Outside 50: Meeting nature halfway

[Murkus]

The Green

Ah, finally a real person to talk to! She could certainly use some interaction. Maybe she can barter her fruit for a spare shirt? She hastily pulls on the sweater again so she doesn't look like some nutcase slithering through the forest naked despite holding clothes.
The woman will swiftly find a young woman approaching her. Snake from the waist down, her scales glimmer like gemstones of green and blue with golden eyes like a peacock's feathers down her sides. Feathers of similar colors adorn her head and forearms with small wings extending from them. The plain brown sweater she's wearing certainly does not seem suited to her figure at all but it does suit her tan skin tone if nothing else.
"Um, hello Miss. Are you from around here? I'm not entirely sure if I know where I'm going." she admits.

[The Green]

"Oh! Hello," Viviana smiles brightly at Artie as she sees her slither up. She doesn't seem bothered by her appearance at all. Momentarily curious and then enthused by the beauty of her scales perhaps. "I suppose you could say I'm from around here. I'm not entirely sure where you're going either, but if you can think of someplace in particular, I could help you get there."

[Deathkeeper]

The Green

Artie smiles when she notices the woman admiring her scales. That's why they're like that, after all. Sort of.
"Well, I suppose I live in Inside, though truth be told I'm not in a huge rush.
And ah, this might sound invasive, but would you happen to have an old shirt lying around? I have found myself with a journey ahead of me with only something unsuitable for my body or the weather. I can trade you." Artie approaches the woman with her makeshift fruit bag in tow. Really she could just wash the old shirt it's made of and put it back on but she's not really sure it would be modest now.

[Purple Eagle]

Blackheart Woods

Natalie's mother died in a magical explosion, when Natalie was about three. Considerably more recently, an angry mob burnt down her father's house, whilst he was inside.

Natalie nods when she sees Karasu's covered the mirror, and will hug Karasu when she approaches. "That... I don't like that mirror. It's horrible." She might be able to handle it better now she knows, it was just... a bit of a shock to be confronted with it.

Moving on, there's two possible exits. Well, three, but one of those takes them back the way they came. There's an archway to the right of the door they entered by, and a wooden door in the wall to the left. Looking at the archway, it leads straight into another chamber that would appear to be a dead end whilst the wooden door is unlocked and not stuck, but conceals whatever lies behind. "Should we go through that way, and check to make sure there's nothing behind us or go that way? If there's more tunnels and rooms and stuff, they're gonna be through that door, because that room's a dead end, I think." Natalie gulps and sniffles a little as she speaks, before turning to the door they used and making a gesture, red card suites- but not just hearts and diamonds; clubs and spades, as well, just red- appear around her before coalescing into a crab. It's a blue crustacean, quite small but hardy-looking, especially since it's a hermit crab that has a piece of carved stone serving as its shell. "Guard the door, make sure nothing dangerous comes up behind us."

[Blackheart Woods]

Eagle's fault for misremembering, for that's not the sort of thing Karasu would soon forget. Thus, her memory corrects itself as she comforts her girlfriend. Mother died doing magic, and Natalie never really knew her much... but wasn't her father trapped in a burning building? And if Femi appeared for Karasu...

"Oh, crap..." Her eyes widen in late realization, and her efforts to comfort Natalie begin anew. "I'm so sorry, Tali." She'd not made the connection until Natalie's comment, which sometimes happens with Karasu. At least, now Natalie knows the fate of her father for sure.

"Bringing the mirror along. Maybe we'll sell it, maybe we'll toss it... safer if it's locked up in a place we know about." The ink hand brings it to Karasu before being re-absorbed, covered with any available cloth/curtain and stashed.

"We move forward." Karasu decides, wiping away tears off her face. "Anyone comes after us, we'll deal with them." Natalie then summons the crab, and she adds: "... and we can do that too, I guess."

She'll reach for Natalie's hand, aiming to squeeze once and then drags her a little as she takes off into a brisk walk herself. "What can the crab do, though?" She asks inquisitively, wiping her eyes once again.

[Chaotic Bob]

[A Brisk Afternoon Jog - Day 2]

That is a very tactically valid point there, G'nichi. Murdering Jeb would certainly cause quite the ball of chaos.
And look very very bad for you.

