"Hello," He says in his usual friendly tone. His thick Prihyen accent ever so obvious. "I...Uh...Suppose you could say we are playing cops and robbers. haha." That's certainly what these three brats seemed to think we were doing. "Though the game might have gotten a bit out of hand." He rubs the back of his neck when he says the last part. This whole day has gotten out of hand. The woman seems to look him over for a moment, he's not sure what that's about. Though it seems like she may have trouble understanding him? That's odd, pretty much everyone in Lancea speak the same language. Hmmm, her clothing looks a lot like what women in his country favor, though he still has no clue what some of the words she's speaking mean. He continues to squint at her when she asks Renar for a towel. Thinking on his toes, he un-slings his small pack from his shoulder and pulls out his bedroll. Dancing over the restrained kenku, he hands the blanket to the woman. "Here you go miss! It's all yours. My companions and I are going to take this lot to their room now. You make yourself at home." He says hurriedly before backing away and giving her a polite bow before dashing back over to pick up the Kenku and then usher Alex, Renar, and their hostages into the bedroom. Renar was giving him a weird feeling. He didn't seem to want to talk to this strange fox-woman. Is it because she's pretty? He seems to be awkward around Venet too...
"Ah! Thank you! Arigato gozai- EH?!" Maya exclaims when she notices one of the children picking a fight with the tied up bandits; To her, fighting amongst people, especially young kids like these guys (Or so she thought) means something unpleasant is about to come, and often she was the one to induce her strict discipline to get them to behave. "Hey! Ochitsuke! (落ち着け, Calm down) Both of you!"The kitsune speaks as her fox ears twitch. "That is not how you- AH?! Matte! (待って, Wait!)" She tries to finish, only to witness Shugo hurling the tied up bandits into the room. She tries to get the hooded guy's attention... "C... Choto Matte! (ちょっと 待って Wait a minute!) I want to-" ..but it was too late. Before she could even ask who the hooded figure was, he scampers off to the nearby with the armoured man before they slammed the door shut. She pouts after seeing this tiny drama unfold. This was not how she hoped this meeting would have gone in her perspective...
"Ah. Mhm. Ok." Maya replies even though she only understood like, less than 40% of what Elvins told her, mainly about the country called Lancea, overthrow Elmars, Paulis, a reclusive Tortle wizard (Who's reminds her of Trojan, another Tortle) and... wait. "Huh? No... no humans?" She gasps surprised though her eyes are still shut as usual. Out of the details of Lancea she missed during her research in the Sword Coast, this was the only detail that she didn't pick up on. She lets off a deep sigh; If Raiden, Rixi or Yuri were here she would have benefited from their translations... This could have been a lot easier if she had found the former sooner too. But wait... This might be a good opportunity to ask them...
"Um... have you..."The kitsune woman speaks in broken Lancean to everyone who's still in the main room. "Have you... seen a... fox... fox boy... with ears like... this?*She points to her fox ears* Do you... Know... Boy name... Raiden? I look.. for my Musuko (息子), my son."She then glances to the door that seems to have been kept shut. In fact, she swears that the weapon the hooded guy was clutching is one that she saw before. And she wants to turn over the leaf. She then points to the door. "Can... can I look... in there? Please?"
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Wildland Shifters Pt 2 (Pt 1 with PyromaniIsDeadThankGod) Celci (The Lamb) - Non-Binary Changeling Sorcerer (Shadow Magic) Maya Kurosaki- Female Kitsune Cleric (Twilight Domain); Currently in Lancea Randy Wolftree - Male Human Artificer (Armourer); Currently in Crimson Sands of Time Shijiro Otsune- Male Kitsune Blood Hunter (Order Of The Lycan) Trojan Dseyller - Male Tortle Barbarian (Path of the Ancestral Guardian) Xenia Ironhide - Female Kobold Rogue (Soulknife)
"Um... have you..."The kitsune woman speaks in broken Lancean to everyone who's still in the main room. "Have you... seen a... fox... fox boy... with ears like... this?*She points to her fox ears* Do you... Know... Boy name... Raiden? I look.. for my Musuko (息子), my son."She then glances to the door that seems to have been kept shut. In fact, she swears that the weapon the hooded guy was clutching is one that she saw before. And she wants to turn over the leaf. She then points to the door. "Can... can I look... in there? Please?"
*Raiden's entire body jolts as electricity surges through every single part of his body including the 26th vertebra where it splits to make his tail; If there is anyone who could make him break character overtime whilst he's disguised, it's her* THAT WAS THE LAST THING I NEEDED TO HEAR FROM SOMEONE WHO'S A SUPER LOVEY-DOVEY OKAA-SAN! ARGH! "S-s-s-stall her! Tell her he's not in this place or something whilst I try to find a better outfit for her!" I hiss as I try to find something that could help her conceal her identity as best as she could.
The country everyone is in right now is Kerwos, they're in Rauna, which is a duchy inside Kerwos, and each kingdom consists of several duchies with a lot of decentralisation. The region is Perkwunos, and the planet is Lancea.
"Come on, dude, I think her outfit looks nice!"Eerin says, "By the way, what kind of subspecies of fox Shifter is she? I haven't seen one with nine tails like that before, yo. Must be a mutation or something."
Leonīds wakes up from his torpor state, he glances around the room. "Huh? W-what's going on."
"Prihyehan man has a panic attack because he couldn't find a proper outfit for a mutated Shifter with nine tails, more on 7."Aloizs jokes, "Come on, chill out. Us Perkwunosites love cultural diversity, it's nice seeing an exotic outfit like that every now and then."
If Renar opens the closet, he will see a bunch of dusty black cloaks, button shirts, and trousers on the right and newer cloaks on the left. The former presumably belongs to whoever owned this hut before and the latter belongs to the three rascals. Of course, every newer clothe has holes in the rear, since all three of them are animal-like races with tails, after all, it's also dramatically smaller than the dusty ones.
"Wait... Fox boy?" Aloizs tilts his head, he looks to the door and shouts back. "Sorry, ma'am! I don't recall seeing any fox Shifter around here, you might have a better chance if you look for him in a larger city like Madura, Brendeku, or Vārti! Just follow Route 701 and you'll be there!" Even though he's supposed to be the 'villain,' he's being surprisingly helpful this time. "You should probably get yourself checked in with the doctors and scientists too, a nine-tailed Shifter would really get their interest!" Maybe the last one isn't that useful.
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"The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference."
