The Land of Ioline: Woods of a Broken World (IC)

[DaOldeWolf]

Meekit goes to fetch some food. The eggs and the chicken was quite a delicious choice and he expected that at the very least, Thesar wouldnt complain based on what he picked. Thesar started eating. "Yes. It is a familiar. Its my very specil creation. In essence, I would say that there is no one closer to me than he is. That is why I need to take good care of it. And he is also good at remembering stuff that we both study together. Sometimes, I forget it." Meekit adds while laughing for a bit.

[The Vagabond]

Abagail glared at her sister, "You know I haven't lost a sheep since I was a girl, I'm just worried. They're bloody mages, the lot! We couldn't use the fourth gate for Years because of their incompetance. I'm just wondering what they're going to botch here."
"Abagail," Kethra said, "There's no reason to be so needlessly hostile. Like it or not, they're members of the tribe now."
"But-"
Kethra held up her hand as the raptor finally meets its end. After a long and grueling fight, the three women panting and covered in sweat, one with a gash across her left side.
"Well done!" Kethra said, "Now go and get that to one of the Hearthtenders, we'll have it for lunch. I think Abagail learned one of those newfangled healing spells from one of those troupes that passed through a couple weeks back, otherwise head off to the medics."
Abagails sputters for a moment, before giving a sigh of resignation, patting the man on the back.

Meekit goes to fetch some food. The eggs and the chicken was quite a delicious choice and he expected that at the very least, Thesar wouldnt complain based on what he picked. Thesar started eating. "Yes. It is a familiar. Its my very specil creation. In essence, I would say that there is no one closer to me than he is. That is why I need to take good care of it. And he is also good at remembering stuff that we both study together. Sometimes, I forget it." Meekit adds while laughing for a bit.

"He is a good boy," Argent says. he looks over his shoulder to the engineer. "That girls Rebecca, correct? I've heard nothing but complaints about her from one of the Guards Leanne hired."

[DaOldeWolf]

Hewitt decides to ask a question considering their situation. "Since we are finally getting closer to our target, have there been any new instructions issued?" He imagines that even their very large group would have to divide roles when the time came to visit the Spires. It was unlikely that everyone would go inside the fragile structure.

[Ancient]

Emery marvels at the little creature, creation? Is it like myself, an awakened creation.

Emery notices the gash on the girls leg.

"May I attend your wound, child? I will bestow the blessing of the Caduceus upon you."

[tonberryking]

Hedge just goes quiet again; if she head the back talk about her, she has decided to be the bigger woman (so to speak) and not risk confronting those who spoke about about her.

She just seems only eager, in any capacity, to get a move on.

"Ye-yeah, what he said..." "he" being Hewitt as Hedge is still shadowing the kobold, "Aren't we supposed to all fall in and receive out instructions?"

[The Vagabond]

"Nothing yet- I think Leanne had some kind of discussion to hold with Enebish, something about one of her guards not wanting to be left behind. Leaves me kind of worried, seeing you out there without backup." He looks around, as the fires are quietly put out and people begin to disperse. "The morning rites are starting to quiet down, so I figure Leanne is going to come around in a moment to drag you guys out, come on, we'll head to the rendezvous point."

"May I attend your wound, child? I will bestow the blessing of the Caduceus upon you."

The young girl doesn't hear you above the ruckus of fires food and talk, what with the distance between the two conversations, but as they pass, Abagail places her hand on the womans shoulder, healing her quickly, "We can handle our own, thank you."
The girl stares at Abagail confused, but stares at you with an odd sense of intrigue, like she doesn't know what to make of you.
Kethra sighs, shaking her head, "I should probably join you guys over there. Don't know much about how these things work, but I'm presuming it's a gathering then a heading or something?"

[Hazuki]

"Would you like a quick wash?" Terawyn asks the sweaty trainees, as she holds up her hand and lets a few motes of magical light dance around her fingers, to show that she's not offering something perverse.

