Homelands (Guan Yu)

[Guan Yu]

Re: Homelands (Guan Yu) GMed by Hafnium

At the small copse of trees near their resting spot, the satyr was having his rest. The markings on his hand looked suspiciously like something that had been clubbed against them, Kei's earlier words immidiately suggesting that it had been her sheath. But why would she have done that, the miko could only wonder. Probably something that had happened during her absence, maybe the other Easterner would be able to tell her. But for now, it could wait. Getting the satyr awake for this didn't seem like a necessary thing, so he remained asleep.

"Alright... focus... you can do it, even after all these years..." Tomoe told herself mentally, having kneeled next to the goat man. She began to direct the stream of inner power in that more gentle way, not letting it just go and strenghten her body and mind, but instead keeping it in a focused state where it could be a force of healing. Once the power did indeed come to her, the priestess would apply it on the bruised bit. Even if it was a small thing like that, the bruise served as a good starter for returning to the healing portions of spritual power.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Homelands (Guan Yu) GMed by Hafnium

Spoiler

Tomoe: HP = 74, PP = 48, EP = 68/70, Status = Fine.

The shrine maiden's efforts were successful. Her energy poured into the afflicted area and purple-hued skin became red, only for the red to follow shortly afterward leaving his hand looking entirely normal. "Well done," Kei proclaimed softly from directly behind Tomoe. When she looked, the miko would find that the red-haired woman was standing directly behind her, apparently having padded over while she was focused on her energy. "You're just full of tricks, aren't you, Tomoe?" She grinned thinly.

The satyr didn't move or budge at all for any of it, in a deep sleep after so long of having been in a cage. "Should prove useful for tomorrow. Speaking of which, maybe you should get some more sleep, Tomoe. Shenron and I can handle the watches tonight," she offered.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Homelands (Guan Yu) GMed by Hafnium

After a brief application of healing power, the bruise returned back to it's normal state, going through states of different color during the process. As soon as the minor damage was prepared, Tomoe ceased the flow of spirit, not wanting to spend any excess for no real reason. The surprise compliment from a sneaky Kei made her feel thankful, even though the satyr himself would feel the same when he did wake up. When the follow-up came, there was a different reaction. "Am not! It's standard warrior-priestess training! It's just like I said, been too long since I actually used this part of the training that I forgot how to do it." the miko replied, dropping the issue as fast as it had arrived.

Even if he had just been healed, the goatman didn't wake up. Probably a good thing, considering how he had been treated in the recent past, getting proper sleep would be vital in the recovery process. Hopefully he had eaten too. The other Easterner suggested that Tomoe go and have some sleep herself, saying that she and Shenron would handle the watches. "Hmm, alright then. Suppose I will." she replied, remembering that she had spent all her energy today, which was always a cause for sleep. Going back to Shenron, the priestess assumed her previous spot under the lizardman's protective arm. Somehow, being there now felt like the best place to be in.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Homelands (Guan Yu) GMed by Hafnium

Spoiler

Tomoe: HP = 74, PP = 48, EP = 70, Status = Fine.

Kei let Tomoe's response pass without comment, though she did smile thinly. When the shrine maiden agreed to allow the traveler and her lizard companion to handle the watch that night, the crimson-haired woman gave a nod and returned to her log. The warrior-priestess had no issue returning to Shenron's embrace, as the sleeping alien lizard hugged her close with that same arm he'd draped over her earlier. It wasn't long after that she fell into a restful sleep, despite everything else that had occurred that day.

≈≈≈≈≈​

When she awoke, Shenron was near the campfire and Kei was asleep, though the carmine-eyed woman was on the other side of the fire from her. The satyr was awake too, sitting with the lizard and apparently trying, and failing, to get any sort of conversation going with the tight-lipped hunter. The miko couldn't overhear what the two were saying, but it seemed a jovial conversation, at least on the satyr's end, given how the goatman nudged Shenron with his elbow and winked as the latter poked around at the fire with a branch.

