Into the Woods

Into the Woods​

It was a morning just like any other; waking up early at a small inn located ways into the Adecus Forest, somewhere just a short day's journey outside of Stokbon. The cabin was run by a small old couple, the kind of couple you only hear about in movies. Married Fifty some odd years, many kids who have moved off to the city; don't often see them. Just a loving and caring couple who treat their guests like family.

Such emotion and feeling written into their coding would leave others to assume they might have been actual players if it wasn't for the fact they seemed clueless to references outside the game. Either they were truly dedicated to their roleplaying or they were actors. Given their reactions and the genuine feeling one got from them it seemed nearly impossible it was any other way.

None the less, there was one other person found in this lovely inn. This figure, in particular, runs the bar section and is the owners' nephew. He was a former adventurer and a man of great respect. However, not entirely settled down, he often collected information and helped spread rumors worth trading for among his customers. Aside from that he ran a rather interesting quest board which could be found near the fireplace.

It was this very board that our dashing hero was giving a once over. His hand beneath his chin, arms folded he'd stare at it with a puzzled look. A quest about the woods by the local authorities of Stokbon, seeking aid from any able-bodied adventurers. Taking one of the tickets he'd grab and bring it over towards the bar.

"So, boss. What can you tell me about this quest. They seem to think something is going on in these woods, but what's the word? Its not really some simple wolf attacks or some bandits right, the patterns seem off. Random, no real strategy. But far more complex than just animals right?"​

A faint chuckle passed as he tapped his nose and poured a cup,

Nuffin's free my friend, have a drink or two then we'll talk.​

Eyes shifting he'd rub the back of his head as he looked down at the cup and then around,

"It's kind of early don't you think?"​

A hardy laugh passed his lips as he drank the cup before the adventure,

You're new to this aren't ya, fresh blood. Yeah, I can see it in yer eyes. Ain't no true seasoned adventurer afraid of some morning brew. Look around lad, your in the pub at an inn. Alas, if ya too afraid to take a bite of the dog that bit ya, then I'll drink and you pay.​

Laughing he'd slap the male upon his shoulder before he sighed and took another glass and took a swing, slapping down the payment for the information he so desperately sought after; oddly enough the loose lips that were sealed would soon begin to flap once more; the slight stench of sweat and beer filling his nostrils as he looked at the male with a bit of disgust.

That's what I'm talking about boy-o. You'll make a fine man one day, now to answer yer question. Yes, there has been word from a few of those daring enough to venture the woods at night finding camps of little imps or some sort of goblins. Normally these tales go ignored, but when folks come across these strange camps one can only wonder just what degree of truth lies behind these stories.

One fella, in just the other day was talking about a small camp just north-west of the lake nearby, having a seen smoke and a fire. Said there was a small army of sorts, didn't get a good look before high-tailing it like a coward; but let me tell you lad. I'm a seasoned veteran and no fool, but even I know a single man can't take on a horde of goblins. So if it's the truth you seek, you may wish to gather a band of fellow adventres for this journey you seeking.

Oh, if you find anything interesting, bring it back so I can get a look; always looking to buy some nice loot. Hey, before you leave don't forget to be mindful of the traps laid about these parts; tend to have a lot of strangers coming in missing limbs or with some serious wounds. There are a lot of hunters and they don't take kindly to folks roaming these lands and messing up their traps. So if that don't kill you, they very well might. But alas that's all I know young blood, now get a move on or buy another drink if you're wanting more information. ​

A faint sigh passed as he turned and the quest log popped up; having accepted it a few objectives appeared. Browsing the information and accepting the newly found contract. He'd not the shifted update with what were the goals and even some optional tasks. Turning he'd wave his hands some and open a party as well as eyes scanning about he'd simply list the party as a Seeking Crew For Quest. Eyes shifting he'd grab a table near the quest board and order some breakfast; bread and some more alchoal.

He already ruined his morning with it so why not continue some more. Eating some of the bread and drinkin, the poor fool would await a fellow adventurer to show up. If not discuss the details of the quest at least help pass the time til he gathered enough to get a move on with it. As he ate the male would take note of the scuttle butt being spread about.
Something about bandits to the west and a beast at a lake, so many rumors and chatter. Yet the perfect place to gather more intel, if these issues were North west of the lake and the bandits were rumored west, perhaps...

