BEO's FUN FUN INTRO

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Wed Jun 27, 2012 11:20 pm

Yeah, that rings a bell regarding a lack of food for Hissssa, Raixel. Ssssil would hope to perhaps scrounge up something or help Hissssa hunt when he realises his mistake.

Ssssil moves aside from Nihss when he hears about the scent of the same thing in the lizar's blood, despite the assurances of Kass and Thessan's mate regarding how unlikely it is anything will spring from the swamp lizar.

Ssssil handles all the items he gets frm Kass gingerly, more through worry that he would break Kass's items and put a dent on the good mood and high opinion she seems to hold him in. It is a strange position to be in, and Ssssil quickly loses himself in focusing on the task at hand - especially once he happily sees that Growlgra and Urrffrah are engaged in the important task of ridding themselves of any trace of the vile 'new flesh' that the humans and traitor lizars seem enamoured off. Some odd bile rises in Sssssil's throat as he thinks about them, and looks to Thesssan's unconscious form. The insidious means they have are terrifying, but there is an underlying angry fire smouldering in Ssssil's breast regarding those who attacked Thesssan now.

"Yeah yeah, we kill you, have Lissak do it," Sssssil says distractedly to the swamp lizar as he tries to work out the proper proportions and orientation of the oil and the flame contraption so as not to burn his own face off. He takes some of the gause from his kit, and realises the best way to do this would be to let the bandage be dunked in the clay, and for the clay to be under, with some small amount of sap mixed in, beside the heat and between the bandage and the flame. He can then turn it around when he goes to build a protective bandage cocoon around the stump, and then he can finally apply some small measure of the oil - and then perhaps use a small strip of gause as a 'fuse' to light' - to then ignite the stump and clense it. He hopes...

Sorry, best I can do as time marches on. Good news though - I rolled 25 for the heal check!
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3585458/

raixel · Post by **raixel** » Thu Jun 28, 2012 9:34 am

Oh yeah, you can totally see whats going on. Sssil's noises that he is making at you just don't make any sense, but you can tell he is happy about something. And its pretty obvious everyone is putting something on their hands.

And everyone gets "awesome RP points" for both of you having great ideas and narration and managing to save Thessan. Especially Beo's description of how hes gonna burn the stump and Ameena having Urrffrah wonder what to do with soap.

They would normally be little XP bonuses, but as I'm running a DM based game, you guys wont know when you level until you do. So... Both of you can choose to take a +1 on any non-combat skill or attribute based roll, one time only. You don't have to state you are using it before the roll, but you must narrate using it iC, like an image from your past spurs you to try harder or something. However you decide to explain it IC is fine. I'm gonna start giving out little mods like this here and there in both games for good RP because i miss being able to go 'you cracked me up with your char's comment', 50 XP or "that was an amazing idea/description/narration/whatever 110 XP.

Warning, insanely long post ahoy!

Although the hunter Sssil makes a bunch of words directed towards her, Urrffrah can't make out what the words have to do with his body language. He seems really happy about something as he motions toward the lump and then Urrffrah's paw.

Growlgra chuffs in amusement at the barghest holing her paw out like an oversized dog but doesn't say anything about it. He looks at the long claws on her almost-hands and grins. "Ahh yes, this one realizes the barghest Urrffrah probably should not touch the water holding skin, for it may pop like an inflated tra'gk stomach cub-toy that has been kicked too hard. He places the odd smelling dead animal cover above her paw and squeezes the sides. A blob of white paste comes out and plops onto Urrffrah''s outstretched paw. The stuff is creamy, white, and has a strong scent that reminds Urrffrah of a nice place she found in a forest. There was a bunch of small bushes growing next to a pond in a clearing. The bushes had big bright pink flowers on it with a strong sweet smell, but the bush itself was covered in big thorns, sharp enough to annoyingly poke her when she brushed past them. The white stuff smells like that entire clearing. The bushes, the water, the grasses and trees. Everything. Oddly though, she doesn't see any pieces of grass of the pink things on flowers in the stuff itself.

Growlgra stops and waits for her to rub her paws to get the soap working so he can pour the water, but then flicks his large ears in confusion when she doesn't move.

"This is good soap. This one has brought it all the way from the Plains of its pack-home. The plantweaver of this one's pack is famous among the Packs of Bika for this soap, and many other packs seek trade agreements at the Great Howling for it. It will not harm your skin and fur, and is much better than the bokga that humans and lizar call soap." he explains to her, misunderstanding her hesitation to rub her paws together.

When she still doesn't move, he finally seems to understand. "Oh, this one expresses regret. The barghest has probably never seen soap before." he says as he gently takes her paw and rubs the soap in. It seems to have tiny grains of sand in it, and even though Urrffrah can no longer smell the nasty scent of the flesh-thing over the smell of the stuff Growlgra called 'soap', she swears she can feel the tiny grains of sand scrubbing the last of the wrongness away that was left over from touching that thing. After Growlgra scrubs her paw thoroughly, even carefully working the soap into her sharp claws, he pours water from the other dead animal cover on her paw until all the remaining soap foam is gone.

"There" he says, as her paw is now left clean and nice smelling, with a pleasant gentle tingle.

Hisssa doesn't seem to understand how to help Thessan, as the little viper still seems confused by the fact that his poison apparently healed instead of harmed. He sends Sssil a concerned image of a rat injured with a broken leg. easy prey for the tiny hunter. The image changes to show a Hisssa-eye-view of striking at the rat and injecting a large dose of venom. But instead of the rat collapsing as the venom takes its toll, the rat's leg suddenly heals, and it zooms off so fast the poor snake has no hope of keeping up, much faster than it could naturally run. The image repeats a few times, showing a parade of rodents with various injuries who all get up and run off quickly when they are bit. Then the image changes, and shows a very skinny Hisssa with all of his bones showing through his skin, and a feeling of worry.

The viper gets excited to eat the rat in the rat cage, and when Sssil puts the cage down slithers immediately over to it and sticks his head in the snake-flap. An accusatory feeling hits Sssil, along with the image of an empty cage as Hisssa pulls his head back out. This is followed by a repeat of the skin-and-bones Hisssa, and the snake quickly goes back to his earlier hiding spot under the nearby wagon. A feeling of sulking wafts through Sssil's mind, but for now he must let Hisssa sulk so he can deal with Thessan's bleeding.

Nihss notices Sssil stepping away from him, and becomes slightly saddened. The young hunter seems fond of Sssil, probably due to the fact that the members of the caravan are giving him a chance to finally pour out the terrible story he has had to keep hidden for so long and also appear to be accepting him and not judging him for his tribe's horrible actions. When the tracker mentions Lissak will kill the young swamp lizar if he gets taken over by a tumor, Lissak's eyes grow wide as he stares at Sssil. "I...I couldn't.." he begins to say, but Sssil tunes him out as he concentrates on the task at hand.

The tracker thinks on how to keep Thessan from being burned and also providing a sterlized clay shell and comes up with a great idea.Sssil knows the highest quality clay is found at the base of broadleaf watertree's roots, near where they join the trunk and about 6 inches under the topsoil. It is a peculiar fact of this tree that some strange quality of its roots turns the nearby soil into a pure white clay. The clay is highly prized as even a large tree will only have about a half-pound completely around its circumference Looking around, he recognizes the round waterbole that a mature broadleaf watertree grows about 4 feet off the ground and heads over to it. The tree is a large specimen, ad probably contains quite a few gallons of pure fresh water in its bole. This might be a good oppertunity to refill some waterskins after Thessan's bleeding is stopped. He quickly scrapes off the topsoil in the very center of where the "v" made by two roots coming out of the trunk is and finds three handfuls of soft white clay perfect for his use.

He applies the sap, clay and gauze to the stump, and also applies some clay without sap to Thessan's chest to protect it from the heat of the burning nahhl. Once he is done, he has what looks like a tiny volcano with a small gauze "fuse" coming out of it sitting on Thessan's chest. He carefully applies the nahhl sap to the fuse and steps back and lights it with the striker.

His plan works perfectly and within seconds, the sap infused clay is aflame. He can see the stump shrinking as the flame burns the impure thing away, but due to the damp clay coating THessan's chest, the old warrior sleeps peacefully, not in pain from the fire on his chest.

After a half-minute or so, the stump is gone, just a blackened charred mass that crumbles off with bits of clay and gause attached to it as the flame burns out. The rest of the clay seals the remaining tiny lump, all that was left of the disgusting thing. But the vessels and everything else that made up the stalkare gone, and Sssil can see the veins on Thessan's chest are still retreating, and will probably be gone within one sun at most. The scarred warrior is left with a hardened clay "shell" over where the lump is that will fall off as soon as the new scar tissue grows underneath it.

Thessan opens his eyes again and reaches up towards his chest. Kalisssa catches his hand and says "No, my mate. Do not touch it. You have sustained and injury, but Sssil, Grhhossolllgah, Uhhhrrf-ffhhraa, and Wessstian saved you with their quick thinking. How do you feel?"

Thessan turns his head towards Sssil, Growlgra , and Urrffrah. "Thank you" he says weakly. "That was horrible. Some terrible....presence was in my mind." He sees Nihss standing nearby and his eyes grow wide. "You...you weren't a dream. You tried to stop...me... I am sorry. Did you catch...the one...who did this? The merchant...I tried to...question...him. But...another...a swamp-lizar came...He distracted me...The merchant...whispered something...My will was taken in a flash of light...I couldn't move...I remember..the swamp lizar standing over me...he had something...a long sharp object... He jabbed it in me, my stomach...squeezed a bulb on the end. A...searing pain...filled me. The rage grew. I could...feel something...insane laughter filled my mind...rage and pain...I broke free...of whatever held me...The swamp lizar ran...but..." He brings his hand up to his face as his nictitating membrane completely covers his eyes. "Makanasshht forgive me...what I have done...so terrible." He looks to Nihss and holds out his hand to him. "Will...you forgive...me? You tried...to stop me from killing him. The blood...the rage...his screams...it felt so good. I hurt...you...wanted to kill you.." He stops and closes his eyes as if remembering The laughter...in my ears...it spoke...to me...told me I was His now. I fought it...the rage...the voice...I drove my own sword...through my stomach..."

He opens his eyes again and weakly raises his head a few inches and looks around at everyone, but especially at his mate and the three standing nearby who saved his life. "Can...you all...forgive me?"

Post by **Ameena** » Thu Jun 28, 2012 12:45 pm

Woo, so basically it's like we just got a Fate Point each...well, the DnD equivalent, I mean, since DnD doesn't use FPs of course . Meanwhile, the thought of this little dog-man gently and carefully washing the great big barghest's paw and wicked long claws just sounds almost cute . Also, lol to Hissssa's mental images of "Wtf, how come my venom now makes things better and how am I ever gonna be able to eat anythign ever again?" .

