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Post by Valerian on Sept 20, 2023 23:15:18 GMT -5
The streets of Darkveil were like no place Valerian had ever been to. She pulled her bark-patterned hood tighter around her head as more strangers leered at her. As out of place as she was, it shouldn't have surprised her. A pretty wood nymph wandering through the streets of this forsaken town would draw attention any day. But she had to be here. She was following some people. When she saw them dragging a Woolful onto a boat a few days ago, the look in its eyes screamed for help. That look hasn't left her mind, and its the only thing driving her through these twisted streets full of twisted people. Hopefully I heard them mention this city. If not, I'll have to search a lot more to find them. Not like I can give up on them now.
What she needed was an ally. Just anyone she felt had her back. Being this far from proper nature, she felt off-balance. I won't give up. Not on those little guys. I saw at least a few of them tied up on that boat. I don't know if I can forgive one who takes such a beautiful creature from its home to such a desolate place. Brushing a lock of moss-colored hair out of her face, she quickened her steps; something was going on up ahead.
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Post by Vonoros Jedath on Sept 21, 2023 1:49:36 GMT -5
Vonoros was having a pretty alright day so far he had finished a handful of assassination contracts before deciding to stop for the day and take his midafternoon meal and nap. He headed to the local tavern and ordered his meal of cooked mutton with a side dish of assorted fruits like oranges, apples, and bananas. He took his box of packaged food as he ordered his meal to take out.
He decided to find a nice comfortable spot in some random back alley area around the streets of Darkveil city. He sat down on the floor placing his box of food on his left side. He was lucky thankfully no one seemed to be there and it was far enough away to just get a moment of relaxation.
He was about to take a bite of his cooked mutton alongside a spoonful of chopped up fruits before suddenly he saw two brutish goon fellows run into the alley holding a squirm mysterious bag across one of their backs. The two fellows unfortunately stepped on the triton’s food and stopped to take a break a couple steps away from Vonoros not paying him any mind.
Vonoros’s usually calm demeanor immediately shifted into bloodlust as he took a second to realize what happened he walked over to the two fellows who seem to be chatting it up and yelled enrage, “Hey dumb douchebag and stupid face watch where you’re going or I’ll watch it for you”.
The two goons looked at each other and one of them said, “Aye Pako looks like we got a big tough fish guy here let's show him what happens to people who try to act like some bigshot hero”.
Both of the fellows then start to walk up to Vonoros flashing their two swords at the triton before he heard some footsteps behind him.
“I hope that’s not another one of these freaks or this alley’s gonna be a horrible mess, at least for me to clean up”, the triton says with a smile on his face.
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Post by Valerian on Sept 21, 2023 18:21:30 GMT -5
Why is there always yelling? I don't do well with yelling.
Moving faster now, her hood came down and her robes billowed around her. She tried to tie them around her waist as she jogged but was left holding a half-done knot as she came up to the corner. Coming to a stop beside a very tall, very competent-looking triton, Val quickly finished tying the upper half of her robes around her waist, revealing oak skin and a sarashi wrapped around her chest. Remembering she should be paying attention, she also saw two absolute goons. Everyone looked hostile, and the goons had a bag between them. "Hey wait wait hey what's going on here" Val managed to make it all sound like one word. "Wait. I know you! You really are a dumb douchebag! I saw you kidnapping innocent creatures of Ginma from their homes. Well I, Valerian, will fight you on Nature's behalf and return those Woolfuls to where they belong!" Val was oblivious to just how absurd she looked. Plainly dwarfed by everyone here, but carrying the most anger by far. She did her best to twist her delicately shaped oaken face into a visage of rage. As her fists grew a thick layer of bark1, it was clear she meant to make good on her word. She wasn't sure what she had butted into. Hopefully the tall one is as righteous as he looks, or I may have bitten off far more than a wood spirit can chew. I suppose I passed up any chance to think about this when I ran into a situation heart first. I don't suppose I regret it, though. As she stood, still as a tree, waiting for a response from anyone, the goons were clearly gearing up for a scuffle. "Greene, I think today just got interesting. Our bagged and tagged friend isn't going anywhere; lets have some fun with them." The bag made a dull thud noise as it impacted the ground, and muffled noises could barely be heard from it over the din of the town. Pako drew a curved short sword, and Greene cracked their knuckles. Ally or no, she couldn't back down now, not when she was this close. She'd never hit a person before, but Val believed in herself. She had to. I'm coming, little ones.