[Deadguy]

Revy stuck her tongue out at Abagail playfully. She appeared to have been distracted from the muscles of Terawyn by the smell of food. She slid around the woman and made her way toward the cooking fires. Her boots skidded to a halt as she saw the small fey speaking to people.

"Merigold! You came!"

She ran up to the smaller, yet older fey and gave her a squeeze.

"Are you coming with? Explore any neat places since last time? Ooo... ooo... find any cool things? Did you bring me anything?"

Revy was literally bouncing on her toes, her hands held together in a begging and pleading manner. Her long braided hair flopped back and forth over her shoulder as she constantly moved.

"Abi! Meri is here!"

She turned to yell back to her sister, just in case she hadn't noticed, what with all the poking of velocichickens.

[DaOldeWolf]

Hewitt is a bit disappointed by the news. It was likely that there was a good mount of travelling left to be done before they reached their destination. He finishes his food and waits for this journey to continue.

[The Vagabond]

"Would you like a quick wash?" Terawyn asks the sweaty trainees, as she holds up her hand and lets a few motes of magical light dance around her fingers, to show that she's not offering something perverse.

The girl blinks, "Oh! Uh, thank you!"
She stands up, "So, uh... I haven't had anyone bathe me with magic before? How does it work?"
"It's Just-!"

Abigail looked over, hearing the shouts from her sister, before bolting up and waving goodbye. She jumps in joins the hug of Marigold, her smile as big as Abagails, "It's so good to see you!" She says.
The tiny fairs head and eyes spin, before she shakes her head, the wires coming out from the bun they were held in. "I think I've found a new friend in the spires! Someone to know for a long, long time- The walls can think, you know. But Kojin's Cold no, that place is not a place for someone like myself, something will eat my leg in no time, like those dragons I've been seeing around."
She looks both ways, before sighing, "Didn't find much to gift you, though. Don't know why, but this state has a lot of negative energy floating around, makes it dangerous."

Leanne walks up, looking over the group and waiting as the discussions continue.
"Alright- Ground team, we'll be heading out in 10 minutes. I've managed to get Enebish to loan us some horses for the ride. We'll have to leave the Necromancers behind with the hearth team, and we'll be bringing Kethra to supervise. I trust you will treat the woman with the utmost respect. The forests we're going through are largely untested and unmaintained, and we'll be following some old-earth roads to get to our destination. Any questions, comments, or concern before we head out?"

[DaOldeWolf]

"Not really. Atleast not in my case." Hewitt replies hoping to begin the journey. He waits for the rest of the explorers to give their answers.

[Deadguy]

"Oh... that's ok. I got some new things to show you anyway."

Revy was ready to go on some kind of rant regarding her contraptions, only to clam up as Leanne started ordering folks about. She moved back to her charging unit and began disconnecting the batteries. She opened the truck driver door and started the motor. After flipping several switches, the engines began to hum and the drives engaged, causing the truck to lift off and hover several inches above the ground.

The young woman stuck her head out the window and slapped the side of the door.

"If you're hitchin' a ride, best climb on. Where we're going, we don't need roads!"

Revy revved the engine as if to make the truck agree with her statement. The roof mounted turret came to life as she calibrated it's targeting by moving her controls.

Spoiler: Actions

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Connect Battery to truck and activate truck and all rote abilities. (8 hrs)
Current Battery charges: 3/5
Remaining fully charged Batteries: 4/5

[tonberryking]

Hedge falls in line,slinging her rifle into a scabbard over one shoulder. Anyone who got a glance at her firearm may wonder about it; it has a hooked, L-Shaped stock and an overall blocky composition that looks like it was made entirely of spare parts, little of it uniform. Still, it seems quite sturdy despite the "welded together" look of it, and she did the holstering fluidly...

