CCS Courier
IS OFFLINE
336
Renown
Female
Sylvan Elf
692 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Delaela Fenastra-Asiliari on Dec 31, 2023 23:32:31 GMT -5
The last time Del had been through the Marsh Flats, she had promised herself it would be the last time for a very long time. Her previous experience in the Marsh Flats, by and large, had not been... the most kind. Seeing the strange, migrane inducing black sphere and watching Fish get seriously injured by in the Flood Road, and before that, facing down the Mud Worms in Lilicors, were both harrowing experiences the sylvan elf did not especially wish to repeat.
She was still, technically, on the run, after all. Though in the aftermath of the initial incident her identity had been kept secret, there was still the other matter at hand. Matters, really. Plural.
A lot of things were the matter, it seemed.
But she could only take things on one at a time. Right now, while doing some reconaissance to check if the path ahead was clear for her and Cyran to advance, she found herself in an eerily similar situation to what she had stumble into nearly a year ago. From the brush, and sticking to the shadow, she watches as an unusually large group of Mud Worms, or at least, large enough to warrant caution and scrutiny. While she wasn't exactly savvy in the ways of navigating Marsh Flats society, she knew enough of the situation and enough of people in general to know that large gatherings of a known group that had caused chaos in the past was sure to mean trouble. That much, she knew she could speak to.
Her eyes narrow slightly as she observes. Even at this distance, she can make out the large beetle creatures, the Bogskippers, being tugged along roughly on a tow line towards a makeshift stable. There was some animated talking taking place between the three or four people she could, but she could scarcely make out any meaning to the words from this far off.
Normally she would leave a matter like this to itself. It was none of her business what the Mud Worms were up to, honestly. She even agreed with their cause, for the most part... but the distressed chittering of the beetles put her teeth on edge. This did not look like a simple wrangling situation to Del; if there were twenty or so Mud Worms, then there were at least forty or more of the bogskippers being yanked into stables, shouted at and prodded when they put up any resistance.
...Well. She had managed to get through a whole incident with the Mud Worms prior where none had wound up killed, at least not by her hand. Maybe she could manage it this time, too. She doubted it would be easy, but as long as she didn't reveal herself, perhaps she could get in and out without them being any the wiser.
Quest Name: Skip With Me Participants: Two or more Location: Marsh Flats Post Requirements: 5 posts per person, 200 words per post Reward: +1 Renown Description:[/b[ The Marsh Flats have continued to suffer under the wrath of the Mud Worms, the gang quickly gaining more and more control of the region. Recently, they have begun to steal and hoard Bogskippers, valuing their usefulness for navigating the swamps. It is believed that with an army of Bogskippers, they can outfit their gang and become more of a problem. Lilicors is asking for help in freeing and retrieving the Bogskippers, returning them back to their owners. You are asked to find a Mud Worm camp and free any Bogskippers they may be holding there, dispatching of any the members who may try to stop you.
|
|
CCS Courier
IS OFFLINE
9
Renown
Female
Marsh Flats
392 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Tatalia on Jan 1, 2024 1:17:05 GMT -5
Nothing was the matter for Tatalia. She loved her work.
Sure, dealing with the bandit threat was going to be a challenge! Sure, they outnumbered her... by a lot, and they were probably a little more alert than the last time she had disrupted their plans, which was fairly recent. And, yes, they were just awful people, true paragons of thuggery, bullies to the bone. But all of those facts made them just that much more fun to make fools of!
The last time Tatalia had been to the Marsh Flats - back before she'd gone half-mad from whatever arachnathropic affliction the Spider Mother had forced on her with that horrible bite - Tatalia had been making plans with Veliky to prevent terrible tragedies from ever taking place at the hand of adventurers ever again. They'd both witnessed firsthand what adventurers were capable of, whether by malice or by accident, and had debated long and hard about how best to organize them better and add safeguards against frankly criminal behavior. But a year had passed, and having finally returned, well... Tatalia found her home in worse shape than ever. The bandit problem was getting well and truly out of hand.
