[Ernst Nzikobankunda, Songtao Zheng, Beth Almasy, Mercy Adams, Zan Gethin...look, these names weren't gonna fit in the title]
Ernst had actually been looking for a rhino, mostly because it was the most obviously noticeable thing he'd seen back at camp. The gator? There were other gators here; they were in Louisiana. The armadillo was tiny. He'd seen other bears. And the horse was just fast. So if he expected to find anyone it was Griffin - or, at least, some other rhino, who might not be Griffin but who was almost definitely a human of some sort. It was still surprising when he came across the guy: no matter how tall you are, you're always surprised when you come up against something so colossal.
It was a rhino, after all. And Ernst knew - even more than he'd known when he'd come across the elephant seal - that he'd need help. So he ran back to camp as quickly as he could, not even caring about splashing mud all over himself, which was definitely a thing that was happening. "Hey!" he called, at whoever was within range or would listen (which mostly actually seemed like people he recognized in some capacity - a weird thing to think about. Ernst didn't think of himself as close to the other Chosen, but he'd seen these faces.). "I think I found Griffin! Or a rhino!" He held up his tower shield. "But bring your weapons, because - uh..." Well, it was a rhino, and other than Arthur anyone who'd been turned had started out hostile, so far. "Rhinos are probably hard to subdue?"
He began walking once they had a group assembled - Zan was there; there was a black girl who he'd fought alongside against that Huge Bird; there was the Asian woman who'd given Arthur her phone; and there was someone else he didn't recognize, but who looked like a kindred spirit of some sort. All in all, not a bad group. He hoped. He met Zan's eye and shrugged, remembering how he'd recounted being awful at using this shield just a little while ago. With any luck he'd gotten better at it.
As a rhino with a thick hide and dangerous horns, he's a forbidable opponent, but a slow one. His battles might be a crap shoot: dangerous or slow or a bit of both.
Health: 200HP Damage: 5 damage each time he's hit Special Move: Every third time he's hit, Griffin charges and deals an extra 10 damage.
After defeating one of the above Hero NPCs, each party involved in the battle gets 25XP and rolls 1d100 to collect loot according to the following:
1-70: Moly Flower: a small white flower with a dark root. You're not quite sure what it's for, but decide to keep it. 71-85: Fine Wine: Why would an animal have a bottle of wine? Considering all that's going on, we strongly suggest you don't drink. If you act rashly and do, though, please PM and be blue for consequences. 86-95: Map Piece: If the map hasn't been fully assembled, you acquire one additional piece. This can only be collected once per battle, but rolling this also yields a bonus 5XP. 96-100: Small Personal Item: You find a small personal item from the defeated NPC, that can be used later on for a one-on-one RP with that NPC. Brynn: A small metal bug sculpture. Chris: a hand-made fishing lure. Olivia: The charm from a bracelet, with a bullet on it. Griffin: A claw necklace. Rafe: A picture of a woman and a young girl.
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Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2016 1:18 pm
Beth was trying very hard not to feel abandoned. She understood that sometimes things happened, and the people you care most about go off on an adventure to the beach with a large group and everyone wanted to go and there just happened to be a time where everyone else could make it except you (but then they didn't exactly invite you in the first place and maybe if you had known about it you could have cancelled plans but you didn't so you couldn't and then you see the snaps and FB photos of everyone else having fun and try to convince yourself that you would have sunburned anyway).
She wasn't bitter.
It was just a bit hard to keep her spirits up and convince herself that she had a Very Serious Duty to Perform, which was completely and totally in her power to do and not a weight placed on her by some implacable mother figure who basically told her accept being Chosen or else. Especially when none of the other Chosen with whom she had regular contact were around.
So when a fantastically dressed man with pink hair came running into the camp as if his dapper suit had been lit on fire (which may have been preferable to the mud spattering it--Beth could empathize), she was at first hesitant to follow him back into the mire. What could she possibly do to help? Did she really want these people she had no interaction with to see how incompetent she was?