"Wait... Fox boy?" Aloizs tilts his head, he looks to the door and shouts back. "Sorry, ma'am! I don't recall seeing any fox Shifter around here, you might have a better chance if you look for him in a larger city like Madura, Brendeku, or Vārti! Just follow Route 701 and you'll be there!" Even though he's supposed to be the 'villain,' he's being surprisingly helpful this time. "You should probably get yourself checked in with the doctors and scientists too, a nine-tailed Shifter would really get their interest!" Maybe the last one isn't that useful.
"Eh? So... Raiden... Muzuko... he not here? Where is root... sev-zer-one?" Maya gasps confused before she could even open the door and step inside. She only understood the first bit, that her son might be found in another city on Route 701. As for Aloizs's insult, she doesn't understand what is being conveyed. "Nani? (What?) Doctor? Scientist? What is that?" Since she was born centuries ago in an age void of modern technology and medicine so these terms sound extremely foreign to her.
She suspects that boy in the hood, however, is someone she had known before, judging by his nervous reaction that she saw when he bolted for the room... She clenches her fists again, determined not to give up. "So... Raiden... not here? Did he... Raiden... disguise? Who is hooded man? Does he have... have katana on left hip? Inazuma?" She asks back.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Wildland Shifters Pt 2 (Pt 1 with PyromaniIsDeadThankGod) Celci (The Lamb) - Non-Binary Changeling Sorcerer (Shadow Magic) Maya Kurosaki- Female Kitsune Cleric (Twilight Domain); Currently in Lancea Randy Wolftree - Male Human Artificer (Armourer); Currently in Crimson Sands of Time Shijiro Otsune- Male Kitsune Blood Hunter (Order Of The Lycan) Trojan Dseyller - Male Tortle Barbarian (Path of the Ancestral Guardian) Xenia Ironhide - Female Kobold Rogue (Soulknife)
I quickly scamper about, choosing whatever cloak seems ladylike for her; Okaa-san's very picky on her fashion sense and she know I always pick something that she dislikes. *He decides that after all of this effort, a simple black cloak would be the best fit, though as he eyes the holes in the backsides...* Damn it. All of them have holes in the back; I don't want my true heritage to be discovered because of her, not when we need to stay down in an unknown land whilst everyone could be possibly eyeing us! I need to pretend that I'm someone else... Renar Kozaki... that's my name here. I'm not that Raiden that everyone knows back in-
"You should probably get yourself checked in with the doctors and scientists too, a nine-tailed Shifter would really get their interest!"
*Renar instantly flinches when he ears that insult as he briefly grabs Aloizs by his beak* "You better be thankful she doesn't understand what you're saying.*He breathes* If that was me you would have been grilled long before we tied you up!" *He scampers about to neatly fold the cloak so that he can present it like the owner of this shack when he hears this:*
She suspects that boy in the hood, however, is someone she had known before, judging by his nervous reaction that she saw when he bolted for the room... She clenches her fists again, determined not to give up. "So... Raiden... not here? Did he... Raiden... disguise? Who is hooded man? Does he have... have katana on left hip? Inazuma?" She asks back.
Wait... *He grips his katana... and flinches again* ARGH! She knows! I forgot to stow my weapon away! Damn it... Plan B... *He puts the cloak on his arms and his katana underneath his disguise whilst he fakes a terrible accent just in case his mother decides to barge in nonetheless* "Sorry madam but... he's telling the truth."I respond with my terrible Lancea accent in an attempt to confuse her. "And no, whilst I may be hooded, I'm not him. Your son was never with us in the first place. But I recognise your manner of speaking, my lady. If you'd like us to though, we can help you find him, as long as you don't make us stray off from our current plans... uh... yeah." I honestly forgot what our current mission is now that we've been embroiled in this mess... "You are welcome to stay here as much as you like; We have no qualms about housing someone as pretty as you are, but if you want to find your lost son, I suggest you stick with us for now. This place is not a safe one for beautiful ladies like you."
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The Wildland Shifters Daisy Ethalena- Female Wood Elf Ranger (Monster Slayer) Ethan Wolftree - Male Simic Hybrid Warlock (The Hexblade) Mira Laurits - Female Harengon Sorcerer(Clockwork Soul); Lancea Raiden Kurosaki - Male Kitsune Wizard (Bladesinger); Lancea Rixian Nishinoya - Male Fire Genasi Paladin (Oath of Vengeance) Tenebris Amaro - Male Dark Elf Druid (Circle of Stars) Yurime Hanasaki- Female Kumiho Bard (College Of Creation)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Seeing how these bandits and the people's army already know each other... Alex suddenly realizes that giving these bandits to the authorities might not be the best idea after all considering well... they kind of told them they are friendly with the people's army--which is pretty incriminating considering the authorities answer to Elmars. ...so maybe he'll have to ask the people's army if they have any ideas of how to handle this. But for now...
He watches the situation unfold as Shugo puts the kids 'in their room' and the strange nine-tailed fox woman asks about her missing son in broken Lancean. The poor woman, hopefully they can help her! He also can't help but notice how Renar is acting... though, all things considered, this isn't the first time he's acted strangely upon meeting someone new. Wait... stall her? Why?
History: 4
He looks to the fox woman, "You've lost your son? I'm so sorry! I haven't met any fox shifters, nor anyone called Raiden, but I'd be more than happy to help you look!" Well, hopefully he has time for that. Things just keep piling up don't they? Elmars, the people's army, Cezars, FART, and now a missing son. He's going to have to learn eventually that he can't help everyone or solve every problem, but... well today is not that day. Oh Lord being a heroic knight is so much harder in real life than it sounds in the stories.
Then he takes note of Renar referring to this stranger as 'My lady'. Wait... is she some sort of Prihyen nobility like Shugo? Does Renar know her or something? He suddenly remembers his own manners and gives the newcomer a formal bow, "Oh... uh, my name is Alexsandteri and I am at your service." He straightens, "But... uh... well you can call me Alexander, or Alex... or Xander... whatever is easiest for you. I don't mind."He gives an awkward grin and gestures towards Renar, "This is my friend and comrade Renar, and (motions to each in turn) that's Shugo... he's some sort of noble too, and that's Venet, and that's Taliyah." He hesitates realizing that Elvins already pretty much told the entire story, but he figured that introductions were needed anyways. "What's your name?"
