ShwiggityShwah

A Guild Adventure: An RP with Monster Girls! (ENDED)

Hushabye@13org@PaulHaynek

He shrugged. "That works." Ozzy having again a pretty lax attitude when it comes to things like deception. If it caused the least amount of harm, he was more then willing to lie about it. And this time it helped the guild and protected Georgia so who was he to judge. "We can take her north towards the swamps. Plenty of game up there and away from everyone."

He turns, looking at her though, a soft smile. "A real shame though. She seems so intelligent. I bet with a little bit of work, she could learn our language. Maybe even become a member." He then sighed. "But that would be forcing a whole new lifestyle on a free spirit. That wouldn't be right." He did giggle. "She's still staring at you. She obviously has exquisite taste when it comes to pretty girls."

Feeling the repercussion of his little comment he answered her other question. "Oh, no reason. I just don't want to call her a creature. She's not an animal. She's a girl that lives in the woods and hunts and disturbs farms. But still a girl." He looked back to her, a grin. "Maybe she can pick her name. Hmmm... Let me think." He pointed to her, studying her expressions. "You need a name." He turned around, walking backwards. He pointed a finger to his chest. "Ozzy." Then to Haley. "Haley." Then to her. "Camilla? Rose? Ada? Violet?" He began naming off things, trying to stick to maybe flowers or colors. It was a fun little way to pass the time as they led her to a nicer place across the kingdom.

He stopped his naming to remind Haley. "You think she'd freak out of we had to fly her?"

Exalted: Fall of Creation

丂刀のW 丂ｱﾑ尺尺のW

Snow was on his hands and knees for a while though eventually he did look back towards the smoke and the death. So far away. He pulled himself up and simply watched the smoke and the fire for a moment. He let the sweat fall from his face, his body screaming from the exertion, but pain was replaced with sorrow. A profound sadness that seemed to hit him and hit him hard. He sat up to a kneeling position. He closed his eyes, he felt his eyes water as he watched the carnage, now so far, too close. A bit of wind picked up the stray hairs from his face.

He closed his eyes. The Immaculates had words for those who have died, and indeed even monks do. Snow had said it many times on the Threshold, and he would say it again for each of his friends, the people he helped, those that had life until something awful had taken them. "Let go of this life. A greater one awaits. May you walk with the Dragons." It felt like... a lie now.

He whispered other Immaculate prayers, before Cilia interrupted him. The woman had taken steps to ensure their survival. He tunnel visioned before, seeing her stumble, but now she is holding other things. She did all this with barely a word, her actions and her eyes speaking volumes. He eyed her, a tear on his cheek that he wiped away. He forced a soft smile to her which quickly faded. He was so selfish! He thought he would have nothing to offer, save hopeless useless words. He gave a quick check to her, legs, torso, then his companions, Axley was nearly collapsed, Fergus pulling himself together. He sighed relieved before taking the skin and returning with a warm reassurng smile, though there was no reason too. "Thank you Cilia. I'm happy you're with us. You're more a survivor then I am. We'll need your skills." The water was luke warm, but it might as well come down from a glacier for how it felt. He accepted the jerky and berries as well.

When Cilia shouted. "Cilia has the right way of things. We are now fighting for our lives. If we find something useful. Let's take it. We'll warn the living, and borrow from the dead." He stood up when Fergus did, though his body ached, his breath short. "Food, water, and when we cannot see smoke, shelter. And, horses, wagons. Anything that could let us rest on the move. Thankfully I have my salt, and I have a healing kit." He tried to offer. "Of course, lets not get hurt so we wont have to use it." The salt was for any ghosts that the enemy may employ. He forced himself to the group and then offered Axley a hand-

And just then, there was a bellow echoing in the distance, and three lights in the sky. Its hard to guess... its hard to see but through shielded eyes a mountain was moving... and not towards them. "They.... they're going the opposite way?" His kingdom for a spy glass. He wanted to know more but the moment the group walked, so would he.

A Guild Adventure: An RP with Monster Girls! (ENDED)

Im so sorry im making Ozzy super obnoxious =D

A Guild Adventure: An RP with Monster Girls! (ENDED)

Hushabye@13org@PaulHaynek

He behavior surprised him, though it didn't take long for him to realize what was happening. He pointed to his mouth and then she went off to get him food. He made a big brimming grin, excited even that she was willing to provide for him. A total stranger it meant that she wanted to be friends! "She displays a willingness to share resources. An understanding of nurturing others. A firm understanding of empathy and compassion. You're so sweet! You are adorable!" he said, his cheeks brimming with pink, super excited.

