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@Guy0fV4lor



“Perhaps.” Akala replied absentmindedly to Finnegan as he’d ask for supplies and the location of the Valtem. “The Goddess is known to meddle quite often…though I don’t want to be involved myself…” she’d yawn, stretching and dipping her toes into the water of the reflecting pool as she’d open the book. Oddly, Finn would note, its pages were empty aside from a few inked words on the first page.

“Mmhm, if you want bandages though, you’ll have to find Miss. Calra. She’s our resident doctor and healer. She’s a Chiralta Tycherta. She might be out in the church attending to some patients. You could probably get a spear from the hunters, or our blacksmith, a dwarf by the name of Asvar if he’s at his forge.” Akala rolled over onto her stomach, the book flopping idly next to her onto the ground.

“The Valtem are hiding out in the sea caves near the cliff where the Obelisk is…I think.” The languid priestess yawned again, though fell silent and seemed done with Finn if there was nothing else he needed from her.

On his way out, Finnegan briefly would meet with Achel and Enli, the elder though neither would keep him long aside from thanking him for his potential help as Achel went to clean up the catacombs from her mishap…after apparently getting a stern talking to from Enli. Tracking down Calra though, proved a bit more difficult. She wasn’t at the longhouse where he’d initially be directed if asked. Instead, he’d end up having to travel almost out of the village to run into the Chiralta.

And well, if he thought Achel was an oddity, the small woman with a lower body of a spider would prove quite the interesting sight. Regardless, she’d part with some bandages and a freshly made healing salve if he had need of it. A spear was a bit easier to track down. The hunters grumbled about it, but their apparently leader, a young man by the name of Akando would give him one without too much of a problem. What he didn’t expect though, was probably one of the hunters tagging along with him…As he’d make his way along the frozen coast, towards where the Valtem supposedly were, he’d find himself accompanied by a Huntress since she had been there when the Elf had tried to help deal with it herself.

“You don’t look very special.” The huntress spoke idly as they’d walk, not too far from the Obelisk or sea caves. “You sure you can handle those guys? They have this giant red sea creature with them that’s the size of a house.” That was odd. Finnegan would be vaguely aware of large species of Valtem acting as brood mothers and caregivers for the Valtem Young. Normally, they would never leave their homes deep beneath the seas.





@ERode



“...how do you get so…strong.” Maira crept out from where she had been hiding, asking Atzi a rather easy, pointed question as she’d put away her bow and arrows. “Are you sure you’re not part bear yourself?” The huntress questioned with a shake of her head. “Sure. I’ll go find the sphere won’t be long.” Letting Atzi do as she wished, Maira would scamper off again, though she’d make sure to keep herself in sight as she’d skirt around the edge of the lake.

The lake itself was a beautiful, tranquil clearing in the midst of the forest now that the bear had been taken care of. The crystal clear water gleamed in the light, the afternoon sun reflecting brilliantly off its surface as a number of lake fish could seen below, scared off by the noise from the scuffle.

On the opposite shore, a number of rocks had been piled up, what seemed to be old, carved stairs leading from the top, around a circular rock towards the water itself. It seemed this was where Maira was heading, having already made it to the stairs and was quickly climbing them, disappearing above the rocks.

However long Atzi spent cleaning herself and letting the bear bleed out, by the time she’d finish, Maira hadn’t returned.





@Click This@Crusader Lord



“We are not arresting you. We merely want to make sure you hold no ill will towards her majesty.” The ratmen said with a small growl that once more, would have probably been more intimidating on a larger person. “Words are easy to say, easy to break. Deceive. We will not let ourselves be deceived again by a vagrant such as you, not after the safety of our people came into question!” A heated squeak from their leader again as Nylah would now make her own plea. He’d turn towards the Mothraki, eyes narrowed beneath his helm, but seemingly relaxing a bit at her more agreeable demeanor. “One of you, at least, has sense.”

“Is something the matter here, gentlemen?” Another voice joined the ratmen, causing the Yaga that was standing nearby to frown, growling slightly before quickly fleeing the scene, though only far enough to remain out of sight of the Krysa. The voice in question, was of a particularly well dressed Krysa man, just a bit taller…well, no, he was no taller, but his hat was considerably taller than the rest of his fellows, being a tall, cylindrical shape and apparently quite fluffy looking and at least giving him two more feet of height so Lissa might feel like she was talking to a hat. He was dressed in otherwise red colored military garments.

“Merchants sir, they don’t want to come along quietly.”

“Hmm…I am General Gershel. I apologize for the gold welcome. We are merely on edge from the events that have happened recently. Allow me to give you a bit of a warmer welcome, traveler.” he’d hold out a hand, seemingly ready to give Lissa a friendly hand shake. “But I must insist you come with us for…discussion. You see, the life of one of our dear comrades was threatened recently and we must be cautious about who we trust.”





@crimson Paladin



A bold plan, perhaps, but it was likely one of the better ones he could make here. Just an innocent traveler, by himself. He was neither Oni or Kitsune, and had no relation to the merchant at all. As he’d sit to take out a drink, Ayumi would quickly join Novak curling up into a fuzzy ball next to him as his plans to overhear and swipe some documents from the rat lady would quickly bear fruit. Ayumi tilted her head to the side after a brief respite, then scampered off leaving Novak to overhear.

“I still don’t believe it.” One of the ratmen said. “The life of Sir Ozven threatened so blatantly. I can’t think of any reason she’d want to.”

“Quiet. You’ll upset Lady Marushka with such talk. Its not our place to question, soldier. Only follow orders. The fact is that it was threatened, and we have proof-”

A scream followed.

