I decide that it may be best to approach it from above and leap up to the lower branches of the elder tree, so I can jump down with a heavy slash.

10:16, Today: Mew rolled 21 using 5d10, keeping the 3 highest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 7,8,6,5,1.  PoH attack .

12:36, Today: Mew rolled 27 using 7d10, keeping the 3 highest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 7,8,6,(10+2)12,1,7,1.  PoH Damage.

  if I can't jump that high I'll settle for trying to shift my weight so I can land on it.


12:52, Today: Mew rolled 16 using 1d10, rerolling max with rolls of (10+6)16.  Darkness check.
 I forgot to turn off reroll max.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:53, Fri 07 Feb 2020.

You leap to the low branches of the Elder Tree and run on the branches towards the giant lizard. You leap down into a downward slash leaving a deep gash on its side. It looks like it is close to being on it's last legs.

It turns raising a fore claw up and takes a swing at you. You leap back. Easily dodging it's attack with the help of your inner light. Your keyblade is glowing brightly now easily lighting the area up with your light. Sparkling points of light drip from the keyblade before dissipating a short distance away.

Then you see the strangest sight you have seen yet.
A Palico that is rather large for its kind but not as large as the Meowscular Chef fall from the sky and shouts "NEKO PAWNCH!"
And strikes the head of the lizard with the full force of of his strike. Before leaping off of the monster.

You note that he seems to have the standard siamese fur colors of Palicos.

"Hit it again! Then it will be weak enough for my shock trap and sleep bombs to capture it!"
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:59, Fri 07 Feb 2020.

"I have niether of those things...Hitting it however," I angle Piece of home low and stab up at the joint between its torso and foreleg. "I can do."


13:35, Today: Mew rolled 26 using 5d10, keeping the 3 highest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 4,7,8,(10+1)11,7.  Attack.

13:35, Today: Mew rolled 22 using 7d10, keeping the 3 highest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 2,9,6,6,6,7,3.  Damage .
13:36, Today: Mew rolled 9 using 1d10, rerolling max with rolls of 9.  volatile dice.
14:12, Today: Mew rolled 7 using 1d10, rerolling max with rolls of 7.  volatile dice .

You go in and stab your Keyblade into it shoulder joint. Producing a long gash through it's hide. It roars in rage and snaps at you. You sense the incoming hate a fraction of a second sooner with your inner darkness. You dodge the bite by a fraction  of a inch.

While it is distracted,  the large palico rushes in and sets down a small box that put out six prongs and then electricity arcs between the prongs and catches the lizard. Then the large palico throws what appears to be smoke bombs near the Lizard's face and the gas knocks the lizard out. At about this point the box apparently runs out of power.

The palico lets out a sigh of relief
"Paws-some! It is fur-tunate that we recaptured the Great Jagaras. It would have been a Cat-astrophe if it rampaged through Astara. The Reasearch Commission will be glad and will probably reward Mew... that glowing sword...?Key? Is unusual. What is your name?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:47, Wed 12 Feb 2020.

So. Many.. CAT PUNS! I can't help but to smile and a little bit of a giggle escapes as I say. "My friends call me Mew."

This is going to be fun should I start a tally for how many times you lie by saying 'my name is mew'?

"Nice to meet Mew Mew! My name is Maocules."

With that more people show up and are stairing at your glowing Keyblade.
One guy that appears to be in his forties with a giant greatsword made from a jawbone steps forward.
"Good work subduing the Great Jagaras. We will need to investigate how it got loose. I am the Field Commander here. I think I would have heard of someone in the Sixth Fleet that uses such an unusual weapon that glows. What is your name and where are you from?"

I try to think fast, "I *may* have forgoten to do some paperwork before hopping on the ship, doesn't help that I made it a game not to be spotted the whole way..." I drift off for a second and decide to go with a partial truth. "I'm from a small place called Hermitage, I don't think I've ever seen a map that showed where it was." My face does look legitimately confused by that small fact, if it wasn't on Google maps, I had never seen a map of Hermitage.

The Field Commander raises an eyebrow and then stares at you for a long uncomfortable moment.

"... I suppose that I can overlook such a blatant disregard for protocols if you are willing to sign up with us. We could use a hunter that is that good at stealth and is skilled enough to take on a Great Jagaras Unarmored and not get a scratch.

What is your sword made of? I haven't seen a sword like that one before."

The long pause gives my brain long enough to worry that they don’t believing me, my stomach tightens up and it takes all my willpower not to squirm. His response is sweet relief even though I still can’t shake the feeling that he may not believe me.
“O-of course, as for the material I honestly have no idea.” I kinda trail off as I start to legitimately wonder what it is made of, Warp-stuff? Aesoth? Aether?

The Field commander nods.
"The Researchers will no doubt be curious about it and the glow it produces. Never seen a stone weapon, nor one without an edge that still cut.

Since you didn't do the paperwork. I assume that you also didn't go though the Basic training. And I also assume that you didn't get assigned a Palico partner or handler.
You seemed to work well with Maocules. Despite his... oddness. I will partner you with him if you don't have any objections to that. We will give you a set of basic armor and a basic apartment for now. Do you have any questions?

"No questions here. It all seems pritty straight forward."