It's an obvious possibility. Too obvious, maybe?

A scoff, and a waved hand.
"I can't plan for my own death, only for my life. Someone will step up without me."
There's a pretty definite certainty there, he definitely has someone in mind. Fudo? Atsushi?
"For now, I'm watching who I can and seeing who is different."
Less crimes to investigate when no crime has yet been committed. Personality changes though, are a possibility.

[Deathkeeper]

A Brisk Afternoon Jog - Day 2

The fact that G'nichi's accusation about Jeb trying to kill him tomorrow are not denied really are a wonderful statement about the situation he's in. He doesn't feel like pressing this issue further if that's all Jeb has to say. He didn't seem to have anything to hide when G'nichi suggested him as a wolf so he continues to believe the man is simply a xenophobic old man.
"Yes, perhaps. A few reasonable people have made themselves known. Fudo has suggested I talk to a few people in particular, so I'm off to do that. Good day, Jeb. I really do hope I'm wrong for your sake." And even if he isn't, he's only allowed to protect one person. He can't save both victims chosen.
If Jeb lets him, G'nichi will head inside to see who's around.

[Chaotic Bob]

[A Brisk Afternoon Jog - Day 2]

Jeb makes no move whatsoever to bar G'nichi's entrance to the dining area.
There wouldn't be much point.

Within, we find nearly half of the village present.
Sumiye is behind the counter, as she frequently is, putting together food. It's probable this is her stress-relief. Atsushi, it seems, has returned her for the purpose of helping her with this.

Old lady Kawa and the elf Nemeth are seated together, though they aren't actually speaking, and the two teens Hana and Yuu are seated at a different table entirely.

Absences here appear to consist of the logically expected (Fudo, Lady Eiko, the boy with Eiko, Jeb) and Mari.

[Earl of Purple]

Blackheart Woods

"So long as I don't have to see it again, I don't really care what you do with it." Natalie doesn't look when Karasu brings it closer and stows it away. "It'll stay here and slow anyone down, if they try following us. It probably won't be able to hurt them, though." The claws are quite small, but it's got a sturdy stone shell and currently seems content to sit by the door.

The doorway opens, and reveals beyond it another room. This one has one other exit, an old metal blast door with bolts sunk into the floor and ceiling, though it doesn't seem locked from here. There's filing cabinets against the walls, and a large metal table in the centre of the room. On the table there's several rather interesting things; a human skull carved with astrologic and alchemic symbols, three black candles, a cut-throat razor currently placed in the centre of a chalk circle, an antique silver salt-shaker, a simple wooden peg-leg and a very large egg. "So. What do you reckon's in the filing cabinets? Anything interesting, or just random old paperwork?"

[Deathkeeper]

A Brisk Afternoon Jog - Day 2

G'nichi takes a moment to stop at Kawa's table. Hopefully she'll talk to him given that he helped him this morning.
"Good afternoon, Ma'am. Are you still doing well?" he asks, trying his best to sound polite and respectful.
"Ah, I don't believe we've been acquainted." he adds to the elf.

[Murkus]

The Green

Artie smiles when she notices the woman admiring her scales. That's why they're like that, after all. Sort of.
"Well, I suppose I live in Inside, though truth be told I'm not in a huge rush.
And ah, this might sound invasive, but would you happen to have an old shirt lying around? I have found myself with a journey ahead of me with only something unsuitable for my body or the weather. I can trade you." Artie approaches the woman with her makeshift fruit bag in tow. Really she could just wash the old shirt it's made of and put it back on but she's not really sure it would be modest now.

[The Green]

"An ordinary 'shirt' is something that might actually be a little difficult to come by, here. But I could perhaps scrounge up something." Viviana looks and sounds like the sort who would just give this to Artie, but she smiles and asks, "Trade me? What would you offer?"

[Deathkeeper]

The Green

"Well, I admit I don't really know the first thing about fashion. And I admit I have found myself with colors that well, I would not call them simple if I do say so myself. But I do have these. They are all quite fresh, I assure you." She lifts the makeshift bag to the woman, showing its contents: a small collection of somewhat pear-like fruits. They smell quite nice.
"Other than that I can mostly only offer my company. Or perhaps some perfume? I can make very nice things like that even if I haven't tested it much. It's ah, a long story. But you can call me Artie." she smiles. Oh, this is only going to get complicated if questions are asked but it's quite reasonable for the woman to ask them of her.