"Anyways, I'm not sure where to start looking for your son, but you are welcome to travel with us for now, and we can offer you protection if you wish," he hesitates, realizing that they will have to go separate ways eventually as they need to go to Paulis and then the ruins... but maybe the Tortle can help her too?
Taliyah pokes her head into the shack. "Is everything alright in here? The fighting seems to have stopped, and there's been a lot of people coming in. We should probably work on getting Janina's kvass back into her wagon as well." She gestures to the barrels that were sitting under the table when the party arrived at the farmhouse.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Shugo watches Renar run around. Yeah. He's acting weird. He was about to ask if he knows the woman only to be cut off by the FART members yelling through the door at her. And then...Renar grabs the one by the beak and confirms his suspicion. So he knows the woman, but he doesn't want her to know who he is? That's really weird...
Insight on Renar? 3 (To see if he could put two and two together...which apparently he does not lol)
Without asking his question, he watches the shifter run around before rushing back out and start addressing the woman. Oh well, guess he'll have to wait and see how this all unfolds. Following Renar and Alex back out of the room, he leaves the door open so they can hear if the three bandits try anything. He gives the woman another friendly wave when the paladin gestures to him, and visibly cringes when he mentions his nobility. Ugh, he's going to have to make sure they stop telling people that. Seriously. He doesn't need that to be common knowledge. Next thing he knows they'll be expecting him to pay for everything. It's not like he's rich! He's living off his sisters scraps right now! He only gets whatever coin she sends his way...and makes it through the mailing possess.
"Yep. Travel with us as long as you like. Just know that we may run into trouble here and there....though maybe you should hang back a bit while we get the genasi problem figured out...."He scratches his head and glances at Alex, "Just in case the church doesn't decide to side with us."
She smiles and waves as Alex introduces her."I'm sorry you've lost your son, we'll help you find him if we can. We should all sit down and take a rest for now and wait out the weather. Then we can see about what to do next." -------------------------------------- Insight on Ren: 13
Suddenly something clicks for Alex. A fox... with nine tails.... He's read about that somewhere hasn't he? His eyes go wide and he has to keep himself from gaping as the realization sets in. ...This lady... she's... how?
He scoots over to Shugo (since he's Prihyen and Renar seems preoccupied), "Uh... am I crazy or is she a kitsune? Aren't they... you know... supposed to be..." He hesitates, "You know what maybe I'm just remembering things wrong... heh. Sometimes I read things and can't keep my facts straight."
Then he takes note of Renar referring to this stranger as 'My lady'. Wait... is she some sort of Prihyen nobility like Shugo? Does Renar know her or something? He suddenly remembers his own manners and gives the newcomer a formal bow, "Oh... uh, my name is Alexsandteri and I am at your service." He straightens, "But... uh... well you can call me Alexander, or Alex... or Xander... whatever is easiest for you. I don't mind."He gives an awkward grin and gestures towards Renar, "This is my friend and comrade Renar, and (motions to each in turn) that's Shugo... he's some sort of noble too, and that's Venet, and that's Taliyah." He hesitates realizing that Elvins already pretty much told the entire story, but he figured that introductions were needed anyways. "What's your name?"
"Anyways, I'm not sure where to start looking for your son, but you are welcome to travel with us for now, and we can offer you protection if you wish," he hesitates, realizing that they will have to go separate ways eventually as they need to go to Paulis and then the ruins... but maybe the Tortle can help her too?
"Ah? Hontoni? (本当に, Really?) You all... Find my Muzuko? Help find my son? Arigato!" Thank you!" She exclaims delightfully as she happily sways her hips from side to side before she turns towards Alex. She gives off a small glance with her eyes shut as she tilts her head up and down at him whilst he introduces himself. "Alexsu-kun eh? You look... So kawaii! (Cute) So handsome, like my son. You and Raiden, you two... be best friends, if my Muzuko... was here. Heehee!"She giggles as she gently pats his head with a fluffy tail if he permits. And then she notices him introducing the rest of the members to which she swoons as he does so. "Renar-Kun, Shugo-Kun, Venetu-san... And Tariya-san... Ahhhh! You all kawaii! Raiden... would... make friends! With all you!" She giggles again. She never had been able to befriend people by herself so the prospect of actually doing so means to much to her.
"Yep. Travel with us as long as you like. Just know that we may run into trouble here and there....though maybe you should hang back a bit while we get the genasi problem figured out...."He scratches his head and glances at Alex, "Just in case the church doesn't decide to side with us."
She smiles and waves as Alex introduces her."I'm sorry you've lost your son, we'll help you find him if we can. We should all sit down and take a rest for now and wait out the weather. Then we can see about what to do next." -------------------------------------- Insight on Ren: 13
"Arigato! I will... Love to... Travel with... All of you all!" Maya smiles, seeing that there will be people accompanying her on her search. After she finishes hearing the introductions she thinks it's time for her to give out hers. And so she does. "Watashi no mae wa (私の名前は, My name is) Maya Kurosaki!" She says as she gives them a majestic courtesy. "I look forward... Joining... You help... Find my son... And your journey!"
She then looks at Renar, the hooded boy and has this slight feeling that she saw his face before. Could it be... She may not have to search for him anymore? And why is everyone staring at him suspiciously, she wonders? Maybe it's time she pries the truth about him... Insight: Renar's disguise is busted lol (Nat 20)
Actually... she didn't need to. As soon as she locks her blindsight onto the hooded man's face, her smile instantly widens at a familiar sight; Her search for her son... it's over. She didn't have to find him... they led her to him. She's reunited! She's... Well, as a wave of happiness flood through her entire soul, she reaches her arms out before she... No, better yet, just only take the cloak from him; She can easily tell her son is terrified just by reading his face. And... now that she's surrounded by children, she will have to draw the line for the time being, rather than to lunge at him and give him a massive embrace. So instead of exposing him entirely, she will, just this once, play along with his façade "Ahem... Renar-kun." She addresses him as she takes the cloak from him after drying herself up. "You... understand... what I saying? Right? Arigato... thank you... for new clothing. I will... agree... to travelling... with you all... but... I have request, young one."She cradles the folded cloak on her left arm whilst she puts a finger on her lips. "I will... let you... keep disguise... on head. But only... if you help me... translate... what they saying... and... what I say. Ok? Starting now, from my introduce name."
Suddenly something clicks for Alex. A fox... with nine tails.... He's read about that somewhere hasn't he? His eyes go wide and he has to keep himself from gaping as the realization sets in. ...This lady... she's... how?