They train you for about 2 months in the various tools that the hunters use such as the common slinger/Cluch claw. The Research Commission seems to be fascinated with your Keyblade. And quite a few show up during your weapon training to observe how the Keyblade cuts. The consensus it is that it produces some sort of magical effect that does the cutting when you want to cut something.

You are given a set of heavy leather armor. A slinger/Clutch Claw, a swort sword that they call a knife used to carve monsters, and a shield.

Maocules is assigned as your Palico partner. You find out that he is the son of the Meowscular Chef. And he is... rather odd. For one he insists on using his claws to hunt monsters.

You are also assined a handler to take care of paperwork and find you missions.

Do you do anything else durring those two months or do you focus on learning?

I'd mostly be getting the hang of the slinger/clutch claw, i.e. learning to move quickly with them, what I can shoot with it, what it would be good for, aim and switch hitting with them. I'd also be getting used to working with Maocules and Nanashi, as well as training with medium armors. All in all for the most part I'd be focusing on learning.

You do the basic training. Hunting Jagras's for practice and eventually Great Jagras's.

They give you a chain coat, a chain hood and A slinger/clutch claw.

Nanashi come to you and says.
"Your qualification mission is coming up soon. It is to hunt a Barroth in the Wildspire Wastes. What do you think you need to get ready?"

"Well I'm guessing I'm not the first to hunt one, can I look at some research on them? So I can know what to expect?" I think for a moment "Anything I should know about the Waste itself? Do you know any hunters who might be free right now I could ask for advice about the terrain? Or any preperation I should take?"

"Indeed. That is the case and it would be advisable to do so. You can talk to an Researcher about them or read a book on their habits. I also know a few hunters that you can talk to. Who would you like to talk to first?"

I give him a quick salute with a "Thanks. I'll start with the Literature." and trot off for the "library".

He bows back and goes on his way.

You go to the Library and a researcher helps you find a compilation of materials on the Barroth species.

It gives info in their physiology and habits and behaviors.
They are docile until they detect an intruder. then they give off a single warring by sounding their horns. if that doesn't scare the intruder off they relentlessly attack.
their most dangerous feature is their Head Horns and plates that they use to plow through the environment.

Since it's nostrils are on the top of its head it can almost completely submerge itself in the cool mud to protect it from the heat of the day. It is Usually found near water sources in dessert regions.

It's main diet consists of insects.

When fighting it will usually try to ram or smash you with its heavy head. But it will occasionally smack you with it's tail or legs.

I do my due diligence at putting the information to memory, then I ask around for a researcher or hunter who is familiar with the species, in hopes of learning anything that would not be in the books.

The researcher directs you to an old hunter that came in on the Fourth Fleet.

You find him relaxing by his house on the outskirts of the town. His hair is gray and the he still has a lot of the muscles of his youth. There are all kinds of greatswords decorating the house.

"So you are that unusual member of the sixth fleet. The one with that odd stone greatsword. I Heard that you where looking for information on Barroth. That is good. Smart hunters find out all they can about their prey before the hunt."

I strike a strong 'heroic' pose. "Ah I see my reputation has prec-" But I break down with laughter, as I'm unable to finish the statement in all seriousness. "But yeah, any additional advice you could give that's not in the literature would be awesome."

The old hunter chuckles at your Heroic statement.

"heh. A sense of humor.  That is good. Hunters that take things too seriously tend to not last long."

He thinks a moment on your question.
"The first bit of advice that I have is to get to know the monster before you try hunting them for real. Pike fights with them and learn their patterns. Next bit of advice is to always respect the monster.  They are invariably stronger than you and can quickly knock out or even kill a careless Hunter. Let me show you something."

He starts pulling out a barroth armor set from where he stores his armors and he also pulls out a barroth Greatsword.

"I see the you are still in your Hunters Guild basic armor. So I assume that you haven't hunted anything beyond Jagras and Great Jagras. So do you know why hunters have armor and weapons made from the monsters that they know and have hunted countless times?"

"I suspected it was something akin to using local wood for shingles and siding, if it grows in the area it will have some resistance to the local conditions. As for weapons nature is in a constant arms race if something can't fight back it will most likely die, nature isn't perfect but it does tend to lose the obsolete weaponry. Unlike my homeland the fauna here are big enough to be practical for taking advantage of what they've already developed."

"Hmmmm... Interesting answer. That is partially correct. Let me demonstrate the other part."

He takes his armor into the next room and you hear him putting the armor on. He comes out with the Armor made from Barroth bone and horn and he feels different. You can feel that he is somehow tougher than normal.

"Constructing Armor from a Monster takes a lot of materials. Necessitating Repeated hunts of the same type of Monster. Hunt one type of Monster enough and One becomes intimately familiar with the Monsters Habits, Nature and Power. Such that one can learn to embody a part of the Monsters Power. That is why we Hunters always respect the Monsters we hunt. Experienced Hunters can even embody part of two or more Monsters at once."

My eyes widen with fascination and my head shifts back and forth, as I attempt to understand the principles of what he is doing to embody the creature. "I don't understand how it works, but I think I get it." I thank him for the instruction, make the final preps for my hunt and meet up with Maocules, so he can lead the way.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:22, Sun 30 May 2021.