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Re: Outlands RPG

PostPosted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 10:34 pm
by The Kingpin
Krogmar looked over towards the two hunters that approached, raising a brow, an orange eye settling on the two. "....Really? These are my partners?" grunted the Leonine. ,I'd be better off doing the job on my own he added under his breath. As if that wasn't enough to sour his mood, a mass of mud and sticks, most likely the remains of an animal's nest, slid off the top of the kiosk, hitting his shoulder pouldron and falling to the floor in a mess, a growl escaping the Leonine as he brushed the remains off his shoulder...

Re: Outlands RPG

PostPosted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 10:54 pm
by C S
From the confines of his helmet, Taleun shot Warren an annoyed look, but he did not say anything about the matter. He looked back to the lion-man, his expression returning to a neutral, unreadable one. "Let's get our figures sorted out quickly, shall we, hunter?" he said to Warren.

Re: Outlands RPG

PostPosted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 11:18 pm
by Turbo Tyrannophonic
"Unless you'd like to spend some quality time with It, I would suggest you don't go at this alone," the guild rep retorted, without hearing the Leonine's slighter comment.

"I see you found some help after all," Warren called to Heinz, sporting a brittle smile. The older man had acted as though Warren was their one and only hope; he hadn't exactly expected a third member to their party. "Well, the more we have, the quicker we get done, and the sooner we get paid!" the Hunter laughed, stepping past the beast-man to sort things out with Heinz.

Re: Outlands RPG

PostPosted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 7:35 pm
by The Kingpin
"I don't have much of a choice" grunted the Leonine as he eyed the human approach. Leaning against the edge of the booth, the beast-man put on his helm, the chain-plate extensions down the back protecting the back of his neck and covering a portion of his mane, the remainder of which had been pressed into the chestplate beforehand. The helm's nose-guard was wide and extended down past the tip of the feline hunter's nose, ending in a broad, shallow V point flowing roughly along the lines of his nose. Out of the darkness of the helmet, glimmering orange eyes stared out, the bounty-hunter already looking in the direction of the town entrance, eager to set out...

Re: Outlands RPG

PostPosted: Tue Feb 11, 2014 1:11 am
by Turbo Tyrannophonic
The next morning...

Warren awoke with a start. The wagon had struck another pothole, and the resulting jerk had thrown the Hunter from his dreams yet again.

"If we were going somewhere civilized," he mumbled to his traveling companions, not for the first time, "we might have got there in a little more luxury."

The three of them had traveled all through the night, by foot, wagon, and even ferry. The last leg of their journey - which would bring them close, though not in, their destination - put them in a space far too cramped, wet, and dreary for such a noble mission. Sleep was scarce, but they would need all they could get.

"We'll be settin' in shortly," called their driver - an accented man who spent far too much of his life hiding from the rest of the world, even by Outlands standards. "You'll find no short supply of pity from me, lads. You wouldn't find me in that damn marsh. Not in seven Hells would I share a night with It!"

Re: Outlands RPG

PostPosted: Tue Feb 11, 2014 1:40 am
by C S
Taleun was sitting against the far corner of the wagon bed with his head bowed when the talking started up again. This portion of the journey was defined by the rattling and creaking of the wagon's rear axle, the jarring potholes and Warren's irritability. At last, something that got under his skin!

The soldier looked up and said, "We appreciate you bringing us out this far, wagon driver."

"Even if you are only doing it for coin," he added mentally. Looking through the gaps in between the lengths of wood that made up the wagon's sides, Taleun saw the open water that surrounded the dirt path they were on. Though the water was undoubtedly shallow, from the surface it was a mostly opaque screen of yellowish green, making it difficult to judge its depth accurately. Long leaves with fuzzy ends reached up from the water, casting distorted shadows in the early morning's light. Dry land was becoming scarcer and scarcer as they neared the line of large trees with drooping branches. The sky was hazy over the canopy and a mist hung in the shadows.

Re: Outlands RPG

PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 11:29 pm
by The Kingpin
"Huh...think of the bright side. The reward for this job'll buy you enough luxury to make up for it....Assuming you survive, of course" grunted Krogmar, chuckling, a sudden bump cutting him off as his helmet-clad head smacked against the wall of the wagon. Glancing outside, he saw the swampland stretch out as far as the eye could see. They were on one of the few stretches of dry road in the area, and considering the location, it was a miracle it hadn't turned to mud over the years...

Re: Outlands RPG

PostPosted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 7:03 pm
by Turbo Tyrannophonic
"I'll be back an hour before dusk," their driver reminded them for the umpteenth time, "and no later. You ain't there by then, you're as good as dead as far as I'm concerned."

"Right, thanks, we'll be there," Warren called dismissively, annoyed.

"Listen," he said quietly, leaning forward to speak to his misfit allies. "I asked around back in Reach before we set out. Apparently, the Jahoyt like to submerge themselves in mud. Probably explains why they can stay in the Darkwood after nightfall." The man shifted in his seat. "According to the locals, they aren't hard to find - they tend to stick out, like a bunch of hairy boulders. But, then again, it's probably been generations before anyone had the nerve to stay in the marsh long enough to find out."

Re: Outlands RPG

PostPosted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 9:47 pm
by C S
"Then we can infer that the Jahoyt stick to the shallows, which narrows down our search area significantly. We won't have to deal with high water as well," Taleun said. There wasn't much mud to be found around the inlets where the waters flowed freely. Staying away from those areas saved precious time and reduced the dangers of the venture a small amount. After all, there was no threat from a deep water dwelling monster if one stayed away from the water. Though that left all of the things that called the land and trees their domain...

