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 Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2015 7:06 pm
This Quest is for Cyn who is striving to become an Archer.
 OOC
||. The quest prompt must be answered with a 2000 word reply (can be more).
||. Respond to the prompt given with an adventure of your own creation as long as it meets the requirements of the specific tasks.
||. NPCs may be used as long as they advance the quest in an interesting manner.
||. You cannot include any playable characters other than the quest taker.
||. Your responses will be graded with a Pass or Fail. Those who fail will have to continue with assistance from the staff.
||. Questions about quests can be asked here.
IC
Cyn was given a test. He held his trainer's old bow in his hands and the fresh memory of their last conversation lingered in his head.
"Then go out into the woods for me. I want you to take my old bow and catch something with your own hands. No help from your sister or anyone else. We'll use what you catch to make a gift for her and it will be a reminder of what you want when you see her using it. You've got two days from tomorrow to return here with something. If you do, I'll permit you to leave my training for some time while you go find yourself."
It has only been earlier that day, but the test had started.
Quest Tasks
||. The quest should begin with Cyn's initial reaction to the task at hand.
||. He will have to complete the test his trainer has asked of him.
||. The quest should show thought into what Cyn will catch and how he will use it to make something for his sister.
||. The quest should end with the successful completion of the test, as well as his thoughts on being independent or his sister becoming more independent.
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Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2015 1:12 pm
A Stroll in the Woods
WC: 4460
After heading home to grab a few things, Cyn set off to do the task he was given. The test would prove to both Cyn and his mentor if he had the patience to sit in wait for hours. Animals spooked easily, they prepared to run before you could even fire the bow. Their muscles acted like springs the second they hear the string go taut. Hunting something in the wild wouldn’t really be all that hard of a task if Cyn had learned anything during his training. The hard part came from within Cyn’s mind, and his pride. He could easily go out, find a smaller animal to bag and tag in a quick amount of time. His trainer knew this, yet gave him two days to complete the trial. Cyn would use these two days to the fullest and try hunting for something larger, and if time allowed something smaller he could use as a personal gift for his sister. An Aldabuk hide would make her a warm cloak, or maybe even a scarf. It would help in the wet season, or in colder places that she was sure to visit. As for his smaller gift, maybe the feathers of a Seriffin, as they could be used to make a decorative hair piece or something.
He knew that soon, Syqvara would be leaving home more often, possibly not returning for large amounts of time. It wasn’t clear if he would be following her or not either. Cyn was sure if he asked, Sy wouldn’t deny him, but he wasn’t sure if that is what he wanted for himself. The last five years of his life have been dedicated to training in an art of war and little else. At first it was fine with him; Cyn never paid it any mind. Now though, Syqvara his shy little sister had grown up without him even realizing it. Physically Cyn had grown up, but he had no experience in the outside world or anyone to call a friend besides Syqvara. It was time to break that, go out into the world and meet new people and see new places. This test would be the step that allowed him to do that, it would show that he could survive on his own using the things he had learned to live.
He had trained in Archery to protect things he cared about, and to follow in their fathers steps. He had been a solider that fought in the previous war, and Cyn was proud of him. Tensions were rising everywhere and even a self-sheltered sprout like Cyn could see it. While the ‘peace’ lasted it was time for Cyn to find himself in life, maybe even fall in love. It was about time Syqvara got a chance to tease him about some crush or another. After all, since she had gone off on her own Cyn had been jokingly teasing her about ‘boyfriends’ non-stop. The thought brought a smirk to his face as Cyn found himself on the edge of town, the wilderness in front of him. After giving his body a long and thorough stretch, Cyn shot off like a bullet into the brush, his master’s old bow tightly gripped in his hands.
He kept his body lower so only the top of his head could be seen moving through the taller grass of the savannah. Cyn had to be careful, he didn’t want to run into a Witu without realizing it, or he’d most certainly find himself dead or wounded badly at best. Though given the chance to catch one off-guard Cyn would take the shot and risk it. If he landed the shot and took the beast down in one clean hit, or even two it would satisfy his requirement take down something worthy. Cyn was bee-lining for a small cluster of the common twisted trees that litter the Savannahs of Tale. If he could climb one of the trees he could get a better view of the land. It would also allow him to watch any animal movement, along with give him the high ground if by chance he took a shot this soon. As soon as he reached the cluster, Cyn kept moving, kicking up off the trunk of one tree. Arms outstretched he grasped a thicker branch and pulled himself up into the tree. Once he was sure the branch would hold, Cyn set himself into a crouch on the branch with his back to the trunk. A few trees over Cyn heard the rustle of leaves as a Poscuta went deeper into the foliage to hide from him.