But a part of her, which quickly grew, urged her to accept. She had to get out of her comfort zone if she wanted to meet new people. She had to practice if she wanted to get better. And things would only get worse if she sat around moping. So she joined the group that formed and followed the pink haired gentleman into the swamp after Griffin, trying not to think about the fact that he was currently a rhino.
"So how far away do we think he is? I'm Beth, by the way." She tacked on by way of introduction. She needed to know what to call everyone and the easiest way to do that was by naming herself. Hopefully she hadn't stumbled into a fully formed clique. She would hate to feel like a third wheel. Or a fifth wheel, as it were.
Weapon: Whip (agile ranged) HP: 47/47 Dmg:
Character Name:Beth Almasy Brief description of character: A sweet but skittish beauty who's lived in the lap of luxury her whole life, Beth doesn't quite know what she's doing. She's always willing to support and cheer on her friends, mostly so she doesn't actually have to lift a finger.
Deity: Hera WC: 400, Total: 400
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Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2016 5:12 pm
Zan probably shouldn't have been grinning in response to news of an unrestrained, possibly hostile rhino sighting, but Ernst's shrug and uncertain declarations regarding the subduability of said creature amused him enough to do so anyway. It was definitely a shame that Griffin was an animal at the moment, since Zan was sure he made a far better looking human, but these things happened, apparently. It was their duty now to make sure their superiors were safe when they couldn't keep themselves out of trouble. As far as the whole 'sucking with weapons' thing went, Zan had gotten far better at handling his on this trip alone. Maybe they would actually make it out of this encounter without running away.
With a shrug of his own he followed the Chosen interested in capturing their fair weaponsmaster, silently and rather subtly admiring Beth when she spoke. It really was lovely having so many beautiful people clustered together like this. But now wasn't the time.
"Zan. A pleasure to meet you," he said, inclining his head with a little smile. "Close or far, does anyone have a plan? I mean, I hope he just comes quietly, but from what I've seen, none of us do."
Character Name:Zan Gethin Brief description of character: Friendly, perceptive, phony. Zan has wholeheartedly embraced the more mundane aspects of his new life at the Prytaneum—such as regular meals, his stipend, and the gym—but his inability to stick with any one thing for long has left him struggling to pin down how he might best serve his god long term.
Deity: Hermes Weapon: Dagger HP: 50 Minicert:
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Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2016 5:25 pm
"My name is Songtao," replied Songtao, relieved that for once the conversation, even if it was ever so temporarily, skewed towards her English talents. She strapped on her buckler as she walked over to Ernst, Zan, and Beth. Maybe this battle would go better than the one with the cougar. She had looked up rhinoceroses earlier (as well as the other animals), and it was not surprising that the biggest one had been found first. However, just because it wasn't surprising, didn't mean she really looked forward to the battle with relish. She wasn't going to sit around camp while everyone else got their asses kicked, but she was a little apprehensive about fighting a 1200 kg-ish animal.
She also really hoped no one would make a joke about Chinese medicine and rhino horns.
Weapon: Buckler (agile defensive) HP: 56/56
Word Count: 135
Character Name:Songtao Zheng Brief description of character: A capricious, leaning towards grumpy, chain smoker who has joined the Prytaneum to further her conservation efforts back home in China. Deity: Demeter
Mercy had just made it out of the swamps, tempted to just sit down and rest. Well, she would've been able to if she didn't hear something about a rhino and maybe it being Griffin? Should she help? Well, the obvious answer is yes. She made her way over, moving her hammer so that it rested on her shoulders while she tried to recuperate from running back. "M-Mercy." She recognized at least one person and that was Zan from her time at the Herms pizza party. The others, she didn't know, but she had plans to get to know as many people as she could while they tried to come up with a strategy for dealing with Griffin the big Rhino.
She looked to Zan for a moment. "We could try to lure him in first then go from there? I don't know about you but I don't want to get speared by a big a** rhino horn." Those things were sharp and she had a desire to live for a couple more moments thank you.
