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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Apr 18, 2023 14:38:41 GMT -5
After a tough battle with yet another freaking bug, Astrid’s made it into the Winged Expeditionary Force. The first order of business? Preparing for a hunt in Arid Mesa against some creatures called Nightcaller Trolls that have been terrorizing the region, especially within Giant’s Avenue. Astrid’s trips to Arid Mesa are few and far between, and she hasn’t exactly been back since the whole ordeal with Scern, but the trolls here are growing in number. Because of this, the Force has asked a few groups to start scouting the area and setting up artillery, having sent a few shipments and caravans of supplies for those making the efforts. Big mechanical weapons and information gathering on their effectiveness? Now that’s right up Astrid’s alley. She brought a brand new notebook to take notes for their testing and everything. This is like her experiments in her workshop except on a much larger scale. The elevation shifts don’t pose much of a problem to her either as she’s used to the rocky mountain sides of Dragon’s Cradle. Having found a nice spot to perch, Astrid spends a bit of time sketching out the environment of the Avenue and keeping an eye out for potential danger. If they’re lucky, they can just set up and get out of here so they can work on the next steps to prepare for the hunts. Looking around from the few people around who are here paid by the guild to help move materials, Astrid looks around for the guild member she’s supposed to be meeting.
Bringing Pets: Arcus - pegasus (reindeer) Spicy Pawsage - hell hound (dreadsnout) Quest Name: From the east they came Participants: Exactly two (you and one other, the other does not need to be interested in the guild) Location: Indicated by Hunt Dossier Post Requirements: 5 post per person, 200 words per post Reward: Quest Completion Description: You will be accompanied by a member of the Survey Corps who will assist in the studying and recording of an area while you assist in clearing out the area of any debris and choosing suitable locations for artillery, such as ballista, catapults, or trebuchet. You will assist in setting up these devices and even test firing them, marking range, force of impact and other vital information. The locations of these devices and the information gathered will be crucial in assisting the guild with the hunt to come. So, lend whatever help you can in establishing an advantageous battlefield.
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Post by Shitakibo on Apr 19, 2023 11:17:08 GMT -5
Giant's Avenue had proven to be an unsettling place to Taki, dry and cold, with only sparse and hearty life clinging to it's frigid stones. She had travelled here as part of a recent assignment issued by the WEF, something about working with another to gather information on Siege Weapons and their emplacements for an upcoming incursion. Shuna, Yukina and Kurobe all joined her on this frosty trek through the arid, frozen lands. Shion, Keiga and Rina had stayed home for this journey, as the environment was too cold and desolate for them to be safe.
Rounding a hill, she came upon a cliff overlooking a wide valley of mostly flat land. There, she spotted a young girl with bright hair and a notebook. Yukina buzzed low overhead, winging away in a wide arc to get the best view of the area. Shuna darted between rocks, scrub bushes and any other cover she could find, pouncing at shadows and generally goofing around as most felines did. Kurobe's massive fluffy body, with his pastel multi-colored wool and curling horns, trotted along beside the shaman as she worked her way around the trail.
"Greetings to you young one, I am Shitakibo. I was told to meet another from the Winged Expeditionary Force here so that we might survey this area. Would you happen to be that person or know of them?" She asked as politely as she could, waiting a few paces away in case this person was not a part of the expedition or meant ill to those who were.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Apr 19, 2023 14:59:59 GMT -5
Spotting Shitakibo approaching her with intent, Astrid looks to the reptilian woman with a big smile. “Aye, I’m here with the Force!” Astrid says cheerfully, snapping her notebook closed and strolling up to meet Taki. She offers a gauntleted hand to shake. “Nice ta meet ya Miss Shitakibo! I’m Astrid Stormstone. I like buildin’ stuff an’ smackin’ monsters with me hammers.” Looking around, one hand lands on her hips while the other motions to the canyon. “Which makes me a good fit fer doin’ this sorta stuff, I think.”
Her eyes catch a glimpse of the animal companions around Taki. “Ooh, ya have a lotta friends with ya!” At her side, Spicy Pawsage watches the feline intently, but the hell hound makes no moves to go on the hunt for he is a very good boy. Astrid’s hand lands on the hot dog’s head and ruffles his ears. “This here is Spicy Pawsage. Me horse Arcus is around here somewhere.”
