The Guild of El'yssi (Exploration Fantasy)

Jakers · Sep 9, 2016

Each hit of the piton against the crumbling stone was tiring, but Kula felt like she was getting somewhere the deeper she went. It could've been her imagination; a delusion of hope, but it was almost as if she could hear an echo from the other side of the wall, hinting there might be something else behind it.

"Kula, if this doesn't work, do you have a backup plan?"

Kula swallowed, stopping digging for a moment.
"Not exactly." She admitted. "One option is to watch what everybody else is doing. Somebody is bound to find the correct way. But I'm sure we will be able to think of something else eventually, if what we have here isn't our solution. I think I may be getting somewhere though." Kula added optmistically, continuing to chip away. Her concentration and the noises of gushing sludge at her feet made her unaware of what was happening to poor Caris. "Did you find anything?"
//
Caris hadn't been expecting to be attacked by some kind of tentacle monster as he was reaching around the bars, the tentacle had him good, and it was a tough grip. "Son of a blowfish!" He called out after a few moments, realizing he was stuck against the bars. He wasn't exactly in a good position, try as he might not even Caris strength could break free of the squid's grasp. "Oh, I've been better!" He called out. "And I certainly found something! I uh...don't suppose you'd mind to lend some kind of hand here?" Caris struggled again. "I'm in a bit of a pickle!"
//
Jerking her head around as Caris yelled out, Kula instantly dropped her piton and hammer on the bed below her as she saw her cellmate's arm being yanked against the bars by a disgusting tentacle.
"My oath..." Kula whimpered, before shaking her head. It might've been intimidating, but it could definitely still be beaten. "Don't let it pull you under, whatever you do!"

Acting fast, Kula hopped off the bed into the sludge below, cringing a little as she did. It was starting to get at waist height now; not good at all. Shrugging off the small trident strapped to her back and holding it firm in both arms, Kula pointed her trident towards outside the vile tendril.

Taking a precise stab, the prongs of the trident jammed into its flesh, but it didn't do much to repel it from grabbing Caris. Yanking the spear back fast before another tentacle could grab it, Kula shook her head.
"Curses... it's resilient. Cutting you loose with this trident will take too long. My knife won't be much better either, as I'll get grabbed myself if I don't poke it from a distance." Kula spoke fast, knowing each second was precious now. "Your other arm is free. I can give you my knife and we could try overwhelming it with a simple flurry of attacks; maybe it'll flee."
//
Caris nodded, focusing most of his efforts on simply not being pulled into the water, he couldn't really talk much. He pulled his free hand away with a grunt, a feat he's not sure someone weaker would be able to accomplish. That said, Caris held out his hand for his ally's blade. "Sooner rather than later please! I don't know how long I can hold off this thing." Caris grimaced, clearly being hardpressed. "I'm ready to go whenever you are, let's hit it!"
//
Rifling through her pack, Kula quickly handed Caris the knife in response, snapping back her arm hastily. Holding aloft her trident again, Kula started to hone in her aim, her mind an empty reservoir of nothing but concentration.
"Okay. Now." In an outburst, Kula's sharp teeth were bared as she lashed out at the tentacle with the trident, displaying an air of fierceness that was unexpected in a woman such as herself. She began a steady but vicious cycle of stab, twist, pull, repeat, ignoring the flying blood and particles of tentacle flesh, only hoping her and Caris going wild in tandem would be enough to repel it.
//
Caris added his brute strength to the onslaught, striking forcefully down at the tentacle...thing. They didn't have the time to try and think of a better solution, and chances were his poison wouldn't work that well at all on something that lurked in these kinds of conditions. Attrition was to be their aim. There were a few options he had...so strength it was. As the tentacle released and Caris pulled back, the water was up to his shoulders and just he knew Kula likely didn't have much longer.

"I'm free, let's go!" The fishman called out. Swimming back some. "Let's get out of here before things get bad, c'mon!" Not wanting Kula to be in any more danger than she was, Caris swam down and gave her a boost, both heading quickly for the exit.
//
By the time the tentacle had nothing left to hold onto Caris to, Kula was standing on tiptoes and tilting her head upwards in an effort not to be completely submerged. Not much time left at all, but abandoning Caris to save time wasn't an option in her mind. She owed him.
"Ah... thanks. Needless to say I did not fancy holding my breath in that." Kula panted as she got a boost upward. Realizing something, she grimaced. "To dig out, I need that hammer and piton back though... ugh... that means..."

Kula sighed. Not much choice, she had to go down and look for it. Hopping off Caris for a moment, the Sári steeled herself, before holding her breath and going under to feel around the tools she needed. All of her senses were blocked, and the texture of the sludge was awful. Drowning in this would be sheer torture. Thanking whatever gods there were above when she eventually found it, Kula returned to the surface, dripping from head to toe in the stuff. It only made her more determined to reach that clean water rather than put off in disgust.

Hopping back to Caris for the boost, Kula began to dig as fast as she could, breathing heavily from exhaustion. Her pace showed no signs of slowing, but all the stabbing and digging was starting to take a toll on her; she couldn't find the time to even speak, and the sludge was going even higher. Just when she thought things could be over, though, a gush of water suddenly burst from the ceiling, pouring over Kula, cleaning off some of the filth.

"Found it," Kula wheezed. "It's speeding up how quickly the cells will fill up, but I can see a waterfilled crawlspace big enough for us to fit into up here. Just... n-need to... dig a big enough space so we can hoist ourself into it..." Kula began to work, before suddenly, her eyes widened as she paused. "The others..."
//
Caris nodded to Kula and started working away at the roof with her knife, which he still held in his hand. It would likely be slower going than her hammer and piton, but he had more strength to work with and neither of them were in any danger after reaching the cleaner water. The pause however, threw him off...but only for a second. He reached over and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and flashed her a big grin, one she was likely becoming used to.

"Don't frown my small friend... we will help the others out. If our cell came out at the surface, so should theirs yes? It is a simple matter of saving those in need and breaking through to those who are stuck, I'd bet we can find a few people willing to help out, but first, we gotta get outta this cell!" Caris continued working on the ceiling, eventually acting as a sort of platform for Kula as it became necessary. "Kula! Are we through yet?"
//
"Perhaps, but... will there be enough time for that? All these gillless will suffocate very fast, plus I don't think these tunnels connect." Kula's eyes suddenly looked down in guilt. By letting the water through up here, she was condemning others to a quicker death. Was she losing her morals? "Either way, you're right. Got to keep going. ... And watch who you call small, by the way." Kula mumbled, quickly continuing to dig.

The two worked hard, breaking open the gap piece by piece until it seemed appropriately big.
"There. It appears we're through. Time for that bath I've been wishing for..." Hopping off Caris's back and pulling herself up and into the water filled hole Kula relished the feeling of being able to breathe in fresh, clean water again, and the feeling of every speck of thick mud that clung to her face and body being washed away, but only briefly. This tight water tunnel looked like quite the squeeze for poor Caris, but it was still doable. Looking back, Kula reached down, offering a hand to Caris who looked seconds away from being submerged in sludge.
"Here, it's time to get out of this vile hole. Take my hand." It would be a struggle, but hopefully she could pull him up enough to get him in this tunnel of respite as well.
//
Caris grabbed Kula's hand and pulled himself up out of the mysterious crapwater, and out into the tunnel. It wasn't exactly a comfortable fit, but with the two of them working together and the Sári's natural advantages in water, they managed to pull himout without an issue. As they pulled themselves out and started moving, Caris took a look back into the hole and grimaced. It didn't look good for anyone who wasn't already out. He looked back to Kula. "Sweep what you can, some folks might be almost through... maybe we can help them out?"
//
"Caris... it's a kind thought, but I don't think..." Kula began sadly. The hidden path they were only lead one way; it wasn't a network that connected to other cells. "I want to at least try, believe me, I do, but where would we start? The cells are filled to the brim by now, which means anyone who didn't dig up to this path..." Kula stammered, before putting covering her face with her hand for a moment. "Those poor people..." She whispered.
//
Where Caris normally had a big grin on his face was replaced by a sad frown. The big fish had taken the news a bit harder than Kula had, and it was taking him a second to recover. He took a few moments to take a few deep breath before letting out a sigh. "If there is nothing we can do... we might as well keep moving... if only to complete these trials." Caris clenched one of his fists, he needed to join the guild to clear his grandfather's name, and he still had a spark of determination in his eyes, but it was clear to see that he hated feeling so helpless. "Let's get going, Kula... want to get out of this place.
//
It was strange and awful to see Caris so down, even if was just for a moment. A man of his level of optmism smiling was an unnatural sight, making the current situation even more uncomfortable. Beginning to crawl through the tunnel, Kula quietly spoke to try and lift the mood slightly. "At least the thought of helping others actually crossed our minds. I imagine there are many who would be concerned about just themselves and getting through this. It may not mean much here, but... we've still kept our morals, Caris." Kula paused, before looking back with a small but genuine smile. "You are a good person. Better than the majority of applicants here, that's for certain. ...Even if you're forced to go against me in one of the future trials, I want you to keep that in mind."
//
Caris nodded and forced a smile, even if he was feeling down... the big man knew he could at least keep Kula's spirits up. "You have a good heart Kula, I'm glad to have met ya on the road here. And not just for the ride." Caris let out a soft chuckle as the two pushed through to see Vin waiting for them and many other applicants...or at the very least, the ones that survived. Caris stood a few paces in front of Kula, a bit battered but no worse for wear than anyone else. "Be on guard Kula... this might not be over yet."

A gilded trident [Equipped]
Cyan robes [Equipped]
A deep blue bag [Equipped]
A sapphire lamp
Climbing equipment
A long length of rope
A utility knife
A decorated steel flute
Leather/cloth battle garments
Tinderbox
Various maps
A notebook
A quill and inkpot

Jarasian Trident
Brown shorts
Smoke filled vial
6 poisoned vials
6 empty vials
A small hatchet
A length of rope
A harpoon
Bag of rations

becna · Sep 16, 2016

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reylla considers the Fytali man's comments in silence for the duration of the ride, really seeming to weigh his observations and suggestions. She really does want to become a Guild asset, but would she be able to reprioritize her ambition above helping those in need, an important tenet of the Stonearm family code. Velos curls up beside her, never taking his eyes off the strange wolf-like plant creature beside their new guide.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]They exit the carriage and Reylla takes a disappointed look at her surroundings. She had hoped that they would enter into a battlefield or a challenge of some kind, but the night seems quiet and calm. She purses her lips, glancing to Velos. He seems disappointed as well, letting out a huff of air.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]However, her hopes quickly rise again as a volley of arrows rains down nearby. Finally, a challenge! Something she was expecting when she had heard of the trials - a battle to establish prowess. Reylla had always savored fighting, wrestling with her peers or having a territory dispute with a nearby village, she wasn't one to back down. She stands still as the arrows fall, then steps forward, pulling her crossbow off her back and snagging a handful of bolts. She loads one in, ready to fly as the Fytali has instructed. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reylla nods at Tracer's suggestion. "Sure, I'll shoot from back here while you run through your smoke. Long as your plan involves me hitting them, I'm ready to go." She bends her knees, bouncing a little in her excitement to go.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]And they're off. Reylla takes off away from the carriage, sprinting towards the tree line. She takes her crossbow onto her arm, and aims just below the closest shining pink flower in the dark. She runs at full speed until the shot feels true, then lets fly. She doesn't wait to hear if it's hit, just loads another bolt and fires at the next flower. The rush of battle fills her, and she smiles widely. Velos runs with her, snarling ferociously, ready to attack as he approaches the enemy.[/BCOLOR]

Tsu · Sep 17, 2016

One by one, applicants began to peek their heads above the flooded chamber whilst treading the water to keep afloat. Considering the number of hopeful explorers that had been trapped in the cells below, it was a morbid sight to see that under half had escaped their watery grave. Nonetheless, Vin seemed entirely unperturbed by this turn of events and went as far as yawning to express his boredom associated with the hour-long wait.

