Samdragonx

An offering you cannot refuse

Kod, the headless, took notice of the travelers for more than their skulls.
"So... You are travelers? Escorts and traders... What makes you think you can just wander through here without paying tribute to the king of these lands? Tribute to king Kod!" The sound seemed to come from the creatures nearby rather than from the biggest of the creatures.

He gestured his hand up. The darkness now seemed to isolate Kod, the caravan and the road from the rest of the world. The many corpses now also laid in the deep shade. When Kod turned his hand back towards him, he noticed a few strange children among the band of merchants and soldiers. The creatures that had hunted and offered to Kod now rose to the skies again.

Kor engaged the large creature in conversation:
"Eehh.. yes. We ..eh.. we came to say hi and pay tribute before we move on. I think there's little we could really offer you, though."

Merl yelled from the cart: "Don't say that! You've got plenty to offer!"

It had become clear that Merl had no idea what exactly either of the gentlemen were talking about but wanted to try and contribute somehow.

Kod would listen to what the others still had to ask or say, even if his patience was already running low.

"Does anyone else feel like talk unanounced or uninvited?!"

Felnor rose his hand. Sargom followed by example.

"Well then, you are in luck! Step forward and do your say!"
The rest of the travelers stood in shock and awe as the creature seemed to speak from all directions, though his body moved not and showed no signs of energy or sentience.

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The 4 hour lecture ended for the young student with the teacher send him out angrily.
“In the hive structure, various species have adapted themselves perfectly to befit their area of expertise.”
“Eh… sir? Actually, are you certain they are not clones from a mold?“
The professor was infuriated.
“Fires, psychology and stones are what make the fundaments of this class, young man! There’s no place for alternative magics of any sort. “
Kogens sighed. “I guess there’s no point in fighting the hivemind of this class.”
The professor sighed. “You know the way to the headmasters office. Might I suggest you bring him a cup of tea as you go there?”
Kogens rolled his eyes. He cared little for the professor.
Kogens gathered his belongings. He knew the way to the headmasters office all too well.
“Out the door, turn left, keep walking down the hall, reach the reception area, get the coffee, turn left again, keep walking till you reach the stairs and go to the top floor. There’s only one door there, so you can’t miss it.“
He chanted silently as he performed all of the mandatory formalities that would not prevent him from getting suspended, again. It didn’t help much that he was the best of his class because he always managed to only pass the very last and hardest of hardened science tests.

The old man frowned. “It seems you have been to metallurgy class again. What did you suggest this time?” The man was in his late 40’s. The grey in his hair accentuated his expressively wrinkled features. His frown was not something Kogens could be intimidated by. With a smile on his face Kogens replied: “I just brought you some coffee. I also.. may have suggested that hive-creatures are clones.”
The headmaster laughed. It had become a longstanding joke. The headmaster would act like he gave him a tough time. But Kogens enjoyed the time out of class. The headmaster mentioned how there was no way Kogens would ever graduate because he was simply ahead of his time. Today, Kogens was presented with a different opportunity.
“The military. You would enter as a late-time engineer. After a few days of meet and greet you’ll be sent to R&D. At least this way you don’t spend your time slogging away at some salty professors desk.”
Kogens pointed to the headmaster. “Yeeaah, now we’re talking! Had been looking for something more interesting.”
The headmaster raised an eyebrow.
“Just remember to keep your head down these last few days. The academy might support your decision making, but if that teacher gets you suspended one more time, you’re done for. So go out there and don’t you show your face around here again!”
The door slammed. “Finally free.” Kogens said to himself. He made his way to his dorm and opened his diary. “Finally, I knew this day would come!” The young man scribbled away at his notes for hours to come.

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@owly

Drops notes and is set back 16 weeks worth of work (xD)

D&D 5e - Lost Mine of Phandelver

BAR
Bar felt not only ecstatic by the potion he had consumed. He felt confident in all of his abilities. When the food is fine, the glory of minions are enough and the skulls are plenty, there's only one thing left to keep this Barbarian occupied. He began to pay attention to the more refined shapes of fairer sex of the party. Seeing as he had no ale, no idea of what harpers are and was upset by Cas' inability to choose a gender, he decided that by elimination there was only one female remaining that might stand the test of strength.
Of course, this helpless romantic could not just follow the simple cycle of request and reject he had been exposed to so very often in his life.

Once he arrived at a cave with a little stream, his first action would be placing his axe in the stream. Walking one feet up stream and take off his loincloth. Having revealed his full nudity, the washing of his body in the cold stream would commence. Firstly, being seated on his knees, he washed his shortcut black hair. After rubbing off part of the skin on that part of his body, indicating that it was well overdue, he would focus on his more muscular exterior. Singing a gentle "lalala" as blood, intestines and 2 poisonous darts had ended up in the little stream Bar would wash his chest, abdomen and his arms.
Next, he would be seated in the stream, rubbing his legs and tickling himself between his toes. Finally, he was certain to fully rub, scratch and wash the remainder of his body before standing up.
The barbarian raised his arms, stretching himself in full length. Being fully washed and exposed, the half orc proceeded to clean out one of the goblin skulls and soak his loincloth.
Using anything he could find, he'd try and turn the goblin skull into a codpiece. After all, if he let the female know he was interested, it might spook her. And it was quite hard to hide his excitement when wearing so little distractive clothing, especially now that the loincloth he did wear was all wet. He retrieved his axe and made his way back to the rest of the group.