“Anyway, I’ve been tryna figure out where ta set up some of the weapons. I think I found a coupla good spots, so I’m wantin' ta test ‘em out.” With that, she motions to a couple of ballista that are being set up by a group of laborers up on the cliffs with the intent to aim them down the Avenue. “Still lots ta scout an’ try though. What dya wanna focus on?”
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Post by Shitakibo on Apr 20, 2023 4:34:45 GMT -5
"I genuinely know very little about siege weapons, though if you'd be willing to explain the kinds of terrain features you need for such weapons, my companions and I will map them for you. Afterwards, I will defer to your lead." Replied the shaman, already looking out across the area at where the weapons were being set up for testing. The emplacements seemed to be favoring large, flat areas with clear pathing for the engineers to move gear and work. She had no clue what else to look for, and waited for Astrid's response.
Overhead, Yukina widened her searching circle, responding to Taki's thoughts. Shuna wandered off as well, vanishing amongst the cover of the rocks as the feline went ahead to act as a pathfinder. Kurobe munched absently by her side, occasionally leaning into the shaman as a playful show of affection. Sinking her hands into the Woolful's thick coat, she grew excited by it's length, firm yet springy texture, and tufted fibers. This would be her first year sheering the creature, so the shaman was hopeful for lots of useful materials, and vibrant colors to work with for the future.
As Taki watched over her companions from afar, the first of the siege weapons was completing it's final assembly. The engineers were hauling up the first of it's projectiles to start testing. She watched, fascinated by the proceedings.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Apr 20, 2023 16:00:56 GMT -5
Astrid taps her pencil against her lips thoughtfully. She sees the owl circling above overhead. “Yeah! If ya can help map stuff out, that’d be real helpful!” she exclaims. “I’ve gotten a decent view from above, but I can’t fly around forever, so if ya have a good way ta find stuff like that, it’d be real helpful! Elevation changes, good nooks an’ crannies ta hide weapons in, anythin’ with a clear shot in one direction but ain’t visible from the other direction is real helpful too!”
Then she points up at a ballista on the top ledge of the cliff. “I wanna test that ta see how far it’ll go. Ya think ya can help measure how effective the bolts are when they land? Depth, distance, angle, alla that?” she suggests. Folding her pencil into her sketchbook, she offers it to Shitakibo. “If ya wanna use this ta write stuff down, I can hand it off ta the expedition leaders once we’re done with scoutin’! How’s that sound?”
Honestly, Astrid just looks super excited to go fire off the big weapon sitting on the cliff.
“Oh yeah, don’t stand in its path!”
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Post by Shitakibo on Apr 21, 2023 9:36:33 GMT -5
Yukina and Shuna came at the beckon call of the shaman, who sat beside the young girl. As the pair of animals were being pet and given small treats, Taki summoned her Spirit Guardians. Keta and Ryu appeared beside her companions, augmenting the shaman's entourage. Along with Astrid's suggestion, she explained to each of them what was needed. In the end, Keta, Shuna and Yukina would work as a scouting trio to cover as much ground as possible. Yukina overhead would direct the other two, and Keta would relay the areas back. Ryu would observe the test firings, able to stay out of the way as well as offer feedback about the state of such crafts.
The pair of felines and snow owl took wing, heading along the line of weapons already in place to search for new areas beyond. Ryu headed straight for the first of the siege machines, arriving as it's crews were just finishing the winching process and readying the first shot. Taki's breathing slowed, her pulse thundering in her ear for a few moments as she entered a trance-like meditation. She couldn't see her animal companions, but she could tell where the spirits were. She could also hear their voices, though it took a good deal of effort to decipher their voices from the din of other spirits in the area.
"My companions and I will be your eyes, and ears. This will require a great deal of concentration, so you will have to do much of the note taking. Also, please unfurl your map before me, and I will mark the places Keta relays as they scout ahead." Relayed the shaman, her voice soft and somewhat ethereal, her crimson eyes glowing softly. While still learning about the talents and limits of her guardians, she welcomed the challenge of delegating tasks and acting as a command and communications relay for those who'd be able to make use of the information most effectively.
"The first shot is firing... Ryu says it flies a bit too high, but the team are trying to correct. Overall impact on par with a Giant's Hammer striking soft earth..." She relayed, watching the serpentine being dance about the emplacement. Shifting her focus, Keta had just passed the area where the other siege weapon was in the process of assembly. Overhead, Yukina was circling an area that the pair of felines were working their way towards.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Apr 25, 2023 20:59:16 GMT -5
To her surprise, Taki joins Astrid near the ballista while her animal companions go to scout the area. A plethora of questions flow through Astrid’s mind, but she holds them back because Taki is concentrating. The girl lays out the map ahead of Taki while the team works to fire the first ballista bolt. She takes Taki’s notes delivered from her animal companions and has the team with the ballista correct down slightly while Astrid scribbles the point of impact on her map of the canyon.
