Meissa opened her mouth to respond, but cut herself off when Jata craned its neck in front of her face. She calmly rotated it so that it was no longer doing so, which got a surprised chirp from the snake spirit.
"It's more that the things I was doing out here weren't enjoyable. We were dealing with rather dangerous creatures. Oh, but I got to ride a horse for the first time since waking up here. That was pretty enjoyable."
As she talked, Meissa kept her attention on their surroundings. The black road had taken them into the forest now, so deer could pop up at any moment, but she was more on edge about oni encounters. Just talking about them had gotten her thinking back to the last encounter she'd had with them, and how she might not still be in one piece if it weren't for her squadmates and the lad they'd found. She was so preoccupied, in fact, that she walked right past a group of trees that looked like they had their bark worn away, the red grasstops mashed down into the mud in what looked to be deer hoofprints.
Clothing: Reinforced Clothing (D-Rank, Scale 5/5), Weather Clothing (includes a white cloak) Weaponry: Senbon x30 (in a bundle on her belt, below her backpack) Backpack:
Bedroll (tied to the bottom of the backpack, blocking sight of the senbon from behind) Spool of steel wire (28 meters; clipped to the side of the backpack) Loop of steel wire (2 meters; wrapped around one wrist)
Jenni Deer
Royal Taorito
Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2021 6:40 pm
Ergo War
Jenni Deer
No sooner had Meissa noticed the trail that a deer sprang out of the undergrowth toward them, narrowly missing the pair as it frantically skirted around them before disappearing into the bushes on the opposite side. Given it ran toward them rather than away suggested something spooked it. In the direction it came from, the steady sound of clanking metal could be heard, as well as inhuman chittering in a language neither would recognize. If one looked close enough, they would spot a pair of glowing orange orbs, the glint of metal armor, and weapons, but details were hard to make out.
[Sorry for the wait. Giving you guys a chance to react before they notice you.]
When the deer burst through the trees, Meissa was at first surprised, but that quickly changed to mild panic. She ducked behind a tree and motioned for Lorelei to get back. Something had spooked the deer, and whatever it was likely wasn't friendly. Whatever was coming seemed to be armed and armored and communicating fervently in a language she didn't recognize. That probably meant oni, but could also mean those insects that had visited Ikeinasu. Of the two, she was leaning toward the former.
Her mind was racing through all the tools they had at their disposal. Lorelei was specialized in close combat. Meissa was a ranged mage, and not a very sturdy one. She was confident she could take out at least one, but as soon as she was seen, she'd be in danger. Jata would be good for support, but as far as she knew, didn't bring much in terms of firepower. That meant stealth was her best option for now. Maybe her only one.
In one smooth motion, she released mana from her feet to silence her footsteps and anchor her feet against the tree she was hiding behind. Holding her cloak tight so it didn't billow, she climbed the tree silently, eventually settling on a sturdy branch several feet up. Using a combination of her own blindsight and Jata's spiritual senses she monitored the incoming creatures, hoping they would pass by without noticing her or Lorelei.
Clothing: Reinforced Clothing (D-Rank, Scale 5/5), Weather Clothing (includes a white cloak) Weaponry: Senbon x30 (in a bundle on her belt, below her backpack) Backpack:
Bedroll (tied to the bottom of the backpack, blocking sight of the senbon from behind) Spool of steel wire (28 meters; clipped to the side of the backpack) Loop of steel wire (2 meters; wrapped around one wrist)
Jenni Deer
Royal Taorito
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2021 7:02 pm
Jenni Deer
❂ 𝔏𝔬𝔯𝔢𝔩𝔢𝔦 ❂
|↣|▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ • ✫ • ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬|↢|
Quote:
Lorelei focus changed as a deer sprang out and she was ready to get it... but something was wrong. Deers would avoid humans if they could and it disappeared into the bushes on the other side? It might have been a while since the young female hunted but she remembered clearly, wild animals avoid humans. Meissa reacted hastily and nodded as she stepped back silently, careful not to make any sounds. Meissa was fast at work to hide but Lorelei knew better, if she dared to try to do the same thing, her armor would be a dead giveaway. Instead, away from the deer's trail in case whatever the beings were after the deer, she didn't want to be in the path so she too, hide, her body pressed up against the tree, her footsteps quiet as she had the spear close to her and the shield over her abs. Her breathing was quiet and focused. Eyelids closed so she can listen for footsteps. She wouldn't dare to peek over, that would increase the chances of being caught.
