The Hunting Grounds IV: Drops Contain 0% RNG

[Rebonack]

[Huntside Prep]

...

Okay.

Alright.

That was at least a little bit less obnoxious than what she was expecting. Usually the question is more along the lines of 'can I ride on you?' or 'do you know Yoshi?' or 'It'sah meah, Mario!'

That last one isn't really a question.

But the answer Yellow typically retorts with is a quake-punch about three feet away from them. Just enough to knock the air out of their lungs and send them tumbling ass-over-kettle without actually breaking anything. That's assuming she's feeling generous.

..okay, okay! There was that one time she let a kid ride on her. ONE TIME! But that look he gave was enough to melt even her stony heart and she relented. It went pretty okay until he slapped her in the back of the head and yelled 'Do the tongue thing!'. After that it didn't go so okay.

Now she doesn't give kids rides anymore and isn't allowed within five hundred feet of schools.

Yellow gives Sam an appraising look. The guy's big. And he smells pretty strongly. He might make good bait if all else fails. She erases her sign and writes a new message, slowly shaking her head as she does.

Okay, fine. I'll give you a chance. What do you have to offer to this expedition, kid?

On the off chance that he replies with 'what expedition' she'll pull out a flier of the Wall message she got her job from.

[Deathkeeper]

[Huntside Prep]

Oh no.
She didn't turn him down.
What is Sam supposed to do now?
Well, I guess he could try to get Sherrel's Thanksmas gift early. Or he could try to get one of those magic bags.
"Uh, well, I have four arms, obviously. I'm stronger than I look, trust me, and I can run farther and longer than most humans, even with the gut. I did bring my gun, I have a shapeshifting sword on me, and my gauntlets deploy shields. But I don't really have any other armor because I don't know what to ask for. My boss wasn't super helpful when she took me around last time. Oh, but you know about pigs and tracking. We're very good at it. Finding mushrooms and all that."

[Rebonack]

[Huntside Prep]

Yep.

Looks like 'bait' is going to be the order of the day.

Not that Yellow is complaining, mind. Bait can be really useful when hunting dangerous prey. Especially if the goal is to capture, not kill.

Gotta have something to get the beast milling around in the right spot for a while, yeah?

She deftly writes a new message on her chalkboard and shows it to Sam.

Fine. You're in. Don't expect me to coddle you. I'm not paying for your supplies. Call me Yellow.

Then she erases the board and stows it back in her utility belt. It won't be readily apparent to Sam how it fits in there, but it does. Just as quickly, Yellow turns and begins tromping toward one of the town gates with her usual combination of determination, swagger, and adorable dinosaur bounciness. She'll stop at the gate proper, waiting for Sam to gather up whatever he thinks he needs before setting out. If Sam has the audacity to ask for advice regarding supplies, Yellow will respond by glowering at him.

[Deathkeeper]

[Huntside Prep]

Okay. An expedition.

Sam buys a flash bomb, a cool drink, some stuff that the nice cat-merchant insists were useful. It's mostly a mystery box, but hey, he's sure it'll be fine. He'll take inventory on the road.
"All ready. Call me Sam." he says simply.

[Rebonack]

[Huntside => Primal Jungle]

Time to go?

Time to go.

Travel montage time!

[8BitNinja]

"The werewolf eats any meat, but it seems to go after the people first." Says the camp leader. Then he replies to Guinness. "These hunters happen to have normal people in their lives. Those people come along and take care of the camp."

Aaron says "I know this is going to sound incredibly messed up to you, but do you happen to have any corpses that aren't too torn up and fresh? We could use that as bait." He then addresses Guinness "Do you think that would do, or do you think we need living, screaming bait?"

[UncleWolf]

Primal Jungle

It takes a full day and night of travel before the pair find themselves on the edge of the beast's supposed territory. The caravan route that had been hit made it easy to travel, but even then it took a fair while for even though the distance itself wasn't too far from Huntside, the terrain was difficult and filled with ridge lines. They weren't bothered by other wild animals apart from the normal mosquitoes or other vermin, but the flying bloodsuckers seemed to get worse as they closed upon their destination. Oak forests grew taller as the air grew thicker and more humid. The hardwoods gave way to jungle trees and the underbrush began to grow more sparse as the thicker and thicker canopies blocked more sunlight until there was little difference between day and night.

Within the twilight jungle, the air becomes still and thick, hot and humid thanks to the lack of air flow, but still the caravan path pressed on. Eventually, the root bound earthen ground starts to become moist and then wet as the elevation decreases, and they soon find themselves alongside a stream trickling ever downwards. After another hour of travel, they find themselves entering a marshy basin. There's still dry land scattered about, but there's the smell of rot and decay filling the air and they need to be cautious lest they get stuck in the quagmire.