He scoots over to Shugo (since he's Prihyen and Renar seems preoccupied), "Uh... am I crazy or is she a kitsune? Aren't they... you know... supposed to be..." He hesitates, "You know what maybe I'm just remembering things wrong... heh. Sometimes I read things and can't keep my facts straight."
"Ah! Sekai! (正解, Correct) Me and my son....we are fox people. Kitsunes!"Maya exclaims as she unknowingly reveals the one of the main details her son never wanted to give out. And... wait... Fire Genasi? That race rings a bell for her...
"Fire... Genasu-si? Does that..."Maya whispers as she glances outside the door. "Sore Wa... Rixian desu ka? (それ わ、Rixian です か?Is that... Rixian?)"
Wildland Shifters Pt 2 (Pt 1 with PyromaniIsDeadThankGod) Celci (The Lamb) - Non-Binary Changeling Sorcerer (Shadow Magic) Maya Kurosaki- Female Kitsune Cleric (Twilight Domain); Currently in Lancea Randy Wolftree - Male Human Artificer (Armourer); Currently in Crimson Sands of Time Shijiro Otsune- Male Kitsune Blood Hunter (Order Of The Lycan) Trojan Dseyller - Male Tortle Barbarian (Path of the Ancestral Guardian) Xenia Ironhide - Female Kobold Rogue (Soulknife)
I noticed a wave of uneasiness has swept throughout every single corner that juts out within the shack. Not in just me, but Shugo, Alex, the mermaid lady, Okaa-san, Taliyah-san, those people's idiots... literally everyone. And... why is everyone staring at me?! I'm only just trying to minimize a possible threat that could potentially hinder our journey! The mission comes first, people second, right? It's my job to maintain this should things go sideways! That's why I'm panicking to get things back in order! And yet... You guys... aren't making this easy...
Deception: 7 (Uh-oh...) *Renar's face is noticeably blushing as he tries to withdraw into his kuudere look again; Though he's doing his best to remain stoic as much as possible, to Maya and Venet, it's pretty obvious he's finally falling apart from the inside* Damn it... my heart is pounding... I can't breathe... *He holds his arms out with the cloak folded in his hands as he waits for his mother to take it*
He looks to the fox woman, "You've lost your son? I'm so sorry! I haven't met any fox shifters, nor anyone called Raiden, but I'd be more than happy to help you look!" Well, hopefully he has time for that. Things just keep piling up don't they? Elmars, the people's army, Cezars, FART, and now a missing son. He's going to have to learn eventually that he can't help everyone or solve every problem, but... well today is not that day. Oh Lord being a heroic knight is so much harder in real life than it sounds in the stories.
*Renar gives off a soft sigh of relief* Oh my... Arigato gozai masu Alex... I thought... for a second... you would stab me in the back there. *He shifts his yellow eyes to the young paladin* I'm not good with thank yous, but... if you ever need someone to spar with... let me know. I'll happily do so, even if you overpower me at some point. *He apprehensively watches his mother interact with the others whilst he hangs back in the shadows* Man... all of this emotional drama is already forcing my back up against another wall...
"Ahem... Renar-kun." She addresses him as she takes the cloak from him after drying herself up. "You... understand... what I saying? Right? Arigato... thank you... for new clothing. I will... agree... to travelling... with you all... but... I have request, young one."She cradles the folded cloak on her left arm whilst she puts a finger on her lips. "I will... let you... keep disguise... on head. But only... if you help me... translate... what they saying... and... what I say. Ok? Starting now, from my introduce name."
EH?! *As Maya takes to cloak from him to her own arms but still calls him Renar, a thousand question marks fly over his hooded head as he raises an eyebrow* Wait... Okaa-san...?! Did... uh... did she not recognise my face? Or... is she holding herself back from lunging at me because there are lots of people around? I... I cannot tell. It's either my disguise worked, or she's letting me off the hook for now. Either way... I'll assume that my disguise has worked for now... "Uh... ok? I guess... that works, my lady? I mean... sure I can help you translate back and forth... if that works for you?" I reply utterly confused. That's odd. Usually Okaa-san's able to identify my face even as I hide my fox-like features underneath my best disguises yet. Which means... *She nervously glances at Shugo and Alex again* ....It's either she's not paying attention to my poor attempt to mask myself, or she knows, but she's not going to admit it yet.
What else? Oh yeah. *As per his mother's request, he translates what Elvins said to her in Japanese in full detail; Once that's done, he again takes the pain of translating what she said to the rest* "Sigh... As she said after Alex introduced everyone including me, this lady's name is Maya KO-Kozaki."Damn it. She said my actual last name so I had to mix it up a little. "And... the language she's speaking... just like me, um, she's speaking changeling language, yeah. She's aware I can understand her, um, 'gibberish', if that's what you guys are thinking. That's why... she's asking me to be her translator, in case you're wondering."*He sighs* Well... at least it's better than having my true heritage revealed, that's for sure. I'd honestly take that for a grain of salt and let that slide if I were-
Suddenly something clicks for Alex. A fox... with nine tails.... He's read about that somewhere hasn't he? His eyes go wide and he has to keep himself from gaping as the realization sets in. ...This lady... she's... how?
He scoots over to Shugo (since he's Prihyen and Renar seems preoccupied), "Uh... am I crazy or is she a kitsune? Aren't they... you know... supposed to be..." He hesitates, "You know what maybe I'm just remembering things wrong... heh. Sometimes I read things and can't keep my facts straight."
"Ah! Sekai! (正解, Correct) Me and my son....we are fox people. Kitsunes!"Maya exclaims as she unknowingly reveals the one of the main details her son never wanted to give out.
"Fire... Genasu-si? Does that..." Maya whispers as she glances outside the door. "Sore Wa... Rixian desu ka? (それ わ、Rixian です か?Is that... Rixian?)"
I take it back... *Renar comically turns to stone as his heart sinks all the way down to his lower body after hearing the one fatal mistake that could cost him and his mother the mission* OKAA-SAN (おかあさん)! WHY?! NANISHITERUNO?! (何してるの, What are you doing?!) And... oh my goodness she actually mistook Stupid Rixi for the actual one?! GAH! I need to correct her asap. And... seriously... where is the real one? "Uh... no. Whoever that 'Rixian' you're asking about is um, that's not him. Its uh... he's another fire person we had to deal with, eheheh..."
The People's Army are having their own discussions too.
