By the time the group was once again reunited at the outskirt of the market plaza, it was almost mid-day; the people in the market where slowly dwindling as they left to go eating, while the merchants themselves were more relaxed and some who knew each other were even moving from their counter to discuss or look at their rivals' wares.

Rasha seemed pretty bored; she was leaning against a wall, absentmindedly scraping the head of Brook, her eyes lazingly followin the movement of the various peasants. She only stopped once Swift Fox arrived, and then asked, without singling out anybody:

"So, what now?"

I shall point out that you currently have two main goals - using Shark's knowledge to find out what the Thieves' Guild knows, or following Frost's trail four day west of Toran and see what's going on there.

Unless you have any other idea, I think it's time for you to pick one option and start working toward a solution, don't you think? ^_^

-10... ;P

This message was lightly edited by the player at 23:32, Wed 18 July 2012.

Ooh, I want to buy some of that food you mentioned at the end of the last thread - I've only just logged in and seen the message (was last on here about 14 hours ago or thereabouts). Retcon that Dusk Rat buys one ration pack thingy (ie one item consisting of two meals). I now have only one inventory space left once again.

Swift peered around at the others, her gaze slightly unfocused as if her mind was elsewhere, rapidly flicking through various thoughts and possibilities inside her mind.
Eventually she seemed to snap out of it and turned her gaze onto Laughing Shark.
"Did you find your contacts then?  It might be better to see them and find out any information they have before leaving the city.  If we have to wait until evening though, perhaps I could talk to Banedon again, update him on the situation."

"Hum? Aye, I found something interesting," Shark said with a glint in her eyes. "If I can believe me source, and I'appen ta think I can. Least fer now, it seems our Dessi friend's father be in this very market."

Shark looked between the lot of them, seeing if her news raised any sort of reaction, "also'appen ta think its at very same merchant Sabre was all friendly like ta, an it don't seem a father's terrible keen on a son, or vice versa. 'aps we can work at in our favor, see if'is merchant can'elp us find our delinquent Vekaroes."


Sorry for the slow, we're really pushing to finish this survey in time. Increased the work load by 25%, whoo! I may not post much till I get home between the *zonk* and terrible internet. I apologize for the slow, I promise to make up for it when I'm home! After I've slept for 24 hours, of course. . . Only about a week left, at least

Ferret looked piercingly at Laughing Shark. "The Vakeros' father is here? Does he live here? Is that how the knight came into contact with one of the guild?"

Vakeroseseses are human? Oh I thought they were created...erm...creature things, lol. And who's Dessi again, and why are we looking for him? I thought we were just suppose to be finding some other Kai that went missing...Silver thingy...Raven, was it? And the first group who went missing. Or was that Silver Raven's group and there was another one after his?

Swift remained silent for a short time, clearly thinking it over.
"Well, if we can't visit the thieves yet, maybe we can track down this merchant.  Any information we can get might help..."

"Merchant, yes, sounds like a plan ta me," Shark said nodding her head.

Hefting her bag, Shark waited a moment to see if anyone had any questions to ask or arguments to be made before she would plunge back into the market. From what the old woman had said, it sounded like there werent too many from Dessi in town at the moment, so finding the merchant wouldn't be to tricky; especially since it also seemed apparent that Sabre Fox had made a rather lasting impression on his visit.

"Jus look fer a merchant that'ad a kai lord talkin wit'em," Shark told the others, "sounds like our mate was none-too discrete when'e paid a visit last." Shark did so hope that the relative lack of green cloaks was better disguising their presence.

Dessi are folks that live in the south-westish. They're a magical lot and have them spell swords, the Vakeros, who are very human.

It didn't took long for the group of Magnakai to find the merchant they were looking for in the slowly emptying market; they could remember that he had been carrying potions at the gate and, when they checked, they realzied he was the only one selling those in the entire Market Plaza.

He was old and bearded, and his clothes weren't particularly rich - even for traveling clothes, they were quite undescriptive, although cut in a different fashion than Sommerlending ones would have been. However, it was not hard to confuse the man; his long beard and darker skin were not usual features, and he was also way older than the mojority of the other merchants in the area. He appeared to have paused in his work, as he was sitting on his cart while speaking to a little girl that seemed to be bored and was sitting over one of the crates.

However, as soon as the group reached the small stand where multiple, widely colorful potions were lined up, he suddenly noticed, and got down from his place with a wide, jovial smile, and they all could pick up, through their Sixth Sense, that the happiness and kindness on display on the man's face were genuine.

"My dear ladies, my noble ser! It is a joy for me to see people who appreciate the handywork of a master potioneer; you won't regret seeking my wares. As you can see, I have the most exotic of potions; please, take a look, tell me what do you want!"

Before any of them could do that, though, the small girl had suddenly jumped over a crate, and then she smiled as she pointed a finger at Laughing Shark:

"I remember you! You were the woman-thief who was sparring with that red dressed clown yesterday morning, at the gates!"

She seemed quite clearly overjoyed at the discovery, looking at the taller member of the Kai team with a clear admiration.

Shark laughed at the girl's proclamation, "thief, am I?" she asked the girl, "what exactly was it I did'at made ye think I's a thief? I think a term 'at clown used was 'explorer', aye?" Shark let out another laugh and winked at the child. The merchant seemed to ave a liking for the girl, but having him think Shark was a thief, and possibly the others too, wouldn't be much help.

The girl smiled smartly.

"Ah, but you were looking for your family, who are weavers, yet you had no problem switching to adventurer once the clown told you that the weavers had broken up. And the way you were talking, is the same Hax and dad spoke when they don't want me to understand!"

At this point, the merchant interrupted the child and said, in a tired tone:

"Halen, that's not true..."

"But it is! You and Hax always spoke of his work without finishing the senteces and letting things out; I notice! And she was spoking the same way with the clown."

Then, the girl turned to Shark again, and concluded:

"It was awesome! You wanted him to do something, and he wanted you to fake being an explorer, and in the end you got him to do what you wanted by agreeing, so you're not an explorer, and you're not even a weaver, 'cause where's your weaving stuff otherwise? And you even made a money appear out of nowhere and give it to him when you signed to keep you anonymous... that's how I know you're a thief: because you were lying to him all the time, and want to keep your presence secret, and tricked him so awesomely! You're really smart; but I am too!"

Halen nodded to herself, apparently satisfied with her reasoning.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:59, Sat 21 July 2012.

Swift Fox had remained silent during this exchange, watching the girl with a faint trace of an amused smirk lingering around her face.

With the way things were in Toran just now, perhaps it would be better to be mistaken for a thief than a Kai anyway, so she didn't bother correcting the girl, letting her think what she would.
"Who is Hax?" she asked curiously.
She had her suspicions, but didn't let them show...


OOC: Forgot to mention, but Swift would have dropped her Invisibility "disguise" when she rejoined the rest of the group earlier.  The Kai Cloak is still stashed in her backpack though.

Halen turned to Swift Fox, looking at her with confusion for a moment, before smiling.

"Hax is my brother! He's a Vakeros knight, the best there is - nothing to do with stupid Kai like that pompous one that was here yesterday."

"Halen, I told you..."

"But it's true! He said that he could beat Hax, but that's not true!"

She turned back toward the group, her attention still focusing mainly on Shark even if she was answering Swift's question, and she continued:

"My brother is incredible! He was even choosen to be Lord Rimoha personal bodyguard, and I saw him training with the others once, and he's so much stronger than any of them!"

The girl nodded with convinction, and the old merchant sighed.

"Forgive her.. she just has a bit of hero worship for her brother."

He then turned to the girl and said, his tone gentle but carrying a scolding note:

"Halen, would Haxadrom be happy that you're bragging about his accomplishments? Or would he rather prefer that you be humble, like he is, and understand that his strenght is but a mean to keep people safe, which he took as his duty?"

The girl nodded sheepishly and said, her tone meek:

"I'm sorry, Dad... I didn't mean to brag, I know he wouldn't want me to. But, he really is that good! I'm only saying the truth, aren't I?"

There was a hint of defiant strenght in her voice, and the old man sighed, before turning back to Swift Fox and bowing politely to her.

"I apologize for my daugter's behaviour; I hope you aren't offended by her rudeness, my lady?"

Swift waved away the comment.
"Of course not" she replied.
She leaned closer to Halen, glancing left and right in an exaggerated way as though looking for anyone listening in before adding in a low voice, "I know the Kai you speak of, and between you and me, he's really not as tough as he lets on."

She grinned wryly at that before looking over the potions on display with a curious eye.
"So is Haxadrom here in Toran with you?" she asked in an offhand way, as if just making idle conversation while examining the wares.  "Sounds like he would be interesting to meet.  He must know some amazing stories..."


OOC: Hoping Sabre still isn't reading this thread ;)  *stifles laugh*
This message was last edited by the player at 13:01, Sat 21 July 2012.

While Swift Fox's words just made Halen giggle, her father reacted to them with a sudden surprise, and then asked, his tone neutral:

"You know the lord Foxy... I mean, the Kai Lord Sabre Fox, my lady? How come?"

Halen seemed about to offer a comment, but the merchant raised his hand in a gesture clearly meant to order her to wait, ans she nodded and said nothing.

Swift shrugged carelessly, while inwardly thinking that the conversation seemed to have veered away from the direction she had been trying to nudge it in...

"We're friends of his.  Sort of.  We had some business of our own to take care of here in Toran, and so we accompanied him on the way here.  Larger groups of travellers have less to fear from bandits and wild animals on the road after all" she replied, deliberately leaving out the fact that they were also Kai themselves.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:12, Sat 21 July 2012.

The man smiled at her comment.

"And surely a group of pretty ladies like yourself could only benefit from the protection of a Kai Lord, especially as friendly a one as Lord Sabre Fox. I completely understand."

The man smiled, but then the child spoke again and said, in a annoyed tone:

"He wasn't friendly, he just couldn't stop showoffing. Kai are worthless, that's the truth; none of them is as strong as my brother!"

The merchant sighed once again at his daugter's antics.

"I apologize again at my child's behaviour... she's just angry because we hoped to meet Haxadrom on this journey, but we haven't been able to, so far... I heard that he was directed toward Sommerlund when he left our land, and then I learned of some people who'd seen him on the way mention he was headed toward Toran, but even although I told to all those I could that I was looking for him, it seems he must have already left - I can't imagine that he would know us to be in the city, and not try to at least meet us for a quick greeting."

He let out a pained breath, but then shook his head, and the jovial smile returned.

"Ah, but here I am, an old man boring a young lady like you wo surely has more important things to do! Here, let me show you my wages: this is something that nobody else in Toran, nay, nobody else in the world can sell!"

And then he pointed at a collection of bottles contaning multicolored liquids, and explained:

"See, my family has been working in the field of potion-making for generation, but my son was the first to be made a Vakeros knight; he still had all of his knowledge that I'd imparted into him since an early age, though, and toghether, we managed to produce these masterworks. I even gave one to our common friend lord Foxy... they are not the common kind of magic potions; thanks to my son powers and my own expertise, we managed to distill liquids that would endow whomever drank them with the ability to call upon one of the Old Kingdom spell; the effect is limited to a single use per dose, but even so, my noble lady, who wouldn't want to try and feel like a mage at least once in their life?"

He smiled broadly, and then pointed the group of potions, naming the spells each one contained, if his words were to be believed.

So, you read that right; each of these potions count as a 1-time use of a Battle Magic spell. However, this version is more draining than the true thing; after you drink the potion, you must pay twice the normal WP cost to use the spell.

So, here's the list:

Potion of Energy Burst (grey & yellow): 35 gold crowns

Potion of Invisible Fist (white & yellow): 40 gold crowns

Potion of Energy Grasp (green & yellow): 45 gold crowns

Potion of Thunder Shock (blue & yellow): 50 gold crowns

Potion of Empowerment (green & blue): 50 gold crowns

Potion of Flameshaft (blue & red): 50 gold crowns

Potion of Invisible Shield (grey & white): 55 gold crowns

Potion of Strenght (green & red): 60 gold crowns

Potion of Flaming Blade (grey & red): 65 gold crowns

Potion of Power Word (blue & white): 80 gold crowns

Potion of Penetrate (orange & red): 100 gold crowns

I'm not sure if you can get any of these by pooling all your money... but if you can, they're here. :)

The man also has some more, less special potions; still exotic stuff, but nothing to do with these. Just in case you were thinking of some more shopping. ^_^

Shark couldn't help but smile at the girl's opinion of Sabre Fox, and the kai. Squatting down so she was about eye level with the child, Shark grinned, "just between you an me," she whispered, "the kai is a bunch of arrogant dogs. But they're pretty well respected round these parts, s'brilliant fighters an spys an what'ave ye. So tell me, little lass, 'ow yer brother'd go 'bout putten'em green cloak cockers in their place?"

Shark was more interested in speaking with the child, let the others keep the merchant occupied with his potions and dealings while she work on getting some information from the girl.

Swift glanced over the potions, feeling another moment of regret for her empty money pouch.
"I'm afraid they're all out of my price range at the moment, but perhaps one of my colleagues here..."
She glanced back at the others, noticing Shark talking with the young girl.

She turned her attention back to the merchant.
"Well if we should encounter your son on our travels, we'll let him know you're here.  Do you know if he had any business with a particular person in Toran?  We met with one of the magicians in the Crystal Star Brotherhood earlier, perhaps he was doing some work with them?  Those magical types do tend to stick together after all..."

Halen giggled at Shark's comment, but then answered, her tone of voice as low as Shark so as not to disturb her father's business:

"Well, he doesn't really put them in their place, you know? Since they're fighting on the side of good, too."

She said that like it was almost an insult having the Kai be on their same side, and she added, her tone petulant:

"Not that he couldn't, it's just that you don't pick on your allies even if you're stronger."

The gilr nodded, satisfied that she'd got her point across, then continued:

"He just think that they're not doing things right; he says that the Kai just fight back evil, and that will solve nothing. I'm not sure what he wants them to do, but if he says they're wrong, then they are; Hax is always right."

There was no denying the level of hero worship in Halen's voice.

The merchant nodded to Swift Fox's words.

"Those are my suspicions; that he came here to speak with some member of the Brotherhood of Crystal Star, perhaps to ask for help. I'm not really sure what mission Lord Rimoha assigned him, but to make him move so far away to our homeland, it must be really important."

He paused, considering something, but then shrugged, and continued:

"Well, if you can ask after him and bring me any news, I'll be grateful."

The merchant paused again, and then returned to his jovial tone.

"Ah, but I digress! If there are to pricey for you, my lady, perhaps you might like to look at my more common wages; not as valuable as these, but still not something you'll easily find here in Toran!"

And with that, the man showed another group of potions, these one being far easier to recognize for the group of Kai.

List:

Concentrated Laumspur (+8 END): 25 gold crowns [only one]

Sabito Pills (1 metal box containing 6 pills, special item): 5 gold crowns each

Enhanced Alether (recover +3 END, then +2 CS for one combat): 20 gold crowns

Enhanced Moon Balm (recover daily CS, then +2 CS daily increase): 20 gold crowns

Enhanced Hildun (recover +4 WP and +1 daily CS): 20 gold crowns

Enhanced Laumspur (+6 END, +2 WP recover): 16 gold crowns

Enhanced Waterweed (heal any poison, +2 END): 10 gold crowns

And that's all! ^_^

"Some of them are tempting alright" replied Swift.  "Still, I've kind of fallen on hard times lately" she added with a rather sour grimace that wasn't entirely faked.
"Still, like I said, my friends here might be interested.  And we are here for business after all, if I can turn a coin or two I'll probably come back and stock up.  Might even stretch to one of them spell potions if I can."

She blinked and looked up again.
"Ohh, speaking of business.  That member of the Crystal Star Brotherhood I met...  We've got some dealings going on with him.  It's always the same, those mages spend most of their time wandering around in that tower with their noses stuck in books, so when they need something more physical done they call in folks like us.  Anyways, did you catch a name of the one your son might have come here to meet?  If so, I'll definitely have someone to chase up for his whereabouts, since we have someone to talk to on the inside and all..."


OOC: May as well try fishing for a name :)  hehe
This message was last edited by the player at 17:13, Sat 21 July 2012.

The man shook his head sadly at Swift Fox's question.

"I didn't even knew my son had left until two days after he'd passed Dessi's border... I have no idea what his mission can possibly be and why he's seeking a Crystal Star magician; he was always careful to not explain us too much about his duties, you understand. Believe me, if I'd had a name, I'd have asked after that person myself."

There was a clear resignation in the man's tone - he was obviously doubtful that he would find his son in Toran.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:10, Sat 21 July 2012.

Swift tried not to look too disappointed at the reply, keeping up her appearance of making idle enquiries.
"Ah, that's too bad" she replied.  "Still, if we find out anything, we'll let you know."

With that she stepped back from the stall to allow the others to examine the potions for themselves if they wanted to buy any...


OOC: Didn't think it would be that easy ;)  hehe.

OOC: Still, good investigating skills, Foxy. :) Things become more intriguing....

Aware that his own purse would no more stretch to purchasing any of the enticing potions on offer than would Swift Fox's, Frost Ferret quietly eyed the vials on display and tried to mentally note the colours and consistencies of them in case it was useful for future reference. At the same time he listened as best he could to the conversations being held, aware that to interject with his own brand of sensibly straightforward query would probably be unwise, his having learnt from experience that strangers didn't usually respond helpfully to his manner, though he had no idea why.

"So how's it at the kai be fighting evil wrong, then?" Shark asked the girl, "whats it yer brother things they should be doing differently?"

Halen seemed annoyed by Shark's question.

"I don't know; Hax just said it, so it's true."

She then looked at the Magnakai strangely, and asked:

"Why do you care so much, anyway?"

Shark laughed, "ye are a smart girl, aren't ye?" Smiling she added, "there be more'an a few things I'd 'ope the Kai order'd do differently. Was wondering on'ow many points yer brother an I'd agree on."

While Shark maintained her smile she wanted to sigh. The girl was filled with blind admiration for her brother, while cute, was not helpful. She'd agree with the man no matter what, and didn't seem to understand, or know, what she was agreeing with. But maybe it wasn't a complete dead end.

"Yer brother sounds like the sort'a feller I'd like ta meet," Shark added, grinning not unlike her namesake, "'aps I can'elp 'em with'is little kai problem, aye?" She chuckled, "or we can'elp eac other. If ye see'em tell'em I'd like ta'elp. E can find me at the Swordfish inn, 'aps we can talk sometime."
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:38, Mon 23 July 2012.

Shark's last words seemed to catch Halen's attention, as her eyes shone in excitment and she focused her attention all on her.

"Oh, a secret meeting, like in the stories, where the hero has to speak with the rebels to topple the evil duke who worship Naar? I like that!"

She nodded empathically, and continued, excited:

"When Hax show up, I'll be sure to tell him that you're waiting him."

Then, she continued, smiling sumgly:

"But see, that's just another proof that you're a thief! Only thieves and rebels leaves this kind of secret messages!"

She leaned forward, trying - and failing - to act all secretive, and asked in a loud whisper:

"So, miss thief, what name do I need to tell him to ask for?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:32, Mon 23 July 2012.

Shark smiled, she'd already gone this far with the name, might as well keep going, "Alyana," she replied, "it's been a pleasure, miss Halen," Shark held out her hand to the girl, "thieves always shake on it," she added with a wink.

She had to admit, she sort of liked the little child. Hopefully, if this little trick worked, it wouldn't result in the untimely death of her brother . . . or any of the kai.

Halen clasped the hand with an happy grin.

"Oh, it was a pleasure for me to, miss Alyana! I am sure my brother will be happy to talk with you, too; you're so interesting!"

Shark smiled once more at the girl before standing to her full height and giving a stretch. Turning back to the others, she noted that they didn't seem all that excited to be buying potions, was that fro ma lack of gold or were they just boring brews? Ah well.

Smiling at the merchant, Shark spoke up, "well, 'm sorry fer wastin yer time. Seem's yer wares'r a bit too nice fer the likes of our sorry little bunch." She nodded her head at the man, "if I see yer son around, shall I tell'em yer lookin?"

Even as she asked her question, Shark was already readying to leave. She'd gotten what she'd came her for and it was time to take her leave. Glancing between the other members of the group, she would wait to see if they had anything to add before thanking the merchant again and heading out.

