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 Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2014 8:24 am
This Quest is for Nyiim 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 on a letter grade scale: a grade of D or F will result in repeating the quest process, C or better will result in passing and possible rewards.
||. Questions about quests can be asked here.
IC
Footsteps padded outside of the house, approaching Nyiim's residence before knocking on the front door. Standing outside was a small group composed of only two men, one of which was Enki, the other's name was unknown, but his looks announced his Leaf ancestry. The one that Nyiim couldn't place had a bow strapped to his back.
The two men seemed to be talking quietly amongst themselves, waiting for the door to be answered, apparently needing to speak to Nyiim himself. Words of a spirit animal, a hunt, and some unknown scale could be heard through the doorway though it was fuzzy and unclear. It was only a matter of time before it would be revealed to Nyiim that there was a fabled spirit animal, covered in a hard scaled body that wandered the northern edge of Tale. It was large, over 30 feet long but short, standing only at 6 feet in comparison with it's length and width with a large bulb at the end of its tail that it used much like a hammer to defend itself with. As to whether this spirit reptilian best actually existed was the question...
Quest Tasks
||. This quest is a test of Nyiim's hunting and tracking skills.
||. This quest must include Enki and the man talking with Nyiim about the spirit beast and somehow getting Nyiim to go after it, as well as an encounter and the successful gathering of a scale of the animal.
||. With how powerful the creature is, Nyiim will not be able to harm it.
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Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2014 12:50 pm
part one.
It was rare for Nyiim to find himself with visitors, especially when Niadra and her troupe were out of the settlement. For this reason, the knocking at his home was wholly unexpected and met with some trepidation. It could have been Enu or Tendo, the young Leaf tribesman reason, or perhaps his trainer, Geska. All three of those men knew to ring the bell that hung from his roof, though. Had it not been for the voices below, he may not have even noticed that anyone had arrived. Perhaps someone unfamiliar needed help? It was either that or there was some emergency, and would much prefer the former. Some words reached his ears, "track" and "beast" amongst many other, less distinct phrases.
It was habit to lean out of an upper window and get a better look at those who came to him, but when he did, Nyiim realized that he had no idea who these men were. They were no family friends, not even acquaintances, although he was sure he had seen one of their faces before. As he leaned back inside, he heard the rhythmic thumping of Bosede tramping down the stairs to greet their visitors. He hurried after, aware of what the raptrix's idea of 'hello' would be. He skipped some steps, preferring to leap down them in a vain attempt to catch the beast before it reached the ground level. Bosede was fast, though, and the familiar rumbling of his growl could be heard before Nyiim's bare feet struck the earth. The raptrix stood before these men, feathers at his hackles raised while his tail wagged curiously. Nyiim immediately clapped a hand into his fur and gripped it solidly. To run at their guests would be to risk having his fur torn out, and no matter how badly Bosede wanted to leap and lick their visitors, he knew that this was a sign to stop. The raptrix's head turned up to his master, his feathers relaxed and his tail took up a more casual pace. He seemed to be asking 'well, what are you going to do about them, then?'
"I apologize for his behavior. I promise he's harmless." Nyiim said, finally approaching these men. One seemed to be an archer, but he was a stranger. The man with the more familiar face had no weapon, but did carry a large sack with him. Neither was being particularly friendly, which set Nyiim just slightly on-edge. At last Bosede could be dangerous if there was trouble brewing. "Is there something I can help you with?"
His arms crossed his chest, and this defensive stance must have triggered something in the familiar man, for he offered a smile.
"I am Enki, and this is Ducan."
The first name was all it took for Nyiim's mannerisms to change. His face flushed in embarrassment and he offered a deep bow and a strained, "Sir!" No wonder he had recognized the man's face! It had been some time since he had seen him about, but this man was one of the leaders of the entire Leaf tribe, and he had just made a damned fool of himself. At least it didn't seem like he was going to be punished. Enki was tolerant of the display and offered a nod.
"We have come here to ask if you would be willing to take a mission."
Wait... what? What in the world did a tribal leader need from an orphaned prentice? Nyiim's brows furrowed. No matter what it was he would feel obliged to agree, but he couldn't quite fathom any task that may lay ahead. Did someone need help building an official post in Yware? Again, his leader spoke to allay his questions without him having to vocalize.
"There have been reports of a great spirit beast wandering the northern border of Tale. It is some six feet high and thirty feet long, covered in scales. At the end of its tail is a large bulb, used for throwing and pulverizing its foes. Of course, no one can give an exact location to the creature. Your goal would be to find it, and return with its location and proof of its existence."
Of all the tasks that could have been offered, this one took the cake. He knew of the forces of nature, of the spirits and their will, but he had never heard of a spirit animal. In a world of small, sometimes dangerous beasts, to imagine something six feet tall and of mystical nature was a bit difficult for Nyiim to process. Then, of course, there was the question as to why they had chosen him amongst all of the skilled warriors that passed through Yware.
