An EVEN MORE Savage Species.

[Soliloquy]

A group of four strange beings walks through the forest path. -Each player give an introduction/establishing character moment. If you choose the latter, you have temporary minor god modding capabilities. (a wild boar steps onto the path furious, but hooded figure simply glares and it runs away) All OOC instructions on this thread will be in white and preceded by a -

[Tiny]

One of the four is wearing a huge cloak that flows all the way to the ground and its head is covered in a equally large hood adorned with two pairs of antlers. Possibly from a deer of some kind. Its features are well hidden by the confines of the hood. "You three are brave indeed to waltz around looking like that.." The figure whispered. "Bha! They are pretty enough to avoid the pyre unlike us." a second voice echoes. "We do have a point!" the first whispers back. "Perhaps we could remove our hood later if people does not turn on them?" Whispered the gentler of the two voices. "We are to quick to draw conclusions and to think to much on what-if scenarios today." The second one remaked. "We are better of out of sight." It reprimanded. "But we are tired of only keeping mostly to ourselves, we would like to feel sun on our heads. And talk to other people." The first one pleaded in hushed tones."Are we not good enough for us now?! Ungrateful we are!" The second scoffed. "We are always here for us to talk and now we meet these pretty ones as well. They did not run like the others did they?"
The first voice sounded happier again. "No they did not. We are grateful for their company as well."

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"Eh?! A pyre?!"

A young girl watches in confusion the strange cloaked man talks to himself.

Is he trying to do some kind of puppet show? But... where are the puppets? She scratches the back of her head, causing her dry green hair to make a sound like leaves rustling.

When the big druid guy finally gets to something resembling a friendly greeting, the girl immediately gains a huge smile and returns it.

"Pleased to meet you too! I'm Natalie!"

"Ah... oh! You can take off your hood if you want! We promise not to set you on fire!"

She's dead serious about that last part; apparently this is a promise she intends to keep.

[Alihandros]

Well met good sirs and milady. My name is Tureparma and well, lets say looks can be deceiving.

This comes from the mousy librarian looking man standing beside you, with what appears to be a large tome in his hand, he manages to say all of that without looking up, continuing to read even while walking, not letting it break his stride.

I must ask, are you conjoined my friend? That can be a great boon or an awful curse should something befall one of you. And you milady, I hope the woods don't leave you alone too much.

As for fire, lets just hope that they ignore us with it, it could get messy for them, or for us with them, though I would hope that they would learn from a mistake time and time again. Then again, fear does make people irrational and prone to try to do stupid things. I guess the best we can do is try to educate people on what we are once we understand it better ourselves.

[Qazarar]

"It has been some time since fire has held any danger to me, and I fear it not. I do, however, understand the sentiment."

An unusually tall man stands beside the others, covered in small, dark yellow scales with specks the color of burnished gold. His face is draconic in shape, with a wide face and whisker-like tendrils on the snout. Draconic wings lie folded on his back. His eyes, which had been closed briefly in contemplation, once again open to reveal pools of molten gold, with islands of black floating within.

"My name is Rook, and I am pleased to meet you, regardless of appearances. I am hardly one to judge, after all."

[Tiny]

We can remove the hood if you promise not to scream.. The hood shook as on of the pair of antlers shifted from side to side. We do not like the screaming. The second voice muttered. Yes.. It makes our heads hurt... As tureparma talked the second voice chuckled grimly. Conjoined? Hehe.. The first replied with an apologetic hint to the words. As if to excuse the behavior of other one. That is one way to describe it.. But that is not completely true. The first one replied, and the other one quickly added in a grumpier tone. We were not two that ended up as one if that is what you imply. With a tint of sadness the first one spoke again. We were one and then one day we were we! Raising a clawed hand up and scratching the side of the hood as if in thought. Is that not right, Savio? We care little for semantics... Raising the other similar hand which began tugging on the hood. See and judge for yourself.. The hands fumbles with the hood. There seems to be a bit of a trick to get past the antlers.

As the the hood finally is pulled back, two monstrous heads are revealed. Each in the bare bleached shape of the skeletal remains of a deer, crowned with matching pairs of antlers. Four shining blue dots glow in the otherwise empty eye sockets of the macabre heads. But what really stands out among the grizzly scene is the teeth. Long, sharp, and clearly not belonging in the mouth of a peaceful herbivore. Truth be told they would not look out of place in the mouth of dire wolf. The Leftmost mouth opened and spoke with a snarl at the right one. Teeth clattering and eyes shining.

We talk to much Esurio.. If we have to ride the wind again.... Staring down towards the ground as if humbled by the reprimand the other answers. We are merely trying to not frightening them away.. Rook.. Tureparma.. Natalie.. Please don't scream..

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"Whoa..."

Natalie stares at the undead stag heads for a moment with a nervous look that Rook recognizes from when she gave it to him a few minutes ago. In both cases, it quickly subsides.

"Oh, I get it! There's two of you! Hehe!" she says to Esurio/Savio before addressing the group as a whole. "So... what is everyone doing out here? I was just on my way to town... which might not be a good idea if they're putting people in pyres now..."

[Alihandros]

Hmm, since we're revealing our true selves, guess it's time I lose this guise.