After a moment to catch his breath and make sure he was alone in the tree, Cyn began to climb up a little higher. This tree would likely be the place he returned too for the night. That was assuming of course it had strong enough branches to hold his weight for extended periods of time. It was unlikely that Cyn would sleep much during the night, but having a safe place to return to would allow him to relax. Peeking through the foliage, Cyn blinked a few times so his eyes wouldn’t dry out. Looking over the savannah, Cyn took note of any signs of life he could see. He watched for movement in the grass, and even the direction of the wind. Witu were a problem out here, and they blended in the most of any of the wildlife. If Cyn could spot them before they noticed him, keeping safe would be a breeze.
As he sat in the tree observing the open plains, Cyn contemplated what he’d do once he passed this test. Where would he go, if anywhere? Syqvara had mentioned Jauhar, maybe he should head there and explore the places along the way? Should he offer to take her with him? He did after all promise to go with her when she went, and the two have pretty much always been together, or they had been. Lately Syqvara has been going off on her, which is what inspired Cyn to finally act. They were twins, siblings, and family but they could go their separate paths if they so choose. After-all, they could just return home if they missed the other. If Cyn could become independent, and keep traveling with Syqvara it would be his first choice though. Traveling sounded like fun, but it also sounded lonely so the company of someone he cared about would be best. Hells for all he minded, Syqvara could bring her new friends with them. Ime had been alright, didn’t seem to be a bad person so they could easily get along over a journey.
Movement off in the distance took Cyn’s thoughts off of his feelings and focused them on watching a herd of Aldabuks grazing. They were too far away for Cyn to take a shot comfortably, so he would instead watch the herd and learn their movements. Every noise seemed to alert the beasts, their heads jutting up and looking around. They looked the type that would bolt the second Cyn made his presence known or made a noise. He would likely need to catch them off-guard with a shot from one of the twisting trees, or be still for hours in the brush while also being upwind from the herd. The young seemed to be well protected by the older Aldabuks so nabbing a calf wouldn’t be easy either. As Cyn planned his attack, something caught his eye near the right of the herd. The wind had been silent for the last few moments but the grass near the Aldabuks moved. In the next moment a Witu bolted out with speed towards one of the calves just as its mother turns its attention to the grass to eat. Before the herd can even react fully the canine has the baby in its mouth with its neck snapped in an instant.
The herd dispersed quickly afterwards, forming a small circle around the young as they left. Cyn sat in the tree with his mouth open. That was what he strived for. The sheer precision of the hunt was genius, and the beast only had itself as its weapons. It watched, saw an opportunity and took it all within a moment’s notice. It acted with precise thought, and nothing else, no distractions just doing what it had to do to eat. As Cyn watched and admired the animal, the Witu began dragging its meal into the taller grasses so that it had some cover to blend into while it ate its fill. Cyn could take a shot or two at the beast moving through the grass but with the distance and the cover he was sure to miss. He’d get his chance, it was best to not squander its potential by acting rashly. So instead Cyn sat up on his perch, obscured from view by the tree’s foliage. He’d observe the animals for a few hours as the sun reached its peak in the sky, then slowly descended back towards the earth as it set, bringing in the twilight. While he watched and waited, Cyn carefully and slowly took supplies out from his bag. Nothing major, just some basic food he could keep for a day or two that would feed him, but not alert the animals.