Her pigtails bob and sway when she hears Revy though, looking over the vehicle with shy wonder. It may not come as a surprise that she's nervous around horses and living stteds, but nobody here knows that. A well running machine seems by far the better transport option.

"Um... Revy, ma'am, can I ride shotgun?"

She said it loud enough, but from her blunt, hopeful expression, she clearly doesn't realize the pun she just made at her own expense. Poor kid.

[Hazuki]

Terawyn finishes her business with the girls and gets ready to depart along with the rest of the team, checking her weapons twice over and recalling her habits. They haven't changed since yesterday, but resting leggs offer no support.

[Ancient]

Emery joins the line, axe and shield at the ready.

"I am prepared, let Caduceus bless our endevour and the the twin serpents protect our souls"

[The Vagabond]

Terawyn finishes her business with the girls and gets ready to depart along with the rest of the team, checking her weapons twice over and recalling her habits. They haven't changed since yesterday, but resting leggs offer no support.

The girl smiles, looking herself over before waving Terawyn goodbye as she leaves excitedly, Abigail moving back her way and patting Terawyn on the shoulder, "Keep on eye on my sister for me- Make sure she doesn't get in trouble.

"Oh... that's ok. I got some new things to show you anyway."

Revy was ready to go on some kind of rant regarding her contraptions, only to clam up as Leanne started ordering folks about. She moved back to her charging unit and began disconnecting the batteries. She opened the truck driver door and started the motor. After flipping several switches, the engines began to hum and the drives engaged, causing the truck to lift off and hover several inches above the ground.

The young woman stuck her head out the window and slapped the side of the door.

"If you're hitchin' a ride, best climb on. Where we're going, we don't need roads!"

Revy revved the engine as if to make the truck agree with her statement. The roof mounted turret came to life as she calibrated it's targeting by moving her controls.

"Blood of the moon thank Aphrodite," the old, blind dwarf said, "I was hoping someone would drive something like this for me, glad to see it's you. Though we will still be riding on the road- The forest through here hasn't been properly cultivated yet, should be cleared out over the next week or so. I can hear the wind blowing, I'm surprised you got that tech handled- It's complicated stuff, you know."
Leanne walks over to Hedge with a slow gait, "Thank you- These legs get tired after a while, and I've always found the saddles on these things so much more comfortable than on the horses, even when the roads get rough. We'll get the Orphaned Steel in the back. You'll want the wheels on for this one, though- Don't think the jets will carry all of us."

Spoiler: Useful Info!

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Jets can only carry up to a light load, which at STR 10, Large, and Quadraped, it's 33 x 3 x 2 for 198 Ibs, enough for about two folks to ride if they're both relatively young.

"Um... Revy, ma'am, can I ride shotgun?"

"Sorry, miss Fullmetal, but you're going to be riding in the back with Ms Giant here-" she says, gesturing to the tall giantess of a woman. "I don't think we'll need to shoot anything. At least anything that won't rip the roof off the building first."

She looks to Hewitt and Emery, "Good job being prepared Hewitt- You can probably ride on either a pony or with Terawyn. Emery, get in the trunk, keep your eyes out. Try to keep the Chassis in place."

With that, you are set off, riding past the line you traveled down to a road you've traveled on before.

---

You were raised on stories of adventure and glory, of travel and grandeur, of roads paved with black gold, immobile and stable for ages past. Kojin's Cold you wish this road was as nice as the ones you've heard about.
The road was a fair bit back the way the Silderblood came, about half an hour's ride to the 6th gate, before traveling down the old, abandoned roadway. The road is covered with a thick layer of grass, the silent scent of it burning lingering in the air. Empty, rusted out shells of old-earth cars cover the sides, yet the center still remains hollow, a place that fits the truck and the horses with equal ease.
While the front two seats are quite comfortable for Revy and Leanne, the old warrior Kethra tries to make herself comfortable in the crowded backseat, unfortunately at the poor dwarves expense. There's a lingering sense of quiet in the air. In the distance, you see the long, bat-like wings of a dragon fly far-off in the distance, not a young one. Probably looking for some place to roost, or some place to eat, not uncommon for the younger ones to try to find their own glory in the Decas, though a dragons glory rarely overlaps with a Lorehunter's.

