Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

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Prof Weird
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Prof Weird »

Sashura was a bit twitchy while Chelydra was out of her possession; it had been in her family for generations, and it just felt wrong to be without it somehow.

Guardian training kept her mind off it most of the time. Their signature device - the Auto Buckler - took some getting used to. It could block any attack for her - as long as she remembered to prime it before use. And it only worked five times before it literally ran out of gas, so she had to learn to keep track of that without being distracted.

The other useful device was the Pheromone dispenser. Any Deceiver in the area will focus its attention (and attacks) on her for a little while, giving the rest of the team unmolested free shots at it.

And she'd seen what the other members of the team could do !

An effective strategy, but only good as long as she could stay alive.

But between Chelydra's Restoration power, healing elixirs, good armor and skillful shield use she could be very hard to keep down, much less actually be hit.

The dispenser was a simple device, so the training mostly involved learning how to use it without breaking the vials or retching - whatever foul substance they had in those vials was vile ! The stench could crawl up your sinuses and punch you in the brain - from inside your head !

But at least the week was over, so she went over to see how Lloyd's week was going.
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Doctor Malsyn
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Doctor Malsyn »

If there was anyone that could sympathize with Sassura's feelings of wrongness, it'd be Ericka. Every moment she spent apart from Gemini filled her with a deep sense of unease, terror, and utter loneliness. Something about her connection to that knife was never quite replicates with her more infrequently wielded Tectus. Perhaps that connection was stronger before she'd had that explosive integrated into it's design, that modification making the whole thing feel just the slightest bit more disposable in nature.

Time away from her favored weapon was leading to strange and weirder ideas cropping up in her head, with an increasingly frazzled woman ever more uncertain if they were even her own. Being out in the field away from civilization hadn't helped calm things down as she'd once hoped, as her mental abilities had only grown even more potent. Even items had thoughts and memories she could now leach, each joining the jumbled mesh she called her psyche. Resourceful and intelligent despite it all however, she took what little made sense and turned it into something... Interesting.

"Hmhm..." The giggle escaped unbidden as five instruments of violent flaming death twirled around her in a dance. One drifted close to her hand, and with a brush of her finger tips it was sent flying off to the far side of field she used. Fire bloomed up from it's impact point, far more precise in it's flight then anything she could've thrown herself. Each spear followed in turn with only the barest moment given to activate it's payload. With each pop of thunder, her smile grew just a little bit wider.

When she reunited with Gemini again, they'd have so much to discuss. Just in time to visit her lumberjacking companion to boot.
Am I dead? Am I alive? The answer may surprise you!
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"What a week, huh?" "Doc, it's only Wednesday."
Flynnarrel
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Flynnarrel »

Loyd shook his head to keep the sweat from dripping into his eyes, stinging and distracting him at a crucial moment.

The course started off hard. The platforms were 30 ft in the air and he wasted no time on opening the pressure valve to his forearm-mounted grapnel - the Hunter's Grasp.

He invoked minor magics to let him narrow in on his target.
Guide trick: 6d6 [6d6=6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 4]
Not a breath later he was invoking different magics.
Cunning: 6d6 21 [6d6=2, 2, 5, 3, 6, 3
Lloyd aimed, not at the first platform, but the smaller guide bar above it, then propelled his Grasp with an audible puff of air.
Guided Grasp: 11d6 45 [11d6=5, 4, 2, 6, 4, 2, 6, 6, 4, 4, 2] (plus 1 auto success from trick makes 5).
His latched onto the narrow bar. A twist of the wrist started the autowinch and the breath caught in his chest at the speed he was lurched forward and launched upwards. His velocity brought him past the platform, intentionally overshooting until he reached the zenith of his arc. Hs billowed the glide cape and the light fabric caught the air turning his would-be fall into a glide. Just as he was about to reach the second platform his hand opened to show a mushroom-shaped dart of the Fertile magics he cast earlier. He loosed it to the middle of the 1 foot wide beam with the swinging knobbed weights. The fungal growths gripped his shoes giving him the traction to clear the length when all the weights were at an outswing. Without the magics it would have been trickier timing, needing weights to pass safely or risk being knocked off with a 30-ft drop.

The spinning 'swords' were next but mid-stride a floating buckler of spectral bark appeared which deflected many of the strikes that would have made him falter as he threaded the fast-revolving vertical trunks with jutting wooden rods spiked out.
Cunning - Shielding, Attuned: 6d6 19 [6d6=3, 5, 6, 2, 1, 2]
Next he had three paths to choose from. He paused to consider his options, closing, then re-opening them.
Cunning - Sense life: 6d6 25 [6d6=5, 1, 4, 6, 6, 3]
He could tell, along two of the paths there were ambushers waiting to waylay him and eat at his precious time. He deftly avoided them both, choosing the third.