“Ah, Fox! That’s not food no stop that!” A few seconds later, Ayumi came barreling past Novak, a bunch of papers in her maw…shortly followed by the Krysa maiden, who’d end up tripping over Novak, and falling face first into the snow with her torso across his lap.

“Lady Marushka!”

“Damn that Vermin’s fast!”

“After it men! It made off with the Tsarita’s orders!”

Maruska was seemingly winded after having tripped over Novak.


Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by ERode
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Atzi grinned, giving her left arm a flex.

"Feeling jealous, Maira?" she winked. "Goes to show that you should've ate more cheese and veggies back when we were kiddos."

More serious matters put a bit of a damper on the otherwise beautiful situation though. Despite the threat that the larger critters created, the Sage's Lake really was a perfect place to relax in. Winter made it so that even the afternoon sun had no warmth in its rays, but the kaleidoscope of color cast by the reflection of light from the waters gave it a hue unmatched. It was beautiful enough, even, that Atzi scrubbed at her bloodstained skin with snow rather than water, unwilling to pollute the lake more than necessary. Perhaps, once all this was over and the village's short summer arrived, they could all go on a picnic here. Maira, Akando, Lazhira, Calra, Bolcha's boys, Nylah, heck, maybe even Vammy if she promised to behave herself, and Lissa, if that Raam stuck around long enough.

Sauces made from summer berries, goatmeat fattened from good grazing, maybe even a bottle of wine from Mie's stock. The village back on track, the forest's bounty rejuvenated, their days monotonous and content...

Atzi traced the scars on her body. Felt the burning ache of the arm she lost.

Those days weren't going to return. Those days, perhaps, had never come about to begin with. And the blood of the bear had tinged the Sage's Lake with a murky darkness, the fish flocking towards it in greedy schools.

She pulled it out, buried it in the deep snow, and picked up her studded club once more, her single-eyed gaze set on the ruins, the stone stairs that Maira had set out for and had not returned from. Breath escaped between clenched teeth in terse bursts. Paranoia made even the light of the afternoon noteworthy only for the length of the shadows cast.

The Storyteller held no direction for her, only an immature pity gracing the goddess's rounded mien.

So be it.

Atzi stalked off, following the footsteps of her friend.
Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by Guy0fV4lor
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@Rune_Alchemist

As Finnegan made his rounds of the village to gather what he needed, he couldn't help but notice the destruction wreaked by the blizzard. Though the central part of the village had seemingly held well, the same couldn't be said for the homes he glimpsed that sat closer to the edges...

Collapsed roofing, shattered windows, and doors frozen in place told all that need be known.

It made it all the more sickening that the Valtem would take full advantage of such tragedy.

The spear he'd borrowed was decently sturdy, and though he didn't entirely trust the salve provided by the spider-thing, it dulled the pain of his mangled palm well enough. Despite the Hunters' rather disgruntled reception, he'd even gained himself a helping hand for the task.

"No?" Finnegan replied to the huntress; regarding the woman with a raised brow as he stalled his march down the frigid coastline. "Well, a wise old man once told me that the measure of a man comes not from looks, words, nor even the size of his blade... Only by the deeds he enacts."

"Then he'd usually kick my ass." Finn chuckled after a dramatic pause, "But anyway-- you said there was a big one with them? That's odd... Only ones that big are broodmothers as far as I know, and they stay far from the front lines; typically raise the young ones for their entire pod."

Finnegan paused, rubbing his chin in thought as he lowered himself to a crouch. "Hmmm... No kidnappings... No dead... Only thing they've targeted is food... And a broodmother is with them..."

With a soft click of his tongue Finn rose to his feet, regarding his companion once more, "I'm no expert, and I'm only basing this off of what I've heard-- but I don't think we're dealing with a raid... Maybe something pushed the Valtem off their nesting grounds and forced the broodmother to hole up here with the young while their Hunters fight it off."

"Just guessing--" Finn continued, tracing the coast with the tip of his spear up to the distant cliffs, "The Broodmother probably has herself holed up in a cove small enough that she can block the entrance with her size to protect the young. We get in there and kill them all and that entire pod'll be living on stolen time unless they've got a second Broodmother... That said, much as I like the idea of killing off an entire pod of fish freaks-- there's no telling how big the revenge raid'll be when the Hunters return and find their nest torn to bits, and I doubt Dawn has the supplies or manpower to fight off something like that."

The Apostle sighed as he stretched his legs and back, "If I were closer to home it wouldn't be an issue but given the circumstances-- I think out best bet'll be to take some Broodlings hostage and try to force a deal... Still leaves the issue of getting into the Cove, and going through the seaside entrance would be suicide... But maybe......"

He looked back to the Huntress, "Know any caves around here that might connect to a place like that?"
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Dawn
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"An ore that moves..." Gideon spoke, allowing himself to 'taste' the concern in his mouth so that he could further process this strange phenomenon. The coming of the Elder Beast did not cause any strange shifts to the land below, that much is almost certain. This could not have been caused by any changes to the earth itself. Surely, if it was, there should be some remnants of any ores in the area. The best guess Gideon has is this is some sort of creature, one that he did not believe was in this area to begin with.

"It could be something called a Living Vein. Quite rare, tends to shy away from civilization." Gideon stated, to Raelzeth. Judging by her concern, this did not seem like a prank or jest. "If anything, this could be a matter worth investigating. Take me to where you had last spotted the ore. I'll try and collect samples, see if I can find a trail, myself."

Gideon took quick inventory of his equipment at hand, clutching his spear momentarily before letting go.