|↣|▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ • ✫ • ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬|↢|
Athlete l Water l Wind l 200/200 Mana l 350/350 Stamina
The footsteps and voices grew louder as the creatures approached. Two of them were smaller, goblinoid creatures with wooden masks hiding their faces. Or maybe the masks were their faces. This pair were the ones jabbering to each other. The third yokai shambling behind them was human height, and wore a full set of badly rusted ō-yoroi armor covering every inch of its body. It was this one that the glowing eyes came from, behind an oni mask. All three bore heavily worn, chipped weapons. For the time being they hadn't seemed to notice the duo hiding nearby and continued on their patrol.
[Unless you engage, the encounter is over. You each get 50 exp for quick thinking.]
Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2021 1:28 pm
Meissa clung to her tree, watching as the oni passed by. They looked like a samurai and its entourage. Appropriate, considering where they were. Their equipment seemed very worn, which gave her some confidence that she and Lorelei would be able to handle them if needed, but she wasn't going to push it. They were lucky enough that they'd gone unnoticed.
Wow, they smelled terrible! Jata thought at its master. The snake's smoky tongue licked the air as it craned its head in the direction the oni had come from. Meissa was tempted to respond, but opted instead to watch in the direction the oni had headed to make sure they weren't coming back.
After a few moments, a rustling from the underbrush on the other side of the path broke the quiet of the cold afternoon air. Did the noise bring meat or enemies?
Clothing: Reinforced Clothing (D-Rank, Scale 5/5), Weather Clothing (includes a white cloak) Weaponry: Senbon x30 (in a bundle on her belt, below her backpack) Backpack:
Bedroll (tied to the bottom of the backpack, blocking sight of the senbon from behind) Spool of steel wire (28 meters; clipped to the side of the backpack) Loop of steel wire (2 meters; wrapped around one wrist)
Jenni Deer
Ergo War
Enduring Guildsman
Offline
Jenni Deer
Dangerous Lunatic
Offline
Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 7:59 pm
❂ 𝔏𝔬𝔯𝔢𝔩𝔢𝔦 ❂
|↣|▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ • ✫ • ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬|↢|
Quote:
'Slow breaths,' Lorelei reminded herself. Quiet and slow inhale through the nose and even slower exhale. Her diaphragm was barely moving as she was controlling it. Her grip on the staff was loose but firm and ready. She can hear the talking.. if that was talking? And the fading of it. She didn't dare to move even when the noises seemed to fade away. The bush rustled so the warrior remained at her place. She figured with Meissa up in the tree, she could be the one to let Lorelei know if everything was clear.
|↣|▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ • ✫ • ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬|↢|
Athlete l Water l Wind l 200/200 Mana l 350/350 Stamina
Ergo War
Ergo War rolled 1 4-sided dice:
3Total: 3 (1-4)
Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2021 11:29 am
Out from the foliage across the way shot a red-brown blur. Well, less "shot" and more "pranced". The deer that had fled the oni before seemed to have circled back around after getting spooked again. It was breathing heavily as it came to a stop in the middle of the path, some five or so meters away from where Lorelei was hiding. A short time later, two more joined it, forming a small gathering as they all caught their breath. None of them had antlers, but they were all big enough to be adults.
Meissa took note of where the deer were and where Lorelei was hiding, then scanned their surroundings with Jata's spiritual senses. It seemed the oni who had just passed weren't coming back, nor were more of them coming soon as far as she could tell. Slowly, she raised one of her arms toward the group of deer, held her hand out so that it looked like one of them was in her palm, then whispered: "Jata, lay a snare on that one."