Urrffrah looks confusedly at Growlgra when he puts the strange-smelling white stuff on her paw. It seems as though he's waiting for her to do something, but she has no idea what, so she waits to see if he'll tell her. Finally he seems to realise that whatever it is she's apparently supposed to do, she doesn't know what it is, and starts rubbing the white stuff into her paw. She isn't sure, but it seems that he's referring to the white stuff as "sope". Whatever that is. After a while of rubbing the stuff into her paw and all around her claws too, Growlgra pours some water onto it to wash the stuff away. Eventually she's left with a paw that feels clean from the remnants of the horrible slime-lump, but also feels a bit...strange. And smells weird. She'll have to go and rub it in some dirt later, or go hunting and get some nice old-blood-smell on it. She isn't sure she likes the smell of this "sope" or whatever it is - it's unfamiliar and doesn't quite...fit. For now she contents herself with just sniffing at it and then licking it a bit, to try and make it smell of herself again.
She is distracted at that point by a sudden burst of flame over by Thessan, causing her to jump slightly. Is something burning? She looks over and sees that Sssil appears to have set fire to Thessan? She blinks and moves a little closer, then sees that the fire is only very small, and seems to only be burning at the point on Thessan's chest where the slime-lump was. She supposes that they're burning away any last trace of it, in which case that means the fire is good. She isn't quite sure why the fire doesn't seem to be spreading, but notes that it seems to be contained within a small lump of...something...that wasn't there before. Whatever the case, everyone seems not to mind and it does seem that it was Sssil himself who started the fire. So it must be alright.
After a short time, the fire burns out, though Urrffrah still isn't really sure why it doesn't just continue to burn all of Thessan, who soon seems to wake up and starts talking to those around him. He even seems to acknowledge her, though she has absolutely no idea what he's saying because he's talking in that stupid annoying lizar-speak that's all hissing and no proper words. Even the language that she herself has to use when talking with these creatures is annoying, because it takes so much effort to try and work out what people are saying, and think of which words to use herself, and then try to say them. Still, it seems there's no other way to make most of these people understand.
She shifts into her goblin form so that she can speak the irritating language a bit better.
"Whhot...zzhaayy?" she asks, a little frustrated. "Whhot...happ-un? Izzh...Neezzhh...duzzhh hazhh...baad? Hoo...maaykk...baadd? I...finnd...rrronng...wunn? Cann...hunnnt...ag...agenn. Kill...zzhizzhh...tymm."

Translation =

Spoiler

"What say? What happen? Is Nihss...does has bad? Who make bad? I find wrong one? Can hunt ag...again. Kill this time." = "What's he saying/What did he say? What happened? Does Nihss have bad stuff in him? Who made the bad stuff (or, who put the bad thingy in Thessan)? Did I find the wrong person? I can go hunting again, and kill them this time (whomever it is)."

Hehe, Urrffrah's probably never been clean in her life - the nearest she'll have ever come will be if she waded/swam through a river/stream/lake or something, and even then the intention won't have been to wash herself but to travel past the water for whatever reason. So having part of her smell like lovely clean soap, to her, is "Eww, what is this weird stuff I now smell of?" .

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Thu Jun 28, 2012 10:55 pm

Lol, yeah, poor Hissssa, now I understand his worry perfectly! Awwww. Anyway, Thesssan has just achieved Liam Neeson levels of badassary by impaling himself on a tree rather tham be taken over by Chaos!

Ssssil finally understands Hissssa's concern regarding his own vemon. Sssssil sends a mental image of a swamp deer, and his little friend biting it without poisoning it. He then zooms in the show the bite marks on the swamp deer bleeding freely, and the swamp deer runnign away. Sssssil then projects the thought a second time, but this time showing an exagerated verssion of Hisssssa injecting vemon in to the swamp deer's leg. He zooms in to show the deer's wound instantly clotting, then zooms out to show the deer being woozie and falling over. Sssssil them imagines Hissssa biting a dagger Westian is holding, pumping venom on to that. He then has Westian make exagerated gestures on the dagger, and the venom glowing, then Westian stabs the leg of the swamp deer. Again, Sssssil zooms in to show the wound on the leg clotting instantly. However, when he zooms out, he shows the deer standing around unconcerned and not dying. Once Ssssil thinks Hissssa has the message, Sssssil then imagines Hissssa jumping out of nowhere to scare the swamp deer, and the swamp deer ploughing in to and through Westian, knocking the cleric over. Really, you can never have too much humiliating Westian apparently. Sorry, OB!

Sssssil realises his mistake when he goes to the cage to feed his small friend, and feels mortified. He tries to joke with Hissssa by showing the past few rats and the <i>swamp squirrel</i> that Hissssa ate recently, and imagining Hissssa with a huge set of animal-shaped lumps in his belly, and unable to move. However, Hissssa seems to be upset about the oversight, and Sssssil feels dejected tha he let his friend down, when Hissssa had provided his help many times recently. Sssssil will make sure as soon as Thesssan is well, he will go look for some vermin or small animal to trap.

Is Thesssan speaking common? I assume he isn't?

Ssssil watches as Thesssan and speaks. Sssssil is disturbed by the words, but at least glad of the fact that Thesssan is free. nd more importantly, the small detail of the spiked bulb. These humans and lizars can't just wave their hands or look at you, and then make you do bad things. They need to make you drink or inject you with the bad blood. Sssssil feels ashamed of his earlier fears - easy to be now that he knows what they face - and also angrier. But not in any way he has felt before. When his family has put him down, or when his lowly position has made him embarrassed, it has been red anger. Colirs stopping him from seeing clearly and making him shake and unable to think clearly. This anger was like the cube the mage had used. It burned painfully, but his mind was clear of colours. Someone had tried to use Thessan. And Thesssan had been strong enough to resist, but still, they had almost lost him so many times. These humans and their truly 'soft' lizars that cowered behind them, with their bad blood and bad words and cowardly weapons.

He realised thta his two furry friends - well, Urrffrah was not furry anymore, but she usually was - may not have understood Thesssan's thanks. He turned to them, pointed to Thesssan, poited to the two of them, and then clasped his hands together and bowed as he had seen some of the stranger merchants do at times when they were thanking people for patronage. Thessan says thank you!

The strange cold anger burned all the more in Ssssil's chest, and he felt and odd sensation in his face as Thesssan tried to aplologise. "You not need ask forgiveness. Those ones need to beg forgiveness of you! We bring them to you," Ssssil said, gersturing to the three of them. Ssssil then considered the logistics of that, and of Urrffrah's appetite. "Well, heads at least. Might not have their bodies attached."

Ssssil looked to Growlgra and Urrffrah. He pointed to the sky, or specifically the celestial bodies allowing them to gauge the time, and made wheeling gestures of them spinning onwards. He then pointed to the translation pendant. Talk later. He then pointed to the various traces that Grolwgra and Urrffrah had been using to track and examine, then pointed to himself, then gestured going back where they had come from. He made a positive gesture. Hunt now!

How many people actually know what's going on. I know the guards were watchign Ssssil talking earlier to Nihss, but how many were around for Thesssan being healed? IS that off to one side? I'm sort of going to assume it is, and Sssssil's original plan can still sort of come about. Assuming it's not important for the two wagons to intersect, of course!

Sssssil then looked to Kass, and said quietly. "May be time now, To yell at me, tell me to leave. Say...almost killed Thessan while trying to help him. That I am afraid, because Thesssan not cured, and says bad things. That I say we should make deal with powerful people so we not have same thing happen. Tell me to leave with swamp lizar and Urrffrah if we want to make deal so badly. That way, if there is traitor, then either he will try to follow us, and we can catch him. Or he will think Thessan is on his side, and maybe try to speak to Thesssan. Any way, we can flush out traitors. But we need to get these people that hurt Thesssan. They should not be allowed to do that. And later, someone shoudl go find Nssir's village too. But first get these bad lizars. Make them pay." He then thought about something. "Also find grahhssk. You need that back." Ssssil nodded, happy to have remembered that major niggle in the back of his mind.

Sssssil looked to Lissak, and quietly said. "Ok, you not have to kill Nilss then. I do it if need to." He pointed to Westian. "You can take him to wagon instead, make sure he sleeps well." Sssssil then lowered his voice more. "In return, you need to tell people you lied about me killing turtle. hat I tell you to say it to build me up when talking to strangers." Sssssil looked around to Thesssan then back to Lissak. "Bad lizars and humans around. Maybe another one or more hiding in caravan, like the one that make rats appear. They want to attack powerful people. Because they weak. So if I seem weak, they might want to talk to me. Make me do bad things willingly, not stab me with bad blood. So then we know who they are." Ssssil was then even more quiet. "You want to be tracker? Then you not worry about that," he said, pointign to the lizar's weapon arm. "You worry about that," he said, pointing to the lizar's eyes. "You watch. You look. You look for anyone that want to go to Thesssan. Or look badly at the pathfinder. And you tell Kass." Sssssil still felt odd around Lissak, everything from the lizar's full status to the lizar's apparent worship of Ssssil's abilities. He didn't really like trusting Lissak to do anything, but with Thesssan down, Ssssil couldn't think of anyone else to trust.

Hope that's not too many actions and writing and stuff!

And Ameena, are you happy to get back on the road and hunt the evil guys, if that's the plan?

Post by **Ameena** » Thu Jun 28, 2012 11:42 pm

Oh, I do hope that Lissak doesn't turn out to be the traitor (and therefore a very good actor)...and there's us two PCs with our shitty (or nonexistant, in my case) Sense Motive skills .

Urrffrah is a little surprised when Sssil tells her that Thessan is thanking them, including her. No-one's ever thanked her for anything before, and she has no idea how to react. But then a much more welcome subject comes up, and she perks up immediately.
"Hunnt!"

Yes, her eyes will start glowing at the thought of going hunting .

raixel · Post by **raixel** » Fri Jun 29, 2012 6:58 am

No way, the longer the posts are, the better! Of course, I know that we're all busy and it can get really hard to squeeze in time especially when youre tired from work or whatever. But maybe at least for me thats a good thing, you guys might have to read huge pages every day! Both threads had long posts yesterday. I started at about 8:30 and didnt get done till midnight. But oh so worth it!

And I have no idea what a fate point is, but yeah I think I get it. Its sounds something like using Karma Pool in Shadowrun to influence rolls, which is what i based this off of. Just cuz in my home game its XP RP rewards, little amounts that dont really make THAT big of a difference, but reward the players for great RP. But since I cant do that here, I had to do something, cuz the whole arc of saving Thessan had so many great ideas and writing in it!