The sun was fresh in the sky, signifying that it was early morning. It was a perfect time to start off again. The maiden could obviously enter the conversation between Shenron and the satyr. Beyond that, she could, of course, go hunting for breakfast, though that would risk her running into the spiders again. Nudging Kei awake and taking some of her group along wouldn't be difficult, at least, which would make the proposition less risky. Or, she could begin preparations for saving the nymphs from the human encampment, which would surely be the most difficult task, but also the most pressing. If she had any other ideas on how to prepare, she might be able to pursue them as well.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Homelands (Guan Yu) GMed by Hafnium

In the morning, Tomoe awoke to a relatively unsurprising sight. Kei was still sleeping while the two menfolk were having an unsurprisingly one-sided conversation by the fire. It had never been an easy thing to have a talk with Shenron, the satyr having as much luck as most others when it came to trying it. Somehow, the gestures the goatman employed were poking at the priestess' curiousity, there was a sneaking suspicion that the talk concerned her and the hunter in some way. So, she decided to get herself closer and hear what was being talked about without alerting the two about her wakefulness.

Once the talk settled down, she would take Shenron along to get them so food. The satyr could stay behind and wake Kei up if something came up while they were gone.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Homelands (Guan Yu) GMed by Hafnium

Spoiler

Tomoe: HP = 74, PP = 48, EP = 70, Status = Fine.

Rolls

Spoiler

Stealth: Success.
Perception: Partial Success.

Tomoe managed to slither her way closer without either of the two noticing. "C'mon, you can't tell me that you two have never made love, I've noticed how you keep peeking at her while she's sleeping." the satyr spoke quietly to the lizardman, who only mumbled in return. Shenron seemed ready to look back again, on instinct, but stopped himself as if to disprove the satyr, luckily for the eavesdropping shrine maiden. "Well, surely you have some stories, at least!" Another mumble came from Shenron. "What!? Saving yourself!?" The goatman tried to stammer out all the reasons that seemed wrong but all came out in a formless lump of sounds.

"Well, if you ask me, life is too short without love and a good hunt, even for the immortals! You should pursue her, my friend, she looks like she could use the relaxation," the horned faerie punctuated his statement with another elbow nudge and a wink, which, though Tomoe could not see his face, the shrine maiden could be assured was there. But the hunter said nothing in return and the conversation fell away as he poked at the fire.

When the talking had died down, Tomoe proceeded to round up Shenron, who loyally followed her to get some food. The satyr offered the chaste alien another wink, which the hunter pretended not to see, seemingly unaware that the miko had heard their conversation. After the two had prepared and departed to hunt, the satyr picked up the task of aimlessly poking at the fire.

The warrior-priestess quickly found deer tracks and followed them, Shenron close behind. Despite his size and muscled bulk, he proved to be slightly quieter than she was, though not be a great margin as both proved to be nearly silent as they followed in hunt of a potential meal. Their trip took deep into some trees which eventually led to a glade within. Despite the open space, there wasn't much light to be had inside the clearing, as the canopies of the trees blocked out most of the sun. That lack of light made what they found more grim-looking.

Tomoe had found not just one deer, but several. Not a single one was alive. The miko had stumbled across something that might pass as a killing field of the animals. At least five deer were stuck to trees with tightly wrapped spider webbing. They looked... wrong. They might have described as bloated and sick-looking had they been alive, in death it was simply bloated and wrong. The spider's main web, despite the evidence of victims very close to the ground, was at least twenty feet in the air, suspended between the trees that formed around the ring of the opening in the small forest. There was no spider to be seen.

A rustling from the bushes quickly grabbed the shrine maiden's attention. What would end up emerging turned out to be not a spider, but a smaller deer. Shenron waited silently behind her, saying nothing but keeping a wary eye on their surroundings. Tomoe might try to take the deer that was still alive and bring it back to camp as breakfast. She could investigate the dead deer. She might also, in what some would surely consider the wise decision, quickly turn from the grove and find her breakfast elsewhere. Or, she might enact any other plan in mind.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Homelands (Guan Yu) GMed by Hafnium

"Hmm, thought as much..." the shrine maiden pondered as it appeared that she was indeed the subject of the discussion between the two. While she was always somewhat uneasy with such discussion, the mindset that Shenron sported was pleasing. Maybe she had done something right if a member of a sex-hungry race was acting like the hunter before her did. While it felt extremely awkward to consider, the miko had a nagging feeling that she would one day have to share her bed with Shenron, in more than the mere sleeping part. But as of yesterday, the prospect had felt a lot more likeable than what had happened already. Regardless of what he looked like, there was this image of a gentle lover floating in her mind about the hunter.