It's on a particularly quiet streach of road, a hillside above coated with greenery and vines. The sky is clear overhead, ancient trees cut down to stumps with new life growing from it. It's there that you feel it. Faintly, a rumble in the ground and in your bones.
Leanne flies into a panic, "Pull over, quickly!" She shouts, grabbing the wheel, "It's coming quickly!"
Kethra tries to stand up, bumping her head on the ceiling of the truck, cursing to herself, "Shelter!"

[DaOldeWolf]

Meekit decides to ask Terwayn for permission to join in the travel. He preferred to travel with others and the suggestion sounded like a good piece of advice. "What do you say? May I travel along with you? I promise to be as liitle of a bother as possible."

[Hazuki]

"Keep calm, everyone," Terawyn announces for the benefit of those who might not be familiar and flashes a smile just to prove how nervous she isn't. Which, of course she is, because it's a Tyrannosauus Rex, but they don't have to know that. "It's just a giant lizard looking for a good fight; something we're very much not. As long as we stick to the underbrush and out of its way, we'll be good as gold."

Earlier on the trip, when Meekit approached her, she gave the little guy a thumbs-up. "No problem."

[tonberryking]

Clutching at her rifle the entire truck ride, Hedge nearly falls in to drill mode, grabbing her gun and trying to peer out the windows, even if she has to invade someone else's personal space. She doesn't seem panicked in as much as she's trying to ready herself, and Terwyn's explanation doesn't entirely assure her.

Spoiler: OOC/rolls

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Perception check to make sure that's all it is: (1d20+7)[21]

[Deadguy]

"Huh? Oh, are we there already?"

Revy seemed oblivious to the tremors in her harness. She pulled the vehicle to the side of the brush and unclipped her harness as the others began to vacate.

"We aren't walking the whole rest of the way, are we?"

While smart enough to whisper in the situation, she couldn't help but whine at having to abandon the transportation so quickly.

"How are we suppose to bring all of the stuff back?"

[The Vagabond]

Leanne stumbled after you, holding tightly to Revvy's Shoulder as she moved, stumbling on the dirt as you began to leave, "Considering what I've heard those creatures do to people, I think It's better to avoid it than try to keep the cart. If you want to try packing it yourself, I won't stop you, but pass me off before we go. If we're lucking, we can come back for it after it passes by. "

"Terawyn's right- they're not that bad if they're pointed at someone else," Kethra says, "But still a good idea not to be in its path."
She looks Hedge, "Shh, we'll come out this fine, get to the tree line!"

There's a pause as you reach the tree line, Kethra pushing Hedge in while Leanne stumbls for cover, plopping herself on the ground. You continue for another hundred feet, until you manage to get yourself hidden behind a log.
There's a quiet sense of fear in the air, as the ground slowly begins to shake with the weight of the beast. You can see the beast, even from this distance- A towering, feathered beast, white and brown feathers shown in it's body, towering as high as a building. Spears pepper it's side, along with a bright red gash across it's eye. It rasises it's head, and releases a call.
It's call... It's call is not something heard, really. They were never particularly loud, nor prolonged- It sounded like a car, it's steel slowly bending in half from weight leaving a hard, terrifying drone. But it's not what you hear that matters- It's how it feels. And it was Terrifying. A bone-deep vibration reaching through your skin, into your bones, shaking it with a terrifying, powerful grasp of rage. The fear is the only other thing that you can feel in response to it.
It looked... Exhausted. Hungry. Angry. It pauses, it's massive form dwarfing the truck, as its vision lingered on it for a moment, before turning it's head.
It's head turned and stared you in the eye.