Yeah, Thessan is speaking Zaangaardian. He *can* speak some Common, not anywhere near fluently and probably sounds worse that Westian, but he's way too out of it now to speak anything but his native language.

And Urrffrah and the soap cracks me up. I had a 90lb wolf-dog for 15 years(she passed 2 years ago due to addison's disease, sucks cuz wolf-dogs can live to be 20). She was like that. She would roll in the fresh cow shit in the neighbors pasture by my parents house and come back all proud, stinking to high heaven and her beautiful white/tan fur all gross. So id wash her, and shed immediately go back over there and do it again! One time she stole a bottle of organic fish-meal fertilizer out of another neighbor's garage and would constantly come home for weeks covered in brown goop and smelling like the dumpster of a fish-processing plant. I finally had to secretly follow her to where she buried the bottle cuz she hid it so we wouldnt toss it!

As far as who's around. Lissak and Dassrak are there, Vaathi, Kalissa, Nihss and Kass, Growlgra, Sssil, and Urrffrah. Westian is passed out in the mud nearby. Yeah, Thessan's off to one side. The wagons are bunched up on the side of the road, and Thessan is layed out on a cloth on the ground, so it goes Thessan and everyone standing round him, the bunched up wagons, partially in the road, and the empty road. The other guards and caravan drivers are ringed around the whole thing watching out for anything bad. Lissak and Dassrak followed Nihss, as they were the nearby guards when Sssil told guards to watch Nihss. But Kass ordered all the other guards/drivers to stand guard, so they arent hovering raound watching. If someone yelled they would hear, but everyones actively facing outward with the wagons in the center so no ones cloes enough to hear just talking. Does that make sense?

And I *love* the concept of the colors and the different kind of anger Sssil feels. Great writing!
But enough OOC - on with the plot!

Hisssa seems to understand that Westian making the venom glow is the cause of it healing Thessan. The snake seems relieved, although he sends Sssil an image of Westian trying to make Hisssa's head glow, followed by a feeling of concern. The image of the swamp deer bowling over the hapless cleric cheers the snake up and causes him to stop sulking a bit. He comes out from under the wagon, although Sssil notices he is glaring at the passed out elf, as if daring Westian to try and make his head glow. Sssil's image of the stuffed-full snake and promise to help Hisssa hunt later pulls the small viper out of the last of his bad mood, and he happly slithers up to his pouch, giving Westian one final glare before curling up inside.

Thessan flares his nostrils st Sssil's comment about bringing the heads of the ones who did this back. "Thank you, my friend." he whispers. "I am...glad you forgive...me. But...I must learn...to forgive...myself."

"It will come, in time." says Kass quietly. "No one here thinks any less of you. As Sssil says, it is those who caused you to do this that should be begging forgiveness, not you. Your mind was not your own, and the fact that you were willing to kill yourself rather than be taken over proves how strong you are."

Thessan opens his mouth to say something else, and Kalissa gently wraps her hand around his blunt snout. "Shhh, my mate. Don't speak. Save your energy for later. There will be time for speaking. Now, rest." As she speaks, she takes her hand off of Thessan's snout and crooks her fingers into runic symbols and presses them to her mate's forehead. She mutters words of Power under her breath, and Thessan's eyes close as he falls into a deep, magical sleep.

"I have cast a spell to help him rest. His mind is tormented by his recent experiences, and I think it would be best to let him sleep for a time. I know him, and he will try to push himself much oo hard for how greviously he was wounded." she says.

Kass nods. Sssil starts to speak and she holds up a hand to silence him for a second. "Vaathi, Dassrak, can you carry Thessan and set him up in a nice bed? He's going to be convalescing for some time, and I would rather be able to keep moving. I think theres room in that wagon there," she says, pointing to the wagon farthest away from the little group. "Theres also an extra bedroll in there, and one of the half used grain sacks covered in a spare shirt will make a good pillow to keep his head elevated."

Dassrak clenches his right fist over his heart in a salute, and he and Vaathi each grab two corners of the large canvas cloth Thessan is lying on, probably an extra wagon cover, and carefully move him off doing their best to not jostle the injured warrior.

Kass eyes Lissak as if she is thinking of a task to send him away with, but apparently comes to a decision about him being there.

"Go on..." she tells Sssil.

The group listens to the tracker speak, Lissak's eyes growing wide at talk of traitors.

"But...why would Kass pretend to hate you? It doesn't..." the young grey and white lizar says, before Kass hold up a hand to silence him.

"I'll explain later," the pathfinder tells him. "Let Sssil finish."

Sssil fonoshes his idea, and Kass taps a blunt claw on her tooth while she thinks. "It could work. I agree that those da'lasssk need to be brought to justice. And it could make the traitor try and seek you out. If you are willing to do this. But make sure the furry ones understand what they are getting into, as well." She stops tapping as she appears to think of an idea. "I have a spare map of the route. It has all of our major camp sites on it. That way you can always find us. I'll go get it."

The pathfinder moves off to her supply chest in the back of one of the wagons as Sssil turns to Lissak and begins to speak to him. The young fighter's eyes grow wide as Sssil explains about the rats, the potential traitor, and how the evil one might come into contact with Sssil if he leaves. Lisssak's eyes grow bright as he realizes Sssil is trusting him with secret information.

The grey and white lizar seems slightly afraid but detemined to do a good job. He listens very intently as Sssil explains about being a tracker and what will be expected of him when Sssil is gone. "You can count on me!" he says quietly and salutes Sssil emphatically, nearly punching himself in the chest with his fist instead of just tapping his heart like most warriors do. Sssil realizes that having responsibilities and being trusted has done wonders for the young hssir. He already stands straighter and seems less bumbling as he goes over to Westian and gently shakes the exhausted elf. Lisssak helps the groggy Westian to his feet and helps him walk over to the wagon the cleric, Sssil, and Growlgra have been riding in. Once there, he lifts the semi-conscious half-elf into the back and sets up a bedroll, barely stopping Westian from collapsing face first in it.

Growlgra looks around, then back at Sssil. He seems happy that Thessan has thanked him, and also that they are going to hunt, but he points at Westian as Lissak leads him off, then Lissak, then stands at attention as if he is guarding something. What about Westian? Lissak guard? He points to his own bedroll and pack, which are still on the wagon that Lissak is currently in with Westian. Wait, I get pack. He goes to the wagon and comes back with his pack on his back, with the badly tanned deerskin and his bedroll tied to it, and oddly enough, the turtle shell that he promised Sssil he would carve into armor, and a hat for Hissssa too. I take shell. He points to the shell, then to where Vaathi and Dassrak are getting Thessan set up in another wagon. Everyone think make for Thessan. He then winks and makes that peculiar motion mammals do to mean "secret" or "quiet", a raised finger across the lips. So wont care if take Then he winks and points to Sssil. But really make for you!

Nihss steps foorward. "i be going with you." he says to Sssil firmly. "You be Blessed One, and if anyone be having the strength to fight the new way, it be you. Besides, you be willing to help me. And I be wanting to help brave warrior, be the least I can do for what my tribe be doing to him." He says this last sadly, his nicitating membranes flicking as he thinks of the horrid depths his people have fallen to. "I be following you, be dying if I be having to. We must be stopping this New Way!"

Kass comes back carrying a piece of rolled reed paper which she hands Sssil. "This is our route. This really worries me, please be safe and come back soon! Makanasshht watch over you. As soon as you say you are ready, I'll pretend to kick you out." SHe unrolls it and shows Sssil where they are now and the sign that marks each campsite and makes notations of where they expect to be each night with a cut-reed pen she pulls out of a pocket. Growlgra steps close and peers at the map as Kass explains as well.

After the mention of hunting, Urrffrah notices all the lizar just stand around making mouth noise. The odd smelling one in the heavy robes and a big one that looks strong carry the one called Tezzzan away. The old warrior smells much better, the bad smell is nothing like it used to be and will probably be gone soon. After she asks her questions, Growlgra turns to her and nods.

"This one does not really understand what the lizar are saying, but the lizar Kass has shown the hunter Sssil a map of the traveling pack's moving path. This one thinks that it, the barghest, the one from the swamps and the lizar Sssil will be leaving, and then a new smaller pack will be formed. That the new pack will be hunting the one who hurt the powerful warrior. But this one is worried about the elf Westian. It has been a traveling pack of two with the elf for nearly a turn of the Grand Moon and this one is worried about leaving it in the care of the lizar, especially since there may be one who may not be of the traveling pack, but wears its fur. This one hopes the cub-warrior with the grey and white self-marks will be able to protect the elf until he awakes. But this will only be known in the moon-turnings to come." he tells Urrffrah. He thinks for a second longer as he puzzles out the rest of her questions.

"And this one thinks the one of the swamps called Nihss is not bad, although in order to keep the evil ones from seeing that he does not hunt in their way, he had to pretend to follow their packless ways. This one thinks that is where the bad smell that the barghest notices is coming from. The traveling pack does not know who hurt the lizar Thessan, but this one thinks that is why a new hunting pack will be formed, to hunt the packless ones. And do not worry, the barghest did not find the wrong lizar. It is good that the lizar Nihss was found, for no being who walks the Path of Light should be left with the packless ones! And the songs the lizar Nihss brings will help the hunting pack in preying upon the ones who hurt the brave warrior Thessan." he tells her.

Post by **Ameena** » Fri Jun 29, 2012 10:29 am

Fate Points are used in a number of systems (the four Warhammer 40k games, and Mouse Guard spring to mind), but also come up in other systems under different names (for example, in Hollow Earth Expedition you have Style Points). Basically they're like a resource that the GM gives out (usually for good RP but in some systems I think you can get them other ways) and which the players can spend on stuff like improving dice rolls. For example, in Dark Heresy (and the other 40k games), you can start the game with between one and four points (though four is unlikely...FP starting totals depend on character origin, the roll of a d10, and whether or not you get lucky when you roll your Divination). The most common use of spending FPs is to reroll something (but you can only do so once per roll), but you can also do stuff like add +10 to your roll (the 40k RPs use a percentile system). Spending FPs deducts from your total FPs, but you get them all back next session. If you burn a Fate Point (which you can do even after spending, as it takes from your Total, not your Current FPs), it's gone forever (unless you manage to earn another one). This is normally done to avoid dying, basically. So if your character got shot/blown up/mauled by a demon/fell off a building, etc, and took enough damage to die, you could burn an FP to stay alive (but probably unconscious and with some pretty serious injuries that would need fixing). Style Points in Hollow Earth are earned a bit more freely since there are several ways you can get them. But they can be spent a lot more freely too (no burning points in that game - you just spend them and they're gone so you have no Total/Current), such as to add dice to your dice pool and erm...other stuff that I can't remember atm. Anyway, DnD obviously doesn't have any kind of Fate Point system, since the rewards only ever come in the form of stuff like exp and loot . I suppose if you give extra exp to someone for doing something well, all you have to do is make sure that certain people don't end up getting so much more (over time) that they end up outlevelling the rest of the party.

