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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Apr 20, 2023 10:48:31 GMT -5
Shaa rubbed his worn thighs to try and work out the ache of the long dusty road to Thunderhoof Village. This was the last stop he need to make before heading south to his home in the Hills of Braddock and a long needed rest. It was a stop that he didn’t mind making though. Of all the towns in the world, he had the most friends here. He could always chew the fat with someone, get the latest gossip and, if he was lucky, get a nice snack from some of the more interesting food artisans that passed through the town. Being the official gathering spot for the nomad tribes always meant that no trip to Thunderhoof would ever be that same and almost never boring.
As Shaa passed some of the riders on the outskirts of town, he raised his hand in acknowledgment to some of the more steady denizens of the Village. Due to the frequent skirmishes with Gnoll raiders and other unsavory types, there were always guards posted so no one would be caught unawares. The last year had been particularly difficult with the business with the Sol Stone and the recent troubles with some rabble rousers in the Marsh Flats to the west. Something big was coming, he could feel it in his bones. Shaa could only hope that the place’s mercurial nature would weather whatever was coming.
After passing the guards and getting into one of the busier parts of the village, Shaa notices a strange woman standing by some hay bales. There wasn’t anything about her that seemed strange outright per se, but Shaa’s instincts made her stand out for other reasons. It was like looking at a puzzle piece that didn’t quite fit the puzzle. He had learned a long time ago to trust his gut and, for whatever reason, his gut was yelling at him. Curiosity getting the better of him, Shaa walks over to get a closer look.
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Apr 20, 2023 11:26:13 GMT -5
C'Leena was exhausted. Not really in a physical sense, but more mental. She'd been making good progress with her inscriptions, but most of her attempts still threw sparks around, which scared her for reasons other than it simply being frightening.
Magic was an incredibly new concept to her. At least in a practical sense. She heard stories and even took part of a few sessions of Dungeons & Dragons when she was younger. Still, it was one thing to pretend to have magic, it's another to actually have it.
C'Leena hopped up sat atop a hay bale, her vault up having the unnatural grace of magical machine. C'Leena was a 6ft woman with short, black hair and a rather impressive build. Not having nearly as much muscle to work as she used to, she focused entirely on core exercises, which made her torso nearly as hard as a damn rock, which she was awfully proud of.
She was wearing her white tank top, jeans and work boots that appeared quite scuffed up. She was rather upset at that, but what can you do? Her most prominent features, however, were her solid crystalline aquamarine eyes and rather nasty looking burn scarring on her shoulders and surrounding her eyes. They seem old, but unlikely to heal further than they have.
Strangely enough, the burns on her shoulders simply stop just past her shoulders, creating a line between healthy flesh and scarred tissue.
She stretched, more out of habit than anything else and groaned in annoyance as she felt - once again - a piece of debris stuck in a connection. Her arms looked identical to her skin and flesh but didn't feel like it at all. It felt like cold steel and wood, which she wasn't a fan of, but she'd figure out a way to improve them. The same went for her legs, too, although that was a bit better as nobody touched her legs - and thank God for it.
"God dammit. Why!? Can't you just, fucken not for twenty minutes?" she loudly exclaimed, forgetting that she's outside. She winced but got on with what needed to be done. She gripped her upper bicep and, following a subtle pulse of her eyes, pulled her arm free of its connection.
She puts the hand over the side of the haybale, the part that connected to her shoulder facing her. She keeps the limb there with her legs and pulls a small cloth out from a pocket. The illusion coating the arm fizzles out and reveals the metallic and wooden form of the prosthetic, absolutely covered in sigaldry and inscriptions - sadly not of her own creation.
She doesn't notice the figure approaching her, and continues cleaning, humming a tune from back home.
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Apr 20, 2023 13:27:51 GMT -5
As Shaa approached the strange woman, he watches as she hops up on one of the hay bales . To his surprise, he watches as she curses and takes off her own hand, setting it to the side. He pats his belly gently, proving once again the value of listening to your gut. This woman was most definitely more than meets the eye. He wondered for a moment if she was an alien like his friend Socket, a machine that acted alive. If she was, she was a lot more advanced than his friend. Maybe just had really good gnome friends? He approached the woman carefully as not to surprise her. He wasn’t looking for a fight but he would be ready just in case.