"Hello there, everyone.
You determined a way out of your chambers...well some of you did, anyways.
Regardless, I suppose this means we can enter the actual Trials now. Congratulations everyone who has made it thus far, you have succeeded the introductory phase."

Vin began madly clapping his hands to praise the survivors in the room. In doing so, his actions spawned a secondary effect as light tremors began to rumble within the area. Gradually, rubble of stone began to crumble from the walls until eight, jagged pathways became apparent--two along each of the four walls.

"It matters not how you distribute yourselves, or even if some choose to follow in the footsteps of others.
There are no traps within these hallways, and each one shall lead to an above ground exit where the Trials shall take place.
Currently, we are in an abandoned jail of the Elakos Forest which exists on the border of the Synthi and Fytali lands. For those of you that are familiar with the region, you might be aware of the flora, the fauna, and the native tribe which resides under the canopy of the Lokwood*. This knowledge will make your success easier, yet I would not go as far as claiming it as an advantage over the others."

Reaching into a pouch at his side, Vin retrieved several vials of colored liquid which he spilled into the water. At first, the colors did nothing more than spread along the surface; however, soon, they began to mix and swirl in response to a stream of smoke which emitted from the mouth of the Trial Head. The entire process took only a minute to complete, after which a rough map became apparent from the abstract design. On the map, there were minimal details to the region apart from a marker for each exit point, the location of the present ruins and tribes, and a guide for scale.

"The Trials shall take place within a 10 km diameter.
Along the circular border, there are crystal markers which signify the limits of the testing grounds. Going beyond these limits shall result in immediate disqualification."

The warning was spoken in a somber tone while his expression turned sinister as he began tapping his upper left shoulder. Were any of the applicants to understand his cue and observe their own shoulder, they would have noticed a small rash from a minor incision that had been performed for unknown reasons. Regardless, Vin had no intention of providing any explanations as he quickly returned to his original speech.

"We have idled far too long, so let us get to business shall we?
Whoever completes a quest or a vital documentation in the next three days shall be deemed an explorer.
Good luck, and you may now begin."

Short and sweet was an understatement when it came to Vin's explanation for the Trials. Nonetheless, there were no opportunities for further inquiries as the Trial Head immediately vanished from room. In light of the announcement, there was a general silence across the applicants as many remained flabbergasted by the succinct details; however, panic soon drove many into a flurry of actions as they scrambled across the water in hopes of reaching an exit-point first.

[*Lokwood: A species of tree that is native to the temperate climate of the Fytali and Synthi forests. Lokwood stand nearly forty feet tall and house dense foliage which blocks a majority of sunlight from the forest grounds. Due to this phenomena, forests of Lokwood are often dubbed as Duskwood.]

~~~~

The Fytali elder wished to denounce Tracer's strategy as risky and brash, yet with the battle-hungry Chitos, there was little he could do but exhale an amused sigh. As the giant returned fire to the enemies within the trees, the Fytali calmly retrieved the rifle off his back and began the announcement for a revised plan with better detail.

"Once the smok' hits, you'll no longa have vision of ya targets.
Giantess, follow Traca' into the fray...You have an ax', and I'll assume ya know how to use it.
I can cova' ya all...Smok' won't stop my shot."

To further enforce his point, the Fytali pointed his weapon in the direction of the trees and immediately fired without aim. It took a few seconds for the projectile to find its mark, yet sooner than later, a flurry of shouts erupted from the trees. A smile encompassed the elder's expression while he tipped his hat in his party's direction as a signal to start their plan.

"Ya got fiv' on the ground, n' six in the trees."

Another shot fired from his rifle.

"Make that four."

becna · Sep 17, 2016

[BCOLOR=transparent]

[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Character Name:[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Reylla Stonearm[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Character Level: [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]3[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Level Experience:[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Guild Experience:[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Health: [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]~9[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Status: Healthy[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]

[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reylla nods with excitement, bouncing faster on her heels like a giant child. She shoots a quick, "Hope you're fast!" to her new companion, and takes off for the treeline, whistling a command to Velos. She takes a couple more shots at the men in the trees, hoping that her and the Fytali's combined efforts would take out those with higher ground first. Velos paces her easily, narrowing in on one particular man and howling with the joy of the hunt.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]As she gets close to the tree line, Reylla returns her crossbow to it's harness on her back, clipping it in securely along with her extra arrows, and removes the axe she has strapped at her thigh. The Fytali was right, she did indeed know how to use it, and she relished the opportunity to show off her skills. In the moment before she enters the trees Reylla reaches beneath her shirt, pulling out a small golden locket, and giving it a quick kiss. She whispers something in her own tongue, tucking it back under her clothing and focusing completely at the task at hand.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Finally close enough to one of the men, she swings wide, catching his head in her arc. She made sure he wouldn't be shooting at them anymore. Velos moves off to a nearby enemy, making quick work of him with his razor sharp teeth. Reylla moves on to the next man, who ducks in time for her axe to become lodged in the tree behind him. Without hesitation Reylla uses her free hand to remove the crossbow from her back, shooting him point blank. She is totally in her element.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent][BCOLOR=transparent]Backpack[/BCOLOR][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent][BCOLOR=transparent]Crossbow[/BCOLOR][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent][BCOLOR=transparent]Bolts[/BCOLOR][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent][BCOLOR=transparent]Hand axe[/BCOLOR][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent][BCOLOR=transparent]Waterskin (ale)[/BCOLOR][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent][BCOLOR=transparent]Waterskin (water)[/BCOLOR][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent][BCOLOR=transparent]Dagger[/BCOLOR][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent][BCOLOR=transparent]Trail rations[/BCOLOR][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent][BCOLOR=transparent]Heavy fur coat and cold resistant outfit[/BCOLOR][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent][BCOLOR=transparent]Locket on gold chain[/BCOLOR][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent][BCOLOR=transparent]Bedroll[/BCOLOR][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent][BCOLOR=transparent]Cooking pan[/BCOLOR][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent][BCOLOR=transparent]Small journal with pencil[/BCOLOR][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent][BCOLOR=transparent]Pipe[/BCOLOR][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent][BCOLOR=transparent]Flute[/BCOLOR][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent][BCOLOR=transparent]Smelling Salts[/BCOLOR][/BCOLOR]

Jakers · Sep 18, 2016

cyan
Character Name: Kula Aolani
Character Level: 4
Level Experience: 0/???
Guild Experience: 0/???
Health: 22
Status: Healthy

Treading in the water comfortably, Kula watched with a blank expression as a majority of people were fighting their way to get to an exit first. Instead of rushing in like a blind idiot, Kula took a while to consider her options. They had three whole days to do this, not three hours. Kula hoped things wouldn't escalate to violence if she bumped into others exploring the same area as her on the field, but... some of the applicants didn't look too friendly, to say the least. The incision on her shoulder stung a little, but that was nothing compared to the explosive or fast-acting poison vial Vin had probably stuffed in there. What would they gain from going outside the boundaries anyway?

She hadn't forgot how many people had died below her. It was a worm that kept crawling in the back of her mind, distracting her, whispering things to her. Had she helped take part in a mass murder? She knew people dying was never a new thing to the trials, but... for a couple dozen or so to die in not even the first 'real stage'? She hadn't expected the toll to be this heavy. The families of all those drowned people wouldn't even get the bodies back to be buried...

Kula's attention eventually shifted back to the person next to her: Caris. If the two of them worked together on this, did this mean they'd need to acquire two documentations or complete two quests? Either way, Kula didn't care about that: they could manage it. They'd proven themselves a good team together thusfar, and she definitely didn't want to lose contact with a friendly, powerful Sári such as himself.
"Caris... would you like to partner up together again for this task?" Kula offered. "I think we'll definitely run into some trouble on this trial, and I'd feel a lot safer with you watching my back. This may mean we'll need to accumulate two things together, but I believe we can do it."

Kula looked to the map, pointing to exit point 6, which led into the lake.
"If you do want to, then I was thinking here might be a good place to start for us... for obvious reasons. If there's nothing interesting there, we could work our way up to the river and keep an eye out for things there."

Kula looked in her bag, pulling out a folded cloth and leather outfit of some sort.
"Also, seeing as most have left, I'm going to take this opportunity to change into my proper gear. So... um... if you wouldn't mind looking away for a moment..."

A gilded trident [Equipped]
Cyan robes [Equipped]
A deep blue bag [Equipped]
A sapphire lamp
Climbing equipment
A long length of rope
A utility knife
A decorated steel flute
Leather/cloth battle garments
Tinderbox
Various maps
A notebook
A quill and inkpot

Wryneck · Sep 19, 2016

[fieldbox=Tracer Welt, limegreen, solid, 10, Times New Roman]

Forest Innards

Tracer agreed with the Fytali's revisions, upon realizing that they actually wouldn't be able to make out the glowing flowers after the smoke was released. Still, if they rushed them before they knew what was happening, they could eliminate them with ease. As soon as Reylla was ready, Tracer let off his smoke bomb, which covered a large portion of the area. He'd originally planned on using them primarily for escape, but they were just as well for offensive purposes. Pistol in hand, Trace rushed in after the giant.

The smoke was thick, but Tracer was used to it. Trees could still be made out well enough, the the faint glow of the flowers grew increasingly vivid the closer he got to their targets. Taking aim, he fired at one, then ducked behind a tree to avoid any return fire. There wasn't any, leading the Synthi male to believe he'd fell his target. A thud confirmed his hypothesis. 'Five in the trees,' he mentally reminded himself with his first kill.

So long as he didn't need to see the nitty gritty of it, he was fine with eliminating hazards to his own survival. Even should that mean Reylla someday. Not losing focus for a single second, Tracer moved on to the next flower within the trees. The giant would deal with those on the ground. He could only hope she wouldn't accidentally chop off his head in the confusion, or that her wolf friend wouldn't attack him.

His next target in sight, he fired off two rounds, then ducked behind a tree. The male tossed himself from behind the tree as soon as he'd realized his mistake. There was a flower directly opposite from him, a ways off. The sound of his pistol had brought the archer to attention. Tracer quickly returned fire, though he wouldn't be able to hear any thuds from this distance. 'Four. Possible three...'

When no counter attack was launched, Tracer counted his assailant for dead and moved on. 'This sure is troublesome. Do guild members really have to endure all this for the sake of cataloging the outside world?' He knew dangers were naturally prevalent out here, but it still seemed a bit much to throw them right into the fray. If things kept up like this, his six uses of Léiritheoir wouldn't last very long.

1. Léiritheoir
2. Shoulder bag.
3. A case of ammo containing 10 stun rounds.
4. Four small food packs.
5. Two smoke grenades.
6. A pack of various medicinal herbs.
7. Solar charger.
8. A pistol blade.

Mentions
@Tsu @becna[/fieldbox]

TerraBooma · Sep 20, 2016

Caris stared at the map for a few moments longer than Kula. Still in shock of the lives lost below them in the watery graves that were for sure terrible and slow deaths. It had sat with him, and he hadn't even thought to be one of the first ones out the tunnels to try and claim the advantage. Some might think he was plotting some ingenious plan...but in reality, Caris was simply mourning.

He was shaken of his morbid thoughts by Kula, who was asking if he wanted to be partners for this leg of the journey as well. Happy to move away from this hellish place and more importantly to get on with the trial, he gave her a trademark grin. They'd been through enough at this point to know that Kula was a trustworthy individual. Breaking through the crowds to get into the cart, and saving his life when the strange tentacle beast had gripped him tight. Caris knew that if it wasn't for her, he would be dead in the muck. He owed her his life.

"Do I want to partner up on this leg of the race? You bet your fins I do." He nodded quickly in agreement to her lake suggestion. "It's the terrain where we have the edge...and chances are two Sari will be better than one in that kind of environment. Besides...when these trials are over, and we can call ourselves explorerers...I'd like to think I can call you a friend after all of it."

As she mentioned changing, Caris blushed slightly, barely noticeable under his blubber. He span around quickly, and positioned his large body in between Kula and the few remaining contestants who still lingered. He kept his gaze away and towards the other people in the room, making sure to give a hard glare to any wandering eyes that might pass in their direction. Thanks to Caris large stature, he acted almost as a sort of wall for the much smaller Sari.

After Kula finished changing, he looked down at his own sludge covered shorts and chuckled sheepishly. "Wish I could say I had the same opportunity....these are kind of the only pair I have. I'll try and rinse em off good when we get to the lake." The northern Sari shrugged. "I didn't have much to bring with me...walking from home meant I had to travel light."

He motioend to the tunnel, and did his best-which was pretty terrible- impression of a normal bow. "Now my friend, after you. Let's go kick some ass and complete some quests!"

Tsu · Sep 23, 2016

From the start, it was obvious that path six was the source of water in the present ruins. There had been noticeable attempts at damming the flow, yet it had been impossible to entirely eliminate the source. As such, there was no surprise that the water level gradually began to increase until it left the pair of Sari emerged in a relatively comfortable domain. For the first several miles, the path was a horizontal waterway with nothing more than the occasional fish and slate walls; however, towards the end, the path began to rapidly elevate until it broke free into a lake-bed where the pair were greeted with a plethora of diversity in their surroundings. Freshwater fish were incredibly abundant, as were a freshwater species of seaweed whose colors ranged all across the visible spectrum. Without a doubt, the underwater environment was a beautiful sight to see; however, in regards to the trials, it was seemingly barren of anything important. Colored seaweed was hardly a new discover, and neither were ordinary fish such as trout or lake-fin.

On the surface, things were, for the most part, no different in regards to the trials. As expected, there were a plethora of Lokwood which encompassed the surrounding forest and formed a gradient of light between the grounds and the open skies above the lake. Based on the sun's position and intensity, the time was just around midday, yet despite this fact, the surrounding area appeared as if it were dusk or later. That being said, even in the darkened environment, there was a small shrine noticeable on the lower western side of the water's edge. The stone statue rested in a shallow pool of water and seemed somewhat peculiar given its appearance. It was carved into the shape of a bearded treant who stood nearly six feet tall and was situated over an altar which contained three containers of varying purpose. On the farthest left was a bronze bowl which held a small pool of water. Next, was a small vial that which violently shook from the flow of air which spiraled throughout its entirety. Finally, was a small pit of fire that burned a gentle stream of smoke that smelled of incense.

Were the pair of Sari to remain at a distance, nothing would have be-felled their presence; however, were they to approach the shrine and come within a reasonable distance to its altar, a thick pair of wooden branches would have rapidly swung at their bodies from the neighboring, vine-covered trees.