As the night loomed closer, Cyn watched the Aldabuks maybe the ones from earlier come closer to a patch of trees not too far from him. It seemed like they were going to try and sleep in the shadows of the trees. Though every noise seemed to alert the herd and it took them several moments to relax again, quickly falling asleep, and quickly waking up over and over again. The pale moonlight helped illuminate the savannah enough to see their shapes from this distance, but it also added shadows in which he was sure many things liked to hide. Slowly at first, Cyn climbed down the tree he had hide in for hours. If he wanted to catch an Aldabuk, now was as good a time as any assuming he kept quiet. Like the Witu, Cyn hide himself in the taller grass moving slowly and in time with the wind when possible. When the cover of the grass wasn’t enough, he moved quickly into the shadows. He wouldn’t move for several moments, bordering on minutes to make sure the Aldabuks would go back to their slumber if they awoke. He needed to be quick, but he also needed to be precise and careful. Every step needed to be calculated and calm, just like the Witu who had gotten his prize earlier. Cyn now understood why the people of his tribe had problems with the Witu. Every story of them being fierce, skilled hunters seemed to be true.
In the shade of a twisted tree, covered by the tall grass, Cyn sat in a kneeling position. Bow in hand, he reached back for an arrow from his quiver and silently knocked it. Taking aim at a smaller buk with its side to a tree, Cyn slowed his breathing to decrease fluctuations caused by his breathing. He let the wind wash over him, using his whole body as a judge for its fluctuations and adjusted accordingly. With practiced movement Cyn pulled back on the drawstring till the sound of it tightening reached his ears. Then he let go, the sound of the arrow whistling out through the night sky. As soon as he let it fly, the Aldabuk herd awoke and began to look around cautiously, some even standing. Before they could run though, an arrow hit its target. Cyn in his inexperience had aimed for the heart, looking to let the animal tire itself out with its burst of adrenaline and slowed blood flow but a shift in the wind, and the smaller deer like creature starting to move caused the arrow to hit a bit back from his aim. Though he couldn’t tell exactly from here, Cyn guessed it had hit the poor thing in the lungs. Its death would be slower, more painful as adrenaline kept the creature moving, pumping more blood throughout the body, and thus more pumped outside it. He’d have to track it, move along with it so as to not lose sight of it in the grass and follow the trail of blood.
The poor thing ran from Cyn for a while, its tenacity amazed the leaf male. When Cyn had first tracked the blood trail to a clearing in the grass he thought he had his prize, but the second he stepped out into the clearing the beast shot off again full of vigor. As it ran away he could hear its wheeze, confirming his suspicions that he had hit the lungs. After its rest more blood leaked from the wound as adrenaline and instinct kept it running. Cyn would have to hold back a bit if it was going to keep running from him. The arrow would keep the blood flowing with each movement tearing the hole open again, so as long as he kept the trail it wouldn’t be hard to find the animal. Tracking it slowly, Cyn thought he lost the trail for a moment and his whole body slumped hard. Had he failed after this long of a chase, and that much of a build up? He frantically searched the area for a trail before he heard the wheezing again. This time however he stayed still, peeking out only a bit to see if animal had finally become too tired to move from blood loss.
Now that he had time to look at the creature, wheezing, trying to get up and move, and scared nearly to death, Cyn felt a pang of regret. He wished the shot had been truer, that he had aimed it better. Maybe if he had hit between the eyes he could’ve killed it in one shot and it wouldn’t have to suffer so much. Once again Cyn reached back for an arrow and this time he wouldn’t miss. In one fluid moment, a second arrow whistled out and did in fact find its mark. The struggling animal stopped almost immediately and Cyn stepped out from the grass. Bending down over the animal he’d sit in silence for a moment, offering a silent prayer for the animal’s life. He thanked it for its life and promised to use as much of it as humanly possible to honor its sacrifice. As he sat there a low growl met Cyn’s ear and he turned instantly his arm already going back for an arrow. While he turned the Leaf’s worst fear revealed itself from cover and its snarl froze his body to the core.
Though his body froze up in terror, Cyn’s mind kept working, trying to find a way to escape. He dared not look away from the canine, knowing if he did it would likely strike. It was a younger Wito than the one Cyn had seen earlier in the day. It was most likely attracted by the sound and smell of the dying Aldabuk. Since it was younger it probably wasn’t the best hunter and wanted a free meal if it could get one. It also explained why it revealed itself instead of attacking when Cyn had his back turned. As his brain went to work finding a way out, his body slowly came back under his control. The arm that had went to his quiver moved ever so slowly towards an arrow. The Wito started a small circle around Cyn, and as it moved towards his side Cyn turned himself to keep his eyes on the beast. Cyn kept his emerald eyes locked with the Wito’s, he wanted to know what it was thinking. His eyes would give away the attack a moment before his body would and Cyn needed every second he could get.