Lost in thought he'd almost forgotten he sent out a general party invite to those nearby, as well as one for others to join. It was then that the party grew in size he'd finally shift his gaze to the list.

"Hmmmm wonder who these folks are?"
​

Eyes scanning the room he wondered just who these mystery folk where and when they'd reveal themselves. Although the names of the characters appearing above one's head was an obvious answer, unless you saw the specific color associated with the party it wasn't always as clear as one might have thought. But sitting alone and in a place of asthetic pleasure; the fire. He figured they'd figure it out if not for that, the board besides him. His eyes shifting glance to folks at the board in case they figured it that way.

Hands shifting to the team chat he'd begin to write,

Hello, all I am over by the fire, not sure if you saw. Right by the quest board. The quest is simple, explore and gather intellegence, there are a few options I will share more details and the quest once I know your commited. Not about to give information I paid for to those who won't help.
-Aaron Steele

[OOC: Simply post up in character joining and start the introductions; say anything you like. I encourage suggestions in character to your thoughts about the mission; feel free to over hear rumors or info on the quest. We'll continue the meeting and move on in the next round of posts to actually heading to our target.]

@Alonso Thorlion @Sera Phim

 

"Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!" Despite all the noise typically associated with a bar, the chanting of three young women in their early twenties would carry a bit throughout the bar. The three girls formed a screen around a small booth. Should someone be able to see past this human screen by any means - such as looking over them, or around them, or many simple things - they would see two more girls in their early twenties sitting across from each other. Each of these two girls was strangely shirtless, though they still had undergarments on, and held very large steins of an alcoholic beverage that seemed to be some form of beer, with a sweet honey scent to it all. Four empty steins of a similar size were upon the table, and a solid mouthful of the beverage was spilt on the table between them all. Upon the head of one of the girls was a paper crown with the words "bride to be" written upon it. Of the five girls at the booth, four of them were NPCs, and the player happened to be the other girl that was drinking.

Sera had stumbled upon this group of girls, talking eagerly about the upcoming wedding of the one, and decided to help them plan a bachelorette party. Somewhere in the midst of all of that, she had challenged the already partially inedbriated bride-to-be to a strip beer drinking competition. She had lost the first one on purpose, letting the girl get a sense of false confidence. The second one, she barely won, still holding back. This time, the bride was hardly halfway through her mug when Sera slammed hers upon the table, empty. Sera grinned at the girl. "So, what comes off next?" She asked. Before any response came, a notification popped up in the corner of her vision that there was someone seeking a party for a quest nearby. Sera let out a long, heavy sigh. "I am, of course, completely kidding. I would not desire to do anything to dishonor you or your purity the day before your wedding. Well, actually, day of. I apologize for keeping you so long. You are all lovely company, thank you for the liqueur, I had it all put on the bride's tab, I'm sure you lovely bridesmaids can help her pay that all off, have a wonderful marriage, enjoy the fact you have essentially enslaved yourself to a man who, odds are based upon statistics and the period upon which this game is modeled, twice your age and knows nothing at all about how to bring you any pleasant experience in life. Bridesmaids, learn to hold your drink, y'all had to stop drinking way too soon. So long, everyone!"

With that, Sera grabbed her shirt and quickly leapt from the table, quickly mingling into the crowd as she wormed her shirt over her head and arms and onto her body. As she finished, she noticed a man eyeing her creepily. "Look away, perv," she said. "Show's not for you." Once she was sure she had found herself far away from the inebriated bridal party, she hit the button to join the party. Almost immediately afterward, a message appeared. She opened it and read what the person had to say. "By the fire, got it," she muttered, only skimming the rest of the message.

She made her way over to the fire and found the man sitting there. Aaron Steele, the message said his name was. "Right, first things first," she said to the man. "How does this whole thing go in terms of payment? I mean, at this point, this is a job, so I'm not too picky, but I hope it's at least going to be decent because I just passed up on being some girl's story of a lifetime for this." She signaled the bartender to bring her a drink. "You have a tab, right?" She asked the man. She smiled. "Right, sorry, aught not to be rude. My name is Sera Phim, I run one of the best weaponsmithing practices in Terrasphere, Fine Constructs. Feel free to come by at any time to have all your weaponry needs taken care of. And, not to be rude, but.... it looks like you definitely have some weaponry needs..." she pursed her lips. "I mean, I'm pretty sure a stick you'd picked up off the ground might be a bit more dangerous than that sword you've got there, and that shield doesn't look like it could block a fly. Not to worry! I am also an expert sorceress myself, adept in the powerful art of Astramancy."