Unfortunately for the bandits, the Marsh Flats were Tatalia's home, and she wasn't going to let some rowdy roustabouts rough up her neighbors. Honestly, Tatalia didn't even know what the Mud Worms were all about besides banditry, but if the Big Leader back at the village said they were a problem, then they were a problem. The Big Leader was wiser than he seemed at first glance, and Tatalia had learned to trust him despite their very different outlooks.
The goblin focused on the task ahead. A practical swarm of bogskippers was being driven along by the bandits. There were twenty of them and it was daylight; that meant plenty of eyes and not so many places to hide as usual. They were at the pens, driving them in one by one; that meant there was a small window of opportunity to act. But there was one advantage: the terrain they were on was not friendly to anyone with only standard mobility. The muddy ground, slick rocks, high reeds, foggy water, and light wind mist all gave Tatalia just the slightest edge.
The goblin was still making assessments when she heard one of the men shout angrily at the bogskippers and kick one hard. The poor, gentle bug let out a terrified chittering noise before scrambling into its pen. Tatalia's teeth ground in her mouth.
Fine, the goblin decided. I'll go loud.
The young explorer stepped out from behind the log she'd been using as cover, raised her dagger into the air, and let out a sharp whistle. The bandits turned to look at her, saw her, and immediately they started shouting and reaching for their weapons. Just as they were preparing to attack, the bandits were bombarded by a sudden blinding flash1 that blazed from the gemstone in her dagger's blade. Several of the bandits fell over each other into the murk and the mud, and some of the bogskippers happened to catch the flash, too, creating a small stampede at the edge of the pack.
"Oops!" Tatalia called out, her scarf whipping in the wind. "Did I do that?"
Tatalia didn't wait for a response, though she definitely heard some choice curse words. She darted away from the bandits and then leapt very high into the air, crossing a solid twenty feet of distance2 before landing on the other side of a particularly deep part of the water.
The bandits were angry and in disarray, and some of them had recovered enough that their leaders were shouting orders for someone to catch that "little green puke" and do unspeakable things to her. But being chased suited Tatalia just fine.
The Mud Worms were about to learn what it was like to be in a spider's web.
1. Flash Enchantment; 2. Hoppers
|
|
CCS Courier
IS OFFLINE
336
Renown
Female
Sylvan Elf
692 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Delaela Fenastra-Asiliari on Jan 31, 2024 20:57:21 GMT -5
Del settled on starting forward, low to the earth, nearly crawling on her belly through the muck and mire as she moved steadily forward on her steepled fingers and the toes of her shoes. A laborious effort, but one well worth getting the jump on them. She could, of course, just as easily slip through the shadows and pop up somewhere in the camp, but it was still good to rely on the old abilities she had long trained for.
Ever so slowly, Del gets closer and closer. There we go... easy does it...
A sharp whistle cuts through the air and Del lowers her body on reflex, hackles raised. Gods, had she been discovered already? No, that wasn't bloody likely, she was concealed within shadow this whole time[1, 2]. That was proven accurate the moment the shouting started, hollering about someone off to the left and to "get them". Then there was a flash of light Del could vaguely see through the reeds, some splashes, and cursing, and Del remained there, in the mud, with a faint grimace on her face.
So much for the element of surprise, she supposed.
Something hits the ground near her and Del pauses again, head whipping to the side where she spots... indeed, the person the Mud Worms seemed to be looking for. The Green One. They looked very pleased with themself, their scarf streaming elegantly behind them.
In the shadow, hidden and unseen except to those with the eyes to see her, Del sighed internally. And there went her cover.
It was fine. It. Was fine. She could improvise.
The Mud Worms rushed forward and Del abruptly sprang from the shadows. Her fingers, thick, scarred and strong, seize around one of the human's heads, as if palming a ball[3], and yanks him backwards into a rising knee delivered to the right of his spine[4]. He chokes in pain as he suddenly drops to the ground, writhing as the nerves surrounding his liver spasmed painfully. Notably, she was clearly not trying to kill him. She wondered if she would be able to maintain that.
"You certainly know how to make an entrance." Del says over to the goblin, brows raised in slight amusement as the Mud Worms began to surround them.
[1] One With the Shadows [2] Pass without a Trace (Passive) [3] Back Stab [4] Reverse Momentum
|
|