"Do you guys know what a Kitsune is? Some sort of Sekurian dish?" Lavīze tilts her head.
Veno walks back to the group and sighs, "Not really... it's just..."He whispers something, it's too quiet for you to hear, but it's probably not something good, the rest of the group all gasps in unison.
"Oh no..."Lavīze covers her mouth. "Do we really have to bring her with us? We'll have a conga line full of anthropologists follwing us once everyone figures that out." Probably something regarding that she's a Kitsune, it feels out of the blue since there was no context from earlier.
"Of course, we will."Veno speaks up immediately, "These guys... they've been nothing but useful and kind to us." He glances at the group, "I'll admit, I'm a bit disappointed they didn't knock out Eerin and her cronies earlier, but I'm willing to let that pass. We need allies more than ever, I'm willing to handle the crowd once it gets overwhelming for Maya, there will definitely be a lot of questions once people put two and two together."
The Tiefling continues, looking at Maya. "If you have a way to hide eight of your tails, then you'd probably pass as an actual fox Shifter. But all and all, you should probably head to Vārti and find the manager of Anthropological Association of Perkwunos. You and your son should have some discussions with them about your language and your... situations." He fidgets the edge of his hood, "No need to worry about it now, for now, just relax and settle down. We can't really do much anyway since it's raining outside."
Speaking of outside, a DC15 Perception would reveal that:
There is an elephant in the room (or in this case, outside) that everyone seems to forget about: Cezars.
He's lying face down to the ground, but upon a closer inspection from you, it seems that his eyes are open and he's fully away. He remains still, pretending to be unconscious.
His finger on his tied hands move a little bit, it seems like he's trying to get his binding loose and make a run from it.
His gryphon is still unconscious, with no sign of waking up or being alert of her surroundings either.
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"The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference."
The Tiefling continues, looking at Maya. "If you have a way to hide eight of your tails, then you'd probably pass as an actual fox Shifter. But all and all, you should probably head to Vārti and find the manager of Anthropological Association of Perkwunos. You and your son should have some discussions with them about your language and your... situations." He fidgets the edge of his hood, "No need to worry about it now, for now, just relax and settle down. We can't really do much anyway since it's raining outside."
"Oh uh... that... hooded boy... not my son. He look... similar, but... not same. Not identical."She replies, since she's willing to keep up the act just for him. And him alone. And, almost immediately, Maya's nine wispy tails suddenly furl up as they combine into a single, fluffy bundle. Since she hasn't put on the cloak yet, her tail, which now a single tail instead of nine, is still visbily swaying left and right as her smile persists. At least, until her blindsight vision spots something else, something she noticed happend in the masive donwpour of the rain... (Perception: 22)
"AH! Choto Matte! Kare O tomete! (ちょっと 待って! 彼を止めて!, Wait a minute! Stop him!)"Maya yells out as she points outside to see the tied up Fire Genasi trying to break free and alerts the others in the process.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Wildland Shifters Pt 2 (Pt 1 with PyromaniIsDeadThankGod) Celci (The Lamb) - Non-Binary Changeling Sorcerer (Shadow Magic) Maya Kurosaki- Female Kitsune Cleric (Twilight Domain); Currently in Lancea Randy Wolftree - Male Human Artificer (Armourer); Currently in Crimson Sands of Time Shijiro Otsune- Male Kitsune Blood Hunter (Order Of The Lycan) Trojan Dseyller - Male Tortle Barbarian (Path of the Ancestral Guardian) Xenia Ironhide - Female Kobold Rogue (Soulknife)
Seeing as the possible arrest of the bandits seems to going well, Taliyah calls Pixel to her side, and keeps an eye out for anything troublesome approaching, while Pixel gives everything nearby a quick look over to make sure everything's in place. At first, everything seems to be going well, but then Taliyah feels a tug on her connection with Pixel. "We appear to have a bit of trouble on our hands. The scoundrel's bindings are coming loose. I suggest you alert the others." Taliyah's eyes go wide, and she spins around to burst into the cabin. "Cezar's awake!"
Despite the fact that Renar is indeed Maya's lost son being relatively obvious. Shugo somehow still doesn't catch on. Though clearly the two know each other since they both speak "gibberish" is she his ex or something? Is that why he didn't want to see her? Eh. Whatever.
He glances at Alex. Kitsune? That sounds familiar but he just can't place the word. So, he simply shrugs to the young paladin. Then Maya explains that both she and her son are kitsunes. Oh, so it's just another word for fox-person. Wait what? Anthropologists? Well he supposes that makes sense. A nine tailed fox person isn't exactly a common thing. He almost loses himself in thinking about how annoying it would be to have a mob following them around when Maya suddenly somehow combines all nine tails into one. Wow. That's convenient!
He jumps slightly when Maya and Taliyah both yell out that Cezars is trying to get free. "Oh, easy now. Just knock him out again and re-tie the bindings. Hmmm. I suppose we'll have to figure out a better way to hold him when the rain stops...Anyone happen to have any shackles? No? Eh, didn't expect ye to. How about the hold person spell? If we put him in the cart and cast that on him, it should be easy to get him to the church."
Alex takes in the scene with wide eyes, unable to really get a word in through the whole exchange. So... he was right about the Kitsune thing... weird, but also COOL! "Yeah I know what a kitsune is!" He says when the question is posed, "Though... that's about all I know. That and well... that they are supposedly..."He trails off, not wanting to somehow accidentally offend the very ALIVE kitsune in front of them by saying that she is supposed to be extinct... especially considering she is looking for her son, who most definitely isn't in the room with them at this very moment. Then Cezars wakes up, which really isn't cool... and that gets him thinking about something else, which will have to wait until after they take care of Cezars.