Status
Mercy's Health:50 - = hp Weapon: War hammer (10 base - 1 hit) Rolled: - 1 = (0% dmg) [ 0 dmg total ] Opponent HP: 200 - =
Character Name:Mercedes Adams Brief description of character:Mercy is a hot-headed nerdy ball of awesomeness that will totally kick your a** in old school street fighter. She is a fun loving individual that loves to practice her fighting skills as much as she enjoys having drunk gamer night with her friends [Has a temper from hell though....Beware!].
Deity: Ares Weapon: War Hammer HP: 50/50 Minicert:
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thyPOPE rolled 1 4-sided dice:
1Total: 1 (1-4)
Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 9:45 pm
"I'm Ernst," grinned Ernst. The shouting had already betrayed his nervousness, probably. "Sorry about that - I guess I was still occupied by - ah, he's this way, not much further...and I don't know about you all, but I was hoping hiding behind this would work for at least the beginning." He held his tower shield up, but it wasn't like it was only sized for one guy. And he'd done this before, with Rob and with Briiva. "I can keep him off of one of you while you, you know." Hit him? Yeah, aggravating a rhino was probably not the best of ideas. Or, well, maybe it would be better to lure him toward camp - or chase him that way - but it'd be nice if Griffin got all his theoretical aggressions out of the way here, farther away from where people were currently temporarily living and eating and whatnot. And then chase him to camp.
It took about a ten minute walk to take them where Ernst wanted to go. For the moment Griffin was actually not especially visible: he was mostly submurged. But his distinctive horn and wrinkly face rose from the muddy depths of the swamp. Maybe the swamp wasn't his ideal habitat but he seemed to be making do. He looked over the group with a considering eye, though. "You," said Ernst, beckoning with a long-fingered hand. "Sorry - Beth?" He waited for her acknowledgement. "If you get behind me, I think we can get in closer." If not...well, he'd still hold his shield in front of her as best he could. It wasn't like anyone back at camp was going to have a net or harness or something big enough for Griffin, so their best bet was to make sure he got his aggressions out here, where most of what he could hurt were trees and shields, and then let him eat a cure or something once they were near base and Griffin was a little more in the right mind.
It was going to take a bit of adjustment for it to work well, though - it wasn't like he'd fought with Beth before, and he was a little unaccustomed to her moving patterns. That'd get better over the course of this fight, though, right?
Griffin HP: 200/200 Defending: Beth for 1/2 damage. Ernst HP: 56/56
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Yekaterin rolled 1 6-sided dice:
4Total: 4 (1-6)
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Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 4:16 pm
Beth's eyes skated over her companions. Besides the pink haired gentleman--Ernst--there was Zan, whose thick dark hair suffered the unkindness of the humidity (much like her own). He seemed to have an easy smile, and pulled a shy one from Beth's lips. (Though it was something to be said that she smiled constantly to forestall or break tension.) Beth couldn't decide if Songtao was humorless or simply indifferent to their struggles. Maybe she was nervous; she spoke with accented English, which meant it might not have been her first language. Beth resolved to find her again after the fight. She hated the idea of anyone being uncomfortable. Mercy had the most gorgeous golden curls and hefted her war hammer like it was nothing. Beth was a bit worried, as she had just returned from the wilds, but said nothing.
She often said nothing, especially not while testing out the waters. She wanted to figure out the dynamic of the group first, so she didn't change it.
When they found Griffin, she couldn't stop the gasp she gave. Even submerged, he presented quite the profile. Why had she agreed to help out again? She couldn't quite recall what had compelled her to say "Why yes, I will go out and help you hunt down a 5,000 pound beast that has no qualms trampling and goring us all!"
But when Ernst specifically pointed her out, she squeaked in surprise and took a step closer to him. She was mightily relieved when he indicated that he was going to shield her. She was tiny next to him, nearly a foot shorter than he was. She had no doubt that he could take the brunt of the hits...though she did worry about him tripping over her. Throat dry, she nodded, saying with a blitheness she did not feel, "After you, Ernst!"
