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Post by Shitakibo on Mar 1, 2024 15:23:01 GMT -5
Spring time had started to flourish across Charon, sprouting rainbows of colorful life everywhere. King's Valley in particular was blooming with all manner of vibrant wildflowers and long grasses. Farmers were out tilling fields and planting spring seedlings, merchants beginning their routes now that roads and ports were thawing. Winter's grip subsiding from the world meant her companions were also rousing themselves from torpor or returning from their natural migrations. Rina's pleasant buzzing about the house over the last couple of days had brought a stir to the others. Winter had been long and full of adventures in less than pleasant climates, so the shaman figured this outing would be a great way to shake off the winter's cold. Taki departed with her full group of companions, only Rina and Yukina staying behind at home to keep watch and take messages. The Flitten tended not to come out on dangerous ventures for many reasons, and that made it easier for the group as well. Shuchu, Shion and Kamina rode with her on a wide, puffy cloud while Hanehiko and Hakaze glided along beside them. Spotting a village from above, she had Hakaze break off and go scout the town while the others descended. She'd received a message from the town, stating they were under siege from a pair of Deeptusks that had been driven from their usual grounds. Keenly aware of the poaching problems, overhunting, and the creature's growing aggression towards outsiders, she left with as much haste as she could muster. Taki knew this could turn dangerous for both the townsfolk and the animals at hand if they handled it poorly. As the group were approaching town, Hakaze returned from his scouting trip. Making a hard landing, there was a palpable tension to the Wind Drake's demeanor. "They've already gotten close to the village and torn up fences and fields. There's a wall of guards looking quite agitated along that side of town and most of the people are avoiding that area... maybe even being kept out." "It would make sense to keep the citizens safe and away from the battlefield, but the tusks being that close to town is just asking for a confrontation. I want you, Shion and Hanehiko to find the creatures. Hanehiko will report back to me regularly, Hakaze try to keep your distance and keep them away from town. Shion, you'll have to be much closer, but I want you to observe them closely and signal either of the other two if it seems like they're going to stampede towards town.""Right away, Miss." The three responded in unison, splitting off from the group and heading out around the edge of town. Taki and Kamina continued towards town, heading to the hall after passing through the gates.
Quest Name: In Too Deep
Participants: Two or more
Location: King's Valley
Post Requirements: 8 posts per person, 250 words per post
Reward: +1 Mystical Archive Ticket, Choice of 1 Rare crafting material
Description: Deeptusks are large majestic beasts that have roamed the open plains of King's Valley for thousands of years, but have recently began to vanish, their numbers dwindling because of poachers or hunters wanting to collect the rare beast. Because of this they have started to migrate away from populated areas and now see others as a threat. Recently a pair of the creatures wandered too close to a local village and were startled by those who live there. In an attempt to defend themselves, the large creatures lashed out and have now been causing a problem. We need help in calming the duo and escorting them away from the village without causing major harm to them. This will be tricky however as they are extremely powerful when in danger and very difficult to calm down.
Special Requirements: At least one member of the group (PC only, no NPC's) must be knocked unconscious during this fight. The Deeptusks cannot be killed during this quest.
Mystical Archive tickets are awarded once per player, so you do not get multiple Archive tickets for doing this quest more than once with more than one character.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Mar 16, 2024 13:55:42 GMT -5
Now that Astrid has been ungrounded, her drive for adventuring skyrocketed all over again. It’s almost like when she first started and was eager to take on any job she could. Being cooped up in the house for a couple of months was fine and all, but the world is calling, and weird things are afoot across Charon once again. When she heard about the Deeptusks causing problems in a King’s Valley village, she figured she’d head there and check things out.
She’s only been in town a few hours and has gathered at least basic information about the situation, though standing at the town hall and trying to get a word in with the mayor has been challenging to say the least. With her armored arm crossed over her metal one, Astrid taps her foot impatiently. “I don’t understand why we can’t just fight ‘em off,” she says with a huff. “Sometimes a good smack in the face will send ‘em runnin’ the other way. Dominance an’ alla that.” It’s an oversimplification of a creature’s behavior that she doesn’t fully understand, but that tends to work for most beasts causing problems. Admittedly, she can sympathize with the creatures being displaced by development, but this village didn’t pop up overnight.
“Killing them would make us no better than poachers,” the mayor says sternly. “Deeptusks have been hunted to low numbers and must be protected.”
“I didn’t say kill ‘em,” Astrid starts pointedly. “I said smack ‘em. Two different thin’s.”
