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Post by Valerian on Sept 17, 2023 21:23:58 GMT -5
"Prey of mine.. Stay still.. hheh.. heh.."Its voice came from everywhere. From in the pond, above the canopy- its rasping laugh seemed to dance around her. It couldn't have moved far. I think I can get around it. As she carefully made her way along the log, her footfalls unbearably loud, she heard sudden movement from near the pond. Springing to action, she leapt over the log and- The Bogaboo landed on her shoulders, and Val was slammed into the ground with enough force to drive her part way into the mud. As quickly as the thing had launched its attack, it retreated up into the trees. Through clogged ears, she heard more rasping laughter. Coughing up mud and slime, she scrambled out of the imprint, watching as it filled rapidly with muddy water and threatened to drag her back down. Every element of this wretched bog seemed to turn against her. Its silent again. How uncanny. I don't hear Taki- please please let that be a good sign. Val moved as quickly as she could through the bog, but the faster she moved, the slower the tangled mess of vines and treacherous mud slowed her. It was all she could do to take stock of her situation. I can grow plants, but that's worse than useless. bark skin.. what am I gonna do, punch it? I can't fight something this; It'd destroy me. I can.. uh.. Oh! Without considering her situation, Val reached down and grabbed the first stone she passed. Infusing it with Light, she held it aloft as she ran. I'm making faster progress, now. Maybe I'll be able to escape that thing and find Taki.. I'm sure she's alright, but I really hope she's alright.Now the only light source in the bog, Val continued a haphazard path that would quickly bring her back to the pond, all the while, the Bogaboo crept from bough to limb, stalking its prey.
Quest Name: Ambushed! Participants: Two or more Location: Marsh Flats Post Requirements: 5 post per person, 200 words per post Description: Well you found the Bogaboo, or it found you! In the dead of night the undead amalgamation has sprung, using the darkness and mist as a cover. You are now in a fight for your life. Defend yourself, fight hard and bring down the ominous Bogaboo!
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Post by Shitakibo on Sept 18, 2023 1:16:55 GMT -5
She heard the creature sloshing about in the bog as it stalked Val through the mire. Taki tried watching the gloom as best she could, but this wasn't exactly the best situation since neither she nor Val had a good means of seeing in the dark... She heard a second splash and the subsequent coughing of her charge as the creature pounced and shoved her down into the mud. A moment after she collected herself, a magical appeared illuminating the dryad as she started moving through the bog.
Taki followed swiftly, hopping along the trees with quiet, practiced grace as she kept pace. Occasionally she would catch a glint or a shadow moving in the trees, but it was difficult to pin down the creature's location. She supposed it was time to drag this monster out of the shadows and confront it finally, instead of letting it torment her companion. While her eyes were only so much help in the gloom, she knew that a spirit's eyes had no such issue.
Dropping to the wet ground not far from Val, Taki stopped the girl mid stride. "We won't get anywhere but lost like this Val, it's time to face this creature." Instructed the shaman, who called her Spirit Guardians1 forth. A pair of misty blue creatures, one similar to a serpent, the other a large feline, coalesced beside the pair of adventurers. A raspy, agitated sound filled the clearing as the undead abomination felt the draining effect of their auras. She could hear it moving about, but the echoes and quiet of the swamp distorted any information. With a flourish from her hands, a pair of Sprites2 bobbed over her shoulder. She tweaked these to deal Light Damage with their bolts, in hopes that the creature would be weak against it and any stray shots had less chance of starting an inferno. One of the two sprites fired up into the trees, sending a flash of light that burst off the bark of a tree. A miss... well, at least it was still near by she supposed.