Jata bobbed its head. The shadows underneath the deer she'd indicated seemed to rise up and cover its hooves. Without waiting to see if the spell had fully worked, Meissa turned her attention to a second deer and repeated the process, leaving the one closest to Lorelei free.
"Closest one is free, others are held," Meissa called down to her companion, keeping her voice loud enough to be heard without shouting. The deer trio's ears perked up when she spoke, but they didn't bolt. Two of them were held in place by Jata's spiritual bonds, and the third either wasn't alarmed enough or didn't want to leave the other two.
Clothing: Reinforced Clothing (D-Rank, Scale 5/5), Weather Clothing (includes a white cloak) Weaponry: Senbon x30 (in a bundle on her belt, below her backpack) Backpack:
Bedroll (tied to the bottom of the backpack, blocking sight of the senbon from behind) Spool of steel wire (28 meters; clipped to the side of the backpack) Loop of steel wire (2 meters; wrapped around one wrist)
Jenni Deer
Ergo War
Enduring Guildsman
Offline
Ergo War
Enduring Guildsman
Offline
Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2021 9:26 am
((Puppeting Lorelei with permission.))
When Lorelei moved in to deal with the closest deer, all three started to panic. The two Meissa had ensnared were held in place, but soon their panic began to overcome their bonds. One broke free and began to bolt, but she managed to ensnare it again before it got too far. She could feel the other one slipping free though. It was only a matter of time before their dinner got away.
Meissa grimaced and pulled the wire off of her arm. With the few seconds she had before the other deer broke free, she wove a simple cat's cradle and pointed it at the beast's legs. She intoned a few noises that sounded almost like words, and just as the creature broke free, a barrage of magical slashes tore through its legs. It crumpled to the ground with a pained wail.
Lorelei, meanwhile, had managed to take care of the deer that had been free and now came over to finish off the downed one. There was only one deer remaining.
Clothing: Reinforced Clothing (D-Rank, Scale 5/5), Weather Clothing (includes a white cloak) Weaponry: Senbon x30 (in a bundle on her belt, below her backpack) Backpack:
Bedroll (tied to the bottom of the backpack, blocking sight of the senbon from behind) Spool of steel wire (28 meters; clipped to the side of the backpack) Loop of steel wire (2 meters; wrapped around one wrist)
Ergo War rolled 1 4-sided dice:
1Total: 1 (1-4)
Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2021 9:30 am
((Puppeting Lorelei with permission.))
Two deer down, one to go. The last deer slipped free of its bonds once again and sprinted full-bore at Meissa and Lorelei in a complete panic. Trying to remain level-headed, Meissa tried to ensnare it again, but only succeeded in making it stumble. Luckily, Lorelei managed to catch the creature and wrestle it to the ground. Meissa sliced the beast's feet off as she had the other's, at which point Lorelei finished it off.
That was three deer. A good haul, for certain. Now they just had to haul the meat back. Hopefully there wouldn't be any more interruptions. After jury-rigging a small transport sled using some wood and bark they found nearby, Meissa sent Lorelei back to Ikeinasu with their catch and stayed behind to investigate the area a bit further. Maybe she could uncover something about the oni patrols, she reasoned.
Clothing: Reinforced Clothing (D-Rank, Scale 5/5), Weather Clothing (includes a white cloak) Weaponry: Senbon x30 (in a bundle on her belt, below her backpack) Backpack:
Bedroll (tied to the bottom of the backpack, blocking sight of the senbon from behind) Spool of steel wire (28 meters; clipped to the side of the backpack) Loop of steel wire (2 meters; wrapped around one wrist)
Royal Taorito
Ergo War
Enduring Guildsman
Offline
Ergo War
Enduring Guildsman
Offline
Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2021 4:37 pm
((Skipping encounter with Tao's permission.))