~~~~

The battle against the bandits was anything but arduous. Even through the smoke, the Fytali had no trouble pin pointing each one of his targets until none remained in the trees of the forest. In terms of the ground units, even if the rest of the party had trouble with their fight, the fate of the bandits were sealed by the flowering vines which continued to rapidly grow until their host was overtaken by a small, intertwined tree which forced them to the ground in a slow, suffocating death. In light of the battle's enviable conclusion, the Fytali replaced the rifle upon his back before slowly crossing the distance between himself and his party.

"May ya souls rest in peace."

The elder's words were followed with a quick prayer-like gesture, and his expression was genuine in terms of his concern for the dead. Nonetheless, such emotion was entirely short-lived as he soon arrived at the forest's border where he gazed upon the glowing trees which littered the ground. One by one, he walked to each plant where he harvested a collection of bullet-shaped seeds from the flowers which covered the length of the hardened vines. Upon doing so, the plant began to whither, leaving the host's body exposed for the looting which the elder soon suggested.

"The ded' have no need for the items of the livin'.
I fear our battle has yet to end.
Let us stoc' and prepare for what comes."

With the fruit of each tree deposited in the pouch at his side, the elder settled onto the ground where he reached into another pouch for a pipe and a handful of herb. A satisfied sigh escaped the elder's lips as a cloud of smoke filled the air with a soothing, aromatic flavour.

"An explora' must be prepared for anythin', Tracer.
The world, itself, is a lot scarier than a handful of bandits. If this is enough to rattle ya composure, then ya got a long way to go, kiddo. Figurin' how to survive is what explorin' be about. The glory of it all, just the perks of the occupation."

With his explanation, the elder fell silent for the remainder of his smoke--his eyes shut closed as if he were in a meditative state. It was only after the fire of his pipe gave way to ash that he set the hollow wood aside and reached for a map which was strapped on his belt. Unraveling it onto the ground, the elder used his finger to trace along the paper until he rested upon the illustration of a village which was only several miles away.

"It is unknown to me if this attak' was intended by Vin.
Our answers likely rest in this village, howeva'.
Eleven bandits don't just guard a perimeta' for no reason.
It will take time for my power to regenerate--bein' old and all.
I want you two to scout ahead. Determin' the status of that village an return here with som' answers.
I will attempt to connec' with the forest for my own."

Jakers · Sep 27, 2016

Stretching at the water's surface, now suited into her more appropriate black leather/turquoise fabric gear, Kula took a moment to relax and take in her surroundings after the long swim. Her eyes adjusted to the brightness once more; what brightness there was, anyway. The trees blotted out the majority of the sunlight, but it was certainly an improvement over the dank, sludge-filled ruins. The forest reeked a sense of unseen danger, but it still felt like a somewhat hospitable environment.

In terms of species and flora within the lake, it wasn't a big surprise there wasn't anything new. No way it'd be that easy. It didn't take long, however, for the two to take notice of the mysterious statue at the water's edge. Shrugging off the trident around her back, Kula kept in a battle-ready stance just in case, swimming up to the surface and treading water as she tried to get a better look at the thing.

A stone, bearded tree... some kind of Fytali relic of worship? There was a bottle, a bowl, and a thin line of smoke rising from somewhere, but Kula wasn't close enough to properly see what was really going, or to estimate how long ago the structure had been erected.
"A small, man-made statue, all the way out here...?" Kula pondered under her breath. "Well... it doesn't appear booby trapped, at the very least. Perhaps it's a first step to one of these 'quests' Vin was on about." Kula tread water with her fins to turn to Caris. "Shall we go in for a closer look?"
//
Caris peered at the statue, an examining glare at the mysterious object. Part of him was curious, but a greater part still was on guard.
"We should check it out... especially if it's a quest. But..." Caris's thoughts trailed off as he moved ahead of her. "Stay behind me, I can still take a few more hits than you right now, and we both need to be in top form if this is some kind of trap. He took out his own trident and debated applying some of his poison. Possible...but hopefully unneeded, he left the vials on his bandoleer and moved forward towards the shrine.

It had different portions to it, that were probably important. They also seemed to be themed in a way. A bowl of water, air, and incense...was that to indicate fire? Caris could only guess. The fishman moved closer to inspect the shrine, was there no earth? That was strange. Elements tended to be grouped in fours, what could tha-

The rapid whistling of branches brought Caris back to reality, and he spun around quickly, catching them with his trident before twisting it quickly, attempting to either disarm, or simply trap whatever attacked him. A simple maneuver yes, but a useful one in giant monster hunts, and a trick he'd picked up fighting against tusk and horned beasts.Caris was a bit out of practice after such a long walk, but he hoped he'd be able to stop the attack. Taking a second to breath, Caris's eyes scanned the treeline, trying to find the attacker.
//
"Careful!" Kula suddenly yelled as she spotted branches from a neighboring tree lash out for Caris out of nowhere. Thankfully, he had the reactions to block them, otherwise it could've been a nasty attack. "It seems the branches themselves are keen on protecting this place... it's definitely something to do with the figure within the statue." Kula commented. If she had a hatchet, perhaps she could've chopped at the limbs Caris had blocked, but she'd have to make do with other methods.

"Get ready. I'll use that spell I performed back by the carriage to pull you out." Kula informed her partner, water beginning to bubble under Caris's feet. In a quick burst, a wave of soothing water carried Caris back out of the reach of the hostile tree, the pure water healing what little wounds were caused from the branch.
//
Immediately following Caris' withdrawal, the branches of the trees returned to their original state of an immobile tree. That being said, this pause in the offensive did not last long as the ground began to lightly rumble in response to the roots which began to rip up from the ground. Gradually, two trees began to totter forward while a collection of vines trailed long behind their behemoth precense. Without a doubt, these beings resembled the general description of a treant, yet with that in mind, they lacked the features or signs of sentiant intelligence. Caris and Kula were undoubtedly the targets of the trees; however, the subsequent attacks were mindless at best. Much like before, branches of the trees came in a sweeping arc towards the pair of Sari. This time, however, the force behind the attack had multiplied since before. Were someone to receive a head-on blow, fractures were guaranteed, yet in light of this fact, dodging wasn't an impossible feat. Sure, the attacks were powerful, but they were equally slow and predictable. If anything, the only redeeming factor was the expansive reach with extended from their form.
//
Caris was relieved for Kula's quick thinking. The Sari wasn't exactly fast, and being in a tough spot with...whatever was going on would likely end badly. He pulled back, eyes darting back and forth as he tried to find the source of the attack. The result was...unpleasant, to say the least.
"That's not good." Caris said with a chuckle, quickly filling a vial with some of the loose soil on the ground. "Looks like we'll have to fight after all!" Caris dodged backward as a slow strike came in, cracking the earth below him, "These damn trees are going to be tough...Don't suppose you go any fire on you?" He glanced back at them.

"My poison won't do much.So just brute strength for me. Any ideas up your alley, Kula? I've got no idea how to peace our way outta this... might have to fight!" On that note, Caris rolled under one of the Treant's branches, and struck forth with his trident, directly at it's core. "Look alive friend! Gotta keep moving! I have an idea... but it's a bit of a crazy one; think you can get me to the shrine?!"
//
"Fire...? Well, I have the tools to create a torch, but..." Kula shook her head as she carefully paced herself at a safe distance from the tree giants. "That might end up the whole forest being set ablaze... and somehow, setting fire to these things doesn't feel right. Even if they're trying to hurt us, let's spare them for now. They're lumbering and snail-paced; we can just avoid them for the time being. We could try retreating to the lake if things get too dire; I highly doubt these things can swim. Maybe documenting these creatures would be worthwhile, as well."

Kula shrugged the trident back over her shoulder so she could focus purely on dodging, as she knew trying to stab these things wouldn't be a good use of time. Narrowly ducking under a branch, Kula winced and breathed heavily. Even if they were slow, one slip-up would mean a very serious injury.
"Wait... you... you want to get to the shrine?" Kula wheezed. She hadn't seen what was going on there, but Caris must've had a bright idea of some sort. "I suppose I can do that, but give my spell some time to recharge. I'll pass out if I end up overusing it." After a few moments of dodging and channeling her energy, Koa Waverider seemed ready to use again. "Okay. Good to go; are you ready?" The question was mostly rhetorical, as Kula sent Caris and herself dashing for the shrine on a wave at high speed as soon as the treants were in a state of recovery from their attacks.
//
The Treants had relatively little reaction towards Caris' approach of the shrine. As he flew by, one of the trees attempted a lumbering slam of its branches; however, by the time the attack made contact with the ground, the Sari was long past that position. That being said, before he could reach the destination of the wave, Caris was thrown off in a violent eruption of the water. The sudden explosion wasn't enough to hurt him apart from some minor bruises around his lower body, but combined with his existing momentum, it was enough to slam him against the body of the altar. Bits and pieces of vine covered the area surrounding the Sari whose collision had also toppled the elements atop the shrine. The water of the bowl spilled onto the altar while the incense was doused by the explosion of the wave. Furthermore, the vial of air rolled off the surface and onto the ground where its fragile container shattered in a burst of crystal. Immediately, a sense of power evaporated from the air whilst the Treants and their vines began to rapidly wither. Along the ground, the tame flora began to rapidly expand until the shrine and its general area was all but covered by the overgrown vegetation.