To prove her point, Sera spoke her contact word, and a strange light would begin floating by her head. The light began red, but would slowly change, going through each color of the rainbow until it had turned violet. It would stay violet for a moment, before working backwards to red. The light was contained in a prism shaped object, which spun slowly as it floated in place. "This is Roy, short for Roy G. Biv, short for seven names I honestly forgot quiet some time ago. Uh, there's also two other names I never learned, but whatever. This prism lets me talk with nine spirits, who each rule over one of the different magics in this world. Whenever I need to, I can beseech one of them for help, and function on a proficient level in any magical art. As such, whether you need some DPS, some support, or even in emergencies, something a bit tanky, I'm your girl. Healing, buffs, direct damage, debuffs, if any other mage can do it, I can do it too."

Her drink having arrived, Sera would take a deep drink. "That being said, I know where my strengths and weaknesses lie. I'm pretty solid at magic, yeah, but I take a bit longer to cast my spells than others do. Gotta get the spirits to help me, first, and they like to have their egos stroked a decent bit before they do anything. Likewise, I'm not afraid to admit I'm not the brightest girl in the world, so don't ask me to do any planning. My plans consist of 'see a pretty girl, get the pretty girl to kiss me', and usually end there. Also, when I'm drunk, I talk a lot, and I've been drinking for several hours now, so I'm probably going to have a killer headache as soon as I stop drinking, which will be interesting, because I have no clue if my healing magic will work on hangovers." Sera took a deep breath and seemed to collect herself immensely, calming from the slight adrenaline high she had been on. "So, what are we doing?" She asked, finally allowing the man or anyone else who had arrived a chance to speak.

 

Rustic. That word had been tossed around in his mind as of late when taking a peek at the inns and taverns of this world. Abusing such a term, he knew, was going to lost its meaning the more he applied it to his surroundings. Regardless, the hulking cat man needed more than a half hour break. Alonso kept himself in a corner table built for two, maybe three people, but his own mass took up the bulk of the end near the wall. Under normal circumstances he would not be leaning back, sturdy chair against the exact corner where two of the walls met. Such a position was comfortable for once. Marking differences in the mini maps compared to the actual game world was more time consuming than he thought, and the wave of fatigue decided to overcome his person.

On the plus side, the owner did not mind his staying there for as long as he did. The Felis caused no fuss, commotion, or other sign of rude behavior warranting his being kicked out and into the dirt. Some of the more unsavory types got that covered. In truth Alonso found it amusing watching the frail old lady married to the inn keep run those punks out with a frying pan. He needed to hold back more than a chuckle on a few occasions. But no, hoping for some other fool having karma done to him or her would kill the old woman too soon. Speaking of the devil, she had wandered over to his table again. Alonso raised a brow, shaking his head, "Okay, again, if I need anything I'll let you or your husband know. No need to cater to me this often when there's other people about."

A quick smile came from the big man as he nodded to the old woman. Most others the over sized player knew he would grow impatient with, but this lady was one of those exceptions. From what he gathered the owners had a high chance of being old enough to be his parents. So far Alonso had not witnessed another player of his age or higher, the matter of the elderly couple a fresh change of pace. The drink in his mug half gone, a whispered humming came from his throat. Zoning out from the rest of the inn's business had a quaint, nostalgic feeling. Diminutive sips kept up the snail's crawl frequency at which the Felis downed his beverage. Some other group in the distance had the rowdy beer drinker group thing covered.

Notifications springing up out of nowhere were not quite his fancy, but that was the nature of this game. Emulated real life to an accurate degree. Some quest, it seemed, to deal with troublemakers in separated areas. Alonso had been in the inn for too long at this point, and he did not want to abuse the hospitality the owners were gracious about. "May as well see what this is about," the man said, raising his finger to accept the quest and reading the team chat log. The offer was still in the room near the quest board. Easy to find, easy to deal with. All it came down to was the party make up. Reckless compared to his usual demeanor, but changing pace would do him good. Alonso chugged down the rest of his drink and rose from his spot.