He nearly faltered at the balance beam, an unsteady gait costing him precious time.
Acrobatics: 10d6 22 [10d6=1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 5]
He would have fallen due to an errant gust of wind had he not invoked the immovability of suddenly-there spectral tree.
Cunning - gravity trick: 6d6 18 [6d6=1, 1, 6, 2, 3, 5]
It let him recover his balance and press on.

The crate challenge was next. Most applicants leapt from unsecured stack to unsecured stack. But Lloyd also knew that the Master Striker Trainer was close with his dual hook-swords which had let him rip the bonds out of the hands of many a Novice. Lloyd took a moment to invoke new magics he'd unlocked.
Cunning - symbiotic: 6d6 21 [6d6=6, 1, 2, 5, 6, 1]
Spectral vines sprung from Heartwood, sinking into Lloyd's arm, locking weapon to hand as his limb and body became dense and treelike.

Rather than over, he concentrated on gettig *through*.
force: 9d6 26 [9d6=5, 1, 4, 1, 2, 2, 6, 2, 3]

force again: 9d6 25 [9d6=5, 3, 2, 3, 2, 2, 1, 2, 5]
It took him two tries to get through the mass of boxes but eventually he did so.

He then gave will to lengthening the spectral tree that Heartwood evoked.
cunning - energetic strike: 6d6 29 [6d6=6, 3, 6, 6, 6, 2]
He planted the spectral end and pole-vaulted the distance to the final platform.
athletics: 8d6 38 [8d6=4, 6, 2, 4, 6, 5, 5, 6]
He wasted no time in mounting the final mock-deceiver mechanism.
Acrobatics, tier 3: 10d6 32 [10d6=6, 1, 5, 3, 4, 1, 2, 6, 2, 2]
He secured the Grasp on reflex, letting him get purchase on the thing as the automated bucking and spinning was ramping up.

Upon seeing the Trainer waiting for him, Lloyd took a quick hit of Viribius Juice and hefted Heartwood for battle. As suspected, binding himself to his bond forced the hook-sword Weilder to change his usual tactics, but the man was a still a veteran and the battle was fierce.
Summary Defense: 7d6 29 [7d6=3, 4, 6, 2, 6, 4, 4]
Summary Shielding: 7d6 30 [7d6=2, 5, 6, 5, 5, 6, 1]

Summary Attack: 10d6 34 [10d6=3, 1, 6, 5, 5, 6, 1, 2, 2, 3]

Summary Attack 2: 10d6 36 [10d6=4, 5, 3, 3, 6, 2, 1, 5, 3, 4]
Lloyd, not being the quickest on his feet was able to turn aside a few blows, but the real star was the glowing spectral buckler of bark which turned aside or absorbed many blows on his behalf. Lloyd's own strikes were no small thing as the woodsman spun his staff (and corresponding spectral wooden pillar) in a flurry of strikes. In the end, Lloyd succeeded in smashing the steel plate that turned off the mechanical Deceiver, despite the extra pressure brought about by the Striker Trainer.
Acrobatics to stay on, Tier 5: 10d6 30 [10d6=2, 3, 2, 3, 4, 5, 3, 5, 1, 2]
In the constructs final bucks, heightened to simulate death throes, Lloyd's Grasp finally came loose and he was thrown off, only to glide to the ground amidst laughter and japes, but some cheering as well.

He was fatigued and bruised from several well-placed strikes from the Trainer but he had retained his Bonded Weapon and was Haunt-free despite heavy magic use. His time wasn't the all-time greatest, but it was a respectable showing.
"Something pithy this way comes."
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Gunmetal_Rainbow
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Gunmetal_Rainbow »

The week seemed to fly by, yet somehow still feel like months ( :? ). Each of you finding ways to fill your time, training, preparing, making sure you're ready for a potential akuma confrontation. Whatever was waiting for your group in Petram, you wanted to be as ready as possible.

Finally, the day comes and you all reassemble in Guildmaster Sandra's office, this time a slender woman with shoulder-length blonde hair is in attendence as well. She carries a bastard sword sheathed at her hip and bares a pair of vilis coronam horns upon her brow. She leans against a drawer chest to the side of the room, arms crossed, as the hunters arrive, an appraising look on her face. Whatever she is thinking, 'unimpressed' isn't it.

"Welcome back hunters. I would say I hope you've had a productive week, but I can see you've all been busy with preparations. I heard about your trial run at the striker training grounds as well. Quite impressive." Sandra greets the group, congratulating Lloyd on his achievement. "First, allow me to introduce you all to Willow Fletcher." she gestures to the blonde woman. "She is an expert rank hunter and a native of Petram."

Willow treats the group to a friendly smile. "Mornin' hunters. Looking forward to workin' with ya." she speaks in a very casual way with a more rural accent. "Ampere n' I are lookin' forward to guidin' you t' my ol' stompin' grounds." She pats the sword at her hip by way of introducing her bond, Ampere.