---

Once out of ear shot from the merchant, Shark would check that no one was listening before chuckling; "well there's an odd turn'ov events. Seem's everyone's jus out ta fight evil in their own special way. Peculiar still, 'at they all seem ta think medlin wit'a kai is the way ta go about it."

"But seems I'll be stayin in Toren," she added, there was a quality to her voice that suggested while she doubted the others would approve, she wasn't willing to falter in this. "Someone's got ta be there ta question our friend Hax if'e shows up, after all."

Swift walked along with the group in silence for a short time, listening to what Shark had to say.
"Well this 'Hax' does sound like the one we're after.  Even if he thinks he is acting for the greater good, he still seems to be involved in some evil plot, perhaps due to brainwashing or simply being tricked by that rogue brotherhood member.  I can't help thinking that Haxadrom and Valador have that in common, the desire to do things their way regardless of who they have to endanger to do it..."
Her voice trailed off for a moment as she glanced back the way they came.
"If we can though, perhaps it would be best to take Haxadrom alive, rather than send his corpse back to his family."
Her gaze seemed to soften slightly as she stared at Halen's figure in the distance before turning back to look at the street they were travelling down.
"Families can be more trouble than they're worth" she muttered, perhaps an attempt at humour, although there was a distinct note of bitterness to the words...

"Anyway, why do you want to stay in Toran?  Is it simply to meet with your contacts?" she asked, changing the subject.

"In case Hax shows up where I told'is sis I'd meet'em." Shark replied. "Can't be in two places at once, an I dun't think ye want ta miss'em if e's in Toren while yer all not."

"Maybe...  Although perhaps we should stay behind too if you think he will show up there.  After all, if he is still in league with our enemy in the Brotherhood, he might come looking to kill whoever he finds, and from what I've heard of the Vakeros, and this one in particular, it might take all of us to subdue him."
Swift didn't look too certain of the plan, and part of her still obviously wanted to check out the place in the forest too...

"Ye lot should still visit the woods," Shark replied, "I've no mind ta face this 'Hax' in single combat." Chuckling, Shark added, "I ain't that daft."

With a sly grin, she went on, "Naw, I've got a mind fer somethin else if'e does show'em self." an if I'm lucky, e'really is allied with Valador.

"Dun't ye fret 'bout me. Sides, this way means ye dun't 'ave ta keep waitin around fer me,aye? Ye lot could be off anytime, I know me way around town well enough, and am bright enough ta keep outa trouble. Well, aside from the trouble I'm after."

Swift still looked uncertain.
"Maybe.  It's not a risk I'd be willing to take myself though, I don't really like the odds much.  And we don't even know if he will show up, since his family hadn't seen him recently.  I don't think he even knows they're here in Toran."
She frowned slightly, clearly thinking over something.
"I wonder if he is under some sort of enchantment?  Or is he really acting on his own here?  I can't imagine Lord Rimoah wouldn't have noticed a potentially dangerous renegade within the ranks of his Vakeros Knights.  I can't help feeling that we're missing a piece of the puzzle here.  Something is driving him.  That much is certain, so I don't think we can easily predict how he will react."

She looked down at the street, clearly indecisive about the matter.
"What do you think?" she asked, looking up at Frost Ferret and Rasha.  "You two have seen more of him than I have..."

The bountry huntress shook her head.

"Don't look at me, I've only saw him with the mage, and he didn't said a word; he only told us to bring our preys to him once we caught them."

She paused, then added, with a grin toward Shark:

"Although I must say, you're good; I know something of gathering information, and the way you handled that girl was masterful."
This message was last updated by the player at 21:53, Mon 23 July 2012.

Ferret gave a small nod. "He is very powerful," he responded to Swift fox, though with his eyes fixed on Laughing Shark. "You're right that it would take us all to try and best him. And he said he was saving the world when he tracked us down in the forest too. He has either been deceived by the mage or is being controlled in some way. Or there is some real reason why he has developed a hatred of our order."

Ferret's gaze finally moved to the Kai he was actually speaking to. "Dividing our group is too risky," he said to Swift Fox, "but this lead through his family is a more definite one than the magical traces in the forest. But it is probable that we are at greater risk of failure following this lead under the noses of powerful enemies here in Toran. Out in the forest we can operate more freely, though the evidence that we find may be less directly useful."

He glanced at Rasha and the dog before concluding: "It is not wise to try and encounter the Vakeros before knowing more about him and trying to discern a weakness of some sort. But if Laughing Shark's abilities at deception are potent enough, she may discover such a weakness by doing exactly that. There is no obvious correct way to proceed."

His final statement seemed to trouble or even irritate Frost Ferret and as he continued to walk with the others his gaze dropped to the ground in front of them.

"Suppose that those of us who know the forests go there and make our investigations?" suggests Dusk Rat to her fellow Kai with a trace of irritability. "Rasha and Brook have been there before, and I've the ability to inquire of any local creatures as to whether they've seen anything that might prove useful to us. I've no desire to remain stuck in this walled-in place any longer than I have to be, and I've little interest in further wandering around while you question and query every townsperson who seems to possess even the slightest hint of information."
Her eyes flit between the faces of the three other Kai and of Rasha. She's had enough of this, now. Best that at least one of them attempts to do something instead of standing around and talking about it while all around them more people could be in danger as various forces make their moves on the world, or whatever's happening.

Hehe, Dusk Rat finally gets fed up of the dithering and conversation ;).

Swift closed her eyes, emitting a short rather frustrated noise that sounded startlingly similar to a fox growling.
"Ok, well we don't know where the Vakeros is, or where he'll turn up next.  Maybe he's still out there in the forest and you'll have to take him on by yourselves.  Or maybe you'll be safe and the people left behind here will be the ones who run into him."
She shrugged and looked around at everyone.
"Right now I'm tempted to go with it though.  I'd like to think we've been playing it safe up until now, at least everyone is still alive.  But we're getting nowhere fast.  Maybe it's time to take the risk.  Or maybe this is the biggest mistake since Blue Snake finally snapped and made me leader."

She stopped and glanced around, clearly thinking it over.
"Well I'm guessing you two are in favour of splitting up" she said, nodding towards Laughing Shark and Dusk Rat.  "What about the rest of you?  I'm not gonna do the leader thing and order anyone to do anything they don't want to.  If it was me on my own, I'd... Actually, probably better for you if you don't know what I've been tempted to do!  My point is, if we do split up, it could be faster, yes.  But there's also the risk of one of our groups getting wiped out if luck isn't with us.  Is everyone ok with that?"

She sighed and leaned against the wall of the building behind her, one hand idly pulling the Jade Spike from her belt and toying with it, something that the others would probably have come to recognise as a sign that she was either very bored or very nervous.  Exactly which of those she was experiencing right now was probably clear enough.
She added something else, her voice almost too low to catch.
"It's funny.  I've only ever gambled with my own life.  I don't think I can with others.  I'm tempted to do it, but only if the risk is on my side..."


OOC: Tempted to try splitting up and checking both places, but she knows there's the possibility that one of the teams will get wiped out in the process...  Even Swift doesn't feel comfortable making that call on anyone else's behalf ;)

At Swift Fox's question, Rasha answered, her tone bored:

"I'm not a Kai; what I think doesn't matter. I'm in this because your friend said I'd be better paid than the magician would, and considering that the mage paid killers to take us out, I still think I've picked the most convenient side. But about decision on what you have to do..."

She shrugged.

"To me, it's the same; if you split, I'll go to the forest, I'll help more there, and if you stay toghether, then of course I'll still be along."

That said, she returned to sit near her dog, clearly removing herself from the discussion, without even glancing to the only one person, outside of Swift Fox, who was yet uncertain on the path to take: Frost Ferret.

Shark had been listening to the conversation at hand, but something Rasha had said struck an idea; "where was it ye were supposed ta bring yer prey?" She asked as Swift and Frost Ferret conversed. She'd already made up her mind that it was time for her to go this adventurer alone, but there were bits of information she still needed. She was still working out some details in her mind, and if the drop off zone for the kai was in town that would make things -

And that's when Dusk Rat opened her mouth. Turning her attention to the little mousy Kai, Shark's brow arched, "slightest hint of information?" she asked, "wandering around questioning folks?" Suddenly Shark laughed, but it was not like her normal laughs, this one sounded less jovial and more. . . sarcastic. "Oh, lass, I'm sure ye'ave all the answers - you an yer little friends. So tell me, what 'sactly following yer sewer lead got us, eh? That was no waste of time, now was it? No, no, it was a perfectly fine way ta gather information - completely puts ta shame what we gathered'ere in the market - names, family - aye, total waste of time."

"Though m'appy. 'appy ye finally decided ta contribute something ta the hunt other than your still lipped silence and scathing looks - 'cause those be really helpful, they do."

Her voice had cracked into a completely sarcastic and irritable tone by now, "Now, I'll be real clear in what's ta'appen," her eyes darted to Swift Fox, she liked the girl, but she wasn't the type to make these chocies which is why its silly to leave, she added as an after thought, "Ye lot: Swift Fox, Frostie, Rasha and Dusk, are ta leave this'ere city an make for the woods. 'apps ye'll 'ave more luck out there."

"Me, I'm stayin'ere. I've got a plan, see? An it don't involve none of ye; no sense riskin all yer necks on it; nore in wastin the time. This ain't up for discussion, savoy? Now," she looked at Rasha, "if at meetin point's in town?"


Sorry, two posts while I wrote it happened! It's a little disjointed, but Shark waited till Swift Said her bit to go off on her tirade.

The bounty huntress seemed surprised at being adressed by Shark, and her answer came into a confused tone.

"We were supposed to kill them, go to the inn that this Haxadrom had made is headquarter in the hamlet near the woods, and wait there for him or the mage to then lead them to where the body was."

She paused, then asked:

"Why do you want to know this? It's pointless by this point - I doubt any of the bounty hunters but me survived Haxadrom's killers, they had a list and said to each other that they were almost done before leaving. I don't think he'd still be there waiting if he ordered all of us killed, right? And beside, it still wasn't here in Toran anyway..."

The woman didn't seemed to understand what Shark might be planning.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:23, Tue 24 July 2012.

Dusk Rat looks a little startled as Laughing Shark starts to address her so rudely, then merely looks somewhat bored. After the verbose Kai has finished reeling off her insults, Dusk Rat simply gives her a shrug.

"Suit yourself." she says, and without further ado turns and starts to walk away. She pauses when she nears Rasha, as though about to say something, but then continues walking.


Lol, well Shark and Rat are getting on just great, aren't they? ;) Btw, it's probably obvious, but any references to Shark being an arse (or words to that effect) in the IC sections are Dusk Rat's opinion, not mine ;).

While Dusk Rat didn't said anything, as she started to move away, Brook suddenly got up on its paws and took Rasha's sleeve in it's mouth, pulling it as if to tell her to follow along, before looking toward the departing Dusk Rat and then back again to Rasha's, the eyes suddenly turning quite puppy-like.

The bounty huntress looked at her dog dumbfounded for a moment, then glanced back at the group, especially Frost Ferret, and said, determination slowly replacing the perplexity as she spoke:

"Well, it seems like the girl is goin either way... and she shouldn't be alone; beside, she's not going to find the correct place without any help. And I had said I would go with her, anyway. I'm sure we'll manage."

And with that, the bounty huntress moved after the teenager, her step now betraying no indecision or uncertainty.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:45, Tue 24 July 2012.

"Hold up!" Shark roared, there was more than just irritation in her voice now. "I said all of ye are to get to the woods, not just you, Dusk Rat. Now ye can act all sullen and slink off to yer trees or ye can act like a bloody Kai and follow some damn orders." If Dusk Rat did not stop, Shark would storm after her to grab her.

Shark took a deep breath, this had been too long coming. The lack of leadership, the lack of of structure and order. The ship had long since blown off course and hit the rocks; she could only hope to salvage some of the wreckage before they all drowned. Blast it woman, now you're being too damn hard. Its not their fault. That bloody bastard Blue Snake did this - this must be exactly what he wanted, the lot of them to fall apart like this? She would not let that happen, not now.

"Now I've tried to hold me tongue and keep me place, but at ain't working. Ye loot are about ta head off into the woods where I'm betting its a whole hell of a lot more dangerous then this'ere town. So you better bloody well shape up and listen to some kai-damned orders-"

She turned her eyes on Swift Fox, "Blue Snake may have been a right ol'fool ta make ye leader, but 'ats what you damn well are so stop thinking about yer'self an how ye might fail, it ain't doin ye no good." Taking another deep breath, Shark dropped her voice, looking around to make sure no one else was listening, "yer bloody kai. Ye can beat this. Just stick together. Work together," She was standing in front of Swift Fox now and slapped the girl on the shoulder, "an its yer job to hold'em that way."

Stepping back, Shark sighed again. She shouldn't have done that, but it was done. And soon they'd be going their separate ways. Kai be damned why I am leaving these cast off dogs?

Hah! No worries, same way around and all! Shark just feels like she's leaving you all to go wander off and die alone in the woods, though :P

This message was last edited by the GM at 01:56, Wed 25 July 2012.

For a moment it looked as though Swift's frustration was about to finally boil over, but when she spoke up her voice was surprisingly soft.
"It sounds like you're confident he won't kill you for some reason if you do run into him.  And I'm not thinking of myself, as odd as that may seem, I'm trying to think of the best way to avoid getting all of you killed along with me.  Isn't that what a leader is supposed to do?  I wouldn't know..."
A wry grin crossed her face at the last three words, but disappeared almost as quickly as it had come.

She gave a shrug and turned to follow Dusk Rat and the others.
"Then if that's where you think we should be, I suppose we've got little in the way of other options right now."
She paused and glanced back.
"I hope you know what you're doing..."

She gave Shark a look that was difficult to read, perhaps she was concerned for her, but there was something less definable in her eyes too.
Then she turned back to follow the others...


OOC: Hmmm...  I have a bad feeling this won't end well...

Dusk Rat barely pauses as Shark yells after her, but at the sound of approaching footsteps she quickly turns, holding up an arm defensively to push Shark away if the loudmouthed Kai should try to touch her.

"Stick together?" she repeats. "This from the one who insists that we leave her to work alone? I know how to stay hidden. I know how to survive alone in the wild. I'm just bored of standing around while all about me is talk of what we should do or what we might do, instead of actually doing something. We've been sent here to locate the missing Kai. Whatever's going on among the Brotherhood might well be related, but my strength lies far from diplomacy and the social manoeuvring that comprises politics. I can hide. I'm comfortable away from walled places like towns and cities. So I'll go where I'm stronger. I'll look for signs of the missing Kai. And then I'll come back. If you've found anything in the meantime, perhaps we can combine our findings to produce something useful. The more of us who go, the more noticeable it will be, away from crowded places with windows and prying eyes."

She stops for a moment with an irritated sigh. She isn't used to saying this much. She isn't even sure if what she's saying makes sense. She knows what she means. She's fed up, now, of standing around with a leader who doesn't want to lead, and a highly verbose individual who's got no problem with trying to tell her what to do and why her ideas are bad ones. As for Frost Ferret...well, she hasn't had much chance to really figure him out yet.

She turns again to go.

So does this mean that everyone except Shark intends to go to the forest? As Dusk Rat points out, a group will be more noticeable out in the wild, where there aren't already crowds of people walking about. Not that Dusk Rat would suggest that someone like Swift Fox is no good at hiding - she already knows (or has worked out) that she has at least some aptitude for sneaking about ;).
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:15, Wed 25 July 2012.

Shark let her breath out through her teeth, she needed to calm down. When was the last time you were this upset? She wondered, but couldn't recall. Most everything in the past she managed to laugh off, but this was different. Stress? The lack of order? Maybe she'd just been stuck on land so long she forgot what it meant to work as a team. Er, crew.

Shaking her head, Shark grumbled, "that one ain't no idea what the meaning 'ov a word 'teamwork' is."

Turning back to Swift and Frost, "look, I ain't meanin ta run off an leave ye all; but the way I see it I ain't got a choice. Mission's changed now at we know the others'r dead. We need ta know who'a enemy is'ere. Ye've likely already figured out I know me way around this city, an I know folks - so m'comfortable gettin an insiders perspective. But I can't put ya'll at risk if it goes ta shit. Plus I know these folks- ye dun't. It'd be worlds'arder ta convience them I'm wit them if I brin a whole lot wit me."

"I know you aint comfortable leading," Shark added to Swfit Fox, "ats why I'm making this decision fer ye. When ye get back leave a message for me at the Swordfish Inn, there used ta be an old sea dog there by the name of Happs - grizzly feller with a bad eye an wooden leg. He'll know 'ow ta find me."

Having watched in puzzled silence at the sudden argumentative outbursts, Ferret finally moved off after Dusk Rat and Rasha. "I have to go with you," he said, apparently addressing no one in particular. "You don't know where to go."

Many things seemed strange to him about the attitudes of his fellow Kai, but if nothing else, Laughing Shark's tirade did at least seem to have forced a decision, whether it was one he agreed with or not, so now was not the time to further query their course of action.

Shark is now officially out of the group then, the rest of you is leaving.

Once the decision had been made, the group didn't spent long in their goodbyes, and soon enough the three Kai, plus a bounty huntress and her dog, where in the more elegant part of the city, being lead by Frost Ferret toward Toran's Western Gate, the one who would allow them to easily reach the woods where Silver Raven had disappeared.

However, as they walked close they noted an unusual activity at the gates; it seemed as if the soldier there where caught in a discussion with a lumberjack, and a group of curious in various attire - richly dressed nobles, beggars, colorful members of the lower classes, and even a couple of mages - were looking with interest as the soldiers and the lumberjack started to raise their voice, almost to the point of shouting...

Well, so much for Dusk Rat's plan, lol.

Dusk Rat makes no response as the others decide to follow along as she makes, at long last, for the city gates.
As they reach the area near the gates, Dusk Rat glances at the crowd. She makes sure her hood is up, and moves forward.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:35, Fri 27 July 2012.

As Dusk Rat moved, the group seemed to lose track of her - it seemed that she was separating herself to better scout the area without attracting attention.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:13, Fri 27 July 2012.

Swift glanced back at Frost Ferret and Rasha.
"Wait here a moment, I'll see what's going on."

With that, she turned towards the gate, hesitating a moment before moving forward.
She focused on the same ability she had drawn on before leaving the group at the Marketplace, imagining herself as a regular citizen of Toran.
With that she began to walk towards the gate at a casual stroll until she got close enough to hear what was being said between the people arguing with each other...


OOC: So Swift is using her Invisibility disguise trick again to make herself look like a normal citizen of Toran and trying to listen in on what's going on here :)

Quickly, Forst Ferret and Rasha lost sight of Swift Fox too as she mixed in with the crowd; even when they still saw it, they got the weirdest feeling that she was not one of them, but rather part of the crowd already, despite not being among them yet.

The bounty huntress shook her head, chuckling, and said:

"You lot really are something else, aren't you? Everytime you do something, I'm more and more surprised."

"To become less and less surprised would seem more rational," responded Frost Ferret, looking critically out across the crowd. "They are abilities honed beyond the typical by years of intensive training. It is reasonable to assume that many more people are capable of such things than are ever trained. And there are many other arts that the Kai do not specialise in. No Kai could have transported you hundreds of miles in a moment."

Rasha nodded.

"True, but that's magic. What you lot do is... different, you know? You do things I could do, like going unnoticed or finding a path, but you do it so much better. It's fascinating; I'm not new at my job, you know, and yet, standing among you, I feel like my skills mean nothing. That's why I'm still amazed."

Dusk Rat, Swift Fox, Frost Ferret made the roll I needed from him; now, to push things forward, I need one of you two to do something; neither of you has yet reacted to the situation, and if you don't, I can't really make anything new happen. Unless, of course, all you two want to do is stand around and wait to see what happens; but if so, you need to tell me.

Let me know your plans, ok? I'm waiting! ^_^

Seeing that the others were perhaps waiting for her to act, Swift sighed and approached the arguing people at the gate.
"Something the matter here?" she asked, making an effort to hide the impatient note in her voice...


OOC: Decided Swift's patience would wear out before her desire to avoid conversations again :)  hehe.

