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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Nov 21, 2022 17:05:36 GMT -5
The Zeinav Desert. Possibly the most boring part of all of Charon. Possibly the most boring part in the whole universe. This place was so boring, it’s only used as a way to get to other places. So boring, you fall asleep just describing how boring it is….zzzzzz. Hunh…oh sorry. So boring, the official colors are beige and grey. So boring, it’s more interesting at night when you can’t see anything. So boring, the bandits here rob you, not for money, but just because there is nothing else going on. Boring.
If that wasn’t bad enough, Shaa got somehow roped into caravan guard duty. Guard duty! Like the most boring duty of all duties. It’s the duty of “ Hey, be there just in case something interesting happens. Probably won’t, but just in case” ughhh The horrible part was Shaa knew exactly why this was happening. When the mages guild attacked, he had used a ballista to kill a spire viper that had been summoned inside. Did he get a thank you for killing the stupid thing? No. He got a “ How could you loose the safeties and wreck the walls Shaa? How is the place a giant pile of rubble Shaa? Who’s going to pay for the new ballista on the wall Shaa? The answer was Shaa was going to pay for it by agreeing to guard duty for some rich patron. So unfair.
The only bright side is he got to take a rookie with him. He had never worked with Astrid before so this would be a great chance to size up the new recruit and see what she was made of. He had heard a couple things but he was willing to ignore any rumors and see for himself. Who knows, maybe they would even get mugged or something to break up the monotony.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Nov 21, 2022 18:02:14 GMT -5
Intimidation tactics don't work well on Astrid. She's often too head-empty and optimistic to fall prey to anyone trying to intimidate her. Her best friend is an ooze, and she dared someone to pants Zarius at the ball. Her adopted family includes a powerful vampire necromancer and the Witch of Moonglade herself. Her new father assures her that she's brave, so Astrid knows little fear.
Yet trying to make a good first impression on someone she struggles to get a read on always gives her little pangs of anxiety in her stomach. She has no idea what to expect of the very large bull man. It's not that he's a minotaur - that fact doesn't bother her in the slightest. In fact, she feels some kinship with another horned fighter. What makes her nervous is his constant huffing and puffing about the situation. What's going through his mind? Is he mad? Is he bored? Is he upset that she's tagging along? Is he the type to snap suddenly over something small and benign?
No idea.
It doesn't help that it's just so dang hot in the desert. After the adventure underground with the BlixtbotsTM, she swore she'd never come back out here. To protect herself from the sweltering heat, she keeps her cloak pulled over her head, and she hugs her hammer with ever-present icy mist close to keep her cool. It's a huge help, and she mentally thanks the dragon whose breath struck her hammer. Thanks, dragon.
Beside her, Spicy Pawsage trots along having the absolute time of his life. The horned hound quite enjoys the heat. He is a hellhound, after all. Often he trots circles around the caravan and sniffs at anything and everything that catches his attention. The merchants are especially nervous with a beast that occasionally burps fire around their carts of dry goods. Luckily, the hellhound is well-behaved and listens to most of Astrid's commands. Usually.
Stumbling along behind Astrid is her Type-I Pawn Model BlixtbotTM Charles who carries anything additional she packs into his metal backpack. The bot follows without complaint usually, but in Astrid's experience he is not particularly well-versed in traversing loose sands. She has on more than one occasion considered building him some sort of skiis or replacing his feet with cleft hooves like that of a camel. That would take a significant amount of engineering, however.
So they trudge through the heat in awkward silence. Avasha above, she hates awkward silences. They don't need to be awkward or silent. Just rip it off like a bandage! Her words fumble from her mouth.
"So, um... Mister Shaa, how'd ya find out about the guild?" Small talk, a perfect way to spark up a conversation! She just needs to get this nervous energy out by talking! "Did ya hafta put on an impressive fight, too?"
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Nov 21, 2022 21:15:32 GMT -5
Shaa snorted a bit at the question. Please, just call me Shaa. Mr. was the guy I punched in the face the other day. He gave a silly grin. As far as how I found out about the guild, it seems like it was forever ago. When I was a kid, my adopted …errr…family used to tell me stories. Stories of guild heroes who fought bandits, killed monsters and roamed the world. Ever since then I wanted to be one of them. Eventually I ended up under the guidance of the guild master Athena and have been in ever since. Shaa got a kind of sad look on his face as if remembering something painful.
