of that venom, and you forfeit your life in this realm to the unknown beyond.

Next to the Great Mulgrowe, Jun squares his shoulders, a determined look in his eyes.

JUN

Come on, have heart! We’ve faced these beasts before! Right now what’s important is that someone, anyone, makes it into the fortress to see if the heirloom is there. I’m going to stay here and fight. That’s what we promised to do, isn’t it? I'll hold them back for as long as I need to... and as long as there's life in me.

As if in response to these words, without hesitation, Alena seems to compose herself as though falling back into the old habits of their former party. She turns towards the Orbers, gripping her sword tightly in her hand.

ALENA

Come. We need to keep going.

The moment Jun hangs back to stand his ground, the Dremnin start to crowd forward, followed by all other manner of beast: some recognizable, and others that are unfamiliar, like a new kind of beast this world hasn’t seen. You’ll have to fight your way through some of these beasts to keep moving forward in search of the heirloom as Jun takes care of the brunt of it from behind.

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F Y I

• The events in this log take place during the month of February. The team will return to the station by the end of February.

• If you have questions about any of the prompts or the mission in general, please direct them HERE.

• A voting post regarding the conclusion will go up on February 10.

• And finally, your soundtrack for this log: ♪ ♪ ♪

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Comments

Ryunosuke Naruhodo - (Dragonborn Cleric) | OTA - On the road w/ Jun!

[locumstudentesquire]

{1.0 | A}
With each passing hour of this journey, Ryunosuke finds himself wondering more and more just what exactly he was thinking, getting himself involved in this.

Realistically, he knows he really had no choice. As long as Kazuma and Professor Mikotoba took part, he'd be compelled to go along too. He's just not the sort of guy who can just sit back and twiddle his thumbs while his friends are headed into possible danger.

Problem is, he's a city boy who's used to a certain degree of separation between him and the wilds. Hiking and camping are just very much NOT his thing, so, while he tries to be a good sport and keep from complaining about it too much, it's pretty nakedly obvious that he's not having a good time.

He can most often be found lagging a bit more towards the back of Jun's group, ears drooping and tail dragging as he walks. Whether you're in the same boat as him (not being much of a hiker), or you're just concerned about seeing a guy straggle, there's not much to do other than to keep moving, and he looks like he could probably use some friendly conversation.]

[(Feel free to wildcard or bring your own hook to this one.)]

{1.0 | B}
[He'd hoped that with all the walking during the day, sleep would be a cinch to achieve once they stopped to make camp. Alas, for at least the first few nights, Ryunosuke finds no such luck. When he does sleep, it's often fitful and shallow, such to the point where he will sometimes just temporarily give up and move to sit up by the campfire for a bit instead, hoping the dancing flames will help lull him into a more restful state of mind.

However... Should he find company by the fire's light, he's not about to be unfriendly. He'll offer greeting to anyone who comes to join him, and introduce himself if again if necessary. And after sitting in silence for a bit, he'll chime up:]

You know... I picked 'cleric' as my class largely because I was intrigued by the idea of being able to detect lies, but... I've not had much of a chance to use it yet.

[...]

It's too bad I didn't have the ability when everyone was playing that game over the network. What was it called again...? Two lies and a truth?

{5.0 | A}
[While he's not full on scotophobic, Ryunosuke is not exactly the biggest fan of the dark. He particularly isn't a fan of this extremely unnatural super darkness that they're experiencing every night now. It makes him extra jumpy, it's bad for moral, and worst of all... What's a guy supposed to do if nature calls in the middle of the night, and he doesn't have dark vision!?

This is a dilemma that he has been very pointedly trying to avoid by not drinking too much just before bed, but. Sometimes your body just has other plans, and wants to make you suffer! That's his theory, anyway.

If you're able to see in the dark or happen to be close by enough, you might spot him sitting up in the middle of the night, looking around with an expression of apparent distress. You can ask what's wrong, but he might get squirrely about it, because it's an embarrassing issue. Or, even worse... Maybe he has actually managed to convince himself to get up and go, picking his way to the edge of the camp by the meager light of cantrip. He can barely see where he's going, so please don't take it too personally and cast retaliatory hexes on him if he steps on a tail, or a hand, or deadass just trips over you where you're sleeping.]