[Purple Eagle]

Blackheart Woods

"So long as I don't have to see it again, I don't really care what you do with it." Natalie doesn't look when Karasu brings it closer and stows it away. "It'll stay here and slow anyone down, if they try following us. It probably won't be able to hurt them, though." The claws are quite small, but it's got a sturdy stone shell and currently seems content to sit by the door.

The doorway opens, and reveals beyond it another room. This one has one other exit, an old metal blast door with bolts sunk into the floor and ceiling, though it doesn't seem locked from here. There's filing cabinets against the walls, and a large metal table in the centre of the room. On the table there's several rather interesting things; a human skull carved with astrologic and alchemic symbols, three black candles, a cut-throat razor currently placed in the centre of a chalk circle, an antique silver salt-shaker, a simple wooden peg-leg and a very large egg. "So. What do you reckon's in the filing cabinets? Anything interesting, or just random old paperwork?"

[Blackheart Woods]

"Alright, then." Karasu gives the crab one last look before leaving.

"Really? You see the table, and yet the first thing you think of is the filing cabinet?" Karasu says, before realizing it's possible that Natalie's just trying to ignore it. That possibility's the only reason why she just steps away to humour her girlfriend and check on the filing cabinets instead. "Let's find out. Meanwhile, check any other part of the room."

She stresses 'any' so as to let Natalie know she doesn't have to examine the clearly occult table setup if she doesn't want to.

[Earl of Purple]

Blackheart Woods

"I can see what's on the table. I can't see what's in the cabinets." Natalie grins anyway and goes over to the table, without touching anything. She'll look under the table first of all, to see if there's anything underneath that isn't visible but maybe interesting.

In the cabinets, there's a lot of old paperwork. It's dried and fragile, some of it crumbling to dust as it's pulled out. It's all quite scientific and complex, about 'the ratio of mortis energia emitted upon the cessation of vital function in disparate situations' and more on 'the natural or super-natural retention of mortis energia within objects of empathic, sympathetic or morbid significance to the deceased'. Fortunately, there's a few other items of interest within the cabinets, if Karasu is lucky or determined enough to find them. A small brass key with a head that resembles a twisted grimace. A fountain-pen case, containing a very fancy silver pen with a clear glass reservoir, currently empty but stained dark brown. A 5.56mm bullet with the name 'Hannah Avry' carved into the casing. A small bag of loose change, containing one pound, three shillings and threepence ha'penny.

Natalie's cleared underneath the table, not finding anything, and is examining what's atop it. "One skull, probably human, I don't recognise the symbols. Three candles, I think they're tallow. A men's razor, in a perfect circle of chalk. That's... not particularly good. Something's carved into it, but I don't recognise the letters." Natalie's on the wrong side of the table, and is looking at it upside down. She's not expecting letters she can recognise, so... "Silver salt shaker, quite plain but fine work. Wouldn't look out of place on my dad's table. Wooden leg, hardwood, ebony I think. And an egg. Any clues to this stuff in the cabinets, Karasu?"

[Murkus]

The Green

"Well, I admit I don't really know the first thing about fashion. And I admit I have found myself with colors that well, I would not call them simple if I do say so myself. But I do have these. They are all quite fresh, I assure you." She lifts the makeshift bag to the woman, showing its contents: a small collection of somewhat pear-like fruits. They smell quite nice.
"Other than that I can mostly only offer my company. Or perhaps some perfume? I can make very nice things like that even if I haven't tested it much. It's ah, a long story. But you can call me Artie." she smiles. Oh, this is only going to get complicated if questions are asked but it's quite reasonable for the woman to ask them of her.

[The Green]

"Make very nice things? How would you do that?" Viviana asks. "Well it's nice to meet you anyway, Artie. I'm Viviana."