Locating the two others in the group, to his surprise the woman was familiar. Granted, the man had met with her just once before, "Oh, Miss... Phim was it? I suppose since we're here I'll thank you again for making me these gloves. So far they've done the job well enough, and when I get a chance I'll see you for your services again." Alonso sat down in a free spot to have a better chat with his party. He had glanced at the party leader's name before, finding it rather familiar. Tired eyes moved their gaze over to the spunk filled warrior who put up the party request. The resemblance of a certain man was striking, almost too perfect. Alonso blinked, putting the pieces together. He placed a friendly reminder to kick himself back in the real world, "Wait a minute."

His voice was no different than outside of the game. Over time he grew quite fond of keeping the bass line volume of his vocals, which gave him a distinct reputation compared to the swarms of rather cookie cutter avatars running around. Sighing, the Felis man continued, "Aaron, you really couldn't change up your appearance for the game even a little bit? Here I thought you weren't the lazy sort." He needed the sarcasm at the moment, albeit, perhaps he sounded more gruff and straight to the point than need be.

Tags: @Aaron Steele @Sera Phim

 

As the female made her way over he'd stare some as she told off some of the men closer to her, eyes shifting he'd pretended not to stare just before she arrived. As he spoke briefly with his introduction he'd listen carefully making notes. Her figure seemed impressive, let alone her skills. As details continued onwards he'd make another mental note to open the party menu with one hand and send an invite; if not click the bookmark option of sorts. Saving her under crafter for notes. Yet her words left him wondering just who she really was. She had a unique attitude, that and some tolerance to boot if she was this sober several drinks in; uncommon for a lady. So that was another mental note; avoid drinking contests with her.

"Well payment wise, It's divided equally between the lot of us. Three so 1/3 each. Which isn't bad considering we are all paid the same wage; should one of us die then I guess it would be in half. But seeing as this is a really simple quest and I don't foresee us dying I doubt it will become an issue. Just be advised nothing goes as planned, so bring extra food, water and or potions. Don't know how long it will take; this quest is a rather vague one...However on the note of drinks, I do not have a tab, but you may each have a drink on me. Least I can do for you answering the call and hearing me out."

He'd say as he okayed the barkeep to bring the drink for her, but it was then he'd seen the giant male approaching, what a beast. Literally a giant cat-like beast; he'd never seen such a being so big, except perhaps once. None the less he'd grin and nod waving. Sitting there a moment he'd arch a brow as the others seem acquainted, his lips curling as the male spoke of him; as if he knew him. "What? Wait a minute" Arching a brow he'd tap his chin, big frame, a booming voice seemed to know him; few fit this description except a few others.

"Terry?" he'd mutter somewhat before shaking his head, "No...it can't be...maybe. Well, whomever you are yeah. If you know me you must be from Boston or visit the gym often. Small world. I figured I'd make myself somewhat different. But fo the most part I used the character model adaptor to replicate myself; but during the editing process, I tried to make myself taller but it went back a bit now I'm an inch or so shorter...so it counts I guess. But wait how do you know Miss Phim, she also a guest at the gym or was she from...I want to say, New York. Either way, I figured it might be fun to listen people curse my name; call it my vanity." He'd say with a grin as he folded his arms then looked at the two of them.

"So since I'm a tank Berserker, Miss Phim is a crafter magician, what are you ter...Alonso." Listening he'd try to figure how their synergy would work but even if he did it was still a matter of practicality and the physical ability for them to mesh. "Well aside from folks missing in the forest; are you all ready to head out. I got my gear and I'm all set. Sword, Shield, shitty armor and plenty of potions. A bit of food and water too." He'd say checking off his list as he stood up, looking to the others finishing off his drink he'd smile, "So do we need to stop and get extra materials for either of you o shall we continue off to the woods and start our inquiries. They said something about the lake and northeast if I remember...." He'd say trying to recall the way they were to begin heading; having finally exited the Inn and began walking towards the town's gates.

Waiting for their for a moment for his teammates to catch up he'd try to formulate some sort of plan or idea as to how to scout the area effectively. Eyes shifting from the team to the woods he'd turn and slowly head off for a bit by himself; ahead. Finally arriving into the woods a fair distance away from the city he'd pause to gaze upon the trees, thick and nearly impossible to see through; this could become problematic at night. As he continued he'd once take off towards a nearby opening. A sudden shift in the bushes causing the shift in his state; taking a defensive stance.

Thrown die:

8

[OOC: Choose what is gonna pop out. If it's an enemy. High we get the jump on them, low they get the jump on us.]