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Post by Shitakibo on Mar 21, 2024 2:17:59 GMT -5
Taki strolled into town with her companions, surprising many folk who stared after the shaman and her companions. The Orochi were rarely seen outside of the Bamboo Forest, and she looked peculiar even for one of her kin. As she wandered through town, she took note of the layout and it's construction. It would not weather a lone Deeptusk well, not to mention an agressive pair. She could potentially put up some quick barriers and basic field defenses, but anything to fortify the town would take a great deal more planning and oversight than she was comfortable trying at the moment.
Lost in thought, Taki barely noticed that she'd crossed through the town's square. The area was abuzz with activity, and had an air of anxiousness and panic. When she finally did look up, she spotted the town hall and headed towards it. If the town was making preparations of some kind, perhaps the shaman could step in and see the creatures to a more suitable home. A few guards stopped her briefly, but were quick to usher her through when she showed them her Guild Signets. While the Mage's Guild would be helpful gathering information, the W.E.F. was known for their handling of exotic beasts and unexplored locales, and proved to spur the men to action.
Practically shoved through the crowd and subsequent doorway, the shaman entered the town hall and it's noisy rooms of officials coordinating and planning. Taki scanned the crowd, unsure where to go. Among them was a shock of golden hair, with short horns and shiny armor covering their forearms. With a smile, the shaman crossed the room, dodging interns and messengers to approach her colleague.
“I don’t understand why we can’t just fight ‘em off,” she says with a huff. “Sometimes a good smack in the face will send ‘em runnin’ the other way. Dominance an’ alla that.”
“Killing them would make us no better than poachers,” the mayor says sternly. “Deeptusks have been hunted to low numbers and must be protected.”
“I didn’t say kill ‘em,” Astrid starts pointedly. “I said smack ‘em. Two different thin’s.”
"Good day to you Astrid, Ser, might I join your conversation? This excited lass isn't too far off the mark, what you need is the creatures moved away without harm to either your town or them, correct?" Taki stepped up beside Astrid, patting her friend on the shoulder with a smile, Kamina sitting on her shoulder waving to Astrid.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Mar 25, 2024 16:45:36 GMT -5
When she hears Taki’s voice, Astrid perks up considerably. It’s been a long time since the two of them have worked together, and of all the people in Charon who would be best suited to help with this, Taki or Beist would be some of the best. “Hey, Taki!” she says cheerfully.
“Who are you?” the mayor asks, looking the odd woman up and down before deciding that today is the day for dealing with the adventuring types, it seems.
“This is Shitakibo!” Astrid says before listing off a few things the two of them have done together. This quickly gets interrupted by the mayor.
“Right, right, welcome to town,” he says, waving the thought away. Then he pinches the bridge of his nose, trying to focus on the conversation and not all the chatter going on in the hall around them. “So you want to fight the creatures or move them?”
“Well, we might have ta fight ‘em ta move them,” Astrid starts to explain.
“Can you relocate them without harming them?” the mayor asks.
Astrid looks at Taki for a long moment with eyes as wide as her face is unsure. They can probably figure that out, right? Taki is great with animals. “Sure?” Astrid agrees, though clearly she's not confident about this. “I think we can probably manage somethin’ together. An’ since Taki’s here, I don’t think I’ll need as much help from yer guards.” Not that he was willing to offer them up since the local militia would be trampled in a heartbeat. "What do ya think, Taki?"
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Post by Shitakibo on Mar 26, 2024 18:33:38 GMT -5
Taki listened to the exchange, considering the situation carefully. Deeptusks were once reported to be docile, even somewhat sociable, until recent incursions by poachers shredded their population. While no magical creature, they possess a powerful intellect and a strong memory, a bulky build with sturdy limbs, and a pair of ivory tusks. The ivory itself being a strong, resilient natural material is what lured the poachers, who prize it's value amongst crafters and artisans. Likely, these were refugees, survivors who now held a deep mistrust of people either by experience or proximity.
"It will be a delicate situation, as the mayor's concerns are well founded. The Deeptusk population has been pushed to the brink, but between the pair of us we should be able to find a solution without lasting harm. A few scrapes and bruises might be exchanged but no more."
"Is that necessary?"
"Possibly, there is no way of knowing until we try. I can promise you they won't be injured in any permanent way, and I am a capable healer if things get off track."
"A healer?"
"Our tribe used the term Shaman, speaking of anyone versed in healing, communing with nature or spirits. Healing is one facet."
"Very well, I will be grateful for this reprieve and notify the guards to remain near town and away from the creatures."
"Thank you, should something go awry I will have a companion bring a message to town immediately."
"That would be most prudent, and you're welcome."
