[center][h2]The Forest[/h2][/center]
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[@Rune_Alchemist]
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Reviewing the memories of pre-"awakening," Sarvok would know there had to be some evidence of at least a semi-religious behavior among a group of creatures like the Orcs. They seemed, after all, to be roughly equivalent to primitive humans in their social norms, and all human cultures across Earth had come up with some kind of religion--usually some form of polytheism.

Deep within those memories, from a period of time before she could walk (which granted, had only been maybe a month ago), there had been...a festival? A ceremony? There had been a lot of bonfires, enough so that many of the babies in the Brood Pits had cried because the heat and the lights kept them from sleeping that night. The warchief had done some kind of dance with a costume of some kind. There was some kind of chant...something about a "Rogyam." 

Who, or what, was a Rogyam?

In any case, as she searched for materials, the Runt came across a particular patch of something that appeared to be no more than [b]scrubby grass[/b] at first. But the blades of grass were oddly twisted, like something had taken a curling iron to them. Then, at the brush's base, were several [b]hard, brown, conical growths[/b] that looked like woody drills of some kind. Even lower to the roots than these were other drill-like buds, [b]still green but quite hard[/b].

There was also a [b]blackened, twisted bush that had many seedpods hanging from it[/b]. The pods looked like the kind of thing uncouth men often bragged to their friends about before flushing it down...and smelled quite similarly. The [b]wood[/b] from the bush looked like it might break off easily, but the branches weren't straight enough, thick enough, or strong enough to make something like a club or spear. The [b]black leaves[/b], too, carried a foul odor.

But, as she searched for materials, Sarvok would hear a sudden rustling near a tree not too far away from her. A change in the wind seemed to prompt it, but at that moment she just happened to be in a position to catch the movement. When she looked, she found herself locking eyes with...another Orc Runt?

No.

Its limbs weren't quite so filled out, but its face and proportions looked more mature. Its ears were longer, its jawline weaker. It held a hatchet made from nothing more than a thick piece of wood and a sharp stone in one hand and a bag made from an animal pelt in the other. It wore a grass skirt and nothing else.

That had to be a [u][b]Goblin.[/b][/u]

[b]And as soon as it met Sarvok's eyes it turned and bolted![/b] It ran haphazardly, desperately, and thus made a great deal of noise as it crashed through the underbrush. It might be easy to follow, but she also felt instinctively confident that she could outrun it as well, and it was obviously afraid of a confrontation with her...
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[@Steel Legion][@Timemaster]
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As Kai and Carmina decided to join forces in their search for materials and prey, it wouldn't take long for them to scour the remains of the little campsite---whoever had been here must've left in a hurry.

And possibly not too long ago, judging from the state of the coals in the fire.

Kai came across a [b]short, leafy tree[/b] no higher than six or seven feet, but its trunk had many smaller branches that reached up to nine or ten feet. The [b]larger branches[/b], near the bottom or middle of the tree, had round [b]green nuts with thick, woody shells[/b]. If he had some way to cut off a branch or two, they looked like they'd make solid materials for clubs, spears, and so forth. He also saw a particular patch of something that appeared to be no more than [b]scrubby grass[/b] at first. But the blades of grass were oddly twisted, like something had taken a curling iron to them. Then, at the brush's base, were several [b]hard, brown, conical growths[/b] that looked like woody drills of some kind. Even lower to the roots than these were other drill-like buds, [b]still green but quite hard[/b]. 

Carmina passed by a [b]particular tree[/b] at the edge of the clearing didn’t stand out much from the others, save for one thing. A branch had been broken off its trunk at some point, and seemed to have further broken down into multiple pieces on the ground where it landed. But something about these fragments of wood caught her eye, and when she picked it up, she found it was more like a piece of [b]petrified wood[/b] than anything green or dried. Upon looking at the place where the wood had fallen off the original tree, she found that rather than splinters or peeling bark, the [b]place where the branch had broken was also slightly petrified[/b]…as if rather than growing new bark over the wound, the parent tree had instead been covered with a layer of rock. The rock also blended almost imperceptibly with the still-growing trunk, its bark the same beige and gray mix of colors and of a similar roughness to plain stone. There were some [b]fragments[/b] of the petrified branch left on the ground if she chose to gather them, but the tree had a [b]few branches[/b] within reach that she might try to chop off as well.