 

Sera looked between the two men, who seemed to know each other in real life as well. "Wait, so you didn't choose a different appearance in this world than in the real world?" She asked Aaron. She nodded slowly. "Respect." She smiled at Alonso. "Absolutely. I've been keeping my eye peeled for any fist weapon recipes beyond the basic, but as of yet I've not found any. So far it is seeming like I can't make custom versions of the stronger weapons, so I apologize that you may have to adapt your fighting style a bit depending on whatever I am able to find," she said, even though it had been a bit now since he had commented on the gloves.

"So, it seems Alonso and you know each other, Alonso and I know each other, only real connection that needs to form is between you and me," she said, gesturing to Aaron. Her face reddened a tiny bit. "Not... not in a weird way..." She nodded as everything was explained that nothing ever went as planned. Oh, did she know that. But she could gather her own food and create her own water, so she didn't need to worry about that. She wondered if naturalmancy could grow edible plants. If so, then she could theoretically also grow her own food.

When discussion turned to their roles in combat, Sera smiled. "I prefer to hit my enemies from a range, so knowing that the both of you like to get up close and person with your opponents is good news for me. You keep them from getting close to me long enough for me to finish my spells, and we no longer have anyone to deal with. Beyond that, I have everything I need, or I can make it on the go with ease. I'm a pretty relaxed girl, like that."

Once they were on their way and in the woods, Sera made sure to keep herself somewhere relatively near to both of the two men, so that either one could become her human shield in the event of an attack. Even as she thought that, the bushes rustled, and five men burst from them, weapons drawn. The one in the middle, who Sera assumed was the leader, smacked the handle of his weapon, a mace, in his hands. "Two on each the men," he said. "I've got the doll."

Immediately Sera began to chant, reaching out to her geomancy powers even as the man with the mace lunged at her. Stone erupted from the earth all around her and formed what looked like the tower of a sandcastle around her. The man's mace tore a large chunk of rock free, and he laugh. "Hiding won't do you any good!" He raised his mace for another strike.

The entire time, Sera was working on a different chant. Even as the second strike knocked away enough stone to let the two see each other, she had finished it. She raised her hand at him, fingers extended like a gun. Lightning arched from her fingers and struck the man in the chest. He stumbled backwards as Sera began to repeat the chant. A second bolt hit the man, and he fell to the ground, dead.

Sera fell back in her stone cocoon. "Okay, the rocks... cool idea... too much mana..." she muttered. She clutched her head. "Also... I think the hangover's here...."

Once her energy had recovered enough to cast another spell, she poked her head out of the hole the man had created. If either of her companions appeared to need assistance, she would cast another lightning bolt at their foe. If everyone had already been defeated, she would smile. "Well, I think we make a great team. Anyone wanna help me out of this? It was a bad idea."

 

Whether or not Aaron would recognize the hulking beast by voice alone was not a proper evaluation of the guy's character. Sure, Alonso still felt the increased annoyances of how much the party leader had talked about himself, but in game teamwork had to be a priority. "If you recall the burly fella with the black beard and glasses, that was me," he said to the knight. The aging man was immune to the optimism, but would let his acquaintance's habits slide. By no means had there been a requirement to catch up with the gym owner after that night. In fact, a mental note rest inside the Felis's mind to have the knight in crappy armor be the spotter next time.

"As for how I know Ms. Phim, she crafted the pair of gloves I use as a weapon. Only once have I made a request, but from what I gather and the work she made her promise on, I figured it best to keep her in mind," Alonso continued. His massive body shifted to focus on Sera. Part of him debated whether to stick with first or surname, but he did not want to push boundaries, "Don't concern yourself with finding a recipe for better fist weapons. This is still early game, Ms. Phim, and I don't expect rare gear to show up on my doorstep every two seconds." Despite the man's general lack of equipment, he found himself getting through quite well by comparison.

Combat roles were part of the discussion, and the man was relieved the topic was brought up. He knew little about these two in the first place. A mage, an armored berserker, and the cat man's build. "Unfortunately my abilities are straightforward compared to the two of you. While I do have some tanking abilities with Guard, I plain fight with unarmed attacks and, ah, go into Berserk status," Alonso responded. The whole psychotic, blood craving fighter was not a terrible way to run combat, but the feeling was still hard getting used to. For the older gentleman it was an odd feeling not putting more thought into a character build. Then again, he was not able to foresee the game's true effects either.