As he and the Wito spun around, watching each other Cyn’s fingers gripped the end of an arrow and grasped it firmly. He knew he couldn’t draw it, knock it, draw the string back, and fire with any accuracy in a split second but it still helped him calm down. Almost as if the beast understood what that meant, the younger canine slipped behind the grass as it spun around Cyn. It was in that moment Cyn drew the arrow, knocked it and drew the string back. He had no clue where the beast would come from, or if it had ran off in fear. Hearing movement to his left, Cyn turned in his kneeling position and that is when the attack came from the right. He felt sharp teeth dig into his right forearm and the pain caused him to release his hold on the drawstring. The arrow shot off into the darkness as Cyn screamed out in pain. He could feel the Wito’s claws raking against his arm as the canine thrashed side to side causing blood to drip down unto the dryer ground. Cyn lashed out with his left hand, bow still in hand making sure to hit the Wito’s snout with his knuckles. As the Wito struggled with his arm, Cyn kept bashing his left fist into the wolf’s face.
Cyn heard a snap and for a millisecond feared it was his arm breaking from the bite pressure and thrashing. Given a different situation he’d be relieved to know it was just the older tool breaking from the continual abuse in an improper manner. Letting go of the bow the now free arm reached back and curled into a fist once again. It would smash into the snout one last time with more force than before as he became more desperate, and the pain became more unbearable. The Wito let go of its vice grip with a whimper and stepped back to lick it’s blood stained lips. Cyn screamed at the beast, trying to scare it off, show that he was the bigger beast. The canine just growled in return and began to circle him again. Not taking chances this time, Cyn used his good arm to grab two arrows from his back quiver. Transferring one to his damaged arm, Cyn stood and circled with the Wito letting it see his full height. He saw hesitation in the beast’s eyes for a moment before it did the same trick, moving behind the taller grass to hide itself.
Blood dripped onto the soft ground and each drip was counted by Cyn, using it as a sort of rhythmic tone to track time with. What felt like an eternity passed as Cyn spun in a circle, trying to psyche the beast out. Like he knew where it was, watching for him and waiting. This was a younger beast; maybe he could trick it by showing his back for a split moment just like before. It was his best option right now; Cyn knew it hadn’t run away. Just like before Cyn kept circling but suddenly he’d jerk his head to the right as if he had heard something. Sure enough the beast came, though this time it came from the front. It lunged with its jaws open wide, looking to bite into the already weak arm. It got what it wanted as Cyn shoved its right arm right into the beasts open maw while his left hand came down hard with the arrow head pointed towards the Wito’s neck. With a whimper, the pup let go of Cyn’s arm and slumped to the ground to bleed out.
Cyn also fell to the ground, though he landed on his knees. Ripping off his green vest, Cyn began to wrap it around his arm tightly. He needed to stop the bleeding for now; the rest would have to be taken care of back with the tribe. His arm would need time to heal, but from what he saw it didn’t seem permanently damaged. He could move it around, had feeling in all parts of it, and luckily the beast wasn’t fully grown. If it had been, his arm would’ve been a mess of hanging flesh and broken bone. Cyn was certain of this fact, and it didn’t make him feel any better. He had barely killed a young adult at best, an experienced hunter like earlier would tear him to shreds.
Now that his arm was patched up as much as Cyn could do in the field he stood and picked up the broken pieces of his mentor’s bow. He’d have to apologize profusely to the man later. Walking over to the Aldabuck he’d bend over it and gently took out the arrows from the carcass. Cyn tossed them to the side knowing they were no good and wanted them out of the way. Righting himself he grabbed hold of one of the ungulate’s horns. He walked forward, dragging the heavier beast along with him till he reached the Wito. Using his bandaged arm Cyn reached down and grabbed it by the scruff of the neck and carried it along with the broken bow halves. His body felt heavy, his vision wavered here and there as he continued to walk. Cyn hadn’t paid attention to how far out he had gone earlier in the day, and he now regretted that juvenile mistake. The one saving grace right now was that he had the blood trail from earlier to follow, and from the end of that he just needed to straight.