Not too late afterwards, the pair left to look for breakfast. What they found after some hunting was not too encouraging, both from it's looks and what had happened the previous day. The spiders had given Tomoe a healthy level of carefulness in the future, and all the suspended deer was even more of a cause to consider moving away as fast as possible to find less dangerous hunting grounds. But the prospect of a quick meal was too much to resist at the moment, so she grabbed her bow and readied it for a shot at the smaller animal, intent on taking it down. All the while, she maintained a vigil around them in case the possible inhabitant/s would come to see what was happening. The chance of meeting a mother spider was not something she wanted to happen while unaware, in case they had to flee.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Homelands (Guan Yu) GMed by Hafnium

Spoiler

Tomoe: HP = 74, PP = 48, EP = 70, Status = Fine.

Rolls

Spoiler

Perception: 6

Attack: Hit.
Damage: Ded.

Tomoe nocked her arrow and aimed carefully at the deer. She was as silent as she could be, both to avoid startling her already wary prey and to avoid alerting anything nasty that might be around. Shenron kept watch for any dangerous arachnids that might play predator to them while the miko lined up her shot. When she felt she had it just right, the warrior-priestess loosed her arrow.

The projectile struck true, hitting the deer behind its shoulders, likely striking a vital organ in the process. It stumbled forward, further into the grove, in shock and pain, before collapsing. Her target was now incapacitated in the middle of the clearing. Looking around, Tomoe didn't spot anything that might prevent her from retrieving it. Still, she would be putting herself in full view of anything watching if she were to go and grab her potential breakfast. It was dangerous enough that she might want to give it some thought before pursuing the dying deer.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Homelands (Guan Yu) GMed by Hafnium

Keeping up her vigil while she maintained her remarkably steady aim, Tomoe eventually let the arrow loose, seeing it hit home onto the deer's body. It was a good shot, for she managed to fell the animal in one hit, not a real suprise at this distance. Still, the animal's death throes took it a bit further and under a more visible spot in the grove, once again making the prospect of getting food a bit more dangerous. And while she did want to leave as fast as possible, there was need for food, both for herself and the others in the group. So, deciding that they were not going to leave without the animal, the shrine maiden went over to fetch it while still maintaining her lookout. The events of yesterday had really left an impact on her, so she remained careful in the presence of such large web areas.

If the morning was this troublesome, it could only be pondered how the rest of the day would go.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Homelands (Guan Yu) GMed by Hafnium

Spoiler

Tomoe: HP = 74, PP = 48, EP = 70, Status = Fine.

The shrine maiden approached the fallen creature without any incident. She heard the huge spider web swaying ominously, but every time she looked up there was nothing moving it but the wind. Still, the warrior-priestess was on her guard as she advanced, and so was Shenron. In a scene like the one she was in, with four deer plastered to the trees by webbing, she couldn't be too careful.

When the realization struck her that there should have been five deer stuck to the trees, and she very likely turned to look toward the missing one—which, given what she found, or rather, didn't find, could certainly be classified as missing—it was gone, webbing and all. "Tomoe..." Shenron spoke up, and when she looked to him she found him looking at another tree where there had been a deer. And when the two looked upon the clearing as a whole again, they found that only two dead animals remained in the clearing, and one of those laid in front of Tomoe with an arrow sticking from its side.

Then, unfortunately, they discovered what was happening to the webbed creatures, as the remaining webbed deer's eyes, or rather, remaining eye, shot open, a dead, glazed look in it, and it pointed its head at Tomoe and her companion. The webs slithered away from the dead thing, as if they had a mind of their own, dropping it to the ground with a thud. The bloated abomination stood up on shaky legs, like a newborn fawn. Without the webbing to cover it, Tomoe could see several bite marks, which had festered and attracted flies and maggots, through which some of the liquefied remainder of its innards showed. Yet, despite the fact that it was very much not alive, meeting its mortality didn't stop it from lurching toward the miko.