"A pickaxe or some similar sort of tool would also be prudent, especially if this seems to be a 'Living Vein.' I'm not entirely sure on how aggressive they are, but my spear might not make the best of tools against such a beast, assuming its hostile."
Hidden 1 yr ago 1 yr ago Post by Crusader Lord
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Nylah





From the Yaga woman's reaction, it seemed that the latest arrival to greet them was not someone she liked. And considering she'd been seemingly trying to give them hints from afar in that tree, that was...definitely something to take into account in the Mothraki's mind. Not to mention it was the aforementioned "General Gerschel" that the ratmen had wanted to take them to. Also something about 'not having ill will toward her majesty' and 'safety of their people' felt more than a small bit suspicious...but perhaps if they kept polite enough then they could manage to get out of this in one piece. Or at least maybe have a chance to escape if they got 'contained' somewhere, right? Something.

Yet the ratman was addressing Lissa, who had admittedly introduced herself as the de facto leader of their party of three to these Krysa, so Nylah did not speak up to cut in during this occasion. However, she did make a small elbow jab into Lissa's side whilst keeping up her more agreeable demeanor. Something she felt a traveling companion who was trying to convince her friends to chill out after a long trip would do. She hoped. She had presented herself as trying to talk sense into the other two, so it hopefully fell well in-line with those actions at the very least. Because if a battle came, they were outnumbered and there weren't any more allies conveniently hiding the woods. Plus more ratmen likely doing their thing deeper into the place.

Please. By the gods and goddesses, please have her compatriots be willing to play along.

If they could get inside then it at least got them a view of things. Plus if that woman was of any indication...perhaps the Yaga and Krysa were not getting along as splendidly as it had sounded prior from Haruno's account. Or, rather, there hadn't been enough information to really nail down things to that extent at least. Not that this confirmed anything either, but it wasn't 'nothing' at the very least. That much she felt for sure in the depths of her gut.

Would it have been better to try to sneak to Mie's camp? No idea. But they had the attention on them now, and to her mind they could perhaps try to make best use of the situation while they could.

@Rune_Alchemist@Click This

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Lissa


Lissa gave Nylah a stare and a glare as she started to babble on at the rat guardsmen. Oh, she was sure that the girl was being well-intentioned in an attempt to navigate the situation safely. Right now, she didn’t care. With the aggressive disposition of the guards, she couldn’t predict very many good things happening from being detained by them. Entering a potentially hostile place by yourself was one thing, being arrested in a definitely hostile place was another, the original plan be damned.

The ratman said they weren’t being arrested, but Lissa knew a hot steaming pile of bull when she saw one. The deal with ‘her majesty’ was intriguing, though, but that was something to ponder when she was not being harassed by short little men. She loved talking and interacting with people, but not like this. His words were hardly conciliatory, either. “A vagrant!? Well, I never!”

Lissa was about to leave, dragging Eirhild and Nylah with her and fighting through the guards when another Krysa man joined the ‘conversation.’ He wore quite a peculiar hat, and if anything, he seemed to be a bit more amicable. Their little observer, however, didn’t seem to like the man, which was a bit of a contrast to his friendly tone…

“Perhaps, but I see no reason to detain every traveler that passes by your settlement just for the virtues of a witchhunt.”
Her side was jabbed by Nylah, telling her to be careful no doubt, but she continued on, hedging on his friendlier tone. “If you’d like to have a discussion, please forgive me for asking that we have it here out in the open, rather than someplace enclosed. You would not insist otherwise were our positions swapped, I’m sure.”
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Novak

Novak listened behind the tree to the rat-folk converse. In particular, they made mention of someone's life being threatened, someone with a title. Was this the reason why they were hostile to Mie, because they believed she threatened the life of an important Krysa, or an unrelated matter? He managed to catch the name of the woman- Marushka- and the very relevant tidbit of information that they had proof of this aforementioned threat.

Before he could overhear anything else, Ayumi finally made her move. Novak remained behind the tree, not actually watching it play out, but he was quite amused and satisfied at the fox's understanding of his words. One of the reasons the fox was such a valuable asset to Mie was that it was easy to assume she was just a wild animal looking for food. He had a little concern that she wouldn't get hurt, though- the Krysa, after all, were famed marksmen.

Ayumi ran right by Novak, basket in its jaws. Evidently she had been successful in procuring it. The Krysa woman pursued, but tripped and fell over him. It wasn't the introduction he had anticipated, but he should be able to roll with this.

"Are you alright, my lady?" Novak asked as he sat there. "Are you hurt? You seem to be in distress- do you and your friends need any help?"

From what he had heard, the basket was carrying the Tsarita's orders. This was an interesting piece of information, and he was curious as to what these orders might be. His primary objective was still to find Haruno, but he knew that it was of vital importance to figure out what was going on that had compelled the Krysa to attack Mie's caravan. If he could endear himself to them, it'd make things all the easier.
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@Pyromania99








@Guy0fV4lor



“...you don’t sound fond of these things.” Soyala said with a small smile. “Can’t say I am either, considering what they’re doing.” She’d heft her spear over her shoulder, walking along the snowy, frozen shoreline towards the cliffs. Finn could already see numerous caves and small openings in the rocks, leading deep into the earth below. “Caves though, eh? We’re not really ones that come out here. Often Calra and that Moth apprentice of hers gather reagents from here.”

She’d shove her spear into the ground, leaning on it and humming quietly.

“If I can just point out a flaw in your logic though…” Soyala smirked. “If they’re protecting the young…then who's protecting the Broodmother and this supposed ‘pod’? Why would she leave the safety of this supposed cove of hers?” She picked up the spear and headed along the coast once more until they reached the rocky shoreline next to the cliff.

