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 Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2020 5:09 pm
The Lake Indira’s vision turns to shades of blue and green as infrared activates. The forest around her turns featureless as the trees and lake fade away into a sea of cool indigo. Something stands out, though, but it wavers between yellow and orange. There’s someone behind the waterfall! The water itself obscures the figure, or figures, in splashes of blue, but there’s definitely something moving around back there. Cinder’s search of the nearby area isn’t fruitless either! While there are no tracks to find in the lake, she does spot some muddy footprints clinging to the base of a tree, but these aren’t noulicorn footprints, or even from the beast. They are tiny, hand-like rat footprints. Quote: Continue to search for clues? Check out the waterfall? Or head back for reinforcements? heads left down the river. It winds and meanders for quite some time, but at least she has two pairs of tracks to follow! Quite a long way down she spots a beast’s footprint with a few scattered blue and white hairs inside it. Quote: Continue following the tracks down the river? OR Investigate the beast’s footprint? searches the banks of the river, ignoring - for now - the tracks of the does going each direction. After several long moments of careful searching Havoc spots something sticking out the mud. It’s a small, rusted gear. What is this doing out here in Homewood? It’s roughly two inches in diameter and quite badly worn. It’s on the far bank of the river and slightly to the left of center. Sweetpea, unfortunately, can’t seem to find anything in all the muck and water! Quote: Continue searching for additional clues with 2d6 + WIT? OR choose a path to head down - the left or the right? “No need to tie me up,” the beast said to Dryxel, grinning. “If I’m coming with you, I promise to cooperate.” Did she, though? But Cattleya was right, the beast was in a poorly state and had no fight left in her. She started for the path, hobbled by her injured leg. When she reached the river she raised her snout in the air and inhaled noisily. “They went this way,” she said, jerking her head to the left. “But not recently.” The Big Rat Nereida, Owlheart, and Russet Fawn seem to have come to a consensus and the hunt for the Big Rat begins. They head away from the river, travelling deeper into the forest following what few signs they can spot that belong to dire rats. Some droppings, the occasional footprint in soft soil, the sight of chewed wood where a rat has ground their teeth. Eventually, the group spots what can only be considered the Nice Nest. An earthy mound rises up beneath the roots of a massive tree, surrounded by soft mosses and lichens and decorated with bright purple flowers. Bits of glass and metal surround the entrance like a picket fence of bric-a-brac and soft fleece spills out of the mouth of the hole. Above the nest, dangling from the branches of the tree, are braided bits of grass and leaves painted with dire rat hand prints. Sitting above the leaves is another dire rat… but this one seems entirely ordinary sized. “Intruders!” the rat calls. It puffs up on the branch, squinting its red eyes at the three does. “You’re here for the Big Rat? He doesn’t talk to nobody unless they’ve got the goods!” Quote: Offer something for the Big Rat! It can be a material possession, a favor, the use of your magic, an item from your inventory, or a lock of your hair! Who knows what the Big Rat wants most? Roll 2d6 + CHARM along with your offering to see how enticed the Big Rat is to come out. Whoever impresses him the most, will win the merle rat! 
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Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2020 6:11 pm
Hit Points: 7/7 || Magic Used: Adept: 1/2 Indira: Checking out the waterfall | Faery flying along river for reinforcements___________________ Indira sucked her breath in through her teeth. Something was behind the waterfall. Now it all made perfect sense. There were no tracks along the bank because they'd simply never been there. And the aqua hadn't sensed them in the water because they weren't in it. There must be some sort of cave back there. She crept towards Cinder, and whispered "There's something behind the waterfall. I can only imagine that's where the noulicorns have been taken." Her ears lay flat against her head. There was no way this wasn't going to be a fight. And it was a fight they desperately needed to win. "Samhain? We need you now." Her voice was still very low. She was loathe to alert whatever was behind that waterfall before she needed to. "We need you to fly back along the river. See if anyone else from the clearing has made it down there. Tell them where we are. Tell them to come as fast as they can. They need to run. Show them the way." She could feel the faery quake slightly. This was a big ask. "I-I can do that." He took to wing without another word, flapping out over the water and out of site quickly. Indira hoped some of the other noulicorns had made it down to the river. If seven had lost their lives on the hilltop this was no battle sneeze at. She then turned to Fleet, silent on her back. "You need to stand guard out here. One of those creatures left the others. We don't need to be ambushed from behind. If it approaches, make as much noise as you can, then get away." The jack hop simply nodded and then hopped off Indira's back. She positioned herself on a nearby rock. She turned back to Cinder. "I'm going in. Any moment the beasts could decide they need to feast upon Brightheart and the others. Hopefully Samhain will find us help, but I can't wait." With that she turned and walked towards the waterfall, trying to keep her steps as quiet as possible.