At Swift Fox's sudden appearance, several people turned in her direction, included the lumberjack and the soldier he was arguing with; the latter was the one to adress her.

"I'm sorry miss, but this man" he motioned toward the lumberjack "is asking us to remove the guard from the gates to go and check some the woods to confirm what's likely just a false alarm. As soon as he'll be done with bothering us, we'll let people through again; please, be patient."

At this, the lumberjack started to shout, now quite thoroughly enraged:

"I did not had a vision, it's not a false alarm! There's several dead bodies in the woods, you need to come and check on them!"

"And I told you to go and report to the barracks already! If what you're saying is true, which I doubt, then the Captain is the one with the authority to lift the guard from the gates, and not me!"

The two started to stare at each other again, as if trying to settle their discussion by seeing who of the two would surrender first - although neither one seemed to be willing to.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:49, Sun 29 July 2012.

Swift suddenly became more interested in the conversation at the mention of bodies.  Perhaps this could be a hint to what was going on out here.
She allowed the illusion of her Toranese appearance to fade, revealing herself to them.
"Perhaps this is related to the reason we are here" she replied.  "I am Swift Fox of the Kai.  Can you lead us to where you found these bodies?"
She glanced towards the guard.
"That way, his claim can be checked out, and you can remain at your post.  Satisfactory?"


OOC: Dropping Invisibility effect now :)  How much does that cost me?

In terms of WP? Nothing. You already paid when you disguised yourself, didn't you?

In terms of roleplay... who knows? ^_^

The soldier's eyes bulged out when he relaized the person he'd pratically brushed off was a Kai Lady, and the interest among the crew was clearly raised; the Lumberjack turned toward Swift Fox too, as if uncertain about what was going on, but then his eyes widened.

"You're that girl, aren't you? The heroine Kai that saved a child from a giant monster on Shell bridge?"

There was an hint of reverence in the man's voice, as if he couldn't believe his own words, and a murmur of surprise ran through the crowd at the revelation.

"It..It was yes" muttered Swift, clearly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was going.
"About those bodies you say you found.  Can you tell me where you found them?"


OOC: Swift is a very reluctant hero :)  hehe.
I don't think I paid a WP cost at first.  I assumed it would depend on how long I stayed disguised for...  How much was it?

1 WP. It would also require a roll, but you get a +4 automatic from Invisibility on this kind of rolls, so you wouldn't have had to roll anything - the DC wouldn't have been higher than 4.

The lumberjack seemed surprise by the change in subject matter, but nodded.

"Of course I can - it's now even too far away."

The soldier seemed satisfied by this resolution, as he said to the lumberjack, in a very dark tone:

"Then you can clear my sight and let us do our work, yes?"

Then, ignoring the annoyed expression on the man's face, he turned to Swift, with a smile on his face, and bowed slightly to her.

"Thank you, Kai Lady - I apologize for having to bother you with such matters, as I'm sure you've actually much more important things to do, but nevertheless, the Toran guard is thankful for your assistance - should you ever have need of us, we'll be happy to help. Might I know your name, so that I know who is entitled to my gratitude?"

Swift frowned at the guard.
"Swift Fox" she replied, "didn't I mention it already?"
She turned to where she had left the others and beckoned to them to join her, before glancing around and wondering where Dusk Rat had gone to...


OOC: Unless that guard meant her real name?  Not that she uses it often anyway, so she'd automatically assume anyone asking for her name meant her Kai Name :)
Almost out of WP too.  That Shrueberry potion is looking more tempting by the minute.  If anyone else wants it, they'd better hurry up and ask for it ;)

The guard was forgetful because of your surprise revelation, hence why he asked for the name again - he missed it the first time. :)

The soldier looked sheepishly at Swift Fox and wrote down her name before motioning for the crowd to disperse or leave, whichever they were there for; meanwhile, the lumberjack was following Swift Fox with his eyes, confused as to what she was doing but clearly not about to argue with the Kai that'd just agreed to take care of his problem.

Dusk Rat remains within the crowd for now, not stepping forward or otherwise revealing herself while everyone is looking at Swift Fox.

As Swift fox moved toward her, Rasha chuckled and said, in an amused tone:

"Have we picked up another straggler? What's his problem, exactly?"

For reference, Frost, you and Rasha didn't heard what the guy said to Swift about having found some bodies - I let it not secret so that Dusk Rat could read it, as she was close enough to hear, but you two were too far away.

OOC: Guessed so. But presume we could see enough to know that Swift Fox seems to have resolved the argument somehow?

Ferret watched the scene with his typical slight frown, reckoning his fellow Kai not to be in danger and satisfied enough to wait until their passage out of the city would be smooth before proceeding towards the gate.

Yes, that you have - hence Rasha's comment.

Swift glanced back towards the lumberjack then looked back at Frost and Rasha.
"He claims to have found some corpses somewhere in the forest.  I think it's definitely a lead we should check out, since we're headed in that direction anyway.  He's agreed to show us where he found them."
She then leaned closer to them and whispered something.


OOC: Not sure if Dusk Rat was close enough to hear what she whispered or not.  I'll leave that up to Shadow :)

I'd say that she didn't - she's currently focused on something else.

Rasha raised an eyebrow at the comment, then turned to Frost Ferret.

"You think these might be the ones we saw...?"

She trailed off, looking at the crowd as if uncertain of how much could be said in such a public area.

"Possibly" replied Swift.  "Or else our enemy has been busy elsewhere too, or it could just be travellers who got caught by wild animals, or... something else" she added, the last two words clearly a hint to what she'd whispered earlier.
"I think it's worth checking out anyway.  What do you two think?" she asked.

She glanced around the area again.
"Can you see where Dusk Rat went to?  I hope she hasn't decided to go off alone..." she muttered.

OOC: Am assuming that since Rasha and I were back from the crowd, we can speak quietly without being overheard by all and sundry.

"Rasha's fellow hunters, clearly," said Ferret quietly. "But it could be useful to examine the bodies, as long as we don't allow that man to see that we are expecting to find them. It's on our way, so we won't be unnecessarily delayed." His gaze shifted past Swift Fox towards the gate. "We should leave without any further fuss. Who does he think we are to be going looking at corpses?"

"Well he was trying to alert the guards at the gate here, but they'd have had to close the gate and leave their posts to investigate.  For some reason our friend there didn't seem willing to report the problem to the guards' superior so that something could be arranged, which makes me wonder..."
She glanced towards the people at the gate and shrugged.
"I said we would look into it.  Diplomacy isn't normally what I do, but that seemed like a simple solution."

She turned and began to head back towards the gate.
"Well, if we're going, let's not delay any longer.  Hopefully if Dusk Rat is still around, she'll follow us."


OOC: Swift is ready to move out anyways :)
This message was last edited by the player at 17:12, Mon 30 July 2012.

"They know you're a Kai." Ferret's tone suggested he was certain of the assumption. It was a moment before he continued, a moment in which barely perceptible tension showed in his face. "Leave alone. We will follow separately, hopefully Dusk Rat too. Do not tell them there are any more of your order going with you." Another moment in which his eyes darted to the crowd near the gate. "People have seen us talking. We will have to be ordinary acquaintances of yours that you've just had to inform of your needing to leave for a while."

Ferret glanced at Rasha, but made no move to go anywhere, to the gate or elsewhere.

Swift nodded.
"Not until I revealed myself though.  I felt certain that an ordinary citizen asking to see the bodies in the woods would have taken too much explaining on my part, they would have been more likely to listen to a Kai without wasting time asking too many questions."

She peered thoughtfully at the lumberjack for a moment, her next words spoken in a lower voice that she hoped wouldn't carry to the gate.
"If it is a trap, then I doubt it was originally meant for us.  It would take a supernaturally gifted strategist to know we would come this way at this time.  Or perhaps someone who had been keeping us under surveillance since we left the Spyre.  Normally I'd be the one offering to follow unseen, since I have more experience in that area."
She glanced down at the Jade Spike tucked into her belt.
"Also I have certain advantages when attacking from the shadows..."

She shrugged and looked back at Frost and Rasha.
"It seems that I've been departing from my usual role quite a lot lately" she remarked with a wry grin.  "Ok then, if you think you can remain unseen, I'll go on ahead and make it appear as if I'm going alone.  If you can find Dusk Rat on the way then fill her in on the plan if she doesn't already know."

With that she turned and took a few steps towards the gate, pausing briefly to look back at Frost Ferret and Rasha and calling back to them in a more audible voice.
"Don't worry, I'll be back soon.  Wait for me at the inn.  Goodbye for now."
With a wink, she turned back to the gate, approaching the lumberjack.
"Ok, I'm ready to go" she said...


OOC: So looks like Swift is going on alone for now with the others following all stealthy-like :)
For a stealth-based character, Swift does seem to be getting forced into the more "head-on" roles in this one, hehe.  Must be one of the dubious perks of leadership :)

Alright then, here's how we will run this. Swift Fox, you'll keep the main focus of the thread, so you can keep posting as normal.

Frost Ferret, once Dusk Rat joins you again, the two of you will still post in this thread, but you'll keep all conversation as private lines to each other; also, if you're going to follow by staying hidden, rather than just following at a distance, I'll be taking a camouflage roll from both of you; and either way, I'll need at least one of you to beat a DC 2 Tracking roll - Swift's trail will be easy enough to follow since she'll be willingly making it so, but you still need to actually follow it.

The lumberjack had looked confused, but seemed to set himself at ease when Swift Fox came back, and bowed respectfully to her before heading to the doors.

"Thank you for your help, Kai Lady; you will see that I am not liar. I was exploring a deeper area of the woods - I was looking for some of the older Cork Oaks, as they are not found on the usual paths - when I stumbled upon the dead bodies; I am certain that the killers expected them to be eaten by the animals before anybody would found them, since normally nobody visits that area of the woods."

Swift nodded and followed the man through the gate.
Her gaze searched the surrounding landscape as they went, looking out for any signs of an ambush or anyone else following them.
Her hand rested lightly on the hilt of the Jade Spike, the green carvings on the handle glowing softly as if in response to her touch.

"Have you noticed anything else unusual in the forest lately, apart from the bodies?" she asked, "like something that seems out of place, or signs that anyone else has been there?"


OOC: Assuming Huntmastery can help with spotting signs of ambush or incoming trouble? :)

The lumberjack shook his head, and after a moment, he explained:

"Well, nothing unusual, at least. However, about one month ago, the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star set up a limit law on the forest - we're not allowed to go too deep into it, apparently because the area is under investigation. I bet the murders are involved... what do you think, Kai Lady?"

"Interesting" murmured Swift.  "Perhaps there was some unusual goings on that prompted the law.  Do you know if it was a particular Brotherhood member who imposed the law?"
She was trying to keep her voice casual, as if making idle discussion as they walked along.
But on the inside the answer was one she was eager to know...


OOC: Fishing for a name again ;)

The lumberjack seemed surprised at the comment, and then answered thoughtful:

"You know... I hadn't really realized it until now, but it was unanimous; both Custodian Valador and Guildmaster Banedon supported the motion - and it was presented by Elder Wol-Dumar, too, so it was a decision the Crystal Triad had agreed upon beforehand. Weird... that almost never happens, you know?"

He paused, then shrugged.

"I guess they already knew the woods were dangerous, and all agreed to pass the law to keep people safe, right?"

"Hmm, perhaps" Swift replied, looking thoughtful.
She had assumed that if Valador was indeed the one behind this, then passing a law in the name of public safety to close off part of the woods would make it a useful place to carry out his own plans in secret.
Still, if he had indeed used the Brotherhood's influence to create this place for his own plans, it could also have potentially tied him to anything that was going on in there, something that a careful planner like Valador likely wouldn't have allowed anyway.
If all three members of the Triad had agreed on this though...  That led to a couple of more disturbing conclusions.

Pushing the thought to the back of her mind for now, Swift concentrated on staying alert to her surroundings as she continued to follow the lumberjack...


OOC: Interesting... :)

OOC: Ah, didn't intend to be stealthy at all, just was trying to stop the authorities - or anyone else - knowing that a whole bunch of Kai had left the city together. Would kind of blow what cover we have, that. So had intended to be pretty quick out the gate to catch up. But given Swift's parting words....

Frost Ferret's eyes narrowed as Swift Fox bade himself and Rasha her false farewell; suddenly things were not going to be so straightforward. "We'll have to get out of sight of the gate for a while," he said quietly to the huntress. "Then return and leave under the identities we entered with."

He cast a glance towards the gate to make sure he didn't recognise any of the guards, then turned away and headed down the nearest street, checking that Rasha was following.

GM NOTE: I'm posting for Dusk Rat here - as she's been unable to post for 4 days. Of course, she might edit this post at any moment however she wants, so long as it doesn't turn any following post into nonsense; my only goal here is to make the game proceed.

Suddnely, as Frost Ferret moved to one of the side roads, Dusk Rat appeared next to him, as if materialzing from thin air, and followed the Kai Lord and the bounty huntress, Brook happily trodding after her.
It took about ten minutes for the three to navigate the side streets of Toran and return to the gates from a completely different direction than the one they'd used to leave; then, quietly and quickly, they left Toran, following Swift Fox into the woods.

GM NOTE: Dusk Rat rolls are a 9 for Camouflage and a 1 for Tracking; however, I'm not going to use WP on behalf of Dusk without her consent.

Frost, give me your rolls, and then we'll move forward.

This message was last edited by the GM at 21:29, Thu 02 Aug 2012.

OOC: Sorry, just dropping in quickly. If I have to use 1 or 2 WP for this then I will - let me know. Camouflage 8, Tracking 9.

Ferret was troubled by Dusk Rat's information.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:50, Fri 03 Aug 2012.

Soon enough, Swift Fox and the lumberjack had left the road and were now walking through the forest, the light of the sun being partially hidden by the tree's tops to create a complex play of shadows all around them. Small birds could be heard chirping, and at one moment the Magnaki saw red fur disappear among the bushes as one of the animals that were her namesake quickly ran away from the presence of humans.

While the forest itself offered a relaxing, pictoresque collage of idillic peace, though, the more they walked, the more the lumberjack tensed - he was clearly less brave about this "checking the bodies" business that he'd initially shown in Toran.

When they started to get close to a denser, deeper line of threes, the man actually stopped, and then said to Swift Fox, a bit nervous:

"Ah... Kai Lady... is... is my presence really necessary?"

Meanwhile, Frost Ferret, Dusk Rat and Rasha kept going on through the forest, following the clear path Swift Fox had specifically left for them with great ease.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:24, Fri 03 Aug 2012.

Swift glanced towards the lumberjack then peered into the cluster of trees up ahead.
Looking back to the man, she shook her head.
"I'll go on alone from here" she replied.  "Just show me which direction to go then head back to the city.  Tell one of the guards to pass a message to Guildmaster Banedon telling him where I've gone.  Just the Guildmaster though, not one of the other Triad members, that is important!"


OOC: At last, Swift gets to go solo :)  hehe.  (Sort of anyway, considering the others are following her)

The lumberjack nodded, and pointed Swift in the right direction; then, he bowed, and quickly moved to leave, even as the Magnakai advanced further into the forest...

Swift Fox, give me a Tracking roll, DC 5, to see if you can reach the clearing the Lumberjack meant for you to reach by just following his tracks.

Rolled 9 for Tracking...  (Ouch, I might wish I still had that 9 later!)

It was ridicolously easy, for as expert a tracker as Swift Fox was, to follow the fresh tracks left by the lumberjack that morning, until she entered in a clearing, and was immediately assaulted by the acre hodour of death.

Three bodies lay in the clearing, three man who'd clearly been dead by at least three days, if anything was to be; their bodies were partially eaten by beasts and rotting, and there was a falcon slowly picking one of them apart.

They all were brutish men, muscular and dressed in green clothes and black leather; experienced trackers, or perhaps hunter, if their attire was anything to go by.

While the bodies had been mauled by the animals that would no doubt, in a couple more days, leave nothing but bones, there were also tell-tale signs that they'd not been killed by the wood's inhabitants, but rather by other human beings. One of the three, in particular, had got his head cracked open by a dagger that hit him in the middle of his forehead - Swift Fox skill with that kind of weapon would help her recognize that type of wound anywhere. And their bodies had clearly been looted of everything useful - even their weapons weren't there any longer.

:) You found the bodies! Congratulations. Do you have any plan on what you want to do with them?

Swift peered at the bodies for a moment then realising that there was nothing useful on them she turned her attention to the clearing itself, searching the ground for any signs of what might have happened here to leave these corpses behind, any marks that would indicate a fight and hopefully give her an idea of how many were involved and which direction any survivors went from here...


OOC: Using Pathmanship (or Huntmastery?) to try and get an idea of what happened here and to look for any other tracks entering or leaving the area :)

Pathsmanship would work. Give me a roll, DC 7.

Got exactly 7 :)

It took several long minutes for Swift Fox to double check every the tracks on the ground; it seemed the area had been visited by several scavengers in the last two days, but under all that, she finally found the footprints of the three dead men, and others alongside them.

:) I hope that's enough information, Swift?

Swift eyed the ground for a moment, her gaze following the tracks before she shook her head and turned her attention back to the bodies, approaching the first one and examining it closely, apparently completely unfazed by being close to or handling the corpses.
What did concern her was the hope that this wasn't another dead-end lead.
At least when Frost Ferret caught up with her, they could get back to heading towards their original destination...


OOC: Just waiting for the others to catch up now, but in the meantime she's searching the bodies, just to see if their killers missed anything :)
This message was last edited by the player at 15:16, Fri 03 Aug 2012.

Sorry, been working a lot this week - had to get up at 7amn to get into work for 9am, then knackered in the evening (got in late due to being busy in the evening with different things) so couldn't be arsed to check most of my forums and stuff. Looking forward to going to bed fairly soon - been up since about half six in the morning and it's not 11:15pm :P. So my brain is still mostly buggered but I'll just make a quick post here since I kind of haven't done so for ages. I'll probably read it tomorrow and go "wtf did I post..." lol :D.

Dusk Rat looks around warily, trying to discern anything that might be lurking nearby. As usual, she doesn't say anything but focuses on the task at hand.

Rasha looked with surprise at Dusk Rat's attitude, particularly because Brook seemed to have picked up on it and was clearly scared.

"What is it?" Frost Ferret asked Dusk Rat quietly, noting her sensory intent and being unable to see or hear anything immediately untoward himself, much though he looked about at their wooded surroundings, which could, of course, hide all manner of dangers for a Kai whose senses were anything other than finely in tune with them.

Dusk Rat moves closer and speaks softly.

"In the crowd back at the gates," she says, "there were three who were paying close attention to what occurred. They wore colourful clothing, like travellers, yet seemed to do so in order to avoid notice. They're now waiting nearby."

The bounty huntress tensed at the comment, and asked, looking at both Kai:

"Those would be the ones you said were following Swift Fox, right?"

Ooh, I'd got confused - I thought we were all still together. I didn't realise Swift Fox left quickly enough that she left us all behind. Dusk Rat also wouldn't have volunteered the info that you said she did unless asked, but I suppose it's a bit late now. And I was kind of busy IRL for several days and didn't get time to post. Hopefully I won't en dup holding the game up like that again, lol.

"Yes." replies Dusk Rat with a brief nod.

The bounty huntress didn't even bother to hide her fear.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:34, Mon 06 Aug 2012.

Making no obvious acknowledgement of the huntress' question, Ferret scanned their surroundings, eyes narrowed.

Dusk Rat stands there for several seconds, concentrating on their surroundings.

Any reason all the dialogue has suddenly started being put into private note thingys? I thought we were all standing in the same clearing. Well, me and Rasha and Brook and Frosty. I think I need to re-read the previous posts to see why Swift Fox didn't just stop and wait for us when she got to the corpses, and also how far ahead she actually is. I didn't really take in much of what I read at the end of last week 'cause I was so knackered ;).

Swift Fox went ahead on her own because Frost Ferret suggested it; since she'd identified herself as a Kai Lady, he thought it would be better not to let any observer know that she wasn't the only one. But yes, rereading through what happened will help you understand what's going on; as for hiding the speech, that's so Swift Fox doesn't know what the two of you are doing. :)

When Dusk Rat focused on it, the dog seemed to calm itself a bit - but it was still not completely at ease.

