|
Post by Renathan on Mar 12, 2021 3:47:21 GMT -6
The walk was a long one, but the noon was beginning to melt into afternoon by this point, and people were either at home or at work, and not really as many were on the street. He'd made the mistake of going out to the quest board around lunch-time traditionally, and a lot of people were out. Auburn was chilled out much more, but still seemed rather oblivious about the upcoming danger. Of course, Auburn was as happy-go-lucky as a critter could be, and it did tend to calm the slightly more on-edge Renathan down whenever he was on one of his bad kicks (which happened more and more as he got older it seemed!). Auburn was not stupid though. "Alright girl, are you ready to take on some kind of possible danger?" He asks her, trying to keep his voice cheery. Despite her obliviousness otherwise, Auburn gently cuddled into his neck like a cat would- trying to calm him.
[16]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Mar 12, 2021 3:50:28 GMT -6
Renathan did appreciate the gesture. She had been an excellent choice for a familiar- despite the fact that he didn't really have that choice (the bonding had been a complete accident in that case). He wouldn't have chosen such a fragile creature because he had a definite fear of his beasties being hurt. In fact, that was what was triggering his anxiety so badly right now. After the fiasco with his beloved Shy Guy, he hadn't really been the same. Never again would he step foot in the pit for any reason- sarane or no. He did still need to break Phoenix, but he couldn't really get himself ready to go. It was sad. Yet here he was, about to enter a dangerous area with his smallest pet... Ooph he thought, it really was freaking him out.
Auburn was able to calm him on the way there though, and he was thankful for it.
[17]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Mar 12, 2021 3:52:48 GMT -6
Renathan decided that he'd simply have to trust himself, and be stronger, to protect his beloved pets. He hated the idea of losing any fight or battle, and the fact that he had... It hadn't really done well for him. He still couldn't stand to think about the situation. They rounded the block on the last road out of town, and Renathan chewed his lip ever just a bit and caught himself doing it. He forced himself to stop. They would be fine, stop freaking out- why do you always have to freak out at the last moment Ren? He asked himself this and many other questions as the garden loomed closer.
It was absolutely overgrown and ridiculous looking. He'd never seen a garden like it. This made that one blind old lady's garden look tame by comparison. He whistled low under his breath, and Auburn answers with her own soft whistle- if one could call it that.
[18]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Mar 12, 2021 3:56:22 GMT -6
Renathan clucked his tongue as he stood in front of the thing, finally having had the courage to drag himself down the road the rest of the way. Roots were everywhere on the ground, twisting around each other like particularly dead demonic snakes. He wasn't entirely sure how he was going to navigate between that and the downed trees. He was certain that there was danger ahead- every one of his senses were firing off 'danger, danger' at the same time. His chest was a blaring klaxon, looking into that pitch black labyrinth of overgrowth even in the middle of the day. Auburn was not frozen with fear as he was, however, and quickly launched herself off of Renathan's shoulder before he could even attempt to grab her to keep her from doing it. She lands in a quick bound on the first root, and then took off through the deep and dark woods.
[19]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Mar 12, 2021 4:12:49 GMT -6
Renathan knew that Auburn had purposefully left him with no choice. He has no time to really react- he simply acts. He runs into the forest after her, pink eyes locked on the fluffy little Izer as she made much better headway into the dark and dangerous overgrown garden than he could with his suddenly too-big frame. The branches were so thick that he actually got his antlers stuck a few times, and that HURT. He shook his head, and rubbed underneath the mask. Goodness, that was going to give him a migraine! He had to slow up, and he called out desperately after his foolhardy familiar- "Auburn, WAIT!" Before finally she leads him to a small path. He was absolutely heaving, and he was certainly quite a bit more bruised up already. He grabs her, carefully holding her fragile body to him. She simply melts against him, pleased that she'd forced the situation at least.
[20]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Mar 12, 2021 4:23:09 GMT -6
The russet mammalian didn't have a lot of time to catch his breath before the pair are harassed by the first 'dangerous plant creature'- and Renathan had never seen one of these before! He wasn't sure even how to make heads or tails of the thing. It had legs, maybe like a skutirut? And it came barreling out of the bushes not too far away from the clearing. Renathan quickly puts up his hands and prepares his fire magic- but words come unbidden out of his mouth. He commands Auburn to hit it with her frosty breath, and his docile bird suddenly becomes an absolute monster. She looks grey eyes with the plant creature's gaping bulb-maw full of what had to be black teeth surely- and quickly blasted it with her icy breath. She dodges out of the way dexterously as the frozen plant creature falls quickly forward from it's own momentum and shatters onto the ground.
