[center][h3]Tora & Poppi[/h3]
Level 6 Tora (42/60) and Level 5 Poppi (38/50)
[b]Location:[/b] Lumbridge, the Land of Adventure[/center]

Geralt's question caught Tora a little by surprise, since he'd been paying much more attention to practicing punches with the Mech Arms while waiting for others to come. Loosening his stance, the Nopon dropped one Mech Arm and reached into one of his pouches. “Tora have new shooty right here!” He produced a [url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/astralchain/images/1/1f/Astral_Chain_X-Baton_Blaster_Mode.png/revision/latest?cb=20190830084745]gun[/url] from his pouch and handed it to the Witcher. “Couldn't implement Ether tech, meh, so instead made battery-operated. It fire plasma blasts, put holes in things real nice, meh. Will burn through charge fast, but can charge with electricity, and has mini solar panel. Just leave out in sun or ask techy person to charge for you.”

Poppi raised her hand. “If change to electric element, Poppi can charge for friend Geralt! Pleased to help, so ask anytime. Within reason,” she added.

After a handful of minutes, just about everyone had gathered around Brother Grimm for the trip. Some no doubt would want to take their own possible organic transportation, but Peach stepped up to make sure that everyone knew how long a trip this one would be, and over rough terrain besides. Any beast riders would surely fall behind. “I also wanted to thank each and every one of you,” she told them. “Grave danger lies ahead, unknown enemies with unknown powers, but here you are ready to jump in for the sake of the worlds. For that I commend you.” She waited a moment as the collected townsfolk clapped, then beckoned the heroes to join her. “Alright, let's get underway. We have a champion to put to rest.”

The engines of the tremendous monster truck roared to life. Tora and Poppi hurried to climb aboard. Peach hadn't been idle during the many hours of the day; she'd enlisted help to enlarge Brother Grimm's already-spacious bed even more, adding benches and handrails to accommodate heroes. The vehicle might not be quite as fit for battle anymore, but it could take everyone where they needed to go, and after a minute to get everyone stowed, it started to. At the princess's bidding the motorized behemoth lurched into motion and got the trip underway. It'd be a long and bumpy ride.

[hr]

Brother Grimm rumbled across the landscape, pancaking the grass of sprawling plains and skirting around crops of forest. When it eventually drew close everyone got a good look at the glittering waters of the southeastern lake, made peaceful once again by the efforts of heroes yesterday. Peach drove a wide berth around Territorial Rotbart, the remarkably overlarge and extremely powerful ape just wandering in the open for no good reason. Swampy lowland posed no problem for the monster truck's mammoth tires; it rolled straight through. All the while a crisp breeze blew across the rolling land, beneath an azure sky. Tora took it upon himself to bask in the warm sun once he got done tinkering with his toolkit, and to enjoy the open wild.

The heroes spotted a couple palces of interest, including [url=https://66.media.tumblr.com/51916c4fdd6d1ea808b99034485aa48d/tumblr_inline_osn5ydS1QW1uftrnv_500.png]tree forts[/url], [url=https://bentleeben95.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/skyrim-tower_a1.jpg]towers[/url], a [url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/wp-content/uploads/legacy/Vermintide_2_sunrise_0.jpg]temple[/url] up in the mountains, and even an elaborate [url=https://www.minecraft.net/content/dam/archive/2f9275c2d56f22f6d966520ffeaca560-THREE.jpg]mansion[/url] just sitting out in the open. Nobody could escape noticing the massive [url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/finalfantasy/images/5/5a/FFIX-IifaArt.jpg/revision/latest/top-crop/width/360/height/450?cb=20090105032535]tree[/url] that loomed in the southernmost reached of the Land. But everyone had a job to do, so they heeded Euden as he guided them toward their goal. It didn't take long to be able to spot it—the giant black sphere sitting at the far end of the region, wreathed in purple energy. Peach drove steadily its way. 