1: Summon: Spirit Guardians 2: Summon: Flame Sprite [Light + Earth Damage] x2 (one fires and misses)
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Post by Valerian on Sept 19, 2023 18:53:11 GMT -5
The pond!Val only realized as her light illuminated the still surface of the pond that she'd been chased back to where she'd started. The light had brought her courage, which had brought speed. Approaching the shore, the soft, muddy ground prevented her from easily stopping. She careened forward, stopping only when she tripped over the imprint the hunter had made with her skull. Suddenly, Taki Thank Goodness"We won't get anywhere but lost like this Val, it's time to face this creature." Val wasn't sure how exactly to face what she couldn't see. Hopefully the shaman had some ideas. Val pulled herself out of the muddy imprint and steadied herself as Taki's summoned army began firing."Thank Goodness you're here Taki! I don't know where it-" With an eep, she jumped at the sprite's sudden firing and barely managed to keep her feet under her. Something had changed in her hunter's movements. A moment ago, it felt as if the Bogaboo was springing from tree to tree all around her. Now, she could tell vaguely where it was. What's the good in being able to track it? Taki's sprites seem to be able to see it through the darkness- well enough to pin it down, at least. I'm less than useless here- hapless prey caught between a hunter and Nature Herself. Remembering she had exactly one useful skill, she hurled her stone into the darkness. It sailed through the trees near the Bogaboo, revealing a small part of the swamp canopy before bouncing away and sinking into the mud. She didn't see anything, but there was a burst of movement in a tree nearby, followed by a less blinding burst of magic and a stony impact. This is rich. I can scare it, too? Okay, if all I can do is flush it out, I'll make sure Taki's magic can finish it. Remembering, too, that there are more than one stone outside, she picked up two more and lit one, preparing to throw it when she heard movement. "I think.. I think I know what direction it's in. There's no way I can catch up to it, though. The closest thing I can do to catching it is letting it catch me.." Her voice shook badly and it took all she had to not turn and run. The shaman was right, though. Val couldn't run. She had to face this creature.
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Post by Shitakibo on Sept 19, 2023 20:29:10 GMT -5
"Letting it catch you just might be the solution here... sort of. Let's shed some light on the situation and set a trap for our creepy, boney friend shall we?" Said the shaman, who followed Val's example and picked up a pair of stones from the ground. She looked about the lake and saw a good spot where some of the gnarled swampy roots of trees would offer a bit of cover.
"Over here, we're going to put on a little show... if you'll oblige this old serpent at least." Taki said, sloshing around the edge of the lake with her senses trained outward. She could hear the scratching sound of it's claws scrabbling from tree to tree, but it was hiding it's presence again. It was no simple, mindless undead... this creature had a hunter's instincts and a sense of preservation that put it somewhere between the mindless animation of a raised zombie, and the full sentience of a Vampire or Lich. It was also an incredibly tough opponent with no organs or soft tissues to wear down or cause it pain... They would have to be smarter, swifter, and prepared when the moment came.
"Try to look entangled, trapped and frightened. I'll be walking to the other side of the tree to give it a clear avenue of approach. When it drops down and attacks, focus on defense and try to keep it in one place. If that happens, I should be able to shut it's mobility down so you can finish it off." Taki explained quietly as they traversed the area. She positioned her Spirit Guardians away from the spot, knowing the creature would be more hesitant to strike with it's strength and speed diminished.
Once Taki reached the spot she considered to be a good candidate, she cast Light upon each of the stones. Indicating with her free hands, she signaled Val to position herself amongst the roots with a sly smile as she took each rock and set them into the soft ground. With a bit of finessing, she managed to create a pair of dim 'spotlights' that illuminated the dryad.
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Post by Valerian on Sept 20, 2023 19:53:41 GMT -5
I thought I was supposed to be safer with Taki around! She took me far too literally there. But what else was there to do? "Try to look trapped and frightened?" Isn't she currently both?
Fear ran through her as she grabbed and lit a piece of wood and another pebble. "Stand here? Okay, uh HEY YOU FUCKER COME GET SOME IM RIGHT HERE" Plainly scared, she gives Taki a tentative thumbs up. Realizing she lost track of Taki, her eyes and ears returned to the treetops. It was off to her right somewhere. She threw the stick as hard as she could, and missed the sound by a wide margin. The thing crept closer. With wide eyes, she cried "OH NO, THAT WAS THE LAST STICK IN THE ENTIRE FLATS. I'M COMPLETELY DEFENSELESS NOW, MORON." Truly, Val had no knack for subtlety. It crept closer still, probably. It may have been the wind, though. Without something keeping it at bay, the Bogaboo grew more confident. Circling stealthily, it crept until Val was no longer looking towards it. Climbing higher and closer, it had already adapted its movements to Val's bright harassment. Closer yet, it was on a limb that hung out over the still pond at Val's back. Behind her, now. She had completely lost track of it. It pounced.