Having cleaned his most prized possessions and himself, Bar would, as reluctant as kind in expression, ask Kiki( @JBRam2002 ) to consider his desire to respect her freedom and ask if she would freely reposition herself with him to the break in the treeline(2). Being certain he would be rejected in his request, the brute would not wait long for an answer. A few moments later, he walked towards the opening in the treeline. One step at a time, Bar remained at at least one rapiers distance from his currently most desired goal.

Tech details

Bar moves from (1) to the lower end of the stream near (1) and back. Then proceeds to move towards the entranceof (2).

Monster Musume: Everyday life with Monsters.

@PaulHaynek

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Nick's House:

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"So uhh, would you mind telling me about your home? You know, since I'll be telling you all about my home after we're done."

Nick

The first thing Dolly touched upon was the milk. “Hmm.. this food is so tasty!!! Especially the milk. Did you make this? Hmm.. I didn’t realize small boobs could give that much milk… ” She finished her glass.
When she looked at the plate. She smiled. A 40 cm tongue left her mouth, reaching the plate and emptying it in a matter of seconds. The thick throbbing muscle mass dripped on the table.
“Sluuuuuurrp.”
She stretched her arms up. In doing so, she was sticking out her chest. Raising and lowering her shoulders one by one, a snapping sound was made.

“Ahh..” She lowered her hands.

“Well, my home is not quite like this one. Who worked on these? Where did you get the hardened dirt? Oh.. wait.. hehe… you guys don’t use spit on your houses.“ She pulled an angry face with closed eyes, indicating how stupid she felt.
“I’m sorry.. my home.. it was just very messy.. we didn’t know we were treated badly.. but… “ she looked down. “Eh.. do you mind if we look around the house? ”

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Hey Owly, it's going to take me at least one more day to get my post ready.. >.<

My apologies.. :c

An offering you cannot refuse

Seeing one of their compatriots shot down so easily, the creatures rallied. In what seemed to be an older accent they chanted as though they possessed but one mind: "Release the corruption of Kod!" The creatures spread their arms, each now holding a mixture of lightning and fire in a spherical shape with after-images.

As the valley filled itself with a grim-dark smoke, seeing the floor became a luxury. A few seconds later, the corruption engulfed the creatures. The 4th cart was struck with a cone of this destructive power. The fine woods in it were now woven in thorns. Metal bits became hot and spit everywhere. One of those engulfed in the darkness of the floor was spotted by the creatures. He barely dodged the flying metals. Being hit in his arm, he could barely hold up his shield anymore. A slightly bigger one among the various creatures flew in on him. The little buckler withstood the grapple of the creature. To be hit by the hot metal was not adviced, to be hit by the corruption, however, was a death sentence. The man shriveled. With a head bowed down in disbelief the 12 year old turned to coal and sulfer.

From the mountaintop there was a red glow filling the sky, reflecting the horrors of what would happen to the travelers here. A single black shard now soaring high above the descending darkness. A large pair of wings erupted from the shard. As did 4 pairs of arms and claws.
The creature was well over 11 feet tall and shaped exactly like the mold of which the others are kin. His armor reflected the darkness. The flame he bore in one hand seemed to be more intense. It's flame flickered with more layers, it's lightning bursted with a lower frequency.

The other creatures took down their heads and presented them as offerings. Offerings they couldn't refuse.

@Skrubsetsu

Felnor looked back at his sister to find an ungracefull son of kodar seated in physical contact with her. If it was not this dire a situation, he would express his anger more openly. In stead he got out and started to carry the cart further. Straying away from the path to pass the 4th one, broken down in ruin.

Kor whispered to his little lover: "Why don't you let me handle this, ok?"
He stood up from his cart and made his way past her brother. He lept off the cart and walked towards the big, scary and probably powerfull creature. "Hey there, Kod is it, sir?"
Kor had a way with words. Though this one time, they really didn't seem to be without at least a little bit of tremble. Even blindly he would be able to find his way through any fog. Including the dark and corrupting ones.

Merl saw her lover jump into the dark, yelled: "nooo!" She pointed her attention to the one dragging the cart: "Brother, we cannot abandon our friends and lovers like this." Her brother had not the time to respond. The dark creatures had surrounded the cart. One of them leaned in to take the head of the brother. Merl did the only obvious thing her inexperienced mind could think of. Yelling dramatically: "Nooo!!"

One unseen swift strike later, rider and mount were seperated. The creature fell into the dark.

Sargom bowed her head once at the siblings. She continued swordfighting against the darkened creatures. Her style might have been lacking (as her mother used to say) but the fierce nature of her strikes made various cuts into the vast numbers of creatures haunting this caravan. Where the corruption ran deep, her eyes shined bright. Felling the foes left and right, only to have her run and hide. She would find shelter near the broken carts from the waves upon waves of corruption send her way.
Surely, her parents trained her well in the arts of swordfighting in various ways. It was really her own perceptive nature to figure out not to be touched by the corruption. And ultimately, her vision was not impared in darkness since the day she was born, even if it made her dreamy, sleepy and uncoordinated.

As soon as the sky turned red, the fighting seemed to end. And any hope for a quick getaway without facing Kod seemed gone.

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Right, i'll work on that and post it in IC. :)

private

Nono, it's fine. ;)

So.. you also wanted me to respond? Because chances are i might not entirely be certain what to do with the few Fae here...(Though i am curious... )

private

That's a great start. Would you like me to do respond to it or are we going to craft this into something we want to put into the IC?