It is here that they start seeing signs of their quarry.

They hadn't been told too much that had been concrete before they left the village, but there had been some consistency in the stories. The beast seemed to average about the size of school bus or larger than a full grown elephant, was bipedal, and saurian in style. It was dark red covered in black-blue scaly ridgelike armor as hard as steel, and bone-white scarring along it in dots and jagged lines. The tail itself was far longer than anything anyone had seen before from that species, and was shaped like a recurve blade rather than a santoku or katana style tail like most. They were also warned that the tail was sharp as hell, and given that they begin seeing tree nearly half a yard wide sliced cleanly through at the base, that might be an understatement. Even worse, it seemed to be able to light the tail on fire, as well as spit out balls of an explosive tar like substance. To top it all off, it was apparently just as fast and strong as it was deadly.

It also seemed to have a taste for fondue, given that it seemed like the scent was what constantly drew it towards the caravans.

On their final approach to the lair, the duo finds more trees toppled and dragged away, as well as stones that have been freshly grated against to sharpen the beast's tail, teeth, and clawed feet. It's been a journey, but after a small trip through a narrow valley they'll find the den shortly after. It is a large haphazard pile of smoldering tree trunks with an opening laying on a small dry island in the middle of a marshy area, almost in a lean-to shape to shelter the inhabitant from possible rain and aerial predators. The beast seems to be home as it snores from within the darkness of its constructed den.

[Reinholdt]

"The werewolf eats any meat, but it seems to go after the people first." Says the camp leader. Then he replies to Guinness. "These hunters happen to have normal people in their lives. Those people come along and take care of the camp."

Aaron says "I know this is going to sound incredibly messed up to you, but do you happen to have any corpses that aren't too torn up and fresh? We could use that as bait." He then addresses Guinness "Do you think that would do, or do you think we need living, screaming bait?"

Ravaged Village

"So long as I'm not the bait, I don't care," Guinness stipulates. "If the corpse doesn't work, I can summon a demon who makes too much noise. Theoretically there's meat on him." Bit lean though.

[Rebonack]

[Primal Jungle]

Yellow probably hates the mosquitoes the most.

The buzzing, the biting, the itching.

The threat of infectious blood-carried illnesses.

If someone was nice enough to find a way to cause the extinction of every single blood-sucker around, she would be pretty okay with that. Would certainly make her job at least fifteen percent less obnoxious.

Speaking of obnoxious, there's the den of the beast. Finally. So they're dealing with something fast, ferocious, durable, and undoubtedly lethal. Also on fire. Great. And the goal is to take it alive. Also great. Killing a big scary monster? Eh, troublesome but doable. Capturing a big scary monster? Now that's a real challenge. Thankfully Yellow had the good sense to prepare herself for this particular hunt ahead of time. She has several means of nonlethal capture ready for use and it'll just be a matter of finding the one that sticks.

And if all else fails?

There's always the option of just beating the beastie unconscious and then dragging it back.

With a sniff, Yellow gets to work. First order of business? Drawing the Super Deluxe Pitfall Seed from her inventory. The enormous white sphere boasting a large red exclamation mark is roughly the size of one of those giant beach balls. Yellow hefts it into the air, allowing it to settle in a suitable position with a soft 'poff!' and a white puff of smoke. Trap one set? Now time for the bait.

She extracts the fondue machine and gets it simmering.

As the contrivance heats up, Yellow reveals her sign to Sam.

When the food is done, go to the cave entrance with the plate. Run back here when it comes out. DO NOT fall in hole.

She hands a small plate to Sam, loaded down with various bits of food skewered with toothpicks ready for dipping.

[Deathkeeper]

[Primal Jungle]

Sam gulps. Yellow didn't say they were coming to hunt a giant flaming dinosaur! But...he can't run away and leave Yellow to fight it alone, even if she's a super grumpy, mean excuse for a Yoshi.
Sam draws Steve, having him cycle through a few basic forms they use in combat. Nodachi, punching dagger, smallsword.
"What did you get us into, Lard-ass?" "Steve, I know it's-" "I'm so proud of you, kid! Finally got the guts to do some real action. Oh, I could rust I'm so happy. We're setting a trap, right? Dishonorable but proper. Let's go."

Sam daintily dips the sticks in fondue. And even though he really, really wants some, he does not, and he totters over to the mouth of the cave with the plate, his lower arms folded behind his back, hidden in his coat, clutching his dagger for dear life. If he can set the plate without issue he will bolt immediately, sprinting away clear of the mouth cave so he can hide behind a big rock.

[Green Elf]

[Ravaged Village]

The leader sighs. "Yes. We have some dead friends. Get what you need and you can go kill this beast before it comes back to us." And with that, they can go do their job.