{5.0 | B}
[Ryunosuke really isn't the violent sort, which makes it a real testament to the potency of this fog that it takes little time at all for him to crack and draw Karuma, the katana gripped shakily in one hand. It had only taken a second for him to get separated from his companions in the thick, obscuring mists; now he's seeing beasts lurking in every shadow, and hearing their growls and snarls coming from just out of sight. They always seem to come from just over his left shoulder, no matter which way he faces...

He definitely needs help, but be careful if you approach. The katana he's wielding is actually the least of your worries, mind; even when frightened he's not much of a hack-and-slash kind of guy. But, he has his jaws slightly agape, and electricity crackles between his sharp teeth. He hasn't used his natural breath weapon even once since they got here, but if you come at him the wrong way right now, you might well get a face full of it.]

[OOC Note: let's try to keep it to light wounds here; Ryu's also not much of a fighter, so if your character comes in super aggro, he WILL likely try to take flight rather than fight, which I'm fine with as long as you don't mind a shorter thread :)]

{7.0}
[A battlefield really is the last place in the universe he should be, but it doesn't matter. He's not about to turn tail and leave everyone else here to fight.

As a cleric, he's at least doing his best to stay out of the worst of the fray, more providing support from the edges than anything. A dremnin you're having a tough time with might suddenly find itself afflicted by a swarm of bugs, distracting it long enough for you to make a killing blow. Or they might get stunned and zapped by a booming blade sent out from Karuma, halting a potentially devastating blow you accidentally left yourself open to.

Most importantly: this guy has healing magic, and he's not afraid to use it. He might well get your attention when you're between dremnin encounters, hurrying up to your side with his scaly palms out and at the ready.]

Hold still a moment; I'll have you patched up in a flash!

[He looks rattled and tired and queasy from all the bloodshed going on, but he's very much determined to help.]

{Wildcard}
[Hit me up at awkwardpossum or drop me a PM if none of these strike your fancy and you'd like to plot something different! Or just drop a starter for me here. I'm easy!]

1A

[softshoes]

[Yujin isn't opposed to an adventure. Or even a hike, really. Unfortunately for him, even whatever additional endurance his current tiefling form has lent him isn't enough to make up for the fact that-- well-- these days, the bulk of his time is spent researching or lecturing on Yumei's campus. Indoors. Not to mention that he isn't exactly getting any younger.

So, unsurprisingly, Ryunosuke isn't the only straggler flagging somewhere at the back of Jun's party.

As he catches sight of another, familiar, slow hiker, Yujin waves, adjusting his own walking speed to keep pace with the younger man.]

N-Naruhodo! [he begins-- upbeat, but. Somewhat out of breath. His own ears are drooping, and his tail's dragging a bit behind him. Valiantly, he's trying to maintain his spirits: if he stays optimistic he will surely forget how long they've been walking. Or so he hopes, anyway.]

Fine... fine day for a hike, isn't it?

[He manages a smile, but worn as he is, it comes out nearer to a grimace.]

[locumstudentesquire]

Professor Mikotoba!

[Ryunosuke brightens a bit at his arrival, but it's a fairly short lived reaction, given they're both huffing and puffing here. He's pretty sure there's no such thing as a fine day for hiking? Because hiking is terrible. Objectively.]

Haah. It... Certainly could be a worse day. [There, that's diplomatic enough.] Admittedly, I'm starting to wish I'd tried my luck with the teleportation magic...

[softshoes]

[Oh, so it isn't just him. Thank you, Naruhodo, for saying it first, so he doesn't have to. Yujin seems to wilt a little, expression sheepish.]

You too, eh?

[A jump right to their destination sounds amazing right about now. If only.]

When they mentioned we'd be on the roads, I assumed that, well... that we might have horses, or some other animals... [Somebody didn't think to buy one early on, but could you blame him? He had expected traveling, but not this much traveling.] But it's too late now. We've just got to... [he sighs, winded,] push on.

[locumstudentesquire]

Haaahhh. I'm afraid... I made... Much the same assumption as you. Though it's not as if, horseback riding is completely effortless, either.

[He doesn't seem to sweat as a dragonborn, so his words are interrupted by a lot of panting, that being his only means of keeping cool.]

And of course Kazuma has gone and left us both in the dust already... [pant pant.] If we get picked off by bandits, I'm going to blame him.

1.0 b

[bindsthedead]

Two truths and a lie.