Excuse me. He hedged. Need a hand? He hadn’t necessarily intended the pun but when he said it , but it was too late to take it back now. Shaa wondered how the woman would react. Shaa was pretty well known around here so he never had too much trouble with the “torches and pitchforks” crowd. But he had learned a long time ago that peoples general experience with Minotaurs was sketchy at the best of times. If he was being honest, being careful around his brothers was probably the best course of action. He would have to see how this one works out.
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Apr 20, 2023 13:44:32 GMT -5
C'Leena looks up upon hearing the heavy footfalls of a heavy fella. However, the last thing she expected was a Minotaur to be approaching her.
Upon hearing his pun that she wasn't sure was intended or not, she snorts lightly, quickly finishes up with her cleaning and reattaches her arm to her shoulder, rolling her shoulders.
"G'day, Cobber. While I've heard that plenty of times, I can't say I expected to hear it from a Minotaur. Congratulations!" She says, flashing a smile. Her accent is an incredibly strange one. It doesn't sound like it's from anywhere that you know of.
"Dr. C'Leena Thomas, Prosthetist. Sorry, but you ran into me as I was trying to clean out my prosthetic. Ironic, ain't it?"
C'Leena offers her hand for a handshake from atop the haybale, still maintaining the smile. It doesn't look forced, simply like her face was made to smile.
"Now, is the bigass minotaur gonna introduce himself, or continue wondering how many limbs I'm gonna yank off?" She jokes, keeping her hand extended.
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Apr 20, 2023 23:31:08 GMT -5
Shaa had been adventuring long enough that very few things surprised him anymore. He had to admit, this situation was taking him back a bit. Here was this rando stranger that was taking herself apart at the seams talking to a Minotaur like it was no big deal. In all fairness, if you have lost multiple parts, not a whole lot of things would intimidate you anymore. Hiding a bit of a grin, Shaa decides he likes her and to roll with the banter.
First of all, I walk everywhere, my ass is amazing. Second of all, nobody is better at removing parts than me so you can take my interest as professional appreciation. Shaa takes her hand and shakes it. My name is Shaa. It’s nice to meet you Dr C. He takes the opportunity to get a bit closer look at the various artificial parts. You know it’s funny. I have taken off so many parts at this point, I don’t think that I have ever met someone who got paid to put them back on. It occurred to Shaa that he might be missing out on a very lucrative business opportunity. On the other hand, if you rip off someone’s arm, they probably won’t be looking to you to glue a new one back on. So sad.
So. If you don’t mind me asking. What brings you to Thunderhoof village? I don’t think I have seen you before but…I’m pretty well traveled so I may have just missed you? Shaa looked at Dr C to watch for a reaction.
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Apr 20, 2023 23:56:21 GMT -5
C'Leena laughs at the Minotaurs banter. Concern does take hold since she can't tell if Shaa is joking or not, but decides to roll with it.
"Well then, Shaa, it's good to meet you, too. As a medical professional, however, I need to ask you to not forcefully remove peoples limbs. It tends to backfire quite a bit in the future. But yes, once upon a time, I got paid to give people their limbs back, even if they were fake. Eyes, Arms, Legs, hell I even made a heart, once. Ironically, all of those are things I don't actually have anymore. This is starting to seem poetic."
"As for what I'm doing here? Would you believe evil wizard summoning? Got summoned, wasn't what the guy expected, gave me some food and a backpack and told me to go figure it out, so I did." She shrugs, seeming largely unbothered by it all.
"What is it that you do that calls for so many missing limbs, big fella? Are you going to be the reason I make it big here?"
C'Leena is slowly beginning to think that this Shaa character isn't kidding.
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Apr 21, 2023 17:35:01 GMT -5
Evil Wizard? Shaa was a little bit confused at the reference. Most people that he knew could use magic in one form or another minus the people who actively avoided it. Maybe she meant one of the dorks in the mages guild. There had to be at least a handful of people who would do something like magically kidnap someone. Those guys were such a pain. It would be just like them to kick out someone they actively summoned. Jerks.
Well I’m sorry to hear that but this is as good a place to set up as any. I kind of grew up around here so I can vouch for most of these guys, even the slightly smelly ones. Just don’t go wandering off as some of the …we’ll say “interesting” beings might take an liking to a doctor who deals in body parts, fake or not.