[Celticbear]

Mysterious Crater

With the boar gone for a bit, Kurrack quickly jumped down, and started to search for his chain sword.

[Shadowcaller]

[Cliffside]

"I heard you're supposed to get a reward when you kill a monster in the Grounds." Willa says, deciding to not complain about Astrana's speed of casting with the results.
But since they don't seem to have any magical gifts just yet, her only course of action is to whack it with her staff a few times.

Mysterious Crater

With the boar gone for a bit, Kurrack quickly jumped down, and started to search for his chain sword.

[Cliffside]

"I never experienced it myself." Astrana admits. "But yes, I heard it too. Though perhaps it only applies to really dangerous beasts. Things like this thing might not even earn you one." She gestures at the dead gremlin.

Mysterious Crater

Kurrack can find his chain sword where he left it. But as he looks around, he will notice more of the boars black blood on the ground. Yet, it appears far thicker than blood and if he watches it long enough, it seems to be moving, though extremely slowly at that.

[Celticbear]

Mysterious Crater

Kurrack, in a strange light of brilliance, thinks about how he saw that once an ooze dissolved around him as he opened his flask of alcohol. Kurrack tries to pour some on the blood, watch the effects, and then hop up back to the tree.

[Shadowcaller]

Mysterious Crater

The alcohol seems to dilute the black essence as he pours it on it, but little else appear to happen.
But that's when he can hear someone swear.
"****!" The word echos through the crater, only for it to fall silent again, with the exception of the movement of the great vultures above.

[Deathkeeper]

[Cliffside]

Satisfied, Willa backs up. Astrana can retrieve her boomerang if she wants it.
"Well, either way, it's dead, and so you have the body you wanted. You were going to do something with it, right?" she asks, unclear on what Astrana's goal was exactly.

[Celticbear]

Mysterious Crater

The alcohol seems to dilute the black essence as he pours it on it, but little else appear to happen.
But that's when he can hear someone swear.
"****!" The word echos through the crater, only for it to fall silent again, with the exception of the movement of the great vultures above.

Hey! I'm the only one who can curse! Stop stealing my d**n shtick! shouts Kurrack

EDIT: He rushes over to the person (like a goodly aligned person) revving his chainsword and going in a defensive stance.

[UncleWolf]

Primal Jungle

Moments after Sam darts behind his rock, the snoring sound is interrupted as the beast awakens. The pair of hunters can hear the monster take in two deep breaths before letting one out, causing ash to blow up outside of the entrance to its home. Slowly it extricates itself from the den before them. The dinosaur like beast's body is huge, longer than a bus, and covered in dark blue-black armor along its back and shoulders. The underbelly had thick pebbly hide, and the long recurved tail behind it slips out carefully so it doesn't destroy the home it had made. Once it is out of its home, it gives itself a firm shake to wake up before it takes a few steps closer to the marshy water for a drink.

It seems a little sluggish, but only because it had just woken up, and after a drink its eyes seem to be far more aware than they had been before. A couple sniffs in the air and the eyes lock onto the plate of fondue. It seems curious as it examines the offering, as if confused as to why there might be fondue in the middle of a jungle marsh. Even so, it leans down, drooling mouth opening and is about to use its tongue to take it all in a single bite before it stops.

The entire beast freezes for a moment and gives the ground next to the fondue a few chuffing sniffs, but even after its hesitation it goes back and takes in the entire plate in a single bite. Afterwards it looks towards the direction that Sam had left in, but again it seems hesitant, as if it feels something is wrong about this entire scenario but not quite ready to go charging off either. Instead it opens its mouth and curls the tail around so it can bite down on it. With a sound akin to steel scraping on steel, it draws the bladed tail between its fangs to leave a glinting razor edge along the underside.

After it scrapes the tail clean, it swallows and its gullet begins to glow a dull red as begins to look this way and that to see if anything around its home was different.

[Shadowcaller]

[Cliffside]

Satisfied, Willa backs up. Astrana can retrieve her boomerang if she wants it.
"Well, either way, it's dead, and so you have the body you wanted. You were going to do something with it, right?" she asks, unclear on what Astrana's goal was exactly.

Hey! I'm the only one who can curse! Stop stealing my d**n shtick! shouts Kurrack

EDIT: He rushes over to the person (like a goodly aligned person) revving his chainsword and going in a defensive stance.

[Cliffside]

Astrana accepts the boomerang and inspects it carefully. "Yes, mind picking it up for me? We're going to return to MERC right away, and then I can show you my ritual chamber." The tiefling promises.

Mysterious Crater

As Kurrack rushes forward through the jungle, he will be able to see what appears to be a lone goblin laying flat on the ground near the edge of the crater. He appears to be wearing a safari outfit and is carrying a large back pack and rifle nearly longer than he is tall.