"Wait, you said I'm finishing it off?? I actually AM defenseless!" Val looked up at the sound of splintering bark as the Bogaboo propelled itself from its branch towards her. It flew through the air from across the pond, silhouetted against the moon.
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Post by Shitakibo on Sept 20, 2023 22:58:59 GMT -5
She listened to Val's charade, her guardians giving her puzzled looks.
"Umm... are you sure this is a good idea?"
"Will Val be alright?"
"The plan will come together in a moment." Taki said calmly as she focused her senses. Her magic poured forth, tapping into the elemental spirits of the area and infusing them with energy. To either side of the shaman, a pair of arachnoid earthen constructs rose out of the ground. As they moved forward, she placed her hands upon their heads and channeled more mana into their forms. While she could make many lesser constructs that were like puppets, she only could keep two of these improved constructs going at a time. The pair of creatures turned about, eyes glowing with a soft green spectral light as the earthen spirits within turned about.
Looking much like a scorpion, they were squat with wide legs, heavy forward claws and a long tail. This tail ended in a spiky club instead of the usual stinger. Together, the golems slipped into the mucky ground and moved to flank Val. Their passage was barely felt or noticed as they lie in wait below the 'trapped' Dryad.
"Wait, you said I'm finishing it off?? I actually AM defenseless!" Val exclaimed to the darkness as the Bogaboo launched itself from across the pond. Four bony arms with roots and grasses tangled between spread wide as it let out a terrifying shriek of conquest. Only a few feet away from Val, the shaman's plan kicked in. Each construct burst up from below, lashing out with their earthen claws to snatch the beast out of the air. Mud and water splashed outward as the arachnoids fought against the undead's strength. Keta and Ryu moved a moment after hearing the sound, converging with the constructs in a defensive position around Val. The struggle lessened greatly as the Guardian's aura bolstered the constructs and Val, sapping the strength of the Bogaboo.
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Post by Valerian on Sept 21, 2023 17:33:07 GMT -5
Thinking back, Val never really decided to do it. It just kind of happened. She couldn't remember Taki's summons finishing the Bogaboo, but she couldn't have imagined it going any other way. What she remembered was this: The hunter threw itself at the prey, driven by a desire to feed and an arrogance that creeps up in particularly cunning or powerful predators. The prey, driven purely by a desire to live, hardens her hands in preparation for her only chance at surviving the hunt. The prey shouted something, but not even she was paying attention anymore. The hunter was upon her, and the the pong, the bog, the whole world resolved in a clash of wills. Something happened. Bad luck for the hunter, but luck was an obstacle like any other, and it had its free arm around the neck and clavicle of its prey. She struggled momentarily to free herself. Sapience long having left her, the prey was pushed beyond breaking.
Somewhere far from Val, the prey lashed out, one savage upper cut as she was held suspended by inertia for a moment before collapsing. One of the hunter's heads sailed through the air, splashing down with its body in the pond's shallow, muddy shore. Even the weakest animal can be dangerous if scared enough. The hunt left one side broken but not defeated, and one side defeated, but perhaps not broken. It hadn't moved in a moment. The next thing Val would see is the face of whoever is watching over her at camp when she awakens with the dawn's first light.
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Post by Shitakibo on Sept 23, 2023 16:11:42 GMT -5
Dismissing the sprites, Taki found a quiet place to observe the battle. She watched as the Bogaboo wrestled and struggled against the restraining power of the constructs. It pulled with all it's might, straining one against the other for leverage. With a quick lurch, it wrenched an arm free and caught Val as she was approaching. The girl looked frightened, unsure of herself as the creature tried with all it's might to end her. Taki was about to signal the constructs to finish it when Val's fist lashed out and sent one of the skulls flying.