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Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2020 6:51 pm
Hit Points: 7/7 || Magic Used: Adept: 1/2 ___________________ Following the river proved to be uninformative and after a while, Specterdust paused. She’d been following it for some time and hadn’t come across anything or anyone. She realized that she was quite alone except for Kevin, who was ambling around in the mud. Specter flicked her ears back and forewards, she didn’t hear any other nouls nearby, no other creatures either. “We should probably turn back and return to the others we had been with earlier, Kevin,” Specterdust said in a low tone. She turned around and started back until Kevin made sound of surprise. Specterdust pulled up short and turned back. Kevin was back where she had first stopped and he had his head tilted looking at the ground. “What is it, Kevin?” Specterdust trotted back to her sidekick. “Big foot print. Not noul. Look there’s fur here too.” Was all the dark colored cockatrice said. Specterdust looked over him and saw a familiar footprint, it belonged to the new predators. But that fur, she lowered her head and sniffed it. The scent was familiar but it didn’t smell like the predator. “I wonder what left that and where did these two go? I don’t see blood, maybe it got away?”Kevin simply shrugged as he looked up at her. “What do we do now?”“I don’t know. I’m not sure I wanna wait here though. I’m not sure where this footprint is pointing us. We could go back and see if they need help there?” Specterdust seemed lost on what to do now and was very much without back up. Quote: investigate the beast's footprintRolled:-- WC: 263 / 2,641
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Sullivan rolled 2 6-sided dice:
4, 4
Total: 8 (2-12)
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Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2020 7:25 pm
Hit Points: 5/7 || Magic Used: (Choose one: Giftless - 0/0 ) ___________________ WAHTS THAT DERP lookin for clues around the gear Havoc shrugged in response to the doe's question as he scanned for clues, "I would say they can't swim that well they are too fat." Such immense wisdom. Suddenly he spotted something weird across the river. What was that doing there, it was... like an Other made thing? "Hey uh... ?" He paused stupidly, realizing he never caught the pretty doe's name in all the adventure commotion. Dang it! He would have to do that. What a jerk, no time now though, he thought. "Do you see that??" He moved to the edge of the bank and pointed a hoof across the river at the thing poking from the mud there. It wasn't a track, but it seemed like it was out of place. Should he go look he wondered. The others that helped fight the beast arrived, and they had the beast with them?? He was confused, but it appeared to be under control or helping them or something. He definitely didn't trust that. Not waiting to see what they were up to, he leaped into the river to go investigate his discovery. And maybe put a river between him and the predator. The river wasn't too strong and he sloshed over to peer at the metal object and the surrounding bank.
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Rein_Carnation rolled 2 6-sided dice:
1, 6
Total: 7 (2-12)
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Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2020 8:26 pm
Hit Points: 7/7 || Magic Used: Apprentice: 0/0 Offering for the "Big" Rat
___________________ Nereida along with the others followed the trail, eyes searching for any clues where this "Big Rat" might live. As they neared the area Nereida started identifying chewed trees, small paw prints, and of course droppings scattered wherever this rat pleased. Then she paused laying eyes on this big nest in the form of an earthly mound with lichen and moss flowing like green water over the raised tree roots. She especially noted the intended decorating with purple flowers while glass and metal raised perfectly upward like a barricade. Seeing how this "Nice Nest" was actually formed was giving Nereida an idea of how she might appease this certain Dire Rat. From the mouth of this comfy nest, she also took note of the soft fleece lining this massive nest. Even the braided bits of grass and leaves were expertly (in a rat's opinion) decorated with handprints of Dire Rats.
This "Big Rat" definitely had it made in its "Nice Nest".
She was just about to speak to the other does when the bitterness, a warning tone broke the silence revealing a normal-sized rat. He who instantly puffed himself up looking larger than Dire Rats she had seen balancing on a branch with accusing red beady eyes. The way this particular rat was portraying himself lead Nereida to believe he was more of a bodyguard possibly for the "Big Rat"
"Forgive our intrusion but we must speak with the "Big Rat", Nereida spoke staring directly into those beady eyes, "If its an offering he wants, I give to you a lock of my silken hair so you may braid it into the branches and let it flow downward like a waterfall to match those lovely purple flowers with a hint of light". This she referred to the lightness at the end of her hair that flowed down from the purple silken rivers pouring down her neck flowing freely.
