[h2]Forest > Orc Camp[/h2] [hr][@ERode][hr] [quote=SYSTEM:Esfir] Obtained: Skewered Tatzelwurm, Partially Frozen Harpy Ingested New Substance: [Pimpleshroom] Mycellium Lash Observed and Destroyed New Hazard: Pimpleshroom Colony Observed and Killed New Creatures: Tatzelwurm, Harpy Crafted Items Gathered New Resources: Chalcopyrite Ore, Mycellium Lash, Jackalope Antlers [...] LEVEL UP! Level 2 > Level 3! Choose ONE:[list][*]Increase HP [*]Increase SP [*]Gain 1 Skill Rank [*]Gain New Empty Skill Slot[/list][/quote] Esfir's trip back to the Orc Camp was mostly uneventful, as she was passing through territory that she'd already explored and there were signs of other Runts, like that big group she'd been part of before, running around as well. By this point many prey-level monsters had probably wizened up and decided to give the camp's surroundings a wide berth. But upon reaching the camp's entrance, she was suddenly stopped by the broad palms of the two guards. "Runts can't come back til they finish the---" one of them started to say, as if following a script, but then he stopped and looked at Esfir with fresh, surprised eyes. "Damn, another one with two? And they're the same monsters? What're the fuggin' chances?!" But then, the guard noticed the tiny flakes of ice that hadn't yet melted off the harpy's chilled corpse. "Wait, how'd you..." "Quit wastin' time, our shift's almost done!" said the other guard. "Get in there, Runt! Go to Auguz!" The bigger creature slapped Esfir on the back and ushered her down the camp thoroughfare. When Esfir re-entered the camp proper, it wasn't hard to find the Head Warrior. He stood on a small platform right in the middle of the thoroughfare, made from a couple of barrels that propped up a few planks of wood. The hastily put together dais seemed to be solely for the purpose of making him stand out, as none of the other orcs seemed to be paying him much mind and he wasn't waving his arms or shouting or anything. "Another one! Good!" said the Head Warrior as he hopped down. He took Esfir's kills from her without asking or even making any gesture for them to be handed over. Then he lifted them close to his face and examined them with a long, drawn out hum. He looked at the Tatzelwurm, first with both eyes, then just his right as the left high squinted closed. Then he sniffed it, up and down the Tatzelwurm's length. Then he opened its mouth and peered inside, humming as he pressed his thumb into the hole made by her spear. Then he turned the creature upside down and licked it somewhere that didn't seem sanitary. Following this, he held the Harpy up by its feet, and looked honestly surprised. Then he noted the ice flakes all over its wings, and glanced at Esfir with narrowed eyes. But after a moment, he shrugged, and turned the body this way and that. He tossed the Tatzelwurm back to Esfir, then shoved his entire fist down the harpy's throat as if searching for something. After an unsettling moment of watching the bird-creature's stomach bulge, the Head Warrior removed his hand and wiped it on his chest. Then he used that same hand to grab Esfir's arm and hold it up in the air. "ALL O' YOUSE, LISTEN UP! THIS HERE RUNT--" he turned his head and whispered "What's yer name?" and then upon receiving answer he turned back to the camp--"THIS HERE RUNT, ESFIR, HAS RETURNED FROM THE HUNT!" He then set the smaller orc down, and turned in a slow circle so that the entire camp could see the bodies of Esfir's prey. "SHE HAS HUNTED TWO CREATURES! TODAY, SHE LEAVES DA BROOD PIT!" Several of the adult orcs cheered or pumped their fists, and many more gave the youngster an approving half-smile or a nod of respect. A few even looked contemplative, as if they were quite impressed. Auguz returned Esfir's kills to her. "Now, for the rest o' the day ya can do whatever the hell ya feel like...but tomorrer mornin', you be at the Trainin' Circle before first light! And after that, we'll figure out some more duties for ya!" Auguz crossed his arms as he nodded. "But no more babyin'! Don't be goin' back to the Brood Pit---from now on, you find yer own food, yer own shelter, and whatever else! If somebody will trade ya for it, or ya take it in a fight, then more power to ya! Just be willin' to work if somebody's willin' t' give ya somethin' for it!" With that, the Head Warrior hopped back up on the dais. [quote=SYSTEM:Esfir] [b]QUEST COMPLETED![/b] Quest: Find Something to Eat and Bring it Back Whole[list][*][s]Kill a Creature[/s] x2 [*][s]Keep the Target in High Quality Condition[/s] [Partially Frozen] [*][s]Return to Camp Uninjured[/s][/list] [b]A New Quest is Available:[/b] Quest Giver: Head Warrior Auguz Quest Details: Fulfill Duties within the Tribe (1/2 Minimum)[list][*]Be at the Training Circle before sunrise tomorrow morning [*][s]Find your own food (3/3 meals provided for)[/s] [Elwet, Tatzelwurm, Harpy] [*]Find your own shelter [*]Accept an optional Quest from another Tribe Member[/list][/quote] [hr][hr] [h2]Orc Camp[/h2] [hr][@King Cosmos][hr] "'Ey, where ya goin' little BAAAAY-BEEEE!?" came Builge's call as Akeno turned on her heel. "Doncha wanna tell us 'bout yer big hunt?! Huh? Hey!" She could hear them laughing behind her, but it didn't seem like any of them were going to pursue. Although Builge sounded a little put off by the end--like most bullies, he probably wasn't pleased he couldn't get a reaction out of her. But, now she'd seen that cause of one set of rumors. [b]An orc was trying to build a farm,[/b] and either had problems getting the plants to grow, or a problem getting water regularly from a stopped up spring. What were the other two? Ah, something about [b]the blacksmith needing fuel for his forges, and better ore[/b]? And then...