“Watch your step. Nothing usually lives here, but the waters freezing and it’ll be easy to get lost, especially if you end up taking a tumble deeper in some areas.”

The cave stretched inside the cliffs, and slowly started to lead down. A slow trickle of sea water flowed in too, rushing along the ground until it’d slowly drop off, forming a waterfall that crashed several dozens of feet below. A small path was able to be traversed with some difficulty, though he’d need to be careful.

“These caves connect all under the shoreline here. If there’s a large chamber enough for that thing to live in, they’ll be here.”





@ERode



Finding her way to Mira wasn’t as difficult as it seemed, and it was a lot less concerning. As Atzi would walk up the carved, old, stone stairs, where she’d reach the top of the old boulder. The sound of talking was heard before she saw anyone, but it’d soon become apparent who the owners of the voices belonged too. Maira, and what seemed to be an unknown old woman.

“Ah? Whats this, a second visitor?”

“Atzi, this…woman has taken the sphere! And she won’t give it back!”

“Finders keepers, you know how it goes heehee!” The old, haggard woman laughed with a slightly odd smile. Something about her tugged at Atzi’s mind, almost as if she was looking at someone who was familiar, but she couldn’t quite place the name of. In her hand, was a smooth, crystalline looking sphere. “Want it, you two? Then maybe entertain this old woman for a bit?”





@Click This@Crusader Lord



“Hmm…if our positions were swapped, hm?” The rat man lightly stroked the brim of his hat, peering at Lissa with a frown. “Perhaps its a…regional difference, human?” The rat glanced at the three travelers, slowly considering his own options it seemed. By now, a small crowd of Yaga had taken interest in the scene. “We have our orders. Any claiming to be merchants must be investigated by the BVM on suspicion of posing direct, domestic harm to our fair citizens.”

He’d straight posture.

“If that is objectionable to you, then you are free to leave.” He’d huff. “But be warned, if we find you in this village again you shall be held and…interrogated until we determine your true purpose here.” A few seconds of tense silence followed.

Seemed like they weren’t welcomed here after all.

“And what’s going on here, general?” A different Yaga this time would walk up to the group, shortly behind her followed the rough looking one that had been watching earlier. Upon seeing Lissa, her expression shifted to joy while she’d run over to the Raam, wrapping her arms around the merchant with a hug. “Oh goodness! The envoy is here! Sister, sister, bring her to my home immediately!”

“...I beg your pardon?”

“Stuff it, rat teeth.” The rougher looking Yaga snapped.

“Oh goodness, did we forget to tell you? An envoy from Rifelshka’s clergy was greeting us today! Did I forget to mention? Oh dear, silly me!”

“And why did she simply not inform of us this?”

“I’m sure you are aware, the ever so magnificent Goddess of the Underworld does not like attention like you are currently bringing to her. We were to greet her quietly without anyone knowing…but alas, if its come to this public display.”

“I simply insist we-”

“Gen~er~al~” She’d finally release Lissa from the hug, turning to the general. “Do you seek to anger the Goddess of the Underworld? The yaga do not, so if you insist on impeding our meeting…then we will be forced to act in accordance with appeasement rituals.”

“...We will be watching you, ‘merchant.” Unless stopped, he’d give orders to his men…and left the trio alone with the two Yaga. The smaller, younger yaga turned back towards Lissa with a smile.

“Well, good day I must be off. Sister quit ogling the hollow one!” And with that, she started to leave, without so much as any explanation.

"...you guys want to crash at my place for a bit?" The rougher looking one asked, giving the three a mildly sympathetic smile.





@crimson Paladin



“Bozhe, prosti, traveler…” The woman, Marushka laughed lightly as she’d slowly push herself off Novak, the Krysa men hurrying off after the vulpine thief that had run off with the basket and important documents. “Uhm, that is, I apologize. This is certainly not a way to greet someone.” She’d stand up, dusting off her dress and offering Novak a sheepish smile as she’d fix her disheveled hair.

“Net, I do not believe we need help…but thank you for the offer, traveler.” Her eyes briefly studied Novak before sighing and shaking her head. “In fact, would you mind if I sit here for a moment? I am Marushka, assistant administrator to the Byuro Vnutrennego Mira…erm, the Office of Internal Peace.” An organization Novak would be familiar with, at least from hearsay and the Oni if nothing else. A major organization in the Krysan city that was entirely focused on investigating crimes and dealing with…dissidents within the territories. Normally they handled more clandestine operations, not something like mobilizing the military forces.

Though, since both are technically in the palm of the Tsarita and ruling class, it perhaps wasn’t surprising. Still, what was one of their officers doing here? And one that seemed pretty high ranking, too?

“Are you familiar with that traveler?” She’d sit next to him anyways, sighing and offering him a kind smile as the sound of her comrades' shouts echoed in the small forest. “We handle affairs that pose an immediate non-militaristic threat to our people usually.” Despite her friendly demeanor, she wasn’t letting her guard down. Considering what she worked for, she was likely incredibly suspicious and was trying to gauge what he was doing here.



@Cu Chulainn



“Living…Vein?” Raelzeth blinked. “Wait, you mean, like an animal that has ores and stuff growing on it? Like a Vein of ore?” The small elfs lips slowly curled into a smile before she’d burst out into laughter. “What kinda dumb thing is that? Ahahah, dad’s gonna love it when I tell him that!” If anything, she was probably just happy she wasn’t being incompetent with her stone singing. “Its kinda far in the forest! This way!”