Carmina's nose wrinkled, too, as she also saw a [b]blackened, twisted bush that had many seedpods hanging from it[/b]. The pods looked like the kind of thing uncouth men often bragged to their friends about before flushing it down...and smelled quite similarly. The [b]wood[/b] from the bush looked like it might break off easily, but the branches weren't straight enough, thick enough, or strong enough to make something like a club or spear. The [b]black leaves[/b], too, carried a foul odor.

Once the two had decided to hunt something (Kai had an interest in the Jackalope, it seemed) and decided to use their unique abilities to team up, then all that was left to do with the materials they'd gathered and the tactics they'd come up with was to put it all to the test.

After leaving the camp, they didn't have to go far before they heard a new noise in the forest. It sounded like...something gurgling? Or a partially clogged sink drain. A careful peek through the bushes revealed not one, [b]but two creatures[/b]!

A flowering bush was crushed under a [u][b]blue, slimy creature[/b][/u] about the size of a large dodgeball. Its gelatinous form seemed to be sucking up the flowers, where they wilted and dissolved inside its body. But the creature also had two...eyespots?...of some kind, which were fixated on another creature eating another of the same type of flowers nearby. 

The l[u][b]arge bodied, brown and dappled-white rabbit[/b][/u] lifted its head, along with the [b]impressive rack of six-point antlers[/b] atop its skull. It looked at the Slime with a passive sort of focus---the other monster seemed like it might be in an aggressive mood, but the rabbit chewed calmly. It probably knew it was more than fast enough to dodge any attempt to attack by the slime, but wasn't going to take its eyes off a potential threat. One of its large ears flicked in Carmina and Kai's direction, but [b]it hadn't reacted to them yet[/b], if it had actually noticed them. Which it might not have, yet, if they were careful with their next move...
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[@ReusableSword]
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[quote=SYSTEM]
Skill Gain:
[b][Blunt Damage Resistance][/b] - Rank I - [i]Passive Resistance against Blunt Damage is increased. Blunt Damage at this rank includes force-trauma by relatively flat physical objects with non-sharpened edges, carrying kinetic momentum.[/i]
[/quote]
Agar's [b]Field Scan[/b] had the same effect as before, revealing two glowing, indeterminable blobs that he could easily see were the Tatzelwurm and the Harpy---although, aside from their general size, he wouldn't have been able to differentiate them if he weren't already looking directly at them. However, a [b]third signal[/b] responded to his scan. It was further away, towards the edge of the skill's range and getting less distinct. It seemed to be moving away from him at this moment, but at a leisurely pace. It was smaller than the harpy, but of a similar size to the Tatzelwurm.

Whatever it was, it didn't seem like a threat. And still, neither of the two monsters he was watching had noticed him---or if they had, they didn't react in a way that would reveal what they knew to him.

Then, so fast he almost missed it, the Tatzelwurm leaped! Fangs and claws bared, it came down on top of the Harpy from its tree branch! The winged monster didn't react until the Tatzelwurm's former perch rustled and shivered with the release of the snake-monster's weight---and that was almost a full half-second from the time the Tatzelwurm jumped.

The Harpy turned. The Tatzelwurm landed and sank its claws into the harpy's back, its fangs into the bird-like creature's shoulder! The harpy's wings unfurled and it leaped across the ground on those strange, spindly limbs, shaking its body madly the whole time. It let out an ear piercing screech, like a woman being stabbed or a baby screaming from some sudden pinch or discomfort.

The tatzelwurm let go with its fangs, but tried to move around on the harpy's body with its claws. Its tail wrapped around one of the monster's legs as it tried to get into position to bite the harpy's side. The winged beast took to the air---but it wasn't trying to fly away. Instead, it propelled itself backward into a tree, slamming its weight and the sturdy wood down on the tatzelwurm from both sides! The cat-snake let out a pained yowl, and its claws lost their purchase on the leathery hide. But its tail was still bound around one of the harpy's legs, and quick as a wink it lurched and lunged to try and get another rattlesnake-like bite at the harpy. 

The harpy raised one claw, which suddenly seemed to crackle with a red light from within. It [b]slashed[/b] at the tatzelwurm, deeply cutting into its snake-like body, and finally the predator was forced to let go. The tatzelwurm coiled itself together in front of the harpy, hissing loudly as it once again brandished its fangs and long, sharp nails. The harpy spread its wings wide and let out a loud, intimidating howl, this one sounding like an angry woman. 