Rustling dragged her attention from that particular deer for long enough to see that the other four had similarly gained their footing and were coming toward her and Shenron as well. They had formed a semi-circle around the group and were coming in from all different directions, about twenty feet away from the two and the dying deer. All of them had vicious, infected wounds, not a single one of them could have been alive, but still they advanced. It might occur to Tomoe, around that point, that she was seriously being attacked by zombie deer, and that she probably needed to kill them again before they tried to make her into whatever they had become.

Spoiler

Enemies:
5 Deathwalker (Deerwalker?) Thralls. (About 20 feet away from the two, and about twenty feet away from each other)

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Homelands (Guan Yu) GMed by Hafnium

The whole glade was beginning to get more and more eerie by the second, not made any easier as the webs swung in the wind, a barely noticeable yet still audible sound that made Tomoe look up every ten seconds or so. It took a few separate glances to notice, but eventually the miko noticed that something was missing from the scene, namely one of the bundled animals. With Shenron's warning, the fate of the missing one was revealed immidiately. The thing was laying near the one she had just hit with the bow. Maybe it had just gotten loose and fell off from the tree.

But the truth was unfortunately not as nice, for the supposedly dead animal started to show life signs, soon getting shakily getting up as the webbing peeled off from it's form. As if it was not enough that the creature had to die in such a gruesome way, now it's corpse was doing the work of another. The remaining ones joined this particular animal as Tomoe put away her bow, preparing the just re-learned blessing power. "Don't go too far now Shenron, it's time I used my powers for you too..." she told the hunter, summoning forth the soft light that would aid both of them in the upcoming battle. If the opposition didn't look so grim, the situation might be more hilarious than threatening.

(Blessing 10 go)

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Homelands (Guan Yu) GMed by Hafnium

Spoiler

Tomoe: HP = 74, PP = 48, EP = 60/70, Status = Blessing X = 10.

Rolls

Spoiler

Tomoe uses Blessing X = 10! 10 EP spent.

Shenron hits one of the DEERWALKERS.
Attack: Hit.
Damage: 49 - 8 = 41 / 2 = 21 damage.

Thralls attack, three on Shenron, two on Tomoe.
Attacks: All miss.

Tomoe's energy coalesced into the soft light without trouble, her training coming back to her well with several zombie deer about to attack her and her comrade. Shenron was noticeably empowered by her energies. As three of the deer lurched toward him and tried to bite him, he easily turned aside their jaws and raked one so badly with his claws in the process that its liquefied innards began to spill from its throat and onto the ground. But the wound didn't seem to bother the dead deer overly much, unfortunately.

The shrine maiden, herself, easily dodged the others' attacks, especially with her power active. The group of bodies was so damaged that it was easy to read where they would strike and they were so slow that it was easier still to move out of the way. It didn't seem like they would put up much of a fight while her light still strengthened her and the hunter.

Spoiler

Enemies:
5 Deerwalker Thralls! (All within melee range)

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Homelands (Guan Yu) GMed by Hafnium

The softer power blinked into existence, instantly benefiting both Tomoe and Shenron. With the presence of the holy aura, there was no touching neither of the pair, the hunter simply pushing aside all blows aimed at him and counter-attacking to the same deal. While there was suitably nasty-looking damage, the gash was not enough to prevent the undead animal from attacking or moving.

For her own part, the miko simply moved out of the way when she was targeted, easily evading anything potentially harmful thrown at her. "Such a sad state for you noble animals. Let me take you away from this horrid place and into the final peace of death..." she thought, reaching for Kuchinawa's handle. It felt odd to battle in this new weight balance, but not enough that it would hamper Tomoe's blade. With all the usual ferocity, she unleashed onto the zombie deer, hoping to end their sorry existence as fast as possible.