[b]missing orcs in a cave down south?[/b] [b]Aside from that, it seemed she'd just have to find other Orcs to talk to if she wanted to do her Quest's "optional" objectives.[/b] The major players like the [b]Shaman, Hunter, and Head Warrior[/b] were all that were left if she didn't want to get involved with the [b]big-shot warchief[/b], and she'd already picked up on the Blacksmith's needs...then again, maybe asking him directly could still bear some kind of fruit? As she continued through the camp, there came a roar from further away, back towards the main thoroughfare. [b]Apparently another one of the Runts had returned?[/b] [hr][hr] [h2]South Caves[/h2] [hr][@Kazemitsu][hr] "What, you think Orcs don't have their own forms of martial art? Big difference in fighting for survival and fighting for a trophy, pal." The dark runt chuckled as he held the torch aloft. But as the two began moving deeper into the tunnel, the jokes stopped and those orange eyes swept the tunnel cautiously. The unnamed orcling placed his looted dagger's antler handle between his teeth, and with his freed hand now slowly slid his Wooden Stick out of his loincloth's belt. Though it wasn't exactly sharp, he held it like a ready javelin thrower. Then they heard the scuttling above them. "You THOUGHT, em-efffeeeeeer!" yelled the Runt through a mouthful of antler as he held the torch higher and hurled his stick. [b]The giant spider[/b] above them drew back as the reflection of the flames glittered in all of its eyes, and recoiled again when the thrown stick cracked against its head point-first. [center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1094242197211185182/1188275027913740338/LG-cardart-Cavern_Spinner.png?ex=6599ee5b&is=6587795b&hm=82cf60f0c9fd8f91014ee06eea0ac8ae01238a91644da66c03d83241d844ada7&[/img][/center] It was hard to see whether it had done damage, but the spider frantically brushed it away from its face nonetheless. With its own ambush now turned on it, the dark runt allowed magic to crackle in his hand. "[Miasma Bolt]!" A lance of solidified shadow and smoke leaped at the spider's eyes, and it put one leg up in defense. The elemental magic made a much louder cracking sound and the monster started backing up into the darkness, dripping a thick blue fluid. The greasy haired orc spat the dagger back into his now-magicless hand, and shouted at Grunthor. "Did you see? It was already wounded, towards the back side! You hug that wall, I've got this one, we can corner it!" But just then, [b]a ball of sticky web the size of a softball[/b] came flying at them--! [hr][hr] [h2]Deep Forest[/h2] [hr][@ReusableSword][hr] As Agar stealthily crept away from the monster enjoying its meal, choosing discretion as the better part of valor, he soon disappeared into the brush once more. After a few minutes he came out in a very different space--the trees had thinned out for quite a ways, creating a large clearing that, somehow, remained mostly in shadow beneath a very few trees' extending, overlapping branches. In the center of the clearing where the sunlight actually fell all the way to earth, a few bushes had sprouted. Other than that, it was mostly loamy soil covered with a blanket of dried needles and a few other things...[list][*] 6 Fragments of a strange substance that seems like petrified wood. It looks like all 6 were once part of some long, singular object? [*] Red Cream Colony! (6 mushrooms) [*] The 2 bushes at the center are pointy, cone-shaped shrubs with deciduous leaves that curl in tight around the plant. Beneath the leaves are clusters of blue and green berries--the blue ones look ripe enough to be edible. [*] Turtleshell Mushrooms x2! [*] Two supernaturally large beetles with vicious looking mandibles.[/list] The two beetles didn't seem like they'd noticed Agar yet. They were moving towards the Red Cream colony, clicking their mouth parts like some kind of machine. As the Orc Runt observed, one of them fluttered its wings and produced a soft, bunsen-burner-blue glow in its abdomen for a moment. The Turtleshell mushrooms were in two different parts of this clearing, near two different "corners" of the circular area (if that made any sense) diagonally from those berry bushes at the center. He [i]might[/i] be able to get to both of them without rousing the beetles' suspicion, since the red creams were across the other way...but, then again, these were just bugs, right? Would he attempt to just squash them and freely harvest to his content?