Urrffrah considers Growlgra's words. Then she goes over to the pale lizar who is apparently keeping an eye on Westy-an.
"Ivv...badd...getzzhh yoo," she says, "orrr Wezzhhty-ann...I finnd out...annd kill zzhemm vorrr...yooou."
And with those reassuring words, she returns to Growlgra, Sssil, and Nihss.
"Hunnt now?" she asks eagerly. "Nno morrre...torrk-ing. Hunnt?"

Translations

Spoiler

"If bad gets you or Westian, I find out and kill them for you."
"Hunt now? No more talking. Hunt?"

Yay for playing a practically-minded character who has the same one or two ideas to solve every problem .

raixel · Post by **raixel** » Fri Jun 29, 2012 8:16 pm

Ahh. I see. Mouse Guard! At ECCC this year I found Mouse Guard for the first time, then I met David Peterson, had a funny conversation with him about "renting" kids to dress them up in super cute Mouse Guard cos-play outfits, and got the books I bought (fall and winter) signed by him! I LOVE Mouse Guard. I wanted the RPG, but the hardback book was 40$, and I was told you really cant play with just tohe book, the boxed set is way better. But the boxed set was 75$, and I only had 80$ to spend and didnt want to only buy one thing.

Growlgra grins at the violet light flaring in the barghest's eyes every time the word 'hunt' is mentioned. He nods at her promise of tracking down anyone that harms him or Westian.

"This one thanks the barghest and it glad the barghest is packmate. This one thinks, in time the barghest will be a heart-friend, for it walks the hunt-path and understands the dance of prey and hunter. This one wishes to hunt as well. As soon as the lizar Sssil speaks the word, the hunt begins!"

Post by **Ameena** » Fri Jun 29, 2012 9:12 pm

There is only one book for the Mouse Guard RPG (or at least, I've never heard of any other), and it contains all the rules necessary to play - you don't have to have read the comics. I haven't. Any background you need is given in the RPG rulebook. I have a PDF version of it if you like, as well as a character sheet (can't remember if it's fillable) and map. I started playing in a game over on a website called RPOL (Roleplay Online) after Wuffy told me about said game and put me in contact with the GM. It ran for a while and was pretty good, but then RL stuff came up for the GM so he had to stop . Anyway, it's a cool game, cool system, though the combat rules didn't make much sense to me - my character didn't get involved in any combat in the short time the game ran, but hopefully I'd've picked up the rules as I went.

"Whot izzh...harrrt-frrrennd?" asks Urrffrah, looking quizzically at Growlgra while she waits for them to get started on the much-anticipated hunt.

Hope I don't need to translate that one .

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Fri Jun 29, 2012 11:24 pm

Ssssil nods when speaking to Thesssan as Kass speaks of Thesssan preventing himself from harming anyone. "You pin self to tree! No one else would do that!" He then thinks for a moment. "Next time, aim for better place...not so much blood, not so vital." There is a little bit of shock to see that Kalissa can cause someone to fall unconscious so easily, but it is the temporary distrusrt of magic. He is glad Thesssan can recveover peacefully for a while.

Ssssil finds another little pang of ... something ... as LIssak suddenly becomes so efficient. Still, the other way would be Lissak letting harm come to Kass or Thesssan, so Ssssil has to shake off his odd mixed feeling and feel grateful for the younger lizar actually showing some promise. Ssssil's concern for the hunt ensures he doens't not dwell on it for too long.

Sssssil is pleased and also feels another pang of ... something ... when Kass agrees to his plan. An odd mixture of relief and chagrin that he perhaps did not expect to be allowed. Relief wins out, since it means he can get away from the camp and seek justice for Thesssan. He nods his thanks and agreement to Kass and moves over to his fellow hunters.

"What that smell?" he says out loud, then realises that his fellows won't be able to understand him. He waves the question away as Growlgra asks after Westian. Ssssil feels a little embarrassed he did not think of the poor half-elf that had exhausted himself over Thessan too. Worrying over Thesssan and Hissssa and the hunt had made Ssssil forget. Or, if Sssssil were to be honest with himself, he still felt the slight distance from Westian due to Westian's earlier outburst against Urrffrah. That, and the odd tales of Nilss regarding humans. Ssssil did not really think of Westian in the same way, and Westian had been nothing but helpful, and humans had sounded so strange and exotic in the old stories. And yet...

Sssssil still felt a chill remmebering Westian's outburst, and that chill just turned to a bracing ice in his veins of that anger again when he thought of humans poisoning even swamp lizars, and telling a lizar not to worship their ancient heroes. And worse, of trying ot take away animal friends from lizars. No, despite Ssssil wishing Westian no ill will, he realised there was an odd disconnect now, occurring as quickly as the connection they had made before. It was disturbing and sad, and Sssssil answered Grolwgra's question so he did not need to dwell on it. He pointed to himself, made a gesture of begging, and then pointed to Kass. I will ask the pathfinder. However, he pointed to Lissak, and after a moment's pause gave an over-enthuisiastic gesture of it all being well. Should be ok!

OOC: Heh, better to get a head start distrusting OB's characters, right?

Ssssil then gestures to Urrffrah and Growlgra, and decided to try and at least explain what had happened with Thesssan. He pointed over to Thessan, and pointed to his own stomach. He then got out his dagger, and made a gesture as if to stab his own stomach. He then made a gesture to the dagger blade, exagerating its length. He then made another gesture at the pommel, drawing a large bulbous circle. He then squeezed that circle several times. He repeated the stabbing himself in the stomach, and squeezed the 'bladder'. He then pointed to Thessan, and Nilss's wound, then mimicked a potion, then pointed to Urrffrah's nose. He indicated in an encompassing gesture all of those again, and pointed to the imaginary bulb. He looked to Growlgra, indicated the blade, then made a stern face and a negatory gesture. Beware that weapon! Sssssil then grinned

Lol, does that make sense? Who knows!

Ssssil realised he hadn't made it clear he would have the swamp lizar removed from the caravan anyway, so was therefore glad the lizar wished to come with the rest. Of course, would the swamp lizar get in the way? Or did he have swamp knowledge despite his young years and lack of final name? He nodded over enthusiastically for Nilss's inclusion to compensate for his doubts and oversight. Ssssil realises he has perhaps just also agreed to helping with the village aswell, but decides not to correct Nilss for now.

Luckily Kass returns with a map, and Ssssil is relieved that he will not have to blunder around and potentially run in to more of these New Way people if he has the caravan map. He then has a thought. "This secret map? Should I burn it if it might fall in to bad hands? They might ambush you if they know where you going to be." Sssssil thinks for a moment. "Maybe you make two sets of marks, make real one seem like different jounrney, and make fake path seems like journey now."

Ssssil takes a moment away from the briefing, after allowing Growlgra to speak to Urrffrah, he tries to get the Barrghast's attention. He motions towards the swamp, then makes gestures to footprints, and Urrffrah's nose. "Ready to hunt?" he asks, with an enthusiastic gesture. He then points to the swamp again, then indicates his own body below the neck, then gestures to Urrffrah. He then indicates everything above his own neck, and then points to himself. "I get da'lasssks' heads, you get the rest?"

He's not speaking common, but since Urrffrah is in goblin form, subconsciously he'll be speaking to her too. Maybe if he does it enough, you guys can start picking up the odd lizar word

raixel · Post by **raixel** » Sat Jun 30, 2012 9:28 am

There is a Mouseguard hardback RPG book. Just the book. And the "2nd edition" softcover book that only comes in the 2nd edition "boxed set". I guess the second book rules are a lot more concise, stuff gets explained more and theres new stuff. The boxed set alos has a ton of other amazing stuff in it, maps, special dice(!), and hand molded miniatures all done by David Peterson and a comic to name a few things. If you would be so kind as to get me that PDF, that would be *great*!. I wanted the RPG book so bad, but as I just stumbled across Mouse Guard there, I wanted to get the actual books first.

Growlgra blinks in confusion at Urrffrah's question. "The barghest does not know heart-friend? This one feels sorrow that the barghest lived without pack, without those whose hearts beat in time with its heart, the red water of VI pumping within one's arms and legs, in unison with the hunters around. One but many, the joy of running with your packbrothers and sisters across the plains, of the kill, the Cycle of hunter and prey, of bringing the food back so the pack can live. That is the essence of heart-friend, one who is not of Kin, but is part of one's heart all the same."

He looks thoughtful for a bit, then continues. "This one wonders about the barghest's life and where it came from. This one knows little of the barghest's Kind, only that it comes from a Place that is not under the Moon. Its kind is only spoken of in the old songs at the time of Howling. But the songs tell of a dark creature, a consuming and twisted reflection of canid nature. They say in the past before he was locked into the lifeless rock, the Moon's Dark Brother twisted the form of a pack of some of Her Children. Mixed with them the form of his packless children called Goblins, twisted them from their pure form of our Free Brothers, the ones called Wolf in Common. They changed, becoming dark and losing the way of pack, only with the kill, the consuming of flesh, did their joy stem. And in Her pain, she flung them far from the land, so Her Face will no longer be filled with sorrow at the sight of the lost ones. The packs do not encounter the ones called barghest often, as She threw them in the Prison of the Dark Alpha that matched their nature most. But there are a few songs, of great pack-leaders who have stood against the twisted ones, their songs carried through the marching of seasons and the many turnings of Her Face. Their songs all sing of the same nature as the ancient ones did. But, this one does not see the barghest like that. This one wonders why the barghest Urrffrah is different than others of its kind."

So there you go, a bika myth! I put some player-info backstory in OOC. It wont impact character knowledge.

The bika nods when Sssil tells him that he will ask Kass to watch over the cleric along with Lissak. He watches Sssil carefully, ears and nose twitching as the lizar mimes the kind of thing Thessan was attacked with. He seems to understand, pointing to the rock under which rests the charred remains of the horrid growth, and then crooks his claw like a fang and points to Hissa's pouch. It injects like a fang. He nods, and assumes a guarded stance, pointing to the dagger Sssil was using to mime the attack, and then pretends like he is being attacked and blocks a weapon.

Kass looks over the map. "A good idea! Here, let me alter it a bit so the route isn't so obvious. Does anyone have any other color ink?" she asks.