"Why me?" he asked.
Now it was time for the other man, Ducan, to speak.
"We were nearby. Your father was a great hunter, or so we hear," he offered. Nyiim was surprised by his voice. He sounded young, but held the authority of someone well-trained. "We spoke to Geska, but he denied our offer. He says you are his best pupil."
Ah, so it had been random happenstance and the word of an elder rather than a particularly focused approach. At least he hadn't done anything to draw especial attention to himself. It would be like Geska to set something like this up, wouldn't it? He had been training with the man for quite some time now, that was true, and he had been given some light praise as for some natural affinity for archery. Still, as far as he knew, he was Geska's only current pupil and thus the 'best' by default alone.
Did Geska truly trust him on such a venture? Or was he playing a joke, doubtful of the creature's existence at all? Then again, if there were such a beast and Nyiim was able to locate it... why, every young man needed their moment to prove themselves. To be the butt of a joke would be the very worst to come out of this bizarre mission. Considering the life he had had before this time, Nyiim was fairly certain that he could handle a couple guffaws at his expense. Besides, nobody really had to know, did they?
"I am only a prentice."
Enki only nodded. Nyiim wondered if there was perhaps some connection between him and Geska? This all seemed too good to be true. Perhaps it was.
"So, what do you say, Nyiim? Will you go? I'm sure there are others who would be willing..." It seemed almost a tease, but the boy took the bait.
"Yes, I will go," he said with a definite nod. "Is there anything else I should know before I leave?"
Enki laughed at his eagerness, and began to explain a plausible route for the boy. He offered a map of the settlements, and offered that there was no certain time limit with which the task had to be completed. Nyiim followed like an eager pup at the feet of its master. His neutral expression belied the excitement roiling in his chest and sparking in his eyes.
When the men left, Nyiim turned to head back up the stairs, passing by his bow. He would leave soon, but there was something else that needed to be taken care of first. Isala would only be a burden on a trip like this, and was very likely to get lost or trampled. Luckily he had not yet learned to fly, and so he filled his companions' water bowl to the brim and laid out enough dried meat to keep the tiny reptile fed for a week or more. Who knew how long it would take to track a beast that may or may not even exist?
It was after he received his midday meal that he chose to head on his waygrabbing his bow and quiver and a shoulder bag for supplies. Bosede had calmed, as if he understood the gravity of the situation. He was, as ever, glued to Nyiim's side and the young man knew better than to try and shoo him away. Perhaps he would prove useful. The two shared a glance before they headed out on what was perhaps their most important venture thus far.
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Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2014 1:00 pm
part two.
He had met his first potential hybrid earlier that day. It still felt a bit like a dream. For all these years he had never happened upon anyone of any other race. The very idea of being introduced to a Shifter had excited him. Then, merely wandering through a village, he had seen her.
She couldn't have not been a hybrid, or something else entirely. Nyiim had heard that people of mixed blood existed, but never happened upon one himself. Perhaps his settlement was too conservative for them to feel safe outside of Niadra's traveling troupe. Whatever it was, they weren't around. This woman, though... she had simply been tending a fruit stand, the sun bouncing off of pale flesh. Her eyes had been a cold blue. That was what had struck the Prentice, the hue of her eyes. Her gems were jagged and tall, placed oddly across her shoulders and back. Even her hair seemed somehow bleached by the sun. He might have asked her where she was from, had he not been so taken as to simply purchase a snack and continue on.
Nyiim had imagined that it would be more of an ordeal than that. Lunging into the jungle to loot dilapidated structures was one thing, but to see the cultural diversity of the world... that was something else altogether. To actually leave familiar lands and strike out to discover the great broadness of the world, that was intense. Nyiim had been stunned into introspective silence and unable to continue tracking for a time. Instead, he had explored the town and its shops, its back-alleys and social meeting places. It would be much easier to miss a beast's leavings when lit only by a torch.
This was night six. Three had been been spent traveling northward until he had finally reached what seemed to be a promising area to search. He had found the dried remnants of a few enormous footprints partially lost in the mud surrounding an oasis. He had followed a ponderous path beneath the cliffs then, traveling only the ways through which such an enormous creature could pass. Night fell and he had continued, but found himself struggling against the night with such a loss of contrast. He had camped out to the howling of the wind and resumed the following morning. Eventually he had reached a small village that pointed him in the right direction, if there was a 'right' at all. A hunter had claimed to have seen the beast, but much further east. Nyiim's path diverted then, and he had resolved to find a safer place to sleep for the night. This was that place.