Giving the people's army a glance--hoping they don't reveal themselves to the genasi as that could cause a world of trouble for Alex and his group--he peeks outside to see whether or not Venet manages to bonk Cezars senseless again. Though he doesn't particularly take any joy in seeing the paladin tied up and... well getting beaten, he does smile at his friends' vigilance. Once that is taken care of (meaning, once Cezars is most definitely unconscious again), he turns to Elvins and asks, "So... we are in a bit of a predicament. It seems like you and these bandits are uh... acquainted with each other. Aside from that, we tried offering them a way out of being thrown in prison, which may or may not have involved them joining your group." He waves his hands and adds quickly, "We, we didn't know that you had a history with them, but, well it doesn't matter cause they definitely refused that." He looks a little troubled, rubbing the back of his head as his eyes angle downward, "But... regardless, now they know we have connections with you. And, well, we need to take Cezars in both for the sake of the citizens as well as you guys. And we also can't just let these kids go either--- but now I'm worried that they might let slip that we've had contact with you and uh... didn't do our job. It doesn't really matter what side we take at this point, right now we really don't need Elmars as an enemy--and it doesn't benefit any of us if my friends and I end up as outcasts. So I was wondering--what do you think we should do with them? If we let them go, then who knows what they will do. Sure, they don't seem particularly dangerous... and, I do feel kinda bad just thinking about throwing them in prison." He pauses, clearly thinking about what they learned about the kobold... if that was even true. How do they know that wasn't just a story they made up? It sounded genuine, but... well... oh Lord he feels like a terrible person even thinking about questioning their story. Shaking his head he continues, "But, we can't just let them get away with what they've done, even if we just let them go for convenience this time, it would just teach them that their actions don't have consequences. And then they'll keep doing what they're doing." With their dreams of becoming supervillains, there is no telling what will happen if they are left unchecked. Besides, if the kobold really does have a limited time to live, what will happen to the other two when she finally does pass on? Losing a close friend like that could break them, and then what? What if it pushed them over the edge? What if locking them up does effectively the same thing? There really is no way to win right now is there.
"Unfortunately I don't know that spell," he says to Shugo. "Heh, not that it matters right now since I'm out of magical energy at the moment..."They definitely need to get a rest in before even thinking about trying to take Cezars in.
"AH! Choto Matte! Kare O tomete! (ちょっと 待って! 彼を止めて!, Wait a minute! Stop him!)"Maya yells out as she points outside to see the tied up Fire Genasi trying to break free and alerts the others in the process.
"Oh. She saying that we need to stop- WAIT WHAT?!" *His fox ears twitch underneath his hood as he enters scout mode; He almost drops his katana but manages to keep ahold of it underneath via his tail* Since when did Stupid Rixi's awakening happen?! Damn it! Who was in charge of- *Sees Venet to go knock him unconscious again with the hilt of her rapier and sags* Never mind. I'm glad I'm not the only quick thinker here. "Thanks... Taliyah, was it? I didn't hear your name properly." I call out to her for the warning. The thing is though... both Alex and Shugo are right. Eventually the storm will die down and our hostage would find any chance to escape when our guard has dropped. And... *He glances towards his mother again* Okaa-san... I actually... I mean, I do miss you, but, now's... really not the best time to reveal our true heritage, especially when I notices the People's idiots and Alex becoming really hesitant about meeting us...
I couldn't help but overhear Alex's doubts about who to turn in. And to be honest, I agree with him in a sense; My original intention was to garner the trust of both sides whilst we gather info about both of them before we finalize our decision at the ruins, either help both or betray both, or unite both, though I personally despise the second decision. I mean... that's what... were all here for right? Including Okaa-san? "Alex is right. We may have caught those bandits but would throwing them in prison without any accusations be the most reasonable thing to do? What if both sides are presumed guilty despite everything we would do to prevent that from happening? That's something that we need to mitigate if we want maintain our good terms in the long run." I speak for him. "Not to mention that, since our deadline is the 14th April, we will eventually be forced to choose a side when Elmars returns. Obviously there are no dreams, and hence, no honour remains, and we can't please both sides if we take one or the other, but, should either side end up as Elmar's targets, are will still willing to try and rescue them to ensure that we're still on their side? Or do we stay on the former's and let him command us to do whatever garbage he wants us to do? That's what I'm trying to factor in; Whatever solution are the most feasible to keeping neutral terms as lone wolves, it's something I need to think about, especially when you guys are involved."
He jumps slightly when Maya and Taliyah both yell out that Cezars is trying to get free. "Oh, easy now. Just knock him out again and re-tie the bindings. Hmmm. I suppose we'll have to figure out a better way to hold him when the rain stops...Anyone happen to have any shackles? No? Eh, didn't expect ye to. How about the hold person spell? If we put him in the cart and cast that on him, it should be easy to get him to the church."
Yeah... about that... "Excuse me for a moment guys but... I'll be right back."*He whips behind the door as soon as he notices his mother's back turned towards him before he pulls out his spellbook and begins to replace a spell just in case (Replace Frost Fingers with Hold Person)* I whipped behind the door because Okaa-san knows what my spellbook exactly looks like; Out of every person I've met in my 400 year life, no one knows me more than Okaa-san, Rixi and Yuri. Damn, at the rate I'm going, I'll end up going broke if I keep wasting my money on replacing my spells...
"You... you little lumpsucker..."Cezars groans, slowly turning his head upwards toward the approaching Triton. "You knocked me out, and instead of just leaving me there, you tied me up!? To make a mockery of me!? I will personally torture every single one of you, and you will all rot in prison!" He shouts, "When I was a child, my parents never—"His tragic backstory exposition ends abruptly (and thankfully) as Venet knocks him unconscious again.
"The fact that you knock him out and humiliate him like that already makes you an enemy of Elmars, you probably don't have that much choice either way."Elvīns points at the fire Genasi, "The fact that he's allowed to roam free and assault so many civilians for this long can only mean one thing: he has a connection to the higher-ups—Elmars and the Rauna duchy will probably take his side, not yours."He scoffs, "Can you see how corrupted the Kerwosian government is? That's the main issue we will solve once we rule this land." Whether his word is true or not, the only way to find out is to reach Madura, the riverside military city of Kerwos.
"As for them, though..."Elvīns looks in the room where the rascals are locked in. "I knew these kids well, they run around the kingdom, trying to antagonise everyone they see." He pauses, then sighs,"I'll admit, I don't think they're... mentally stable. When we caught them for the first time, they begged us to be their rivals, and we declined because we didn't want to amuse them."In a lot of fictional works, there are often rival characters that hinder the protagonist but aren't associated with the big bad or their subordinates, that might be where the FART members get their inspiration from.
Speaking of the devil, Aloizs peaks his beak from the room, "Guys, remember that one time when the Tabaxi envoys from Upper Dhegom came to visit Kerwos and we replaced all the teas in their embassy with catnip?"He snickers, "Hahaha! Then when we planted the evidence on you guys and now you get banned from entering Upper Dhegom for fifty years, it was the funniest—AAH!"Veno throws a pot at his beak and he retreats back into his room.