Growlgra watches the interaction between the two lizar carefully. He tugs on Kass' arm and points to the map. She shows him her writing-reed and mimes writing, but then points to the back ink the words are written in and shakes her head, then to the dark blue ink making up the terrain and nods. The bika barks as he understands the concept and digs in his bag, producing a small stone jar with a thick cork. Kass opens it up and peers inside, before dipping a claw tip in and rubbing it on a finger. "Brown ink. He has brown ink! This will work!" she exclaims. The pathfinder dips her reed-quill in the pot and quickly scribes a second route with different stopping points and campsites.

"Here." she says as she hands the map to Sssil and the restoppered ink to Growlgra. "The correct path is in the black ink. Try not to let it fall into enemy hands, but if you do, at least this may confuse them."

Lissak comes back over and salutes both Sssil and Kass. "Wessssteean is asleep in his bedroll. You can count on me! I'll keep him safe!" he says quietly, showing good sense by not letting his enthusiasm raise his voice loud enough so others nearby can hear.

Kass opens her mouth, then seems to notice Nihss still has a shallow but long wound on his side above his hip caused by Thessan's sword. It is only oozing blood, but still looks as if it is paining the young lizar. "Oh! In all the excitement, I forgot you had been wounded. Do you want something for it? A potion, perhaps/ I could check the stores."

The swamp-lizar shakes his head. "I be thanking you, but all I really be needing is a bandage. I have bloodmoss and potion gourd. It be empty, but I did be in training to be shaman before Shaman Dssa be disappearing. Can be making own potion." he tells Kass as he pats the small fur-covered satchel half-hidden in his rudely tanned kilt.

Kass turns to Lisssak. "Get Nihss some bandages." she orders him.

The young hssir runs off, coming back with a fat roll of clean gauze. Nihss reaches into his satchel and pulls out a hunk of bloodmoss, which he places on his wound and then begins to bind the wound by rolling the gauze around his skinny torso.

When he is done, Kass nods as she looks over the group in satisfaction. "Makanashht watch over you, and Sssslarhatha protect you from harm" she whispers to them. "If there si nothing else, let us put on a good show!"

You can retcon anything else here if you want, but I want to give you something to react to.

She takes a few steps back, and turns to face the party. Her face takes on a look of rage, eyes narrowed and lips curled to show her conical teeth, although the effect is spoiled as she winks briefly before opening her mouth. Kalissa, who had been listening to the entire conversation so she could relate it to Thessan and Westian when they wake up also steps back and raises her snout haughtily at the party.

"So! This is what it has come to!" the pathfinder hisses loudly and angrily as everyone nearby turns to face her. If Sssil didn't know better, he'd swear she was shaking with rage and not barely suppresed laughter at the startled looks on the nearby guard's faces. Sssil can see everyone gathering closer to hear whats going on. Kass waits until all the guards get clse, a nice long dramatic pause as she pretends to survey the group with disgust.

"The elf and Kalissa told me what you did!" she shouts, raking her gaze over the group. "Wanting to leave Thessan for dead! And nearly killing him with your stupid "swamp medicine"! He isn't even cured, we were lucky to slow the infection and I am afraid it is still within him! And that we should try and make peace with these da'lasssk, what a horrible idea after what they did to Thessan! Ive had just about enough of this! Dont think I havent seen you trying to turn the other guards to your ways!" The guards all start murmuring amongst themselves.

Lissak steps forward and begins to speak, his young voice only slightly shaky. But taht could easily be attributed to the withering stare Kass gives him. "Ma'am? It's true. Him and that creature" here he points to Growlgra "tried to convince me that what happened to Thessan would happen to us all if we didn't make a deal!" he says to Kass.

If the pathfinder is surprised by Lissak's improvisation, she doesn't show it but just nods curtly. "Just as I thought!" she snarls. "If you want to make a deal with those da'lasssk, go right ahead. Because you aren't welcome here! Get out of my sight and never return! And take that filthy swamp lizar and shapechanging beast with you two!"

The pathfinder points to the heavy swampland surrounding the road and caravan. "Hurry. Before I decide letting you go is too good of a fate!"

Post by **Ameena** » Sat Jun 30, 2012 10:45 am

Raixel, check your e-mail if you haven't already by the time you read this .

Urrffrah tries to understand what Sssil is trying to tell herself and Growlgra, and though she doesn't fully understand the gestures and the response that Growlgra gives, she gathers that they're trying to say that they might get attacked, and to stop it happening if they are. Really? Is that not obvious enough as it is? Urrffrah just intends to slay and eat as many of these people as she can if they find them. Unless they have more of that horrible slime-lump stuff in them. She doesn't want to touch that - it just smells wrong.
Similarly, she doesn't fully understand what Growlgra says about barghests, since he uses quite a lot of words that she doesn't know. But she gathers that his people have heard of barghests before and that she isn't like the ones they've heard of.
"Whozzh inn...Uzzh-uh...Playzzhh." she says. "Nnot rrremm-emm-emm-buhh...ownn-lee...fayynnt. Zzhhenn...whozzhh...in playyzzh...whizzhh...Himm." She bares her teeth faintly at this point. "Trrryd...to...orrduh...tell mmee whot...too...doo. Nnnot lyyk. Wun dayy...pee-pul cumm. Cumm to kill. Him zzhhayy to mee...kill. I zzhhummp...on wunn...luuk at. Hee...feer. I de...dezzhh-yde...nnot llyk...orr-duhs. Nnot lyyk bee...towlld...whot doo. Zzhho I go. Leev Him too...zzhuhh...pee-pull. Fy-uh. Burrrn-ing. I frreee. Trrrah-vul. Trrah-vull-ing. Annd...herrre."
She rubs her head faintly at the mental effort of having to speak so much in one go and hopes she won't have to do it again any time soon.
Meanwhile, Sssil and Kass are fumbling around with some kind of...well, Urrffrah isn't sure what it is. It looks like one of those flat things with lines on it that some people seem to like looking at, but she doesn't know why because all she sees is...well, lines.
Then Kass starts speaking to Nihss, and sends the pale lizar off to get some kind of...stuff, which Nihss then starts wrapping around his injury. That's good, then - if he's making himself better, he'll be better at hunting. She hopes they can hunt down the people who took over his pack, and kill them all, so that his pack can be strong again.
And then Kass starts being angry with Sssil. She thinks. She can't help but wait impatiently for the hunt to begin.

Translation of the epic paragraph (;)) =

Spoiler

"Was in Other Place. Not rememember (sic), only faint. Then was in place with Him. Tried to order, tell me what to do. Not like. One day, people come. Come to kill. Him say to me, kill. I jump on one, look at. He fear. I decide not like orders. Not like be told what do. So I go. Leave Him to the people. Fire. Burning. I free. Travel. Travelling. And here." = "I was in the Other Place. I don't really remember much - it's only faint. Then I was in a place with Him. He tried to order me around and tell me what to do. I didn't like it. One day, some people came. They came to kill (Him). So He said to me, kill them. I jumped on one and looked at him. He was afraid! I decided I don't like orders. I don't like being told what to do. So I went. I left Him to the people. I left him to the fire, everything ended up burning. I was free. I decided to travel. I was travelling. And now I'm here."

Can't remember how much of the "pretend Sssil's an idiot so he can watch for the traitor" plan Urrffrah is aware of, so I've left the end of the post intentionally vague. She won't butt in, anyway, while Kass is shouting. If she knows what's going on, then obviously...well, she knows what's going on, so she won't interfere. If she doesn't, she'll just stare in confusion because Kass was being nice and minute ago and now she's being all angry and wtf?

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Sat Jun 30, 2012 1:24 pm

I don't think Urrffrah has any clue. Luckily, Growlgra does know it, and Kass is yelling in lizar and pointing the the place we are going anyway, so hopefully there's no need to get bitey

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Sat Jun 30, 2012 8:45 pm

Ssssil was surprised everything seemed to be going to plan. Sssssil nodded to Growlgra's comment, and hoping the bika can explain the danger to Urrffrah as she did not seem to be as impressed. Then again, she had ripped the tumour out before, so perhaps she was just immune? Who knew. She had certainly eaten many things raw and quickly that Ssssil would never touch.

Ssssil felt a little bad for not having thought of the swamp lizar again, though of course Nilss had been a potential enemy, and then had said crazy things, and then it had all got so confusing. "Can I get more bandages too?" asked Sssssil instead, realising he had used up a few recently. OOC: Just looking to restock the healer's kit back to ten.

Ssssil then nods happily at Kass's good wishes, and so is caught completely off guard by her yelling. He is suddenly glad he never really made her angry, and is also glad she almost broke with laughing - it was too easy to suddenly imagien this was real. Ssssil did not have to act too much to feel miserable at being screamed at and called bad things, especially given all the praise heaped on him before. Of course, he had felt odd about the praise at the time. When Lissak joined in, Sssssil suddenly found he had to restrain his hand from wanting to punch the young lizar.

He sighed, pretended to angrily turn around - though it was perhaps not all pretend, Lissak's accusations had stung - and with a 'come on' gesture to the rest, he stomped off without looking around at any of the other guards. He did not think he could take their looks towards him, he realised.

Ssssil then nervously looks back towards Urrffrah, suddenly realising that he might not have made it clear to her this could have happened. Hopefully she would not think it was directed at her - making her angry or sad was not something Ssssil had thought about.

raixel · Post by **raixel** » Mon Jul 02, 2012 6:06 am

Kass nods at Sssil's request. "Here, take this" She reaches in her pack and pulls out a small reed pouch filled with healing supplies and hands it to him. "Hopefully you wont need it. Its full and has some extra bandages, too." Your healing kit is now full, and has 5 extra uses.

Growlgra looks thoughtful. "So, the baghest was taken from its plains by a being, that was hunted by an angry pack? Hmmm."

Anything further the bika was going to say is interrupted by Kass' sudden "anger". The four file slowly past the guards as they leave the safety of the caravan at the conclusion of Kass' speech. Sssil tries not to glance at anyone as he doesnt want to see their disgusted looks. However, on the face of the few guards he can see, the female with the bright face scales and the one-eyed female he sees either confusion, or on the part of the one-eyed female he sees anger. But the anger isnt directed at him. She is looking at Kass, her one eye glittering.

As the deep foliage of the swamp screens the party from view, the tracker hears voices raised in anger back at the caravan. The other guards seem to be shouting, but from what little he can hear, it doesnt appear to be directed at him, but at Kass. Roll listen if you want to make anything out.

Nihss looks around once they are deep enough in the swamp that the shouting members of the caravan are reduced to a low buzz. The young swamp-lizar seems more at home, walking with an ease and quickness even greater than Sssil's own swamp experience allows him to.