[Deathkeeper]

The Green

Artie curls up her coils into a little pile so she can properly show Viviana the end of her tail. Upon it is a feathery rattle from which wafts a light, fruity aroma. Up close her scales really do shimmer and shine in the light. Perhaps she shed recently, if Viviana knows anything about reptiles.
”My lower body has special systems to take things from what I eat and turn them into useful things. But ah, right now this fruit is all I’ve had to eat and all I can make with that is fruity perfume. And water cleaning formula.” she shakes the rattle which produces a sound like rain.
”Ingenious, is it not? I thought of it myself. At least I think I did.” she smiles, but quickly blushes. There she goes, already bragging about her strange anatomy. This woman will probably think her bizarre.

[Gullara]

[The Hegemony Flagship]

Things have been a bit strange on the flagship. Outside the usual, that is. There's been a series of incidents. Some are easier to explain than others. For instance, someone made a generator. A big, whirling instrument of destruction that shot of stray arcs of electricity in every direction, but none the less the toaster did not lack for power. A bit more uncertain was the unstable portal to the heart of the immaterium from which horrifying daemons emerged. Of course, both of those could possibly be explained by the careless experiments of Mag-clones unwilling to fess up with the results of their tamperings.

Harder to explain, yet somehow less remarkable, are the random locked doors that have just been violently busted open, often torn from their hinges. More concerningly, the cloning tanks show signs of use that can't be explained.

In all cases, security footage shows nothing. Things are normal one moment, and go off the rails the next. The footage must have been edited, right?

Most recently, a totally new strain of problems has popped up. Mushrooms. Strange mushroom growth in the most inconvenient places. In the backs of utility closets, in the ducts, behind the toilet. Whenever a cluster is exterminated, another two are turned up.

And now the engine room is one fire. It's just one thing after another.

[Lord Magtok]

The Hegemony Flagship

The MagClone in charge around here (We'll call him Admiraltok from now on) has been having an increasingly terrible day. The toaster had burnt his toast again. There was weird mold growing in the shower stalls again. He'd just discovered that his beautiful white naval uniform had an ugly stain around the jacket's cuffs, which the labs confirmed was blood. More precisely, blood spilled in last Friday's honor duel when some overly-ambitious crewman tried to duel him for his office, because 'you're not doing enough about the disgusting mold problem.' Worst of all, someone had swiped his left arm in his sleep, so he'd been forced to requisition a new one, and until Engineering can complete the order, he's stuck with a temporary one cobbled together with scrap looted from the lost and found.

Can you even imagine how humiliating that is? Going into work with a dirty sleeve, a stomach full of burnt bread, and a four-fingered hand like some kind of stupid cartoon sitcom character? If the cloning tanks weren't such a mess right now, Admiraltok would have someone shot for this. Scratch that, he'd have three someones shot for this. However, because clones aren't expendable and summary executions for imaginary crimes aren't on the table, he's instead been forced to just stew and sit at his command chair, watching numbers and surveillance footage dance around in his head, waiting for a new problem to present itself. A rebellion, an alien attack, a sentient mold army, anything would be great right now. He'd gladly take on the world if it meant he could vent his frustrations punching it in the face for everything that's been going wrong lately.

Then an engine fire happens.

A thin smile creeps across Admiraltok's features, as his service pistol snaps into place in his gloved hand. He's racing down the halls to the engine room in an instant. It's been too long since things were this simple. A terrorist, possibly some foreign menace boarding the vessel but more likely some poor bastard mind-controlled by a killer fungus. An attack by that mystery assailant. A heroic captain of the Hegemony fleet, gun in hand and blood rushing with adrenaline. This is cool-headed leadership in action. This is swift space justice. This is going to be fun.

[Earl of Purple]

Steelbite Canyon

The fog spills out, concealing the area and letting the two Vigilants find shelter. There's quite a few places; the five untouched motorhomes, the sixth that tried driving away before Calm Reed disabled it, and the warped, bullet-ridden wreck of the seventh; a small stone bothy against the cliff face, both bothy and cliff starting to warp and disintegrate into trapezoidal shapes; and the large Quonset hut that serves as garage, where the old biker-cultist is still restrained to the floor. There's also a minibus atop the cliff overlooking the canyon's entrance, though it's up a steep track with no cover beyond the pink fog as the bikes get closer.