[21]
[Monstrous Bulb (Sta 3, Str 5, Res 2, Dex 4, Ment 0) - Auburn goes first - Auburn uses Breath of Winter - Auburn rolls an 8 - The Foe is Vanquished!]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Mar 12, 2021 4:27:37 GMT -6
Renathan's heart was absolutely in his throat. That had been so fast! Hardly five seconds had passed between the plant monster having rushed them, and the plant monster shattering to the ground below. Renathan nearly heaved, suddenly realizing that it was super hot and damp in the garden. It was much more like a rainforest than it should have been- and so dark! His eyes were having a hard time adjusting to the dappled area. He coughs, and calls for Auburn- who circles back around to land on his shoulder. He suddenly felt so tired. He would have investigated the corpse had there been one- but most of it was in pieces now... Piece that suddenly began moving, as if they were crawling away... No, it was just the roots. The parts that were roots escaped in multiple directions- much to his horror. He needed to get moving.
The lost mammalian selects a direction and takes off in it.
[22]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Mar 12, 2021 4:34:14 GMT -6
It feels simultaneously like hours and like seconds that Renathan wanders through the thickly overgrown garden. He's now not sure where he is, not sure where the exit would be because he cannot see the sun to navigate by it, and he isn't sure where he is supposed to find... What was it- flowers? There were a ton of different flowers everywhere producing a heady toxic-smelling scent that gave him a migraine pretty much right away. Lights and sounds were absolutely bludgeoning to his head. He gets a little dizzy, and stumbles. Of course that was when the next enemy would befall them- some sort of log crocodilian monster that hauls itself from a nearby stream. Just... What?
Renathan isn't able to give Auburn orders verbally, but his desire to get away caused her to puff up from her shoulder, and rush the enemy. The crocodilian is surprisingly fast- and snaps at Auburn before she's able to make her move.
[23]
[Loglike Crocodilian (Sta 5, Str 7, Res 3, Dex 5, Ment 0) - Loglike Crocodilian goes first - Loglike Crocodilian uses Crunch!]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Mar 12, 2021 4:40:55 GMT -6
Renathan's heart is in his throat, even as his head throbbed. Auburn isn't similarly harmed by the surroundings- perhaps they were a weak poison in the pollen? He wasn't entirely certain and was having a hard time thinking at the moment. Auburn folds her wings and dives just under the great SNAP of the crocodilian beast's gaping jagged log-maw and then snaps her wings open at the end of the short swoop, saving herself from hitting the nearby thick treeline. She turns back around- now more speedy than her enemy. Renathan is barely able to speak, but Auburn gets the message- another blast of cold frost creeps over the beast.
The log beast is covered in a thick layer of frost on it's back- and though it doesn't go down, it is frightened away. It smartly moves back into the water, and away down the stream. Renathan's not about to stick around to figure out if it is going to come back.
[24]
[Auburn's Danger Sense kicks in, Crunch misses! - Auburn uses Fly, 10 dex - Auburn then uses breath of Winter - The Loglike Crocodilian survives at -5 stamina due to Survival Instincts, and Flees]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Mar 12, 2021 4:46:40 GMT -6
Renathan is barely able to get himself to stand up, but with some help by Auburn (who was now beginning to get tired), he was barely able to stand and stumbling-ly navigate through the bushes and away from the toxic flowers. Almost as soon as he gets out of the pollen cloud, he stopped having a migraine. He was horrified by how terrible this entire endeavor had gone so far. They go hours going through the overgrown garden, avoiding any pollen clouds and trying to avoid any water, just in case. Renathan wasn't entirely sure what to do- this was such a bad situation! However, they go quite a while before the next challenge shows up. Somewhere in the trees a high pitched screech erupts. Both Auburn and Renathan flinches hard, with Renathan covering his ears and letting out a soft grunt. That HURT! Renathan reacts before Auburn this time, quickly raising his hands up and rolling backwards just in time, stumbling over a few roots as he does.
[25]
[Orchid Bird (Sta 2, Str 1, Res 1, Dex 6, Ment 6) - Orchid Bird goes first! - Orchid Bird uses Screech - Auburn's Danger Sense is canceled and she loses a turn - Renathan's Danger Sense is canceled and he loses a turn]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Mar 12, 2021 4:55:42 GMT -6
Renathan's head is still reeling from the screech, but he is just able to keep his eye on the enemy. It was small- really small. Perhaps even jibiji small? He could barely tell, because it had a long slender beak and it's wings (flowers? dark purple in color) were going ninety-to-nothing as it zoomed around the area. Finally it seems to select which one of them it was going to attack first- Auburn. Renathan is too stunned to do much as the strange plant beast swoops towards Auburn, who is just barely able to force herself out of the way before turning to face the creature herself. She was slow- really slow, but she is able to get off an attack about the same time that Renathan cast his magic on the foe with the intent to slow it at any cost. It wasn't much of a help, but he held his breath.