(With them fancy bonuses from skills, namely Slay and DFTD, the strike is at +91 for D12+134 damage. The DEERWALKERS will not likely be shaken from the damage, but cleaving should still be appropriate.)

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Homelands (Guan Yu) GMed by Hafnium

Spoiler

Tomoe: HP = 74, PP = 48, EP = 52/70, Status = Fine.

Rolls

Spoiler

Attack: Hit.
Damage: 137 - 8 = 129 / 2 = 65. Dead.
Resistance: They're undead deers, they don't really get scared. >.>

Cleave!
Attack: Hit.
Damage: 134 - 8 = 126 / 2 = 63. Dead.

Cleave again...
Attack: Hit.
Damage: 117 - 8 = 109 / 2 = 55. Dead.

Attack: Hit.
Damage: 111 - 8 = 103 / 2 = 52. Dead.

Attack: Hit.
Damage: 111 - 8 = 103 / 2 = 52. Dead.

Huh. Thought they'd at least last one more round.

Perception: Shenron and Tomoe fail. Tomoe rolled a 1. I chuckled. >.>
Resistance: Yon giant spider wins. It also takes 22 damage for breaking its spirit ceiling by lots.
Tomoe's Blessing has been devoured!

The group of deer held no acknowledgment as Tomoe promised to release them from the the shackles of undeath. One lurched forward, intent on biting at the shrine maiden again. Before its jaws could even shut, Kuchinawa ripped forward. In a flash, the blade had cut the deer cleanly in half length-ways. This seemed too much damage for the zombie shell to recover from, as the entire creature simply collapsed and stopped moving. A second attempted to snap at the miko from behind, but with a quick pivot she had turned. The ancestral blade of her shrine went low, cutting several blades of grass as she twirled. With an upward flick, she cut through the skull of the deer and stopping it mid bite. The thing didn't fall, however, and so she brought her blade to her side and swung again, removing its head from its body to finish the abomination off.

But her skilled motions weren't over as she spotted the other three still attempting to maul Shenron. Two were in a perfect line as the warrior-priestess readied her katana for another attack. She charged at them, at the last second she leapt forward, putting all her momentum into the attack, and horizontally cleaved through not just one, but two of the remaining deer. And with one final flick of her blade, the one that Shenron had wounded was beheaded and dispatched as well. The shrine maiden had slain every single animated corpse in the grove before the lizardman could even raise his claws for another swipe, but he certainly didn't seem to begrudge her it. Instead, Shenron stared at her with unhidden adoration.

Unfortunately, before any celebrations could be had the one who had enslaved the deer reared its ugly head. The hunter and the miko only barely had time to dive out of the way as the giant, even bigger than the ones that Tomoe had fought the night before, spider landed in the center of the grove, right where they had been standing, and crushed the remains of the zombie deer in the process, leaving only the body of the one that Tomoe had slain for food intact. It was at least ten feet tall, and probably much wider. Its body wasn't very bulky at all, though, relative to its size, lean and sleek in nature. It was almost purely black, with yellow stripes up and down its long, spindly legs. White markings were present on its abdomen in a shape similar to skulls. And when it first landed, all of its eyes were focused on the warrior-priestess.

She felt a chill in her very soul, as the energies she had coalesced for the purposes of fighting were eaten away at. The force gnawing at her energy felt so malicious that it sent a chill through her spine. The spider in front of her was obviously a stronger creature than the ones that she had faced before, and it had just consumed her blessing, but there was only one of it and Shenron was with her then. She could most certainly fight it.

Spoiler

Enemies:
1 Giant Deathwalker.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Homelands (Guan Yu) GMed by Hafnium

With the aura there, little could help the undead deer. Once Kuchinawa was out and cleaved through the first animal, the dance fo swords did not end until there was nothing alive to oppose the two. With their dulled and corroded minds, the zombies had no real capability to avoid the onslaught. The first two went down in a quick turning maneuver, the next pair followed the first two when they were cleaved right through with a swift dash cut. It seemed Shenron was willing to get another swing into the fray as well, but the miko's continuous attack took out his opponent as well, beheading the final deer with an almost gloating little snap of the blade. In a matter of seconds, the pair were the only remaining things alive on that little glade.