It stopped struggling, letting the girl fall as it's boney form fell apart. She collapsed, barely caught by her spirit guardians who helped the constructs carry her through the swamp. Back at camp, Taki tended to the girl's neck and made sure she was comfortable as she slept off the strain. Her guardians stayed for a short while, helping get settled before they returned to the spirit realm. The constructs, and their animating spirits she had given leave to as soon as they'd arrived. Taki was grateful for their spirits, promising to return some day if they ever had need again. She brewed a pot of tea and had a light meal of rations before falling into her own hammock. She dozed off that evening exhausted, having built a warm fire to keep the place well lit and free of pests. The morning would come one way or another and it had been a very long night...
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Post by Valerian on Sept 24, 2023 1:42:23 GMT -5
Dawn crept slowly over the Marsh Flats, and Val rose with it. Home- or what I've come to think of as home. What happened? The Bogaboo had found us and then- It started to come back to her. She'd fought back. Shaking, she sat back down on her bed. She had attacked it. No- it definitely attacked her. She recalled a flash of it close up and flinched at its remembered rage and hunger. Val rubbed her clavicle- healed but still a bit sore. She had defended herself. Just as a spider defends itself even as ants tear at its joints. Just as a bird takes to the sky to escape the pounce of a cat. Val had never felt smaller- for a moment, she was a speck in a great, cosmic flow. One of a countless many. All moving according to their nature and the nature of the flow. After a time, she came to. Val noticed the campfire, and realized with a solemn suddenness that Taki and her were done. Whatever happened after she had passed out. They had encountered and confronted a Bogaboo.
She approached Taki sheepishly. "I just wanted to say thanks for saving me- I assume you saved me. I don't think I've ever been so scared. I know I couldn't have done it if you weren't there, Taki, so thank you. If there's ever anything I can do for you.. Anyway, I need to gather my things and my thoughts."
She had a lot of thinking to do, both about her place in nature and what she learned from her hunt with Taki. Walking back to her makeshift tent, she spotted movement: the skeleton that had been sitting so calmly this whole time was moving! At least, a part of it was. A snail was poking out of the skull, which had been bound to the arm and ribcage by vines. Poor thing, its stuck. Here. She set to work on the viney mess and quickly freed the Skull Snail. The arm, though.. Now that it was in her hand, she felt a faint presence not unlike the Bogaboo's. If she put a bit of energy into it, it would move a bit. Hmm. This feels useful. Perhaps Lloyd can help me with it.As she was gathering her few belongings, the snail kept creeping onto her stuff. "What? Do you want something? Maybe you're hungry? I should ask Taki before we go; who knows how long you were stuck on that skeleton. We're survivors, though, apparently. Guess we've gotta look out for each other." She tenderly scooped up the skull and headed towards the campfire and Taki. As they walked, it struggled to get free. " Hey, this little ones hungry or something, I don't know. Do you think you could help them out before we go?" The skull snail was plainly holding on to Val despite her best efforts to hand them over to Taki. It crawls towards her shoulder and comes to rest just behind it. "Ah jeez-I guess that's what it wanted. Do you at least know what they eat?"
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Post by Shitakibo on Sept 25, 2023 7:59:42 GMT -5
"You're welcome Val." Taki replied as she started packing her own camp. She was glad the night hadn't brought further surprises and the swamps had let them sleep in relative peace. After making sure her pack was ready, Taki stepped out of the camp and stretched her limbs out. She was more than ready to be done with this mushy place and back on ground she was familiar with... home would be a welcome place for a couple of days, or at least that was the shaman's hope.
"Hmmm... I don't think I've encountered such a creature before, but as far as I'm aware snails and their kin have a wide variety of diets. Perhaps it would be good to either try a few things on your own or ask Lloyd if you so happen to run into him again." Responded the shaman to the strange looking creature living in a skull as it crawled about on Val. A curious thing, but she was glad to see the lass not contemplating the previous night too heavily. If it appeased Val, that was enough for Taki.
"I'm heading home now, unless you need a ride back." She said, gearing up to take off soaring into the sky once more.
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