[Sabriel's correction is gentle. She's stirring the stew in the pot- some beef stew, and there's a kettle full of chamomile and other herbs brewing.]

And- really, you picked it for detecting lies, and not healing magic?

[locumstudentesquire]

[Huh... Is that what it's called? He could have sworn the fellow who'd kicked things off on the network had called it the other thing. Ryunosuke's not confident enough in his memory to challenge that, though.]

W-well, no... The healing magic was admittedly a draw as well... Though one hopes there won't be a reason to actually use it. [He shakes his head lightly.] But, yes... I mean, I just thought I should play to my strengths, I suppose. I'm a lawyer, so... Investigating and questioning is probably the thing I'd be most useful for.

[That's what he thought, anyway. And then he'd proceeded to do very little but babysit some eggs.]

[bindsthedead]

In my experience, there's always a need for healing magic.

[People get hurt, despite everyone's best efforts at staying safe. Healing spells are literally life-saving, as Sabriel's had firsthand experience with.]

Did you get a chance to investigate? A lot of people tried to talk to Degar's old teammates, to try to understand where the orb went.

[locumstudentesquire]

[At that question, the dragonborn's ears tick back in apparent embarrassment. He scratches the back of his neck awkwardly.]

I, er... No, not. Not really.

[...]

A lot of my time went to... To monitoring some dragon eggs, so that Minimus could follow a few leads unhindered.

1.0 | b

[coordination]

You actually played that?

[ Asks the fellow Dragonborn who, a long, long time ago before even their first mission on this adventure, relented and ended up partaking in the game a bit. ]

[locumstudentesquire]

Well... No, not really. I mostly listened in on what other people were saying.

[Which sounds a bit creepy, when he puts it like that. Oops.]

...I suppose I just wasn't much in the mood at the time.

[coordination]

It's not my sort of game, either. I've only really vaguely partook once, a long while ago, now. [ And in his current mindset, he's even less keen to bother with it. ]

... I guess it's somewhat of a tradition for someone to kickstart it every once in a while, since it's happened a number of times, now.

[locumstudentesquire]

Really? Strange. I suppose it does seem like it's a decent method of getting to know one another as team mates... That, and people seem to get rather desperate for things to do between missions.

5.b

[asymbiotic]

[The mist that's settled over the group doesn't make Chuuta worry too much, at least not at first. And then people start turning on each other, weapons drawn and magic flashing. And like a coward he uses a spell, turns himself invisible, and tries to stay out of it.

He doesn't bump into the dragonborn, thankfully. That sword and the crackle of electricity are intimidating enough for him. He steps back, and considers running away.

But... he can't. There's someone right in front of him who's scared and hurting, and Chuuta can't just step away.]

Hey. [He says, carefully. He's still invisible, but there's always the chance of the other guy getting lucky with an attack.] Just... just relax. It's okay, no one's trying to hurt you.

[locumstudentesquire]

[Staying invisible is pretty smart, since this way the magic can't trick Ryunosuke into seeing Chuuta as an enemy.... The downside is that Ryunosuke is now convinced that there's a ghost around here or something, in addition to all the violent monsters. The dragonborn startles badly hearing the disembodied words, and his wild-eyed flitting goes up a notch in its intensity.]

Wh-who's there!? If you're trying to trick me into letting my guard down, i-it won't work!

[Something in his brain does register the voice as faintly familiar, but in his frenzied state, Ryunosuke can't quite place it. Tail lashing, he whirls about, trying to find the source.]

5.0 | B

[heroooic]

[It's a bit weird to say, but Finn's pretty sure he smells Ryunosuke before he actually sees him. It wasn't a bad smell or anything, the dude just had a reptile-y stink to him these days. The electric smell of ozone certainly didn't hurt, either.]

Ryu...? [Finn asks, squinting to see through the obscuring fog. The shadow in front of him certainly toted a sword shaped suspiciously like Karuma. First the lizard stink, now this? Yep. Finn was sure he had the right guy.] Yo, dude, you hear me? 'Cuz it's cool if you don't... a lot of people can't right now.

[Confident he was talking to himself, Finn takes a few steps closer, sword raised above his head with the broad side facing down. It wasn't the safest blunt weapon, but finding a big branch wasn't really an option right now.]