Veno walks to the group and shrugs, "Well, that's one of the examples of their 'harmless pranks.' I can't entirely say how severe their punishment will be, but..."He looks down and grits his teeth, "Me and Eerin grew up in the same orphanage, and ever since, she won't stop following me around and tormenting me. I don't know why she does that, but... she once saved me from drowning too, I want to hate her... but without her, I wouldn't be here. Anyways, I don't think we will allow them to travel with us... they just won't shut up, I'll probably go insane by the time we reach the HQ."
There is also another issue Veno forgot to mention: Cezars and his gryphon. A lot of villages along Route 700 don't have guards, since most of them barely have any population over one thousand. But villages on Route 701 (the one which leads to Madura) do, they'll have to find a way to hide Cezars and shut him up until he arrives at Madura to be tied for his crimes... hopefully.
Veno continues, "The only way that will stop them from playing more pranks is to just... declare them to be your rival, they'll focus all of their attention on you and no one else. I'm not even sure if this will work, but if they crave having an enemy so much, that will be the only way to satisfy them. Or you could also just send them to jail, I can't really decide for you, there isn't a right or wrong answer in this sort of situation."
Elvīns looks out the window, "It will be dangerous to try to travel in this weather, but we should probably retire for the day. Do you have anything else you want to do? Any questions about this land" He looks at Maya and Taliyah, the two newest additions to the party.
"The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference."
—Richard Dawkins
DM—Stories From The End of The World: Episode I
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"Ah! Thank you! Arigato gozai- EH?!" Maya exclaims when she notices one of the children picking a fight with the tied up bandits; To her, fighting amongst people, especially young kids like these guys (Or so she thought) means something unpleasant is about to come, and often she was the one to induce her strict discipline to get them to behave. "Hey! Ochitsuke! (落ち着け, Calm down) Both of you!" The kitsune speaks as her fox ears twitch. "That is not how you- AH?! Matte! (待って, Wait!)" She tries to finish, only to witness Shugo hurling the tied up bandits into the room. She tries to get the hooded guy's attention... "C... Choto Matte! (ちょっと 待って Wait a minute!) I want to-" ..but it was too late. Before she could even ask who the hooded figure was, he scampers off to the nearby with the armoured man before they slammed the door shut. She pouts after seeing this tiny drama unfold. This was not how she hoped this meeting would have gone in her perspective...
"Ah. Mhm. Ok." Maya replies even though she only understood like, less than 40% of what Elvins told her, mainly about the country called Lancea, overthrow Elmars, Paulis, a reclusive Tortle wizard (Who's reminds her of Trojan, another Tortle) and... wait. "Huh? No... no humans?" She gasps surprised though her eyes are still shut as usual. Out of the details of Lancea she missed during her research in the Sword Coast, this was the only detail that she didn't pick up on. She lets off a deep sigh; If Raiden, Rixi or Yuri were here she would have benefited from their translations... This could have been a lot easier if she had found the former sooner too. But wait... This might be a good opportunity to ask them...
"Um... have you..." The kitsune woman speaks in broken Lancean to everyone who's still in the main room. "Have you... seen a... fox... fox boy... with ears like... this? *She points to her fox ears* Do you... Know... Boy name... Raiden? I look.. for my Musuko (息子), my son." She then glances to the door that seems to have been kept shut. In fact, she swears that the weapon the hooded guy was clutching is one that she saw before. And she wants to turn over the leaf. She then points to the door. "Can... can I look... in there? Please?"
Wildland Shifters Pt 2 (Pt 1 with PyromaniIsDeadThankGod)
Celci (The Lamb) - Non-Binary Changeling Sorcerer (Shadow Magic)
Maya Kurosaki - Female Kitsune Cleric (Twilight Domain); Currently in Lancea
Randy Wolftree - Male Human Artificer (Armourer); Currently in Crimson Sands of Time
Shijiro Otsune - Male Kitsune Blood Hunter (Order Of The Lycan)
Trojan Dseyller - Male Tortle Barbarian (Path of the Ancestral Guardian)
Xenia Ironhide - Female Kobold Rogue (Soulknife)
*Raiden's entire body jolts as electricity surges through every single part of his body including the 26th vertebra where it splits to make his tail; If there is anyone who could make him break character overtime whilst he's disguised, it's her* THAT WAS THE LAST THING I NEEDED TO HEAR FROM SOMEONE WHO'S A SUPER LOVEY-DOVEY OKAA-SAN! ARGH! "S-s-s-stall her! Tell her he's not in this place or something whilst I try to find a better outfit for her!" I hiss as I try to find something that could help her conceal her identity as best as she could.
The Wildland Shifters
Daisy Ethalena - Female Wood Elf Ranger (Monster Slayer)
Ethan Wolftree - Male Simic Hybrid Warlock (The Hexblade)
Mira Laurits - Female Harengon Sorcerer (Clockwork Soul); Lancea
Raiden Kurosaki - Male Kitsune Wizard (Bladesinger); Lancea
Rixian Nishinoya - Male Fire Genasi Paladin (Oath of Vengeance)
Tenebris Amaro - Male Dark Elf Druid (Circle of Stars)
Yurime Hanasaki - Female Kumiho Bard (College Of Creation)
OOC Note:
The country everyone is in right now is Kerwos, they're in Rauna, which is a duchy inside Kerwos, and each kingdom consists of several duchies with a lot of decentralisation. The region is Perkwunos, and the planet is Lancea.
"Come on, dude, I think her outfit looks nice!" Eerin says, "By the way, what kind of subspecies of fox Shifter is she? I haven't seen one with nine tails like that before, yo. Must be a mutation or something."
Leonīds wakes up from his torpor state, he glances around the room. "Huh? W-what's going on."
"Prihyehan man has a panic attack because he couldn't find a proper outfit for a mutated Shifter with nine tails, more on 7." Aloizs jokes, "Come on, chill out. Us Perkwunosites love cultural diversity, it's nice seeing an exotic outfit like that every now and then."
If Renar opens the closet, he will see a bunch of dusty black cloaks, button shirts, and trousers on the right and newer cloaks on the left. The former presumably belongs to whoever owned this hut before and the latter belongs to the three rascals. Of course, every newer clothe has holes in the rear, since all three of them are animal-like races with tails, after all, it's also dramatically smaller than the dusty ones.