The inn was larger than those he had known in the past, and seemed permanent. It was a long, low wooden building with several rooms at one end and a bustling pub on the other. You knew you were leaving Tale when food and drink became so plentiful. He sat at a table in the dim, sipping from a flagon and aching to feel Bosede's familiar warmth at his feet. The inkeep had not allowed the raptrix to enter, which Nyiim found reasonable for his size. Still, he was surrounded by older, more experienced men, most of whom seemed to know one another. The comforting companionship of a good friend would have been welcome.
There was a quartet of dancers up on a platform by the front of the building, twirling and laughing to the pounding of exuberant music. Men clapped and sang along, but Nyiim found himself almost entirely uninterested. The women were beautiful, sure, but none seemed so lithe as Niadra. None moved with the same passion and grace. Had she ever entertained at such a venue in her travels?
He had been thinking of Niadra a lot these past few days. When he was alone, without the protection of his village and his people, he found that his mind wandered, and often it came back to the colorful skirts of his friend as she danced for them. Sometimes, he thought, it seemed like she was dancing for him. Her eyes were rarely stationary, but when they met his own he could only smile. For just those few moments, there was nobody else on stage. In fact, there was rarely anyone else on stage at all. She always took the time to talk to him, to spend time with him... and that kiss before she had left...
It had not been lustful. It had not even been romantic, but it had been something. Perhaps his emotions were too stunted to understand, but his mind and heart worked tirelessly against it. Maybe some day he'd know, but he was certain that if he stayed locked in his own little corner of the world, the realization would never come. Too long he had hidden away, out of habit and of fear. He could admit it to himself now. He had been afraid to go, always giving the needs of others as his defense. Now he saw that, although he may well be missed, life continued on without him. It was like that back home, and it was like that here. People were insignificant, made great only by their actions. One could not act while hiding in a tree house.
For years, Niadra had begged him to come with her. She had promised him the world. Now, he thought he may take her up on it.
The moon shone through the window, the only natural light within such a warm structure. The shifters would be Shifting, if legend was to be believed. He was going to see one of them some day. Sooner rather than later, if he could help it.
As it was, he would be heading out with the morning light to continue his search for the fabled beast. Days were spent crouched, examining tracks and strange drag-marks, trying to mimic an animal's instincts in pursuit of this creature. If it was out there, he was determined to find it.
With music still ringing from the main room, Nyiim abandoned his drink for a few coins and headed for his abode at the end of the hall. He would need to get a good night's sleep to steel his head and heart against what was to come, if anything was to come at all.
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Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2014 1:02 pm
part three.
He wiped beads of sweat from his brow. Bosede gave an uncomfortable grunt.
These all-day scouting missions had become routine for the odd pair. When your maturation came into question, you spent every moment trying to climb. That didn't, however, make it any easier to handle the sun and the thirst. Sure, they didn't complain any more, they didn't stop, but it was still a great task every morning to head out until sundown.
Nyiim knelt by the pool and gently dipped his water skin into the tepid liquid. It was warm, but anything was better than nothing. He straightened and peered out toward the horizon. If it existed, he would find it. He had already found so much more. The young Leaf tribesman felt an unusual fullness in his chest, as if something great had been accomplished already. It would be quite some time before he could name it, but it was definitely a positive influence on his mo--
Wait a second.
He wiped his mouth with his forearm. His brows furrowed.
A great, wide divet spread through the gravel. It was too large to be a body dragged by raiders, and for that he was grateful. It couldn't have been some average creature either, for it was broader even than Bosede.
Nyiim didn't dare to hold is breath. This could be nothing, like all of the days before. Then again, he had been following tracks like these leading him here and now. Rather than assume, he took a series of short steps forward and then proceeded to draw a tense breath.
A footprint. An enormous, webbed footprint trailing through what appeared to be a drying river bed.
A second lay beyond it. A third. The path curled around an enormous rock formation, and Nyiim was hesitant to round it. A familiar rumbling began to resonate behind him. Bosede was approaching the stone monolith with is head lowered and his ears turned back. The feather of his ruff stood up on his neck.
Oh, yes, there was something there, and it might be huge.
Lucky for Nyiim, his raptrix had become an obedient companion. With a single wave the beast shut up, although hesitantly. Bosede peered up at the boy as if asking what to do next.
Slowly, gently, step by step, the pair rounded the cairn. Nyiim made it a dozen paces before he simply had to stop, stunned to paralysis.
A great beast lay behind the cliff, resting in its shade. It was horrible and beautiful all at once. Iridescent scales glinted in the shifting beams of light, protecting what appeared to be an enormous six-legged reptile. At its back lay a long tail, tipped with the promised club. It could easily have struck out and killed them both here, on the spot. The creature appeared to be asleep, however, clearly a blessing from some higher power. Never before had Nyiim seen a being so gorgeous. Being a young man who, before the last few weeks, had never seen another type of Earthling, it was understandably a bit life-changing to be able to view the great spirit-beast.