Raelzeth immediately bolted, not bothering to get a pickaxe or prepare anything else, likely much to the steel sages’ chagrin. Whenever he did decide to follow, Raelzeth would lead the Raam through the forest, over a few hills and fairly deep into the Kyr forest until they’d a patch of less dense trees.

It looked like something recently had disturbed the entire area, a number of boulders laid strewn about. Plants and even a tree had been overturned, and a small depression was in the ground as though something had once been buried there, though it didn’t seem like Raelzeth was aware of this.

“This is where I last found it.” She’d say, hopping up on one of the boulders. “Got any bright ideas?”


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For a moment, Atzi was relieved that all that happened was Maira getting caught up by an old woman.

Then, that relief turned to concern, about whether or not it was even a good idea to go for the 'hide the stone' plan if even an old lady in the woods could just come across it within the few days it had been since it was hidden.

And finally, as the hag laughed, Atzi's concern turned into suspicion. She seemed...familiar, somehow. Not in the same way that those cultists had. No, those speech patterns were wholly different. Instead, it was like seeing the physical habits and quirks of a friend reflected onto a total stranger. Disturbing indeed, but not entirely offensive. Who knew. Maybe this was Soyala's crazy grandma.

More importantly, however, since Maira didn't turn towards violence, Atzi wouldn't either. The dark-skinned woman loosened her grip on her club, and smiled. Just think of her as an annoying, childish elder, and this won't be so bad! "Sure, if that's what you'd like in return. I'm pretty strong, and that's pretty impressive, I'd say, but Maira here?" A bit of mischief sparkled in her eyes. "I heard her singing voice was to die for!"
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Lissa


A ’regional difference’? Well, the rat was certainly cheeky, at least. Lissa could almost respect that, if she wasn’t outraged on behalf of all merchants as well as being put in an exceptionally difficult spot. “And you’ll find that our true purpose here… was always to gather information for the road and to sell or trade our inventory.” She gave him a baleful stare, not helping the tense moment. She was about to turn and leave with Eirhild and Nylah, taking advantage of his ‘offer’ –still better than the previous guards, really—when she was suddenly hugged by a random Yaga girl.

“Abwah!?” She was taken aback by the sudden, unexpected affection, followed by what was a very amusing contrast of emotions as the second girl –was that the girl from before?—snapped at the general.

Lissa was quick to pick up on the out, though, and it took a snap second to decide to play along. “Well,” she began awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head, “it’s true. I’m not much for ostentatiousness either,” she explained, spreading out her arms and opening her palms wide in gesture. From there on, she just nodded along in approval at the girl’s antics, even if she privately questioned the duo’s motives.

“Well, we still do have real goods with us, so if you fancy some trinkets and jewelry, then you know where to find us.” Parting from the general with a half-cheeky offer of her own, with a glance at her companions, she followed after the Yaga, at least until the guards were out of earshot. The comment about being 'hollow' from the other girl, though... that was interesting, even if she didn't outwardly react to it. Well, if she knew... it wasn't the biggest secret.

“Eh, well, lacking better options, sure. Do you… mind explaining what that was all about, though? We appreciate that bit of help, though. Thanks.”
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Nylah





Talk about getting bailed out. Hard. Not that Lissa's surprise shock at the hug wasn't amusing either.

Yet as the ratmen left, it seemed the three of them would be fine for the moment being at least. At least. Seemed the Yaga and the Krysa truly were not on the best of terms in this situation either, at least in some capacity or another. Would that be helpful? Potentially. Or not. Truthu be told she had no idea of the Yaga's intent in saving them, whether it was a shallow jab at the ratmen or if it was something more. All she knew for sure was that she was glad they weren't being dragged off to some other place to be questioned or the like. Indeed, she'd noticed the glare and state Lissa had given her, a not very comfortable one to be sure, and after it had frankly felt more willing to go along with her and Eirhild to leave in this case if the matter was pressed any further. Then their saviors had arrived as quickly as anything, before the smaller one had then left after it all was said and done in what felt like the blink of an eye.

Taking in Lissa's glance, however, Nylah simply followed along with the others without another word. Not that, er, it would perhaps help anything at all to do so. In that vein she was content to just walk along and follow. But otherwise it was odd how the other one still with them, the same as had been in the tree, seemed to stare at Lissa though. Odder still was the smaller girl's exclamation both pointing it out more obviously and calling Lissa the 'hollow one'.

Eh?

"...you guys want to crash at my place for a bit?"
???


“Eh, well, lacking better options, sure. Do you… mind explaining what that was all about, though? We appreciate that bit of help, though. Thanks.”
Totally A Real Human


"I-I agree, especially as we've nowhere else to go. I also sincerely wish to thank you for the help you provided to us back there as well...though o-on that note..s-sorry about back there..."

She'd tried to do her best, or at least all she knew of how to try to cover for things. Fear of a potential sudden battle if they simply blew things off had come to mind, and, well, she'd acted on her instincts after that point. Even so it seemed she had been the only one to take such a route, it felt like, and whilst it had been frustrating on her end she could more than imagine it had been for the others from their perspective as well. And just imagining that was...somewhat anxiety inducing. Not as much as getting chased by a giant Chameleon on a stretcher made of light magic as it zoomed over the snow at top speeds, but still anxiety inducing.

Still, she didn't say anything else as of yet. Couldn't even meet the eyes of the others for the moment being at that. In her mind, it was better to listen to one of their saviors, especially if she answered Lissa's question about what happened back there as well.

As it were, that question happened to touch on something Nylah was growing ever more curious about by the moment.