...Auburn is able to pull off her frosty breath attack, just barely glancing the horrible tiny beast.
[26]
[Auburn and Renathan skip a turn - Orchid Bird uses Peck! - Auburn's second danger sense goes off - Peck misses] [Renathan uses 'Slow' on the Orchid Bird -7 Hollow MP : Orchid bird now has 4 Dexterity] [Auburn uses Breath of Winter - Auburn rolls a 2 - The foe is vanquished!]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Mar 12, 2021 5:00:41 GMT -6
The glancing blow was enough to kill it, and Renathan still could barely believe that they had dealt with this many enemies in what felt like so short an amount of time. Doing this quest had been a bad idea, surely. He was beginning to believe that said flowers were not really here at all, and that the elderly fae was some kind of serial killer that liked to feed her plants bodies. The pair wander away, this time hoping to find the exit. Renathan had given up on finding said mcguffin flowers.
Renathan has no idea how long he has been in the absolute maze of a 'garden' when he stumbles upon a small copse between two high cliffs. Were they even in the city anymore? He shudders, thinking it a trap, but it was the best idea he had to get himself and Auburn out of this absolutely ridiculous nightmare.
[27]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Mar 12, 2021 5:06:28 GMT -6
The pair walk between the two loose muddy cliffs, and Renathan feels like he is entering a trap. However, Auburn was alert, but not alerted so to speak. Renathan trusted her judgement as much as anyone could trust a nonverbal creature. They had known each-other for a long time, and Renathan knew her quite well- probably better than his own self. They walk for a long ways, and much to Renathan's shock, enter a small circular break in the garden with bright light filtering down from the trees. In the middle of the copse- the flowers. He recognized them from the photo he still held nearly immediately, and he moved forward (unafraid due to the light) in order to retrieve them.
At this point, he's met face-to-face nearly with a large creature that was so bright, it could have been made of light for all he knew. A great crystalline structure was in the center, with what looked to be a giant rose serpent wrapped around it.
[28]
[Suddenly- Thorny Crystalline Rose Serpent (Sta 11, Str 6, Res 6, Dex 5, Ment 11)!]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Mar 12, 2021 5:16:39 GMT -6
The creature seemed like it could be fast if it wanted to- but Renathan was sure that it also was reluctant to leave the crystalline structure. Perhaps it was part of it's body? He gulps, throat suddenly dry. What an intimidating monster! Renathan's knees lock him in place, but Auburn moves forward with surprising speed. Renathan could see she was breathing hard- she probably wouldn't be able to use that frosty breath again so quickly. He'd never seen her use it this many times in one day. No, he had to give her another command.
He could hardly think fast enough to react properly- the creature was absolutely covered in thorns. No, he couldn't have her physically attack such a large creature. He called for Auburn to screech- and she did so. He readies his own attack for the moment that the creature hesitated- and cast the strongest fire magic he could muster- which wasn't much. The creature dodges it quickly, using the crystal to block the magic.
[29]
[Auburn moves first due to dice role - Auburn uses Screech - Thorny Rose Serpent loses a turn and cancels it's danger sense] [Renathan uses Flare -2 Fire MP - Thorny Rose Serpent's Second Danger Sense kicks in and Flare Misses!]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Mar 12, 2021 5:32:37 GMT -6
Renathan couldn't really believe his eyes- but he didn't have time to panic. He readies another attack, and this time it seems like the thorny beast was going to go first. The attack is in the form of a thorny whip flying startlingly fast (to the point to where Renathan couldn't even see it) at Auburn. Auburn is barely able to dodge out of the way, and she's absolutely heaving. Renathan wasn't sure what to have her do- she was really, really getting tired. Renathan grits his teeth beneath the mask and raises up his palms at the beast, fire flickering between them. He imagines a fireball between them, and is barely able to form one between his palms. He throws the thing overhand as hard as he could at the rosy beast, letting Auburn catch her breath in the meantime.
The fireball, much to Renathan's surprise- hits. The creature definitely is weak to fire, as the small misformed fireball deals enough damage to cause the creature to writhe painfully and fall seared to the ground. It was injured; but not killed. Renathan runs forward, grabs the flowers, and grabs Auburn in his other arm. He turned around to leave the gardens, and it still took him three hours to finally find his way out.
This better had been worth it!
[30]
[Thorny Rose Serpent uses Tail Whip! - Auburn's Danger Sense kicks in - Tail Whip misses - Renathan forgoes Auburn's turn] [Renathan casts Fireball -5 Fire MP - Fireball deals 6 damage doubled to 12 due to fire weakness - The Foe is Vanquished!]
[Done!]
|
|