"Thieves! Murderers! Look what you have done!
If you can't have it, none can have it!?
Is this how the new generation lives? No Honor!"

Contrary to expectations, the voice which spoke was squeaky and high pitched when compared to the large shadow which loomed on the outskirts of the forest line. For the most part, its tone was angry; however, a hint of sadness was still evident in the voice. Regardless, a flurry of vines exploded across the ground in an attempt to ensnare the arms and legs of both Caris and Kula.

TerraBooma · Oct 2, 2016

Caris was a big man, although he might be considered small by Sarian standards, this came with a variety of benefits. He could handle the cold like nobody's buisiness, his body could take quite the beating, and his endurance wasn't have bad. What his body did not have however, was the ability to dodge quickly moving vine snakes. A slow moving tree was one thing, as they were slower than even Caris was. The vines however...were not. The poor fishman tried to escape, kiting backwards and delivering stabs against the vines. The problem rose again with that of dexterity. Attackign so many targets moving so quickly wasn't what his trident was designed for. His prey was usually...a lot bigger. This meant that Caris soon found himself being bound by the vines. He had switched to his harpoon hoping the serrated edge would help him out, but the poor Sari had no such luck. He found himself held in place, unrelenting forces of nature overpowering if his strength.

As he struggled to get free, apart of Caris' mind began to plan. How was he going to get out of this? He couldn't even turn to see if Kula (Who by now had escaped further behind him) was trapped herself. He had his vials...but poison wasn't going to help. He still needed to research the smoke bomb knockout gas, and using it as a desperate attack on a figure he couldn't see didn't appeal to the man either. Did that mean...diplomacy? The strange druid hadn't attacked them directly...maybe he could be bargained with, was this the quest giver?

"Kula! You okay back there? I'm...I'm fine! Just make sure your okay! I...I'll figure something out." He chuckled nervously before taking a breath to call out to the other voice.

"Hey! Listen! We didn't mean to destroy this shrine...thing. I thought it might have been out of balance given the lack of an earth offering, so we were coming closer to examine it...try and see if we could help, then the trees attacked and we needed to move quick. It was an accident...I think something knocked me off course!" Caris called out into the woods, trying his best at fast diplomacy. "What can we do to make it up to you? Is there anything?"

Jakers · Oct 2, 2016

cyan
Character Name: Kula Aolani
Character Level: 4
Level Experience: 0/???
Guild Experience: 0/???
Health: 22
Status: Healthy

It had all happened so fast. All that was in Kula's mind was to run, run, run from those vines, as she'd been fortunate enough not to be knocked over so violently when something had disrupted her waveride spell. She'd made a point to not cast the spell over the fire, but it still seemed like something had put it out anyway - everything to do with the altar had just been ruined, and the voice in the distance did not sound happy about it at all.

Kula vaulted over fallen trees and bushes, breathing heavily as she ran from the hastily approaching vines. She could outrun them, but not forever. Once she got snatched up by those vines, the treants would be free to smash her into fish paste when she couldn't abuse her mobility, so running was the only thing on her mind. Her survival instinct was kicking in above her camaraderie. That was, until she heard the voice of Caris in the background behind her.
"Kula! You okay back there? I'm... I'm fine! Just make sure you're okay!"

It took a while to register, but Kula's eyes flashed down guiltily to the earth as she ran. Caris must've had no luck escaping, and his fate was in the hands of the druid that captured him.
"Oh, Caris..." Kula shakily mumbled, flashing a look behind her. He'd been tied up by the vines, good and proper, and the druid didn't seem too happy. Was he going to be okay?

...No. ...That wasn't the question she should've been asking.

The true question was: who did she think she was, running like a coward to save her own skin and abandon a friend? A man who'd been there for her multiple times, and she'd been there for him in return. Was she just going to abandon the things they'd achieved together just to ensure her own success? She didn't care if she got squashed and failed the trials as a nobody. At least she'd die loyal and true to herself, and that was what would mean more to the people she loved most.

Suddenly, Kula swerved back from her retreat, running straight back towards the altar. Caris had finished saying something, though Kula hadn't heard what exactly it was. At first, it looked like she was going to try and cut Caris free, which would've been a poor decision as there was nowhere near enough time for that. However, instead, Kula stood perfectly still next to Caris, letting the vines curl around her hands and feet, prepared for the worst, but knowing she let her heart make the right decision. Kula gave the briefest of smiles to Caris as the vines fastened around her, before turning to the figure.

"Do it then," Kula called out to the unseen adversary, her voice growing with a passion that hadn't really been seen before. "If you think we're murderers and thieves, then go ahead and deliver your punishment, after we've clearly stated that's not our intention." Kula's voice suddenly rose, her sharp teeth became visible with her outburst. "But I've come back to stand trial to the judgement for my 'sins' with my ally, so don't you dare accuse my generation of having no honour!"

Kula's voice abruptly lowered along with her head, and her body relaxed into a dejected manner.
"Thieves, murderers, neither are titles we wished for. We didn't seek to harm this shrine, and we made a point to leave these tree giants alone even though we had the tools to make fire. We just wanted to seek discovery."

Perhaps she was going to die.

At least it wouldn't be in a sludge-filled prison cell this time. And she wouldn't die alone.

A gilded trident [Equipped]
Leather/cloth battle garments [Equipped]
A deep blue bag [Equipped]
A sapphire lamp
Climbing equipment
A long length of rope
A utility knife
A decorated steel flute
Cyan robes
Tinderbox
Various maps
A notebook
A quill and inkpot

Tsu · Oct 6, 2016

Attempts of reason managed nothing in the presence of the shadow who continued to manipulate the vines which began to forcefully pull against the limbs of its prey. Without even waiting for the rebuttal to finish, the high pitched voice began squeaking once more--a tone of anger and distrust lathering its voice which echoed throughout the area.

"Lies. All of it, lies!
I see through your attempts, humanoids!
You won't trick this...--"

CRACK

The sound of splintering wood burst from within the forest cover while dull thuds rhythmically sounded alongside of muffled, pained whimpers. In light of the mystery which shrouded the current turmoil, answers were quick the come--even if the truth of the situation was anti-climatic at best. On the ground was a small creature, groaning and rubbing his head which ached from the trauma of falling from a Lokwood. Compared to the shadow, the critter was the farthest from menacing as its appearance resembled an extraordinarily soft and fluffy hybrid between a fox and a squirrel.

For a moment, the critter remained relatively unmoving on the ground; however, soon, he sprung to his feet whilst brandishing the the staff which had fallen along his side. If anything, the scene was somewhat comical--a two foot animal madly waving a four foot staff while growling in an adorably squeaky tone; and even himself realized this fact as he soon fell to his knees and began uncontrollably sobbing in light of his presumed failure. In doing so, the vines began to rapidly whither while only the critter's sorrows and rant became audible within the area.

"What good am I!?! *Hic*
First, the earth is lost....*sniff*....Now the rest are destroyed!
Master Sylvanus! I'm nothing but a failure!
*sniff* Smite me now for my worthless being!"

Jakers · Oct 7, 2016

As the vines began to forcefully tug against Kula's arms and legs, she thought it was the end of the road already. Her plea hadn't done much at all, but she was expecting as much; trying to persuade or trick the figure hadn't been her intention anyway. Her fragile nature became apparent as she winced with pain, and a sudden tug of a vine caused a sickening pop in Kula's left shoulder as it was dislocated.

Ripped apart by vines in the first thirty minutes of the challenge... that was her fate, was it? If she'd just decided to run instead, would that've been the 'right' thing to do? Either way, she supposed it was a lesson. A personality like hers didn't belong h-

...?

Kula's dramatic thoughts came to abrupt stop, along with the vines that had been tugging at her. The pieces of plant slacked a little at she heard multiple thuds and yelps not too far ahead in the forest. The Sári slowly opened one eye, before opening the other, her chest still breathing heavily from adrenaline.

It was then she got a glimpse of the... fluffy... thing? Calling Kula's reaction to the thing that had almost killed her as being 'confused' was a huge understatement. Whilst the squeaky growls, cute appearance, and goofy movements could've easily been giggled at, she hadn't forgotten this thing had almost murdered her and Caris in brutal fashion.

Kula shot a cautious look to the creature, a confused look to Caris, and back and forth for a few moments before it started bawling on the ground inconsolably. Was it... embarrassed? Whatever the tearful babbling was about, Kula felt the vines come loose around her as they withered away. Shrugging them off, Kula held her dislocated shoulder and groaned under her breath, instinctively walking behind Caris.

"...Are you injured? I can help you with that later if you are, we just..." Kula trailed off, before squinting at the creature. "...The poor thing seems upset to a suicidal level. I know he's proven to be aggressive, but... I still think we can help each other out here. If he attacks again, let's run to the lake." Kula finally whispered. Whatever the deal with the four elements was, them now being ruined along with its slip-up seemed to have completely destroyed the fluffy creature's self esteem. Taking the chance to run seemed like the most sensible thing to do after what the thing had did, but...

Holding her shoulder, Kula hobbled a little closer towards the crying creature. She looked down at it for a moment, adjusting the bandage around her eye, unsure what to say, unsure what the best approach was to talk with it without getting attacked again.

She kneeled over for a moment, closed her eyes, but shook her head and opened them again, looking back to Caris as if suggesting he should talk to him. His attitude was more optimistic and encouraging, which might've been what the thing needed right now rather than Kula's approach.

TerraBooma · Oct 10, 2016

Caris himself was struggling right until what he perceived was the end. He might have been caught, but the big fish man wouldn't go down without a fight. Part of him thought it was the end...but Caris was good at ignoring that part, struggles for his life were somewhat common up in giant monster raids. Still Caris was suprised when the vines released themselves, falling to the floor. Their attacker finally revealed himself and Caris discovered he had yet more suprise on his way. It was small and...fluffy? Well that was certainly unexpected.

Based on its ramblings, the small thing was some sort of disciple or apprentice of the big ent that the whole shrine was dedicated to. That, at the very least explained why it was so hostile towards the two Sari in the first place. Was it sacred at all? Caris frowned at the thought of desecrating such an alter, even if it had been completely unintentional. Based on how it was reacting...well, it was clear that it wasn't having a good day.

Caris stayed quiet until Kula looked back at him, seemingly expecting him to talk. Caris himself thought Kula had the talking situation under control but if she insisted he would be happy to oblige her. There was an idea forming in the back of his mind that just might work....even if it was a bit odd. He gave a nod to Kula and a reassuring smile before speaking to the small thing

"Small one, there is no need to cry." Said caris as he walked over to the sobbing creature. "We are very sorry for causing damage to your...shrine? This is truth. So..." caris voice trailed off, idea forming as he talked. "You said the earth was missing right? Well we can help you track it down. Plus...if there's any way to help repair the elements we have tarnished, we would be at your service. So..." Caris extended a hand down to him.

"What do you say?"

Jarasian Trident
Brown shorts
Smoke filled vial
6 poisoned vials
6 empty vials
A small hatchet
A length of rope
A harpoon
Bag of rations

Tsu · Oct 20, 2016

Much like Kula had assumed, the creature's state of being was without a doubt sorrowful, yet even in this state, he remained adament towards the pair whom he had yet to trust. As Caris offered his hand, the small beast expressed a tearful snarl whilst slapping at the presence with peculiar results. From the Sari's perspective, the force of the blow was meaningless in light of his blubbery bulk, yet a frigid burn was a surprising afflication left on the surface of his skin. All in all, the burn posed no danger to his well being, but it left a mildly painful annoyance to linger thereafter.