Anyway, that was several years ago. Currently I’m actually the acting guild master…until Athena gets back. Shaa brushes some sand out of his fur. So basically kid, I’m here to make sure that this shipment points a thumb at the cart gets across the desert of unending boredom. And that you points a meaty finger at Astrid stay alive and hopefully learn something.
Shaa watched as the carts continued to push forward through the sand. Bleak emptinesses rolling out before them. Have you ever been here before? Hope you brought a puzzle or something.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Nov 22, 2022 16:49:18 GMT -5
It's a bit hard to pick up some of the minotaur's expressions as his demeanor is different than most people's. Still, Astrid noticed a twinge of glumness, though she doesn't mention it. "I think ya'll be surprised, Mis- Er, Shaa. I may be small, but I can hold me own in a fight." She starts naming things she's beaten (with help, of course). The tiny miss has seen a lot of adventures in the last few months. What she dreads most about this one is the heat, and now the boredom after Shaa's complaining.
"I didn't expect me first adventure with the guild ta be with the current leader," she says, glad for the conversation to distract. "I've been ta the desert before, but I never did like travelin' through it all that much. Mostly I come here ta the coast ta see me gramps." From a pouch on her belt, she pulls out a small leatherbound book. "Won't get too bored. I'm workin' on ideas fer next year's ball!"
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Nov 22, 2022 19:10:35 GMT -5
Shaa covered his eyes from the sun and looked down at the book. Ohh you are the creative type are you? That’s pretty coo….Suddenly Shaa’s expression changes to concern. Sorry, hang on for just a second. Shaa puts his hands on the ground to feel the vibrations underneath. Shaa can feel something coming. Something under the sand. It…no they… were moving so fast. Too small to be sand worms. Just what was this.
Suddenly, several small creatures burst from the ground, spraying sand and dirt in the air. Shaa jumps back only to see the small creatures are in fact goblins. Goblins packing some crazy digging gear that allows them to burrow underground….and ruin his boring trip.
Dis be it! Grab the box! Yelled the lead goblin. Shaa is stunned for only a moment. With a burst of speed, he cuts off the lead goblin, closest to the cart. Yeeeaahhh! Shaa tries to grab him but he manages to burrow back underground. A second one bursts up on the other side of the cart. Shaa grabs a lose plank from the back and swats it away. Little mounds of sand can now be seen circling the cart. Shaa looks over and yells. Protect the package!
Ground Tremors Adrenaline Rush
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Nov 22, 2022 19:52:03 GMT -5
Well, this super boring trip through the desert certainly didn't remain boring for all that long as a rumblin' came a tumblin' under the sands. Astrid whips out her hammers, hefting a silvered battle hammer in her left hand and an electrified, icy war hammer in her right hand. She counts a dozen goblins with tools and patchwork armor. Something large moves under the sands too. "Charles, get yer butt into the cart or yer gonna get eaten!" she shouts. The BlixtbotTM scrambles to clamber into a cart while Astrid watches the massive shifting lump of sand move along.
It's time for a game of whack-a-mole.
Astrid waits for the lump to circle close then hefts her hammers and slams them both down on the lump with a powerful strike. Sand flies into the air in all directions, clumps of sand hardening into desert glass from the electrified hammer. The creature beneath bellows in pain and sinks into the sand, fleeing the scene for the moment.
Astrid looks at the barking Spicy Pawsage, aggressively poised to defend his person. "Snack time, boy!" she shouts, rushing towards the nearest goblin. Luckily, goblins are typically evil, and if this group showed up to steal something, her silvered hammer is about to cause some true pain to them. First she yeets the seemingly weightless, massive war hammer towards a pair of goblins who have just emerged from beneath the sands. The hammer, however, is far from weightless, as the thing is iced, electrified, and has the heavy enchantment. It hits both of them, flattening them and shocking them immediately as if a boulder was rocketed by a giant. Then she hefts her battle hammer, attached to a cord as it lacks any returning properties, and throws it at another goblin. It smashes them in the chest and knocks them down, leaving them writhing in pain as the silver affects them. She grabs the cord and yanks the hammer back towards her. At the same time, she readies her right hand to receive her war hammer. It flies through the air and settles weightlessly into her hand.
Meanwhile, Spicy Pawsage snarls at a goblin approaching the cart and lets loose a breath of fire ahead of himself. The goblins rush back to avoid being toasted, and the hellhound chases them, barking viciously and ready for a snack.