She could always, you know, just not read any of our posts ;).

After a few moments, Dusk Rat properly ansers Frost Ferret's question, as best she can.
"I think they were following Swift Fox." she says. "They've stopped and they've intentions to ambush and kill...someone, though I've no way of telling whom. But I think they're unaware of us, so far. Perhaps they intend to attack Swift Fox."

Swift had already searched the bodies over and found nothing, now she was waiting idly, leaning back against a tree and eyeing the clearing with a rather frustrated expression.
Was there nothing but one dead-end after another on this mission?

She glared icily at the falcon which was picking at one of the bodies, but her gaze gradually softened.
"Pity I can't talk to you as well as some" she muttered.  "It would be useful to see the forest the way you do right now."
She shook her head and chuckled slightly at herself.
I'm talking to a bird, she thought.  Perhaps I am losing it after all...
She glanced up at the patches of sky visible through the leaves and back at the bodies again.
"Whoever did this knew what they were doing" she said to herself in a low voice.  "Just like I would have done.  Just like you wanted, right father?"
She grinned at that as if sharing some private joke with herself, then in a startlingly abrupt mood change, a sudden vehemence crossed her expression and she spat off to one side.
"I wish I could have met you again, just once.  Then I'd have shown you how good a killer I became!"

Her voice trailed off and she glanced down at her hand, the same one she had scratched with the dagger blade the previous night.
She shivered slightly and wiped the palm of her hand against her tunic, as if trying to clean off some invisible substance on it, then looked at it again.
"Will the blood on my hands ever wash off...?"
The words were spoken so quietly that even the most sharp-eared creatures in the forest would have had difficulty hearing them.

Shaking her head again she returned to looking around the forest.
"I'm bored" she muttered and without further comment, she began to walk towards the edge of the clearing opposite the way she had entered it by.
Pausing at a tree near the direction she was headed in, she drew the Jade Spike from her belt and carved a crude letter "S" into the trunk before pushing the weapon into the sleeve of her tunic, concealing it from sight.
Moving into the shadows cast by the trees she began to move forward, intending to search a little deeper into the area.
Surely the Brotherhood were hiding something in here if they had closed off this section of the forest.  Possibly related to whoever or whatever had killed those bodies in the clearing.
If there was nothing left here, then at least she had eliminated another dead-end.  But if there was still something dangerous nearby, Swift intended to find it and kill it before it found and killed her...


OOC: Swift is quietly going nuts waiting for you guys!  Hehe.
Heading off into the forest.  Using Invisibility to stay more or less hidden if it won't burn up any more WP.
Using Pathmanship and Huntmastery to search the surroundings for anything unusual nearby :)

It seemed as if Swift Fox's sowrds to the falcon had meant something to it, at least, for when she left the clearing, it flew high, and followed her along, landing on a three branch further after her.

Give me a Tracking roll, Swift Fox. DC 7.

This message was last edited by the GM at 21:52, Wed 08 Aug 2012.

Flunked it...  4 :(

Swift paused in her movements and stared up at the falcon.
"Piqued your curiosity did I?" she asked, not really expecting an answer.  "I wonder why."
Narrowing her eyes, she thought back to her wild initiate days at the Monastery, the times that had earned her a reputation as someone who was probably better off avoided, yet thanks to people like Red Dawn she was hardly thought of as the worst the place had to offer.
She remembered learning the technique of basic Animal Kinship, though she had allowed her mastery of it to lapse a little over the years, finding little use for it in the kind of missions she was often chosen for.  It still remained though, stored away at the back of her memory.
She now focused that barely remembered skill on the bird...

When Swift Fox offered her attention to the bird, it seemed happy, for it flew closer to her, looking at her with curiosity and no hint of fear - somethign clearly not normal for a wild creature.

Swift eyed the falcon curiously for a moment, glancing back to the clearing where the bodies lay.
"It seems that I'm not the only one who regrets coming to this place" she remarked quietly with a smile.  "Well if you want to follow me around for as long as you need to, then I'd welcome the company.  Humans tend to get in my way.  Maybe I'll think of a name for you, since I don't know the one you went by before... You'd even be welcome to have my old name, since I don't really want it anymore."

Turning her attentions back to the forest in front of her, she stooped to examine the soft leaf-strewn soil of the ground where something had evidently caught her attention.
Whatever she had noticed had clearly given her something to think about...

The falcon seemed happy with that, as it flew and took place over her shoulder with a certain satisfaction.

Swift stood up from her examination of the ground.
She had definitely seen something that had brought a rather troubled expression to her face.
"That's odd" she commented to the falcon.  "Unless it was left when they returned.  In which case, this may not be a dead-end, but just one point on the road.  Maybe Kai is toying with me after all."
As she said the last part, she glanced up at the sky again with a wry grin.

Lowering her right hand, she allowed the Jade Spike to slip out of her sleeve into her hand, gripping the hilt and carving another "S" into a nearby tree.  Beneath it, she scratched out a rough arrow-head shape, pointing in the direction she had been looking, a marker that the others would hopefully recognise for what it was and follow it.

Pushing the weapon back into her sleeve she quickly took off her backpack, removing her Kai Cloak from it and putting it back on.
The green colour would help her move unseen through the forest much better than her dark tunic, the two combining like leaf and shadow to break up her outline among the trees.
"Let's see what lies ahead then" she said, heading off into the forest, keeping to the patches of shadow cast by the trees...
This message was last edited by the player at 12:16, Thu 09 Aug 2012.

The falcon slwoly flew ahead of Swift Fox, keeping in her sight while looking forward, to spot any incoming danger...
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:12, Thu 09 Aug 2012.

After a short way, Swift paused in her movements, stooping to examine the ground again, noticing various other trails nearby apart from the one she was following.
Looks like we're getting close to something important, she thought to herself.
Glancing up to where the falcon was, she sent a mental suggestion of possible danger ahead to it and a warning to stay out of sight of the area in front of her.
She had remembered the rogue Brotherhood man back in Toran who had struck down a bird with Lightning Hand, suspecting it to be working with a Kai.

Allowing the Jade Spike to drop into her hand once more, she carved another "S" marker into a nearby tree, lower down on the trunk, where it would hopefully only be noticed by someone looking out for such things.  This time she kept the weapon in her hand as she continued forwards, now being even more careful to remain hidden as well as examining her surroundings more alertly...

Swift Fox was still walking through the forest when her falcon, who'd moved closer to her, noticed something and let out a call, before diving into the foliage.

Swift froze and crouched down lower among the foliage at the sound of the falcon's call, glancing in that direction.
She peered once more around her then turned to investigate what it had found...

The young Kai could see the small bird perched on some branches far ahead, almost invisible admist the leaves; it seemed to be waiting for her.

Swift noticed the falcon perched in the trees up ahead.
Deciding that whatever was there was not something that the bird found frightening, she slipped the Jade Spike back into her sleeve and continued forwards to examine it, glancing around her occasionally as she went...

As Swift Fox followed the falcon's flight, she had to walk through a twisted maze of roots and trunks to until she ended up in a very small, well hidden clearing where she found the ruin of what looked like a small, forgotten temple to Ishir; the hinges must have rusted at some point and the entire place was covered in weeds growing all over the white marble, giving the decadent structure a strange image of beauty even as it seemed like nature was recalling it to itself.

Swift crouched behind a piece of foliage as her eyes examined the visible details of the ancient structure.
"Curious" she said to herself, her voice barely rising above a whisper.  "I doubt this is the secret the Brotherhood wanted to protect here though.  Still, while I'm here..."

With that, she glanced at her surroundings once more then slowly moved towards the doorway, intending to check the inside first...

As Swift fox entered, she found that the temple was small, but built to feel larget; the tall column carved in moon symbols make it somewhat fascinating to look at. The ceiling was broken and made the roof accessible through what looked like several weeds dangling from it, while the light entering from the crack lighted up the small pool in front of Swift Fox, making is glint softly in the dark and giving the whole place a mystic aura.

Near the back, the Magnakai could see a small, raised room with an altar at its center, partially hidden behind a curtain of webs, while to both of her sides she could see two small, crumbling pedestal. The one to her left was empty, but she found a small gemstone standing over the left one was a small, shining green gem.

Swift peered up at the hole in the roof, her eyes tracing the long plants hanging from it before turning her attention to the gemstone on the pedestal.
Giving the pedestal a few tentative prods with her dagger to check for traps, she carefully lifted the gem and pocketed it.
While taking items from a temple of Ishir seemed a little morally dubious, the fact that this place was obviously abandoned and forgotten about made her think that no-one would miss it, and if it could help with her quest in some way then it would still serve a purpose.

She peered at the other pedestal, wondering if that had once held a similar gem.  Had someone taken it?
Shaking her head she turned her attention to the pool, moving closer and examining it...

As Swift Fox moved to the small pool, she could see through the clear water, reflecting her image clearly. However, as she explored furter, she found something unexpected: at the center of it was a strange spot that reflected the few sunlight entering the temple - a mirror.

When she got really close, she picked up the item, and was surprised to find that she was holding not just a mirror, but a polished one mounted on a round, finely decorated silver disk, with manacles on the back... it was a shield. A shield, with the deflecting part made of glass; definitely a strange piece of equipment.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:01, Thu 09 Aug 2012.

Swift examined the shield curiously.  It was obviously far too delicate to be used in battle which suggested it was some sort of ornamental equipment, or perhaps intended for some ritual once held in this temple.
Of course it could also hold some magical power she was unaware of.  Making a mental note to show it to Banedon or Wol-Dumar if she met either of them again, she slung it over her back and turned her attention to the back room with the altar.

She hesitated to approach it however, her gaze lingering on the webs hanging in front of it.
As someone who had been known to sneak the occasional venomous creature into the bed of those who had made an enemy of her, she had enough knowledge of such things to know better than to walk straight through what could easily turn out to be a nest of poisonous spiders.
Glancing around the floor she searched for some piece of rubble from the roof or anything equally heavy...

Unable to find anything large enough to throw into the webs, she scratched her head and thought about what to do next.
Despite her wariness, there was something about this place that made her realise it wasn't dangerous.
It reminded her of something she hadn't felt in a very long time, a feeling that she'd forgotten how to describe.  Something that had always been missing from her life for as long as she could remember...
What was it?

Shaking her head she moved forwards again, intending to simply move past the webs and examine the room beyond...

It took a bit, but eventually Swift Fox found a way to reach the raished chamber without touching the webs. She could see there was a solid oak door at the other end, but it seemed closed.

Meanwhile, when she reached for the altar, she found that another offering had been put over it, but it was not a gem like it'd been at the entrance; it was a small diadem made out of white gold, with diamonds encased along its lenght. As Swift Fox moved near, she could feel a faint calling from the item, as if it wanted her to pick it up...

On entering the area, Swift's eye was immediately caught by the diadem on the altar.
She circled it slowly examining it from various angles, wondering what it was doing here.  Had someone left it as an offering before the temple was abandoned?

She gave the door a cursory glance, but her gaze was quickly drawn back to the altar.
Carefully, she reached out and picked up the diadem, examining it carefully with her Sixth Sense as well as her eyes...

The moment Swift Fox took the diadem in her hands, she felt as if a warm, soft light was filling her, and all of her preoccupation seemed petty, unimportant. She could almost swear she felt two warm arms wrapping her in a hugh, and she for a moment could have sworn she was a child again, held in her moter's loving embrace...

"Can you lead us around them to pick up her trail?" asked Ferret, unsatisfied at having no awareness of the potential foes himself.

Whatever Swift had sensed from the object she had picked up, it had a profound effect on her.
She stumbled back a step from the altar, a sudden gasp of surprise leaving her.
Then the surprise left her and her expression changed to one that likely no-one in the Kai Monastery had ever seen on her face.  She looked almost happy.

Her eyes closed as her mind returned to a place it hadn't been to in a long time, a barely remembered moment in her life, one memory remaining like a tiny spark of a candle light flickering in the eye of the dark storm that had always raged in her mind for as long as she could remember.

There was someone who had once held her like that.
For a painfully short time in her life, someone had once loved her.

Small droplets of liquid spattered onto the floor, tears escaping from beneath her closed eyelids...
She never wanted to leave that moment.  Didn't want to return...  Return to where she knew only fear and rage and death...


After a few minutes, she reluctantly opened her eyes to the present moment again, looking down at the diadem in her hands.
She wiped her face on her sleeve and examined the object closely.
She looked up into the surrounding interior of the temple.
"Was this meant for me to find?" she asked.  "I... I don't know if I can be that person again.  I don't think I remember how..."


OOC: Not sure if I should wait for everyone else to catch up here.  Feels like I'm pulling too far ahead...

No answer was forthcoming to Swift Fox's question, but when she put the diadem on her head, she felt a feeling of right - as if it had always been meant to be worn by her.

And for a moment, she could feel a sense of vertigo - as if millions upon millions of paths where open in front of her, and the choice of which one to take was only her own...

Dusk Rat shrugs.

"I expect so." she says.

Following Swift Fox is easy - she's left you a track to follow, as she knows you're tailing her - but following her would bring you through the area where the thieves are waiting.

If that's your intention, just declare that you're keeping walking on Swift's trail and spring the ambush intentionally, wether it is aimed at you or not.

On the other hand, if you want to circle the point of ambush to reach Swift's track by avoiding the thieves, moving around their current position, I'll need a tracking roll from both of you - DC 7. If either one of you manage it, you'll avoid the thugs and reach the clearling with the bodies that Swift was heading towards.

Swift wasn't sure how long she'd been standing there, but she eventually returned to her senses and glanced around the room again.
For the first time since she had arrived back in Toran, her mind felt clearer.  The frustration and anger that had slowly been building in her had melted away.  The storm clouds had receded once more.

Turning her attention to the door, she examined it for a moment before trying to open it to see what lay beyond...


OOC: Will those markings Swift left on the trees have any effect on tracking rolls?  Was hoping to make her trail a bit easier to follow for anyone who might be looking for clues :)

You only left them after you left the clearing with the corpses, so they'll only start playing into it after Frost and Dusk reach the clearing in the first place.

Swift pushed on the door, but it refused to open.
Placing her hand on the aged wood surface she focused her mind on it, searching out the locking mechanism that prevented her opening it...

As she pushed the door open, she found that this small room had to have been where the priest who had been in charge of this small sanctuary must have slept and such. There was a small, old bed, as well as a open, empty chest on one side, and a small cupboard filled only with webs and dust.

It took a lot of careful checking the room, to make sure she wasn't forgetting antyhing, before Swift found, forgotten in a corner, a small brass flask that was filled with a familiar red liquid...

Swift examined the flask carefully before opening the cap and sniffing cautiously at it, ready to pull back from it if she had to, her previous experience with poisons making her wary at first.
The familiar herbal scent of the red liquid reassured her though, giving her an increased sense of hope that they might get through this in one piece after all.

Carefully fitting the cap back on and attaching it to her belt she glanced once more around the room.
The moment she had recognised this place as an abandoned temple of Ishir, there had been one object in particular she had hoped to find here.
Still, surely she hadn't been the first to rediscover this place, or had she?  Would a previous explorer have left the gemstone and the diadem in place or failed to check the pool or this back room as she had?
If that was the case, could there still be something here she was missing?
The one item she was searching for perhaps?
This message was last edited by the player at 13:17, Sat 11 Aug 2012.

After completing her careful search, Swift Fox was positively certain that no hidden room or other secret passage was in this room - it was but the simple bedroom that whichever priests had officed in this small sanctuary in the past had lived into.

So, Swift Fox, what is your next exploration move?

Swift left the small room, closing the door behind her again.
Back in the altar room, she glanced upwards, attempting to touch minds with the falcon, making sure it was ok and checking to see if it had noticed anyone approaching.
Surely the others wouldn't be too far behind, especially with her search through this small building taking up some time, she thought.

Resuming the search, she began examining the remaining rooms for any signs of secret hiding places...
This message was last edited by the player at 13:32, Sat 11 Aug 2012.

As soon as Swift Fox called the falcon, it flew inside through the crack in the sanctuary's roof, landing happily on her arm and looking at her in a curious manner.

Swift examined the falcon as he landed on her arm.
She reached out and lightly stroked his feathers with a tenderness that would have surprised anyone who knew of her reputation back at the Monastery.
"Still can't think of a name for you" she said.  "Maybe Silver, though the Silver I came here looking for is a raven not a falcon" she added with a grin.
She turned to look out of the door into the forest outside.
"Whatever else happened on this mission, I had at least hoped I could have saved him.  I wish he was here now, he would probably have loved this place."
She glanced around at the temple's interior then shrugged lightly and turned towards the door, making a mental note to mention the temple's approximate location to Banedon if she saw him again.  Perhaps this place had an interesting legend or two about it that would help explain the things she had found.

Outside, she looked around at the surrounding forest then turned her attention to the plants that had grown up around the temple.
"Well, may as well have a look around here, just in case.  Maybe find some Hildun if I'm lucky."
Allowing the falcon to return to the trees, she focused her attention on the plants, looking out for useful herbs as well as any items that had gotten lost among the overgrown vegetation...
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:18, Sat 11 Aug 2012.

When she checked over the various plants that covered the walls of the sanctuary, and beside the several weeds that went all the way up to the ceiling, there were several small plants that were growing though the small cracks. They looked familiar, and when Swift Fox smelled them, she couldn't help but feel completely happy and at ease with herself... and she could also feel the irony in the situation.

She'd not found any Hildun... but about half of the small sanctuary's walls, and a major portion of the entire perimeter of it, were covered in Ishir's favored mint.

Swift smiled to herself as she recognised the plants she had found.
Taking off her backpack, she rummaged around in it, pulling out the Blue Iris dagger she had worn briefly in Toran, reattaching its sheath to her belt next to the hand-axe that was already tucked into it.
Then she quickly picked three of the plants and placed them carefully inside the pack, wrapping them in pieces of cloth to prevent them accidentally coming into contact with the Mokradon Fruits that still lurked at the bottom of the pack.

Shouldering her backpack again, she walked over to the edge of the clearing back in the direction she had arrived from and turned back to take a last look at the temple.
She felt a reluctance to leave this place.  It had certainly left its mark on her.
At least the items she found would serve as a reminder...


OOC: Well I don't think I know anywhere else to search, but I can't help feeling that I've missed something.  That's always the way though...
Back to where I left the last marker then :)

Ok! Then it shouldn't take more than one or two rolls for the others to find you. :)

This message was last edited by the GM at 20:49, Sat 11 Aug 2012.

Should I wait for the others to catch up now then? :)

"Take us around then," Ferret said intently. "We'll look for the trail once we've avoided them. But alert me if they make any move."

OOC: Only 3 rolled, I'm afraid. Fingers crossed for Ratty doing better.

I just rolled a 9. I can't remember whether that's a crit or a botch or what...but erm...woohoo or bollocks depending on whether that roll was good or not ;).

9 is always good - 0 is the one that's only good in combat. The only exception would be luck rolls, but this wasn't, so...

Using her Divination to always keep in mind where the ambushers were, Dusk Rat easily lead Frost Ferret and Rasha around the area where the three people were waiting; then, after some searching, they found Swift's trail again, and followed it to an empty clearing where they found three dead bodies.

On one of the trees on the border of the clearing they could see the signs of arrows clearly left by the thin, round blade of a knife - arrows pointing in the opposite direction than the ones they'd come by.

The description of the clearing is at page 4, msg. # 91 of this thread - except, of course, the falcon isn't there anymore.

This message was last edited by the GM at 21:18, Wed 15 Aug 2012.

9 is usually good anywhere.  In skill checks outside of combat it's the best possible roll.
0 is a critical hit in combat, and a critical failure outside of combat.
1 is usually always bad.

In luck rolls, I think it's even numbers are lucky, odd numbers are unlucky?
This message was last edited by the player at 21:01, Wed 15 Aug 2012.

So basically, I critted - YAY :D. About time I got a decent bloody roll, lol. I might not be a fan of automated die rollers, but my d10s seem to hate me :P. Well, actually I'd say it's more the percentile than the straight d10 - I seem to have trouble rolling anything less than, say, 60 or 70 :P.

As they arrive in the clearing, Dusk Rat looks around in distaste at the bodies, but then looks back in the direction she knows the three ambushers to be.