The mention of the underworld goddess, Rifelshka it seemed, did pique Nylah's mind and curiosity most poignantly...epecially due to the effect the mention of 'appeasement rituals' seemed to visibly have on the situation. It had been enough to dismiss the ratmen altogether! It was palpable to her, almost, as if angering the Underworld Goddess somehow was a very bad idea. Not that angering any deities was probably ever a good idea ever, er, but in particular this seemed to be pretty notable. It also felt at least reminiscent of those back home not trying to anger the Kyrinth.

And beyond that, why was that other girl seemingly able to pop in as she did to assist? Was she tied to those mentioned 'appeasement rituals' or the like? Was she someone important here among the Yaga?

@Rune_Alchemist@Click This

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Novak

Novak recognized the rat-woman's organization. According to what he had heard from the Oni, it was an intelligence organization that investigated crimes and rooted out dissidents. This was simultaneously an opportune and extremely dangerous situation that Novak put himself in. They would know exactly why Mie and her caravan had received such an unwelcome welcome. They may even know what happened to Haruno and her group.

Whatever she's doing out here must be very, very important, if she is carrying orders straight from the Tsarita.

"Yes,, I have heard of your organization," Novak replied to her question. "Never crossed paths with them though, at least not to my knowledge."

Regarding the woman herself, she seemed pleasant on the surface and easy on the eyes, but given the organization she served, this Krysa was almost certainly quite dangerous. He didn't see a weapon on her, but suspected that her dress was concealing a dagger or some other hidden weapon. Even disregarding her presumed ability to fight, an intelligence officer like her would be quite good at gleaning information out of people through charm, through trickery, or possibly more forceful means as well. She was probably skilled at detecting lies or sensing if a story didn't add up, so Novak would need to be careful with what he said.

"As for myself, I am Novak, a traveler and sword-for-hire on my way to seek opportunities in Dawn," he introduced himself as he took another short swig from his flask. "I had just stopped here to briefly rest and have a drink before continuing when you came along."

If he was too eager to leave, she'd get suspicious. If he asked too many questions, that'd also rouse her suspicion. But what about the possibility of earning her trust or at least endeavoring to lessen her distrust?

"Unless, of course, there is anything I can do for you, to make up for my clumsiness getting in your way."
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Dawn
spelueuthing


The area that Raelzeth had brought Gideon to raised quite a few questions. A place pretty far off from the village made sense given their proclivities, although Gideon would be seldom to admit he was almost sure the gremlin was leading him on a while goose chase as some sort of prank. When they finally got to the sight in question, however, Gideon was thankfully reassured that the child was telling the truth.

Still, it disappearing is quite odd. He'll need to record his current surroundings to figure out where the iron vein even went to, let alone if they were dealing with a Living Vein in the first place.

Quickly, Gideon produced two empty vials. With the first, he collected dirt from the area of upheaval. In the second vial, he would work to finding a place seemingly untouched by the chaos that has a similar soil composition before filling that vial with dirt as well. Marking the first vial as the experimental vial and the second as the control, Gideon would quickly place both in Raelzeth's hands without explanation, searching through his wide collection of samples.

"How does your stonesinging work? Are you able to spot any minute differences between these two vials? Can you 'sing' out any apparent differences in either one? Is it capable of singling out particular minerals?" These questions and more were all asked by the Raam, many of which were pointed towards any peculiarities in Raelzeth's magic and if they could help in their investigation in any way. While doing so, he was trying to find one sample he had collected from soil where one Living Vein was confirmed to be sighted at.

Gideon's plans were to see if he could track the beast through any small changes to the soils, any sort of trail it would leave. Peculiar iron shavings, other sorts of changes to the geology that would pinpoint this creature's whereabouts. More importantly, Gideon was trying to see if he could identify just what they were looking for.

After all, if what they were tracking wasn't a Living Vein, it could be something much more dangerous if it had the power to pull an entire iron vein out from the ground.
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After making sure Lazhira was ok and also making sure that the deer god didn't execute her on sight the next time they met, Vammy went back home. She didn't figure any one in town would join her on this adventure. Hah, if only they knew the sweet irony that a demon was going to do her part in saving this town! Well, possibly do her part saving this town. It was possible that she was going to fail. She opened the door to her and Lazhira's house. Collect a couple of things maybe and Yuisa, her new branded servant. "Oi, you've not managed to run off somehow, have you Yuisa. Your cute butt, me and a workshop have a date." The demon said, "We can go make out and stuff on the way there too." The demon teased only half joking. "Need anything before we leave? Food? I can make you something before we leave if you're hungry."

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@Pyromania99

“I’ve been tied up this entire time.” Yuisa grunted. “Do I look like I could have escaped?” The former cultist struggled with the ropes, glaring at the demon though she didn’t make any overt hostile moves otherwise. Once the demon had sought to untie her, Yuisa go to her feet, glare not leaving her visage as she’d look down at her chest, grimacing at the sight of the demons seal seared on her flesh.

“...you’ll regret this, demon.” Yuisa hissed. “But I don’t have a choice for now, do I?”

“She’s cute when she’s angry, ahahah!” The demon cackled. “Well, do whatever you want to with her Vammy. We’ll have our fun with her later. Lets see what this so called god wanted us to get from this…prison or whatever.”

Now all she had to do was wait until night, like Iva had said. Yuisa spent the remaining time mostly glaring and scowling, not saying two words even if spoken too unless she had to answer. When it finally came time to depart, Yuisa followed Vammy out of the house, after putting on her robe and mask back on seemingly insistent on at least trying to be unseen by the rest of the villagers.