The first thing to do was figuring out where the oni from earlier had come from. Meissa retraced her steps until she came across the tree she'd hidden in earlier, then looked around for the oni's footprints. She eventually managed to sniff out their location with some help from Jata's spiritual senses, at which point she sent a few beads of her mana into them. Two sets of smaller prints, one larger set, matching the group that had passed them by earlier.
She thought back to that trio and realized the two smaller ones had been wearing the same sort of mask Servus had had when she'd run into him with Kaileer, Zuu, and Kira. She now had a better grasp of what sort of creatures the oni were. Superficial though it was, she wasn't going to complain about getting more information.
They didn't look particularly friendly, but their armor-wearing comrade looked considerably less so. Judging by the state of their armor and weaponry, she guessed they probably weren't forging their own equipment, but that wasn't much consolation when they already knew how to equip themselves. It meant Ikeinasu would have to be careful not to leave any equipment lying about.
"This stuff's rank! Why're we getting so close to it?" Jata complained, turning its head upside down to look at Meissa. It had wrapped its serpentine body around her shoulders on the way back and seemed rather comfortable there.
"Trying to figure out whatever we can before we head back. They head off this way, yes?" She stepped off the road and followed the prints a few meters into the trees. She planted a few more beads into the prints out there, hoping the softer ground would yield something of interest.
"Sure do! Fun stuff, fun stuff. Not to be a downer, but, uh, you need me for anything? Want me to go? Should I hang out?"
She thought for a moment.
"Stick around at least until I'm back in the city, if you don't mind. You've been a fantastic help, I hope you know. Things could have been a lot worse if you weren't here."
Clothing: Reinforced Clothing (D-Rank, Scale 5/5), Weather Clothing (includes a white cloak) Weaponry: Senbon x30 (in a bundle on her belt, below her backpack) Backpack:
Bedroll (tied to the bottom of the backpack, blocking sight of the senbon from behind) Spool of steel wire (28 meters; clipped to the side of the backpack) Loop of steel wire (2 meters; wrapped around one wrist)
Ergo War rolled 1 4-sided dice:
2Total: 2 (1-4)
Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2021 4:47 pm
Meissa could feel Jata's boredom begin to rise. Her previous spirit, Nok, had been rather comfortable with just following her around and seeing her day-to-day activities, but its replacement was a bit more restless. Quietly, she retrieved the marbles she'd placed in the oni tracks and started heading back to the road, resolving to head back to the city so that she could release Jata. On her way, she gathered a few fallen branches and some smaller sticks. By the time she got back to the road, an armful of the stuff was tucked snugly against the crook of her arm.
Clothing: Reinforced Clothing (D-Rank, Scale 5/5), Weather Clothing (includes a white cloak) Weaponry: Senbon x30 (in a bundle on her belt, below her backpack) Backpack:
Bedroll (tied to the bottom of the backpack, blocking sight of the senbon from behind) Spool of steel wire (28 meters; clipped to the side of the backpack) Loop of steel wire (2 meters; wrapped around one wrist)
Ergo War
Enduring Guildsman
Offline
Ergo War
Enduring Guildsman
Offline
Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2021 4:51 pm
The coast was clear. She double-checked with Jata's spiritual senses, then again with her own. Once she was sure there weren't any patrols about to burst through the underbrush, Meissa stepped back out onto the road and headed back toward Ikeinasu. Jata slithered down her arm and wrapped itself around the bundle of wood she was carrying. It observed the mass curiously for a moment, then got bored and went back to looking around aimlessly.
Clothing: Reinforced Clothing (D-Rank, Scale 5/5), Weather Clothing (includes a white cloak) Weaponry: Senbon x30 (in a bundle on her belt, below her backpack) Backpack:
Bedroll (tied to the bottom of the backpack, blocking sight of the senbon from behind) Spool of steel wire (28 meters; clipped to the side of the backpack) Loop of steel wire (2 meters; wrapped around one wrist)
Ergo War rolled 1 8-sided dice:
5Total: 5 (1-8)
Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2022 12:43 pm
The way down from Ikeinasu was lonely. Thick gray clouds had smothered the sun, leaving the forest awash in a dim light that held no warmth. Wind whipped around the rocks and dragged at Meissa's cloak, forcing her to hold it shut lest it be ripped from her completely. Even the forest provided her no respite, for as soon as she was out of the wind, she had to contend with the sounds it made as it washed over the trees. Rustling, groaning, and snapping, the sounds of the forest breathing in the gale.