"They're fighting...something." she says in a low voice.

Any way to tell more specifically what they're fighting? And can we not hear any sounds of battle from where we are? It can't be that far, surely, and any shouts or clashing of weapons (or whatever) should carry for some way, I'd've thought. It's nearly half midnight so I'm just making quick forum checks/posts before I go to bed - I'll read that description-of-the-clearing post tomorrow when I have more time ;).

They actually are too far away to hear; you circled a long way around the area they were at, and then followed for a somewhat long trait of woods to where you are now - and the woods are not silents, there's the standard sound of birds and forest life and the like. Also, the killers are skilled at what they do - killing silently.

Hence, you can't hear anything from where you are, Dusk Rat; your mind is all you have at your disposal to detect anything.

Okay then :).

So, what are you two going to do now? Following the arrows, or going back to check on the ambush you just avoided?

Hmm...perhaps I could send the rats (my two friends I brought with me from home) to do the latter while we do the former? I hope they don't get themselves eaten or something, though...

That would be determined by your roll; the DC would be 4. As you know, for your rats the WP cost is waived, so, it's your decision. Do remember that you have your AC bonus to add to such rolls, before deciding.

Having looked only briefly at the bodies, Ferret reacted to Dusk Rat's comment. "Swift Fox?" he said. "What reason could there be to go back after carving that?" He scrutinised the carved arrow across the clearing. "More likely someone else. Were we followed?" The final question was clearly directed as much at himself as his fellow Kai or the huntress.

"I think not." replies Dusk Rat. She reaches into her inside pocket and produces first one rat, then the other. "My friends can check the way behind us, tell us what occurs there. They'll be able to find me again, easily enough."

Rasha nodded, then directed her dog to the threes and, after a moment, the dog barked loudly at them, to which the bounty huntress nodded.

"Brook seems to think that your friend went in the direction of the arrows, as well."

Dusk Rat, I need a roll for your scouting rats.

"Their fight may distract them for long enough to lose the trail," Ferret stated blandly. He moved to continue the way the had been going, following the arrows and Rasha's dog.

Dusk Rat bends down and lets the two rats run down her arms to the ground. Then she takes a moment to silently explain her request to them before watching them depart and then moving to join the others.

So...I had a read through the Disciplines page and...I think I get +3 to the roll for Animal Control to send the rats off on their little mission? So 1d10+3 in total, with a DC of 4. So my result iiiis...11! I think I beat the DC by a little bit ;).

That's an excellent roll, and yes, you succeed. :) The rats will be back to you with the information in my next post.

Following the arrows was enough to make the two easily find Swift Fox; they met her as she was emerging from a small wood of twisted tree trunks, looking a bit scruffled but somewhat calmer than they'd last seen her and wearing a diadem made of white gold lined with small, shining diamonds.

A moment later, a falcon appeared appeared, flying above the trees for a moment before safely landing on the blonde Magnakai's shoulder and looking at the three newcomers and their dog with open curiosity.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:21, Fri 17 Aug 2012.

"What made you leave the bodies?" asked Frost Ferret, looking to Swift Fox, but glancing critically at the ornamental treasure she now wore.

Dusk Rat frowns slightly, looking first toward the new trinket that Swift Fox is wearing, but then turning her attention more intently upon the falcon.

The bounty huntress seemed as surprised as the other two at Swift Fox's appearance, but then she chuckled and commented, shooking her head:

"So, is that how you Kai find all these treasures... you just stumble about them? First Ferret, now you, Fox... if I went around to tell the tale, nobody would believe me."

Her dog seemed just as amused as her, although it was looking at the falcon with clear interest, clearly made curious by the other creature's smell.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:42, Sat 18 Aug 2012.

Swift glanced over the group as they came together again.
There was something different about her now, the jumpy and constantly on-edge figure they had known before seemed to have been left behind somewhere else.
There was still a noticeable alertness in her eyes, and she still searched her surroundings with the same wary look as her animal namesake, but she seemed somehow calmer at the same time.

"I found another set of tracks leading away from, or rather leading towards and then through, the clearing where the bodies were, so I decided it would be quicker to follow it back to its source, since there was nothing left on the bodies.  I left markers to make it easier for you to follow me."
She indicated the letter "S" carved into the nearby tree which she had left before leaving the trail she had been following.
"One of the tracks was that of a dog actually, I think they might have been the tracks you left when you returned to Toran before.  You did mention seeing members of the Thieves' Guild killing some people, didn't you?  I think that's where the bodies came from."

She glanced around once more.
"I think there's something more hidden here.  The man who led me here said that the Brotherhood had recently passed a law that prevented lumberjacks and the like from travelling into this part of the forest.  All three members of the Triad agreed on it, which struck me as odd since they rarely seem to agree on anything.  I can't help but wonder if they're hiding something here, something more than what you have seen already."

She glanced towards Rasha, giving a wry grin at her comment about the Kai stumbling onto the treasure they find.
"Something like that" she remarked, turning her attention to the falcon on her shoulder and raising a hand to gently stroke its feathers.  It would probably be a surprise to most Kai who knew Swift Fox to see her displaying affection towards anything else.
"I met him in the clearing back there.  Apparently his former master was one of the dead and he was lost and afraid in this land.  Just like me perhaps."
A faint trace of her previous humourless smirk crossed her face as she said the last part.
"So I let him follow me if he chose to.  Perhaps we could watch out for each other.  He alerted me to the position of an old temple dedicated to Ishir, apparently lost and abandoned a long time ago where I found some interesting things.  Speaking of which, I have some Laumspur and Moon Balm herb if any of you are in need of it."
She glanced between the bird on her shoulder and Dusk Rat for a moment then returned to surveying the surrounding forest.
"Do you remember the way you came from here?" she asked Frost Ferret and Rasha.  "I can try to find the trail again otherwise.  There seems to be numerous other trails near here too, like those made by guards patrolling the area."


OOC: Do I need a roll to pick up the trail I was following again?
This message was last edited by the player at 12:29, Sat 18 Aug 2012.

No, your old one will suffice.

Rasha seemed surprised at the comment, then said, shooking her head:

"I wouldn't be able to follow my tracks backwards, not when they're two days old, anyway. You'll have to explain me how you managed that."

She paused, then looked at the falcon, and added:

"I also remember one of the guys they killed having a falcon, so it's likely those three were the same ones we saw die."

The woman nodded, then looked around and asked, curious:

"Where's the lumberjack, anyway?"

Swift nodded her head back in the direction they had come.
"I sent him back to Toran.  Too dangerous for him to follow me here.  I told him to send word to Guildmaster Banedon of where we had gone, but not either of the other Triad members.  I trust Banedon, but the others I am not so sure of."
She glanced back in the direction of the tracks.
"I also suspect that the Thieves' Guild may be more deeply involved in this than we thought" she added quietly.

"Well, if we continue this way we will have to be careful" she said, turning back to them.  "Unless either of you are confident you can remain hidden better than me, I should scout ahead a short distance where I can warn you of any trouble before it finds us."

Ferret's eyes flickered to Dusk Rat. "Then the lumberjack is dead and the Guildmaster will not be warned," he said almost matter-of-factly, before continuing with little apparent regard for the fate of the woodsman: "Probably just as well, since such a simple man would have no hope of getting a message into the guild without its other leaders being alerted." His gaze moved back to Swift Fox. "What more evidence have you found of the Thieves' Guild's involvement?"

Swift's eyes widened in surprise.
"What?  Who killed him?" she asked.
She glanced back in the direction they had come and then in the direction she had indicated the tracks went.
"So much for going hidden if our enemies already know we are here" she muttered in a voice closer to her previous angry tone.  "Even worse if we run into trouble up ahead and it is quickly reinforced from behind us, we could be walking straight into a trap here."


OOC: Poor Swift.  She sent him back to keep him safe and it got him killed, hehe.

Dusk Rat glances down at Brook, before turning her attention to speak to Swift Fox.
"Three thieves...or assassins, perhaps, who watched him speak to the crowd followed you into these woods." she explains. "They were waiting between here and the clearing with the bodies - we circled around to reach this spot so they'd not notice us. I've sent my two friends to see whom the three were fighting. I suppose I now know."

"We need confirmation," Ferret said quickly to Dusk Rat without looking directly at her. "Don't call them back." Then he turned to Swift Fox once more and spoke as though uncertain why what he said needed saying out loud. "The time your pursuers have spent dealing with the lumberjack benefits us if we move on quickly and cover our tracks. We know about the bodies, so there is no reason to wait here."

"Perhaps" replied Swift.  "But we have to assume these people, or others of their kind, are the reasons for the disappearing Kai.  I think everyone who has gone poking around in this area has likely been followed and either killed or captured in the same way.  This means that even without following our tracks, they probably know where we're going."
She glanced for a moment towards Rasha and Brook.
"And not all of us have the ability to move without leaving tracks either.  Still, if we get a head start on them, we have time to prepare if we can remove any danger that lies ahead quickly enough.  Let's make the most of it then."
With that she made a quick movement with her right arm, causing the Jade Spike to slip out of where it had been concealed in her tunic sleeve, the weapon appearing in her hand as if by magic.
Holding it at the ready, she began to move off in the direction of the tracks she had been following before, staying in the shadows of the trees and trying to remain as hidden as possible.


OOC: Okies, moving on, using Invisibility to go unseen without leaving tracks if possible :)

Rasha looked at Swift Fox with a raised eyebrow, and commented:

"I might not have your supernatural skills in hiding tracks, Fox, but I assure you, against normal human hunters, I'm more than capable of holding my own."

While the woman seemed annoyed, her dog had turned to Dusk Rat, panting happily.

The group had just started to move when two small rats emerged from the undergrowth and climbed over Dusk Rat's legs, apparently somewhat excited.

That, Sun Fox, will be a Camouflage roll with a DC of 7, since you're trying to hide the entrie group. Pretty easy, I'd say? ^_^

This message was last edited by the player at 11:31, Mon 20 Aug 2012.

Dunno if you wanna retcon this post into the thread a few posts ago, just as we were about to move on - was rather busy yesterday so didn't get round to posting in the evening like I normally do.

As the group is about to move off, Dusk Rat pauses and bends down, extending her arms to allow the two rats, who've just returned, to climb up onto her shoulders. She stands still for several moments, then briefly strokes each rat and returns her attention to the rest of the group. She says nothing at first, though, waiting to see whether anyone seems interested in hearing about whatever her two small friends might have found.

I don't think there's any problem with retconning the post, Dusk Rat - in fact, I think I'll re-order the thread's posts so it's at the proper place.

Dusk Rat's small friends meeped happily at the Magnakai's show of affection.
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:53, Mon 20 Aug 2012.

OOC: Just need to hide your intent from the dice roller. Let on that it's for combat and you're doomed. Give it 'Reason for roll: Flower Arranging' and it won't mind giving you a nice number. :)
 
Frost Ferret eyed Swift Fox's dagger intently for a moment, then looked back to the Kai's face as she turned to continue in the direction she had been going. As she moved off, his eyes darted to Rasha, but he saw in her only irritation, not the same concern that he was feeling. With an effortful mental shrug he paced quietly forward in the wake of their unpredictable leader.

OOC: Rolled 8 for general, non-WP-powered Camouflage to minimise my personal tracks. Hope that Swift can see to us as a group though.

Rolled an 8 :)

(Hope I'm not burning all my best rolls here before we run into trouble!)

Just in case we are about to run into trouble, making a quick recap on the items Swift offered to share with the group so far (Who knows what else she's carrying around with her though? ;)  hehe).

Pure Shrueberry Potion - (Full WP Recovery, Adds +1 to Max WP)
 Leaf of Oede - (+50 END, Full CS Recovery, Cures Disease)
 Those two she offered to Laughing Shark earlier in front of the rest of the group, so you know she's willing to share them if asked.
 (Especially the Shrueberry which is probably of more tactical use to a psychic or spellcaster than Swift herself)

3 Moon Balm herb - (+5 CS Each)
 Laumspur Potion, in a brass flask worn on her belt, holding 2 doses - (+4 END)


Just in case the mention of them got lost among all the discussion :)

Of course, I meant Camouflage, even if wrote Tracking - I corrected it now. Nevertheless, Swift, you passed it anyway, so the entire group tracks are, for now, hidden from view.
 
As they followed Frost Ferret's and Rasha's own tracks backwards, the group proceeded through the trees fast enough; however, soon enough the sun was setting, and the woods where being prodded into darkness, making following the path a difficult proposition, not to mention that the group started to feel the tiredness of an entire day spent on the move.

Here, you have to all take a meal, and then decide if you want to keep walking through the night or rather search for a camping spot; if you don't stop to sleep, you'll all be losing 1 CS due to fatigue.

For those keeping up with the other team, right now, you're at about the same point in time where the Maakengorge team entered the Kraan cave. :)
 

Swift paused and looked around, taking off her backpack.  As she did so, a glint of moonlight caught on an object resembling an oversized mirror she was carrying on her back beneath her cloak, apparently another relic she had found in the temple she mentioned.

 She took out a small piece of food from her remaining rations, but instead of eating it herself she gave it to the falcon on her shoulder.

 "Well we can either keep on going here, depending on how well the rest of you can see in the dark, because a light will probably give away our position.  Or we could make camp here just off the track."

 She twirled the Jade Spike around in one hand as she peered into the darkness between the trees behind them.

 "Of course, if we're making camp, it'll give me some time to deal with our pursuers.  Maybe I can even 'persuade' one of them to give me some information..."

Everyone else have meals or do you want Swift to hunt some up for the rest of you too?

 Quick while she's in the relatively calm mood she's in now.  Difficult to say how long it'll last ;)
 

Dusk Rat frowns slightly at Swift Fox's apparent eagerness to indulge in torture, or whatever it is she seems to be planning.

"Perhaps, as we've the ability," she says, "we might look into their minds without shedding their blood all over the forest floor. Two of them follow the third, anyway - perhaps he's the only one who'll be of much use."

Swift frowned slightly.
"Chances are they've already killed others, they have probably killed a man I tried to keep safe from whatever secret they are protecting in this forest, and they most likely intend to kill us too or capture us and hand us over to those who would kill us.  If they want to play that game with me, I'll show them what I'm really capable of."

As if reacting to her sudden anger, the carvings on the hilt of the Jade Spike dagger in her hand flashed with a bright green flame for a second.
Tucking the weapon into her belt she calmed herself with a noticeable effort of willpower she likely wouldn't have been capable of back in Toran and turned her attention the the surrounding forest.
"I need to go find some food for myself anyway.  Are any of you in need of any?"

She glanced towards Dusk Rat.
"Don't worry, I'll hold off on hunting the human prey for now" she added with a wry smirk.

"Do your friends there know if they're headed in our direction yet though?  It wouldn't do to be ambushed in the dark."


OOC: Swift's preferred tactic is "Kill or be killed" ;)  hehe.

Rasha nodded.

"If you can find some fresh meat for me and Brook, we'll be glad."

The dog barked happily at those words, apparently having understood - and agreeing - with the bounty huntress.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:06, Mon 20 Aug 2012.

"I'm uncertain as to whether they plan to follow us." says Dusk Rat. "The leader was instructing his fellows to cut that man's corpse into pieces, so the local scavengers would make a faster meal of it and remove the evidence faster. He also implied that the two had been stupid not to do likewise with the other three bodies - they'll be returning to that clearing to do so when they've finished with that lumberjack's remains. I know nothing of their intentions beyond that, but destroying the bodies will take time. Perhaps your new friend can fly above and spot them through the trees, if there's enough of an opening."

She nods toward the falcon as she speaks this last sentence. Then, in answer to the question of food, Dusk Rat replies.

"I've food of my own, for now."

"If you can find enough that we can delay using our rations, that would help - we don't know how long we may be out here," said Ferret plainly to Swift Fox. "But I also have my own food if needs be."

Ferret sat in thought for a while, careless of whether his fellow had moved off to hunt, then he appeared to give unfocused voice to his pondering. "Two of the three are the two that we saw. So probably not many more than them were involved. Their leader is with them now to fix mistakes they have made. Perhaps it is only these three who are in the pay of the mage. It would make sense to involve as few as possible if the intention is to keep their activities completely secret." From staring into the gathering gloom, Ferret's gaze flickered towards Dusk Rat. "Swift Fox may be right. If we can be sure of giving ourselves the advantage and that none of them escape, it may make most sense to take them on out here in the forest. It is likely that either no one will miss them, or that anyone who does will not realise the significance of their disappearance. Perhaps the mage himself might hear of it eventually, but any unplanned actions he has to take in response will both distract him from his main task and increase the chance of his making a mistake that might bring his activities to the notice of others."

Dusk Rat frowns again at the mention of violence.

"Perhaps we could find out what it is they're hiding out here," she says, "unless it's not a location in the forest but information they're concealing, and which those three victims uncovered."

Swift nodded and turned to head off into the forest around them, taking up her bow and a single arrow as she did...


OOC: Hunting roll: 6
Trying to find food for the whole group :)

A roll of 6 is good enough to find food enough for the whole group, since you're in a woodland area. :)

It was easy for Swift fox to find what she was looking for, especially thanks to her falcon's help, and soon enough, she had caught two rabbits, and if their healty look was anything to go by, they were going to be a particularly tender meal.

On her way back, she also stumbled on a shrub that, on further examination, ended up being a blackberry plant, allowing her to further enhance their provisions before getting back to the others.

So, how are you going about setting up a camp, and perhaps a watch rotation?

Awww, poor bunnies! :(  *cries*


Swift returned after a while and began to prepare the provisions she had found.
"So are we spending the night here or moving on while those people back there are busy?" she asked, clearly wanting to know what the rest of the group would prefer to do.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:35, Tue 21 Aug 2012.

"They are city dwellers. Experts at killing, but there's no reason to expect them to be experts at tracking. Neither is it likely that they know what's hidden out here. They were hired to kill the Kai hunters - it would have been a great risk for the Vakeros to tell them any more than they needed to know to carry that out." Frost Ferret slightly dulled voice was silent for a moment. "We should get some rest while we can," he finished.

"Perhaps we should stay here for now." agrees Dusk Rat. "Then we can be best prepared for whatever we might find tomorrow."

What time of day is it now, anyway? I can't even remember what we've done on this particular game day. Was it today that we went into the sewers to see where I killed that snake, or was that a day or two before?

It was today, yes; right now you're shortly after nightfall - the sun set, but the moon as yet to rise, as your characters would say. :)

Seeing that they'd choosen this as they camping site, the bounty huntress started a small fire while Swift Fox finished preparing their meal, so they could cook it, and then asked, clearly pretty relaxed:

"So, how are we going to go about setting a watch? I'm willing to take whichever one you want - I might not have sense as sharp as yours, but I can make up for it with Brook's help."

And she scraped the dog's head, making it wiggle happily.

"I'll take the last watch" replied Swift.  "If those people do decide to make camp for the night or even spend it carving up those bodies, then nearer morning is when we need to worry most about them following us."

She crumbled up some more of the rations from her pack, feeding them to the falcon and taking some of the food cooking over the fire for herself.
"I need some sleep before I go any further here" she added in a low voice, her tone almost sullen as though reluctantly admitting some sort of personal weakness.

It was clear to anyone looking at her that she had been driving herself on pure willpower for most of the latter part of the evening, on reserves that were now almost completely depleted...

"I'll take first watch." offers Dusk Rat, taking some food before settling a little way away from the fire. She shares some of the food with the two rats still riding her shoulders, letting them run down her arms to eat on the ground beside her.

Ferret looked between Dusk Rat and Rasha's dog for a moment. "You should take the second watch then," he said to the huntress before moving to take a share of the food for himself.

Alright, everybody gets their sleep recover. None of you has any tent and Dusk Rat is the only one with a Blanket, so remember NOT to add those bonuses.

The night was relatively quiet, with nobody disturbing the sleep of the group until almost dawn.

It was about halfway through Swift Fox's watch when, quite suddenly, she heard a sound coming from the trees; it was very faint, but enough to make her tense. And this did not go unnoticed for, a moment later, three figures appeared in the shadow of the trees, looming there and watching the camp, but not moving into the clearing yet; and the Kai could feel that their intention weren't good...