And so night fell, and the pair made their way to the obelisk. The cold wind blowing in from the sea wasn’t felt by the blood demon, and if Yuisa minded she said nothing as they came upon the old ruins of the Goddess Spear. The black, glassy stone obelisk pierced the night sky, and was positioned just right so that the first of the twin moons would rise behind it. She could feel a faint trace of magical energy coming from the obelisk, but it was old and distant, as though it was coming from elsewhere.

Well, for now they were alone and there didn’t seem to be anything odd here. Yuisa remained silent, though she was still glaring at Vammy.





@ERode



“I’m not singing!” Maira objected instantly.

“And I wouldn’t want her crone voice singing anyways!” The old woman replied, almost just as instantly, the fact she had just described her own voice was lost on her. “Nay, I would much rather play a game of some sort…hm, but what games do you young ones play these days? I certainly don’t know…hmm…”

“Atzi, you’re not helping.” Maira shot Atzi a glare, huffing. “I’m not playing a stupid game. Give it back already!”

“But its not even yours, thief! So its finders keepers now! Or maybe I should just run? Hm…you, big muscled oaf over there, lets make a wager.” A long, thin finger pointed towards Atzi. “There’s a shrine deeper in the forest! Old place, really old. About as old as the land itself, after all it was made by the land itself.” She’d cackle. “Whoever gets there first and retrieves the old deer ornament from it, gets this shiny thing!”

“...that’s a bad idea!” Maira narrowed her eyes. “...Atzi, I don’t like this woman. Something about her isn’t right…”

“Oh dearie me, me not being right? I’m not sure what you mean. I’m just a passing old woman, nothing more, nothing less.”





@Click This@Crusader Lord



“Well, thanks for the help indeed lass.” Eirhild said. She had been tensely holding her hand on her blade hilt through the entire encounter, and was only now relaxing as the group moved through the village, following the Yaga. “Never been this far north ‘fore. Can’t say its a friendly welcome.”

“Something has the Krysa spooked.” A brusque reply the Yaga ignored the snow starting to fall, leading the three towards a small house towards the middle of the village. “Someone trying to attack one of their wisemen or something? I dunno. They blame that merchant that travels through here around this time.” Assuming they followed her, the interior of the cabin was well built, with a number of ornate and decorative carpets hanging on the walls colored in reds, whites, and bright yellows. The Yaga moved to the firepit, warmth quickly crackling to life. Curiously, over the firepit on a shelf above it was what looked like a small shrine to a deity of some sort. A well made wooden fetish, in the shape of a serpent eating its tail.

“Jivka. My sister earlier is Jolča.” She’d lean against the wall near the fire pit, folding her scarred arms across her chest. “She’s still training to be our Elder’s successor, but she still has a lot of pull in the village.”

“That’s nice an’ all, but what was that whole bit about being Emissaries of the death Goddess?” Eirhild asked. “I barely know who that is and all.”

“Never been to these parts before, eh?” Jivka chuckled. “It was a lie, mostly. We know you’re not, but the Death Goddess is a not someone you want to anger. If they waylaid you any further…there was a good chance they might irritate her.” Her mouth curled into a frown. “Jolča says the best way to appease her is to…get rid of the problem. I’ll leave that to your imagination.”





@crimson Paladin



“Oh, Dawn? That little village to the south?” A friendly tone accompanied with a smile. “I’ve heard of that village. A pleasant place, I’ve been told by a number of traders that pass through here.” She’d remain sitting, glancing away from Novak and towards the snowfield that played out in front of them. Gray clouds were starting to move in overhead, signaling soon, snow would fall.

“A bit far for us to care for, though. We have our hands full keeping the yaga in line and dealing with dissidents these days. Styd, so much work these days….cant even have a good drink.” The Krysa officer eyed Novak’s flask with obvious interest. “I don’t suppose you’d let me have a swig, friend? I’m rather parched out here. The Tsarita has me running all over hunting a particular person of interest…well, less hunting and more figuring out how to deal with their refusal of cooperation.”

A simple request…but would he grant it? The shouts of the ratmen in the distance seemed to indicate they found their quarry and were in the process of recovering the basket and the documents.



@Cu Chulainn



Raelzeth watched as Gideon collected soil samples, briefly wondering if he was part mole or something as he’d place the dirt into glass vials. Who on earth had vials specifically for that? Thoughts about how weird that was, was quickly shoved out though as he’d place the samples in her hands and asked a slightly, in her opinion, stupid question.

“What, do you not know how Stone singing works either?” Raelzeth rolled her eyes. “Some smart guy you are. Watch a pro at work!” Raelzeth then took the first vial handed to her, opened it and proceeded to drop the samples into the palm of her hand.

“Aaaa~” Whatever Gideon would think of that would be unheard as the Shadow Elf inhaled, a began quite literally, singing. A high pitched tone as her voice echoed through the forest. The earth in her hands trembled slightly as the pitch lowered, Raelzeth closing her eyes as she seemed to focus on the task at hand. As the pitch lowered, the earth in her hands began to move, just slightly as loose grains of earth began shifting, climbing atop one another and sculpting themselves into a loose pillar.

With a wavering voice, Raelzeth’s singing flowed like water as the earth would move itself back into the vial seemingly of its own accord.

“Ugh, that’s tiring.” Raelzeth complained, huffing as she’d take the second one, and started to repeat the process she had done with the first. Her brow furrowed as some of the pieces of earth didn’t initially move. Little fragments of dull grey colored things. An adjustment in pitch. A slight staccato with abrupt and sudden changes. They too, would soon move.

“Whew…this one,” She’d say, once the soil had been collected back into the vial. “Small amounts of iron in it.” It was the sample from the area of upheaval. “More what’s in normal soil I think, but that’s where the Iron Vein I found was.”

