[Samhain] Fox hunt game

[Wardwood Mule]

Kamileunaire

You hear the loud pop of a branch breaking deeper in the forest. After a moment of consideration, taking in the dense bluish mist rising from the forest floor, you set off in the sound's direction. It could be nothing, but it's worth investigating… as long as you're careful.

You win two points this turn.

Total points: 5  

[Wardwood Mule]

thyPOPE

You spy a splash of blood on a single yellow leaf on the ground. When you examine it, the blood looks fresh. Strangely there are no trees in the area with such distinctly golden foliage, but this is still excellent evidence of an animal's trail… isn't it?

After some time of continued searching, however, you are forced to come to the conclusion that you've been waylaid by a prankster — or an unnaturally clever fox.

You lose two points this turn.

Total points: 11  

[Ashtiel Arykosa]

Wardwood Mule

((As awful as it would make Soibhan feel to leave an injured animal behind, I would like the points please ; ; *waves bye bye to the beautiful hawks))  

[Amorpheous]

Conri thought he had found a clue to his quarry when he came across the blood, however after searching exhaustively in the area, he could only conclude that the clue was placed to mislead. Who had placed it, he did not know, but he had wasted time there.  

[Wardwood Mule]

Amorpheous

You turn a corner to find a man standing with his back to you on the path you're walking or riding. He's wearing an expensive-looking dark blue jacket, his hair is auburn and a touch curly, and when he turns around there's a single spot of blood on his spotless but slightly rumpled cravat. His eyes are an unnatural shade of purple. If you have ever met him before you will recognize him as the spirit named Llyr.

"Good evening," he says to you politely, and then points toward a copse of yellow ashes in the distance. "You may find that direction somewhat more fruitful."

When you look back, he is gone.

You win two points this turn.

Total points: 10  

[bobaTJ]

Wardwood Mule

Familiar fox, please! I need me some hedge witch. |D <3  

[Wardwood Mule]

grasshopper pie

((Fox #5 is yours!))  

[Wardwood Mule]

As Told By Ginger

Soldier of Song

Ashtiel Arykosa

1. Amorpheous 2. Umbrology 3. Amorpheous 4. Chrystali 5. Umbrology

As Told By Ginger, 17 points
Soldier of Song, 16 points
Ashtiel Arykosa, 16 points

Congratulations winners! At this point it would be impossible for anyone else to tie or surpass you, so I figured we might as well celebrate your victory a little early. Please quote me with your order of preference and I'll get back to you on which fox you've won shortly.

For those who haven't rolled yet on Thursday, October 31, you have until 5 AM EST to get your roll in! There are still two unclaimed hawk pets, so although the game is technically over they are certainly worth trying for.

 

[Ashtiel Arykosa]

Wardwood Mule

3, 1, 4 please :3  

[Wandering Rae]

(This game was so awesome, thank you for running it! And again, congrats to all the winners. ^_^

Just posting this compilation of posts for my reference.)


Renaud crashed through the underwood, spinning haphazardly about as the autumn claws of leaf-bare trees snatched at his fine, gray coat. He hrumphed and grunted indignation; tried to focus bleary eyes on his assailants; and stumbled backward as he searched for them in a generous swig of wine from a half-drunken bottle. The gentleman -- the rapscallion -- smacked his lips and peered into his bottle.

His head felt fuzzy. What was he doing here again? Oh yes, proving a point. Hunting foxes for sport was an exercise in futility for anyone but the fox. Why else would Renaud go tramping about the Wardwood at night in search of one? To win a wager, of course.


You disturb some leaves, and beneath them you find a perfect fox print pressed into the damp mud. Was the fox trying to hide its tracks? Regardless, this is excellent evidence of a trail.


As he stared into his drink, Renaud's vision shifted in and out of focus until he found himself staring down at the ground instead. The leaf-litter was much more cooperative with his eyes than the wine bottle had been. But oh! What was this? A fox print in the mud?

Renaud stooped over to inspect his discovery. Yes, the leaf-litter had proven to be far more helpful than his wine bottle. How nice of the leaves to keep the trail hidden until his arrival. With a smug grin smeared across his face, he straightened to a wobbling stand and cupped a hand to his mouth. "Glastyn!" he shouted. Now where was that fawn?

Renaud looked back down to the print in the mud, and after finding a mossy rock to sit upon, promptly decided on his next course of action. He took a long drink from his wine. And then he waited for the fox to return.


You hear a hoarse panting noise above you. An injured hawk rests on a branch, visibly bleeding. It looks as if it's been abandoned by the hunter who owns it, though it seems alert and could probably be rehabilitated given some time and care. But coaxing it down might take a while…


Renaud raised his eyes to the sound of snapping twigs, and a gray shadow came stumbling into view. He was only marginally disappointed to see Glastyn finally catch-up. The fawn seemed disoriented as he made his way over to his chosen; clearly he had yet to build a tolerance to Renaud's drinking.