1Stone Hands
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Post by Vonoros Jedath on Sept 23, 2023 23:55:01 GMT -5
Vonoros turned back to look at the new coming figure, “That dryad lady doesn’t look to be like these ugly bastards so I’ll assume she’s on my side and if she isn’t and this is some sort of trick I’ll take her on too”, he thought.
“Nothing’s going on here lady, I’m just talking to some stupid meatheads who think it’s right to just stomp over an innocent man's food”.
Vonoros then stepped aside as the dryad woman suddenly began berating these two fools and revealed their shady smuggling of woolfuls. His anger calmed down a little bit as he watched her step up enraged and ready to defend nature from evildoers.
He looked over to the squirming bag and realized how much sense it made, “Dammit, I should've realized it earlier”, he thought angry at himself now.
He reaches into his back and pulls out his quarterstaff from his mass of hair he then holds it with his right hand and spins it before pointing at the two goons and saying, “Don’t think you’re just gonna have to deal with this kind lady here, I got first dibs on beating the crap out of you guys too for destroying my lunch”.
He looks over the two, one a blade wielder while the other muscly brute most likely using his fists; he then quickly turns to the dryad and says, “I’ll take on Me. Meathead there you can take on the sword guy”.
He then charges forward before jumping high into the air (1), and lands behind the two facing down Green pointing his quarterstaff at him.
1. Long Stride
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Post by Valerian on Sept 25, 2023 13:53:47 GMT -5
She had an ally! “ I’ll take on Mr. Meathead there you can take on the sword guy”. Val nodded, as she readied her barkskin fists. Her secret weapon was tucked behind her shoulder, and she kept it out of Pako's sight. Val approached him with unsteady courage, and with each step, her legs threatened to buckle. Still, she pressed on. Pako had the clear advantage with his sword, approaching the unarmed lass with a barely guarded swagger. Side-eyeing the triton, he lost focus on Val. With unguarded speed, she rushed forward and feigned an attack. Pako's blade embedded itself in Val's barkskin gauntlets; he was properly focused, now. Her skeleton arm snaked around her right shoulder like a scorpion stinger and cracked Pako in the skull. The fight was on, now. I don't know how to stand. How do I stop an actual swing? What do I do with my extra hand? Is my ally okay? Oh no- aack!
It was her turn to lose focus. Pako's head had cleared and he launched a wicked assault. Val, almost by accident, caught the snicker on her skeleton arm, but felt the snack on her left hip. She staggered back, slipping as she moved out from under an ash-covered awning.
I need to think of something fast, or I'm firewood.
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Post by Vonoros Jedath on Sept 26, 2023 3:09:16 GMT -5
Vonoros slammed his staff onto the floor and pointed it at the meathead’s face before motioning him with his other hand to come forward. The muscly orc fellow smirked confidently in his victory as he charged forth hands raised and clenched into fists as he neared Vonoros.
He slammed his fists down on the triton attempting to knock him down on the floor to beat him down. Vonoros raised his quarterstaff and held it tightly with both his hands pushing back against the surprised Mr. Meathead.
“Huh”, the orc exclaimed surprised that Vonoros hadn’t fallen not used to fighting someone who wasn’t a complete pushover.
The triton smirked as he said, “What, big guy haven’t met someone as strong as you, well let me show you why you don’t mess with people’s food”.
He kicked the orc’s chest pushing him back before raising his staff upwards and slamming it down on the orc’s shoulder making the fellow shout in pain. He quickly got an idea and grabbed the quarterstaff with both hands pulled Vonoros towards him and punched the triton in the face.
“Dammit”, he whispers as he wipes some blood off his face, “You think you're hot stuff, huh cause you got a lucky hit”.
Vonorros ripped the staff out of the orc’s grip and slammed it down on the floor before swiping it at the man’s feet knocking him on his knees.