"And what good would that achieve for anyone? *sniff*
Even if I were to believe that you aren't thieves plotting to steal from under my nose, what can you offer? Huh? What can you do for me?
The elements are gone! Ruined by the giant fish oaf!
How do you plan to help me?
What can you even do...."

The critter's tone became gradually more heated over the course of his rant; however, such emotion did not last as he quickly deflated back to his prior depression. Once more, tears burst from his eyes as he began pitifully beating the ground--an action which caused spidery cracks to rapidly spread from the point of contact.

"Just smite me. *sniff*
Eat me! Roast me!
This is my fate...To be the food of mortals! *sniff*"

Kula sighed under her breath, looking around hersef in a wary manner for any sudden spells the strange thing may unleash. Despite Caris's efforts, there was clearly no way of getting the thing to trust it, and if there was, it would probably mean doing something ridiculous. Wincing a little in disgust as the thing literally suggested for the two Sári to consume him, Kula began to doubt if the thing would ever snap out of it at all. One last try.

"You call us thieves, but we have nothing to steal. Do you think we came to pinch a bottle of water and pawn it off for a small fortune? Evidently not..." Kula mumbled, looking down at the creature. "And no, I'm not going to eat you. Not only is that disgusting, but that's pathetic."

Her voice rose somewhat harshly as she stood right up to the creature. Out of nowhere, she reached down, grabbing the thing's fluffy head and pulling it up to face hers. Kula had pulled down the silk bandage on her face, and what it had been hiding wasn't just a little battlescar. Huge bitemarks completely covered the left side of her face, making the elegant lady suddenly look mangled and hideous on one side.
"Look at this. When I recieved it, all of my progress I'd worked up to was destroyed, and the consequences made me a wreck. But I came back. You may think comparing me - a little mortal - to you is pathetic, but my point is: if I can bring myself back from my lowest point, then you can. You can at least try to redeem yourself, or you could just sit here and wallow in defeat. Which sounds better?"

Kula closed her eyes, calmed down somewhat, and pushed the bandage back over her face, wishing she hadn't shown the scar to Caris, but she'd needed to in order to prove her point.
"Now listen here, and listen closely. We want to help you, it's true, but only if you explain to us what made 'the elements' so special. What would stop me from just replacing the bottle of water with some from the lake?"

Caris blinked in shock for a few moments as Kula revealed her scar. He certainly hadn't been expecting that from Kula. Both her outburst and her scar were...shocking. That said, Caris had seen plenty of disfigurations in his tribe, maulings and maimings were fairly common place when you hunted something that had bigger teeth than you had body. Still...he hadn't been expecting it from the normally mild mannered Kula. It seemed to be up to him to play the diplomatic one.

"We truly do mean no harm, and I am sorry...you lost something precious, so to ensure our collaboration..." Caris voice trailed off, an idea forming in his mind, not that he liked it. He slowly too the trident he loved so dearly off his back and put it down on the ground. "Consider this a guarantee of our willingness to do you good...this is precious to me, as I do not have much. It's also a family heirloom of sorts." Caris sighed, not wanting to give it up, but knowing they might need to use the carrot rather than the stick. "As for why we can help you, that's fairly pessimistic of you to assume we're helpless. There must be some way to reclaim them...how were they created originally? Surely we'd only need to recreate the process?"

The critter initially screamed in response to Kula grabbing his fur; however, he quickly fell silent when she began lecturing him on his sorrow. It wasn't in his interest to listen to her words, but in his current situation, there wasn't many options past doing so. Sniffs and sniffles were the only sounds to escape his lips--at least until Kula reached her inquiry after which a heavy sigh escaped his lips. He opened his mouth to speak a reply but was cut short by Caris who further developed the general interest in the elements. When the trident was placed on the ground below him, he took a moment to inspect its figure, but quickly snorted in response to the offering.

"The both of you are hopeless mortals. Utterly hopeless.
Particular, you...the giant oaf of a fish. Get a bottle of water from the lake he says!
And he offers me a trident on top of that!"

Although he was restrained in Kula's grasp, his arms were entirely under his control. With a flick of his hand in the Sari's direction, a small clump of earth rose from the ground and splattered across the target's face.

"Do I look like I can use that? What purpose would I obtain from carrying a weapon five times my size...Oaf..."

The critter shook his head in an exasperated manner before turning his attention back towards Kula to whom he subsequently began to address.

"And you, trauma girl.
Why are the elements so special? Is this really what you asked me?
...Why, it's not like they are the elements of the long lost elemental dieties...given in offering to Slyvanus who protects the forests of El'yssi.
You must be poor, or there is simply improper education on the mortals these days."

All signs of the critter's depression had long past--now replaced with by a sassy personality that seemed all too willing to take control. Without hesitation, the critter began scratching at the arm which held him in the air all while chattering with a slightly annoyed tone.

"Any day now, you'll let me down.
'We're gonna help you out,' they said as they keep me suspended in the air.
We have a job to do you oaf of potential thieves! A long journey awaits! To Lok!"

As the thing seemingly decided to stop moping, Kula's stern expression softened somewhat, though she wasn't ready to let go of the thing just yet. Rolling her eyes as the thing threw mud in Caris's face, she let the creature have its little rant, not understanding half of it. She certainly wasn't poor, so she must've just been 'uneducated' in this seemingly important topic.

Despite being somewhat insulted, at least shouting at the thing had got it to stop crying in the grand scheme of things. It was starting to look like her and Caris actually had a quest to do, which was great news. Suddenly, Kula's thoughts were harshly interrupted by a sharp cutting pain in her arm. The furry chap was so light she'd mostly forgotten she was holding it.

"Ow, ow! Okay, okay... just... cease your scratching!" Kula yelped as the thing began clawing at her arm. Bending over, she released the thing's fluffy head and set him down back onto his feet, holding her scratched arm with an uncomfortable expression. "Ouch... ...anyway. We'll accompany you to this 'Lok' and do as you say to account for our mistakes. I never caught your name, by the way. I'm Kula, and this is Caris."

With that, Kula rejoined Caris's side. Reaching up on her tiptoes, she reached up and hastily wiped the big man's cheek with her hand, helping to brush Caris's face clean.
"Tsk... mudballs... honestly. You didn't get any of it in your eyes, did you? Here..." She muttered under her breath, using the trusty Koa Waverider to cleanse the mud plastered onto his face, as well as heal the minor injuries of the two.

Caris was feeling just the slightest bit stung by the small thing, both literally by the burn and in a much more figurative sense from its cruel words. He tried not to let it get to him, and he quickly flashed a grin. The matter was his trident was mighty precious to the big Sari, as it was the most expensive item he had. A family heirloom, it was made out of a matierial that Caris had never seen before...his grandpa never told him what it was called, but insisted it was all matierial from the ruins of his greatest find...to Caris, that meant a lot.

The mudball really wasn't helping, and Caris was on the verge of losing his temper when Kula came over and started helping him clean it off. He let out a sigh, something uncommon from him. "Thanks, I'm fine though...mostly, how's the arm?" He looked down at her arm, which had healed up nicely. "Least we got a quest?" He chuckled low. "But save your energy friend, I can take the mud from here." Using his arm as an impromptu towerl, he wiped the last traces off his face.

It was on his arm now, but Caris didn't seem to mind much. His expression however, had turned slightly more serious. "We do need to get moving though...we're on a time limit. Oh...and Kula, about the eye." Caris gave her soft smile, warmer then his normal full faced grin. "I won't bother you about it, so don't worry. If you wanna talk about it I'm here...but if not? That's aight too. Now c'mon!" He punched her lightly on the shoulder, and started bouncing up and down. "I'm not going to let the little guy get the last word in, let's prove to this guy just what it means to be an explorer!" A firm nod later, Caris was bounding after the little thing, determination renewed.

Tsu · Oct 20, 2016

"The first don' come and arrived, eh?
'Lot faster than I was expectin'…Figure they just now be escaping ol' Vin's torture chamber.
No matta', stop threatin' her with the face of death, n' bring her in.
New explora's always welcome in my presence."

The individual who spoke was lazily sprawled across a woven mat which rested along the ground of the village elder's hut. He hosted a somewhat impoverished appearance—long, matted black hair while dressed in the tattered rags of once quality leather—but such an image did nothing against his position of leadership as a group of bandits immediately expressed their loyalty before scurrying off to their newly assigned task. Nonetheless, one remained behind to express his opinion towards the recent order that was given.

"I can't say that I agree with that…
The woman has already done in several of my men. I believe forms of repercussion are due for my losses? Particularly ones which have her…involvement."

"Nonsense." Chuckles erupted from the lazed man who began slapping the mat as if the bandit leader had told the best joke of the day.
"What good comes from wastin' the new age potential. Someone with talent is to be respect'd."

"Can't say that I agree with that…"

"Just as I can't remember askin' for ya opinion." Up until this point, the individual on the mat had boasted a cheerful persona, yet it was as he spoke his rebuttal that his tone fell cold and a dark expression clouded his face. Slowly, he began to rise to his feet—an action which forced a defensive pose by the bandit leader who placed his hands on the daggers at his side.

"Remember your place, explorer.
Its my brigade, not yours"

Once again, the man chuckled as he lazily walked forward and placed a hand on the bandit leader's shoulder. There was no hesitation in light of the daggers which were partially drawn against him, and the entire scene lasted only a few seconds, as the man continued forward and out the hut's door. There was a commotion occurring towards one side of the village, and it was with a small sigh that he began moving in that direction.

With a mighty swing of her axe Reylla catches the arm of one of the menacing bandits, guffawing at his scream of pain. "Come on now!" She calls with a fearsome grin. The giantess is standing surrounded by an angry circle of bandits, but keeping them at bay with her weapon. At her back, keeping her from being flanked, is Vasha, snarling ferociously and snapping his teeth at their faces.

After attacking the first guard Reylla had surged with the fervor of battle. She took care of the other with swift work, but not before he was able to sound the alarm. Reylla had only smiled. As she sidesteps an attack from a member of the circle she nearly trips on the fallen body of a bandit. Three men lay at her feet, though she doesn't know whether they are unconscious or dead

She laughs in their faces again, spinning slowly to look at them all. "Really! Someone take their best shot, or are the lot of ya just cowards?" From Reylla's left she hears a man let out a battle cry, and she easily turns to catch him in the arc of her axe across the chest. There's a collective groan from the circle as blood sprays overhead.

"Stop! We have orders to bring her in!" Comes an urgent yell from the town. Reylla turns in the direction of the voice and rounds her shoulders, bouncing on her toes and letting out a low chuckle. "Try me, ya yellow bellied dogs!"

Heads were flying, blood was splattering, and at the end of the day, the gore was being nimbly sidestepped by the lazy man who watched as the helpless bandits were slaughtered left and right. A smile encompassed his expression as he eyed the source of mayhem with both curiosity and interest. All around him, bandits began fleeing from the village center, but he continued walking forward--cracking his fingers in preparation for the event that was likely to come.

"First off, thank ya, good lady. Savin' me some work.
With that out of the way tho', I gotta request ya' to follow.
A lil' talk is all I ask, then we'll be on our way...seperate or conjoin'd
If you still insist tho'..."

As he spoke, the man crouched into a combative stance as he prepared to counter a potential attack. His body weight was equalized, and his hands were extended forward. His eyes were focused on the bloody weapon while his breath slowed to a calm and steady pace. There was no denying the man's experience in the combative arts--a fact that was further emphasized by the confident tone which encompased the short warning that he spoke.