Taki bowed politely to the gentleman, then turned and headed for the exit. As she stepped outside, she could hear a commotion, see a few guards running through the streets. Looking over top the buildings, she understood why at the sight of Hanehiko lazily circling the market looking for her. She walked out into the square and plain view, drawing her companion's attention as well as those eagerly protective guards.
"Please, stay your weapons. This is Hanehiko, a companion and friend who means you no harm."
"Y-You're sure? That thing isn't going to start scooping people up whole?"
Taki couldn't help but chuckle at the notion of her companion eating anything that was bigger than a bug. The shaman reached out and stroked the manta's 'chin' gently until she opened her maw. Inside was a vacuous cavity that gradually tapered towards the center of her body, lined with semi soft bristles made of a material similar to hair or fur. These were arranged facing the narrow of the taper to filter tiny creatures from the air or water.
"It's easy to think such a thing, until you realize the narrow of the taper, that miniscule curve of flesh, is the largest thing such a creature could swallow. With no teeth to aid in such a task, it would be impossible."
"Seriously?"
"Come, she won't hurt you, run your hand gently across the bristles like so..."
Taki gently ran a hand over the manta's baleen, reminiscing about all the times she'd had to clean some odd debris swept up in the wild maelstrom. Mantas liked to dive down below a tasty snack, then suddenly curl themselves upwards. At the same time, they open their mouths and use both suction and momentum to draw in large volumes at once. The guard approached and copied the shaman, while their comrades looked on skeptically. After a moment, the man stepped back and nodded to the others.
"False alarm, two of you see if you can calm the hecklers down before we have a riot... Take care miss...."
"Taki, most folks call me Taki."
"Take care, Miss Taki."
Nodding, she turned to Hanehiko and listened to her report.
"The pair are not far from town, the pair of guards in the southern tower are regularly reporting on their movements. They seem agitated only when travelers pass by, particularly if they linger for more than a moment to catch the spectacle."
"Wonderful, let me just... collect Astrid, wherever that little spark got off to..."
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Apr 3, 2024 18:39:26 GMT -5
With the mayor’s pants less in a wad and thoroughly reassured by Taki’s much more delicate handling of the situation, Astrid follows her outside. With wide, impressed eyes, she watches the manta glide down into the village where guards and civilians alike back away with some cowardice. Astrid, as short as she is, gets swept away by the crowd, not because she can’t stand her ground, but because there are just so many dang people.
“I’m here!” she calls, putting a hand up into the air and waving it around – her metal arm, namely so that the material can catch the sunlight and shine like a beacon to her location. As gentle as she tries to be pushing her way through the crowd, Astrid does need to muscle her way out where she comically pops into the clearing and stands upright. “Okay! I heard south. South sounds good! Let’s go!”
And with that, she marches toward the southern tower to take stock of the situation. Exactly as reported, two large beasts can be seen lumbering in the distance near the road that leads into town where they have presumably been harassing travelers. Even from this distance, Astrid can tell that they’re quite large with bodies roughly the size of some of the drakes the WEF has. She’s not sure that bringing Big Frizole, her frost drake, along on this will be particularly helpful.
“So, I ain’t got much of a clue about how ta do this without just chasin’ ‘em somewhere far away,” Astrid says, looking over at Taki. “Can ya talk ta animals? Maybe ya can reason with ‘em?”
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Post by Shitakibo on Apr 9, 2024 19:14:26 GMT -5
"In a fashion, I hope to be able to reach out to their spirits and convince them somehow to move off from town. There is great risk, and no guarantee they will yield... We may yet have to convince them with force."
Taki looked ahead and slightly above the tree line. Her companions had spaced themselves above the area where the Tusks were. Crossing her legs, she sat down comfortably on the ground and closed her eyes. She took several deep breaths to clear her mind and ease the tension from her body. The shift was like stepping through a waterfall, one moment her body and soul anchored by the materium, the next a sense of untethered freedom. Looking about the area, she gathered herself and her bearings before setting out towards where she hoped their spirits resided.
The spirit realm was part ephemeral dream, part mirror of the natural world. Time's passing here, the landscape, sky... even the beings who called this place home, all had a surreal quality to them. Taki knew to tread lightly, especially when seeking the spirits of an area she wasn't connected to in some way. Strolling over the rolling hills of the area, she came to a wide valley nestled amongst a copse of trees and various wild plants. She came to a stop on the edge of the area, searching for the spirits' wandering path. Tracking and hunting in the wilds of the spirit realm were a very different task, one that was more about instinct and experience than evidence and observation.