[b]The bite on the harpy's shoulder had turned an odd purplish color[/b], even though it shouldn't have left much of a bruise...The two monsters remained squared off now, even though both of them could've made a run for it. Did that mean each one saw the other as nearly done for? Worth finishing off for the sake of a meal? Worth taking the damage they'd accumulated?

What mattered more, perhaps, was what this moment might mean for Agar...
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[h2][CENTER]North Caves[/CENTER][/h2]
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[CENTER][@Unkown58][@Lucius Cypher][@King Cosmos][@Kazemitsu][@Crusader Lord][/CENTER]
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[hider=AKENO][quote=SYSTEM:Akeno]
SP Increased! Stamina Points are expended when you exert physical effort beyond basal metabolic requirements, beyond the range of standard resting heart rate, and to fuel certain Skills. When Stamina Points are spent, you will suffer from the Exhausted condition.
[/quote][/HIDER]

[HIDER=LAZASH][quote=SYSTEM:Lazash]
MP Increased! Mental Points are expended when you manipulate and release Mana, when the ratio of cognitive load to stress hormone production rises above the basal rate, or when emotional and/or sensory information input surpasses processing ability. When Mental Points are spent, you will suffer from the Mental Breakdown condition.
[/quote][/HIDER]

[HIDER=GRUNTHOR][quote=SYSTEM:Grunthor]
HP Increased! Healing Points are expended when you are injured, and when you suffer infection, illness, or certain status effects. When Healing Points are spent, your body will not be able to tolerate further expenditures. If Healing Points experience a sudden, severe drop, you may enter the Shock condition. When Healing Points are fully expended, you will enter the Unconscious condition. Further damage taken while in the Unconscious condition is highly likely to cause [b][color=red]DEATH.[/color][/b]
[/quote][/HIDER]

[HIDER=GREN][quote=SYSTEM:Gren]
HP Increased! Healing Points are expended when you are injured, and when you suffer infection, illness, or certain status effects. When Healing Points are spent, your body will not be able to tolerate further expenditures. If Healing Points experience a sudden, severe drop, you may enter the Shock condition. When Healing Points are fully expended, you will enter the Unconscious condition. Further damage taken while in the Unconscious condition is highly likely to cause [b][color=red]DEATH.[/color][/b] 
[/quote][/HIDER]

[HIDER=VOLA][quote=SYSTEM:Vola]
MP Increased! Mental Points are expended when you manipulate and release Mana, when the ratio of cognitive load to stress hormone production rises above the basal rate, or when emotional and/or sensory information input surpasses processing ability. When Mental Points are spent, you will suffer from the Mental Breakdown condition.
[/quote][/HIDER]

Once the group of Runts had decided who would go into the cave and search for...whatever they could find, it didn't take long for the rest of their preparations. Then, with the daylight still full and strong, the first team took their first, tentative steps into the darkness...

A short climb would allow one to see over the lip of the ground and down into a slanted, slippery passage...but this open chamber of the cave was still somewhat cramped, and a much narrower passageway further into the depths sat at its back. At the entrance to that passageway, it seemed a clump of [b][url=https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1094242197211185182/1132390189650673694/182994611-purple-mushroom-icon.png]mushrooms[/url][/b] had taken root in the dank darkness.

As the runts explored further, however, a [b]sudden scuttling[/b] alerted them to movement on the roof of the cave above their heads! As they watched, something hidden in the dark moved towards the narrow open chamber, then creepy-crawled down just above the mushroom. [b]It looked like a gigantic beetle of some sort[/b]. It didn't make any aggressive gestures...

The moment was a lot like an experience most of the reincarnates could probably relate to: Right after you turn on the light, you see the cockroach scurry up the wall or along the floor. You both freeze as if aware of each other's presence. The cockroach's antennae twitch. In that same fashion, the beetle and the runts froze.

The beetle's back end twitched. There was a [b]blip of light[/b] in its thorax, like that of a lightning bug. Aside from this indicator, it looked like any [b]regular, solid black pine beetle[/b]...save for the fact that it was also [b]longer than a human man's arm and easily as big around as a watermelon.[/b]