The young woman stuck to the path for now. From what she could remember of the area, the quickest way to get to where she was going would be to take the road south, then head west-southwest once she found the creek she'd seen from Ikeinasu. She wanted to make as much progress as possible before needing to stop and warm up. Oni would be the least of her problems if the cold got to her.
Current Goal: Plodding onward toward the southwest.
Notes: 1d8 dice roll yields an oni encounter on a roll of 1 or 2 (equivalent to rolling a 1 on 1d4), or an encounter with a Fade-possessed animal on 3.
Canto (Steel, C, love): Inhabiting a rough wooden bird totem. Appears as a palm-sized bird with very angular features and feathers that have a distinct metallic sheen.
Clothing: Reinforced Clothing (D-Rank, Scale 5/5), Weather Clothing (includes a white cloak) Weaponry: Senbon x30 (in a bundle on her belt, below her backpack) Backpack:
Bedroll (tied to the bottom of the backpack, blocking sight of the senbon from behind) Spool of steel wire (28 meters; clipped to the side of the backpack) Loop of steel wire (2 meters; wrapped around one wrist)
Ergo War
Enduring Guildsman
Offline
Ergo War
Enduring Guildsman
Offline
Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2022 11:05 am
The wind was proving to be a problem. The trees groaned as they swayed, masking the sounds of creatures in the forest. Meissa was fine with not running into animals; she had plenty of rations and could survive just fine without food for a while. Being caught unawares by a squad of oni was much worse. She had seen just how quickly they could move, and this time she couldn't hope for help from a squad or salvation from the dubiously helpful Servus. She had already encountered a few sets of oni tracks, some fresher than others. Judging by their spacing, she was cutting it dangerously close to one of their patrol routes.
Canto, she thought at the spirit hiding in her backpack, her words carried by the bead of mana she had embedded into it.
It perked up. No full words came back her way, but she got a sense of expectation from its end of the link. Words weren't its strong suit, evidently. Though it looked like a bird now, its original form had been closer to that of a hare; if it were a lesser animal spirit, that would explain how taciturn it was compared to the others she'd dealt with.
I'm going to take a break. Can you keep watch for any suspicious movement?
The little spirit agreed. She felt its sensory range extend, though it remained a small fraction of what she'd had with Nok. That wasn't a slight against it; Canto was doing a good job keeping watch even if it wasn't nearly as powerful as her other spirits had been.
Meissa took a swig of water from her waterskin and observed her surroundings. The wilderness out here was strangely foreboding. Red grass, blue-green trees, and white snow would make for a striking landscape in the sunlight, but the drab lighting had muted the colors. Such a waste.
Her break over, the young lady thanked her spiritual companion and headed off the beaten path toward a creek. This was the first of the landmarks she'd picked out.
Current Goal: Wandering off the beaten path.
Notes: 1d8 dice roll every 2 posts yields an oni encounter on a roll of 1 or 2 (equivalent to rolling a 1 on 1d4), or an encounter with a Fade-possessed animal on 3.
Canto (Steel, C, love): Inhabiting a rough wooden bird totem. Appears as a palm-sized bird with very angular features and feathers that have a distinct metallic sheen.
Clothing: Reinforced Clothing (D-Rank, Scale 5/5), Weather Clothing (includes a white cloak) Weaponry: Senbon x30 (in a bundle on her belt, below her backpack) Backpack:
Bedroll (tied to the bottom of the backpack, blocking sight of the senbon from behind) Spool of steel wire (28 meters; clipped to the side of the backpack) Loop of steel wire (2 meters; wrapped around one wrist)
