Lore of Leyuna RPG (FRPG)

[dinoman666]

The Skinks froze instantly, staring at Desrium when he stopped walking. Had the being detected them? Curious. Very curious indeed. Whoever this... thing was, it was exceptionally unusual. Part of the Great Plan? None of the Skinks could say...

[C S]

Seeing the glimmer of eyes hiding in the brush, Desrium's gaze rested on one of the Skinks, the light projected from his eyes never losing intensity. "Why" Desrium said, more of a statement than a question as to why the lizardmen were trailing him.

[dinoman666]

The Skink Chief emerged from the fog after a moment, head bobbing in a curious, birdlike fashion. "You are unusual," the Skink replied. "We were studying."

[C S]

The armored being looked to the reptilian figure, the shine of his eyes extinguishing themselves to their soft glow within the hood of his robe. "Alright" was all Desrium said in response, turning away from the Skink and starting to move again without further inquiry.

[dinoman666]

The Skinks seemed unperturbed, following Desrium more openly this time. The Chief piped up again. "Who are you? A messenger of the gods? A Demon?"

[C S]

"I am Desrium, scaled one" the Blood Omen replied without looking back. "And I have spread my message as far as I could. Now I need to prepare for the coming battle. You should be doing the same"

[dinoman666]

"Ah, an ally," the Chief mused. "You are a warrior, then?" The Skink's curiosity was, strangely, getting the better of him. In these unusual times, it wasn't very surprising...

[C S]

"Yes" Desrium answered, doing his best to divide his attention between the Skink and the environment. With his natural affinity for aggravating wildlife, the danger was increased substantially now that he was accompanied by the group of lizardmen...

[dinoman666]

"You seek training, then?" the Chief guessed. He had said he needed to prepare for the coming battle, and that he was a warrior, so it only made sense in the Skink's mind...

[C S]

"I have received training. I require a test to employ that training. As such, I advise caution scaled one, you are not aware of the peril you are in" Desrium said...

[dinoman666]

"Perhaps Gor-Rok would provide a good test..." the Chief hissed. "Ah, peril? Do enlighten me, armored one."

[C S]

"At any moment we could be attacked by whatever creatures call this forest their domain. I do not know what this forest hides" said the armored being.

[dinoman666]

"Then come join us," the Chief replied. "Gor-Rok is a great soldier. He will be an excellent test for your skills, armored one." In truth, any native beasts in the forest were likely paltry compared to the creatures of Lustria, and the Skinks were supreme hunters. Even as the Chief was talking, he was examining the entirety of his surroundings, his subordinate Skinks providing excellent backup. If anything attacked, they would hear it well before even Desrium saw it, and the venom of their javelins and blowdarts could down even the mightiest creature...

[C S]

"I appreciate the offer, but I will decline" Desrium responded without explaining his prior experiences elsewhere on Aster. His attention was called to strange developments in the treetops; the armored being looking up at gnarled, broken branches that created a long, wide and jagged clearing of sorts overhead. Splintered timber hung by strands and the ground seemed to be clean of leaf litter. Only mud remained on the forest floor with patches of grasses and puddles. Was this the extent of the storm the night before?

[dinoman666]

"Very well, armored one," the Chief hissed with a flick of his head crest. "Test your mettle against the native beasts, then..."

[C S]

"That was my intention" Desrium said while keenly observing his surroundings. The break in the canopy was not natural, he knew. There weren't other signs of destruction aside from the rift above and the undergrowth to his left and right were as they should be. It was if something had dredged up this section of the forest, leaving the wound in the leaf cover that the armored being happened upon-

A deep rumble made the muddy floor quake, puddles ripple and caused the almost severed branches above to sway. The Blood Omen's pursuit of danger had come to an end...

[dinoman666]

The Skink's perked up, skittering backwards to maintain their distance. They drew their blowpipes and javelins, ready to support Desrium from a safe distance...

[C S]

Just as the Skinks put enough distance between themselves and the armored being, the mud exploded upwards, Desrium ending up on the back of the emerging enemy. Its head was like a rhinoceros, long, narrow and ending with a horn that, in itself, had three forward facing recurved points. It had a multitude of beady, orb-like eyes of various colors on either side of its head. It had a carapace of black and green, its back and sides having tarantula-like hairs. Its body, gradually exposed as the creature raised itself from its Earthen chamber resembled a beetle in its bulkiness, its back being little more than a broad shell and its four legs slender and ant-like. The many eyes stared down at the Skinks, but the titan that towered into the tree tops had its wrath incurred by the Blood Omen. His presence on its back only fueled its ire...

[dinoman666]

The Skinks moved into the thicker areas of trees, where the monster before them couldn't quickly pursue. If Desrium could handle it on his own, they would let him, but they wouldn't hesitate to attack if necessary...

[C S]

The muck rained down from the insectoid creature while it stood still, a low reverberating growl filling the air. It raised its head so that its many eyes were situated over its shoulders and fleshy growths on its underbelly began to stir, revealing themselves to be tendrils tightly interlaced with each other. Once released, thorn like barbs raised up from the arms and they promptly arced upwards, forming a writhing perimeter around the armored being. They then closed in on him, each tendril swinging inwards like a scorpion's stinger. Desrium barely had enough time to swerve out of the way as he had practiced at the temple, the tendrils coiling up at the point where they all collided. The armored being readied his spear just as the insectoid hurled the spiky bundle at him, at which the Blood Omen jumped back and off of the beast's carapace.

He plummeted more than 30 feet and smashed into the wet Earth in a crouch position, throwing himself into a roll when the titan's two-clawed feet raised up from the mud and slammed down where he once was.

Desrium got back to his feet, armor and robe streaked with mud, looking up at the monstrosity that stared hatefully back at him. Knowing there was no point to continue fighting such a large beast, Desrium turned and charged into the underbrush, disappearing into rustling leaves.