The Big Rat certainly had a knack for the finer things leaving Nereida positive they would love something from the three does. Perhaps it would accept all three offerings. Stepping back she allowed Owlheart and Fawn to do the same. If that scoundrel of a nasty rat they chased was telling the truth, it was certain that the "Big Rat" definitely knew something.Nereida WC: 381
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Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2020 11:09 pm
Hit Points: 7/7 || Magic Used: Apprentice: 1/1 ___________________ Checking out the waterfall"Oh, the what-" Cinder had been investigate what looked like dire rat foot prints at the base of a tree when Indira happened to announce that she was going to check out that waterfall without waiting for the rest of the group to show up. What a dilemma. Cinder felt her mouth open to say words that she couldn't quite process as the adept turned and promptly walked off toward the waterfall, leaving Cinder to rapidly contemplate all of the ill fates that might befall her. So many ill fates. And entire pack of whatever they were tracking might be hiding just behind that curtain of water, and there was Indira, heading toward it all on her own. Cinder spent a few moments that felt impossibly long grappling with the decision before her. Just seconds ago, she'd been convinced that she could probably figure out where the owner of those rat footprints had gone, and perhaps learn some more, but now... Well now, she was making a decision between letting another noul walk off to a probable doom all on her own, or... joining Indira on what might easily be a lethal decision. Cinder exhaled forcefully. Did she want to live with the knowledge that she might have condemned another noul to die by not helping? Certainly not... She shook her head. "I guess it's the waterfall."
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Kesmi rolled 2 6-sided dice:
5, 3
Total: 8 (2-12)
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2020 4:50 am
Hit Points: 7/7 || Magic Used: 2/2 Offering to the Big Rat!___________________ Upon finding the 'nice nest' she stopped and glanced around. The tree the nest was under was nicely decorated with items they found pleasing. This made her even more offsetting to what she could do for the Big Rat. Frowning slightly her ears flicking backwards as she thought. While she had only dried herbs on her, nothing that special. The only thing she could offer was her magic... That is if the rat needed something grown, revitalized or even revived. It was hard to tell with Homewood being so lush and green with barely a blemish of brown higher then the ground. "I have little in material possessions on me right now. But I can offer a use of my magic. Being an Adept in Botanics, I can revive plants and help them flourish." She explained looking back to the sentry. Hoping that what she has offered has some weight to it.
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DarkHeartedSorrow rolled 2 6-sided dice:
6, 4
Total: 10 (2-12)
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2020 5:26 am
Hit Points: 5/7 || Magic Used: 0/0 ___________________ Sweetpea helps look for clues because HAVOC GOT DISTRACTED... Sweetpea snorted out a much needed laugh. "Yeah, you're right. They'd probably sink." She couldn't find any additional clues, no matter where she looked. She blinked, a little startled when Havoc pointed something out. Even squinting, she could barely figure out what it was. "That looks like its just tra-" but the others were walking the beast towards them and Havoc was already wading across the river. She'd rather follow him than have another encounter with that horrible thing, so she hustled in after him. She was a good deal shorter than he was, so though there was little current she struggled against just the resistance of the water. "I don't see how this is related, we shouldn't spend too long here," she huffed, staring down the gear. "It looks like its been here forever."
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2020 9:59 am
Hit Points: 6/7 || Magic Used: Adept: 1/2 Going left. Still not trusting the beast though.Rolled: + = ___________________ Dryxel paused for a moment to think about what the beast had told him. If the trail was old then it seemed like a better choice to go right rather then follow an old smelling trail that could lead them no where. He still had no trust for the beast but there was more then just himself to think about. Cattleya and the noul they had just saved where the only ones out here at the moment and Dryxel was begining to think it might be better to find the rest of the group. After all they could not be to fair ahead of them yet. But what way would they have gone was the question. Sage shifted his wings as if he had something to say but was this thinking it over. Dryxel waited patiently for his companion to speak. " If I was the others I would follow the trail of the beasts and even though I don't trust the beast... " Sage glared over at the creature "...it would seem they went that way." With that in mind Dryxel knew he would have to follow the lead of the creature that had so presently try to kill them...at least for now.