The bikes themselves are slowing as they see the fog, and might just be visible. One is a bulky chopper, ridden by a bulky khaki-skinned half-orc wearing a duster, which flaps behind him, and thick jeans, with a stereotypical Viking helmet. A semi-automatic carbine is slung over his back. The other is a dicycle, with two wheels side-by-side and the engine block, saddle and the rest of the vehicle mounted above the two wheels, resembling a unicycle. That rider is a woman, a pale human with long black hair flapping free behind her, and she's not got a helmet. A revolver rests on her hip. Being dragged behind the chopper is a bloody hunk of meat, wearing tatters of leather and denim, with an old steel British army helmet strapped to what was a head.

[Shadowcaller]

[Dimensional Troubles]

Thariza gives an awkward wave to Ambrosia and the drone. Great, more creepy machines. Where did Ambrosia pick this one up? But it seems an explanation is forthcoming.

[Dimensional Troubles]

It might be somewhat difficult for the eyes to 'shift' given the substantial range of vision available to her terminal but they would regardless be somewhat unnerving... Ambrosia might or might not detect that the rather aloof mannerisms of the drone became ever so slightly more frigid when being made the center of attention. It might be too minute to notice but there might be just the slightest more rigidity to their stance and manner. She did follow perhaps just a touch more slowly, trying to take in as much information about her surroundings as possible.

When arriving and being prompted for an introduction, what followed was an almost robotic: "I am Clarissa Heln-Gelter. This form is a terminal of mine that is here for data acquisition concerning the ongoing anomaly in this region." Friendliness was perhaps a difficult skill for this one. The dead air after it's statement seemed to beg for at least some kind of reply in kind, however.

Though perhaps not visually apparent, a fair portion of it's attention was directed towards the constructs and especially the machinery they were toting.

[Fort Aegis Resort]

Ambrosia and Thariza emerge into the aforementioned cavern, with its softly illuminated, warm, inviting pool.

For the moment, it's empty, but not for long. Moments after they're out, a larger, distinctly dragon-sized door slides open and-

"Aaaahhhh! Hey, hey, w-watch the tail!" Sylvess stumbles out, copper scales a'gleaming. He's accompanied by a pair of the dragon-babies, brass and silver in colour. In a similar fashion to the earlier leg-climbing incident, the silver one seems to have decided it'd be a good idea to try and climb Sylvess's tail. It's not going well.

[Dimensional Troubles]

As she scans the machines some of them that aren't too preoccupied pause and turn in her direction and in a way returns her gaze. She can't detect the kind of electronic signals associated with advanced machinery but in this context that's expected. Instead they are powered by what one might call conceptual means.

A spirit, or perhaps spirits, inhabiting and animating these constructs.

"Truly?" Jaccal sounds impressed. "Then perhaps you would know something about the subject of interdimensional crossing? Since we could use some help." They gesture at the machines behind them. "Since as you might have been able to tell, we've been sabotaged and we're now trying to fix the problem. We're more than willing to share our designs and findings in exchange."

"Sabotaged? By whom?" Ambrosia inquires, seemingly not needing any introduction.

"A military squad of humans as far as we could tell. Somehow reached this facility undetected and made a hole to get inside and steal precious equipment. Nothing that can't get replaced but it's still a significant setback." Jaccal then turns to Riss once more. "But you wouldn't belong to one of the nexus powerful organizations would you, Clarissa Heln Gelter?"

As Jaccal's attention is back at Riss, Ambrosia have turned to Thariza. Giving her a somewhat concerned look that says more than any words could. Was she alright?

[Fort Aegis Resort]

Copper, brass and silver? Quite a diverse coloration on their scales there so she couldn't but help but wonder what their other parent looked like. Assuming of course they were their biological parents. Not that dragons would have to obey the laws of genetics. She knew that each dragon born in her own world looked completely unique regardless of their ancestry.

"Oh, hello sir. Do you need some help?" She offers as Sylvess seemed to have both his claws (and tail) quite full managing his hatchlings.

[Morty]

[Steelbite Canyon]

Calm Reed leads the retreat towards the motorhome she disabled. The bikers might not look there, at least not initially, and this could give them the advantage to strike.

[Dimensional Troubles]

Perhaps understanding Ambrosia's unspoken concern, Thariza gives a shrug.

"I didn't expect this to be easy, but I didn't expect us to land in such a mess, either. At least it looks like I'll be free soon enough."