Re: Outlands RPG

PostPosted: Sun Feb 16, 2014 12:00 am
by The Kingpin
"Either of you fought one of these things before?" asked Krogmar as he pulled out a rough map of the area. It was out of date, no doubt, but at the very least, it would give him an idea of the area's layout. Pulling out a compass, he set it beside the compass rose on the map to orientate himself, adjusting the map to match, before continuing to examine it, glancing out of the wagon to examine the surrounding scenery to help him get to grips with the environment...

Re: Outlands RPG

PostPosted: Sun Feb 16, 2014 3:58 am
by Turbo Tyrannophonic
"There's not much to fight," Warren retorted, giving Krogmar an even stare. "They're essentially large, hairy, scaly cows. They're usually pretty docile so long as you don't piss them off, but who knows how they'll be at this time of year." The Hunter sniffed as the wagon rumbled down another winding path. "They might not appreciate losing chunks of fur while they're trying to hibernate."

Re: Outlands RPG

PostPosted: Sun Feb 16, 2014 4:29 am
by C S
"So to summarize," Taleun started to say to the leonine, "be on your guard at all times. If they are not hostile towards us upon arrival, they will be once we retrieve the fur. The bulls of the herd would be far more aggressive and dangerous, I'd imagine."

Re: Outlands RPG

PostPosted: Sun Feb 16, 2014 5:03 am
by Turbo Tyrannophonic
"And they aren't the only thing out there," Warren added with a nod. "Just like everywhere else, the swamp has its fair share of unpleasantry. Nothing too big and nasty, though, if what the locals say is true." The man hesitated a moment, but said nothing more.

Re: Outlands RPG

PostPosted: Mon Feb 17, 2014 10:36 am
by The Kingpin
"Yeah. Not too big and nasty. Just big and nasty enough to crunch us up, fry us or dissolve us into paste" grunted Krogmar disturbingly as he put away the map and compass. With a bit of luck, it'd be a simple job. Then again, he was never known for his luck...

Re: Outlands RPG

PostPosted: Mon Feb 17, 2014 6:54 pm
by Turbo Tyrannophonic
"This is as far as I go!"

The wagon shuddered to a halt a moment later, placing the small party in a seemingly random fringe of the swamp.

"Guess this is it," Warren muttered as he got into a crouch, the wood creaking and squealing under his feet. It was amazing the thing had traveled this far in one piece. The man hobbled his way to the end of the wagon and dropped down outside. The road stretched wildly in both directions; one headed back the way they came, out and away from the swamp; the other, dead ahead, disappeared into the murk almost as soon as it began.

"Be back before nightfall, ye hear? It won't take kindly to ye, Hunters or no."

Re: Outlands RPG

PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 1:11 am
by C S
Taleun hopped out of the wagon, his boots sinking a short ways into sludge as soon as he hit the ground. His lips curled into a scowl, unable to help thinking that it was somehow prophetic of things to come. In an attempt to think about something else, he looked up at the sky, one hand shielding his eyes from the sun's rays. "Plenty of time," he said, taking note of the sun's position. It was not too far above the horizon -or rather, what little he could make out of the horizon. The vegetation sprawled out like the walls of some imposing fortress of greens and shade, obscuring all that lay behind it.

Re: Outlands RPG

PostPosted: Sat Feb 22, 2014 10:50 pm
by The Kingpin
Krogmar stepped out of the wagon at a fast walk, already making his way into the swamp, the map's details fresh in his mind. "Best we don't take it for granted" growled the Leonine. He wasn't sure why the place was so feared, but he had no intention of giving it a chance to show him...

Re: Outlands RPG

PostPosted: Sun Feb 23, 2014 4:33 am
by Turbo Tyrannophonic
Their small party barely had time to breathe before the wagon was crawling its way back out of the swamp. "Good luck!" the driver called shortly before disappearing over the crest of a hill, leaving them very much alone.

With a quick check of his supplies, Warren set off after Krogmar. Almost immediately, the loose dirt of the road took on a far different form; some parts were caked with mud and sludge - something Taleun seemed acquainted with already, if his boots were any indication - while others were completely submerged in the murky waters of the swamp. Each step was a wet, disgusting mess, no matter how much care was applied.

"This might not be as simple as I thought," the Hunter thought to himself. And he had not thought it very easy in the first place.

Re: Outlands RPG

PostPosted: Sun Feb 23, 2014 7:20 am
by C S
Taleun went on his way, a few feet's distance away from Warren and Krogmar as per his usual recon duty. That way they had a better survey of their almost nonexistent trail in the swamp, reducing the chance of one of them falling into a hidden pit, being sucked into quicksand or becoming a victim of any other number of perils hidden by the topography. At the same time, should any one of them need assistance, the others were always in effective reach. Though the three of them were not in the wetland long, the foliage grew thick already. Tangled roots were visible on the outskirts of the shallows and tree limbs clustered together, winding together into tight, natural weaves that blocked much of the sunlight from reaching the murk the trio slogged through. Taleun pressed down a line of the tall grass growing in the water, thin beams of light hitting his armor from above. Hanging moss and vines dangled lazily amidst the droning of insects and the occasional call of some creature in the distance.

Re: Outlands RPG

PostPosted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 10:33 pm
by The Kingpin
Krogmar strode through the muck seemingly unhindered, though if anyone bothered to take a look at the expression under his helmet, they'd know he was hardly pleased with the environment they were in. His armour was hardly pristine, and this swamp-water would do it no favours. The day was long, and their job supposedly simple. Even if they finished quickly, they would still have to wait for hours before they would be picked up for departure. Deciding to make the most of it, the Leonine pressed onwards, his eyes focused on his surroundings, in case he encountered anything else of potential value back home...a bit of extra coin would help take the edge off how unpleasant his current journey was...