Or so they thought. In a brief moment of relief, the likely master of the previous undead deer saw it fit to enter the game. Perhaps not surprisingly, considering the surroundings, the creature was a spider in form. But it was far from any ordinary arachnid, massive in size and possessing some spiritual ability, for there was a gnawing at the shrine maiden's being as they still sought to get into grips with the situation. Before she realized it, the blessing had been eaten away, leaving the two with just their normal selves. While it was the most threatening situation yet, there was most likely no point to trying to invoke any further powers. It was up to Tomoe's natural skill to rid the world of this abomination. Hopefully they could get out from this battle without too many hits taken, for the sheer size of the opposition meant that even one might be a hard deal. At least they still had their food left...

(Slay attack, hurr. Kill or be killed and all that.)

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Homelands (Guan Yu) GMed by Hafnium

Spoiler

Tomoe: HP = 74, PP = 48, EP = 52/70, Status = Fine.

Rolls

Spoiler

Attack: Hit.
Damage: Modifier alone, without slay, is more than enough. >.> He ded.

Tomoe brandished Kuchinawa and the spider accepted the challenge. It raised one of its legs and, in a lightning quick motion, stamped at her with it. Its deadly appendage spiked into the ground like a massive stake, where the miko stood, and surely would have impaled her, except she was no longer there. The warrior-priestess managed to roll under the blow, and dash past the arachnid, her ancestral katana cleaving a line through the massive creature as she sped by it.

When she finally stopped on the other end of her assailant, it had very nearly been cut in half lengthwise, all of its legs on the side that she had passed had been violently disconnected from its body and its cephalothorax and abdomen only barely remained connected. It put up no further struggle, it simply couldn't, the formerly threatening creature collapsed in a pile on the ground, instantly slain by the shock. With the spider dead, Tomoe could choose whether to search it for valuables or leave the corpse be. Regardless, it wouldn't take much effort before she was on her way.

Shenron moved to collect the deer that Tomoe had slain, slinging its body over his meaty shoulder without any issue to speak of. Nothing else seemed to be coming for them, and the return to camp probably wouldn't be difficult if they moved quickly, unless the shrine maiden had a desire to search the area for something else.

(Tomoe and Shenron gain 6 experience, also a slain deer but that's only going to last another few posts, I'm thinking. >.>)

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Homelands (Guan Yu) GMed by Hafnium

Lifting up Kuchinawa, Tomoe gauged the opposition, rolling forward as it sought to spike her to the ground with one big spider leg. With a quick dash forward, the miko zoomed past the creature, her blade nearly tearing it in two as she cut it lenght-wise almost all the way. Such a lethal blow was hard to shrug off, and the torn-apart arachnid collapsed to the ground, ending the encounter quickly.

Still maintaining her cautious stance, the priestess scanned the surroundings for any further attackers. There appeared to be none. With a small sigh, she set Kuchinawa back to it's sheath. "So much hassle for a morning meal..." she thought, starting to take a look around the glade and the spider itself if there was something worth picking up. If there was no particular attraction, the two would return to the camp after picking up any possible usable or valuable items. Maybe Tomoe would get to meet that mysterious robed man who had once augmented Kuchinawa if she had enough things to offer.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Homelands (Guan Yu) GMed by Hafnium

Spoiler

Tomoe: HP = 74, PP = 48, EP = 70, Status = Fine.

(Tomoe gains 2x Venom Sacs. Skipping forward a little bit. You may spend exp. Additionally, home ruling now that you may use the venom sacs to poison Tomoe's bow ala the ranged paralysis enchant, if you'd like. And you can fluff it occurring however you want.)

The eastern warrior discovered, and cut free, two venom sacs from the giant arachnid. It was difficult to say what she could really do with them, barring poisoning her arrows, but she had once met a man, more a thing, really, who dealt in oddities. He might purchase them off of her, if she could find him. The group of zombified deer had very little to offer in comparison, beyond a mixture of ichor and rank liquid. With nothing else desirable in the glade, the two left.