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Revel1984 rolled 2 6-sided dice:
2, 4
Total: 6 (2-12)
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Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2020 5:00 am
((note, i know this is late, and i am also ineligible to win the rat i believe, having won the rat race pretty)) Hit Points: 7/7 || Magic Used: Giftless - 0/0 ___________________ Owlheart hung back as the other two does led the way to the big rat, it's nest really was lovely, she supposed, from a rat's point of view, it certainly wasn't a mess or filthy anyway. She listened as the rather normal sized rat spoke, clearly this wasn't the one they sought but it seemed to be it's messenger. She watched as the others offered things, she had nothing, having already sent her faery pair off into the trees in case the big rat had wanted her to hand one of them over, you didn't hand friends over to strangers... She worried a bit and almost missed that Russet Fawn had finished her offer and they were waiting on her. "I have nothing to give right now, you have a promise of hair and growth, i can offer nothing except a favour, to be called upon when your Big Rat requires, they need only send word and i shall endeavour to fulfill that promise to the best of my ability, i have no gifts but i hope this is enough" she said, truly concerned that this wasn't going to be good enough, that, because of her, they may be turned away.
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Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2020 10:48 am
Hit Points: 6/7 || Magic Used: Apprentice: 1/1 head left___________________ The beast and Dryxel were already headed off, so Cattleya followed to the river, where they spotted more members of their party - a rose-colored dun doe and a chestnut buck, who'd been fighting alongside them a little earlier. Worryingly, Cattleya had not at all caught sight of the other nouls who'd wandered off in a different direction. They were rightfully wary, but Cattleya called out to them anyway. She hadn't seen either of them in a while, and she thought it was worth catching them up - or perhaps Dryxel, too, who she wanted to show a bit more caution. " Hey, look - " she called. " That buck who overslept said that there were probably at least a dozen nouls around for the ceremony, but we talked to some faery witnesses, and..." Her voice shook now. " They said...six of them got away." She took a few breaths before continuing. " We should travel in a group if we can. Right now the beast says her brethren headed left with the remainder of the nouls a while ago, and I trust she's telling the truth - but only because I know she'd benefit far more from bringing the two of us over to her group than we would." If only Cattleya had such a keen nose. She wasn't sure what good talking would do for these beasts until everything had been figured out. Still... " I...it took so many of us to bring just one down, so please hurry," she said eventually. She hoped that if they didn't follow leftward they at least informed whoever they found of everything the group knew. She turned to nod at Dryxel, and eyed the beast carefully. She'd have wanted to gag her, somehow, but she was well aware that with a sense of smell this strong, the other beasts would sense them first no matter what. Unless they approached from upwind? Though Cat really wasn't sure that she'd get a choice. " I think the most important thing is to stick together - or, well, as together as we can," she told Dryxel. " So I'll follow." Did she want to come across the remainder of the party with just him here? Of course not! But it was still their eventual destination, and hopefully if their hunger had been sated a little the beasts could be at least a little civil. How much did a predator need to eat anyway?
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2020 9:09 pm
The Waterfall Indira and Cinder step through the waterfall. The noise of the roaring falls deafens any other sound as it pours over their backs. It’s only a few steps before they’re out of the deluge, finding themselves inside a small shadowy area filled with slick rocks. A sheer stone wall greets them, covered in dripping dire rat footprints. But the wall isn’t blank. There’s steel here, rusted heavily from the water.. And it looks… a bit like a door? A giant rectangle with no visible handle or lock, but a series of chains and pulleys extruding from the door itself to a set of rusted gears. Indira’s infrared still shows the outline of various moving bodies just beyond this strange, out of place door. The FootprintOn closer inspection, Specterdust spots a series of smaller footprint scampering away from the large predator footprint. These ones appear to be dire rat and head into the nearby bushes! A faery rushes by her, stopping just a moment to say,” Indira’s found something! She says to come as fast as you can!” and then flying further down the river in search of others. At the River It’s definitely a gear that Havoc’s found! There are older footprints scattered around it, almost washed away by the river spray. Five fingered plantigrade dire rat footprints! They scramble about the gear in a strange pattern, leaping to and for and swirling about in a circle before heading off to the left. Sweetpea spots some additional tracks on the opposite side of the river bank, closer to the bushes. A set of unusually large rat tracks and a few more big predator marks. The indentations here are deep, as if the creatures stayed for some time. The predator tracks return to the river, but the large rat tracks lumber to the right. While the pair are searching for tracks a faery appears, flying frantically from up the river. “Indira found something! She needs you to come as fast as you can! Follow me!” And with that, the faery heads back up the river, to the left. Heading Left Dryxel and Lady Cattleya head left down the river. They pass a frantic faery who stops to shout,” Indira’s found something up ahead! Go as fast as you can!” before flying off to find more noulicorns. The noulicorn tracks of Cinder and Indira are easy to follow as as they travel they spot Specterdust examining a set of tracks on the other side of the river bank. The Big Rat The sentry rat is quiet, whiskers quivering as it glares at the three noulicorns. After several long moments something rumbles from the nest and a large, black rat appears in the entrance, streaked across his face is a glittering iron grey industry adept mark. The rat wears a thin string with a polished gear around his neck. The rat examines Nereida, Russet Fawn, and Owlheart with a quiet, steely stare. “Big Rat will take a lock of that one’s hair,” he says. “And then Big Rat will talk. Big Rat thinks you want to find your friends, yes? Yes? Big Rat will tell you, but pretty hair first.” rein_carnation With your lovely gift to the Big Rat the merle rattie is all yours!