Easy, pal. [He mutters, to himself more than Ryu, taking great care as he tried to step into knock-out range. Croc Hunter ain't got nothing on Finn Mertens.] Let's take it real easy...

[locumstudentesquire]

Finn--!?

[The familiar voice does seem to get through to Ryunosuke briefly. He lets the electricity building in his jaws fizzle out long enough to speak his name, only to turn and find that... There's someone creeping up on him with a sword raised to strike!?

His suspicions were right! Everything out here is out to get him! The dragonborn lets out an involuntary alarmed hsssss, quickly charging up his breath weapon again and shooting it at the ground just ahead of where Finn is. A warning shot, apparently; it leaves the earth there blackened and smoldering.]

I, I can't believe this! You're trying to kill me too!?

[heroooic]

Whoa! [ Finn jumps back a half step, looking past the smoldering patch on the ground with a mixture of surprise and short-lived offense. He holds his sword in front of him, watching him closely.]

Dude, I’m not trying to kill you! Your brain’s all scrambled from this crazy fog! Think about it, why would I want to kill you? We’re friends!

[He didn’t know if logic was going to be enough to penetrate whatever mind-manipulating effects these fogs were having, but it was worth at least a shot.]

[locumstudentesquire]

[Friends? Yeah, alright. Maybe they are. The reminder of that is enough to make Ryunosuke pause visibly, even if he doesn't stop bristling. He stammers a moment, then snaps hysterically:]

I don't know, but why else would you be sneaking up on me with your sword held up like that!?

1b

[romancekiller]

[clarke is just settling in near the campfire as they converse and hearing his reasoning for picking his class, she looks a little surprised] Yeah, that's definitely a useful skill but I would have thought the healing magic would be the main reason. It's partially the reason I picked it at least.

I never played that game before coming here— I think it was called two truths and a lie though. [she knows that people have used these as a way to pass time but she had only really to participate the first time around way back just before the start of their first mission]

Re: 1b

[locumstudentesquire]

Oh, the healing magic was a factor as well, don't get me wrong. But I wanted to play to my strengths... Investigating and questioning others is more within my usual skill-set, and lie detection sounded like an incredible boon to that.

[A beat.]

And... I swear the person who ran the round most recently said it the other way around, but. [SHRUG.] Whichever it is, I bet I would be absolutely unbeatable at it now.

[romancekiller]

[clarke just nods at that as she hears out his reasoning for it] Yeah I get that. It's the other way around for me actually so the healing aspect appealed to me more.

Yeah, I don't doubt that. I think you might be right about it how it was run that time. [she does recall that the game was done a bit differently but she's no expert really on how it should be played though] It seems like it's one of those games that has different variations.

7

[karumic]

R-Ryunosuke?

[Kazuma is amazed and honestly a little impressed to see Ryunosuke in the thick of it, given his general, well... constitution. It's good timing, too: the gash in Kazuma's side is really starting to bother him, and he had already been moving toward the edges of the fray in the hopes of finding a healer. He certainly won't turn down Ryunosuke's offer.

Though.]

More importantly, what did you do to my sword? [He saw that magic blade move, EXCUSE you.]

[locumstudentesquire]

H-huh!? Nothing! I mean. At least I'm fairly certain it's nothing...

[Ryunosuke shakes his head, realizing they're getting off topic. He needs to focus to do some healing and you are DISTRACTING him, sir.]

Never mind that-- Ugh. I'd ask what YOU did to your side, but I suppose the cause is obvious enough...!

[He sounds exasperated and harried, having had no time at all to even process the fact that the both of them are now participating in some kind of life or death struggle against... Demons? Werewolves? Whatever these things are, Ryu's already forgotten the proper name for them. Not that it matters; they're obviously monsters, no matter what you call them.

The gash in Kazuma's side starts to knit back together as he hovers a trembling hand just over the surface of it. He's trying not to let on how much this is frightening him, seeing that his friend has gotten himself wounded to this extent.]

[karumic]

Don't look at me like that. It isn't as bad as it looks.

[Still, though--any incurred injury doesn't exactly help his case for staying here, especially after their last conversation. And it's undeniable that the relief is immediate, Kazuma letting out a shaky breath as the sting of pain slowly begins to fade and the adrenaline filters out of his system. Maybe it was as bad as it looked.]

Thank you. What about you? You haven't been hurt, have you?