Their trip back to the camp was uneventful. There the miko found that Kei had woken up. Shenron immediately set about preparing the deer to be roasted, skinning and butchering the carcass with his razor sharp claws in order to provide many, many succulent pieces of venison. While they waited, the warrior-priestess noticed that the satyr was giving the traveler a very wide berth, though he had no more bruises.

When the meat was prepared, Kei, of all people, offered up some spices and seasonings that she had collected over her adventure. and the satyr went the extra mile to gather some extras for a marinade. By the time the first pieces of the deer were cooking over the campfire, the most mouth-watering aroma that any of the group had smelled in a while was heavy in the air. More than one stomach growled as their future meal cooked to perfection.

And that delicious scent that had wafted through the air made it feel like day had come and gone and come again before Shenron plucked the first, and biggest, piece of venison off and offered it to Tomoe. The rest were handed out randomly, as best she could tell. The food turned out to taste every bit as good as it smelled, and it wasn't long until all four had finished their meals. Shenron had taken the time to prepare the rest, albeit without the marinade, to avoid them spoiling too quickly.

It was, most likely, the last meal they would share before confronting the Dreslins. If Tomoe had anything left to say or do before she made her way down that road of carnage again, it was time. If there were any plans to be made, questions to be asked, or preparations to be made, they were best seen through sooner rather than later.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Homelands (Guan Yu) GMed by Hafnium

There was not that much to find, only the big spider actually having something to take. The thing had pretty large sacs of venom in it, which the miko decided to take along. They might be interesting to someone with a weird fascination towards body parts. Setting the things into her pack of materials, Tomoe took Shenron and departed, leaving the gloomy and morbid glade behind. Maybe it would return to a more decent place once the taint of evil and death cleared out.

The mood brightened considerably once they got back to the camp, where the two remaining members of the group already waited. It had been a long enough time for Kei to finish her rest, and now the other Easterner was up and ready. The satyr was giving her a healthy distance, perhaps not a total surprise at this point. While she had been somewhat curious, the shrine maiden decided to not poke into the matter between them, seeing that it was likely of no conscience. Instead, she opted to assist Shenron in his endeavors whenever it was helpful. With everyone dedicating some effort into the food making, they soon had a meal waiting, a good one at that. It was probably not the best possible choice for a morning meal, but something had to be eaten before they could move onwards, especially with what was coming.

Once they had made all the necessary preparations, the group would move onwards once more. Where they had failed yesterday was now a stepping stone to move through, advance into the new day via that terrible place.

(Can't do such dishonorable things as poison. Honor and good girl and stuff. Also, spent xp on spirit, did the maths already.)

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Homelands (Guan Yu) GMed by Hafnium

Spoiler

Tomoe: HP = 77, PP = 51, EP = 76, Status = Fine.

The group made their way back down that gruesome road. It was as uneventful as it had been the first time. But, as they approached that killing field again, they could almost feel the flies buzzing against their skin. The smell of death was heavy in the air. The dead that they had created had been dragged away, while a few new corpses adorned the poles. The riflemen who escaped had apparently been returned to the fields, minus their hands. They were certainly beyond saving, impaled as they were.

The satyr grimaced as he looked upon the field again, but did not back away. "If we follow this road, it will lead us directly to their encampment. We'll surely be spotted and will have to fight our way through. But I know of another path that will allow us to get near their encampment unnoticed and slip inside. It'll be a bit harder in the daytime, but there's enough cover between here and there that it's possible. But the more who go, the more likely we are to get caught."

"We might split up and have a few act as a distraction while the others slip in and begin freeing the slaves. The ones who are in fighting condition will surely join our side and assist in whatever way they can. It would be dangerous for everyone, but if we free the slaves and turn the camp into chaos, we might even be able to target the leader and stop this from repeating." He looked toward the miko. "I'll leave the decision up to you. Without you three, I wouldn't have had the chance to finish this, it's only fair that you get your say in the planning." Shenron looked to Tomoe stoically, while Kei regarded the whole thing impassively.

There were three obvious options set forth by the satyr. But, if she had anything else in mind, she could surely volunteer it and the goatman would listen.