[Deathkeeper]

Cliffside

Willa groans but she packs up her staff and begins lugging the body around. She wishes Astrana would just make her hyena do this. She despises being used as a pack horse. But whatever. To the office they go.

[Celticbear]

Mysterious Crater

Ancestor d****d f*****g tourist, you hurt?! says kurrack as he gets closer, watching his surroundings, not letting his defensive stance down.

[8BitNinja]

[Ravaged Village]

The leader sighs. "Yes. We have some dead friends. Get what you need and you can go kill this beast before it comes back to us." And with that, they can go do their job.

Aaron says "Guinness, I need you to help me find a body that isn't too torn up. We'll drag this in front of the cave. I think you mentioned that you can summon minions. Is that correct? If that's the case, I'm going to need you to set them up hiding outside the entrance. I'll get a good ways away and set up for a shot."

[Shadowcaller]

Cliffside

You try to strap a dead body on a giant hyena! It wouldn't like it, or alternatively, it would eat it.
Either way, off they go to MERC (whenever I can post there...)

Mysterious Crater

The goblin looks up as soon as the kroot approaches. "Whoa, d- don't come any closer!" He warns, even though he clearly isn't in any condition to defend himself.
However, Kurrack will hear someone or something moving above him. Sounds like there is climbing afoot.

[Celticbear]

Mysterious Crater

Keep your voice down, and if you have a ranged weapon get ready to run over there, hide, and start shooting whatever's above us. This isn't safe. I've already lost someone on my visit here, and the ancestor's d**n me if I loose another! kurtly mutters Kurrack.

[Shadowcaller]

Mysterious Crater

The goblins blinks as he stares confused at Kurrack, and the next moment they can hear another voice. "Is everything alright?!"

He looks up. "Y-yeah, just encountered a hunter down here! He's friendly!"

Soon Kurrack can see that there is a whole group of goblins that are slowly descending the crater side. They appear well-equipped with weapons and survival gear.

[Celticbear]

Mysterious Crater

There's more of you? Go, go now. There's a mutant tentacle boar that won't die, and if it gets here it might kill you all. hurredly states Kurrack.

[Reinholdt]

Sorry for the delay. Had to figure out what Guinness has available to him.

[Ravaged Village]

The leader sighs. "Yes. We have some dead friends. Get what you need and you can go kill this beast before it comes back to us." And with that, they can go do their job.

Aaron says "Guinness, I need you to help me find a body that isn't too torn up. We'll drag this in front of the cave. I think you mentioned that you can summon minions. Is that correct? If that's the case, I'm going to need you to set them up hiding outside the entrance. I'll get a good ways away and set up for a shot."

[Ravaged Village]

Buttered apple croutons, that's dark. Ah well. Least they're pragmatic about it all. "Yeah, no problem. They can keep the monster busy for a bit I suspect." Guinness pulls out that weird looking ritual knife of his and rolls up his sleeve. Muttering some incomprehensible words, he cuts into his already scarred arm and lets a few drops of blood drip onto the ground before stepping back. A flash of light later and what looks like an anthropomorphized horse holding a sword rises out of the blood.

"Let's go get the body," Guinness says, heading over to collect a corpse. Or more exactly, to have the demon collect a corpse. Bodies are heavy. Better to have the help do the heavy lifting.

Spoiler

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[Shadowcaller]

Mysterious Crater

The goblin blinks. "Er, yeah... we are, uhh, hunting it. There is no need to worry, we are all professionals here." He gestures at his rifle. "We have dealt with way worse. So you should probably... run ahead. Or something. Leave the best to us." He grins in a friendly manner.

[Celticbear]

Mysterious Crater

Kurrack blinks, then furrows his brow.

You think you can kill that beast with that pea-shooter? You'd be lucky to kill an ant with that silly thing. I've faced far worse than this boar as well! Daemons, Ork hordes, Space Marines, and the Tyranid Scourge at blood ridge! squawks Kurrack.

[8BitNinja]

[Ravaged Village]

Buttered apple croutons, that's dark. Ah well. Least they're pragmatic about it all. "Yeah, no problem. They can keep the monster busy for a bit I suspect." Guinness pulls out that weird looking ritual knife of his and rolls up his sleeve. Muttering some incomprehensible words, he cuts into his already scarred arm and lets a few drops of blood drip onto the ground before stepping back. A flash of light later and what looks like an anthropomorphized horse holding a sword rises out of the blood.

"Let's go get the body," Guinness says, heading over to collect a corpse. Or more exactly, to have the demon collect a corpse. Bodies are heavy. Better to have the help do the heavy lifting.

Spoiler

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Aaron helps look for a corpse as well.