[Fort Aegis Resort]

Normally, seeing a dragon would unnerve Thariza. Knowing that Ambrosia is one helps, but she still associates them with the forces of pure destruction from Tyria. It's difficult to be afraid of someone with little hatchlings clinging to his tail, though. She doubts they could handle those two even if asked to, but she supposes it's only polite to offer.

[Gullara]

The Hegemony Flagship

The MagClone in charge around here (We'll call him Admiraltok from now on) has been having an increasingly terrible day. The toaster had burnt his toast again. There was weird mold growing in the shower stalls again. He'd just discovered that his beautiful white naval uniform had an ugly stain around the jacket's cuffs, which the labs confirmed was blood. More precisely, blood spilled in last Friday's honor duel when some overly-ambitious crewman tried to duel him for his office, because 'you're not doing enough about the disgusting mold problem.' Worst of all, someone had swiped his left arm in his sleep, so he'd been forced to requisition a new one, and until Engineering can complete the order, he's stuck with a temporary one cobbled together with scrap looted from the lost and found.

Can you even imagine how humiliating that is? Going into work with a dirty sleeve, a stomach full of burnt bread, and a four-fingered hand like some kind of stupid cartoon sitcom character? If the cloning tanks weren't such a mess right now, Admiraltok would have someone shot for this. Scratch that, he'd have three someones shot for this. However, because clones aren't expendable and summary executions for imaginary crimes aren't on the table, he's instead been forced to just stew and sit at his command chair, watching numbers and surveillance footage dance around in his head, waiting for a new problem to present itself. A rebellion, an alien attack, a sentient mold army, anything would be great right now. He'd gladly take on the world if it meant he could vent his frustrations punching it in the face for everything that's been going wrong lately.

Then an engine fire happens.

A thin smile creeps across Admiraltok's features, as his service pistol snaps into place in his gloved hand. He's racing down the halls to the engine room in an instant. It's been too long since things were this simple. A terrorist, possibly some foreign menace boarding the vessel but more likely some poor bastard mind-controlled by a killer fungus. An attack by that mystery assailant. A heroic captain of the Hegemony fleet, gun in hand and blood rushing with adrenaline. This is cool-headed leadership in action. This is swift space justice. This is going to be fun.

[The Hegemony Flagship]

As Admiraltok approaches the engine room, the door swing outward to meet him. No doubt the flagship is equipped with fancy doors that require no menial pushing and swinging to open, yet today the engine door swings. The force of the impact that tears the door from the surrounding wall might be transferred into our intrepid hero if he's caught too unaware.

Admiraltok, regardless of his condition, barely has a moment to recover from that surprise before his ears are filled with a throaty roar. It's difficult to make out what's happening at first. Was there an explosion in the engine room? Then the last bits of load bearing purple robe burns away, accompanied by the clatter of armoured plates and falling cloth, the source of the disturbance comes into view.

"Outta da way, ya skinny git!" There's a wall of green muscle and shiny, chrome metal standing in what once was the doorway to the engine room, as naked as the day he pushed his way out of the dirt, if marred by soot and burns rather than earth. His red, mechanical left eye telescopes out to focus on the Tok. Mercifully, Admitaltok is spaced answers to any repressed curiosity he might have had about orkoid physiology by metallic construction in the ork's hands. There's clearly bits of the engine factored into this construction, along with other components that have gone missing over the last several days.

[Murkus]

The Green

Artie curls up her coils into a little pile so she can properly show Viviana the end of her tail. Upon it is a feathery rattle from which wafts a light, fruity aroma. Up close her scales really do shimmer and shine in the light. Perhaps she shed recently, if Viviana knows anything about reptiles.
”My lower body has special systems to take things from what I eat and turn them into useful things. But ah, right now this fruit is all I’ve had to eat and all I can make with that is fruity perfume. And water cleaning formula.” she shakes the rattle which produces a sound like rain.
”Ingenious, is it not? I thought of it myself. At least I think I did.” she smiles, but quickly blushes. There she goes, already bragging about her strange anatomy. This woman will probably think her bizarre.

[The Green]

Viviana approaches and puts her hands on her hips. A few of the birds follow. They seem to favor Artie, perhaps even alighting upon her coils. "Well you're certainly a very odd thing. You thought of this? What do you mean?" Vivi keeps coming up with new questions. "Most people don't get to choose things like that about their bodies. Or... maybe they do, where you come from?"