OOC: If we're skipping through most of the watches, wanna retro-fit this in. (GM, I own up to having forgotten to swap the gauntlet for the canvass in my pack on my sheet, but I did say I'd buy it to the shopkeeper and I paid for it. Wasted a good roll setting it up too: 9. Do I need to spend 1 WP to make that Hunting check to do that? FF would sleep not with the gauntlet on, but with it immediately next to him.)

Once the group had eaten and were clearly settling down for the night, Frost Ferret moved a few feet apart from the others, unfolded a brand new sheet of canvass from his backpack and endeavoured to make a rudimentary shelter out of it using a nearby tree as support. He indicated that Rasha should use it after having woken him for his watch and then sat beside it for a while producing peculiar, meandering melodies on a small wooden musical instrument. Presently he ceased his mediocre playing and lay beneath the canvass to sleep.

So I did remembered that right! I was wondering... then I'll let you set it up, so you can use that roll and, as such, everybody gets their "tent" bonus to sleep. :)

Can't actually remember what the sleep bonuses are - must remember to check that. I'll be taking the WP restoration bonus, seeing how I'm still recovering the stuff from that bloody snake I fought what feels like about three weeks ago :P.

Watching the figures cautiously, Swift rose from her sitting position, picking up the Jade Spike and sending a quick mental command to the falcon to stay out of danger.

Raising two fingers of her free hand to her mouth she let out a loud whistle, like the one she had used back at the camp in the forest before the group arrived at Toran.
"Rise and shine everyone!" she called out before focusing her mind on the figures in the trees, her mental energies still hadn't fully returned, but she had more than enough to give these guys a very painful headache if they chose to attack...


OOC: Trying to wake everyone up.
Swift will Mindblast any of them who make a threatening move like raising a bow or anything to fire into the clearing, but otherwise she's waiting until the others are ready.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:28, Thu 23 Aug 2012.

OOC: Oddly enough for someone with a current CS of 12, I'm going for the reroll rather than the WP. :)

Rolled 8. Yes!

Am going to assume hearing Swift's call and waking up - if not then ignore following post.

For a moment Frost Ferret wasn't sure that his sleep hadn't simply been interrupted by a leader who was impatient to get going, but then he noticed it was still dark and something about his fellow's voice echoed warningly in his half-consciousness. He twisted upwards into a well-practiced crouch, grasping his gauntlet as he did so and slipping it on once he was balanced on his knees, looking about to see if danger was apparent.

OOC: Rolled 8 for perception. 9, 8, 8? I am so screwed if we get into combat! :)

You already are in combat, Frost. What are you trying to perceive?

Swift Fox's words seemed to break through the silence that filled the clearing, suddenly making everything explode into motion. Not only did Frost Ferret was on his feet in a moment, but Rasha's dog started to bark, strongly and powerfully, trying to awaken its owner; one of the three figures started to charge forward, only to collapse when Swift Fox's attack sent it tumbling back, but the other two figures where already manouvering to avoid being in her line of sight.

The bounty huntress had woken up and was on her feet, but before she could reach for her sword, one of the figures made the barest of movement with her hand, and a knife, thrown with surgical precision, imbedded itself into Rasha's head, making her fall to the mossy ground with a soft sound.

As the bounty huntress toppled over, ne of the figure said, in a deadpan tone:

"We're supposed to take the Kai alive."

To answer from the other side was a girl.

"That one wasn't a Kai, she was one of the three bounty hunters we missed, I recognized her from the description! I'm just completing the mission!"

The other figure was now already in the clearing, closing toward Swift Fox; it was a man with long black hairs, a piercing on his lower lip, and in his hand was a sword - one that was letting out a green smoke.

"Then remember that our mission here is just to capture them. And they're Kai - the blonde one is the same who was seen on the bridge, and they're three as the report said they were."

"Roger."

And with that, the dark haired man moved toward Swift Fox, while the female was still circling the camp, apparently aiming for Dusk Rat; and in the distance, the third man was getting up, slowly shooking his head to push away the pain...

Rasha is officially dead, this is her last post.

Swift caught a glimpse of Rasha going down before her attention focused on the man heading towards her.

Up until that moment, the gemstones on the diadem she had found had possessed a soft glow about them, but now they seemed to flicker and fade into darkness.
She gave a snarl of rage, like the animal she had been named for, the Jade Spike momentarily flaring up with a bright green fire as if the weapon was somehow responding to her anger.

"You three must not value your worthless lives much" she snapped.  "I'm going to enjoy making you scream..."
With that she smiled at her approaching enemy, although it was a hollow frightening expression rather than one that held any humour about it.
Her mental energies, charged up with visions of fear and pain, were unleashed towards the man as she darted forward to match his attack...


OOC: Rolled 4,8,10,6,8 for combat.  Using Mindblast if he's not immune.

Oh yay, NPCs who can one-shot people. Well, that's fun :P.

Dusk Rat climbs to her feet as Rasha goes down.

"Let us end this." she mutters.

Lucky enough to be close to none of their assailants, Ferret stayed low and moved quickly across the clearing to put a tree or two between himself and the two enemies still standing. Unsheathing his short sword he readied himself for an attack.

OOC: Sorry chaps, late shift tomorrow, then early one Saturday and been offered place to stay closer to work in between, so I'm gone 'til Sunday afternoon now. Just as we get into a fight too, drat it. Have done some rolls, so hopefully FF can still contribute a bit. Except the rolls are rubbish. Hey-ho.

Can we get a description of the clearing? Like how big is it, and where is everyone in relation to everyone else? And how far apart? And I thought we were all sleeping in a tent? So how come Rasha wasn't in it and therefore out of sight of the bad guys? Ooh, I still need to add on however much WP I got back for sleeping...best do that now...

Edit - Just to make sure I'm doing this right, I get +2WP normally, and another +2 for having both a blanket and a tent, for a total of +4WP recovered, yes?
This message was last edited by the player at 09:23, Fri 24 Aug 2012.

Yes, you're right on the WP recover.

You weren't sleeping in a tent, but under a canvas - that's just a wide piece of sail that you place by strewing it among the branches and threes - which offers some form of repair from the elements, but not being as closed off an area like a tent is, does not offer that protection you're asking about, Dusk Rat.

You are in a small clearing shaped like a small rectangle; Swift Fox and her opponent are near the centre, to her left is Frost Ferret, in the top left corner is the guy she psychic attacked, to Swift Fox's right are Rasha and Brook, then more to the right yet is where you're standing, Dusk Rat, and near the right border of the clearing is Rasha's killer. You're all within two meters of each other, except for the two killers out of the clearing.

Also, this is more of a boss battle; so, we're doing it one round at a time - you keep the rolls you've already made, but you can decide your actions round per round.

Swift Fox's opponent was on her in a moment, his sword striking high; the Magnakai crouched low under the blow, then trusting forward her dagger into the man's side. However, the swordsman's suddenly reverted his attack, chipping her leg, and the moment the sword hit, Swift Fox could see the smoke entering her body, and sapping her strenght.

As she took a step away, the man looked at her and said, with a neutral face yet sounding dismissive:

"You're not as good as she was; you're also smaller. Where is she hiding?"

Then, quite suddenly, before the man could attack again, the falcon dive from the sky, trying to gouge the man's eyes and pushing him back before flying to Swift Fox's side.

At the same time, Brook suddenly charged, moving with the experience born of a great number of fights; completely focused on Dusk Rat, the female killer had to jump when the dog attacked, which caused her to stumble and fell, now being completely defenseless for a moment...

Meanwhile, while Frost Ferret was on the move, the other thief had got back on his feet, and started to quickly move toward the Kai Lord, forcing him to redirect his attention toward the new treat rather than being able to help one of the other two Magnakai, as he'd been planning to.
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:38, Fri 24 Aug 2012.

Swift's only response to the wound she suffered was a brief animal-like grunt of pain as her reactions slowed for a moment before returning to normal as she forced herself to continue, apparently ignoring the wound itself.

She glanced in surprise at the falcon and then aimed a rather disapproving look in Dusk Rat's direction before returning her attention to her opponent as he recovered from the falcon's attack.
"Don't know who you're talking about" she replied simply.  "Don't much care either.  Are you planning to kill me or talk me to death?"
With a smirk, she darted forward again, dodging aside just as she entered into range of the man's sword before slashing the blade of her dagger towards his sword arm, hoping to either disarm him or simply cause him a very painful wound...


OOC: I'm assuming the one they're asking about is Laughing Shark, but not sure.
And Swift is feeling too bloodthirsty to bother making that connection right now :)
This message was last edited by the player at 12:36, Fri 24 Aug 2012.

The man looked at her with a still neutral expression, using an hand to wipe away the blood, and answered the question in a deadpan manner:

"Neither: I'm to take you prisoner, so that is what I'll do."

He seemed to expect Swift Fox darting forward, but was surprised by her sudden shift in the attack; he was good enough to move his arms out of the way from damage, but that allowed the Jade Spike to strike him high in the chest, causing a wound that started to sprout blood - but was not enough to make the man's expression change.

Swift suppressed a snort of derisive laughter at his words.
"Foolish" she spat.  "If you knew anything about me, you'd know your only hope of survival is to kill me now.  Even if I'm defeated here, as long as I continue to draw breath I will find you again someday.  And next time you won't see me coming!"

With that she grinned wolfishly and darted forwards again, looking as if she was going to repeat her previous attack, except this time she dodged in the opposite direction, intending to roll behind the man and slice her dagger across the muscle at the back of his leg hoping to wear him down a little more...


OOC: I think Swift is starting to enjoy herself here ;)

Swift Fox had been planning for her attack to be a feint - she'd not been planning for the man to actually move toward her attack, letting himself be hit. It was a good blow, too; she could hear the Jade Spike pèeircing through the shoulder and cracking the bone under it, which meant the man's use of his right arm would be impaired, perhaps permanently - the blade shone of a sickly green light, as if satisfied for such a successful strike.

However, given that she hadn't expected to hit, she wasn't ready for when the man's left hand closed around her wirst, pinning herself to himself by mean of her own dagger; then, his emotionless eyes focused on hers, and he spoke again.

"I was like you, once; fighting for my life, afraid to lose it if I lost any fight. Which I never did, until I met your Kai friend."

He took a step forward, so that she was now in the range of his sword - which he was still grasping, even if his arm was trembling - and added, in a very determined tone:

"I've learned, since then, that there are more important things; things worth laying down one's life for."

Despite the unexpected position Swift Fox now found herself in, she showed no sign of fear.
Quite the opposite.  At the man's words, a smile grew on her face, and quickly changed to a laugh as if he had just told her a joke.
Stifling the laughter she looked him straight in the eyes.
"You really think I'm afraid to die?" she asked him.  Her smile faded as she continued.  "Part of me died in Anskaven years ago, and what remains of me exists only for this."
Her smile returned, this time devoid of any trace of humour.
"I haven't had this much fun for days now!"

With that, she bared her teeth as she shifted her body weight suddenly, giving the dagger blade in the man's shoulder a sudden violent wrenching and twisting motion, digging it in deeper.  She immediately followed this by throwing her body weight upwards, using a combination of pulling herself up by the dagger hilt and pushing up with her left foot as her right knee jabbed upwards with all her strength aimed into the man's groin.

If the blow connected, she hoped the unexpected pain and shock would cause him to release his grip whereupon she would wrench the dagger free and jump back out of his range again...

The man shuddered at the hit, and could not oppose any resistance when Swift Fox used her knee to push back from him, pushing hin back in a stagger at the same time.

While she regained her footing, the man raised his head and looked at her unpassionatedly.

"If you aren't afraid to die, why would you suppose others to be?"

He threw his sword in the air with his damaged arm, and snatched it back with the opposite hand, bringing it to a guard position with an ease that spoke of practice, as he continued:

"You're not a real killer; you're just a child who's been playing to be one for far too long. It's time for you to grow up, little girl, and leave this game to those who understand it."

And then he slashed downward, hitting a rock on the field - and the faint green smoke that'd been slowly leaking from his sword the whole battle suddenly exploded, enveloping the two duelists in a deep green smoke, which made it impossible for either of them to see each other.

I wonder how you'll handle this one! You can't attack a target you can't see - you'll need to find a way around it... and of course, breathing the smoke is going to have the same effect as it seeping in your wounds. ^_^

OOC: Hmm, so he can't see Swift in the smoke either?  (Can be a fatal mistake losing sight of her in a battle, hehe).
Is the area of smoke affecting the whole clearing?  Meaning is it affecting the others too?

So, to refresh my memory...this combat system doesn't use Initiative, but we just declare whatever actiions we want to, with whatever weapon we want, and just roll 1d10 and then look at some table thingy and that tells the result of the attempted hit? I think I'll just roll the d10 and leave the rest to the GM to work out, lol. Also, wow, how did we get so spread out so quickly when we've only just woken up...

With Brook distracting one of the attackers, Dusk Rat circles quickly around the back and, drawing her knife, attempts to simply slit the throat of her foe before any counterattack can be made.

So, 1d10 = erm, 9. Crap. Or is that a crit? It's only 10s that are bad, right? And again I've forgotten whether that's in combta or out of it. Hate systems where numbers change like that, lol - it's the same in DnD 2nd where it changes between whether you have to get under or over your stat. Weird!

9s are very good hits in combat.
10s are critical hits in combat (You really want them).  It's only outside of combat you don't want them.

Not having time to think as he was forced to change target, Ferret concentrated hard on knocking his foe backwards before the man could reach him, but he found himself not having focused properly and felt the push he willed for dissipate around his would-be attacker. Still keen to gain an advantage as quick as he could, Ferret tried to unleash a psychic blow upon the man's mind.

Forst Ferret's first attack made the killer stumble in his advance, but did not stopped him; then, he charged, slashing with his dagger even while the Kai Lord's psychic hit him.

Meanwhile, Dusk Rat and Brook attacked the prone form of the female assassin, the dog's fangs biting deeply into her flesh even as the Kai Lady's thrust her dagger at her back; the woman avoided death only by rolling on her back, dislodging the dog in the process, but the wound had left her bleeding deeply even as she looked at Dusk Rat with hatred and said, her tone venomous:

"You're going to pay for that, bitch."

Oh it's so tempting to say "He's not a bitch" or "Sorry, he's the dog - I'm a human. Can't you tell?", in response to that, but it's not the kind of thing Dusk Rat would do ;).

Dusk Rat manoeuvres herself so that she and Brook have the woman between them. Wanting to offer the killer no chance to make any further moves, Dusk Rat immediately attempts another attack, aiming for the most vital spot she can safely get to without obviously putting herself in harm's way.

What kind of weapon is this person armed with, btw? I know it makes no mechanical difference but just for narrative's sake it'd be nice to know :). Anyway, attack roll this time = FUCK, 1 :(. I think I am about to get stabbided :P.

Aw, it would've been fun if Dusk had said that - it was really handed her on a silver platter!

And you rolled 1... yes, that's gonna hurt.

The female thief seemed worried for a moment... then, she offered a evil smirk to Dusk Rat and somersaulted backwards, letting the jumping dog fly under her and smash straight into Dusk Rat, sending her to the ground.

The only satisfaction was the small hiss of pain from the woman as she landed on the same leg Brook had bit, but then she smiled smugly as a small dirk fell in her hand from a sleeve and she twirled it around her finger for a moment before sending it forward, in a eery replica of the same throw she'd killed Rasha with...

Dusk Rat rolls over with Brook, swiftly coming to her feet and moving toward the shadows of the nearby trees. A stealthy Kai and a black dog in a dark forest...let this murderer find them now!

Dusk Rat tried to dodge the knife, but she was slowed down by the weight of Brook still on her, and the weapon still managed to pass by her cheek, opening a wide slash in it that immediately started to bleed profusely.

However, it took a moment for the Magnakai to push through despire her pain; she dragged the dog after herself, moving out of the clearing and into the trees, wrapping her cloak around herself as she moved, and then she'd disappeared - as if she'd never been in the woods at all.

The murderess turned, widly looking for Dusk Rat, but standing in the same spot, a dagger in each hand; and after a moment she said, in a mocking tone:

"Is that all you can do, patetic kid? Is this the true strenght of the Kai? Come on, show me your power, little girl! Ain't you going to avenge your dead friend? Are you that much of a coward?"

Concealed within the shadows and within her own cloak, Dust Rat focuses her energies on the woman. Let this be ended, and let it be done quickly!

The woman suddenly took a step back, as if hit by a punch square in the face, but then shook her head and said, her tone defiant:

"Is that all you have, little kid? Your patetic mind tricks won't be enough to take me out!"

Even as she said so, the woman didn't moved, her eyes still focused toward the forested area where she knew Dusk Rat was hiding, even if she could still not see her.

So, she was completely unaware when Swift Fox emerged from the green smoke, silent like a ghost and now exactly behind the woman...
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:51, Sun 26 Aug 2012.

Ferret couldn't help but allow a slight yelp of pain escape as the assassin's dagger slashed him, but part of him felt oddly secure; he knew his attacks had been wayward and yet he had not payed too heavily for his mental clumsiness, so if he could only control his manoeuvres better, he clearly had a chance - more than he expected.

However, he needed longer to see how his foe fought, so decided to engage him properly whilst attempting to keep up his mental assault. Expression taut, eyes analysing everything they could take in, Ferret skipped left and took a back-handed swing with his short sword. Would the assassin slash or stab? Would he spin the dagger in his hand in reaction to Ferret's move?

When Frost Ferret moved on the man's armed side and attacked, the man dodged with a move that almost a twirl; Frost Ferret's attack still sliced his side, but then the Magnakai realized it had been a ploy - the man had flipped the dagger thorugh the air to his other hand and, thank to the way he'd dodged, he'd been able to grab it on his left with a reversed grib and stab downward. The dagger bit into his shoulder quite deeply, and when the man stepped back, he tore out the dagger in such a way that it savaged the reinforced waistcoat Frost Ferret was wearing.

Still, by moving like that, the man had exposed his belly to an attack; it was clear the man was not used to not killing his opponents on the first blow, and while he tried to parry the attack, he was too slow - he was not used to fighting with his left hand, it seemed.

The man staggered back, hissing a curse while blood poured freely from the deep gouge Frost Ferret's shortsword had left in his abdomen - he was clearly on his lest leg, but it was enough to kick some mud into the Magnakai's face - not a very good distraction, but enough that he managed to put a tree between the two of them, perhaps hoping to stall until one of his fellow killer could help.

Meanwhile, Forst Ferret studied the battlefield, taking in the fact that they were in between many trees with low-hanging branches; there were even some rotting one on the ground. Ground which was muddy, and particularly so - it slowed their moves a bit and their feet let deep footprints, a clear sign that there was a lot of water mixed in the earth. Just a bit father, the mud gave way to an area where the gound was filled with fallen leaves; there were enough to even form several smal piles spread around, meaning that if his enemy were to leave the area, he would hear the sound of the leaves cracking under his boots. Of course, the man seemed pretty happy to keep hiding behind a three, apparently uncaring that the thing seemed rotten to the core...

I'd rather not do anything that uses WP - as mentioned, because of how long it takes to recharge I don't want to deplete myself (again) only to find I need it later.

Dusk Rat looks out at the murderess standing in the clearing, and at who's sneaking up behind her. A few moments' distraction should be all that's needed. Well, then. Perhaps she can do that...
This message was last edited by the player at 11:00, Mon 27 Aug 2012.

Swift glanced around as she came out of the smoke, instinctively shifting towards the shadows cast by the trees where she became almost invisible, a ghost flitting through the edges of the clearing.

The first thing she noticed was the woman who had killed Rasha.
She had been hoping for this chance...

As if sensing her intent, the jade carvings on the hilt of her dagger began to glow softly.
As she shifted her grip to the blade, the weapon was suddenly engulfed in a cold green flame.  Then it was launched into the air with a flick of Swift's wrist, sending it spinning towards the woman's back, trailing a spiralling line of green mist like a miniature comet.

Without waiting to see if it hit, Swift immediately reached down to pull the blue dagger from her belt to replace it, turning her attention back to the cloud of smoke which still concealed her attacker...


OOC: Rolled a 4 for "Strike from the Shadows".
This message was last edited by the player at 13:09, Mon 27 Aug 2012.