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Post by Valerian on Sept 26, 2023 15:45:32 GMT -5
Pako was clearly the better fighter. Val scrambled to her feet as she dodged a lazy sword swing. He had driven her into an alley! "Nowhere left to run, eh? Just you, those three walls, and me." Pako spit, rubbing the welt that was forming on his forehead. From outside the alley, Val could hear the fight between the other sheep stealer and the guy who caught him sheep stealing. No time to think about that. I need a second to close this wound and clear my head. I need to think of a plan. She had no time to think about anything. With a well-practiced motion, her adversary had already drawn a knife and flipped it, preparing to embed it in Val. "And this. Time for some target practice with scrap wood."Planning instead to come up with a plan later, Val acted. Her skeleton arm grabbed the wooden wall to her right and pushed1, sending splinters everywhere. Just in time, Val threw herself through the new opening. The knife and Val both were lost in a cloud of rubble, and the thug started to force his way into the building. Inside, Val looked around: cages and blood. There was an awful commotion as she scampered unsteadily across the room, hoping to hide. As Pako stalked the rows of cages, Val lit up a piece of broken wood and tossed it across the room. The Woolfuls! This must be where those goons were heading! "I know you're here, weasel! Come here and let me stab you! There's no way in hell I'm starving to death for your morals! Ah, hell. I should have known better than to play with my food."
Starving to death? Are things really that bad here? In any case, I have to stop this thug before he hurts me or my new ally. 1: Baloth Muscles
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Post by Vonoros Jedath on Sept 27, 2023 2:08:10 GMT -5
Vonoros sneers as the muscular meathead orc scrambled to his feet after getting knocked on his knees, he raises his quarterstaff straight at the man’s head and says, “Pathetic excuse for a goon, if you’re gonna act like a big bad tough guy have the strength to back it up. Bad guys gotta be strong otherwise they're just pitiful trash like you”.
This enrages the fellow as he barrels forth trying to trample the triton in his rampage, Vonoros just sneers in response going along with the man’s whims intending to embarrass him. The man pushes him into the wall as Vonoros holds him back with his quarterstaff pushing him back keeping him from slamming into the wall.
The triton smirks before smashing his head onto the other man’s forehead causing him to stumble back in pain.
The triton quickly raises his hand summoning a small bubble (1) the size of his palm and throws it forth yelling towards where he saw the dryad entered, “Hey dryad lady heads up healing coming your way”, the bubble jumps to the meathead’s chest causing him to reel back in pain as it then jumps towards the dryad lightly healing any surface wounds she had received before finally finishing its course as it slams into Pako as it enters his chest and deals some minor damage causing the fellowto momentarily pause to focus on his surface level wound on his chest.
1. Bouncing Bubble
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Post by Valerian on Sept 27, 2023 10:52:14 GMT -5
In surprise, Val watched her barkskin arms as chipping and the gash from Pako were covered by fresh bark. Her side still sang with pain. She and her assailant recovered from the shock just in time to spot the other spotting them. Enraged, Pako closed the distance between him and Val. She grabbed a piece of wood and threw it, missing but distracting him. Between that and the magic wound on his chest slowing Pako down, Val managed to get around his sword. Now in optimal range for unarmed combat, and having three fists to her opponents one sword, she braced herself and headbutted 1 him. Why am I laying down? Groggy, Val sat up. Oh, thank goodness, Val exclaimed inwardly, that's his sword clanging across the floor. I'm safe. As Val sat up, her head began to clear. Sap flowed in a trickle from the cut on her hip, but her wounds had mostly been superficial. Her robes had been mangled by the fight. "Do you- like, do you yield?" There was no response from the man on the floor. "Dude, are you okay?" For the first time, she noticed a stream of blood flowing down the man's face and pooling below him, a dull crimson. "Oh. Oh hey I think I need help hey-" Wait- duh, I can help him myself!Her barkskin fists softened to delicate, wooden hands as the dryad reached for the man's forehead. His skull was fucked. Please don't be dead. A brilliant, pale light flowed from her hand to his forehead as her skeleton arm held him firmly down, just in case. With a sickening crack, his skull righted itself, and Pako began to stir. 1: Bull's Strength Tattoo
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Post by Vonoros Jedath on Sept 27, 2023 17:22:30 GMT -5
Greene grunts after feeling the bubble hit his skin and charges once more at Vonoros actually surprising the triton as he was looking over where Valerian and Pako where.
“Eh, don’t worry how about we take you with them”, he then grabbed Vonoros by the arm and swung him into the wooden wall before rushing and kicking them right through it.