With the ballista loaded, another shot is fired, this time aiming a bit too low. The impact is greater, throwing up dirt and debris in all directions, but the distance isn’t idea for firing through potential giant trolls. Working with Taki, Astrid helps the team adjust the ballista until they’re certain the adjustments will be perfect. A huge grin on her face, Astrid takes advantage and gets to fire the ballista itself. It perfectly strikes the target set up in the canyon, tearing it to bits.
“YEAH!! THAT’S AWESOME!!” she cheers. Returning to Taki, Astrid motions to the other ballista on the opposite cliff, nearly assembled. “Let’s go set that one up, yeah?”
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Post by Shitakibo on Apr 26, 2023 3:53:12 GMT -5
Marking a spot on the map, the first one reached by the others, Taki gathered the map as Ryu returned to her side. Looking up, Yukina was making her way to another area with the other two. Her companions impressed endlessly, each was unique yet they worked together as if all parts of the same whole. She followed Astrid to the next emplacement, Ryu in tow.
"How do you know so much about these machines Astrid?" Asked the shaman as they traveled. The terrain wasn't terrible in this area, but it had a few treacherous spots. Taki walked around them, making sure to note them to her companion so they both didn't take a tumble down the steep hill. While it might not be their undoing, it would be an unpleasant journey and mean delays for the build team. This survey had significant importance, being in preparation for hunting a creature even adventurers would struggle to handle.
She stopped for a moment along the tail, marked another location on the map and taking a brief rest. Scouting was going well, at this pace they'd be able to find enough suitable locations that the WEF would have no trouble getting their siege machines installed. Even if some locations were unsuitable for other reasons, the group would have a robust report that had the potential to exceed expectation.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Apr 26, 2023 17:04:06 GMT -5
Walking with Taki to the next location, Astrid keeps notes of all the treacherous footpaths that Taki points out to her. She even includes recommendations for how to fill or support them to make traversal easier for other teams. The more details for the WEF, the better, and she’s happy to have a keen-eyed companion for this survey.
Taki’s question doesn’t surprise Astrid too much. In fact, she’s more than happy to talk about mechanical stuff! “Oh, well, I traveled up here with the folks transportin’ ‘em, an’ I spent a lotta time lookin’ over their assembly manuals an’ whatnot,” she says. “I like workin’ with metal an’ machines an’ figurin’ out how they work. That’s why I like livin’ in Sky Peak so much is ‘cause there’s lifts everywhere! I spent a lotta days studyin’ ‘em. Real interestin’ stuff, if ya ask me.” Something else occurs to her. “Ah, yeah, I’m an engineer fer Platinum Corp now, too. Keeps me busy when I ain’t adventurin’.”
When they reach the next location, Astrid starts figuring up calculations for aiming the shot from the ballista. With her best guess angled up, they fire it off for Taki’s companions to collect data for the Orochi woman. The laborers get the ballista loaded again, and Astrid looks at Taki.
“What about ya? How’d ya get all these animal friends ta listen ta ya like they do?”
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Post by Shitakibo on Apr 26, 2023 17:55:22 GMT -5
"Among my kind, I was raised as a shaman when I was young. My affinity for understanding plants, animals and the spirits of the natural world presented itself almost from my hatching. It also held it's own tribulations, but I did not give up on the skills, or reject the talents I was born with... even though I was exiled from my tribe, I kept the practices and expanded on the knowledge. Eventually it became my means to trade and adventure, going from town to town helping people with their farms, pets, livestock... even pests at times. Each life has a spirit, a whisper only a few may hear in the cacophony of life, but we few are blessed by the words of their voices, and guided by the beacon of their grace... even if the road ahead is hazardous, tragic and full of the scorn from people who misunderstand." Replied the serpent, setting the map down once again as Ryu relayed the latest report. This team seemed to be better practiced with the windage and aiming, though Ryu also noted there was an unpleasant sound during the firing.
Relaying the spirit's words to Astrid, she watched as the next shot was being set up and heard the creaking, popping sound of the tension as it it was being drawn down by it's winch.