"I'd reccommend against it, tho'."

Tsu · Oct 21, 2016

As soon as the critter's feet made contact with the ground, he reached for his staff and burst into a sprint. Contrary to his earlier words, the village of Lok was not a lengthy journey away, but rather a short, half hour walk towards the northern region of the forest. That being said, since the sun was beginning to set, the environment was becoming increasingly harder to see. Thankfully, the animalistic nature of critter came as a boon, especially when he sprawled to a sudden stop and snapped his fingers towards the pair of Sari.

"Silence." His tone was hushed as he gazed towards the oncoming clearing which defined one of the two major roadways which ran through the forest. In and about the trees on the opposide side of the road were a group of bandits standing over what appeared to be the corpses of trial participants. Blood dribbled from the trauma on their heads and the arrow wounds across their body while their supplies were actively raided by the bandits who seemed saitsfied with their find. Excluding the dead, everyone was similarly dressed in masks and leather outfits akin to a band of thieves--all expect one, at least. Atop a nearby rock, a peculiar woman sat in a meditative position with her legs crossed and hands place on each knee. Long silver hair ran along the front and back of her undercovered body while a mantle of black feathers fell from the top of her head onto the ground below. While the bandits indulged in their crimes, she remained perfectly still in her uninterested position--at least until her head rotated towards the direction where the critter had stopped the party.

"She's blind, but she knows we are here." The critter's tone was lathered with surprise as he observed the cloudy eyes which defined her facial features. Although he knew his words were an obvious contradiction, a violent shudder ran down his spine as he couldn't shake the feeling that the woman's eyes were drilling into him...all of them...

The sound of a clap echoed amongst the trees, and immediately the bandits abandoned their fun and fell back into the trees where they drew their bows and prepared for battle. Seconds went by without change in the situation; however, eventually a flurry of arrows flew into the sky and hailed onto the foresty cover where the critter and Sari lay.

"Backs to the trees!" Kula hissed instinctively, keeping her voice quiet as the arrows began to rain from above. There wasn't much time to think about things at all, but Kula knew if she kept her back pressed right against one of the thick trees to counter the angle of the arrows, there was no way one could hit her unless the arrows had magic to them. Just to be safe, she held her trident at an angle so the metal of the tip was covering her head. She could sustain an arrow to the shoulder, but a headshot was game over.

As the hail of arrows began to thud against the forest floor, Kula thought deeply. That woman... Kula hadn't caught sight of her for long, but if she was 'blind' and 'knew they were there', she was obviously an extremely competent scout for the bandit party. Whether she used sound, movement of wind, detecting body heat, or some other unknown method to see the three was a mystery. The bandits, from what Kula could tell, had retreated to check with the woman on which direction to fire; they didn't share the same abilities as she did, surely.

It was bugging her. How could she see them? Was it just a Spirit Art that revealed all to her? There had to be a way they could make themselves invisible to her, surely? Otherwise they'd be at a huge risk from the arrows, and Kula and Caris didn't have any conventional ranged weapons on them. Kula wasn't sure about the fluffy thing's abilities yet, and now wasn't the time for a detailed explaination about each one. Perhaps he had something up his sleeve, but for now Kula was going to assume he didn't.

"Can we run from this battle and take a detour? This is much too dangerous. Expect the next wave of arrows to come from multiple directions; that was just their test shot." Kula whispered, her breathing heavy but controlled. "I won't discuss tactics out loud because she might posess the ability to hear us. And if that's the case, I hope you get eaten by spiders, young miss." Kula muttered under her breath in a half-joking tone, using humour to try and break her stress. The Southern Sári seemed to be planning something.

Caris on the other hand, had his own method of dealing with arrows. Firstly, dodging them was a lot more difficult for the Northern Sari, given his size. However his harpoon training did account a little for parrying ranged attacks...admitedly he was used to stingers and the like of monsters.His one saving grace however was his blubber: While not thick enough to protect from a direct shot, did mange to stop some glancing blows...even if it did hurt.

Truth be told, if not for Kula's order to retreat, Caris would have charged at the enemy. He still almost did, stumbling backwards as his brain registered Kula's command. He trusted his comrade enough to listen to whatever she had as an idea...Caris himself was coming up with one himeself.

"We've got a few options!" Caris called out, trying to get back as more arrows stung against his blubber...they were starting to get annoying. He motioned to his bandolier, the poison didn't work as well when applied to skin, but...if he managed to combine it with breaking glass...it might work? But the chances of it working were slim. The other option was the little bit of smoke he managed to capture from the carriage. Whatever it was, it could knock you out fast...but he wasn't sure if he had enough. It was a risky choice with little chance of success...but knocking out a key target could be useful.

Worse come to shove, Caris had two weapons. Both his trident and his harpoon were throwable...albiet again designed for water combat. He'd have one shot with either of them, adn then be comparitively defenseless. "I'll follow your command Kula. You've got the lead on this one." A bright smirk developed on Caris face, despite the situation. If he was nervous...well, he didn't show it. "What about sound? Could that be how she finds us?"

"Neither sound nor hearing is a sensible conclusion. There are no spirit arts which bypass the impossible of human senses, and furthermore, I could feel the aura of her spirit were she casting. I hate to say it, but we are going in blind...of course its with two oafs of thieves I have to put my trust in."

Although his demeanor was serious, the critter managed an exasperated sigh in response to the realization of his allies for this battle. Nonetheless, such cares did not last as he began lightly chanting before a swing of his staff sent several shards of rock in the direction of the forest line.

There were several dull thuds amongst cries of pain; however, the flurry of arrows continued their assault against the somewhat pinned party. Once again, a sigh escaped the critters lips as he grew increasingly more frustrated with the current situation.

"Trauma girl!" In addition to his words, the critter lightly stuck Kula on her back as a means of obtaining her attention. "After the next flurry, carrying the oaf fish on your wave again. We have no chance at range, and he looks better at bonking heads then sitting here like the dumb beast he is. I'd rather force the woman's hand, anyways. Better to unveil her tricks than lie dumb in an obvious trap."

As Kula sat behind cover, she was hurriedly scraping away at a long stick from the forest floor with her knife, sharpening it into a wooden point. A simple wooden spear; anyone knew how to make one of these, and she had a good arm when it came to throwing them.

Emitting a low growl as she was bopped on the back and called 'trauma girl' again, Kula nodded at the fluffy mage's words nonetheless.
"Yes, that looks like it's what we'll have to do." Kula touched the tip of the wooden spear she'd finished carving with her finger, before hastily cutting a length of blue silk fabric from her robe, wrapping it around the middle of the sharpened stick as a grip for better throwing. "We know what the bandits can do. Shoot arrows, likely use a melee weapon well, and that's about it. As for the spotter, she might be very competent in either ranged or melee attacks."

Waiting for the next set of arrows, Kula packed everything she didn't need to have out back in her bag as she sat flat against the tree, holding her makeshift spear tight. Throwing the brilliantly-crafted trident around her back wasn't an option.
"First, however, I want to see how good the spotter is at dodging or blocking attacks. She's completely naked, so this wooden point will be enough to injure her if it hits. I'll throw it whilst being carried by the wave, and then, Caris, we need to try and engage the bandits so they put away their bows; you can cast spells that way without fear of being hit, fluffy."

The next hail of arrows thunked against the forest floor, and Kula's eyes widened at the opportunity when they did.
"Go!" Popping out from behind cover, Kula broke into a sprint, before bringing a wave up underneath the two to speed them towards the bandits. As Kula rode on the wave, however, she had the wooden spear raised and ready to throw. She narrowed her eyes, breathing slowly, focusing on her target. Using the speed of the wave and a precise aim to deliver a strong throw, Kula hurled the wooden spear straight for the body of the spotter, and then drawing her trident to stand beside Caris as she landed on the floor.

The bandits were startled by the sudden advance, but not to the point of their incapacitation. While quickly shouldering their bows and arrows, they drew their melee weapons from their hips and slowly began to crowd around their new prey. In the case of the woman, Kula's spear was thrown with a perfect trajectory as the wooden tip pierced deep into her lower gut, yet not a sound escaped her lips--only black liquid began to dribble from the wound as she fell off the rock and onto the ground, unmoving.

Regardless, there was no time to inspect her body, as one by one, the bandits grew braver and opted for the first move. One in particular charged forward with a savage roar that quickly turned into a pained grunt as he crumpled onto the ground with a sharpened stone lodged in his head. Once again, black blood began to dribble from his wound.

"A good shot, trauma girl! Perhaps, you have a percent of potential afterall!
Now you, giant oaf fish! Make your mark." The critter's voice called out from within the forest behind them as he opted for the supportive role of cover fire.

For a moment in time, the death of their comrade persuaded the remaining bandits against their advance; however, a grim realization soon arrived on their horizon of thought. Even if the enemy had cover fire, they were limited to a handful of targets at a time. Perhaps some would die, but in that time, the they would acheive the upper hand with a hostage or two. Cunning smiles encompassed their face as they burst into a roaring charge--weapons at the ready and their targets in direct sight.

Caris had been applying his poison once he learned the others had a plan. Whatever it was, if it involved fighting up close, Caris would take any advantage he could get...especially with that many bandits. Ge rode the wave in, using his trident to deflect any missles that got...a little too close for comfort to either of them.When they landed, he let out a battle roar. Kula had gotten here, time to prove to her he could actually be useful...the forest muskrat's words were starting to get to Caris.

The big Sari met the bandits charge head on, trident stabbing wildly to break the charge as best he could. Unlike Kula, he could afford to take a few hits. He may not be the best fighter among his people...but he could still be intimidating. He charged forward, into the thick of things, relying on his blubber to protect him. The Northern Sari swung back and forth, stabbing with his trident at different bandits, drwaing their attention and generally being as large a threat as possible. He'd kill any he could if he got an opportunity, but wounds alone would be enough. His poison could cripple the target with enough application, and so getting as many hits as he could was vital to his stratagy. Caris dealt damage, but fairly slowly. He was more concerned with keeping the bandits attention on him.

As soon as the bandits began to charge, Kula adopted a low stance with her trident tip pointing towards the floor, her eye sharply keeping an eye on the approaching enemies. Caris seemed to be focused with keeping the enemies crowded around himself, but the occasional bandit had the smarts to zip around and go for the smaller, easier kill.

One bandit, axe raised, went for a lunging slash to try and catch her off guard. Raising her trident upwards with a subtle flick, she caught the axe blade inbetween two prongs of the trident, before sharply twisting her spear, causing the axe to fly out of the bandit's hand. In the moment of his confusion, Kula weaved to the right of the man, giving a sharp kick to the back of his knee that tripped him. Kula hesitated a moment, before plunging the prongs of the trident into his back for the final blow. They may have been scum, but it still didn't feel good.

Kula focused on sending powerful stabs to areas such as bandits' legs to make it easier for Caris to take them down, outmaneuvering bandits that went for attacks on her. Her sly dodges and clever moves clearly pissed off the bandits after a while, which was a partial intention of her fighting style. When it came to the final bandit, Kula suddenly hissed, pointing a black-blood covered trident at the remaning bandit.
"The black blood. Tell us what it means and I'll let you go. If you don't, I'll castrate you."

One by one, the bandits were felled. Some died immediately while others continued to writhe in pain as their life slowly began to fade. For the one caught in Kula's grasp, pleads for his life were the only concerns on his mind--at least until she mentioned the black blood which covered the ground from the recent massacre. Unsure of what his captor meant, he consciously gazed at his own body and surroundings only to scream in response to what he saw.