"Wait... Fox boy?" Aloizs tilts his head, he looks to the door and shouts back. "Sorry, ma'am! I don't recall seeing any fox Shifter around here, you might have a better chance if you look for him in a larger city like Madura, Brendeku, or Vārti! Just follow Route 701 and you'll be there!" Even though he's supposed to be the 'villain,' he's being surprisingly helpful this time. "You should probably get yourself checked in with the doctors and scientists too, a nine-tailed Shifter would really get their interest!" Maybe the last one isn't that useful.
"The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference."
—Richard Dawkins
DM—Stories From The End of The World: Episode I
"Eh? So... Raiden... Muzuko... he not here? Where is root... sev-zer-one?" Maya gasps confused before she could even open the door and step inside. She only understood the first bit, that her son might be found in another city on Route 701. As for Aloizs's insult, she doesn't understand what is being conveyed. "Nani? (What?) Doctor? Scientist? What is that?" Since she was born centuries ago in an age void of modern technology and medicine so these terms sound extremely foreign to her.
She suspects that boy in the hood, however, is someone she had known before, judging by his nervous reaction that she saw when he bolted for the room... She clenches her fists again, determined not to give up. "So... Raiden... not here? Did he... Raiden... disguise? Who is hooded man? Does he have... have katana on left hip? Inazuma?" She asks back.
Wildland Shifters Pt 2 (Pt 1 with PyromaniIsDeadThankGod)
Celci (The Lamb) - Non-Binary Changeling Sorcerer (Shadow Magic)
Maya Kurosaki - Female Kitsune Cleric (Twilight Domain); Currently in Lancea
Randy Wolftree - Male Human Artificer (Armourer); Currently in Crimson Sands of Time
Shijiro Otsune - Male Kitsune Blood Hunter (Order Of The Lycan)
Trojan Dseyller - Male Tortle Barbarian (Path of the Ancestral Guardian)
Xenia Ironhide - Female Kobold Rogue (Soulknife)
I quickly scamper about, choosing whatever cloak seems ladylike for her; Okaa-san's very picky on her fashion sense and she know I always pick something that she dislikes. *He decides that after all of this effort, a simple black cloak would be the best fit, though as he eyes the holes in the backsides...* Damn it. All of them have holes in the back; I don't want my true heritage to be discovered because of her, not when we need to stay down in an unknown land whilst everyone could be possibly eyeing us! I need to pretend that I'm someone else... Renar Kozaki... that's my name here. I'm not that Raiden that everyone knows back in-
*Renar instantly flinches when he ears that insult as he briefly grabs Aloizs by his beak* "You better be thankful she doesn't understand what you're saying. *He breathes* If that was me you would have been grilled long before we tied you up!" *He scampers about to neatly fold the cloak so that he can present it like the owner of this shack when he hears this:*
Wait... *He grips his katana... and flinches again* ARGH! She knows! I forgot to stow my weapon away! Damn it... Plan B... *He puts the cloak on his arms and his katana underneath his disguise whilst he fakes a terrible accent just in case his mother decides to barge in nonetheless* "Sorry madam but... he's telling the truth." I respond with my terrible Lancea accent in an attempt to confuse her. "And no, whilst I may be hooded, I'm not him. Your son was never with us in the first place. But I recognise your manner of speaking, my lady. If you'd like us to though, we can help you find him, as long as you don't make us stray off from our current plans... uh... yeah." I honestly forgot what our current mission is now that we've been embroiled in this mess... "You are welcome to stay here as much as you like; We have no qualms about housing someone as pretty as you are, but if you want to find your lost son, I suggest you stick with us for now. This place is not a safe one for beautiful ladies like you."
The Wildland Shifters
Daisy Ethalena - Female Wood Elf Ranger (Monster Slayer)
Ethan Wolftree - Male Simic Hybrid Warlock (The Hexblade)
Mira Laurits - Female Harengon Sorcerer (Clockwork Soul); Lancea
Raiden Kurosaki - Male Kitsune Wizard (Bladesinger); Lancea
Rixian Nishinoya - Male Fire Genasi Paladin (Oath of Vengeance)
Tenebris Amaro - Male Dark Elf Druid (Circle of Stars)
Yurime Hanasaki - Female Kumiho Bard (College Of Creation)
Seeing how these bandits and the people's army already know each other... Alex suddenly realizes that giving these bandits to the authorities might not be the best idea after all considering well... they kind of told them they are friendly with the people's army--which is pretty incriminating considering the authorities answer to Elmars. ...so maybe he'll have to ask the people's army if they have any ideas of how to handle this. But for now...
He watches the situation unfold as Shugo puts the kids 'in their room' and the strange nine-tailed fox woman asks about her missing son in broken Lancean. The poor woman, hopefully they can help her! He also can't help but notice how Renar is acting... though, all things considered, this isn't the first time he's acted strangely upon meeting someone new. Wait... stall her? Why?
History: 4
He looks to the fox woman, "You've lost your son? I'm so sorry! I haven't met any fox shifters, nor anyone called Raiden, but I'd be more than happy to help you look!" Well, hopefully he has time for that. Things just keep piling up don't they? Elmars, the people's army, Cezars, FART, and now a missing son. He's going to have to learn eventually that he can't help everyone or solve every problem, but... well today is not that day. Oh Lord being a heroic knight is so much harder in real life than it sounds in the stories.
Then he takes note of Renar referring to this stranger as 'My lady'. Wait... is she some sort of Prihyen nobility like Shugo? Does Renar know her or something? He suddenly remembers his own manners and gives the newcomer a formal bow, "Oh... uh, my name is Alexsandteri and I am at your service." He straightens, "But... uh... well you can call me Alexander, or Alex... or Xander... whatever is easiest for you. I don't mind." He gives an awkward grin and gestures towards Renar, "This is my friend and comrade Renar, and (motions to each in turn) that's Shugo... he's some sort of noble too, and that's Venet, and that's Taliyah." He hesitates realizing that Elvins already pretty much told the entire story, but he figured that introductions were needed anyways. "What's your name?"
"Anyways, I'm not sure where to start looking for your son, but you are welcome to travel with us for now, and we can offer you protection if you wish," he hesitates, realizing that they will have to go separate ways eventually as they need to go to Paulis and then the ruins... but maybe the Tortle can help her too?
Taliyah pokes her head into the shack. "Is everything alright in here? The fighting seems to have stopped, and there's been a lot of people coming in. We should probably work on getting Janina's kvass back into her wagon as well." She gestures to the barrels that were sitting under the table when the party arrived at the farmhouse.
Shugo watches Renar run around. