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 Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 7:53 am
In which we come to enemy lands...
[...after much walking...]
Quote:
PREVIOUSLY:
Called together by unknown forces, a group of firekin make their way into Nergui territory. If ever there was a rag-tag group of adventurers, this is it: natural born firekin, new recruits, soldiers, hunters, Hongshan, and seers... all trying to work together to pull off the impossible! The plan is simple. Travel to Nergui territory, stay undetected, and learn as much as possible about their new enemies.
If only it were that easy!
With a little bit of cunning, the group slipped past Motoujamii guards in the dark of night. From the border they traveled across the Spine mountains. During the trek, they were spotted by Nergui aligned avians. The discovery forced them to make a hard decision: they could either change course and travel through the mountains, or continue as planned through the desert. After some bickering, it was decided that the group would stay the course and hope the Nergui would not be waiting for them.
Since then, almost a week has passed. Even though this was the fast path, it hasn't been easy. The wide desert provides very little shelter and few substantial game. Luckily, firekin are used to desert living. The hunters and guides have served the group well, and almost everyone is in relatively good health.
Now all that remains is the mission...
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 7:55 am
Hello, and welcome to a two part event we'll be holding in the Motoujamii lands! With some members of the pride fed up with waiting, its time to go see what those brutes are up to, right?!
This is an infiltration event! During the game, we will have dice rolls to determine our detection level as we travel. The longer the firekin remain undetected, the more information about the Nergui they will be able to find out.
It is possible some fights may arise, but we will address these events when we get to them!
Because of decisions made in the last RP:
- Detection rolls will be skewed in Nergui favor
- Health [or action] rolls will be skewed in Firekin favor
arrow Some notations about the event!:
- We will technically be traveling out of the Motoujamii, and into the more northern deserts. For sake of organization though, the thread will stay here.
- This is a dice game! Rules on the particular games will be announced in the thread. It will be very similar to the war games event.
- This RP will be split up into two groups, focusing on two days of the journey. ICly your SOA will be gone for two weeks.
- You may jump in at any time during this RP! You do not need to have taken part in PI to attend. It will be assumed your lion has just been silent.
- Anyone may join! Although it might help for characterization to use more adventurous types.
- Realistically, this group will be a lot larger than what might be typical for a spy group. We're going to handwave this for the sake of involving everyone who wants to be. However each participant [unless playing an NPC role] may only play one character.
- It is not yet known who coordinated the entire operation.
- The firekin who join this event should be aware they are technically going against orders. They haven't exactly been ordered not to do this... but they're well aware vigilantism isn't the pride's typical MO.
- The group's cover is that they will be joining up with Moto'Seide in the south.
- Only adults have been asked to join. Sorry cubs :[ An unlimited amount of familiars may assist if you wish to RP them.
arrow We are hiring!
A secondary part of this RP will be establishing a more cohesive order of spys for the firekin. If you are interested in claiming the watcher rank for your lion, you must have posted at least once during part 1 of this event. You must also be aware that being a watcher involves working with the regents. Your character should be at least able to tolerate them for the good of the pride.
If you are interested in becoming a watcher simply make a notation at any point during the game in RED TEXT at the bottom of your post. ["I want to be a watcher!"]
If you are ALSO interested in being considered for the spymaster job, post the same thing in BLUE TEXT!
You can read more about both ranks here!
AND OF COURSE. WE HAVE PRIZESSS. They will be determined the usual way of raffle! There will be additional prizes won during the game, mostly familiars!
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 7:59 am
 Quote:
She had said it wouldn't be easy either way, right?
Elcca had done a lot of unpleasant things in her life, but crossing these northern deserts was easily in her top ten. This was not a trip for sane individuals. Even the insane would have given this trip an uneasy stare! At the very least, the group had a newfound appreciation for the pride's natural defenses. There was just no way an army could feasibly march this path. The desert was a cruel guardian.
But, to the firepelt's credit, they knew what they were doing. Many meager meals had been enjoyed, but she wasn't starving. And although she felt like her skin might soon crack and fall off, they'd only traveled at the right hours. Most were in good health. Even good spirits. A week had been a long time to let the worries of traveling enemy territory diffuse.
Unfortunately, that was about to change. Three days ago she'd spotted the black mountains in the distance, and knew they weren't long to reach the steppe lands. Sand gave way to dark stones that crumbled, giving the patch of desert that strange black gleam she remembered. Blacksand, was what they called it. An appropriate place for the Nergui to now be holding up in.
Now, they stood just on the ridge that would leave the desert behind. Shoots of ugly, sharp looking grey grass replaced stone. The morning air almost had traces of moisture. So far, there were no sign of the Nergui. Perhaps the raven hadn't alerted them at all. 'Wishful thinking,' She thought. Nothing was ever easy.
In the distance, a pathetic looking tree could be seen growing out from the rocks. A bright red marking had been smeared on the tree, in the shape of a crude rune. She could feel Yoan twitch his wings against the back of her neck. "Well, we're in the right place at least. Now would be the time to get any last minute questions out of the way."
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 8:25 am
Her one good eye squinted at the marking on the tree, wondering. It tugged at her memory, reminding her of stories she'd heard of an old pride in the south that had painted on cave walls and hated the Firekin... but this felt different. That pride had been one of water and mist, not the blank sand of this northern place.
"Is that a marker of some kind, showing where the border is?" She said quietly, making no move to go investigate it closer. With their destination so close, she suddenly felt.... exposed, like there were hidden eyes watching them all from the rocks.
After so long traveling together, any tensions she might have felt with the others had eased, if not disappeared entirely. Most of those with her felt more kindred than anything, like they were all bonded by their shared experience. No one else in the pride could say they had been here, had seen or done these things... It was enough, in some ways, to forgive differences of opinion or background. At least, it was for the black lioness. What the others thought could be something entirely different.(( I want to be a watcher! cool Or Spymaster. ))
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 8:35 am
The long road through the desert and the mountains had left the dark-masked lion thin and unpleasant. Of course, he was in fairly good company. There wasn't much game, but there was enough. The road was difficult, but not impossible. And at all times their senses were alert. After the first few days even that was exhausting. Ali had been raised under a firm paw, his ears filled with stories of harsh roads and bloody battles. The former he never expected to be this difficult or tiring, the later he'd yet to experience. A small part of him still thirsted for the later, if only to have a story to tell his family upon his return but if just the journey was difficult, he couldn't imagine battle. He'd been trained for such things, certainly, but training and reality were two very different worlds. In a way it was humbling...but he'd never admit to that.
Aching paws dragged him forward and a bright set of eyes narrowed from an ebony mask. Enemy territory...
Elcca's voice, cautiously spoken, broke his train of thought and earned a short, curious look. He wasn't a spy or a scout. If anything, he was along to prove himself. His grandfather had fought in the rebellion and, unfortunately, had stood on the wrong side of the battle. His father was a strong fighter and prior to his ailing curse, had been a bit of a thorn in the side of the new leaders. He had no such claim.
"What can we expect? Besides the obvious..."
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 8:38 am
She had admittedly come in a little late, rendevousing with the group as they started the trek through the desert, her desire to learn itching through her paws as she abandoned her job as a huntress for the time to follow the march that had started - secretly - out of the pride's ranks. A few times, she had secretly regretted her decision - the sands and sun had kept so hot that staing with the group and keeping to her feet was the only solace and kept her cool from the movements, her red pelt had felt like it was burning at times, and her stomach complained of the lack of a good meal - even if she and the other hunters and huntresses who had filtered in attempted to keep the sect filled comfortably.
At least, it was not all in vain, she felt, as she watched the lioness with the black feathred accomplice look over the mountains infront of her. Macheo had never known more than sand, water and sun, a Firekin through and through - but her mother had told her stories, of places she had been as a cub - an oasis, a long trek with the dark pelted mother that she had named her after . . . seeing the new lands was . . . astounding to the lioness.
Allowing herself a respite, she sat down for a moment, hazel eyes watching the area around them, ears high and muscles tense in case she needed to do something drastic. The . . gnarled root that came out of the ground kept Macheo's attention as she listened in to the conversation, not one for eloquent conversation and words. Everything felt ominous, and she couldn't get this feeling off her back.
"This feels . . . foreign." She could only say to those around, a frown concrete on her face.
(I do actually want to be a watcher, with her.)
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 8:44 am
 The desert had not been enjoyable. That was saying it mildly. Saoiraed had never really understood how vast the wide empty rolling sands were, nor how comparatively luxurious the lands the Firekin owned really were. They might seem harsh to newcomers and rogues, but compared to this? He'd take his home of sand and rocks any day.
The march had been brisk, but well timed and complete with a few sparse meals. They had not starved, and that was good. Peri had taken less and less to flying, and more time riding his back. Flight was expensive, metabolically, and though she had managed to make several kills for both herself and her partner (and sometimes his friends, too), it still was less worth it than it had been before. She still made routine flights up to scan for Nergui, but they'd seen neither hide nor hair of them since the raven, before.
Now they came to a strange tree, and the pale lion peered across the distance to it. It was certainly a marker of some kind. And in this harsh environment, the marking would need repainted regularly. So someone had been by here recently. Maybe a day, two at most, ago? He felt his body begin to p***k, to twitch, to start to trickle in adrenaline. They'd arrived, nearly.( I wouldn't mind being a watcher. Orrr spymaster. He's a crappy warrior, but might do decently at it.)
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 10:11 am
 "figures a place like this would be the right place." Aodhfin was glad they finally reached their destination. he had not realized how much of a task this whole thing was going to end up til he had already gone in too deep to bother pulling out. though he could't say he didn't enjoy a nice challenge and he wanted to see this through. his paws ached from not being use to so much travel and so he sat down near his brother and half sister. ears flicked back, he didn't really like the looks of the area as it had a ominous feel to it as he eyed the tree with the red marking smeared on it. his muscles tensed as he waited for what they would do now that they had arrived. [ "I want to be a watcher!"]
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 10:14 am
 Azulon felt he was handling this well enough. Though he was of firekin blood, the lion hadn't been raised in the desert, and admittedly he might be feeling a little worse for wear than usual after all this. Fortunately, he endured, as usual. Ignoring pains as they healed was practically routine for him, and he had enough resolve to push on. Seeing the sort of terrain and vegetation he was more accustomed to, even if not the most beautiful sight, made him feel better already.
He raised his head to look at the tree. "Questions?" He mused aloud, without removing his eyes from the rune. "What is the plan once we find the nergui, then?" They certainly hadn't come this far just to look at the enemy and go home!
(I want to be a watcher! Or a very unlikely spymaster.)
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 10:46 am
Elcca focused on the crooked tree before them. The red markings stood out bright against the bark. It made the wound on her paw tingle. "One would suspect." At this, she started to walk towards the grass. It wasn't exactly idealic, but she looked forward to having something solid underneath her feet. Anything would be better than these sharp little stones. "It could mark patrol routes. Or its just a ward to keep magics out. We'll see plenty of them though, so don't get spooked. They don't mean much beyond that the Nergui have been through here. At least to us."
Still fidgeting on her shoulder, Yoan decided to take to the air. It hadn't been an easy trip on the blackbird, but he'd tried his best to conserve energy. It would be needed for this leg of the journey. Once in the sky, he wheeled once around the group to get his bearings. "I'll check on ahead."
"Keep low," Elcca reminded, watching as the little crow flew off past the shanty trees. At least he did better to blend into the landscape than most of them. "As for the rest, its hard to say. We don't seem to have a welcoming party, so that's good news. We might not see anyone for days. This isn't just Nergui territory. There will be rogues, and whatever prides that the Nergui haven't bothered. I doubt we'll want to get too close to them if we can help it."
She jutted her jaw out a bit, thinking. "Probably sell us out if they're smart enough." Not that she put much stock in that. Northern lions were not always the smartest individuals. [It should be stated here that Elcca also had a lengthy track record of underestimating people.]
"This is a big place, and the Nergui patrol rather than make camp. Heading out to the grasslands may be our best chance at finding signs of them. But also our best chance of running into them as well."
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 12:17 pm
"Lets hope that, with the Nergui around, the rogues will have enough sense to give us a wide berth." Morag said quietly as she followed along after Elcca.
After all this time, she was feeling more subdued, but no less focused. If anything, it had only sharpened as they traveled, till she felt like she had eyes in the back of her head the way she was constantly sweeping the area for danger. She was pleased, though, that they hadn't thus far found an ambush waiting for them. It looked like the raven had decided to let them slip past and she was thankful for small favors.
"If the grasslands is our best chance, then I would say we should go there, whether or not we risk detection. We came here to find Nergui, what is the point if we never run into any? Still, I appreciate the danger.... Perhaps once we enter the grass it would be the time to split up into pairs within sight of one another. Maximize the ground we cover and minimize how many get found or caught while the others get away... But I'm open to opinions on that plan." It seemed like a good plan to her, but what did she know? What worked for a hunting group wouldn't necessarily work for a group of infiltrators.
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 1:57 pm
 Kero had stayed quiet and kept her head down on the way here. It had been with trepidation she had joined this somewhat rebel group. In the end, though, she had decided that taking risks was better than choosing the safe route. She had learned what she could back at the pride, so to her mind this was the best way to further improve her skills. Putting them into real situations that challenged her to improve, learn more, adapt to the Firekin way of life. Of course, it helped that this was a move against their current enemy. The danger put that extra edge on her actions that would hone them to razor sharp, if she lived long enough.
The trip here had been difficult on everyone, as was evidenced by dusty fur and thinner bellies all around. For Kero, though, it merely was an extension of her dazed and dull trip that had brought her tot he Firekin in the first place. She simply did as she had then, shut down most of her brain and plugged along. The difference this time was... she was not alone. Instead she had companions to share the burden with. She hadn't made any true friends yet. She wasn't ready for that step. Becoming friends on a deeper level left her intensely vulnerable to the kind of thing that had driven her from the last place. She refused to think of it as 'home', even though that had been where she'd been born and raised. No, the Firekin were her family now, and their lands her home.
But now things were changing. The terrain, the air, and the feel of those with her. She assembled with the others around the tree with the unnatural mark on it. She squinted at it only momentarily, dismissing it after a short time. She wasn't here to interpret signs or mull on what such mysterious symbols might mean. She was here to take orders, infiltrate the enemy, and learn what she could about them. If she got to exercise her growing martial skills as well, that was an extra benefit.
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 2:27 pm
 Serkan looked up at the mountains, observing them. A frown cut deeply across his face, brow furrowed. They were close... The red, black, and white lion looked to Elcca, listening to her words, before nodding and starting to walk. They were so close... He seemed hardly ready to wait for the others as he powered forward, very quickly reaching the tree. After a moment, he rose up on his hind paws, intent on clawing the mark left on it by the Nergui. Damn them all, back to the Hell they'd crawled out of! But he stopped, his lips starting to curl as he placed his paws on the tree. As his hackles rose, he looked up at the sky. A black dot above that had followed them since they'd gotten up was getting closer, and decidedly rather green. Had that damnable vulture found them again? Not that it was HARD... "We have company!"Flying down and landing on the tree, Vunde clacked his beak at the tri-colored lion below. As he ruffled his feathers, he suddenly started to laugh. "Wait... before you all panic... Let me get something straight..." He raised a wing, motioning in the direction they were going. "Did you think, last time we met, that I'm with THEM...?" He looked back at the lions, amusement in his eyes. The green bird had to admit that he'd been curious about these lions who were prepared to face the Nergui. "Why are you even coming to FIND these guys, anyway?" He folded his wings, lowering his head down to watch them. "Color me curious, really... And before you ask, my loyalties and what exists of them are to Hestia, Goddess of Birds, and to the Cursed One... And nobody else."(( I want to be a watcher! But I also want to be a Spy Master ~))
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 2:35 pm
All things considered, Mkazo had fared about as well as could be expected during the trip here. His Firekin blood lent him resilience and some resistance to the heat, but the thick fur earned from growing up in the mountains was not so easily shaken loose. He knew it could prove as much boon as bane, however...while the heavy pelt held the heat, it was also that much more armoring between himself and an enemy. That was some consolation as he waited for the long hairs to thin and refine into something more desert-worthy. All in all he was neither the best or the worst off, but somewhere firmly in the middle. Firmly enough that his face was grim as he eyed the red mark emblazoned on the side of a tree, weighing Elcca's words.
"We're here to find them, to learn what they do," he pointed out. "If the grasslands are the best chance of that...we'll have to make damn sure they don't find us first." A frown. "Splitting up gives stealth, but if one is caught..." His eyes flickered around the group as he trailed off. The Hongshan among them knew well enough what waited if any were captured. "Comes down to security or stea--"
His jaws snapped shut with an audible click of teeth as he whirled, glaring daggers up at the vulture. "You have proof of this?" Like he was about to take a stranger's word, given where they were.
((I want to be a watcher! Or spymaster. Few would suspect him of being either one, ahahah.))
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 3:50 pm
And the journey went on. Mwako'Damu walked in silence along with the others, taking in the terrain that appeared to be journeying further and further from what he knew. But it was exciting. He'd not been so far beyond the borders before. This was for the benefit of the pride. They would be strong once they returned.
"Kooka is ready," the bird spoke from nestled beneath teh pelt round Mwako's shoulders.
His eyes looked to teh bird who appeared almost happy.
"Kooka must be quiet, for now, if you can."
"Kooka can if Kooka must," and the silence emanated from the bird.
Mwako knew Kooka would need to save his voice if it was needed.
((I want to be a watcher! But I also want to be a Spy Master ~))
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