As the man gave the little fellow a friendly pat, he gradually became aware of some unusually heavy breathing. At first, he pressed his nose to Glastyn's and looked the lad in the eye. The deer blinked, his golden gaze not quite focused on any one thing. When Renaud let him go, the fawn fumbled back and landed awkwardly on his rump where he stayed. The man didn't seem to notice, distracted by the continued panting.

Eventually, he found the source of the breathing high up in the fork of a tree. After he set his bottle on the ground, Renaud made several failed attempts to climb up before he finally reached the injured raptor. The bird didn't seem keen on having company, but Renaud was determined.

He fumbled to take his coat off and nearly slipped from his perch as he did. Once off, Renaud threw the jacket over the bird. To sooth it or something. And then he made to scoop it up. This, of course, was not what the bird had in mind.

As soon as he had the bundle in his arms, the hawk began to struggle violently with beak and talong and wing. Renaud's balance was thrown off, and in the process of subduing the raptor, the struggling pair fell out of the tree quite ungracefully.


* * *

Renaud groaned between clenched teeth as he rolled off a now badly bruised shoulder, the bundle of bird and coat held firmly in his arms. He didn't quite have a sense of the pain, but the fall from the tree certainly hadn't been pleasant. He waited for the forest to stop spinning. In spite of the struggling bird, he pulled himself up to a sit and strained to reach his wine bottle, which had remained undisturbed at the base of the tree.

After a clumsy drink, he set the bottle down again, fought to stand up, and stepped over near where the fox print had been found. Renaud set his bundle on the ground and bound the kingshawk with the free sleeves of his ruined jacket. Only the bird's head could be seen, bloodied in one eye, and it hissed and shrieked what could only be bird profanities at the man who had captured it.

Renaud shot the bird a dirty look and stood up, "Keep fussing, fox bait. I'm sure that'll keep the predators away while you sit there bleeding on the ground." The kingshawk hissed in defiance, but fell quiet once more as the man stepped away. Renaud snatched up his bottle and returned to Glastyn and the mossy rock where he resumed waiting. Perhaps the bloodscent would entice a hungry fox into making an appearance.

The surrounding forest was eerily silent, likely disturbed by all the commotion. The only sound was the harsh panting of the kingshawk as it exchanged glares with Renaud.


You disturb some leaves, and beneath them you find a perfect fox print pressed into the damp mud. Was the fox trying to hide its tracks? Regardless, this is excellent evidence of a trail.


Renaud remained sitting for a long while, having eventually grown bored with glaring at the kingshawk that remained rasping on the ground. Glastyn was well asleep, tucked up against the mossy rock Renaud was perched upon. The trees still wavered now and then, but the wine was slowly wearing off. He looked to his bottle and frowned. He hadn't brought enough of it, so it seemed. Barely a drink or so remained, and still there was no fox. With a half-hearted grunt, he took a final sip and poured the remaining wine out. For the fair folk.

Only then did he notice a new fox print next to his rock, which left Renaud wondering if the creature hadn't been watching when he and the hawk fell from the tree. He snorted a harsh laugh. How like a fox.


The earth is damp and in some places unstable. When you are forced by the dense, thorny undergrowth to step near a creek-bed, the ground gives out beneath you and you're dashed painfully against the rocks. It takes you some time to pull yourself upright and sort out your wet and muddy clothing. A salamander watches you the whole time.

By the wee hours of the silver dawn, Renaud had sobered up but still couldn't think straight. Sleep deprivation had settled in, and he'd seen nothing of the foxes since his last drink. In a last ditch effort, he wandered the parameter of his little camp, confident the kingshawk would kick-up a fuss if the fox made an appearance. It didn't take long, however, before Renaud stumbled in the overgrowth and found himself mired in the muck of a nearby creek-bed. Only after he scrambled his way out of the mess did Renaud, bruised and bleeding and muddy, decide his unglamorous evening should come to a close.

At the very least, he could try to convince the man he'd made the wager with that Renaud never said he would find a literal fox. Only that he could find a fox. And a kingshawk named Foxbait was still a kind of fox.  

[As Told By Ginger]

Wardwood Mule

Pref: 1, 4, 3 please and thank you!  

[Soldier of Song]

Wardwood Mule

This has been one of the most amusing games I've participated in on Gaia. Thank you so much!

As for prefs...1, 3, 4. But I'd like to gift my fox to my loyal companion Kamileunaire!  

[Wardwood Mule]

Tiebreaker roll!

1. Ashtiel Arykosa
2. Kamileunaire  

[Wardwood Mule]

As Told By Ginger

Kamileunaire

Ashtiel Arykosa

And the results are in!

As Told By Ginger with fox #1
Kamileunaire with fox #3
Ashtiel Arykosa with fox #4

Please remember to claim your pets by posting in certing within 48 hours!