She crept behind him, left hand gently pressed to his back to let him know where she was and she leaned out from the right to see their target, whip lolling in her hand as she readied herself to strike.
It did not take long for Griffin to realize they were there, and Beth managed to hit him before he was almost on top of them. She tried to press as much as she could against Ernst to make a smaller target and thanked the gods for both her goddess's favor and her companion's shield.
Character Name:Beth Almasy Brief description of character: A sweet but skittish beauty who's lived in the lap of luxury her whole life, Beth doesn't quite know what she's doing. She's always willing to support and cheer on her friends, mostly so she doesn't actually have to lift a finger.
(( Defending Mercy! 2 + 1 = 3, 100% of damage is blocked))
Songtao stepped in front of the curled-haired one, Mercy. She eyed Ernst's tower shield, wondering if she regretted her choice of mobility over defense, now that she could see how her weapon played out in battle. On top of that, she was more than a bit envious of Mercy's massive hammer. She shrugged, a gesture that might look like loosened up her shoulders to anyone else, and raised her buckler high. She wasn't entirely sure how much good a piece of metal would do against a beast so large, but they had to try.
"Ready when you are," she said, catching Mercy's gaze out of the corner of her eye. She added a nod in case she used the phrase incorrectly.
Character Name:Songtao Zheng Brief description of character: A capricious, leaning towards grumpy, chain smoker who has joined the Prytaneum to further her conservation efforts back home in China. Deity: Demeter
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Smerdle rolled 1 6-sided dice:
5Total: 5 (1-6)
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Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 7:55 pm
As many plans did, once things got going, theirs went a little sideways. Thankfully, Zan was of the opinion that he was too quick to get gored, and even if he had wanted to hide behind someone, there was no one left to hide behind. It was time to provide a distraction.
Dagger drawn, he darted around to the rear of their lumbering weaponsmaster and slapped the flat of his blade against Griffin's rump, the resulting crack the only sound in the swamp for a moment. Then Zan laughed, a pleased snort that turned into a gasp of panic as the rhino turned and shouldered him aside, nostrils flaring.
Quote:
Zan HP: 45/50 Zan DMG: 8 Griffin HP: 188
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 9:17 am
To make these threads a little easier, if you have a cure you can try to force it down Griffin's throat. This will require two people.
One rolls to defend, as per standard d4 rolls; if they're 100% successful in their defense, the other can attempt to force the cure.
The second rolls 1d6; on a 4+ straight roll, no weapon modifiers, they successfully make Griffin eat/drink, and he is cured. Once he is cured, you can still loot him!
Mercy took everyone's names into account, smiling at the block from Songato. "thanks~" [ I will make this pretty and fill more in later~ ]
Status
Mercy's Health: 50 - 0 = 50 hp Weapon: War hammer (10 base - 1 hit) Rolled: 6 (100% dmg) [ 10 dmg total ] Opponent HP: 188 - 10 = 178
Character Name:Mercedes Adams Brief description of character:Mercy is a hot-headed nerdy ball of awesomeness that will totally kick your a** in old school street fighter. She is a fun loving individual that loves to practice her fighting skills as much as she enjoys having drunk gamer night with her friends [Has a temper from hell though....Beware!].
Deity: Ares Weapon: War Hammer HP: 50/50 Minicert:
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thyPOPE rolled 1 4-sided dice:
3Total: 3 (1-4)
Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 9:22 pm
So it turned out he hadn't been the most successful at defending Beth, but it looked like he'd at least helped her out a little. And, thankfully, everyone here was capable. No one fumbled, or anything, like Ernst certainly would have. Mercy and Zan, in particular, seemed to really hit it home with their respective weapons - although it still didn't seem to make a huge difference, considering Griffin was a rhino at the moment. He made Ernst look like a very tall stick. Holding a big shield. At least he would be hard to accidentally kill. Still, though. It looked like Ernst'd accidentally assembled a pretty good team? He'd give himself a theoretical pat on the back for that.