The lump of sand makes it way back towards the cart, veering suddenly towards the half-dwarven snack. She's no halfling, but she'll do. Suddenly the sand bursts beneath Astrid's feet, and leaping into the air from below, a massive blue-gray land shark attempts to have a taste. Its back is covered in polished, natural plates of armor, one of which is cracked heavily from Astrid's strike earlier. A saddle and storage bags are also attached, but it currently lacks a rider. The bulette returns for revenge, and Astrid seems to be trying to get a spell off but doesn't have enough time.
Charles' voice echoes across the battle, "Mistress Astrid, report: It appears that you are about to be eaten."
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Nov 22, 2022 22:19:49 GMT -5
Goblins under the ground, what in the world? There was apparently more to this expedition that he was first lead to believe. All of the goblins were not great, but at least it might keep things interesting. If they think they are going to get thier hands on the cargo, they have another thing coming.
The goblins kept emerging like dirty popcorn. Every time one would pop up, he would smack them away with the board. It was actually pretty fun until the land shark showed up. Shaa needed to focus. He slowed his breathing, putting himself into a trance like state where he could feel his own soul. He was now one with his own being. Shaa watched as the giant mound cruised around the cart. He tracked it carefully while he swatted at the goblins. Suddenly, the land shark took a sharp turn and was headed right for Astrid. The giant shark burst out of the ground, mouth wide, right at her.
With a quick slicing move, Shaa sends a wave of spiritual energy right at the sharks side. As it impacts, it flies away from Astrid and goes crashing into the ground with a loud thump. While Shaa is attacking the shark, A goblin pops up next to him with a knife while a second one emerges by the chest and makes a grab for it. In a single fluid motion, Shaa snags the arm of the knife wielding goblin and flings it over his head, face first into the goblin grabbing the chest.
Ughh that was too close. Astrid, are you ok?
Fighters Sense Art of the Soul Improvised Weapons
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Nov 23, 2022 0:06:19 GMT -5
In the split second before the bulette's mouth closes around her body, it's suddenly blasted away by unseen energy, and she lands roughly on her feet, dragged down by the weight of her war hammer. She watches the beast land in a spray of sand then looks over at Shaa gratefully. "Yup, ain't a snack yet! Thanks!" Deciding the ground is not a place she wants to be when a landshark is about, she sprouts wings from her back and leaps into the air to avoid becoming its next snack. She sees the creature burrow underground and starts to track it, but the goblins are getting closer to the cart. They've dealt with about half of them at this point.
"Oh, no ya don't!" she shouts, zipping towards the goblins closest to the cart and picking them off one by one. Her hammers slam into them and send them flying like a club striking a ball. Paff, paff. They hit the sand. Only a few goblins left. One of them shouts in fear and clambers back into the tunnel to take cover. Maybe they're not a problem anymore. Flapping her wings to hover in place, it looks like Shaa has the last few goblins covered. Spicy Pawsage seems to have found himself a snack and is gnawing on a thoroughly crispy goblin's leg.
Bat Wings [post 1/3]
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Nov 23, 2022 14:10:26 GMT -5
Shaa scans the area as the goblins dive into tunnels to escape the onslaught. The chest is there and in one piece so check. Astrid was alive and in one piece. Check check. Now they just had to figure out what this was all about. And there was his chance. As one of the goblins ran for the tunnel, Shaa ran over and snagged him by the neck.
Arrrgghh let me go beast man. Let us go! I stab you, stab you with lots holes! Shaa shakes the goblin vigorously until he calms down. As he does, knives, nuts, a yo-yo, a couple coins and a half eaten muffin fall from his person. Shaa picks up the muffin and eats in in the goblins face.
Hey, that my muffin!
Too bad toad face! You are going to lose a lot more than a muffin if you don’t start talking. Why did you attack us?
The goblin squirmed a bit in Shaa’s grip. No reason, goblins just like digging. The goblin stared hard at his feet. Don’t give me that! Well armed goblin hoards packing land sharks are not just cruising around the desert. What are you up to! Shaa flips the goblin upside down and shakes him by his feet. Agghh mes throwing up ughhhh bleedgh! Tell me! Fine fine, fancy man want the box! Shaa rights him. What fancy man? Fancy man promises much fish heads for box. FISH HEADS! The goblin starts to drool a bit. And where is this fish head giving fancy man? Don’t know? He trade when we gets box. FISH HEADS!