As for me, I am the interim guild leader of the fighters guild. Between you and me, if you get into a fight, it’s much harder for people to fight back if they are missing an arm or two. Shaa gives a sly wink. He decides not to mention that his signature move involves ripping off his opponent’s arm and then beating them to death with the severed limb. He had never intended to become infamous for it but the move is so effective, it became part of his normal repertoire. No reason to freak the good doctor out though. She might make some assumptions about his generally affable nature.
As Shaa considered the advantages of having a doctor in the guild, or at least on retainer, some movement caught the corner of his eye. A band of Kobold were approaching and the one up front seemed unusually upset.
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Apr 21, 2023 17:52:42 GMT -5
"Eh, I don't know if he was evil or not. Bit of a prick, though," She shrugs, dismissing the subject. As time goes on, the amount that this Shaa character is talking about ripping limbs off, it becomes increasingly obvious that they aren't kidding. C'Leena settles on being more careful around him.
"I appreciate the heads up. So far I haven't encountered anything particularly bad. Mostly just people outright dismissing me which is annoying but what can you do?" She sighs, annoyance practically radiating off her. "Fighters Guild, huh? Seems interesting. I'm assuming theres a bit more to it than what the name implies."
C'Leena spots the Kobolds as well, but isn't able to identify what exactly they are. They look like if Lizards and a small dragon had a kid. What she can tell is that they don't look happy. By her side is a scabbard with a rapier sheathed tied with a peace knot. She looks down and, with practiced ease, unties the knot but keeps the weapon sheathed and turns back to Shaa.
"Am I correct in assuming that group is coming here? They don't look overly happy. Might be your arm-ripping business, pal. Gotta cut down on that," She pauses, "Pun intended."
She hops down off the bale, bringing her rapier with her. She attaches it to her belt and leans against the bale, crossing her arms and watches the group march forward, a curious and lightly amused smile on her face.
Kobolds look silly.
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Apr 21, 2023 18:49:11 GMT -5
Shaa blushed a bit at the implication. Ummm nope. We aren’t exactly a complicated group. Basically we are one of largest guilds in Charon. The guild is made up of the best fighters anywhere, outside maybe the Royal Guard but even those guys would think twice messing with us. Shaa keeps an eye on the approaching group of Kobold, not wanting to get into an issue if he can avoid it. He was on vacation after all.
Basically most people join to become elite fighters but you have to be a good fighter to start with to even get in, it’s dangerous work. We do things like caravan guarding, major monster removal, zombie chicken wrangling, blah blah. We’re not mercs though, we pick our commissions carefully.
It was obvious now that the Kobold, four of them, were heading their way. Only question was what did they want? Shaa didn’t recognize any of them off hand. But this wouldn’t be the first time a merc or some disgruntled cousin of a guy he took out came looking for him.
The angry Kobold turned to one of his friends who Shaa now saw was missing his right hand. Sheeek. Is this the one? A third one who wore wire rimmed glasses nodded to Mr Angry pants. He turned to C’Leena practically shouting. Woman! You is the parts maker yes? You will make a new hand for Ra Smek, and then we will eat you. The spectacled Kobold whispered to his leader. OR we will eat you. Do good work and we go. You come with us now.
This really wasn’t Shaa’s business and he had just met Dr. C, didn’t owe her anything. He knew he should keep his snout out but the little Minotaur inside him really just want to punch this guy for so many mostly indefensible reasons. Ummm excuse me, but we were having a conversation over here. Why don’t you guys like go chase each other around a pole or something?
The leader turned to Shaa. Mind your business bull man. Or we make a steak out of you. That was a threat right? No one could blame him if he say….turned him inside out. Right? Shaa was already on thin ice with the Village elders for messing up the bar last time he was here. Who knows? Maybe the Dr wanted to make him a hand?
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Apr 21, 2023 19:06:33 GMT -5
"Zombie chicken wrangling..?" she asks, taken aback and absolutely confused. Her confusion grew to concern, then to levels of amusement that she hadn't reached since she got here.