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2020 10:13 pm
Hit Points: 5/7 || Magic Used: (Choose one: Giftless - 0/0 ) ___________________ left/ following familiar direction "Yeah... it's probably just old junk..." Havoc agreed with the doe and peered at the weird tracks all around the gear. Hmm. Someone littler was dancing around it an awful lot though."I spose you're right." It really did not seem related to finding the others, and then he felt bad for wasting their time. He kind of wanted to kick it, but as he lifted a hoof, a faery zoomed up and hollered its message. "Oh! We're on the way then!" He said excitedly as the familiar buzzed off. "I hope they are ok. Let's go!" Figuring the doe would come with if she still wanted to stick together, he started off to the left going as fast as he could through the brush to follow the flyer. It wasn't the easiest and he wished he could just fly over everything like that.
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Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 2:13 pm
Hit Points: 7/7 || Magic Used: Apprentice: 1/1 Honoring her Promise
___________________ As the "Big Rat" whom Nereida assumed was the leader emerged from the fleece lining. He certainly was larger than the sentry who shrunk back as its leader spoke. Nereida also took a special mental note this peculiar larger rat was adept magic user from the marking around his eye. The other item of interest was a shiny gear that was formed into a necklace with string.
Interesting.
Indeed without a moment's glance, he accepted her gift as if shiny treasures had fallen from the sky. In time her silken locks would grow back from the sacrifice she had to make. She had offered now she must give what was owed.
Simply nodding Nereida agreed, "Of course".
Never had she made a great sacrifice such as this always, priding in her silken hair that reminded her of the water she connected with.
"You may have one lock now" her voice stayed calm as she walked up to the sentry. Her hair was naturally thick so in time it would grow and continue to cascade like the reflection of a waterfall.
Turning her head to Russet Fawn and Owlheart she hinted to them both not to let the sentry go overboard and take only a singular lock of hair, "One" she repeated a bit louder. Looking toward the "Big Rat" she spoke once more, "Depending on how much you can tell us I'll let you have a second lock as well. Deal?" Though he was a brute in appearance she knew full well if he was an adept he certainly had power and knowledge.
Nereida was never one to muster brute force but she was well versed in being witty and natural with Charisma around others. Lowering her head she allowed the creature to take a lock from her hair with his razor-sharp teeth in hopes they'd gain information to finding Bright Heart, in turn, helping the others as well.Nereida WC: 319
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Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 3:21 pm
Hit Points: 7/7 || Magic Used: 2/2 Talk to the Big Rat!___________________ While her offering of a use of her magics wasn't accepted as an exchange. She was glad that the big rat accepted something from one of them. As it was, she was looking forward to hearing what this rat had to say. When he emerged from the nest of sorts, he noted the markings over his face as those of an adept. Same rank as herself, only in other means she supposed. Glancing at Nereida as she mentioned that they were only getting one lock of her mane. She kept an eye on the rats as they were to take the lock, ready to step over and block them from taking more then was settled upon. Really she wanted to get back to the others so that they all would be together once again. It was making her antsy to not be divided as they were, but some were the last ones she wanted to race back to...
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