By the time Cyn reached the edge of this stretch of savannah, the sun was beginning to rise and he could see the tribe’s border in the distance. At some point during the night Cyn had slung the Aldabuk over his good shoulder and while it was easier than dragging it, the exhaustion it caused showed. Maybe he had been lucky to not encounter another predator or worse another Wito, or maybe the smell of death surrounding him warded off potential foes. Once he entered the village, Cyn ignored all the looks and headed straight for his mentor’s training spot. Sure enough the man was there doing their normal routine, though he did it alone. As Cyn approached he turned around, a look of shock in his eyes. Cyn guessed he hadn’t expected him to return within one day, and with two beasts at that. Given the fact he had two animals with him; the man didn’t notice the blood that caked Cyn’s arm. As Cyn got closer he dropped the Aldabuk corpse off his shoulder, and let go of the Wito pup.
Holding the broken bow by the string that attacked the two halves, Cyn mouthed an apology before he fell forward. Fatigue had caught up with him, and the loss of blood while nothing life threatening did take its toll on the Leaf male. He couldn’t tell if his mentor had caught him, or if the ground just felt this soft because he was that tired. Cyn didn’t wake up till much later that night, and he did so with a jolt which undoubtedly would alert anyone who was around him. He looked around confused, Cyn expected to still be in the Savannah. He didn’t remember even making it back to the village let alone have his arm be treated and bandaged properly. As he got his bearings, a plate was shoved in front of his face. “Eat up. You lost some blood so you need to eat.” The voice was his mentor’s and Cyn looked over towards the source and nodded. He’d oblige without really thinking. Though as he put the food in his mouth he realized it was meat and he had to ask. “Is this from the Aldabuk?”
His mentor simply nodded before he headed off to a farther corner of the house. Cyn could hear him using a knife to do something off in the distance. “Some of its meat was bad but what was left I’ve prepped. Letting it go to waste would be an insult to the creature’s life.” Cyn nodded as he chewed, he was glad his mentor agreed. He had after all promised the beast the very same thing. “You’re going to go back to sleep once you eat, and get fluids. Your arm was a mess and you’re lucky it still moves. What were you thinking trying to kill a Wito.” Cyn could hear the disappointment in the man’s voice, and he hung his head low. “Let me guess, it jumped you while you got admired your kill, probably because you also hunted at night.” Cyn nodded and gave a defeated verbal confirmation before he went back to his plate. “Not only that, you broke my old bow in half during the process.” Hit after hit weakened Cyn’s pride. He knew he had screwed up badly, but hearing it come from this man really put it into prospective. “But you did good to make it out alive, and somehow make it back here. Let this be a lesson to you. Just because you’ve got the skills to fire an arrow and take a life, doesn’t mean you understand the weight and responsibility that action gives.”
Cyn finished what was on the plate before he reached over towards the cup that sat on a nearby table. He’d take a drink to wet his throat, before he finished the cup in a second gulp. “What’re ya gonna do with these furs now?” The older male turned his head to look at Cyn, he was trying to hide a small smile. The look confused Cyn who was still kind of groggy from the sleep, and his weak body. “If the Aldabuk hide is mostly intact, let’s make a shawl for Syqvara to keep her warm at night. I want the Wito’s hide for myself. I want it as a reminder of my faults. I don’t want to make the same mistakes again, and its hide will be my reminder of what you’ve taught me while I journey around.” The older male chuckled and turned his attention back to whatever he was doing in the corner. “Good answer, full of confidence, despite your predicament. Now get some more sleep and we’ll work on these tomorrow, together.”
Suddenly washed over with tiredness, Cyn laid his upper body down onto the bed. As he slept, Cyn dreamt of exploring though each place looked a little bit like Tale and little tidbits of detail he had read in books. If his ball of red of a sister could go out and find a goal for herself, Cyn could do it too and now he knew he could protect himself if he was careful.
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Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2015 9:10 am
Class Quest Result
Pass!
Cyn has passed and received a rank of Archer!
Congratulations Cyn!
Greedy Chromatic Red For a well thought out quest, Cyn may choose 1 regular shop item. Please PM Suhuba with your choice.
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