Pushing forward, she hoped she was on the right trail. There were a myriad of unknowns to this situation, so she focused on what could be done. Finding the Deep Tusks, trying to convince them peacefully to move on, find a wild place far from the worlds of men, that was all Taki need focus on.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Apr 11, 2024 20:53:29 GMT -5
Spirits? Huh, that seems right up Taki’s alley, Astrid thinks to herself. Talking to animals is an uncommon ability for people to have, but talking to spirits is even less so. Or communing with them. Whatever it is Taki plans to do.
“Well, I ain’t opposed ta gettin’ a few good licks in ta chase ‘em off, but if ya can convince ‘em ta go somewhere else, that’s probably the better option given Mister Mayor in there," Astrid says, crossing her arms and holding in a huff of annoyance about the mayor’s insistence on doing things in a way that may or may not work. Still, Taki is pretty good at what she does, so while Taki takes a seat, Astrid stands beside her and keeps her eyes on the Deep Tusks in the distance.
The strange thing about experiencing King’s Valley in the spirit realm is that unlike its material counterpart, the land is full of life. It teems with flora long since extinct from the present day valley. Unlike the grassy plains, it is rife as an almost jungle-esque landscape. Of course, not every part of King’s Valley’s spirit worlds exists in this way, but with creatures like the Deep Tusks, ones that have been a part of Charon’s history for millennia, the spirit world around them takes on a slightly different appearance.
But there is an edge to this atmosphere, something agitated and threatening. Well, that must be the Deep Tusks themselves, or at least the spiritual versions of them. They are angry at having being driven away from their homes, and angry ancient beasts may not be the easiest to reason with…
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Post by Shitakibo on Apr 17, 2024 11:21:00 GMT -5
Taki walked through the jungle like wilds of the spirit realm, moving carefully through the distorted trees and thick underbrush until she came upon a vast clearing. Cutting a winding path through the clearing was a winding creek with all manner of spirits milling about it's waters. As the shaman stepped from the brush, several started to flock to her presence before coming to a sudden stop. She felt the earth tremble beneath her feet, and watched a moment later as the gathering of spirits dispersed.
Towering through the trees, their shadows strained and squeezed, reshaping the landscape with their passing. The pair of Deep Tusks sauntered into this picturesque glade with rumbling footsteps, facing the shaman directly. Taki's hands slowly rose to either side, and she did her best to reach out to their spirits through her own. The pair seemed to calm for a moment, and turned to drink from the waters. She relaxed for a moment and tried to commune with the pair of ancient creatures.
"Good spirits, you do not know me, but I've come with purpose to seek you out. Your presence is causing a great deal of alarm amongst the changing folk... and your plight back home is something I'm well aware of. Perhaps there is somewhere farther from the towns and cities we could guide you?"
"Home gone... herd gone... all taken... all destroyed... why should we leave?"
"To give hope to the future, to find a home safe to raise the next generations."
"HOPE!! YOU DARE!! WE KNOW THE STENCH OF YOUR KIND!!"
Taki looked appalled, her eyes widened at the knowledge that some of her own kind were taking part in poaching these creatures. "They may be my kind, but they have cast me aside... I could not have known..."
"Excuses! You want your way... you earn it by the laws of the wilds!!"
Still trying to process the moment's revelation, Taki barely noticed as the pair of intense spirits launched themselves toward her, charging with a fury she couldn't possibly fathom.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Apr 23, 2024 21:19:03 GMT -5
With the approach of a stranger, the Deeptusks look toward Taki with a guarded aura, but she makes no moves that would make them suspect her of wrongdoing, so they take their drink. The agitation in the air fades momentarily to melancholy as they recall that the two of them are the last of their herd, the rest of them hunted by selfish Two Legs. And for this Two Leg to ask them to leave!? When they have seen those like her take and take and take. Now this one wants to take them away too?
The atmosphere around Taki grows heavy, and the lush jungle starts to wither and burn away, ashes of what it once was just as the Deeptusks are only a distant memory of this land they once roamed as their home. If she wants to tell them what to do, she will have to force them just as all Two Legs have ever done. There is only one of her. They will trample her!
With a mighty bray, nature’s trumpet of war, the Deeptusks charge through the fiery landscape toward Taki, their ivory tusks glowing in the red light like daggers poised to kill. This Two Leg will know the might of the Deeptusk, felled by foot or tusk.
Meanwhile, Astrid stands beside Taki, looking out at the two beasts in the distance. Are they headed this way? She looks at Taki, wondering how things are going in the spirit realm. Maybe it's alright since she still seems to be in a meditative state.
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