He took the dirty rotten husk of rabbit from her and gave it a look. He grinned nervously. It would be rude to not accept the gift. He found a not filthy part and put his mouth on it. His owl harpy side would have allowed him to eat it without getting too sick, but he kind of faked it, merely putting his mouth on it and wincing as he ripped a tiny piece, chewed and swallowed with a 'bleh' sound. He then smiled back at her with a nod. His hand reached up slowly and put a gentle hand on the top of her head. "Thank you." He offered the meat back to her before removing her hand.

Her attention went to Haley. "That's Haley. She nice too. Super nice." She asked her a pressing question and Ozzy asked back. "Can we keep her?" He said completely nonchalantly. "She'd probably eat the guild out of house and home, but the job said Identify her. I still have no idea her species." He tilited his head and looked up and down her body, professional, even though she was naked. "This would call for more research. Maybe we discovered a new species. She's a brand new, first of her kind. We can name her Georgia!"

"Maybe we could show them that she's friendly. I mean if-" He turned back to 'Georgia' "How about it, want to come with us?" He moved his hands towards him while walking backwards. If she didnt get it, he would take her hand and gently tug at it as they walked.

Exalted: Fall of Creation

丂刀のW 丂ｱﾑ尺尺のW

The rest of the scene was a blur. Snow was completely in a state of adrenaline after having dispatched the horror. The fact that they still moved despite sword slices, cracked skulls and other trauma. Of course they did. Just like on the threshold. The Realm had their methods for dealing with undead, but not people. Not civilians. This was an army raiding an unprotected village. The best, the very best he could hope for was staying alive with his three companions. He had to flee. Staying would mean a painful, ignoble death. Snow had to serve. It was his life. A deadman cant serve.

He felt his lungs explode, he felt his legs wobble, he felt the pains of past injuries and spasms. He always stopped to look back. He brought up the rear, he wouldnt let any of them out of his sight. If one fell back, he'd grab their arm, forcing them back. His words spurring them onward. Cillia and Axley, maybe it was a gentleman thing to do, but they were first. If a pursuer had an hour, let them pierce his back. Ferguson would be next. He'd take an arrow for him as well. The only man now who might be able to help them. Help the realm. He had connections. Snow had nothing now.

They stopped, all of them spent. It was wilderness where they were, looking back they could see the smoke and fire, and Snow could only look so long before he refused to look again. He fell to his knees, then his hands. He wanted to cry, he wanted to scream, his hands balled into fists. How useless he felt. He could only save three. That was pathetic to him. Was he a coward? His finger scratched the dirt as his sorrow went into smoldering fury, the fire in the pit of his stomach.

"Thats exactly where we need to go then." He concluded. "Even with the dead, a big army moves slowly. We can reach them, have them flee. Warn the interior. Let the Exalted know of what is coming." He looked to both of the women. "We have to. Even if we flee, find somewhere far, out of sight. If, If the dead take the Island, safety will be a thing of the past. Our fates will be sealed."

A Guild Adventure: An RP with Monster Girls! (ENDED)

Hushabye@13org@PaulHaynek

Fantastic, he's established contact.

She was now curiously approaching him. He had to trust his instincts, and her eyes looked at him with more interest then threat. If anything she was walking towards him. Good time to establish communications. "Wow, shes bipedal, and she keeps herself clean. She might be cultured. Can you speak?" He moved his hand out from his open mouth. "Speak? Hello? Hi? Ozzy? My name is-?" He tried to coax a response.

What happened next was exhilerating. Established touch. She went for his wing, giving off a surprised. "Oh uh yeah, thats my wing, see?" He flapped it a little, but then her fingers ran over his feathers which gave him a shudder. It was a weird sensation. "Okay, you can- bleh" Her long tail went to his mouth and she was looking into it. The exhileration became annoyance. He tried to reason with her, but she seemed to be more curious then polite.

"Haley? I'm being examined." He said when his mouth was allowed back. She seemed to study him bit by bit, and if she started going towards his legs, he'd reach out to try to keep her hands off of him, one enclosing around her own to stop it from trying to pick at his clothes or something. "Please mame. I know I'm interesting-" He stopped what he was saying when he inspected her right back, his other hand going over the back of her hand her claw, finger tips feeling over her knuckles and back. He was leaning in, admiring her skin. "That's a unique texture."

And it might devolve into a 'study off' with Ozzy managing to get his hands on her arm, his fingers trying to understand her musculature and whether she was more reptile or mammal. Or she might just bite him... He is too enthralled to see that as a possibility at the moment.