The Jade Spike flew through the air with ease, stiking its intended target right at base of the neck, the tip piercing all the way through and opening a vertical wound throughthe woman's throat, one that started to sprout blood profusely.

There was a hint of surprise in the killer eyes, and she lowered her gaze a bit as she saw it, bringing her hands to pointlessy try and stop the blood loss, before her eyes turned inward and she collapsed to the ground face first, dying slowly.

Meanwhile, Swift Fox had turned toward the smoke cloud, and just in time, as suddenly several stones emerged from it, clearly having been thrown with great strenght, and each tied to a long silk thread...

Swift, you're about to be caught in the threads and be tied up, unless you can avoid them somehow. Up to you to find a way to do it. :)

Swift had intended to circle towards the body of her recent victim to retrieve the Jade Spike, but the sight of the stones flying towards her from the cloud made her forget the thrown weapon.
Instead threw herself into a dive to one side towards the trees at the edge of the clearing, hoping to avoid being caught and intending to use the cover of the trees to block any more attempts to entangle her...


OOC: Rolled a 5 for dodging, used an FP to reroll it to 9.  Sneaky one this guy! :)

Wheee, stealth kill :D.

It's always nice, isn't it, to turn the enemy's techniques back on them? ^_^

True to her name, Swift Fox easily rolled out of the way, dodging the attempt to catch her. However, as soon as the stones hit the gound with a clattering sound, they darted forward again, as if somebody had swung the threads upwards, and then flew back inside the smoke cloud.

If any of you has ideas, or want to do anything, just say so. Otherwise, you can just wait around and see what happens... just tell me that's what you're doing! ^_^

I'm working on it, lol...

Swift moved into the trees, placing one between herself and the smoke cloud.
Her eyes flickered towards the Jade Spike for a moment then back to the smoke.
A grin spread across her face as she called out.
"Are you going to stay in there all day?  Fine by me, you'll only give me a chance to kill your other friend too!"

Quickly glancing around her, just in case the other man had decided to try sneaking around behind her, she began to move further back into the forest, intending to put more trees between her and the smoke as well as circling around under cover of the forest to Frost Ferret's position...


OOC: Trying to provoke him into coming out of hiding, hehe :)
But trying to move out of range just in case he doesn't...

Also keeping an eye on the surroundings in case him or that other one are trying to stealth attack me too.  Dealing with assassins here after all.  Swift knows what assassins can do... ;)

Suddenly, a scant couple of seconds after Swift Fox's delaration, the smoke cloud expanded, as if exploding outwards, and then the two Kai Ladies could hear the sound of the man running, the smoke of cloud starting to expand at randoms intervals and quickly starting to fill the entire clearing.

You really should know better than to provoke dangerous, resourceful people, shouldn't you, Swift Fox? ;)

OOC: That's what Swift does at times like this.  She's having fun here, even if she gets killed in the process, I think the constant risk of getting killed is the only thing that makes her feel truly alive any more ;)  hehe.

So how fast is that cloud expanding?  Is it possible to outrun it?
Hoping he's got some kind of limit to how much smoke he can make...  I hope so anyway (O.o)

Ah, I didn't realise Throwing was a separate weapon mastery in its own right - I thought it'd be grouped in with the weapon type you're trying to throw. Arse.

Dusk Rat quickly pulls her white sash from around her waist and ties it around the lower half of her face, then dashes to intercept the dark-haired man as he tries to run.

Dusk Rat quickly dashed through the clearing and into the smoke, Brook charging ahead of her; Swift Fox could not see, but she could easily hear the sound of the man being hit by something heavy and hitting the ground, and a moment later the dog's bark of joy at having stopped his target.

Inside the cloud, Dusk Rat could not see, either, but she had her Divination to guide her and Animal Control to keep herself connected to Brook, so it was child's play to reach the man. She finally managed to see a confused silhouette of the man in front of herself, jsut as he finished rolling on the ground with Brook and pushing the dog away with a kick. The man had clearly noticed her, as while Brook seemed confused and took a moment ton recover, the man was already getting back up, his sword moving toward the young Kai Lady...

Dusk Rat moves as quickly as she can, darting forward, feinting to one side, and then rolling toward the man's legs in an attempt to trip him up. She makes a slash at one of his ankles as she does so, to assist in her efforts.

Ferret took in all that he noticed about the ground surrounding him and his attacker and moved to take advantage.

Even as she moved to the side, Dusk Rat could feel her opponent sword grazing her shoulder; still, she was fast enough to get into position and stab at his knee. This made the man unstable, and when Brook barreled into him from the side, the killer fell to the ground in a heap, his head hitting a rock and sending him unconscious.

Quickly tugging off her Kai Cloak, Swift rolled it up and quickly wrapped it around the lower part of her face like a scarf to protect against the smoke before readying her dagger again and rushing into the cloud, tracking her enemy's position by the sounds of combat.
She had intended to lead him deeper into the forest and finish him off there, leaving the remaining assassin outnumbered against the other two, but it looked like one of them had decided to interfere with her fun instead.

Suddenly she stumbled out of the other side of the smoke cloud.
She had lost the sounds she had been tracking by, everything had gone quiet.
Cursing under her breath, she turned and went back into the cloud, moving more slowly this time, heading in the direction she had estimated would take her to the centre of the cloud of mist.

Eventually she got there and found her opponent already unconscious.
"Dammit" she shouted, her voice muffled by her cloak, but definitely not sounding pleased.  "He was mine!  Go help Frost!"
Muttering under her breath she stooped to pick up the strange sword the man was holding, wondering if there was some way to dispel the smoke with it.


OOC: Can Sixth Sense or Weaponskill tell me anything about how to clear away the smoke this thing is making?

As she picked up the sword, Swift Fox could it didn't looked particularly well-crafted; it had a good balance, but that was about it. The only noticeable thing about iw was the emerald in the pommel that seemed filled with a vorticating green cloud of smoke, the same kind that was slowly leaking from the sword and was the only indication of it being magical.

Woot! Go team fuzzle-dog :D.

Dusk Rat disentangles herself from the man's legs and clambers to her feet. She scowls at Swift Fox as the older Kai complains about her efforts.

"You took the one who killed Rasha." she says, already starting to move away. "We now have a prisoner - this one is the leader. Perhaps he can give us some useful information..."

This said, she turns away from Swift Fox and moves off in the direction she believes Frost Ferret to be.

Now hopefully we won't come back in a minute to find a stabbed-up corpse staining the forest floor with his now-external internals ;).

Swift aimed a nasty glare at Dusk's back as she left.
Turning her attention back to the unconscious man on the ground she looked down at the blue dagger in her hand, her gaze flitting between the blade of the dagger and the man's throat for a moment before she glanced back in the direction Dusk Rat had gone and shrugged.
"Maybe later" she muttered, thrusting the blue dagger back into its sheath.

Making a quick search of his pockets, she found 25 Gold Crowns which she quickly pocketed.
"Probably blood money" she said, "but I won't turn it down".
She eyed the man for a moment, a rather disturbing grin hidden under the cloak wrapped around her face.
"I doubt you'll be needing it anyway" she added.

Searching another pocket she found a mass of threads, probably the ones that had been thrown at her earlier.
With a satisfied nod, she set to work using them to quickly bind the man's wrists and ankles, checking for any literal tricks up his sleeves...


OOC: Is the smoke still around by the way?  Dunno if there's a way to "switch off" the sword, hehe.
Tempted to keep it though.  Is it a back or a belt weapon?
Going to tie him up with those threads (making sure he doesn't have any tricks like a blade hidden up his sleeve to cut the threads with.  Swift knows about that sort of stuff!)
This message was last edited by the player at 22:32, Tue 28 Aug 2012.

Focusing inwardly to arrange the necessary energies in the appropriate way as he did so, Ferret went down on one knee and reached out to touch the ground as far round the tree towards his attacker as he felt he could without being seen. In the familiar moment of pain, he released the energy into the mud at the base of the tree trunk. The saturated earth almost instantly frosted over and the ground froze, but Ferret didn't wait to see this happen before looking up at the rotting tree above him and aiming a swift mental shove at that part of it which he judged to be just above his enemy's head.

The moment the ground froze under his feet, the man's eye widened in surprise; then he heard the cracking sound of the three collapsing, and tried to dodge but the ice made him slip instead, and he had no defense when the massive trunk collapsed overm him, crushing his chest and killing him on the hit.

And with that, the battle's ended! And you've won. Congratulations. :)

For those keeping score and following both threads, this is the equivalent of the Cener battle in the Maakengorge thread. Your next trial will represent the Gourgaz fight, and surviving it will award you all your first level up; I hope you'll be happy! ^_^

Everybody also reduce their current (not maximum) CS by 1, for the fatigue of the battle settling in on you all.

Frost, your opponents body cannot be searched because the tree trunk is covering it completely, but the man's dagger is still in his hand so you can take it if you want.

By this time Swift had finished binding her former opponent securely in the threads he had tried to capture her with and was busily dragging him back to the clearing, carrying his sword in one hand.
As she approached, she glanced warily towards Frost's position, her grip tightening on the sword hilt, but she relaxed again when she saw the battle was over.
Noticing the tree collapsed on top of Frost's opponent seemed to surprise her and she gave him an approving nod.
(OOC: Nice finish that.  Swift's player, and Swift herself are both suitably impressed) :)

She also seemed to have forgotten her displeasure at Dusk Rat intervening in her fight, her temper dissipating as quickly as it had come now that the battle was over.  She merely glanced over her, looking for any signs of injury.

Dragging the bound assassin to the edge of the clearing, she dumped him on the ground, not taking particular care to be gentle with him.
His head bore a few fresh growing bruises suggesting it had collided with a few rocks on his short journey back to the clearing.  Perhaps accidentally?
Pausing only to take off her cloak and wear it normally again, she removed a dagger from his pocket and tossed it onto the ground outside of his reach, along with his sword.  Then she ambled over to the female assassin, ripping the Jade Spike free from where it was embedded in her throat and rolling her over.
"Help yourself to anything you find" she said to Dusk with a smirk, cleaning the blade of her dagger off on the corpse's clothing before tucking it back into her belt and returning to where she had left the first assassin's sword, picking it up and examining it again.

"Nice trick with the tree" she remarked to Frost Ferret.  "Do you know how to do a Mind Charm as well?  Might be useful for getting some answers out of him."
She jabbed her thumb over her shoulder at the crumpled form of the tied up assassin.
For some reason, the idea of mind charming him seemed to disturb her, an involuntary shiver running through her body, but she quickly collected herself and added:
"I got the feeling physical violence wouldn't persuade him much.  Fun though it would be..."

As the battle is clearly over, Dusk Rat returns to the clearing, removing the sash from around her face as she does so. The sting that accompanies this action, as well as the fact that her sash is now partially red instead of white, reminds her that she has a cut on her cheek. She winces but doesn't have anything she can really use in order to patch herself up, so settles for dabbing at it with her sleeve.

She looks over as Swift Fox retrieves her green-bladed knife from the corpse of the female killer and then goes to join Frost Ferret in examining the unconscious leader of the defeated trio. Dusk Rat doesn't immediately move to join them. Instead, she glances over at the other female corpse lying in the clearing, and then looks down at Brook.

As if following Dusk Rat's glance, Brook moved to Rasha's death body, putting his muzzle near the hand and trying to move it, then licking it, as if to awaken the woman.

When she didn't answered, the dog slowly stepped back, afraid, and moved toward Dusk Rat, looking up at her with a sad, lost expression before looking back at Rasha. Then, it closed his eyes, raised his eyes, and howled in pain.

Swift flinched at Brook's howl, glancing towards Rasha's body and then looking back at the sword she had been examining, her expression a rather stony grimace that gave away none of her inner thoughts.

Reaching into her backpack she removed some sort of herb which she stuffed into her mouth and began chewing on, then reached behind her and unbuckled some object she had been carrying on her back.
It looked like a large mirror set in a silver frame, although straps on the back of it suggested it could be worn like a shield, albeit a very fragile one that would be next to useless in terms of physical protection.
Returning to the unconscious man, she unbuckled the sheath he had kept his sword in and slid the weapon back into it slinging it over her back, clearly intending to keep it for her own use.

This done she glanced around at the higher branches of the trees, mentally calling to the falcon before leaning casually back against the trunk of a nearby tree.
Reaching up to the diadem on her head, she took it off and examined the diamonds set into it with a curious air, tapping them lightly with her finger before shrugging and putting it back on her head.  The soft glow they had possessed before the attack had returned, but slightly dimmer than before.

She glanced around at the others, examining them for injuries again.
"Anyone badly hurt?" she asked.


OOC: The Jade Spike isn't actually made of jade.  It's almost like a normal steel dagger, except it seems to remain razor sharp no matter how roughly it gets used.  The hilt has various ornate green jade carvings shaped like some sort of runes set into it.  These sometimes glow with a green light and occasionally light up with a cold green fire that doesn't appear to affect the person wielding it.
Swift has had it with her since she first entered the Kai Monastery and seems to regard it as more than just a simple weapon, perhaps a lucky talisman or a reminder of something.  She doesn't like anyone else using it and never really talks about where she got it from, leaving its origins almost as mysterious as those of Swift herself ;)

Just thought I'd add that.  I don't think I really described it very well anywhere :)

OOC: Swift: :) Nice when circumstances line up so that someone as disinterested in being spectacular as Ferret actually finds that the spectacular approach is also practical. Nice kill yourself - and nice taunting skills! :)

Having frowned as though slightly puzzled at Swift Fox's compliment and then responded negatively to her enquiry, Ferret took a moment to pick up his opponent's dagger and moved to join the others. At the dog's howl he looked to Dusk Rat. "If you are able to stop him/her doing that, it would be wise," he said, seeming dissatisfied with the situation.

Turning towards Swift Fox, but apparently ignoring her question, he spoke with some concern. "They tracked us here even though we covered our tracks. They were more than ordinary Thieves' Guild killers. The mage either has influential criminal associates or is hiring the best. Either way it is surprising that his activities have not aroused more suspicion within the guild, but there will surely be some trail left for Laughing Shark to follow."

This is said on the assumption that the man looks very definitely unconscious, otherwise FF would not say this in front of him, obviously.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:32, Thu 30 Aug 2012.

Swift peered up at Frost Ferret as he spoke before turning her gaze towards their prisoner.
"I'm not really surprised they managed to track us.  I have a feeling they knew exactly where we were going, or at least where we would end up if we continued in the direction we were going."

She tapped thoughtfully on the frame of the Mirror Shield, looking back up at Frost.
"He revealed that they were meant to take us alive, which probably means we were meant to join the Kai who disappeared around here.  I'm not sure why though, when it would be much safer for them to just kill anyone investigating their operations.  I think they needed the captive Kai for something, perhaps information, or something else."

She stood up, lowering the shield carefully to the ground.
Thinking a moment, she took off the green smoke sword she had put on.
"Do any of you want this or the shield?" she asked, glancing between Frost and Dusk.  "I don't really want to leave either of them behind, but I'm getting a bit overloaded."
She sighed and examined the shield carefully, peering at her reflection in the mirrored surface, narrowing her eyes in concentration.

After a moment, she looked back up at Frost.
"I can't be sure yet, but I think the mage is allied with someone else I know of who probably commands the services of expendable suicidal fools like these.  I know their type."
She peered intently at the tied up man.
"I wonder if he's a puppet too?" she murmured in a low voice, apparently not really directing the remark to either of the others.
Shaking her head she returned to looking at Frost.
"I think they were looking for Laughing Shark too.  It could mean they don't know where she went, that they'd expected to find her with us.  They knew we were three, but I don't think they expected to find you with us, Frost.  He mentioned someone, said I wasn't as good as 'she' was.  Had he already fought Laughing Shark, or did he mean someone else?  There may be a piece of the puzzle we're still missing here.  The question now is what to do next, and I think the answer will depend on what we can learn from him."
She nodded towards the prisoner again before turning back to frowning at her reflection in the Mirror Shield...
This message was last edited by the player at 03:17, Thu 30 Aug 2012.

The falcon, who had been circling over the group during the battle, being unwilling to enter the green smoke, now landed freely on Swift Fox's shoulder, and from there, it looked at its own reflection with surprise and fear, before offering an aggressive shriek on an effort to scare away the mirrored image - and arrufing its feathers in shock when the image reacted in the same way.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:12, Thu 30 Aug 2012.

Ferret gave the unconscious assassin a hard look, then turned his gaze back towards Swift Fox and particularly the shield she was holding. "What is that?" he asked with an edge of suspicion. "Where did you get it?"

Swift grinned at the falcon's reaction to his reflection, the incident relieving some of the tension that had built up in her.
"Sorry about that" she said, quickly flipping the mirror over to aim the reflective side at the ground and examining the back of it.
She reached up with one hand to stroke the bird reassuringly before giving him some more of the half-eaten meal from her pack.
"Thanks for the help in that fight" she said, looking up at Dusk Rat as if directing the comment partly at her as well as the falcon.  "I might have asked too, but..."

She trailed off and turned her attention back to the shield.
"I found it" she replied to Frost Ferret's question.  "Same place I found this" she added, tapping the diadem on her head.
"When I was following that trail, just before we met up again, I found an ancient temple dedicated to Ishir lost and abandoned in the forest.  I think this was meant to be used as a shield, but the materials are too weak.  It likely wouldn't survive a battle, just one good hit would shatter it.  It might have been intended as some sort of ceremonial or ritual object, but maybe it has some other purpose."
She pulled the shield onto her arm, testing the weight before sliding it off again then looked up at the trees towering above them.
"If we could somehow get above the trees, we could perhaps use it to reflect the sun, to send a signal back to Toran.  Though we'd only be giving away our position if the wrong person was watching."
She shrugged and peered up at Frost again.
"I was going to take it back to Guildmaster Banedon to see if he could tell me anything about it, but I can't carry it and this sword at the same time, I'm weighed down enough as it is.  The sword doesn't look like much in the way of quality craftsmanship, but that smoke enchantment could be useful in a tight spot."

Sorry, bit of a delay - started reading this thread this morning but then had to go to work so didn't get time to finish. About the Jade Spike - ah, I has (obviously wrongly ;)) assumed that with a name like that it was the blade that was jade in colour (if not actually made of that type of stone). And aaawww, Brook :'(.

Dusk Rat completely ignores Frost Ferret's uncaring comment and instead walks over to kneel beside Rasha's body. She reaches over to put a hand on the back of Brook's neck, saying nothing.

OOC: No worries, I don't think I ever described it in much detail on the journey so far.  Also it was actually Shadow who came up with the name if I remember right ;)
And yep, Brook made me cry a little :'(  Didn't seem to affect Swift too much though, she's too busy being driven crazy with inventory management issues :)  hehe.

About a couple of second's after Dusk Rat had put her hand around Brook's neck, the dog stopped its howling, letting the young Kai drag him into a hug and starting to sniff her and slowly lick her, clearly trying to get as close to her as it could - trying to both comfort and be comforted by her.

Dusk Rat responds to Brook by ruffling the fur along the back of his neck. She looks over at Frost Ferret with a frown, considering what she should do. She returns her attention to Rasha's body for a moment, as she removes a worn dagger and a sword, as well as a handful of coins, all of which she lays out on the ground nearby. Then she stands and, after a glance down at Brook, walks over to address Frost Ferret.

"Brook is confused." she says. "He believes you're his pack leader, because of the way you were with Rasha. Unless you've an intention to keep him with you, it's necessary that he believe I am the pack leader, as far as he is concerned. Or that you've no desire for him to be part of your pack."

She hesitates, unsure of exactly what to say next.

Swift paused in her examination of the shield, looking up at Frost with a wry smirk.
"So what do you think we should do next then, 'Pack Leader'?" she asked.


OOC: Apparently Swift does have a sense of humour.  Albeit a rather tactless one ;)  hehe.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:09, Thu 30 Aug 2012.

Ferret glanced between his two fellows, but his eyes did not settle until they had shifted past Dusk Rat's shoulder in the direction of the dog and the huntress' body. He appeared only now to be appreciating that Rasha was dead, and his expression was abruptly of one grasping for comprehension of the situation. "We need to bury her," he said slowly, as though doing complex arithmetic in his head and voicing only answers that he had struggled to figure out. "She was motivated by money and only decided definitely to help me at the promise of a greater reward. But as she discovered more of what the mage was doing she did think ill of it."