"W-Wha...W-Wh.....F-Fuu..." His attempt at words were incoherant while an expression of panic began to surface on his face. "Th-The...C-Cur....Th-The....W-Wiitc...GUH." The bandit wasn't able to finish his statement before a gut wretching sound echoed from his body. From under his hooded veil, black blood burst from his eyes and spurted out his mouth. Unable to sustain his balance, the man's legs crumpled under his weight while his body tremored--unable to visualize or whimper the pains that he silently sufferred.

"Even the heavens tell me not to put my faith in you oaf of theives."

The critter spoke with a tone of his depression as he walked up to the suffering man and began inspecting him through physical and spiritual means. The entire process took only a few seconds before a heavy sigh escaped his lips as he turned his attention back to the Sari.

"His eyes are as flat as a pancake crab, and his throat guts are the same. Self-defense is one thing, but I cannot agree with the torture of life.
So which one of you oafs is the dirty fish bastard?...Probably you trauma girl. Gone and sucked the life right out of his eyes!"

The words were blatantly accusatory and the critter's pose was now defensive as he held his staff at the ready for any potential threats.

"You really are out to eat me!...Oh Sylvanus, why must you torment this poor soul so.
To have an inkling of hope only to suffer the consequence of blind trust!

"Well hold on, that's hardly fair." Caris stated bluntly, before turning to Kula. "Please, do what you can for him...it's beyond my power. If you can do...anything, to at least make him comfortable...please. He then turned to the Forest Rat. "For someone who calls us oafs, you can be pretty stupid." He motioned to the man on the floor, and let out a mournful sigh. he didn't have much time left. "For starters, look at the wounds. They're nothing like I've ever seen Kula do. She seems to specilize in water magic yes?" He waited for the smaller Sari to nod or respond before continueing on. "This is...clearly not that, to begin with water is an inherintly beignful magic, I've studied enough to know that...secondly, there's a simple matter that this man referred to a "Witc- before cutting off." He knelt down beside the man, and did the best he could to comfort him, grabbing his hand and shushing him in between speaking to the group. "This is likely a "Witch." And while yes, Kula IS a female caster, she doesn't quite have the attire of one. Surely he would pick a word like mage? And this forest is dangerous, it's possible that woman from before was the witch in question." He stopped, but cut off the little forest rat about halfway through his first word, intentionally interrupting him.

"And let's talk about that woman shall we not? Her powers were truly strange, something almost unexplainable...least as far as I know. I am just a stupid oaf." He let out a mournful chuckle, but continued on. "You may argue that Kula attacking the witch is a key example of her using this magic! After all, she did bleed black. But if you'll remember kindly, Kula was using her attention to keep a wave going. I don't know abotu you, but aiming a spear, driving yourself forward, AND cursing the entire enemy force? That's mighty impressive, and Kula I mean no harm when I observe that you likely wouldn't be able to pull off a feat so easily, I doubt many magical users would. It'd have to be a curse too, because you'll notice the wounds caused by ANY of us resulted in black blood for their wounds. That is to say, there's an equal chance you are the "witch" this doomed man speaks of." Caris voice had been calm and composed the whole time, but it began to rise, leaving the side of the dying man, and moving towards the short druid.

"We did not cause this, we too speak ill of torture...it's making me sick as we speak. But..." Caris continued to stand in front of the druid at his full height. If the druid took the time to attack, Caris would take it. "We are not theives, we are not oafs, and Kula did not cause this to happen." A pause."We can take your insults, we can take them just fine. I myself have a literally thick skin." He looked back at the dying man. "It is true that I accidentally destroyed your altar, but we are aiming to fix it, to cause a soloution. If you are going to accuse us of something as serious and as cruel as THAT?" He pointed harshly at the dying man. "You better stop spouting nonsense and have some god damn evidence of it. Or does Sylvanus not care about the truth?"

"...Thank you, Caris." Kula whispered in a monotone. Being accused of being some sort of dark magician that tortured enemies really hadn't set well with her, causing her eye to twitch uncomfortably, but she felt calmer after the Northern Sári had backed her up as best as she could. Whilst the bandits preyed on the innocent and deserved all that was coming to them, torture was still a disgusting act to be performed by sane human beings.

Looking at the dying man, Kula shook her head, her voice still in a quiet whisper.
"There's nothing I can do for him. A bandit deserves death, but not a fate like this; the pain these wounds must be causing is indescribable. Minor healing magic or first aid won't be enough. This is the best I can do." With that, Kula reached over, and delivered a swift stab to the head with her knife. Moving across the bodies to check for signs of life, she rinsed and repeated the same thing with all of the other dying bandits, her breathing cracked as her hands and knife became absolutely soaked in the thick, jet-black blood

With a rise of her hand, Kula sent up waves to cleanse her and Caris of the splatters of black blood and injuries they'd inevitably gotten on the way.

Once she was clean, Kula took the slowest of deep breaths as she rose, her back facing the forest druid. Without turning, she concluded the matter with a simple, quiet question:
"Do you really think I did this?"

As Caris made his bold declarations, the critter grew increasingly more embarassed as seen by the darkening hue of his facial fur. For the duration of the Sari's speech, he remained in silence--at least until Kula questioned his motives to which he replied with a hushed, "No." Such a meek state of being did not last long, however, as he quickly returned to his usual sassiness while hoping away from the skewered bandit and toward the direction of the witch.

"Oafs are oafs, and of course you'll be repairing the altar!
What better purpose for a pair of oafish thie...."

The critter fell silent as he gazed upon a pool of black blood which housed a feathered mantle floating upon its surface. His first response was to poke the substance with the butt of his staff; however, a low growl quickly surfaced in his throat as he tossed his staff which was rapidly undertaking the cursed color.

"You claim your innocence, and I'll belive you for now.
But it seems the gods deem retribution necessary upon your heads."

The critter's tone was grim as he spoke with heavy breaths upon gazing towards the part of Sari. Although Kula's waters had washed their skin clear of the blood, regions it had touched were gradually beginning to darken just as the staff had done moments before. It was also at that instance that a flutters above sent a flurry of leaves falling from the trees as a murder of ravens took flight into the northern sky above.

"And there's the answer to the mystery." It was almost comical how straightfoward the statement was.

becna · Oct 21, 2016

At the sound of a commanding voice Reylla turns, neatly catching a bandit in the back of the head as she goes, sending him splattering to the ground. The circle around her is disintegrating as bandits either fall or flee, though from her or the man approaching she isn't sure. Finally, maybe she'd find a challenge. Reylla grins widely, her white teeth standing out starkly against the blood on her face.

"You the one in charge here then?" She calls across the clearing, twirling her axe between her hands as Vasha returns to her side, crouching as he snarls at the man his mistress is now focused on. "Or we fighting these bastards together? Heard some of them talking 'bout taking the hostages and having their way with 'em." She wipes away blood from her face with her sleeve, never taking her eyes off him.

Reylla's heart is still pounding, her senses heightened, bloodlust in her eyes. "How 'bout we do it this way? You say your piece here. If I don't like it, I smash your face with my axe. Because I ain't found the hostages yet, so I'm not done."

Tsu · Oct 22, 2016

Kula squinted in confusion, and her heart felt like it skipped a beat in a blind panic. The Gods...? What had they done to anger them? She looked to the staff, before looking at the pool of the black blood, and then finally at her own hands.

"...!!" Kula let out a wheeze of panic as her eye narrowed in on her darkening hands. Impossible... even though she didn't know that would happen, she still washed it off, didn't she? Before she knew it, little splatters of blood on her garnents were darkening, her trident and knife was enveloped in black, and a wide splatter that had splashed onto her face when she was mercy-killing the remaining few stained her face like a big, black scar. The splashes of blood on Caris were darkening in similar fashion, but what did it mean?

Nothing seemed to be happening apart from the darkening, but the grim tone of the fluffy creature didn't suggest this could be anything good. The calm state Kula had attained after hearing the 'no' to her being a witch had completely evaporated again. This wasn't good at all, she could just feel it, and her body trembled.
"What is this..." Kula mumbled, before she whirred around to the critter, her voice a scared, quiet monotone. "What does this mean for us..."

"Your guess is as best as mine, Trauma girl. At least, you seem capable of movement and speech. Can't be all that bad apart from looking like a leopard fish." The critter spoke with a shrug as he took one last regretful gaze towards his now blackened staff before walking in the direction that the ravens had flown. "I have a feeling in my gut that the ravens flew this way, not because of migration. Perhaps, you will find the answers you desire. Besides, the quest for the elements is bound to be a long one! The world is vast and its mysteries are a many!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Laughter burst from the town center as the man found himself clutching his sides to keep a steady balance. Gone was his combative stance as he soon settled himself onto the dusty ground once his fit of humour had passed. Overall, he seemed entirely unperturbed towards the blood lust and aggression that the Reylla displayed--if anything he seemed somewhat bored now that a fight wasn't immediately happening. A lazy yawn escaped his lips alongside of the words which he spoke in response to the giant's statements.

"Bold, strong, and naive--wonderful qualities for an up n' coming explora'.
Now, ta address ya concerns...Am I tha' leader?...Yes and no. I don't control their brigade, but I did hire their services, yes. Cours', now that ya quelled their lives, you've saved me some work..."

The man performed a lazy salute as a conveyance of his thanks for the services of slaughter that Reylla had provided. Following that action, he was about to continue with his speech; however, was cut short by the sudden murder of ravens which landed in a crowd around his body. In the distance, an under-covered woman dressed only in a black feather mantle was slowly treading along one of the dusty pathways which connected to the village center. Seeing her figure, the lazy man made several "tsk" noises before rising to his feet with greetings for her arrival.

"You've returned. Well done on ya quest. Tho', I see your habit of underestimatin' the children surfaced once more. No matta', I've been bought another glorious individual, here as well.
I'd say it was a successful outin'--we found potential in addition to the shard."

The woman only nodded in response to the man's words. There was no emotion on her face--an aspect that became strikingly obvious when she arrived at his side and began inspecting the blood-splattered giant who appeared all to ready to bash heads in. A shrug was her only response to her observations before she plopped onto the ground and began childishly slapping the dusty ground.

"Now, don't think I've forgotten 'bout you.
For ya biggest concern, the villagers are fine. Tha' were lock'd away in their huts when we arrived at the village. I've got what I come for, so my business is mostly done.
Also, good job to ya as well. I like this one's personality."

"Of course, my age gives me n' eye for them."

A familiar voice spoke from Reylla's rear where the elder Fytali was approaching with a cheerful wave towards the former party member he had sent ahead. The bloody battlefield amidst with corpses caught his attention after which he directed a nod the giant's way in appreciation of her work.

"Not bad, my child."

In regards to the praise, the lazy man began clapping his hands--an action that was soon reciprocated by the others until he silenced them with the conclusion to his speech.

"And now we wait. Since we already convened in this location, we might as well await the arrival of ya peers. I shall disclose my intentions at that time, and afterwards, if we do not see eye to eye, we can be on our way. After all, savin' the villagers should be more than enough to satisfy ol' Vin's expectations--Completion of a quest, well done."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the forest highway, there was only a few minutes left till their arrival at the village of Lok. From the outskirts, it was obvious there was something amidst given the general absence of ordinary village life. Regardless for the party of Sari and the critter, there was next to no hindrance in the way of their arrival apart from the occasional bandit who had avoided prior death at the hands of Reylla.

"The earth element is here. I can feel its power." The critter spoke with a growl directed towards the village center. "Prepare yourselves, oafs of thieves. I smell blood. This is likely going to be a battle against the remaining bandits. You take lead, and I'll provide cover fire again. Since I lost the usage of my staff in addition to the elements, my powers are significantly weakened, so this time, I'm putting my faith in you oafs. Don't let me down!"

Tsu · Oct 24, 2016

As a few more bandits came in the way, Kula looked up from her long-distanced stare into the ground. The creature may have passed it off as a joke - a leopard fish - but something in her gut was twisting. The black stains that coated her... whatever it was, the survival instinct deep within, her sixth sense, was screaming out. It wasn't good. It wasn't good...