Shaa can tell he’s not going to get much more and tosses the goblin to the ground. Ok you jerks beat it. If I see you again, I’ll twist off your heads. Agghh The goblin dives down the hole. Shaa turns to Astrid. Ok looks like we need to get to town to prep for the second leg. If the goblin is right, this trip is going to get interesting.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Nov 26, 2022 22:25:48 GMT -5
Once she's sure the land shark won't make another appearance, Astrid lands gently in the sand and folds her wings beneath her cloak, not quite fully retracting them yet. She doesn't quite trust the desert. While Shaa interrogates the goblin, she goes over to explore the tunnel a little. It goes on for quite a while. When she pokes her head back up, Shaa's got the goblin upside down and is shaking him by the leg. That looks uncomfortable, and she tries not to imagine that the minotaur could easily do that to her (not that he would).
Finally, the goblin scurries past her, and she mean mugs them as they go, then she looks to Shaa again, gathering herself up. "Aye, whatever's in that crate must be pretty important. No wonder they hired us ta guard it!" She gives him a confident and reassuring grin, letting herself relax a little. "Guess this journey weren't so borin' after all, was it?"
They aren't too much farther from their pit stop at Thunderhoof Village, so she piles into the cart, and they get moving again - this time at double speed. The caravan owners seem especially antsy to get there to some perception of safety. Quickly the cart poots through the desert leaving only wagon wheel lines in the sand and eventually the grass of the plains. Finally, it arrives in the next town.
Astrid takes the time to stretch, collect herself, and refill her water and supplies. She calls on Miss Melodia to look around town for any sign of the goblins or who they worked for, and the ghostly woman agrees and wanders through town investigating as an invisible specter.
When she returns to the cart, she finds the caravan runners unloading the cargo. "Oi, what're ya doin'? We've gotta get ta Eclipse City with that! We're barely halfway there!" Astrid rushes forward and tries to push the crate back onto the cart, struggling against the workers with her own compact strength.
"No, absolutely not!" the driver says frantically, coming to help push the crate out of the wagon. "You will find your own transport for this cargo! We were attacked by land sharks and goblins! Whatever this delivery is, it is not worth my life or my employees' lives!"
Astrid struggles harder against gravity and the additional pushback of the driver. "None of ya got hurt, did ya?? We did a great job keepin' ya safe! Ya know, like we're bein' paid ta do!" By this point, Spicy Pawsage is barking aggressively at the contest.
"I am not taking on any more risk. We weren't paid for a hazardous delivery!!" The group of men just manages to overcome the girl, and the crate lands heavily on the rocky ground. "Tell that Shaa we will not be continuing our business. Good luck to the both of you!" The group quickly settles into the cart, and with a snap of the reins, they ride back toward Zeinav.
Astrid's left in the dust, confused, and exasperated. What are they supposed to do now?
Bat Wings [post 2/3] Call Ghost [post 1/3]
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Nov 27, 2022 12:33:17 GMT -5
Shaa scratched his sandy butt a little as he watched the caravan trail off into the distance. He made a mental note to punch the caravan driver in the face the next time he rolled into Zeinav City for abandoning his contract. They were just goblins for goodness sake, nothing to get all skwaky about. Oh well. Kind of how this trip was going. He then looks over to Astrid who seems to Shaa to be concerned. Ughhh if Athena was here, she would kick him in the face for this.
He knew that he had been a grump but he was in charge. It was his job to keep up moral and get the job done and he had been pretty pathetic at it so far. Shaking the dirt out of his fur, he slaps himself in the face and walks over to Astrid.
What a bunch of cry babies right. Oh no, I got attacked by goblins. I mean, who doesn’t? I spent a night in a goblin drunk tank now THATS something to complain about. Shaa pokes at Astrid a bit to try and get her to laugh at the situation. Hey what are you worried about? This? Pppssssttt. You are in the FIGHTERS GUILD! Stuff like this is a Tuesday for us. Big monster? Kill it! Disaster? Walk through it. Political intrigue? Eat a muffin, punch someone and ignore it. We are man…and women…of action. And bonus! You are with me! Remember? My job is to protect the box and take care of you. Still good on both counts. You just need to trust me. THIS is how I roll.
Shaa takes several steps back and gives Astrid a big smile. Smashing his hands together, he forces the ambient earth energy into his body and grows 4 X his normal size into an over 30 ft tall monster. Picking up the box like it was nothing, Shaa holds out his other hand to offer Astrid a giant Minotaur ride across the plains to the kings forest. Come on kid. We are going to have some fun yet, just you wait.
Giant Size
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