Vonoros landed on the floor and got up rubbing his forehead, “Damn that hurts, you actually got a good hit in, ugly”.
Greene rushed about to follow up on his attack before glancing at his friend on the floor lying there with the dryad lady near him doing something to him.
“Pako, you-you good bro”, the orc stammered as he loomed over Val, “Did this lady do something to you, come on man get up, we gotta go”.
The orc raised his fists in anger as he saw his friend begin to stir thinking that the dryad woman was going to attack him once more. Only to find his attack being pushed back from Vonoro’s staff and the triton’s weight as he appeared in front of Val.
“Hey there buddy just calm down and step off, this lady looks like she’s helping your dumb friend, a lot more than i would have done”.
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Post by Valerian on Sept 27, 2023 19:40:23 GMT -5
"Ughrnphhgh oh my fuckin' head AY," Pako was certainly trying to stir now, "Greene the fuck kinda joke is this get offa.. what'd, you throw a fuckin' bookcase on me?" Wiping his eyes free of blood, the perfectly healthy goon began to comprehend his current situation. "Oh. Damn lady, yer heavy. What the fuck happened?"
-_-
"You scared me! I thought I'd done you in, dummy. Now, uh, do you yield? I don't want to hurt you again." Val's voice shook badly with fear and adrenaline.
"Yeah fuck whatever I yield, lady. You gonna take our lunch now that you're done beating us up?" Pako growled as he struggled simultaneously to free himself from Val and grab his sword.
"I don't want to take anything from you! You can't just take animals from wherever and mistreat them like this! I get that you're suffering, but everyone is suffering right now."
"Its not just that," mumbled Greene, "I needed the money. And Pako's kid-"
"Leave my kid the fuck outta this Greene or so help me I'll gut ya!"
"Look you two, I don't want anyone to starve. I.. uh.. maybe need to sit down.. I lost a lotta sap.." She let go of Pako and sat between him and his sword, healing herself as well. If that hero wasn't here, I might have been overpowered by these two. Even if I had won, I might have lost focus on myself and passed out.
"Hey, Hero," she was addressing Vonoros, "can you free the Woolfuls while keeping an eye on him?" She gestured at Greene. "Once this goon here and I can walk, I want him to take me anywhere people are trying to grow crops. You say you're stalking the whole of Charon for this specific animal because you're starving? I'll give you some food, ya goon."
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Post by Vonoros Jedath on Sept 28, 2023 1:23:37 GMT -5
Vonoros lowered his staff and tucked it back into his wave of hair safely into his chest sling, seeing as the situation seemed to lower in tension. The triton smiled trying to shake off any leftover rage and bloodlust he had once he entered his assassin mindset.
He rubbed his chest noticing some slight bruising around his body and head, “Man although that guy was kind of weak, he really was able to get some good shots in”, he thinks to himself.
He held his hands behind his head as he listened to the Pako and Greene fellow argue back and forth before speaking up in the mention of lunch, “Hey hey you buffons actually crashed over my lunch alright, I’m expecting to be compensated for that at least''.
His eyes lower as he hears Greene mention having to steal money for his and Pako’s child money, “Actually forget it, it was just some crappy mutton with fruit anyways no harm done”.
“You’re lucky dryad lady was here, I wouldn’t have been so nice to you two, who knows you two might’ve ended up sleeping with the fishes tonight”, he says chuckling but at the back of his head he knows what he said was completely true. If Val had not been there he would have the two bloodied and beaten into a pulp for screwing with him on his time off not even waiting for an explanation.
Vonoros felt unnerved as Val called him a hero, he didn’t hear that word often especially in relation to himself.
“Yeah, yeah I got it Dryad Lady'', the triton says as he walks over to the cages breaking the locks with his fists, these were not very durable materials, very cheap and soon enough woolfuls started to surround the area.
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Post by Valerian on Sept 28, 2023 12:31:31 GMT -5
Perturbed, Val followed Pako a short way out of town. Trampled ash denoted the main road, but fields and fallows alike were hidden beneath the blanket of ash. Surely, life out here is a struggle on the best of days. I hope I can help them, but I don't exactly know how to farm. This might be too big a task for me. Still, Val kept a scowl fixed on her face. She didn't want to admit to her former foe that she suddenly felt out of her depth. Instead, she grilled him on his Woolful crimes.