The Dragon roared, as green fire descended from the heaven into the dragon's shoulder, a quiet scream in the air shifting, as the dragon descends on the dinosaur, it's claws raking into its chest as the beast stumbles back, the dragon leaning into the woods away from you. It's black eyes mark it as young, in a dragons reckoning, a teenager by ours. Were this any other creature, it would have been a creature unmatched in height. But alas, it's the king of the hunted, towering and looming over the dragon like a sword of ancient god, it's green scales flickering in the night with a glorious radiance, reflecting the sunlight.
"... I don't think," Leanne mutters to Revvy, "We'll be retrieving your vehicle."
"Agreed. I think we're going to continue on foot from this point on, unless anyone wants to try to get in the middle of... that."

[DaOldeWolf]

Meekit looked in admiration at the majestic creature. He had heard of them before but this was the first time he had laid eyes upon one. "I must say I am impressed. It is surprising that there is a link between us and them." Meekit could only wonder if he himself could awaken and become like one of those. "So, what should we do know? I dont think I would have any issue passing unnoticed but what about the rest of you?"

[Ancient]

"That, seems a fair trade for non-confrontation"

Emery watches the ways of Nature, fascinated.

[Hazuki]

"...well, I'm good on not getting in the middle of that," Terawyn says.

[The Vagabond]

There's a quiet sense of agreement lingering in the air, as Kethra begrudgingly takes the lead. The forests are dense, and the travel is long, hard, and difficult to manage, as the woman stumbles through the woods with the grace of a broken rock, muttering that she should have gotten the bloody trackers to find them, before slowly arriving at the edge of the clearing, the sun rising high in the sky as you approach a clean cut. The soil changes, with a spontaneity that you'd only find in clear, well-preserved ruins where the magic of Old Earth lingers in the air, the fresh scent of sweat lingering in the air as if the battles fought here still were occuring.
Four buildings, nearly as fresh as the day they were built, linger in an asphalt courtyard.

Spoiler: DC 25 Survival Check

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You guys arrive there much, much more quickly as you take the lead from Kethra, the old soldier relaxing and thankful for the problem to be off her hands.

"Give me a bit of time here," Leanne says, "To clear the air. There's some untapped Tension that hasn't been dealt with for ages. Keep your eyes out, we don't know what might linger in here."
She gestures to the houses, "In the meantime, give the houses a look over, we might be able to set this place up as a forward base- Seems like we won't be dealing with too many spires, unfortunately- We're what, only half a mile out now? It's not a long walk from here, especially with the forest clearing out."
She shakes her head, looking to the buildings. "Check the garages first- See if there's anything that Revy can use to set up a new vehicle."

Spoiler: DC 10 perception check

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The buildings are old and almost forgotten- Just peering into one reveals that it's slowly become lapras, lines of black pouring down the halls intermixed with red paler than blood, with it's garage filled with junk long forgotten to time.
The second house seems to hold a much greater potential, however- a vehicle is in it's garage for one, though trying to go through the front door doesn't seem to work, and the garage is not set to open save for with a signal of some sort.
The Other two houses are unremarkable, their cars still in their garages, though one seems to have been built by hand rather than purchased.

[DaOldeWolf]

Meekit decides to start scanning the general area. Meekit´s poor eyesight in the outdoors keeps him from seeing the garage. "Since we are checking all the general area. Lets see if there is any magic to be seen." He declares trying to be as careful as possible on the whole situation. His familiar remains closeby and silent trying to not get attenion. "So, where should we begin?" He decides to ask the rest.

Spoiler: OOC

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Perception: (1d20)[6]
Casting detect magic to see if he notices anything magical. Knoweldge arcana roll: (1d20+8)[20]

[Deadguy]

"Stay put Tonka, I'll be back for you soon. Promise."

Revy lingered in the bushes just for a moment as the two massive reptiles collided. It was as if she had to say good-bye to a favorite pet. She moped the rest of the trec until Leanne mentioned garages.