Exalted: Fall of Creation

丂刀のW 丂ｱﾑ尺尺のW

He was practically holding Cilia, an arm around the arm of Axley. He made sure they stayed behind Fergus. It might even be out of a desire and a need, a panic to do something, anything. As he ran though, his mind began to enter back into a state of awareness. Adrenaline was pumping through him, and then he remembered his training, his battles on the Threshold. It all came back to him, and how he had to harden his heart and focus on the task at hand.

They got sight of a woman. For a fleeting bleak instant, he saw the Solar that had saved his life so long ago. But this was a twisted reflection. The burning sword was all that was radiant about her. Everything else seemed of malice, cursed and black. The undead, those loathsome creatures against the natural order. He saw them as rotting corpses barely recognizable as human anymore with their weapons. No time to hide, they were noticed.

He released the women, his staff before him as he entered into the five dragon style stance, his front leg forward, back leg bend, the staff held across his body. He waited just a moment "Get behind me~!" He tried to shout but they came at once. Snow knew what to do against a blade, having fought them many a time in the past. He lashed out with his staff, aiming not for the person, but the hand itself. The strike would even if the monster couldnt feel pain, would disrupt their swing. He ducked underneath the swipe, and in a fluid motion, used his leg and staff to trip the creature off his feet, before jumping and spinning the staff raizing back and arching with a jump.

A THWACK hit the creature square in the face, his non existant nose pummeled to gravel, skull shattering against the stones. He took a moment to aid his companions, even as Ferguson edged them ever onward...

A Guild Adventure: An RP with Monster Girls! (ENDED)

Hushabye@13org@PaulHaynek

I eventually left home to travel the world 'cause... I don't know, find more about monsterkind, I guess?"

@PaulHaynek

Ozzy felt guilty having asked the question. "I didn't mean to pry." he hoped he could make it up to her with some follow ups, maybe get a look into her personality and psyche. Ortus would be a good indicator of who she was, maybe having grown up in alot of strife. It sounded like she wasn't untouched by that. It reminded him how lucky he was, growing up in the Aerie, the harpy clan having mingled successfully with the humans there. He could imagine she probably might have been picked on for her wings. He didn't want to bring it up.

He brightened when she said her reasons why. "You should have told me earlier." He beamed back. "Cultures and ecology are like my specialty. I have books on the stuff, and the people I've met on the way! An Imp in Whitewall is an acting minister for monster human marriages. A gremlin in Softbay runs her own factory." He smiled broadly. "Then there's the Demon Circus to get a sight of the Demon Kingdoms. You'd have a blast."

---

"Hey Ozzy, check this out."

@PaulHaynek

He hovered over her shoulder and looked at the tracks. A beastman from the paws, but there was soemthing very odd about them. "I'd say lizard man, but-" He pointed out the curvature of the claws. "The way it runs... it digs its claws in. Lizardmen are mostly upright. This has them leaning in and pushing off the ground." From his observations of body structures, this running is more seen in birds. They grip the ground when they run. "Posture must be really off, but its hard to tell." She suggested following them. He nodded. "Ill give you what I found out on the way." He flew, again, to avoid the traps.

He told her his facts and theories. Fast, carnivorous, ate livestock and a dog, but didn't attack the farmer, meaning its a predator but it rather not eat humans. This made sense, alot of carnivorous monsters were much the same. He also said it was by the river. He made sure Haley knew everything.

The corpses were the first thing they saw. Mostly eaten, and quite a few of them. He landed on a branch before checking it it was clear, comparing one bite to another. "Wow... things got teeth. Beastman... This might be a new species." He got excited.
"Hungry isn't she? Maybe she's trying to fatten up for winter." Speculation. "Lets not end up on the menu. If its smart enough to-"

CLANG

The sound echoed in the forest, the sound of a bear trap. He looked to Haley, and gave her a finger to his lip, the sign for quiet. He took to the skies again, finding another branch and taking out his little pocket spy glass. "Oh my gods..." He whispered when he saw it. The creature was... so bizarre! Tail longer than her own body, she ran like a bird, arms tucked in, but the body was sinuous like a lizard. The 'hair' on her head was almost like tendrils... "Ahh she's beautiful." She said, but that was more out of a marvel for the unknown then actual attractiveness. He passed the spy glass to Haley. "Look at that. She's so fast, and she knows how to spring the traps, and use them. She must have a super high metabolism. That must explain all the eating." Ozzy was in total nerd mode, and couldn't keep his beak shut.

Thats probably why she noticed them.

He made an 'oop' sound. He started into her red eyes, she stared into his golden ones.