"Where should we be going?" he asks Sssil, automatically assuming Sssil is going to be the leader. "Perhaps the place where the self-merchant be dying? You be saying that you be thinking that I be followed by someone else from my tribe? Perhaps we should be looking there? Or I be leading you back to where my people be camped? Or we be finding other tribes. Maybe they be helping us?"

Growlgra too, seems comfortable in the wilderness, even though from everything he has said, his home is nothing like this place. But the bika is a creature of the wilds, and his large ears rotate to listen to the calls of various sawmp creatures around him as he walks with a light step through the thick foliage.

Urrffrah's blood sings with the joy of the hunt. Now at least they are out in the hot, wet woods. The smell of many tiny creatures living their prey-lives around her, the scent of the damp plants and the wet ground fills her nose as the scents of the lizar and their wag-things is left behind. Here, hse felt most herself and free. Although her kind is solitary in their true nature, only coming together rarely to mate and the females abandoning their fully-sentient pups shortly after birth to the cruelness of life on their dark Plane, Urrffrah feels a strange joy at moving therough the wilds with a small group of fellow hunters to stalk and hunt an enemy. Perhaps it is the result of the magic-caller's bringing her here. Or perhaps there is some trouth to Growlgra's words, that her kind was once something different, something that hunted in packs and groups, sharing the joy of the hunt amongst everyone.

Growlgra grins at her and seems happy. "The pack hunts now!" he tells her, the joy obvious in her voice.

Post by **Ameena** » Mon Jul 02, 2012 12:57 pm

Listen check to hear the talk back at the caravan after we leave = 22 (15+7), though I suppose Urrffrah won't understand any of it since I'm sure they'll be talking in Lizar tongue.

Urrffrah follows along as Sssil, Growlgra, and Nihss move away from the main lizar pack. She isn't really sure what's going on with Kass being all loud and apparently angry all of a sudden, but figures it must just be some strange lizar behaviour that she doesn't understand. Maybe lizars make loud noises at each other whenever the pack leader is going to go away on a hunt, or something. Whatever the case, she remains in her goblin form a little while longer, in case there is any more talking to be done. After walking for a little while, Nihss says something to Sssil in the lizar language, so Urrffrah ignores it because she has no idea what he's saying. Then Growlgra turns to her and tells her that they're hunting. Well, obviously, but she supposes he means that they are actually setting off properly on the trail. The trail she must have missed before.
With no further comment, she changes to her run-fast-hide-good form and dashes off in the direction she remembers the dead lizar to be.

So yeah, Urrffrah interprets the comment as "yay let's go hunting right now" and buggers off back to the scene of the earlier crime(s) as fast as she can. That is, running (as in Running) in wolf form . Once she gets close she'll slow down and start sniffing about/looking for any faint signs of anything that might seem like a trace of the people they're after. So a Spot check for that time = 11 (4+7). Bleh, back to rubbish rolls again .

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Mon Jul 02, 2012 7:47 pm

Ssssil quickly looks away from the faces he does see, finding it too easy to assume the worst interpretation of everything. When he realises there is shouting going on behind him, he deliberately hunches his shoulders and looks towards the ground, trying to ignore it. Did they now really hate him so much that they now hated Kass for ever hiring him?

I hope it's nothing too plot important / bad for Kass, Sssssil is ging to be a little bit self-obsessed

Ssssil is lost in the quiet happiness of realising he is free to track with these people - though is a little chagrinned and nervous when he realises the swamp lizar who is looking ot him for answers is, of course, far better at navigating the swamp than he is. When the question is asked, Sssssil takes a big breath to cover for the blanking of his mind. Should they be looking out for another lizar following them, or look to the village situation, or...

Suddenly, Urrffrah changes and bounds forwards in to the swamp. Sssssil just grins, nods, and gestures to follow the Barghast.

And then realises that he iosn't sure exactly how well they will be able to follow the Barghast. She was moving quite fast... and Ssssil still needs to find some small creatures to feed Hissssa with... It was suddenly becoming oh so complicated again!

Will defer from rolling a listen check for the shouts, but will roll sense motive to see if Sssssil works out anything to do with the looks he got. And alos a survival roll for tracking Urrffrah and also spotting anything along the trail that Urrffrah might miss in her rush.

Sadly, a 9 for sense and a 13 for tracking
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3591453/

Post by **Ameena** » Mon Jul 02, 2012 9:43 pm

Urrffrah isn't troubling to make herself undetectable at this point, just charging back to the area where they found that disembowelled merchant and the impaled Thessan so that she can sniff around and look more closely for tracks and other signs that she must have missed last time. That's why she'll slow down and take it more easily when she gets closer to the area, so that she doesn't risk accidentally disturbing anything that hasn't already been disturbed in her approach (or that of the group earlier) . So I don't think you'll have much trouble following her - Growlgra's pretty good at tracking too, after all, right?

raixel · Post by **raixel** » Tue Jul 03, 2012 10:04 pm

Hey Ameena, forgot to mention thanks for the PDF! I love it! Ok, so you can't run full-force due to the fact that you are not on any sort of path or road and are basically charging through swamp-undergrowth(so halfspeed compared to your typical run). You are also taking a bit of a penalty to your Spot roll. And you don't have track as a feat, so it really si going to be hard to find where you are going, running full force in the swamp.

Urrffrah cocks an ear and listens to the loud mouth noises that spring up around the caravan as her hunting pack leaves. She can tell that

Spoiler

Dassrak, the one female with the fight-mark across the eye, and the pack-leader Kass are making loud noises at each other. It reminds her of the snarls and barks that she feels like making when she wants to see a prey's red-water come out. But of course the lizar make sounds like air coming out of small holes, and the odd bits of woven stuff all two-legs seem to war rasping across bare skin, noises she cant make. It seems the pack members are having probalems with something Kass-packleader did and are telling her that, based on the fact that the loud noises coming from the not-packleaders are at the same time, then Kass-packleader answers, then the two speak again. Kass packleader appears to be defending her right to make decisions for the pack. Oddly enough, it seems the other pack-members have some kind of problem with the hunt-pack that was just formed.

When the barghest suddemly tears off without any warning or another word to anyone, Nihss turns to Sssil. "What it be doing? Be controlling of your beast! This area be not the place to be running off alone! Hunters who be of my tribe, be loyal to the new way could be here, as tribe be camped somewhere] to the south. Especially if I be followed when leaving! Quietly and carefully we should be going, not be running about and be leaving a trail a blind and hearing-lost kikkiss could be following! We must be following it, be too dangerous to be letting it go off like that!" he says, his voice tinged with annoyance as he picks up the pace to keep the barghest in sight.

Growlgra just shrugs and follows along behind Nihss, the small furry hunter moving easily through the heavy foliage, although he growls under his breath and reaches to pull a few burrs out of his fur as he runs, probably picked up from passing too close to a cling-bush.

Urrffrah switches her form into the run-fast-hunt-good form, eliciting a surprised hiss from Nihss as the rags she was wearing fall around her new wolf shape, and takes off into the trees, heading towards what she thinks is the direction where the life-gone merchant lays. However, she can't pick up the original scent, as the hunt-pack entered the trees from a different part of the road the first time. Perhaps it lays this way, perhaps it doesnt. She can just hope it lays in this direction, but she can't tell.

The barghest moves extremely fast, hopping and twisting through the undergrowth as if she is being chased by the Fires of FUL themselves. If she can move this fast in such heavy undergrowth, what would it be like if she ran in an open area? Even Growlgra seems amazed at her speed as he watches her, stopping to gather the cast-off rags she stepped out of in her new form. Within a few seconds, even though the group is charging behind Urrffrah sa fast as they can, they lose sight of her as she bounds through the deep undergrowth.

Nihss slows, shaking his head at Sssil. "We cannot be keeping up with it, there be no way. Slower we should be moving, or be running the risk of stumbling into danger." he says.

As soon as he finishes speaking, in the distance Sssil hears a rasping sound followed by a kind of liquid roar. He recognizes the sound as being the threat-sound of the Spiked Swamp Worm, a stupid creature that is mostly a scavenger, but due to its lack of intelligence will attack anything near by if it is hungry enough, relying on its plated spiked body and poison tail sting to subdue anything it comes across. The Spiked Swamp Worm, and its lesser cousin, the Green Swamp Worm are uncommon in the deep swamp and very rare in the patrolled areas around the city-states. Both varieties of worm look similar, the only difference between the two being that the Spiked worm's carapce is much thicker than its lesser bretheren's, and covered in many long serrated spikes, and its tail spike is much longer and venom glands more toxic. Other than that, both varieties are very similar, with an ugly pea-green and brown carapace, two yellow eyespots above the round remora-like mouth, and two short arms tipped in small two-clawed hands to aid in pulling the creature's legless bulk along. A long spike made out of hardened chitin capable of percing boiled leather armor tips the tail-end of the unpleasant beast.

Nihss'' eyes grow wide at the worm's warning call. "May be too late for silence" he murmurs quietly, obviously fully aware f what kind of beast makes that sound.

Growlgra's ears rotate towards the sound, and he points in that direction and raises an eyebrow in a questioning look. What is it?

Urrffrah hears a burbling growl come from close by, somewhere behind her. It is an unfamiliar noise, one she has never heard before.

Beo, I rolled a listen and a knownature for you so we wouldnt have to stop.

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Tue Jul 03, 2012 11:32 pm

No problem!

"Not beast!" hissed Ssssil and Nilss, surprised at his own anger. "She friend, just like you, and Grolwgra, and HIssssa." Sssssil then thought for a moment. "Well, not like you, but you know what I mean." Sssssil again had that sinking feeling about speaking. It was better when people didn't say the horrible things in their heads out loud. And also, of course, Sssssil didn't want Growlgra and Urrffrah to feel left out with Nilss and Sssssil speaking to each other. Quite the reverse, in fact.

"Keep quiet, use hunter signs!" said Sssssil, trying to ignore the fact that Urrffrah had left in quite a hurry. Ssssil gave a nervous glance to Grolwgra to ensure the bika knew where they were going. "She know what she is doing," said Ssssil at length to Nilss further comments, "she from swamp!"

Of course, then the worm noises starte,d and Ssssil started to reconsider his assurances. "Shhhh!" he said again to Nilss, as if it was the swamp lizar's fault, and his own stance became low and hunched. He began to slowly reach for his weapons, when Grolwgra's gestures caught his attention.

Sssssil in response made a floppy set of motions - like a tentacle, or worm of course, banging around on the ground, rather than a snake. He then expanded his hands in a slow, explosive motion. Worm. Big worm. Ssssil then made the worm motion again, but then his hand cane up, poised, then he stabbed downwards with a clawed hand viciously. Spikes to attack.