"Oh, oh, oh! Yeah let's go look for stuff!"

She checked her pistol and almost skipped down toward the homes. After peeping into the garages, she begins tinkering with her pack. Her mood has completely changed from somber to almost gleeful, as she hums a merry tune while working.

Spoiler: OOC - Rolls

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Perception - (1d20+19)[21]
Knowledge (Old World) vs garage doors - (1d20+20)[26] + Inspiration (1d6)[6]
Disable Device w/ Engineering Kit vs garage door - (1d20+19)[27]

[Hazuki]

"Not sure," Terawyn answers Meekit as she looks over the buildings. "Somewhere with giant lizard repellent?"

[The Vagabond]

The Four houses prove themselves to be quiet, though like most magic of Old Earth, brimming with memory- Just scanning them leaves the lingering iron taste of Necromancy, the quiet warmth of enchantment, and the persistent drain of time built on a foundation of Illusion. It's not much- not enough to have coalesced into an actual spell over the entire house, but you might be able to find something after Leanne's grounded the energy.
Something Leanne was managing quite well, the quiet scent of smoke burning off the small fire she held in her hand, as the life of Old Earth slowly burned like wax in a candle.

The Garages each bear the sign of being lived in, though only one carries the sign as literally as the phrase implied, with no vehicle within it (The ill building), though that itself proved a bit of a treasure trove- Old discs were covered in a thick layer of cracked Oathstone, to the point where it proved hard to identify what the songs tied into them are, but most likely aren't worth more than 5 gold each, which, with a dozen in there, is still a respectable amount. You can still see the red streaks down the walls, marks of the houses illness from being long, long forgotten. You can almost feel sorry for the thing.
One of the car proved to be worn and broken, but with some supplies where, if you stole most of the chassis, you could probably make some materials with it. (+20 GP for technocrafting). The other, however, proved to be more useful- a neat insight into how those of Old Earth unsterstood their vehicles- More basic, but you could probably fix it up relatively quickly for almost no cost, but also pretty much no comfort.

The fourth one, with it's gates inside closed with old earth technology, proved to be as interesting as it's key implied. The vehicle was not some small thing, but a massive truck inset into the floor, rather than risen above it, which was odd in this kind of place. You couldn't find any creature or entity to whom that would be a problem, until you realize that something's taken residence in the vehicle- Some sort of snail-like creature had claimed the car as a shell.
This wouldn't be a problem, if it wasn't for the fact that Meekit can see magic lingering right on the doorstep into the building from the garage- A Doom Spell lingered on the steps to the room, sharp and precise despite the thick miasma of society lingering in the garage. This house had been lived in, alright- And it's left its mark on it. You can tell that, if you spent some time, you could probably make some interesting dread from the conflict this house dealt with.

Spoiler: Oathstone

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Oathstone was, until relatively recently, a gold-ish, crystalline gem that grew on objects steeped in mythology and law, which when ingested grant those who wish to understand the material an understanding of it. However, due to how deeply those of Old Earth intermingled law and creation, makes Oathstone an easy way to access the gist of a song without having to set up a dummy server to get past the old earth wards, as bards can eat the oathstone and recite the songs by ear, or try to replicate the media it contains.

Kethra let out a chuckle at Terawyn's response, "If the Starborn had made a repellent for the beasts, I'd be grateful- Would prevent the argument that's bound to happen when we get back."
She shook her head, "Damn things are a pain to deal with, is my experience. I just hope the dragon hurt enough to keep it from following, we're not well-fortified yet to deal with the beast."

[DaOldeWolf]

"Careful, everyone. I detect the presence of what might be a magical trap waiting to spring on us." Meekit replies pointing at the doorstep for the garage. "Can anyone take care of it before we try checking inside?" Meekit requests knowing full well, he wasnt really euipped with any magic that might help with the current situation.