Soon after the brief discussion the party was headed out into the woods. The old lady running the inn had given Alonso a small bag of the coffee bean sort, something about just boiling it and he got a fresh drink. Whether or not he would need it depended on how long the trek was. Regardless of food, the big man's eyes widened upon a group of bandits in their quite rude mannerism popping out of the bushes. Two of the bandits struck Alonso with clubs, a resounding thud occurring upon impact with the hulking cat man's chest. He took a step back with a grunt. Not too bad, but his health meter went down, and with it a crazed look in the man's eyes.

A roar erupted from the brawler's throat, rushing at the two bandits and reaching out his arms to clothesline them. The Felis struck them by the neck area, forcing them down and prone on the ground. He then brought both his fists into the air, curled tight for maximum effect, then brought it down onto the bandits' skulls. Oh, but he was not done with them yet. Both of the bandits started to shown signs of wondering what the hell they just struck. Alonso, however, refused to give them a chance and grabbed the pair by their heads, "YOU HAVE BOTH MADE A GRAVE MISTAKE JUMPING OUT AND THINKING YOU LITTLE SHITS CAN TAKE ME DOWN, JUST TRY ME!"

He began to crush the two bandits' heads together, then repeated it a few times over until they wound up dead. Upon dropping one, Alonso spun around, and with the dead bandit in his hand chucked the boy at one of the others attacking Aaron. The body collided with the next bandit, causing the guy to stumble, with the giant Felis charging at the guy and tackling him to the ground. With the unfortunate man pinned under his weight, the unarmed berserker began a rapid series of punches right into the guy's skull with little hope of slowing down. Despite the fact Alonso was struck by a swing of the pinned bandit's weapon, well, it just made the big guy even more aggravated with increased Berserk.

When he finished pummeling a third bandit, and if combat was over, the man stood back up to his full height. Breathing in and out with harsh, repetitive breaths, he turned part of his boy around while scratching part of his cheek, "Hmm. Did we just encounter bandits?"

Tags: @Sera Phim @Aaron Steele

 

As the bushes shook he'd arch a brow, noting the bandits coming out and seemingly to be otherwise caught off guard the male would grin. It wasn't long before the bandits called out their assault. It was then that Sera made her move; utilizing her magic to attack. As she began her assault the two would also begin their assault on him. A shield coming up to block would minimalize the damage from one as his blade came up to strike upon the other male. Blocked his sword would cock back as the male attempted to stab him. Jumping back to dodge he'd get struck by the other; such a tedious thing fighting two on one, but as his health dropped his speed and damage would increase. His natural fortitude combined with his shield and armor multiplier would have been nice; had he actually owned nice gear. Sadly he did not, but unlike his comrades, he was getting little to nowhere.

As his eyes shifted between the two and the giant war cat known as Alonso seemed to be ripping through his targets; as well as the mage beauty he'd finally seem to get some sort of an edge as another target seemed to fly into one of his enemies. His blade free from the strike that was coming would spin and slice at the other. Cutting deep into him, before his shield swung in an uppercutting motion to stun the male; a simple shield bash. Then the blade would come striking down and finally spinning once more lop off the head; the body dispersing into data as he ran over towards the dying target as it got past the other dead being who disintegrated. Eyes a red glow from his berserk feature he'd jam the blade deep into the figure's torso. blood splattering as the data exploded before him. Eyes shifting to the berserk male he'd laugh at his clueless reaction; asking about the bandits. "Seriously, you are not that old..."

A faint smile passed as he walked over to the female mage, "Well, wasn't well, well, if it isn't the mage? So are you just made of stone or are you happy to see me." he'd say with a grin before taking his hand and slapping hard against her backside the shield thumping as the rocks crumbled a few more taps he'd help her out of her rock like armor before he gathered back up with Alonso, "So that was unexpected but actually more favorable than I'd anticipated. But five bandits wasn't too bad. Let's just hope we don't run into anything else combat wise for some time. I did, however, notice some smoke off in the distance there. Might be a camp. We were supposed to find out what was causing these issues. He'd say as he made his way towards its direction. It wouldn't be long before they'd arrive at the camp site; had they chosen to follow him.