Ssssil gentle tapped the armour pouch to rouse Hissssa. Huge worms should not care about small snakes. Sssssil sent a mental image of HIssssa sliding across the ground, and finding one of those worms. It was a game they had played, playing seek. Or usually hide and seek, because Hissssa then hid where he was and where the creature was he'd found, making Ssssil track ofr it then jumping out at his friend. Ssssil then gave Hissssa a mental image of Ssssil trying to reach a small swamp creature to give to HIssssa, and then being continuously pulled back and smacked in to a tree, due top being imapled on a spikey worm. After all, Ssssil didn't weant his small friend to think he'd forgotten about that while asking for a favour.

Just seems like the sort of thing Hisssssa would do - the seeking then hiding - correct me if I'm wrong Plus seems how the 'seek' trait with Ssssil would actually develop, right?

Ssssil then made a 'shhhh' motion to his lips to Grolwgra and Nilss, despite the two of them pobably being well aware of that, and gestures for them to all slowly move forwards. Sssssil gesturing to his eyes and pointing forwards, and gesturing to the eyes of his two companions and to the left and right. Ssssil slowly took out his buckler and short sword, then after fixing his buckler to his wrist unhooked his axe too and held it. Then he tried to move forwards as quietly as possibly while looking for signs of the creature.

Paranoidly posting while getting all the roles worked out. Will edit them in in a second.

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Tue Jul 03, 2012 11:38 pm

Spot 20, listen 7, move silently 2, check for tracks/signs 24, and why did I think i needed a fifth roll???
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3593236/

Post by **Ameena** » Wed Jul 04, 2012 1:15 am

One minor note - Urrffrah wasn't wearing rags. She hasn't worn them since she the confrontation with Westian and the others, when they realised she was a barghest. She changed to wolf form in order to keep pace with the caravan and forgot to pick up the rags (I sort of remembered about them OOC but couldn't be arsed to have her pick them up ). So she's been in the nude since then .
Anyway, I figured that the scene of the attack wasn't too far away, given that it didn't take a massive amount of time to find it the first time around, and the caravan hasn't moved since then because they were too busy healing Thessan and stuff. Do you want me to roll Spot or something to smell for the dead bodies or something? I suppose I'm too far away for Scent to work, given that the range on that is relatively small.
Also, as Urrffrah has been roaming around in the swamp for a while (like, at least a few weeks), wouldn't she have possibly come across one of these giant worms before? Is there a roll I can make to see if she has, and if so, how much knowledge she's gained about them?

raixel · Post by **raixel** » Wed Jul 04, 2012 10:00 am

The DC of the knowledge nature to get the info Beo got was high enough that I'd rule that unless you were born/raised in the swamp or actively trained in swamp-life you probably wouldnt know what one was as they are pretty rare. There are other variations of the creature spread across the planet (which really needs a name! - see OOC for comments), so perhaps she has run into its "cousin species". Roll an Int if you want to see if she has run into a similar thing before.

And Urrffrah was running around naked!? Had I known that WOULD have elicited comments from nearly everyone nearby! Lizar probably wouldnt have cared about her chest cuz they have no idea what those things are (theres actually a really funny scene in the other thread where everyone has to show their chest, and a lizar is facinated by Artaxes' nipples and Thiy's boobs -lizar have neither nipples or belly buttons as they are an oviparous species - and then once she understood what Thiy had on her chest was REALLY confused as to why the male humans had the same things too ), but running around with your gens hanging out would have definately caused a disturbance. And Westian, being a young kinda naive cleric probably would have turned neon red and then went and got you some clothes

Post by **Ameena** » Wed Jul 04, 2012 11:22 am

I think I did already mention that she was nude but it turned out that no-one cared or something. Do female goblins have tits, then? And would a female barghest-goblin still do so too? Anyway, it's easier for me as a player if I don't have to keep remembering for Urrffrah to remember to lug those rags around and keep stashing them in places/putting them on when she needs to change form .
Anyway, Int roll for worm recognition = lol, 4 (4+0). I'm guessing I have no clue what that weird noise just was, then .

raixel · Post by **raixel** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 1:33 am

Goblins are mammals. Therefore they have tits of some kind. Since they litter like 4 to 6 babies instead of just have one or two children at a time, based on biology it would be really likely that they have like 4 or 6 mammaries. So, in the interests of accuracy, im going to rule that they have four nipples. But no boobs. Like most mammals, unless they actually have nursing offspring they just have tiny barely visible nipples, and when they have offspring they get just a bit bigger. Humans(and humanoid/human-like species in D&D) are actually the only species that have permanent tits even when we have no offspring. Even the great apes dont have boobs. So gobins and bugbears, trolls, ogres and the like (with the exception of hobgoblins who have a more "human" physique due to their advanced nature and singular/twin offspring) dont have permanent tits.

Now look at what can o' worms you opened You asked, it is my duty as DM to answer! Seriously, this is one of the most amusing D&D related convos Ive ever had, and is osmething I never really thought about before. But now we know!

Im spending way to much time thinking about goblin tits. Onward!

And if you want, we can just kinda wave off the clothes thing and just assume you or someone else picks em up. Cuz seriously, a nude goblin running around would be kinda...disruptive, unless youre in the deep wilderness (or youre around Westian Growlgra doesn't care as his people only wear minimal covering and dont have a nudity taboo, Nihss thinks youre an animal anyway, and its up to Beo whether Sssil cares. The lizar at the caravan would think it was odd but I'd just say they were so concerned about Thessan and you were in barghest form most of the time they didnt really notice that occasionally you turned into a buck-naked goblin.

Even though goblins are one step above animals, they still cover at least their gens. So lets just say Growlgra picked up your clothes(at some point) and is carrying them around, so that if you ever want to go to a city or hang out in a place where people are gunna go "OMG gob-beaver WTF!" you can put them on.

And the "seek and hide" is totally something Hisssa could do, since he's kind of like an animal companion but also like a familiar. So its something he totally could have been taught, and something he would enjoy doing

Nihss looks surprised at Sssil. "What you be meaning it be like us? It be looking either like a goblin or a swamp-jackal-thing! And it be not covering of its mating-parts most of the time! Beasts be not caring that they be wearing no coverings, people do be caring! Even gobins be caring, I be seeing a tribe that my people be clearing out a few cycles ago. They be covering themselves, at least the ones that be an adult."

At Sssil's comment about "not like you", Nihss narrows his eyes slightly. "And what that be meaning? You be going to stab me in the back, noble? You be thinking you too good to be friends with that word you people be using to describe mine? What you be calling us, i be knowing, "da'lassk", 'less-than-beast"?" he hisses at Sssil. He reaches slightly for the still-empty scabbard of his short sword Growlgra still has it., but then stops and visibly tries to calm himself, closing his eyes and flaring his nostrils to take a deep breath. "I be considering you a hunting-partner, am trusting you. But if we be working together, trust must be had. The new way be the enemy, not each other." he says in a quiet voice.

When the worm-noise sounds he drops into a fighting crouch and nods at Sssil. Even if he is still stung by the noble's comment, he is a child of the swamps and knows that one's pride isnt as important as survival. Growlgra, who had been watching the two talk, just grimaces at Sssil when he understands what the thing is, and goes over to Nihss and pulls the young lizar's crude sword out of a spare scabbard. He hands it over, the look on his face obviously saying "I am trusting you with this. Don't break my trust." Nihss just nods and holds the weapon at the ready, transforming from a petulant teenager into a savvy swamp-warrior in the blink of an eye.

Hisssa responds to the taps and flicks his tongue at Sssil's face before slithering to the ground and heading into the thick undergrowth in the indicated direction. It seems the snake enjoys the game of sneaking around finding creatures many times bigger than he is. Sssil feels his heart speed up slightly at the feelings of wariness and excitement coming from the snake. It is quiet for a bit, the small swamp-creatures quieting at the thing's roar.

The three follow behind Hisssa about 5 minutes after the snake moves off, everyone moving as quietly and carefully as they can. Sssil gets a picture from Hisssa of a small screened in and overgrown clearing with a spiked worm with many clumps of moss, vines, and branches stuck in its spikes, providing a sort of natural camoflage. It looks like it is about 15 feet tall and 100 feet long in the snake's eyes. The creature's back half is coiled around something that looks like a huge red and pinkish mess with patches of white and brown. Judging by the one boulder-sized black hoof Sssil can see around the creature's green-plant-covered plates, it is most likely the half-eaten remains of an erloss. The front half of the worm appears to be many Hisssa-lengths off the ground, its gore-slimed head and spiky neck waving around from side to side as it tries to pinpoint the source of whatever disturbed its meal. The circular toothed maw opens and closes reflexively as its weaves, shreds of meat falling from the huge teeth. It lets out another gurgling roar as it tries to warn off whatever is out there. Hisssa moves back under the bushes, and the view becomes screened by many leaves. As Sssil expected, the large creature has no interest in the tiny snake even if it was aware of it.

There is an odd feeling as Sssil hears the roar in his own ears, and also the vibrations Hisssa feels at the exact same time, as the companion-link hadnt been quite closed when the creature roared. It echos in his ears and body, distracting him from his task of moving silently and only giving him the knowlede that the worm is ahead and to the right. Looking around, he sees many scrape-marks on nearby trees and the scuffing of the mud and groundcover in this area that shows the worm must lair here regularily. He also sees the recent paw prints of Urrffrah moving straight ahead before veering left. The barghest definately ran right through here just a few minutes before, as the edges of the tracks are still very clear and defined. The undergrowth gets even thicker in front of the group, forming a wall of bushes rising about 6 feet in the air ahead, spreading both to the right and left about 10 feet in either direction . The tracker can see the small s-shapes of Hissa's tracks heading off to the right and disappearing directly into the heavy undergrowth about a foot away from where there is a 2 foot by 2 foot round hole in the bushes, the tracks there showing that is what the worm uses to enter the undergrowth. Urrfrah's tracks head to the left about 6 feet and enter a gap in the bushes big enough for a quadriped, although it would be hard for a bipedal creature to move through, as the spot is only slightly bigger than the worm's hole.

Ameena, I didnt get an update from you, so Im just going to give you a brief update from the same position you were just in.

Urrffrah spins around at the creature's first roar, sniffing the air in tat direction. She has never heard anything like that noise before, but obviously whatever it is is some kind of large hunter or dead-thing-eater. A scent of old near-bad meat floats to her from her left, coming from back behind the thick wall of growing-things she easily ducked through in her run-fast-form that is now behind her. There is also a smell of plants, mud, and growing things. But under the plant smell is something she has never smelled before. It smells dry and kind of musty, mixed with the smell of very old red-water and meat, also mixed with the smell of plants that come out of the ground and become old and wet. It smells like rotten plants, too The loud anger-sound came from that area. Whatever it is, it is behind her and in that wall made of many much-branched plants growing close together.