With that, Tureparma will change into his true shape of a dragon, large and silvery. Words are carved into some of his scales, and his large tome is attached to his right arm.

Well, we'll see how people can take us, though it may be better if Natalie and I deal with the people we run across.

After seeing the reactions, he will shift back to his human form.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"Wait... so... all three of you? Or, all four of us, I guess..."

Natalie starts to put something together. To be fair, it's all a huge coincidence.

"Did you all... used to be human, too? I haven't even seen anything like any of you before."

[Alihandros]

Used to be, still can be for that matter, or just about anyone I want to be. But I would rather know whats going on then just shoot in the dark about things.

With that said he will pull out his tome and keep reading. While trying to puzzle out what is happening to them, or has happened, why some seem to be affected by only one type of transformation while others multiples.


Knowledge History[roll0]
Knowledge Religion[roll1]
Knowledge Arcana[roll2]
Knowledge Nature[roll3]
Knowledge The Planes[roll4]

[Soliloquy]

Knowledge History
You know that nothing like this has ever happened before, or at least that if it has it was small and isolated or very well covered up. If the former, then this could also be an isolated phenomenon, which would explain why four would happen to meet.
Knowledge Religion
You know that there are some religions that talk about creatures appearing from other types, such as angels becoming demons and devils, or that claim that multiple races were originally the same one, such as all types of elves.
Knowledge Arcana
You can easily think of a dozen ways to change someone's race using magic, and around half of them are or could be made permanent. You also remember the stories of certain wizards combining animals to make hybrids like the owlbear.
Knowledge Nature
This is not natural. Definitely not, unless you follow the X-men theory of evolution.
Knowledge The Planes
Planer energy has been known to distort mortals, but you doubt that it would take the form of specific creatures.

[Tiny]

Smiling in surprise the horned creature speaks once more. "Thank you for not running away or screaming at us."The fiercer head tilts as Tureparma mention his theories. "Human?" "We don't know." "We don't feel like eating them." "Perhaps that is indication enough?" "The thought of human flesh churns our guts." Looking longingly at Tureparma the gentler of the two heads spoke up. "Changing shape like that seems very convenient." "Yes.. How did you learn how to do that?" Looking around at all the people travelling together it speaks again. "You all seem to be heading the same way as we are." "Where are you heading?"

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

Natalie listens to Tureparma's ideas.

"I guess so... still, even my changes have been pretty scary. For a while, I just figured that this was just where dryads came from, you know? I was wondering when the other shoe would drop and I would forget who I was. Then I started learning new things, things that dryads don't usually get, and now it turns out that it's not just me! So, yeah, something else must be going on."

It's kind of a relief, actually, and it shows on Natalie's face, but she avoids going on about that for the sake of not babbling as the deer heads take their turn. She takes a second to regain her bearings regarding the question of where she was going in the first place.

"Well, I had a few ideas in mind... I was going to see if any farmers were planting yet. If I can talk to the seedlings early, I think it could really help prevent another food shortage next year. Otherwise, I was thinking of setting up a business using my fairy powers as a healer... I've already worked out a few enchanted items..."

She holds up the corner of her cloak as an example. Although, to call it a cloak is rather generous - it's more of a cape with sleeves, framing her pocket-heavy work apron.

"...but they're so expensive to put together that I don't think selling them is very practical. How about you all? Were you going anywhere in particular, or... did your villages just kick you out?"

[Alihandros]

Looking up from his tome.

I thought I was keeping this under wraps fairly well all things considered. Until one day, I sneezed, and accidentally blew a glob of acid through my families house, through the next one, and dissolved quite a few chickens that were outside. That was when the witch hunts began, and I was finally discovered, though I was lucky enough to save my old uncles magical pack, and all of my book collection. I still get sad when I think of how they are going to be treating my family since I changed into this draconic form due to unknown circumstances.

After listening to Natalie and Savio/Esurio Tureparma will just keep his thoughts to himself for now, there is much to puzzle over and things are not making much sense.

[Qazarar]

"I don't have much family left, sadly. My village was wiped out, and it was only due to this," he gestures at himself broadly, "that I survived. I have nowhere left to go, and so I wander."

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"Ah... I see."

Natalie whimpers sympathetically, but Rook seems like the sort of person who's too serious to hear much more in the way of consolation. She considers what there is to actually be done about it.

"Well, in that case, what we need is a base of operations. The towns alongside this road usually have rooms for rent, but we should be able to negotiate a more long-term living arrangement. I mean, there's gotta be something we can do. Besides, they'll have to listen to us now because there are too many of us for them to tie us all to stakes! Haha!"

That decided, Natalie turns and leads the way forward. The speed with which she goes ahead and assumes that everyone here is with her on this plan isn't nearly so frightening as the speed with which this assumption actually becomes true.

[Tiny]

"Our story is close to yours Rook. At least we think it is." The horned creature shrugged. "Everyone else was dead and chewed on and the village was in ashes so that is a reasonable conclusion at least." "We have floated through the forests for many seasons in only our own company..." "And there is nothing wrong with that!" The fierce head interjected. "We guess we will see if others are as trusting as you lot are.." It muttered.