She struggles with schooling her expression, but still does a rather admirable job. She takes a steadying breath and responds. "Mkay, alright this is not how you ask for medical services. Now, we can do this a few different ways. First, we can try this again, you ask for my services in a way that doesn't include threatening me or Shaa's life. Second, You find someone else to help you if you decide not to try again, or third," She pauses and glances at Shaa. "You can continue down this path, demand me of my services and continue to piss me and this big motherfucker off."
"What's it gonna be, bud?" She asks, finally. Her posture is one exuding confidence. Both Shaa and the Kobold feel the direct eye contact she's making with the group, despite there being no pupils to tell where she's looking. Her left hand is resting on her scabbard, thumb ready to flick the rapier free from the scabbard.
"It's times like these that I'm happy my Hippocratic Oath doesn't apply to self defense. 'Do No Harm' would be quite difficult to find a loophole around if that weren't the case." she idly comments to Shaa. Despite her body all but screaming that she's ready for a fight, if any experienced fighter were to look at her, it's obvious it's show. She does look ready, but truly is nervous as hell, very much hoping they don't try to start anything.
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Apr 23, 2023 19:31:21 GMT -5
The angry Kobold spits at the doctors feet. We ask when there is an option. We tell when you will do. The Kobold grins wickedly, putting his fingers up to his face and blowing hard. With the loud call, five more Kobolds appear from various directions, bringing their total up to 9. For most people, this situation just went from tense to downright deadly. Kobolds may be smaller but they were fighters, no question about it. Shaa had lots of ways to handle unruly mobs but Dr. C was the X Factor here. She was scrappy and talked a good game but the lack of ware on her sword and her stance told Shaa all he needed to know, she was no career fighter.
Nine against two? And I thought this trip was going to get boring. Where your mom? I didn’t get a chance to kiss her goodbye last night. The angry Kobold gritted his teeth and began to reach for the blade at his side. The other Kobolds were starting to spread and take positions around them. Think carefully Cranky Pants. You really really don’t want to do this. No bull man, I really really do. We take you apart then we take her apart. Shaa looks over at C’Leena and nods. I know we just met and all, but I need you to trust me on this if you want to get out of this. Before she can say anything, Shaa grabs her and tosses her over his shoulder. Cranky Pants screams. KILL THEM!
The doctor, now off the ground, is safe from Shaa’s attack. He pulls energy from the very ground and the earth around them starts to shake and quiver. The Kobolds all start losing their balance and start falling over on each other like dominos. Shaa takes advantage and bum rushes the speckled one, shoulder checking him to the ground as he takes off towards the center of the village. Get..,,him! Cranky Pants tries to say but he can’t stand up to run. When they are out of the AOE of the spell, Shaa puts her down. Quick! Follow me!
Rumbling Tremors
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Apr 24, 2023 0:22:00 GMT -5
Shit went from bad to worse when even more of the bastards showed up. The fight moved from looking possible with a few injuries to downright fucked. You know what? At least she didn't have to explain herself to Nephele about why she'd been cut up like she was trying to cover more of her body in scarring.
Shaa gave her a look and nodded, and she nodded back. "Well, if these bastards don't do it, Nephele surely will. On you bu-JESUS!" The last thing she was expecting was to be slung over a shoulder. C'Leena gets the feeling that this Shaa guy, the interim guild leader of the fighters guild, could probably take those odds.
He puts her down, where she stumbles for a bit but regains her footing. "Yep, on you big guy," She says as they both start running. C'Leena is fast when she needs to be. Her only issue is that she has no sense of touch through her prosthetics. It's more someone telling her that she's being touched, and not actually feeling it. That issue can cause a lot of hiccups, none of which happen during this run, thankfully.
"I can't get a fucking break, can I?" she complains while keeping pace with Shaa. "I need more offensive magic, I swear to god." They continue running, C'Leena both enjoying the run, but not enjoying why they're running. She's content to simply follow where Shaa leads her. Just one foot after another.
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Apr 24, 2023 15:51:14 GMT -5
The sounds of angry Kobolds are clearly behind them and getting closer. Shaa sees a tent and points at the opening flap. Quick, in here! As the two enter the large tent, they find a series of eatery stalls and outdoor furniture for people to enjoy their lunch. Several people are sitting down enjoying their repast, totally unaware of the chaos unfolding around them. From the distance, an older bald man waves at Shaa.