Motioning them to split up and explore the camp he'd start himself by examining some of the bags; some cages appeared to be not far off. A faint smile passed as he then saw a map. This was just a makeshift camp, but he now had the key to the real camp. As he continued to search. The others might find the sleeping and dead folk locked inside the cages. A carriage of goods and a cooking stew. Perhaps this location was where the bandits were, but an oddly shaped skull outside a smaller tent seemed to suggest otherwise. The light from within casting shadows of a more monstrous shape. Had they stumbled upon a Goblin outpost; let alone a clue to who is behind it all. A few options now appeared upon the quest log; investigate the shut tent. Save the people. Bury the dead. All optional, a faint look of disappointment passed his lips as he made his way to the cages; only a short ways away from the tent. What was his team going to do?

Meanwhile, inside the tent the shadow seemed to stir more; it seemed almost as if they were about to exit. So time was of little availability. Did they free who was left alive and risk losing their ability to get the jump or would they risk those few alive's life to possible get the jump on whomever was within. A few other bushes appeared to have grunts and foreign tongues exchanged behind them. Was the camp's residents returning So much to decide in such a little amount of time. But most importantly, how would they work in synergy and what strategy would they take. Aaron himself was ready to hide and wait for a moment to strike. But a part of him wanted to release the prisoners; but that didn't garuntee they wouldn't be killed on their way out or by returning campers. The other factor was which of them could pick a lock that quick; they'd need a key right?

@Alonso Thorlion @Sera Phim

 

Sera clutched her head and moaned a bit inside her stone barricade from the sounds that were coming from outside it. "Stop yelling," she mumbled. The hangover from all her drinking giving her a pounding headache that Alonso's berserk shouts were certainly not helping in any way.

When Aaron came to free her, with his snide comment, she merely blinked at him. "My hero," she said flatly. "How I would leap into your arms." When he succeeded in getting her out, however, her attitude changed. "Thank you," she said with less biting sarcasm. "And never let me drink that much again, please. Anything that could convince me that doing that was a good idea should never happen twice." She stretched, trying to work out a bit of soreness in her body. When Aaron started off though, she moved to catch up to him. "Wait, are you suggesting we go toward the camp, after just saying we should try to avoid any more combat for a bit?" She asked him. "You must be braver than I thought," she said, quoting an old movie her parents had loved, and she had watched a few times when she was younger. Multiple sequels and prequels had been made of that movie, and while all of them could be called enjoyable, none were as good as it and the original two following it.

When they reached the camp, Sera frowned. Something about this all seemed wrong to her. The prisoners seemed unguarded. Why would that be the case? No matter what time it was, prisoners would always have at least one guard on them, unless... "It's a trap!" Sera hissed as loud as she could so that the other two would hear her. Seeing movement in the nearby tent, Sera quickly began a chant. When it finished, she launched a fireball at the tent, which exploded in a blaze of heat and glory. "Protect the prisoners, freeing them now will just get them cut down as they try to run!" She told the two men. She ran toward the prisoners and grabbed the bar on one of the cages. "We'll get you out of here, I promise!" She told those inside. She glanced at her energy bar. It had recovered a decent bit from their last encounter, but with that fireball, it was back down to nearing critical levels once again. Three spells appeared to be all she could ever reall cast before needing to recharge. With the time between the last two and this one, she could probably make another spell soon without risking a MIND DOWN. She grimaced. "Alonso, Aaron, hold them off me and the prisoners! I need to recharge my energy!"

 

Calming down after the short fight, reason surged into being. Of course the group had encountered bandits trying to raid them for treasure. Either that or the idiots were just on a blood lust filled road trip. Regardless, they were all dead. While the party leader was busy releasing their mage from an unfortunate hangover, in addition to the potential flirting he was inclined to interpret, Alonso did what he could to observe their current area. Mobs that were able to show up at a moment's notice might try and pull the same stunt again. Avoiding a sneak attack was preferred, as even the big man had limits. Looking towards his party, the Felis spoke, "Pay attention going forward. We can only survive being ambushed for so long."

Following Aaron was still on his priority list. That guy was the party member who initiated the quest, and had all the information available to him. Within a reasonable time frame the group managed to reach the campsite. Noticing the motion to split up a bit, Alonso nodded, taking a slow pace away from the group to investigate on his own. Granted, he remained within a certain distance as to not split the group too far. The man's own gaze drifted towards the cages afterwards. Some people were alive and dying, others were straight up dead. An unfortunate circumstance they were unable to control. Alonso felt little pity, since he still considered them fragments of data, but the guilt would settle in later. It always did. Just like that house fly that insisted on coming back to life at his work office.