It seemed to take an effort to refocus his gaze on Dusk Rat. "Brook is loyal," he said, traces of puzzlement in his voice. "Even if it is inconvenient, I.... Leave things as they are."

Ferret turned back to Swift Fox as though to rekindle his discussion with her, but did not immediately appear to have anything more to say.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:45, Thu 30 Aug 2012.

Dusk Rat frowns as Frost Ferret turns away.

"Yes, he's loyal." she says. "But you've said nothing to him, that I can see, since he's been with you. It seems that you've no care for him. Just moments ago, you suggested that he stop showing his grief for the death of the one he was closest to. He follows you only because he has respect for your strength. You killed his brother. He thinks you are the leader of a pack, a pack of which I am part. For him to understand otherwise, I think it would require you to explain this to him yourself, in some way. Otherwise, he feels he must follow you or risk your anger at his wish to leave."

Swift stood up, slinging the shield over her back again and concealing it under her cloak to prevent any light reflecting on the mirrored surface.
She left the sword on the ground, looking longingly at it as if still wishing she could have taken it with her.

"He might be useful to us" she said, glancing towards Brook.
"Either way, we need to decide what to do next and quickly" she added, a note of impatience in her voice...

Ferret nodded at Swift Fox's assertion that the dog could prove useful, but said nothing more on the matter, instead looking down at the blonds Kai's feet and saying: "I'll take the sword. And I will examine the shield when we rest next - I believe it may have special qualities. For now we should bury Rasha and carry on." He turned, passed Dusk Rat without meeting her eyes and walked to stand next to Brook and his owner's body. He was very still with the exception of one hand lifted slightly forward. A whisper of a breeze suddenly seemed to whip up in the clearing.

"He is useful to us." says Dusk Rat to Swift Fox, becoming a little impatient herself. "He is willing to follow me as he did Rasha, but for the time being chooses not to because he believes Frost Ferret to be the dominant member of the pack, and has no wish to cause displeasure."

The dog was looking at the situation with confusion, but there was also a certain eagerness in its expression - as if it was waiting for something.

To either side of the Rasha's body the earth seemed to churn, soil and leaf litter slowly rolling together as though to create a cushion surrounding the huntress. It appeared that this fluctuation of the clearing floor was gradually growing ever higher, hiding the corpse, but it could eventually be seen that it had actually risen only a couple of inches and that in fact Rasha's body was disappearing from sight because it was sinking into the earth. Slowly it went and the undulating soil spread over the place where it had lain, the movement ebbed, it flattened out and was eventually still.

Dusk Rat glances toward Brook for a moment, then back toward Frost Ferret. She waits several moments while the male Kai uses his magic to move the earth and cause it to bury Rasha's body, but is focused more on Frost Ferret than on what he's doing. As soon as it looks as though he's finished, she steps up to him.

"This must be resolved." she says. "You've shown Brook no attention, that I can see. You speak of him more as a piece of equipment than as a worthy friend. He is willing to follow me - it's hardly a secret that I act better with those of other species than my own. He and I have already worked together, barely minutes ago, and he has trusted me for some time now. Unless you've some reason for wanting him to stay with you, and I've seen none so far, I think you'd best let him know that you're no pack leader of his, and that you'll not be offended if he looks to me in future."

Swift sighed impatiently and turned to look over the man on the ground.
"Well while you two are sorting that out, I suppose I'll see if I can beat any answers out of our friend here."


OOC: So unless one of the others stops Swift, not wanting to leave her alone with their prisoner in case she gets a little bit carried away, she'll go over and try to wake him up.  (Probably not too gently either!)

It took him a moment, but after being shook roughly, the killer grunted, and slowly opened his eyes, looking at Swift Fox for a moment before stating, emotionlessly:

"You're no killer; you shouldn't play at being one. It'll eat your soul away."

He paused, then nodded in Dusk Rat direction and added:

"I never seem to be able to get the better of one of you; your skills are impressive."

Even if the content of his words was congratulatory, the tone and face that delivered it showed none of that - it was as if the man was making a neutral comment about the weather, or something else equally unimportant to him.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:44, Sat 01 Sept 2012.

Swift frowned slightly as the man's words.
"You assume I still have a soul" she replied evenly, "many people think the Kai are like the Sun, the noble Light of the world.  But they forget that just as the Sun sets and the Moon rises, there is a dark side to the Kai as well and I am a part of that."
She grinned at that, as though an amusing thought had struck her.
"It's kind of ironic in a way.  After all, it was only through an accident of fate that I wear a green cloak instead of hunting them."
Her smile faded almost immediately, her eyes no longer focused on the man she was speaking to, as if looking at something through him, staring into the past.
"I have killed people in the service of the Kai to repay a debt" she said, her voice low.  "Yet before they found me I killed many more.  Most of them without even remembering I did it.  I can't even remember how many."

The gemstones in the diadem seemed to flicker a little before their glow brightened again.
As if snapping out of her trance, Swift shook her head and looked back at him.
"Of course, back then I suppose I was just a puppet" she remarked with a shrug.
She peered unblinking into his eyes, cocking her head to one side in a curious gesture.
"I saw that in you too when we fought.  You reminded me of myself back then.  It made me wonder if you were someone's puppet too.  Are you?"


OOC: Strange way to start an interrogation perhaps, but Swift's mind is in a strange place most of the time :)  hehe.

"You're not like me, Kai Lady, and never were. You're not lost, yet. But the more you believe you are, the closer you'll be to actually being so. I saw it too, that killing was taught to you like a game; it's in your eyes. A game you abhor, yet keep playing. You should stop, before you really become like me; once you are, there will really be no going back."

The lack of feeling in the man's voice was completely at odd with his own words - they clearly sounded like a warning, but were delivered as if by a man who didn't care, and the eyes fixed into Swift Fox's own looked empty, like those of a doll.

After a short moment, the man lowered his head, and continued, still without any emotion in his voice:

"I was a puppet for the longest time, but I'm not one anymore. What I do now, it's because I want to; I found my way, and I will walk it to the end, for one way or the other, I'll be better off when I reach it, than I now am."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:16, Sat 01 Sept 2012.

"Perhaps" replied Swift.  "I have nothing to go back to though."
She shrugged and glanced towards the others for a moment before looking back at the assassin.

"So who is it who wants us alive?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.  "It seems like it would be easier for them to simply kill us and be done with it."

She thought a moment before continuing.
"Also when you first attacked me, you mentioned someone else, someone I wasn't as good as.  You asked me where she was hiding.  Who did you mean?"


OOC: She's not really expecting him to give up information willingly, but may as well ask, just in case.  He seems like he doesn't really care much one way or another :)

The man shrugged at the question.

"It was for the better for everyone involved; as for the actual reason, you are not to know it, so asking is pointless."

There was a paused, then the man raised his empty eyes on Swift Fox yet again.

"As for the other Kai Lady, I fought her once, years ago, when my goal was only to kill, and she fought me to a standstill. She called herself Ly at the time; only later did I learned she was one of you. I was informed that she was part of this group, and there were things I would have liked to speak her about. That's why I asked after her."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:47, Sat 01 Sept 2012.

"Tell me that you will be as willing as I to put him in harm's way," Ferret said to Dusk Rat with a frown, clearly partially concentrating on recovering from his exertion of the prior few moments, "if that is what will best benefit us."

Dusk Rat is a litle offended at Frost Ferret's question.

"I'll be putting him nowhere." she answers. "Again you seem to think of him as a mindless piece of equipment. He's a friend, and a loyal one. He understands that our path is a dangerous one. He helps me because he wants to, because he sees me as a friend. I've no wish to force him into anything, nor do I expect there'll be a need to do so. And aside from the matter of danger, he's now lost the one who cared for him the most, and whom he cared about most in return. I've no wish to simply let him be alone."

"I don't know a Ly" replied Swift thoughtfully.  "But I think I know who you mean, and if so, she goes by another name now..."
A faint hint of a troubled look crossed her face before she quickly masked it.
"I assume that when you fought her at first, you thought she was a member of the Toran Thieves' Guild?  Or was that afterwards?  Were you working for the Thieves' Guild back then?"

"Back then, there wasn't a Guild the way there is now - there were people who killed each other and staked a claim to a leadership that had no meaning other than painting a target on one's back; they were part of the Thieves' Guild, technically, but it didn't meant anything, not really, not like now."

He glanced at Swift Fox's cloak before continuing, still without any shard of emotion:

"I was one of those that did the killing on others' orders. I didn't knew the girl name then, I learned it later, and I know it has to be false - she was hiding her Kai identity at the time. I was just ordered to take her down because she was becoming a thorn in the side of some people, but she survived. Until today, she was the only one who ever did."

"The Guild hasn't changed now either" replied Swift.  "She was sent to try to change things, but now I wonder if she truly succeeded, if the changes were for the best.  But either way, things still haven't changed.  The current leader still has a target on his back, and when someone gets lucky enough to remove him from the picture then it'll be right back to the old ways, the others will tear each other apart to fill the gap."
She chuckled and shook her head.
"Is he the one who sent you then?  The current leader?"

She shrugged lightly.
"I know you probably won't want to tell me, but it doesn't matter really, I just thought I'd ask.  Curious perhaps.  I'll be paying him a visit either way.  There's something he might know that I want to know."

She looked him straight in the eyes as she continued.
"They say he's the only man who ever managed to steal something from the Brotherhood, from the Crystal Spyre.  But I wonder, did you ever hear a story about a man from Anskaven who tried the same thing, years ago?"

For the first time, there was a faint trace of emotion on the man - and it was absolute surprise.

"The same thing as it is now? You don't know what you're talking about, little kid - Toran was a nightmare three years ago, something so horrid, you can't even start to imagine it. It was a city at war, a war that nobody could stop... that you can think it was anything like it's now, only show your own ignorance."

The emotion disappeared as quickly as it had shown up, and the next words were spoken in a much more neutral tone.

"As for what you say, yes, the Guildmaster is the only one who ever stole from the Spyre, but there have been dozens of attempts; most are not well publicized, and I'm not aware of any that might have happened whie I was away from the city, so I can't answer you, unless you tell me at least in which year the one you're referring about happened."

Ferret screwed up his eyes as though he'd developed a bad headache. "You say that he wants to help us," he said tightly, "but if we really needed his help in a way that put him in serious danger, would you shield him from that?" He opened his eyes slightly and looked briefly at Dusk Rat before turning to the dog. "He is not a piece of equipment and his loyalty is valuable," he continued, though in such a way as suggested he was struggling to clarify what he was saying to himself, "but it is not logical to put him under your command if he will prove a distraction. It would be better to send him away. I don't wish to do that, but his welfare is not as important as the success of our mission."

Swift frowned and shook her head.
"Maybe I've only seen a glimpse of what Toran was like the first time I came here, but there is still war here, only a silent war, a hidden war.  The Brotherhood Triad are divided, sniping at each other with words and politics in their tower too busy with their own games to see much beyond them, and beneath them in the city the various guilds have their own plots, their own schemes.  The Master Thief may seem secure in his position, but it's an illusion.  I know of many who would rather see him dead, it is only a matter of time before one of them puts that thought into action.  And then what?"

She shrugged and looked back at him.
"I don't have much sympathy for him myself, especially if he's the one who sent you to attack us.  If he's the one responsible for why I'm here.  You don't cause the unexplained disappearance of members of a close-knit group like the Kai without attracting attention.
But what many don't realise is that the Kai themselves have become fractured, divided into factions, some more representative of the darker side of the Order.  One of those missing Kai was a close friend of my master, and if he turns up dead then you can be sure that my next task will be to hunt down the person responsible and make them pay, by any means necessary.
You might not know of my master, her best work is done in the shadows.  The kind of person you spoke of, a true killer, she is one of them.  I've seen what she can do when she's set herself to destroy someone, they will be destroyed, however long it takes.  That is not the sort of opponent you can provoke and expect the fragile illusion of peace in Toran to withstand the result."

"As for what I asked about, I think it may have been about seven years ago, give or take a year.  But I think this one event was the one which made Valador more of a force to be reckoned with in the Brotherhood, he openly opposed the Guildmaster's decision to not execute the thief.  Apparently it became one of the more unpopular decisions Banedon ever made."


OOC: Nice to see Sun Snake's lessons in the "Wall of Text" skill are still paying off occasionally :)
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:24, Sun 02 Sept 2012.

The man nodded, and that was the only sign that he'd aknowledged what been said on his otherwise impassible face.

"Ah yes, that one I remember. The guy was not from Toran, not a member of the Guild, so somebody told the mages of his plan and he was caught, that much I remember. He was a good one - they said he was so good, he could rob two places at the same time, and he took on murder requests, too, and was famous for always having a perfect alibi when the people died. Woudn't know what he was looking for, though - the mages kept that one very wrapped up, but it was something very important. I do remember them raising a pandemonium when Banedon asked for him to be spared - that's how important the stuff he was to steal was, it was the first political defeat he suffered since becoming Guildmaster."

There was a pause, and then the man continued, looking Swift Fox in the eyes:

"As for what you say, only a fool would confuse the politic infighting in Toran for what happened three years ago. But one who wasn't there wouldn't understand. Not that it matters; soon enough, even the kind of infighting you speak of will disappear. You speak of the Master Thief as if you know him, but your words make it clear that you don't; there's only one person in the world who can kill him, and it's not you... and I suggest you to not try. He'd be sad of killing you; there's a reason we had to take you Kai alive, after all."

"I never said I'd try to kill him.  Though I admit the idea was suggested to me by another.  I haven't decided whether to follow up on that yet, though if he is sending people to capture us, I am interested to know what his part in all of this is.  So I definitely plan on finding him at least.  Maybe he'll kill me, I suppose that's a possibility, but it's one I don't really care one way or the other about.  But there are friends who will know where I was going and who will report back to my master if I disappear.  Do you think he would survive a private war against the Kai Order?  They may be fractured, but they still take situations like this very seriously.  Who knows, perhaps it'll give them a purpose to reunite them, a common enemy."

She shrugged again.
"But that's just theory.  I'm sure he will be reasonable.  In fact, the one you spoke of, Ly?  She seems to have links to the Guild, so perhaps she will already have learned the answers I'm looking for."

She peered at him with a slightly more curious air.
"It sounds like you think he knows me, or has a particularly compelling reason to want us alive."
She glanced back towards Frost Ferret for a moment.
"If that's the case, I wonder if the ones who disappeared are still alive too."
She peered into his eyes again, a slight trace of a smirk on her lips.
"I don't suppose you'd be prepared to tell us where you'd planned to take us after capturing us?  Maybe we'll end up there on our own anyway.  I'm not interested in starting or ending wars.  My purpose is to find out what happened to those who went missing here, what I do beyond that depends on whether I find them alive or dead."

The man answer was, like always, completely devoid of any interest in what he was saying.

"I know nothing of disapparitions, other than those of these bounty hunters. We were asked to kill them, but from who, and why, are secrets of my leader that I will not reveal. As for you, you were to be kept imprisoned - for your own safety. Other than that, I am not going to tell, even assuming I actually knew."

And, as if to prove his words, the man stood silent, waiting for Swift Fox's next question.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:32, Sun 02 Sept 2012.

"So you won't tell me where you were going to take us to, even if I'm offering to go there voluntarily?  Or perhaps you don't want us going there unless it's as your prisoners?  Maybe you do take some pride in your work after all."
She smirked at the last part then shrugged again.

"Well, my companions over there may decide to try to pull the answer from your mind.  That's up to them.  Mind charming isn't really my style, I prefer the direct approach, I thought I'd just ask, I wasn't really expecting an answer at all.  I already know where my next destination will be."
She peered curiously at him again.
"For my own safety you say?  Do you mean from the rogue Vakeros?"

"Answering that would be the same as telling you what I know."

The man paused, then added:

"If you desire to be led to your prison, I am willing to accompany you there; however, once you're there, you will have to accept being imprisoned, but if you do that, I will arrange a meeting with my leader for you. You are not going to discover were he is staying - much less reach that place alive - unless one of us lead you there. Meeting him as a prisoner is the best you can ask for, and it's the most I am willing to offer."

He didn't seemed to care what Swift Fox's answer would be.

Swift stared at him for a moment.
"So you're asking me to trust that your leader has our well-being at heart, who'll happily explain everything and won't simply take our equipment and kill us or lock us up somewhere?"

She stood up, narrowing her eyes.
"I think if your leader was truly interested in our safety, he would have sent a messenger to convince us rather than a team of assassins to take us by force.  I think you can understand why I may find it difficult to trust him so easily."

"I'll not be commanding him." replies Dusk Rat. "It seems you've little or no understanding of these things. His kind need company. It's how they live. I can be that company to him, and he can help me...us...in return. He can scent. He can track. He can keep watch. He can fight, if it should come to that. He's no wish to leave us. Do you think I've tried to deceive him about our situation? He knows there'll be danger probably worse than he's seen so far. He's willing to face that. His life has been dangerous. You worry that he'll be killed, but if that happens he'll die with one he trusts. To send him away would hurt him much more. It'd be telling a social creature to be alone. He's never been alone. He's no vulnerable pup that needs protecting. He's an adult of his kind, with a mind and a body and good use of both. Perhaps you should ask him yourself, if you've the inclination. I dislike speaking for others."

The man shrugged, clearly uninterested.

"You can believe what you want; I'm just stating a fact. I'm sure that, if you surrender yourself, you'll be given a reasonable room to stay in, and be allowed to keep anything that wouldn't help you escape. The reason why we had to caught you is because I was the only one to know why you had to be taken alive; not everybody can be trusted with that kind of information. And one person would not have been enough to track you dawn - it was hard enough to do it as it was."

Swift peered down at him then glanced back to the others for a moment.
"You seem confident that we wouldn't simply kill you and break free once you'd shown us the way" she said.  "I assume you don't trust us that far, do you?"


OOC: Just thought I'd ask about that.  Seems like he has some sort of backup plan in case we turn on him at the last moment.

The man didn't seemed surprised by Swift Fox's declaration - in fact, he didn't seemed to have even noticed she'd spoken, from how much unchanged his voice was.

"You seem to think the conditions will be such that you'll have any chance of escaping once I've led you to the place where you will have to wait for my leader - or that he will be in the same place at the exact same time we'd reach it. You seem to me, Kai Lady, to be a young woman who understimate a lot of things you have no first-hand experience about."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:09, Sun 02 Sept 2012.

"Or perhaps I choose to give people that impression" she replied.  "I didn't really think you would be foolish enough to put yourself into that position willingly, for the same reasons I don't."

She glanced towards the others again then reached back to tap at her backpack.
"It is not my own life I am concerned for here" she said.  "A high-ranking member of the Crystal Star Brotherhood recently entrusted me with some potentially very powerful artefacts.  Items I am not prepared to allow to fall into the possession of others, not for their monetary value, but for the potential danger they could present in the wrong hands.  If I could first return to the Crystal Spyre and give them to Guildmaster Banedon for safekeeping, then I would be prepared to accept your proposal and the risks that go with it.  What do you say?"

Once again, the man shrugged, speaking with a neutral voce and a neutral face.

"I have no wish to enter the Crystal Spyre, I have over five hundreds counts of murder the Toran law would want me to answer for, and once I'm executed for that, I would be of no use to anybody anymore - including yourself. However, given my present condition, I don't see how I would be able to take any decision over your movements, or stop you from going wherever you want to."

Here, I'm assuming you lot used one of your ropes to bind this man - so, being tied up, he can't move if you don't let him.

This message was last edited by the player at 19:39, Sun 02 Sept 2012.

"I thought you might" replied Swift with a trace of a grin.  "But you wouldn't have to go with me.  I can go alone and return to a prearranged location such as this one as quickly as I can.  It is easier for me to move unseen if I'm alone anyway."


OOC: Does Pathsmanship give me an idea of long it'll take to reach the Crystal Spyre and get back again?  Hoping it's a case of hours rather than days, hehe.

I thought this might be sort of an in-character "loophole".  If Swift was only concerned for her life rather than anything she's carrying with her then she'd be more prepared to take a gamble like this.

And yep, she tied him with those threads he tried to capture her with.  (Is this where I discover they're not really strong enough to hold someone?  hehe)