Hey Shaa! I was just sitting down to lunch and I ordered extra. You want a cabbage wrap? Oh, hey who’s your friend? Shaa looks around quickly for another exit. Hey Dan, no time for introductions. You mind if I borrow this? He asks pointing to the large wooden lunch table. I guess not? Dan say with a confused look on his face. Thanks buddy, I owe you a cabbage wrap. Whaa… With that, Shaa picks up the table, spilling food all over Dan and the ground. He then turns and launches the table hard at the entrance of the tent. Two Kobolds faces emerge from the flap just in time to be flattened by the flying furniture. Several people stand up and start yelling as Dan sits, cabbage wrap infused, in his chair. Awww man! This is my favorite pair of pants! Sorry man, love ya! Shaa finally sees another exit and motions to the doctor. That way!
As they run for the exit, Shaa keeps grabbing random chairs and food and flings them over his head towards the entrance. Somebody call the guards, that crazy Minotaur is at it again. It’s not my fault! Shaa yells as they leave the tent and three more Kobold enter from the entrance, only to be met with more flying debris.
Improvised Weapons Bulls Strength
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Apr 25, 2023 5:33:59 GMT -5
When they reach the tent, C'Leena is hardly out of breath. "Ah, shit," she curses, mildly upset to already be causing havoc. Despite that, the adrenaline is palpable, and she is reveling in it, a grin has been stretched across her face for a good portion of the run.
She ducks under a thrown table. After a moment of surprise, she starts laughing. "Oh, bloody well done, cobber!" She yells at Shaa before chasing after him. She gives the man a quick glance, "G'day. mate. Sorry 'bout the table, but we gotta scarper." She gives him a quick pat on the shoulder before continuing, ducking under another table and a chair as they run for the exit.
"Got a bit of a reputation, huh?" she asks as she catches up and runs alongside Shaa. Despite the chaos, strangely enough, she's having one hell of a time. A borderline manic giggle escapes her lips before she can clamp down on it. Oh good, you now sound insane in front of the actual Minotaur. Eh, I'm having a good time, don't give a damn. She passively thinks to herself. Turns out, C'Leena is a bit of an adrenaline junkie. Suppose you learn something new every day.
They continue running, C'Leena fighting her urge to start laughing again. Not the time to sound too deranged.
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Apr 25, 2023 7:34:52 GMT -5
As they run away from the tent, they can hear the sounds of yelling and breaking dishes coming from behind them. Shaa hopes that a band of blood thirsty kobolds in an eatery will take priority for the local guards. They started it after all and threatened to eat someone. As some of the sounds got closer however, he knew he was never that lucky. He should probably look into a healer who deals with curses or something. Ginma’s beard.
As they moved to the more established part of the village, Shaa looked for something to give them in advantage. This was probably not the best way to get to know a person but the doctor hadn’t run away screaming yet…well more than she was supposed to… and that was a good sign. If Shaa didn’t know any better, she actually seemed to having a good time. Why was Shaa’s road to good intentions riddled with crazy hitchhikers? Sorry about this. We’ll be fine. Ummm …. Shaa starts talking/singing to himself itttsss finnneee….nottt gonnna geeettt busssttteeddd…sssttiilll ggggooonnnaaa gggeeettt aaa muuufffiiinn…..THERE!
Shaa points to a narrow alleyway that dead ends on the other side. As the two run down the alley way, he wonders if Dr C is worried they are in a dead end. Ummm it’s all part of the plan. These goobers will never see it coming. Shaa turns to the alley’s entrance and slams his hoof into the ground. Suddenly, a wall bursts from the ground effectively sealing them in. Shaa puts a finger up to his snout signaling to the doctor to be quiet. He motions her over to the new wall and puts his ear to it to listen.
I know they came down here…where are they? Came a frustrated voice, probably the angry one from earlier. Or the one who took a table to the face. Or that plate of spaghetti. He was starting to lose count. Several other voices seem to be shouting and blaming each other but they also didn’t seem to be leaving. That’s fine with him. Shaa looks to the doctor and motions to push on the wall on the count of three, in attempt to squish their pursuers. Shaa could easily push the wall down himself but why should he have all the fun? He mouths ONE ..TWO…
Summon Wall
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