Regardless, the bandits had to be dealt with, but Kula's eye was unconcentrated and squinting. She didn't look like she wanted to fight at all, but for the greater good, she had to. Killing bandits would save more trial members that fell into their grasp; it could potentially save innocent people, and if these bandits really were cursed or something alike, she'd ease their suffering. She didn't want more black blood on her. Killing didn't feel good... she didn't want to kill even more. But she needed to. She needed to...

Kula slowly slugged off her trident, a dark shadow casting over her eye as she did so, joining the side of Caris. She didn't get into her fighting stance yet. Although it wasn't clear by a mere look, she was lost, and she wanted to see what he did first.

Cairs noticed Kula's lack of a stance, and her shadow of a demeanor. He smiled softly and put a hand on her shoulder. It was huge like the rest of Caris, but there was something reassuring about it. "Kula, my friend. Take a breath. You look weary." He watched as the bandits ahead of them scrambled into position. He seemed relaxed, and Caris realized that his new friend didn't know battle like he did. Every day hunting and raiding see monsters was part of Caris life, from the time he was old enough to hold a spear he was in cold waters, fighting for his life. He was never a great warrior, but death had been a constant companion for years...For Kula, it was a stark new compatriot.

It wasn't that Caris wasn't worried about the black spots. Having been in the thick of things, Caris had turned into a spotted fish to the point where he couldn't really argue with the forest muskrat. His lack of clothes wasn't helping him much in that regard either...but Caris figured there wasn't much to be done about it, either nothing would come of it, or it'd be a problem they'd have to deal with. He'd try and analyze it after they got the element of Earth, now wasn't really the time.

He didn't say much to Kula at first, just giving her a reassuring look. A dozen seconds later, he broke the silence. "I know you are weary my friend, but you must push on. You don't have to like it...hell, I pray you never do. I've seen bad things happen when men and women learn to love violence. But these people are likely corrupted, and that aside they would kill us if they give a chance." He paused, before stepping forward. "You don't have to fight for yourself Kula, I won't ask that." He lowered his trident, and pointed it at the bandits. "But if you need a reason to fight, I ask you fight for me, and in return, I'll fight for you. In the end, that's all I can ask really."

Reylla watches the seemingly bored man and the strangely feathered woman without blinking, staying in her fighting stance, poised to strike any moment. Vasha crouches and prepares himself too, never letting up his low snarl. Blood drips from the end of her long braid onto the ground, staining the tips red. She listens intently, keeping up the tight grip on her axe.

However as they speak, she seems to… deflate slightly. A tiny frown creases her forehead. "So you ah… okay. We actually will be talking then. I'd been hopin' you would charge me and I could try something I'd been wanting to do…" Reylla turns at the Fytali's appearance, and further sags a bit. "Oh, 'lo there. Thanks. You feeling better then?" With a sigh she turns and spots a distantly fleeing bandit. Leaning back then swinging forward Reylla pitches the axe end over end, spinning past huts before burying itself in the man's back. "Vasha - fesk." She instructs. The direwolf obeys, sprinting off down the path to return the axe.

Sure she was happy to have completed a quest, most likely earning herself a spot in the guild without a problem. But she hadn't really been wounded by the bandits. There were a few cuts here and there, and she would have multiple bruises. How would she remember this battle - this momentous occasion! - without a scar of some kind? With a sigh she glances around her, hoping that someone might attack from the shadows.

Her eyes catch a sight unexpected but exciting. Two figures that seemed familiar somehow. Reylla squints in their direction. They look like they might be Sari… "Oh! We might not need to wait!" She exclaims with relief. Reylla dashes forward, not thinking about how she looks like a mountain charging out of the semi-darkness at them.

As Caris touched her shoulder, Kula's body gave the slightest of shudders. She took a breath like he asked her to, trying to clear her mind, trying to get all of the worse case scenario thoughts out of her head that were just stacking up, and trying to wipe away the shame. By the time Caris had finished talking, she visibly bit a quivering lip, before something dripped onto the ground. It was a tear.

"You're right. I have to fight; I'll do it for you, and anyone else who may stumble across these horrible people. These men need to die. ...These men..." Kula repeated under her breath, her sharp teeth growling as the pictures of the dead soon-to-be explorers flooded her mind. Her grip clamped around her blackened trident so hard it seemed like she was going to snap it, and wildly, the Southern Sári looked up. "I'm with you, Caris. Let's go."

Snatching something out of her bag, Kula adopted the same low stance with her trident, though she was holding a knife in her right hand as well. She waited for one to come to her, like she always did. A man with a sword approached, and the only thing she could think about was wiping his existence. With a sudden, strong, thrust, Kula's trident knocked back and pinned the bandit against a tree with a sickening crunch, then, she ducked towards him with her knife, the short blade jamming itself into the side of his head, before quickly pulling both weapons out again. ...! The blood was red? It was a relief, but there was no time for relief.

As she looked for the next bandit that tried to approach her, moving aside so the fluffy critter could get some good shots in, Kula noticed something. Someone was running towards them - fast - and the figure was absolutely huge and dripping with blood as if they'd bathed in it. The darkness of the trees hid their face and features, but the most likely situation was...
"Caris... get ready. That figure over there... it may be their leader." Kula's trident tip faced the sprinting figure as it began to close the gap fast.

"And nuff of that."

For as fast as Reylla was closing the distance between herself and the Sari, the lazy man proved far more capable as he suddenly stood, halfway, between the two parties of applicants. At first, his arms were extended both ways as a signal to stop, but he quickly settled onto the ground with another yawn.

"Let's not go about stabbin' each other under the dark moonlight, now.
My party has remain'd in Lokwood for one purpose...Ya lot has intruig'd my members, and as such, I offer a proposition to ya...Abandon the Trials and join my brigade.
I can off..."

A sudden silence fell upon the atmosphere as the man snatched a rock that was aimed for his head. Once again, a yawn escaped his lips as a quick squeeze reduced the granite into dust and rubble; however, several more were flying his way--the subsequent which were rapidly sniped while the echo of gunshots lingered in the air.

In response to the attack, the elder fytali and the naked woman began walking towards their leader's side where the former had his weapon aimed towards the source while the latter began to stare in the direction of the two Sari. As per usual, there was little to no emotion demonstrated on her face; however, a general aura of intrigue seemed to eminate from her body. Both came to a halt when the man raised his hand, just as the critter's voice exploded with a clear expression of his anger.

"You stole the element."

Reylla pulled up short, startled by the man's appearance before her. As she drew closer she sees her guess had been correct - these were the Sari she had met at the very start of the trials, who had helped her move the injured idiot to safety.

But her focus went to the man sprawled on the ground. So he wasn't working with Vin? Reylla felt more uncertain now. The trial had been her goal for a long time, would she be willing to join some obviously powerful yet odd man she'd just met? Well… she reminded herself, that was exactly what she had been willing to do with Vin.

Vasha pulled the axe from the still twitching bandit's back and loped over to his mistress, hoping for more bloodshed. She took the weapon and moved into a fighting stance again, prompting Vasha to yowl excitedly.

Having nothing to hold on to, she turns to the person she knows best. "What's the element?" She asks the Fytali man.

With his services unrequired by his leader, the elder Fytali returned to his usual calm desposition, and it was when Reylla directed a question his way, that he turned to answer with a smile on his face.

"The elements that the critta' refers too are god elements. Just as ya know, the ordinary elements of El'yssi are fire, wata', air, and earth; then there's the special elements of light and shadow that ya might be less familia' with. Regardless, all elements have a pure form...one that comes directly from beings that are known as gods. This is how the mythology tells the story anyways...At the end of the day, the god elements are conduits of power that strengthen ya capability of the spirit arts. Rare n' very valuable."

Caris frowned, not quite grasping the situation. He didn't understand what was going on...but he had a bad feeling about things. His fingers gripped his trident tight as he backed slowly, taking a defensive stance in front of the muskrat man and Kula. Who were these people? Wait a minute..."Wait...it's you! From earlier!" Caris blinked in suprise. What were these people doing here? Things were confusing.

More importantly, who took the element? Was it Reylla? That'd be pretty confusing...from what Caris knew, she was a good person. Not many would stand and try and fight a crowd off to save a man. He looked back to the druid. "Are you sure? All of them? This woman here...she's a good person." He looked back to Reylla, then chuckled sheepishly. "You didn't happen to uh...take any super special magical rock from a shrine did you? It's kind of important."

Kula blinked. That giant of a girl was the one who almost missed a carriage to help one of the men; Kula wouldn't have expected her to be so utterly covered in blood. Her kill count must've been astonishing. As the lazy man got in the way, Kula lowered her darkened trident slightly, staying behind Caris.

The Southern Sári grit her teeth as tension filled the air. It was that woman from earlier... hadn't Kula killed her? Despite the fluffy druid accusing someone of stealing the element and attacking, a fight wasn't really something they could do. They were outnumbered, and one of them had a gun, for God's sake. And if the giant was on their side... they had a bloodthirsty axe-wielder to deal with, along with a powerful wolf.

"No, Caris." Kula interrupted quietly. "If she took the element, she would've had to start from the same position as us to find the altar so quickly. I didn't even see her in the prison cell challenge, so she's come in from a different direction entirely. Whoever took the element has been here before; for a long time, in fact." Kula looked up, her vivid eye honing in on the black-haired man who took up a bored demeanor. "The way you caught that rock just now. ...You stole it, didn't you."

"And no, I won't join your brigade. We've clearly killed a lot of your men, and you don't seem to care in the slightest. They may have been weak, but to you, they're expendable. Pawns on your chess board to see where the true power lies. That isn't a leader I want to follow." Kula calmly said, her trident not raised as her turqoise eye flickered. "Now you're in a position where you've got something that isn't yours. What are you going to do?"

"Frankly, I'm gonna take it." The response was blunt and to the point as the man rose to his feet and cracked his back with a satisfied sigh. The Fytali and the woman also responded by returning to their readied stance; however, once again they were calmed with a raise of the man's hand. "This ain't for anyone else to involve themselves with. Let's see what the demigod is capable of. After all, it is his problem."

A high pitched growl exploded into the atmosphere as the critter suddenly burst forward with a flurry of spirit. Although his capabilities were limited from the lack of elemental breadth in his possension, his earth arts were no less potent given the nearby source of its foundation. A sudden cage of earth rose from the ground and surrouded the position of the lazy man. Without hesitation, the critter then clenched his fists causing a burst of spikes to explode from the ground and pierce through the cage.

"That is what you get for underestimating a being transcend mortality."

"Same to ya, demigod."

A high-pitched wail of pain screeched into the air before falling silent seconds later as the critter was smashed into the ground under the force of the man's crushing blow. Splatters of blood existed all around the small crater which had formed under the critter's limp body. Yet another lazed yawn escaped the man's lips as he walked steps away before settling back onto the ground, unamused by the fight that had occurred. In the sky, the last bit of light faded from view and complete darkness fell upon the village which was admist of torch and light. It was at this time that the man's voice spoke once more, as he began a discussion in response to the naivity he saw in applicant's words.

"None of ya understand the world as many before ya have. Course, that is why ya all present in this forest--workin' to become the next generation of explorers for the Guild. One day, ya will come to resent ya membership just as the Black Feathas' have. But until that day comes, grow...become stronga'...and rememba'..." The man turned his attention towards the pair of Sari. "We are family now. Control your emotions and the blemish shall fade."

The man rose to his feet; a signal which summoned the fytali and the woman away from their own interests and back to his side. Before they began their journey of departure; however, the man paused to speak one final time.

"This is ya last offer. Come at me or with me if ya will...if not we'll be on our way."

The Guild of El'yssi (Exploration Fantasy)

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