He stayed stalk still, he whispered to Haley. "I think she's intelligent, and harmless... I hope. Stay here, if something goes wrong." He didn't give her an alternative plan, but she was safer than he would be. He stood up, and with a step flitted down with a couple of beats from his wings. He was on the ground, maybe ten, twenty yards away. He hoped she wouldn't see him as lunch. Another, larger chicken.

He immediately smiled, raised his hands, took a gulp and spoke to the creature. "Hi there!" He said, a little squawk in his words but he tried to sound pleasant, cordial. "Hello, my name is Ozzy. I'm not going to hurt you. Just wanted to talk. Maybe be a friend! You're so- unique. You might be a natural wonder. Truly extraordinary." He just gabbed not even sure if she understood him.

A Guild Adventure: An RP with Monster Girls! (ENDED)

Hushabye@13org@PaulHaynek

"I can understand that." Relatable, getting your stuff eaten wasn't something he'd want happen to him, most of all a pet. The man recognized him as a Guildie, but he got the idea that he was expecting well... more. Harpies were always small in stature, and young looking. He was technically an adult but he's mistaken for a kid all the time. "Completely understandable sir." He said forcing a smile. "I get that all the time, but I am part of the Guild sir and currently on the case." He saluted, to atleast show a bit of enthusiasm, though it cemented the whole kid opinion.

It seemed like the thing was definitely a sore spot, and Ozzy used his wits and eyes to size him up and the scene. The man seemed uninjured, and was close enough to see its teeth. He couldn't run fast enough if the creature could catch a dog... so maybe it wasn't inherently hostile to humanoids. Maybe it just hunted smaller quarries... or the dog got it defending the chickens. It did seem like a mess.

He nodded to the description and the warning. All of the intel, spoken and noted were actually pretty good news. He was hoping this wasn't going to be too dangerous. He had to consider Haley too. "Thanks for the tip and the heads up. Sounds like a some kind of beastkin, maybe an albino. We'll take care of it." He puffed out his chest and smacked it with his fist. He hoped he can get to the poor beast before it lands in those traps.

He then looked back, hoping to find Haley. "Heads up Haley, that gentleman over there set up traps." Good thing they can fly.

Exalted: Fall of Creation

丂刀のW 丂ｱﾑ尺尺のW

Axley could get scary when she was angry. He could already tell that she was utterly miffed. But her willingness to help was what he did this for. People helping people. Its the only way Creation will survive this madness it had become. He sighed happily, "Next pheasant that gets donated has your name written on it. With you and the offered money, we could atleast get a roof over everyone's head."

Cilia put her physical stature to work, already going in and saving what was arguably the most valuable items in all the church. The books themselves were all designed for teaching, through fiction and non fiction about the Blessed Isle, and Creation beyond. It was a wonderful thing to read to the children that called the church home. Give them visions and dreams of travel and wonder. Cilia returned and he nodded. "Good call." He told her, though noticed her other items. He knew those knives. That was an interesting day. He hated weapons but now... "No telling if the next place will be completely safe. Hope we don't need them."

Fergus responded to his suggestion. "Old foundries and a lot of soot... Not exactly the cleanest area." He tried to sound civil, but he was still disappointed. The next statement did have Sparrow stroking his chin. "The university?" He hadn't considered that. He listened intently, though his actions had slowed, as if to give Fergus the lead. "I think... I think this just might work."

People helping people... All will be well.

How wrong he was.

---

He stopped when something became amiss. His smile faded as he closed his eyes, to listen. He heard a rumbling... he heard a cry. He knew that sound. That was a sound of battle. He heard that sound on the Threshold. It brought back chilling awful memories. Then the explosions, the load gutteral moan that sent shelling through the sky, wisps into the air. The ex-monk had seen horrors but these should be miles, thousands of miles away.

It was a Holocaust.

He undid his backpack, ready to free himself to run. "Run. Run get yourselves out of th-" Then three shells, they landed near, too near... "No..." His eyes went wide as the world seemed to slow. One of those... things. It hit the church. The silver wisps it wrung through the windows, out the door, a poor man vanishing into dust as the essence cascaded over him. Snow stood stunned. Tears filled his sapphire eyes, his hand fell over his mouth. His heart and soul died. He knew instantly, not a man woman or child in his home survived...

Fergus snapped him out of it as he looked back. They could see it in his eyes. Snow never cried. This jolly man. This happy hopeful man. It was a look of utter anguish.

A shame he couldn't just die there... No. He was spared. The dragons spared him. He looked at the others.
Three people. He could save at least these three. He slung his pack over his shoulder and his legs moved, his arms outstretched to help Cilia, Axley, turn and run. He'd try to save others... if he could. They were priority.