The barghest hears another anger-sound from the same area. She looks in that direction and sees a small hole, round, and big enough for her to slip through in the same place as the noise and dead-meat-smell comes from. Perhaps that is the thing's den?

K, Ameena, I pulled a spot using your rolls. Could you PM me more? I only have a few left.

Post by **Ameena** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 11:30 am

Lol wheee, goblin nudity discussion . I'll have to find the post where I said I didn't get a chance to have Urrffrah remember to pick up her clothes, but I don't have much time atm so I'll do it later or something...
Anyway, I didn't post 'cause I was waiting for you to do so, lol - I figured she'd just hear the roaring noise (you didn't say where it came from/how close) and carry on running as long as it wasn't right in her way.

Urrffrah looks around in the direction of the thing. So, maybe something is eating something else. Well, this doesn't look quite like the place where she found the very dead lizar before. It doesn't smell as strongly, that's for sure. So she carries on in the directiom she thinks she needs to go to get back to that spot.

Urrffrah has no intention of disturbing some random carrion-eater, and if it's not bothering her, she has no reason to stop. Even if it did try and chase her, she'd probably just leg it. Anyway, some more rolls coming up in PM momentarily...

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 10:37 pm

Sssssil rolls his eyes as Nilss speaks. Ssssil wants to point out that Nilss is an idiot, and must think Ssssil is also an idiot, if he wants to trust someone just from words. Friends are friends because you see what they do in the hunt, or in battle. Words are no good - and so probably not a good idea to mention the idiot thing to Nilss - and Ssssil just keeps telling Nilss to 'shhh' in line with the swamp lizar's own advice as they get their barings, and Ssssil ocncentrates on what Hissssa is doing.

Ssssil has no problem with Nilss having a weapon, since he assumes either the swamp lizar can fight, or the swamp lizar will run away. The thought of Nilss actually being a traitor or going bad doens't even cross Ssssil's mind.

Ssssil pauses as he realises they are getting close. He gestures to the way that Urrffrah went, to Growlgra and Nilss, making a scampering motion with many fingers for legs, then pointing to the round bush. Urrffrah that way. Scowling, he then realises that the two lizars are parhaps not well suited to persue. He makes a reduced motion with his hands as if a crpntracted hole, and then makes a reduced motion from his own head to as far down as the hole seems. Way too small.

raixel · Post by **raixel** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 8:12 am

I am incredibly amused by the image of Sssil near-botching his move silent and then 'sshhh'ing Nihiss every few feet! Perhaps thats why he botched. I mean *sneak, sneak* (Sssil looks at everyone nearby) "SSSHHH!" *sneak, sneak* .

And the noise was probably less than 20 feet behind Urrffrah, but through a wall of brambles and bushes. Sorry I didnt make it clear that it was that close. Ok, so Urrffrah's moving on. Got it.

And Nihss, in case you havent figured it out is about 16. And even the ancient Greek philosophers were complaining about the hot-headed, petulant, and know it all nature of the teenage Athenians back then. So I'd assume its a common problem among all races in the multiverse!

Nihss glares at Sssil as the tracker shushes him yet again. The young hunter looks as if he is going to say something, but then just shakes his head. He looks slightly more impressed when the tracker silently points out the tracks of Urrffrah and follows along as Sssil tracks the barghest's passage to a different hole in the thick undergrowth.

He and Growlgra both crouch down and peer into the "tunnel" through the heavy bushes. Unlike the other tunnel about 15 feet down the wall of bushes, it is not round, but slightly wider than it is tall. The huge mat of thin trees, brambles, vines and bushes making up the wall extends for easily 8 feet, at least from what everyone can see from peering inside the break thick tangle. It bends slightly to the right, and judging from the bits of fur and churned up mud making up the "floor", this is a well used trail for the smaller creatures of the swamp.

Have you ever seen what really overgrown marshland looks like, like where its so overgrown Ianything larger than a dog would have trouble? Thats what this is like. And Ameena, isnt being a quadraped with the run ability great? It wasn't even an issue for you and by the time the worm went "WTF, something is nearby" even moving at half-speed due to how thick it was you were already through it.

Nihss nods at Sssil's sign showing smallness, then points to Growlgra and assumes a questioning look. The bika frowns slightly in thought, then crawls on his hands and knees into the opening. It is obvious to both lizar watching that he can fit inside the opening, although he has to fold his large ears back against his skull to keep them from scraping the branches and leaves making up the roof. After crawling a few feet into the tunnel, Growlgra backs out, as there is no way to turn around on hands and knees in such a confined space. He stands up and dusts his hands against his knees, then motions to himself, makes a crouching motion, and moves his hands up and down his body about an inch from his sides. Its tight, but I fit.. He then looks up at Sssil, who is over 2 feet taller (Growlgra is around 4'4") than the small canine and shrugs, then shakes his head. Fit maybe, dont think so.

Meanwhile, Sssil gets a feeling from alarm from HIsssa. A ghostly mental image appears, showing the worm waving back and forth searching for the disturbance. As Sssil is watching Growlgra see if he can crawl through the tunnel, occasionally snagging himself on a thorn or branch the image in his mind shows the worm stop its swaying and turn its huge maw towards the west side of the area it is in, as if zeroing in on something. It stays frozen like that, head raised off the ground nearly high enough to scrape the interwoven branch "ceiling" of its den and mouth reflexively opening and closing as it focuses on the "wall". Then it opens its mouth wide and roars again, the intense vibrations causing Hisssa to curl around the thin base of the bush he is hiding under.

Nihss ad Growlgra both freeze as the loud gurgling sound echoes through the marshland, sending small flocks of birds winging away in alarm. Growlgra looks to Sssil, his eyes wide. Nihss drops in a fighting-crouch and peers down the wall, looking for any sign of the thing emerging from wherever it is hidden. Growlgra points to his eyes, then his nose, and gives Sssil a questioning look. Did it sense us? How? Nihss looks past the hole the group is standing near and down the line of the wall. Peering into the swamp, Sssil can see the stand of brambles and bushes continues that way for at least 30 feet, perhaps more. To the west, the dark hole that is the only other break in the dense bushes opens up about 15 feet away, and then the stand continues, although it is harder to get a good look in that direction to see how far it actually goes.

Nihss looks to Sssil, then motions to the hole, and then up and down the stand. Which way? He pulls ou his crude short-sword, and now that Sssil has gotten a better look at it, he recognizes exactly what it is. It is called a "swamp-blade" by the Makan lizar, and swamp lizar call it ffssath'kiss, which means "path maker". It is a heavy one sided razor sharp short sword with a rounded tip used to hack through heavy undergrowth. In the hands of an experienced swamp lizar it can shear through small branches and arm bones in one chop.

Urrffrah raises her muzzle to the wind and scents the air, hoping to find the smell of the dead-place the group was at earlier. Another gurgling angry-noise sounds from behind her. Whatever is there seems like it wants to fight, or is warning something off from whatever it has claimed to eat. The barghest moves off, nose to the wind, searching for any trace of the dead-place. Instinctively, she knows that if she keeps her nose to the moving air, there is amuch higher chance of being able to smell things. As she moves, she smells something delicious nearby, much closer than any of the other tantalizing, but distant smells of little creatures. It is prey. Looking around, she spies a fat grey-furred animal hiding under a bush, about as big as those long-ears she used to catch in the grass-places after she left the magic-callers den. This creature doesnt have long ears, but small round blackk ones. Other than that, it appears to be a similar creature. It is crouching under the bush where it was foraging, utterly unmoving, probably hoping she wont notice it and pass it by.

So, beo, youve got a bit of a dilemma. If you want to see if you can remember anything specific about swamp worms, ask an ooc question such as "how big on average are they?" "how do they hunt?" "how agressive are they?" or stuff like that, ask it androll a know nature. Other than that, theres a worm, a bunch of brambles and undeegrowth, two holes, and Urrffrah's nowhere to be seen.

Ameena, if you want to interact with the rodent or anything, roll the appropriate dice (IE attack roll, grapple roll). Also, I need you to roll a wis for the scent track.

Post by **Ameena** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 11:57 am

Urrffrah spots the small furry thing. She hasn't eaten for a little while now, though this makes little difference - she can always manage to eat something more. She decides that, as this creature is here, she might as well try to snap it up. She lunges for it, attempting to chomp the thing to death in one bite and swallow it whole.

So I'm guessing a "long-ear" is a rabbit, therefore this thing is some kind of ground squirrel or something about the size of a rabbit and therefore an easy mouthful for big-gob barghest that Urrffrah is . So here are some rolls...Wis roll for scenting = 5 (3+2), bollocks . Attack roll for snapping up the furry critter = fuck, a botch, lol. Won't bother rolling damage, then . I presume the critter will just manage to leg it away. Urrffrah isn't planning on chasing it - she just wanted to see if she could snap up an easy meal as she passed by.

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 1:41 pm

I'm trying not to make Ssssil too active/intelligent, to honour the fact he's a little low on stats. So he might try to recall how worms 'see', but otherwise would only care if the creature is likely to be solitary/have young around/is terrotorial. After all, no sense in blundering in to a second creature or a den of them trying to escape the first. I guess to that end, whether they eat all the time, or if that single erlosss might keep it going if the group just get round to the other side.

Only rolled a 13 for that though Oh, rolled a second die in case it's needed for anything - and it was a 2, so that won't be good!
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3597732/

Ssssil flinches as it becomes clear the worm knows where Growlgra is going. Or worse, knows where Hissssa is. He makes the placatory/stay still gesture to everyone as he tried to work out where they could all go.

He gestures to Growlgra, and the hole, and points onwards. Still looking to Growlgra, he then indicates himself and Nilss and makes a big 'going around' motion.

He then looks to Nilss. "Don't shhh now. No, shhhh!" Ssssil realises it would be easier for Nilsss to move to the other side too where he and Ssssil needs to go. Sssssil gestures for Nilss to go on the briar path. He points ot himself, and pantomimes quietly going insane, mouth open and waving his arms wildly. Then he points to Nilss's weapon, and indicates chopping. He repeats that a few times, to get the idea of Nilss chopping while Ssssil makes noise and motion to cover it. He indicates Nilss to go forwards.

He then indicates a circular swapping motion. He indicates Nilss, then does the insane arm waving and open mouth. Then Ssssil points to himself, and indicates a very decisive movement forwards. For reassurance, Ssssil then shows his teeth widely and gives an affirmative hand gesture.

And if I need a reminder, this is why Sssssil is going to be attacked by a huge worm in a couple of round's time

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