[Deathkeeper]

The Green

Artie visibly winces at the word “odd.” It seems Vivi struck a nerve.
”Ah. Well you see...this morning I found myself inheriting the role of a very old magic being. And my looks changed well, quite a bit. I think the scales and tail came from her but a lot of the smaller details felt like they were my ideas. My memory of the whole thing is a bit hazy. Um. Did I...overdo things? Oh dear, I-I um, just wanted, ah-“ her speech devolves into stammering as she stares at the ground and her coils instead of Vivi. It seems Vivi may have struck a self-conscious nerve.
The wings on Artie’s arms and head open half-heartedly. The gold feathers among the blue and green shimmer (is it hot out here or is it just the one wearing a sweater?)

[Shadowcaller]

[A Hunter must Hunt]

A large colorful hawk lands on a branch of a tree in the middle of small grove located in the middle of a wast prerie. It looks around, peering out at the open fields in search of something. Prey perhaps?
Whatever it is, the hawk doesn't seem to have much luck finding it. But perhaps it might find something else...?

((Closed scene.))

[Gullara]

[A Hunter must Hunt]

The hawk is watching for its prey, but someone else is watching the hawk. This area doesn't have a lot of other predators around, and for good reason. This territory is claimed, and the hawk is about to find that out. A shout sounds from right behind the hawk, a flash of green flares in the corner of it's vision, and a small kick it aimed at the side of the bird's head. Nothing that's going to hurt it, but startle and unseat it? For sure.

[Recaiden]

[Caravan Search]

Tao will see they're facing west, according to his compass.

The tunnel ahead continues downward, deeper into complete darkness. The muck from the entrance gives way to clean rock as they leave the sunlit world behind.

The spider will find, further up ahead, the path splits, one direction continuing downward, another smaller passage branching off to the right.

As the darkness grows deeper, Selekhael makes a movement like drawing a sword, and there's a weapon in her hand, a flaming khopesh that casts dim, flickering firelight around the cave. She holds it tightly as she continues, as if afraid it will jump out of her hand.

West. That will have to be it. Tao has some sense not to trust compasses deep underground.
As they progress further, he'll stay close to Selekhael and her light.
When they eventually reach the split in the path, he'll gesture weakly at the downward branch.

[Shadowcaller]

[A Hunter must Hunt]

The hawk is watching for its prey, but someone else is watching the hawk. This area doesn't have a lot of other predators around, and for good reason. This territory is claimed, and the hawk is about to find that out. A shout sounds from right behind the hawk, a flash of green flares in the corner of it's vision, and a small kick it aimed at the side of the bird's head. Nothing that's going to hurt it, but startle and unseat it? For sure.

[A Hunter must Hunt]

Aw, man. She had somehow picked the only empty patch of-

Ow!

The hawk lets out a screech, more out of surprise than actual pain, and raises its wings as if about to fly away when gravity takes hold of it and it starts to fall. It starts to turn in the air but seems to quickly realize that it wouldn't be able to correct itself in time and in puff of smoke it's gone.

Landing exceptionally more gracefully than a falling hawk would is a huge cat-like creature. It's fur is in an odd purple hue except for a patch going along its back which is a golden amber. The nightsaber looks around in confusion, what had just happened? Had someone attacked?!

[Purple Eagle]

Blackheart Woods

"I can see what's on the table. I can't see what's in the cabinets." Natalie grins anyway and goes over to the table, without touching anything. She'll look under the table first of all, to see if there's anything underneath that isn't visible but maybe interesting.

In the cabinets, there's a lot of old paperwork. It's dried and fragile, some of it crumbling to dust as it's pulled out. It's all quite scientific and complex, about 'the ratio of mortis energia emitted upon the cessation of vital function in disparate situations' and more on 'the natural or super-natural retention of mortis energia within objects of empathic, sympathetic or morbid significance to the deceased'. Fortunately, there's a few other items of interest within the cabinets, if Karasu is lucky or determined enough to find them. A small brass key with a head that resembles a twisted grimace. A fountain-pen case, containing a very fancy silver pen with a clear glass reservoir, currently empty but stained dark brown. A 5.56mm bullet with the name 'Hannah Avry' carved into the casing. A small bag of loose change, containing one pound, three shillings and threepence ha'penny.