"It might be best if they don't take the next shot Astrid... something doesn't sound right to my very untrained ear, and Ryu said something to the same effect just a moment ago after the firing."
Each time the winch's set hook clanked into place, the rising tension in the heavy cords of the machine protested. The tone was low, perhaps difficult for them to hear standing so close and with all the other noise. A quick glance at the throwing rods attached at the top revealed they were not being drawn evenly and threatened to tear the machine apart.
A few more locations were relayed by Keta and her other pair of companions, which she marked on the map. They'd covered the area Astrid needed and were making their way back swiftly. All in all, this survey mission seemed to be wrapping itself up nicely. Once the siege machines were finalized and tuned, this next major hunt would begin in earnest. There was a lot for everyone to do between then and now, but this day's progress would push the WEF closer to their goal.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Apr 26, 2023 18:20:17 GMT -5
The way that Taki talks about spirits and the lives of creatures, Astrid listens along with surprising intent. She may be someone who favors mechanical things, but preserving life is important to her. It’s why she adventures. “That’s a nice way ta put it,” she says with a nod. “The world can be a tough place, 'specially fer folks like us, but we do what we can ta make it a little easier for others, ya know?”
Something about the cranking of the ballista sounds… off. Astrid’s glad that Taki’s companion pointed it out too. “Good ear,” she says. Getting up, Astrid waves at the laborers. “Wait, wait, somethin’s wrong,” she calls. “It don’t sound right. That’s a thunk not a click.” Some of the men look a bit confused by the explanation, but Astrid knows exactly what she means by it. That’s all that matters.
Opening her wings, the girl leaps into the air and flies around the machine slowly, looking for anything that seems out of place. She flies up and hovers overhead and notices the biggest error. “Yeah, yeah, this is pullin’ all wrong! We need ta release the tension carefully! Grab them hooks there, an’ we’ll loosen stuff up an’ make the repairs!”
With considerable effort, the group manages to free the ballista of the extreme tension without the whole thing exploding into a million wooden and metal pieces. It’s some miracle that no one gets hurt during the process. Once they do, they all manage to identify the places that need corrections, and Astrid pulls out her tools and gets to work helping make the repairs. When all is said and done, Astrid motions to Taki to have her companions observe alongside her and with great caution, they put tension on the ballista again. This time, it seems to go smoothly.
“Taki, ya wanna fire this one?”
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Post by Shitakibo on Apr 26, 2023 18:39:03 GMT -5
"I suppose I should see what the fuss of such a thing is about at least once... after all, knowing is half the fun." She unfurls her long limbs, looking like an oversized amalgam of a mantis and a serpent as she stands with a flicking motion, almost like a snake striking from it's coils. Trotting over to the strange contraption, she watches the crew intently as they make ready for another shot. The sapling sized poles that served as it's bolts were capped with iron spikes, and fins protruded from each side at a slight angle. Once the machine was prepared again, and final adjustments in place, she sent Ryu out ahead to scout the shot.
"CLEAR!!!!" Shouted the shaman, in case someone hadn't already moved out of the path of the massive and deadly machine. She smacked the triggering rod with both her hands, using a similar motion to throwing one of her Kunai. The latch released cleanly with a tinny clink, followed by the thunderous release of tension from the limbs. Whether it was keen to or not, the bolt was hurled skyward in a long, lobbing arc. It sailed off beyond what she could see of the area from so close to the giant weapon.
After a few seconds, the heavy thump of the bolt striking the earth could be heard, and even felt as a slight tremor under foot. Whatever poor creatures would serve as it's target, she did not envy their fate one bit... this contraption could be a threat to just about anything shy of the forces of nature itself or maybe flying things... but she wasn't keen to underestimate the ingenious methods that people could find for destruction.
"A beautiful shot, on target and flying true. Pity the poor creatures who don't get out of the way, for their day is ended short." Said Ryu as they reappeared a minute later. The sun was beginning to set, and the pair of weapons completed. This day was over, and while Taki felt she'd only lightly contributed to the matter at hand, she was happy to have met Astrid and hoped her input made the young engineer's report more thorough.
"It looks like it's time to call the day and turn in, I enjoyed this venture into the workings of machines and the sheer volume of preparation they require. Thank you for your company and expertise in this Astrid, and if you ever need a place to stay or help with anything around the Crescent Isles, feel free to stop by my home." Said the shaman, offering her hand to the young girl as she made ready to head home.
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