... his stunned joy could only last so long. Were the Great Thing to hear or smell them, certainly it would awaken and take them down. It was the gentle brush of feathers and fur against his leg that caused the boy to retreat as softly as he had come, retracing his steps to the other side of the castle the beast lorded over.
Now came the difficult part, enough to draw the breath straight out of him. Somehow, he would have to retrieve proof of the Great Thing's existence. The obvious choice had always been a scale, but with a weapon such as it had, their chances were not good to climb on top and try to take one. They had not seemed so especially thick. Perhaps they could be broken off? Nyiim pulled from his bag a chisel which could likely be struck with a stone and used to shatter the base of the scale.
How to get to the scales, though? What could he possibly do?
Almost instinctively, he turned up toward the rock formation. He was a very proficient climber, even he would be willing to admit that.
Taking another deep breath, Nyiim began to empty the contents of his bag. To abandon his cherished tools for even a moment was painful, but the repercussions would be much greater if he returned without proof. Back into his sack were piled several stones of varying sizes, as well as his chisel. The first foot the boy placed on the rocks was tentative. Some portions of the structure seemed stacked only by the grace of the heavens, and one misstep could mean the death of him. With Bosede watching curiously, he lifted his other foot, and this was planted with more confidence.
He had been specifically sought out. He could do this.
In minutes, he had nearly scaled the wall. With one final tug, he hefted himself onto a small precipice and began to unpack his bag. Stones were lashed to the ends of arrows that were likely to be sacrificed for a greater purpose. Each of these delicate instruments was set aside, and he began to look.
The rock needed to be big. It needed to be heavy.
With his chisel, Nyiim testing a stone here, a stone there. One near the top of the formation was loose... just loose enough. He dug, he chipped, he shoved, and finally the enormous stone seemed to shift. With great tension and strain he pushed... and pushed...
The rock slipped from the formation and plummeted down toward the earth, toward the creature. Of course this great sound woke the beast, as the impact likely would have regardless of noise. Nyiim dove to the next lowest ledge and pressed himself against the rock face. He had no doubt that this creature could take down the entire tower, and he needed some time.
The great creature stirred and rose, looking around for the source of the attack. Bosede began barking for a moment, but then made a break for the plains, beating out the meaty beast in speed. It seemed confused. Disoriented. It was just what Nyiim had wanted.
He nocked an arrow, tipped with a stone, aimed directly downward and fired at the beast. A torrent of weaponry rained down, focused in the same area the stone had landed. Something had to come loose. It had to. He certainly couldn't pack up one of its footprints and bring it home!
Stone after stone pummeled his foe, bouncing down across its raised scales as it roared. Nyiim was growing nervous. Perhaps this wasn't enough force, maybe he should have tried harder?
In a final effort, he turned and began to shove another stone, this one relatively smaller with just as high a drop. It ground against its base for a moment, resisting, until finally, finally, it gave way. The creature, still irritated but in no real danger and unsure what to kill, simply began to lumber away.
With the step of its right middle leg, a single scale slipped out from its brethren and clattered to the ground. Nyiim gave a great shout of triumph that needed his own hand to smother. He ducked behind the stones again and began to laugh.
...by the spirits, he was laughing...
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Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2014 1:07 pm
part four.
It was easier to track a leader of the Leaf tribe than it was to find a creature of questionable reality. As Nyiim made his way back down through Tale, he asked those around him about Enki's travels and eventually located him in Vers, still nearby the prentice's home settlement. There was a bit of waiting involved in meeting with such an important individual, but Nyiim was willing. He stood as long as he had to stand, chest swelled with pride and excitement at what he had discovered. He idly chatted with those standing around him until Ekni could be seen coming through the village. The boy stepped out into the clear and offered a smile.
"Sir? A moment of your time?"
"Nyiim!" Enki said, recognizing the boy he had approached not two weeks prior. That in and of itself was a boon to Nyiim's ego. "Back from your journey? What did you find?"
He couldn't be sure what Enki was expecting, but the teen pulled from his bag a shape wrapped in coarse fabric. He had thought it best to conceal the trophy, lest others be tempted by its size and nature. Unfolding the rough sheets revealed the scale, smooth and well-kept over the return journey through Tale. Enki maintained his composure, only smiling slowly
"It's real, then."
Nyiim nodded, still holding his glimmering prize and shifting it slightly in the sun.
"It is," he nodded, his smile broadening, "and I could lead you to it."
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Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2014 1:32 pm
Class Quest Result
B-
Nyiim has passed and received a rank of Archer!
Congratulations Nyiim!
Due to the finesse shown in the quest, Nyiim will be able to choose one non-battle item from the shop to put into his inventory.
(Does not include fairground or rare items, quote Suhuba here when chosen)
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Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2014 4:53 pm
Could Nyiim have a bag please? <33
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