"Why Woolfuls? Can't you just hunt? Even outside of the Ashlands?" No matter what she asked, he refused to give any more info.
"Look, can I go home? The fields are here or whatever, I dunno, I hardly leave the shop."
"I'm not letting you out of my sight. You might attack me again, or that hero. We'll walk back once I'm done."
"What are you gonna do out here, anyway, little lady?"
"Uh- never you mind. I know what I'm doing."
I can't back out now. Time to see what I can do to help.
Val picked a field at random and started walking. Where she passed, occasional crops sprouted up through the ash, mixed with weeds and native plants. The ash glowed soft green; the wind smelled of grass; Val hummed while she worked.1
"Hey, this is just weeds 'n' shit! We can't eat this!" From across the field, Val glared at the man, squatting in a patch of tough plants. "Uh, can we? I don't usually eat.. leaves.." Val, still as a statue, continued glaring, "as such.. uh but.." Nervously, Pako picked a leaf and started chewing. Plainly disgusted, he gave Val a thumbs up.
When she was done, one field near the town sported patch growths of hardy, generally inedible plants mixed with the few crops that would grow in a land this hostile. She returned to the Woolful Prison to look for Vonoros. Pako followed her back to his butcher shop to sleep off his headache.
"Hey, Hero. There you are. Are you hurt at all? I'm not much of a fighter, like you are, but I'm a pretty good healer."
Val beamed at the triton with unguarded admiration for who he appeared to be to her: an unapologetic hero.
1: Plant Growth
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Post by Vonoros Jedath on Sept 29, 2023 3:02:39 GMT -5
Vonoros continued smashing in the locks and freeing the countless amount of woolfuls that were trapped in those shoddily made cages. The man then just sat on the floor waiting for the dryad lady or anyone to come back after a couple of minutes of waiting the triton yawned, stretching his arms out in front of him before laying down on the hardwood floor surrounded by the free woolfuls.
The man himself had fallen asleep and was having a pretty peaceful dream of him sleeping before suddenly waking up to the voice of the dryad lady from earlier rising quickly to his feet, “I’m okay nothing a little sleep can’t fix”, the triton says looking around his body, “Though if you could can you help my chest and back that brute tried his all and left me a little battered”.
As he finished speaking and waited for the dryad woman to heal him he once again thought about being called a hero, “Huh, I wish that sounds like a lot of fun but this gig makes a lot more money and is easy to do”, he thinks to himself before speaking up.
“So bark lady what’s your deal? Oh and thanks for the help with those numbskulls I’ll say without you things would have gone down a lot differently”.
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Post by Valerian on Sept 30, 2023 22:33:55 GMT -5
“Though if you could can you help my chest and back that brute tried his all and left me a little battered”
"I'd be delighted to," chimed Val. Feeling accomplished, she was a bit bubbly. She layed her wooden hands on Vono's torso, allowing a soft glow of energy to pass between them. The worst of Greene's damage started pulling itself back together. Val flinched as she heard a rib snap back into place. Probably. I'm no anatomist- I'm literally magic. "And here." Val beamed as she grabbed a few leaves from her satchel. "If you get any painful bruising, apply this as a poultice for a few hours. Maybe chill it, too, if you know anyone who can." She stepped back to admire her work. Physically, he's in better shape. Mentally, though.. She thought she saw a pained look in his eyes. Quicker than she'd even noticed it, Vono was moving forward with the conversation.
“So bark lady what’s your deal? Oh and thanks for the help with those numbskulls I’ll say without you things would have gone down a lot differently”.
"My deal?" Val's smile is infected with a touch of mischievousness. "Why, Hero, whatever do you mean? I'm simply a concerned citizen." She looked out at the street. A sparse crowd had gathered during the fight, but they had quickly dispersed as it wound down. The sidewalk and alley were still a mess. The bag the Woolful was being transported in was torn up in the street, and thee Woolfuls were beginning to wander in confusion and panic. "If it wasn't for you coming in and saving the day, I would have been done for! Anyway, I'll leave the cleanup to you, Hero! I'm sure you're used to it, and I don't want to spend one more minute in this infernal hive than I have to." She turns to walk away, waving back at Vono, the carnage, and the Woolfuls with her both her right arms. "Take care, Hero!" With luck, I'm done here. I came to save the animals, not to clean up the town.
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