Both feline wars shot up at Sera's hissing. His eyes widened, mouth agape as the woman shot a fireball at the tent with the shadowed figure, "Damnit, what are you doing!" Too late. In an instant the makeshift dwelling exploded into an array of fire, incinerating anyone still inside as the potential outcome. Rolling his eyes the man leapt out of his covering and rushed towards the cages. He remained at the border, facing the direction the party came from. "Aaron," he started, glaring at the knight, "Cover the rear so we avoid strikes from our backsides." In truth the bandits and whomever else roamed about had various directions from which they could arrive. With their party size this was the best plan he could make on the spot.

Tags: @Aaron Steele @Sera Phim

 

Hearing the request he'd nod, making his way forth and rushing in; exploring the camp they'd stumble across someone or something in the camp's tent. Then there was the plethora of dead and dying folk in cages. Yet as all seemed viable for conversation; the wild card decided to alert the world. Setting the damn tent on fire, lips parted to exclaim it a bad idea to full on assault the camp given their team size but it was too late now; what appeared to be bandits was goblins. A shaman-like creature would scream frantically on fire; rushing towards the cat man. People still inside would be trapped in the cages as some others screamed in fear; all that screaming and noise seemed to be attracting the unwanted attention. Aside from that, the sudden smoke would also alert nearby friends or more likely foes that there was trouble at the camp; given it wasn't time to eat.

Disgruntled shouts and snarls were made as the small little shaman like goblin cast a spell at the cat man; a curse bringing down a totem before him. The curse halving his strength until the totem was destroyed. Upon seeing what was going on and hearing the male's word he'd nod and do his best; while Sera tried to regain strength and free those inside the cages. There was a second set of the flames; poor souls now forced to burn alive if they hadn't found the key. A guilt and lesson the female would soon make; had she the type of conscious the other two did; even if it took time. The lack of sympathy at the moment seemed cold but it was after all these NPCs or themselves and self-preservation was almost always the top goal of any organization.

Hearing the screams from camp; had triggered the rest to come back early; so the bushes which jiggled a bit revealing a coup of goblins casually moving into camp soon revealed about twelve in total returning now. A small platoon as they ran forth and began to make their assault on the trio. The rear is the first to be struck, a total of six. Three on the south, two on the left blocked by the blaze and one on the right. So in all actuality, he'd have his six to face. But only four immediately as the two behind the fire made their way over. On the opposite side, Alonso would face the exact mirror. Three to his north, to be one to his left and two to his right.A grand total of five to combat as ones to be held off by the flames.

As the goblins on either side began their assault it would start with the skull wearing ax-wielding berserker combatants. Swinging frantically their war cry; wearing the pelt of some dead game they conquered; perhaps a fox or wolf. Either way, they were glad in more dense armor as well, wearing bracers up their arms most likely a humans and a small set of armor. Then from the sides a bit of the shaman type, the scary looking little hell spawn wielding a skull staff a little cloth. Bones not only adorned on their head but within their hair and weaponry. A truly barbaric creature; as teeth were clustered upon their feet and arms as bracers of some sort. Yet there was now a third kind of Goblin appearing the closest thing to archers these feeble minded creatures could get. The iconic hunters, dressed in a rogue like leather. Carrying the quiver of a fallen NPC or some player. They'd have a dozen or so spears within it as well as one in hand. These beasts tend to be skilled in polearm combat as well as throwing; using the spear as both a combat weapon and distance maker.

The camp layout seemed similar to that of a square; as such the goblins seemed to be divided into four groups; within each ground one of the 3 arc types making that a total of four spear hunters, four shaman, and four berserkers. The battle looked grim, but if it weren't for the factor they were sort of weak; their numbers definitely could win them the fight; potentially speaking yet. As the trio took on their respective bunch and the original shaman would have died to the lion man or perhaps the flames which set it ablaze he'd turn to the others and smile, nodding and wiping his finger across his nose before rushing forth to begin his assault. His shield blocking a spear from one side his sword slicing up and into one of the berserkers as he felt the curse fall upon him; his knee being chopped at by one berserker as the other assaulted him with a spear from the side. The cat man assaulted by two shamans, two berserkers, and one spearman. All the while they protected the girl and what was left of the prisoners in the center; the flames engulfing what was left of those in the tent. Their suffereing ended with more suffering. Now how was the teaming going to react to all of this that was going on?

@Sera Phim @Alonso Thorlion