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"Now that is rude," Atzi snapped back. "I'll have you know that Maira's voice is lovely!"

There was something odd though. Though she may be oafish and silly, Atzi wasn't completely unable to pick up cues. An old woman, who just happened to have found this 'key' at the same time that they arrived? And who maneuvered events towards something so out-of-place as a race to a shrine that Atzi had never even heard of? She let out a breath. Shrines in forgotten places. A nostalgic sort of thing indeed. And the ornament of a deer as well? If one thought of shrines with deers, if one thought of ancient places forged by the land itself, one Elder Beast came into mind.

Then again, since when did the deer god start playing tricks on young maidens?

"I'm good for a race then," she spoke, shooting a smile in Maira's direction. "So long as it's an actual footrace, alright? But if I'm racing, and you're racing...give that rock over to Maira for safekeeping, alright? It wouldn't do if I raced you, only to find that you ran away instead, lady."
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Novak

Novak hesitated at her request. Normally he'd have no trouble sharing a bit, but there was one considerable complication here- the contents of his canteen weren't exactly a local beverage. If this intelligence officer recognized the taste of sake, she might be able to deduct that Novak had been in contact with Lady Mie's group. He could fight, but he didn't like his chances of fighting four or five of the rat-folk at once, and the thought of being interrogated by the Office of Internal Peace didn't particularly appeal to him.

"I'd recommend against a drink," Novak replied after a pause, "Your work sounds like it's of the utmost importance, and I would not like to be held responsible for dulling the senses of a Krysa intelligence officer on a mission."

She might not believe his flimsy excuse, but being stingy with one's alcohol was hardly an expected sign of being an enemy of the state, right?

"Speaking of which, it is not my place to know the details of why your organization is hunting this person of interest," he continued, changing the subject, "But might you tell me what they look like, and just how dangerous they may be? I'd appreciate knowing what sort of danger might be lurking about as I hike through the snowfield."

It'd be helpful to know who this woman was looking for, especially if it might be Haruno or one of the Oni. Even if it wasn't, Novak wasn't lying when he asked to know about the dangers of the snowfield.

Up ahead, it looked like the Krysa soldiers were recovering their stolen stuff, which means that the Krysa procession would soon be resuming their patrol. Novak dearly hoped that Ayumi was unharmed- he couldn't bear the throught of the fox being hurt because of him.
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"Remarkable. So you weren't playing a jest on me after all." Gideon remarked as he watched Raelzeth at work. To be able to detect even the slightest trail of minerals in the dirt and differentiate them feom the rest proved to Gideon that the girl's stonesinging was something to keep an eye on. This stonesinging could indeed be a valuable asset for Gideon's further plans.

"And you're right. About the magic, I mean. I've found little use in studying it as it has little application to the Raam. After all, we don't-... " Gideon paused for a moment to collect his words. "... don't have any natural talent or proclivities in the mystic arts. Our kind is far more used to more practical matters. After all, to study such matters is why I began my quest in the first place."

Gideon took a moment to look at the site once more, being very careful not to step on any particularly loose dirt. He wondered if any trail would be detectable, if there were some sort of road to follow.

A road. A path. A sparkling sign to his intended destination.

A rarher peculiar idea then struck Gideon's mind.

"Perhaps we can find that ore you lost after all... So your singing, it can naturally draw out iron flakes from the soil, yes? Perhaps we can figure out the beast's trail through the use of your magic... Yes, yes. Prolonged singing would be tiring, but all we would need is a trail, signs of disturbances in the soil. We would be able to differentiate between the ore and any other larger creature in the vicinity."
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Lissa


“Mhm. Certainly not,” Lissa agreed with Eirhild, nodding at the shorter girl. “I’ve been to some pretty standoffish villages, but not someplace that’s overtly hostile to merchants, even if its an excuse. Usually places are just happy to see goods or news from outside, or if not, just seeking to take advantage.” She shrugged, listening in to what the Yaga girl had to say. It was an interesting explanation, but something sounded off… unless the Kyrsa really had fallen on a terrible excuse for a scapegoat.

“So let me get this straight… their incompetent guardsmen failed at finding the true perp of whatever crime their was, so they blame a random merchant that happens to use their village as a part of her route. Then, as a result of blaming a merchant, they blame all merchants? That’s… a really unique logical leap, if that’s what is really going on,” she mused, a frown on her face. “As I was thinking earlier, that’s a really good way to never receive visitors ever again, because words from merchants spread.

She returned the favor when the girl introduced herself. “I’m Lissa. I got the impression that was entirely an excuse, but successor’s daughter and all, I’m surprised you two stook your necks out for us. We appreciate it, though." Pausing for a moment, she continued on. “Considering what happened, though, is there anything going on here that we should know about…? Even if you don’t know much about the problem with the merchant, maybe you know somebody who does? It sounds concerning.”
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Vammy stood there for a minute in silence, wondering if anything was suppose to happen. She was a little intimidated at the time, but she didn't really remember the god say much more than "go there at this time". It was the right time wasn't it? The demon just scratched her head a small bit before looking over at Yuisa. "You know, that robe doesn't really show off how nice your body is. We should get you a new outfit that has a sexier look to it."

That was the best way to start a conversation. Attempting to get a small rise out of your conversational partner? Well, regardless, she walked closer to the obelisk looking it up and down. "Hmmm. Do we just wait or do we touch this thing? He didn't say not to touch it." So her hand reached out to the object to see what it felt like. "Oh yea, if I disappear after touching it, you'll join me right?" She said as her hand reached forward to touch.
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