Euden warned that the group would encounter a turning point, and he did not steer them wrong. Gradually the lush, abundant land turned barren, rocky, and eventually twisted. Briars and brambles sprouted from its paltry soul, and pools of lava welled to the surface in places. The terrain worsened, turning the already-bumped ride into a constant series of herky-jerky jockying. Cracks started appearing in the ground, crevices and ravines and canyons. Monster sightings became more frequent and their subjects more formidable, with a few errant attacks now and again. Keese flocks flew close, [url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/aliens/images/6/6f/600px-Mactera_grabber.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/340?cb=20190310140908]mactera[/url] drew near to lob globs of acid, a couple vicious [url=https://dragon-quest.org/images/5/50/DQ_Scorpion.png]scorpions[/url] leaped from passing cliffs, and a few [url=https://www.clipartkey.com/mpngs/m/21-211401_enter-the-guneon-bullet-enter-the-gungeon-bullet.png]bullet[/url] gangs appeared to take potshots. Nothing really to worry about. The [url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/oriandtheblindforest/images/2/21/Rhinobeetle.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/340?cb=20200303025340]rhino beetles[/url], however, were large and hard enough to cause a real jolt if they got beneath the truck's wheels, and they seemed nigh-impervious from the front. After a time Brother Grimm came to a large furrow with no bridge across and came to a stop.

The orb lay another couple miles out, across mountainous terrain. Euden eyed the canyon gravely. “The point of no return,” he affirmed. With one hand he pointed at the opposite side. “We can jump it, especially in this thing, but since it's lower on that side we can't get back up so easily.”

Peach thought about that. Then she put the Brother Grimm in reverse. “If Kamek supersized Bowser,” she said, rolling over an errant scorpion as she backed up. “And we got our fliers to help, I'm sure we could get it back across.” After reaching a suitable distance she put the monster truck in drive and floored it. The beast belched out flame as it thundered forward, moving closer and closer. “Hold on!” She yelled. A moment later Brother Grimm ramped off the canyon's lip, soared through the air, and landed on the opposite side.

It landed on its tires, but the impact was immense. The airbags deployed, keeping the princess's head in once piece, but anyone in the back who didn't hunker down could very well be thrown clear. Dust flew as Brother Grimm slid to a stop, a few bits and pieces bouncing off the dusty earth. Tora had bounced into the sky, but as always Poppi was ready to retrieve him. She caught her masterpon and landed by the truck just about as Peach, Euden, and any other in-cab passengers extracted themselves from the airbags. The far side of the canyon appeared to be a semicircular cliff, most of its edges walled off by stone, with only one zigzagging route forward for now. “W-well,” stammered the prince, more than a little shook. “That turned out pretty well, all things considered.

A few seconds passed before the walls and their tops started to bubble. Purple particles seeped from the ground, and from the wall-stains and dripping pools came a number of creatures. Smooth and purple, with bulbous clothing and red eyes, the [url=https://www.ssbwiki.com/images/thumb/c/cd/SPI-Primid.png/250px-SPI-Primid.png]Primids[/url] emerged in large numbers, many of them armed with various items, particularly medieval equipment. Alongside them came [url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/wii/images/6/6f/Brawlemissary_borboras-1-.jpg/revision/latest/top-crop/width/220/height/220?cb=20100509125510]Borboras[/url], [url=https://www.ssbwiki.com/images/thumb/1/18/Ticken.JPG/175px-Ticken.JPG]Tickens[/url], and [url=https://www.ssbwiki.com/images/0/06/SPI-Bytan.png]Bytan[/url]. [url=https://www.ssbwiki.com/images/thumb/d/d4/Feyesh.JPG/250px-Feyesh.JPG]Feyesh[/url] and [url=https://www.ssbwiki.com/images/thumb/f/fa/Armight.JPG/250px-Armight.JPG]Armights[/url] took to the sky. 

Tora's eyes just about bugged out. “Mehmehmehmeh! This needlessly large welcome party!” Poppi handed him the Mech Arms, and not a moment too soon. The first Primid let loose with its [url=https://wiki.teamfortress.com/w/images/thumb/3/36/Loose_Cannon.png/250px-Loose_Cannon.png]cannon[/url], firing an explosive ball at Brother Grimm that Tora jumped to block, and the party summarily got started.