Natalie's cleared underneath the table, not finding anything, and is examining what's atop it. "One skull, probably human, I don't recognise the symbols. Three candles, I think they're tallow. A men's razor, in a perfect circle of chalk. That's... not particularly good. Something's carved into it, but I don't recognise the letters." Natalie's on the wrong side of the table, and is looking at it upside down. She's not expecting letters she can recognise, so... "Silver salt shaker, quite plain but fine work. Wouldn't look out of place on my dad's table. Wooden leg, hardwood, ebony I think. And an egg. Any clues to this stuff in the cabinets, Karasu?"

[Blackheart Woods]

"Oh yeah, that's right. My bad." Karasu grins back sheepishly, then begins her search of the cabinets. "Just some scientific papers. Written by some sort of necromancer scientist, I think." She says as she skims through a few papers, then puts them away and keeps searching in the hope of finding something else. Besides, she prefers to be thorough!

Her patience yields success, and she examines each of the items before adding them into her inventory:
>Tortured brass key
>Fancy silver fountain pen case
>Hannah Avry bullet, 5.56mm
>£1.38
>Interesting-looking scientific paper

"Found some weird grimacing key, a really fancy silver pen case, a bullet with some chick's name on it and... about £1.38." She calls out what she herself has seen, and walks towards Natalie to show her. She also catches sight of the table, and looks at it from the other end. "Only clue are the papers. Brought one of them along." She hands the paper for Natalie to scan through, and looks at the symbols to see if she can recognize them. She doesn't expect to, but you never know.

[Earl of Purple]

Blackheart Woods

"They look interesting. A bullet with a name on? I wonder who wanted to shoot her." If Karasu isn't familiar with that particular piece of soldier's lore, that might be confusing. "Do you have see any locks? We might be able to try it. Looks interesting enough it might be magic, maybe it opens any lock or something. Can I have a closer look at that pen?"

Natalie takes the papers and reads through them. "Nothing here particularly relevant to what I do, but... I guess all these things have something to do with death. Objects of empathic, sympathetic or morbid significance, so... Stuff that meant a lot to a person, stuff that resembled a person, maybe, as they died, and stuff that killed a person. The egg's unusual, though. Eggs aren't death- they're usually symbols of life, aren't they? Since they hatch and a baby comes out."

The symbols carved into the skull include an Ankh, upside-down on the skull's forehead above the eyes, the alstrological circle-and-cross symbol for Pluto, the crescent-and-cross of Hades, the zodiac symbols for Scorpio and Cancer, and the back of the skull is dominated by a carving of a bird with a humanoid head.

[Gullara]

[A Hunter must Hunt]

Aw, man. She had somehow picked the only empty patch of-

Ow!

The hawk lets out a screech, more out of surprise than actual pain, and raises its wings as if about to fly away when gravity takes hold of it and it starts to fall. It starts to turn in the air but seems to quickly realize that it wouldn't be able to correct itself in time and in puff of smoke it's gone.

Landing exceptionally more gracefully than a falling hawk would is a huge cat-like creature. It's fur is in an odd purple hue except for a patch going along its back which is a golden amber. The nightsaber looks around in confusion, what had just happened? Had someone attacked?!

[A Hunter must Hunt]

"And stay away, ya dumb bird. This is my-" Above a several inch tall woman with a big pair of green wings and a pointy spear is shouting down at Anika. The shouting cuts off quite suddenly, and instead Mimi is looking down at a cat with a dumbfounded expression. "Hey! You're not a bird!"

[Shadowcaller]

[A Hunter must Hunt]

It seems to take a moment for the cat to spot the pixie, and even longer to realize what it's looking at it.

It was the tiniest woman ever which only could mean one thing.

Suddenly, it's not a bird nor a plane cat, it's Super-Anika a particularly gigantic purple woman who is looking at the pixie with concern. But perhaps not the kind she'd want at the moment considering the spear pointing.

"Yeah, I'm a druid. I can be any animal I want." She gestures at the pixie. "But look at you, did those damn gnomes get ya'? Like, with their zap-magic?" The druid makes a finger gun motion with her hands.