Zan had gone without anyone's protection because there weren't enough shields in the group, though, so Ernst shifted around so he was in front of the guy. They could spread the wealth, right? He glanced back at Beth with a raised eyebrow. Well - she was wearing a Mark. She'd be fine for now. "Your turn, Major Zan," he grinned. He brandished his shield like it was actually a very hefty weapon.
Which it was, yeah, but a lot of the time Ernst treated it like a bulky, heavy backpack instead. That wouldn't do here, though: he needed to cover Zan better so that they could get through this part more easily.
Ernst HP: 56/56 Griffin HP: 178/200
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5Total: 5 (1-6)
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 9:51 pm
He was thankful for the cover, considering the sting of Griffin's last strike, and he nodded at Ernst as the other Chosen moved to shield him.
"Thanks, man," he said with a grin, raising his dagger to go in for another strike. It was only at the last minute that he thought to change the plan yet again, and he sheathed the knife instead, rummaging in his bag for one of his sugar-encased moly flowers. There was probably no better time to try one of these things out, or at least no time more gratifying if the stupid cure worked.
He waited for the rhino to look his way again, held his ground until the animal charged, and just as their weaponsmaster stopped and opened his mouth to roar, Zan tossed in his concoction. It flew in a perfect arc and hit the back of Griffin's throat like it was the fifty point hole in skeeball.
"I... um... get ready to run if this doesn't work?" Zan suggested, peeking around the side of Ernst and his shield.
Quote:
Zan HP: 45/50 Zan Can Cure? YES HE CAN
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 11:00 pm
Songtao stared transfixed and open mouthed as Griffin transformed from massive rhino into incredibly fit Spaniard. He staggered slightly as the flower's magic took hold, his movements blending into the change, armored folds smoothing out. He stretched and flexed like he was trying to pull on an overly large suit. Grey pebbled skin receded, easing into tanned muscle. He started to stand, and as his front feet left the ground, toes separated and shrank into hands. A twitch of the head, and his horn dwindled into a nose. Another shift, and before Songtao realized it, Griffin was fully human again.
It was definitely an improvement.
(She also suddenly she remembered who Griffin was. Not that the lessons hadn't left an impression, but she had met a lot of people in a very short period of time. That's what Songtao told herself, anyhow. It was pretty good as excuses go.)
After a long pause, she tried to remember if the Spanish were shy or if they could skip the whole "Oh gosh I have the same bits and bobs that everyone else has," modesty thing that was a social requirement in some countries. Her shoulders only slumped a little when she turned around.
Word Count: 459
Character Name:Songtao Zheng Brief description of character: A capricious, leaning towards grumpy, chain smoker who has joined the Prytaneum to further her conservation efforts back home in China. Deity: Demeter
It all happened so fast and Beth wasn't involved in any of it. Rather than beat Griffin into submission, which honestly, Beth wasn't sure would be easy, they opted to cure him. With fluid grace, Ernst blocked for Zan, and Zan made a shot that would have earned him the talk of the tv networks if he was in some kind of sports. (Beth was not very savvy when it came to balls and the various goals one could make with them.)
Of course, the celebration was short lived as what was a big, scary rhino became a big, naked man. One who, admittedly, carried the muscles off like a moorland bride in a bodice ripper. Her eyes were tempted to lower and see precisely what it was Beth had been missing when she skipped combat practice. But before they could act of their own accord, Beth quickly turned around to give him modesty. Her cheeks and neck were pink with more than just the blush she had applied that morning. Bringing her hands up to cup her face, she squeaked, "Does anyone have a jacket...or something to give him?"
As she tried not to give into the temptation to turn around and peek through her fingers, her eyes alighted upon a familiar, white petaled and dark rooted flower, surprisingly untrampled in the footprint of a rhino. Maybe some good had come of this after all.
Character Name:Beth Almasy Brief description of character: A sweet but skittish beauty who's lived in the lap of luxury her whole life, Beth doesn't quite know what she's doing. She's always willing to support and cheer on her friends, mostly so she doesn't actually have to lift a finger.