Sandra nods, bringing attention back to herself. "As Willow says, she is here to guide you to Petram, and as her rank would indicate, she will pull her own weight for any fighting to be done. I've arranged a cart for you for the journey as well. Unfortunately, I was unable to obtain and additional information about what is going on in Petram, and that includes keeping track of anything inbound from there, so unfortunately we have no idea what you may be walking into, so I don't need to tell you to keep on your toes."

With that, she leaves the floor open to any last minute questions or concerns.
Flynnarrel
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - First journey

Post by Flynnarrel »

Lloyd Millhaus
AT: ___ || Wounds: 7/7 || Casting: 6D6

Lloyd nods respectfully at mention of his Striker trial.

At the call for questions, he speaks in his halting accent. "What is..." he makes a snaking motion with his hand, "...path to Petram like. How long?"
"Something pithy this way comes."
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Gunmetal_Rainbow
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Gunmetal_Rainbow »

"It will be a few days travel, and once you cross Morvan's Pass, you'll be leaving the generally safer lands of Primium for the wild forests of Uhyre, so it will be a marked degree more dangerous in general in the wilds. Deceivers, corrupted and bandits are all possibilities along the way, though I am confident you will all be able to rally against any obstacle in your path." Sandr'as voice had a tone of sincerity, given your group's achievements thus far.
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Vivid
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Vivid »

Lady Moira Sterling
Moira AT:
Raptage AT:

Moira was *very* glad to have a higher ranking escort if they were possibly going up against an Akuma, and one who's faced and survived an encounter with such before if the horns were any indication. The Sterling household was always open and welcoming to hunters and she'd seen her fair share of the Corruption Crowns.

"Morvan's pass is through the mountains, right?" Moira asks, trying to recall what she could of mountainous deceivers. "We won't let you down, Ma'am." Moira says with confidence.
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Arkrite
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - First journey

Post by Arkrite »

Grigor "Dog" Geddings
AT: NA Wounds: 5/5

Dog grins as he walks in, reaching up with his bandaged left hand to tip his hat to the new addition. He might have winked, but with the black eye it was hard to tell. The fat lip made the grin more than a little lopsided.

But it didn't seem to bother him a bit. He simply looked around for a moment as though looking for another plate of sandwiches to abuse, before giving up with a shrug that seemed to shout "shucks, had to try."

"Never been through mountains before," He notes aloud, "Sounds chilly."
Flynnarrel
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - First journey

Post by Flynnarrel »

Lloyd Millhaus
AT: ___ || Wounds: 7/7 || Casting: 6D6

Lloyd lets out a low whistle upon seeing the state of Dog.

"You fight?" he asks before his face grows slightly disappointed, "...and not invite me?" Then a dawning realization. "Or maybe blacksmith's daughter, yes?" he gives a sly grin.
"Something pithy this way comes."
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Doctor Malsyn
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Doctor Malsyn »

Ericka falters somewhat in the face of such an experienced fighter, her eyes drawn to the physical proof of her victory over an Akuma in the past. "Do you- really think we'll be able to... handle it? We encountered one before, but the sheer power it had we... We could only do what we could to escape without anyone killed or injured."

Lore: 2 successes (Wow, terrible rolls)
Am I dead? Am I alive? The answer may surprise you!
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"What a week, huh?" "Doc, it's only Wednesday."
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Gunmetal_Rainbow
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Gunmetal_Rainbow »

Sandra and Willow look towards each other, then back to the group, Willow speaking up. "From what I hear, y'all took down a warchmogger! That's not small accomplishment for a bunch'a newer hunters." She pointedly doesn't call you rookies or newbies. "Can't say fer sure ifn' y'all, includin' mea, will be able ot handle an akuma until we encounter it unfortunately. No way t'know how old it is, but we'll do our best to investigate first, get n' idea o' what we'll be facin' off against. Ain't no hunter survives long jumpin' into fights without preparin' when they got the chance."
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Vivid
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Vivid »

Lady Moira Sterling
Moira AT:
Raptage AT:

"You faced and Akuma of Slaughter, right?" Moira asks Willow, hoping it wasn't a sensitive subject. "We think this 'Helmontra' might be an Akuma of Ruin based on the effects it had on its corrupted." Moira says.

"But we'll see if we even get that far. When are we leaving?" she asks brightly.
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Gunmetal_Rainbow
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Gunmetal_Rainbow »

Sandra answers this time. "As soon as you are able to set off."
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Vivid
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Vivid »

It's the morning, right?
"I'm all packed and ready!" Moira says with an eager smile. She looks to the others expectantly.
Flynnarrel
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - First journey

Post by Flynnarrel »

Lloyd Millhaus
AT: ___ || Wounds: 7/7 || Casting: 6D6

"I am too, ready." Lloyd says.
"Something pithy this way comes."
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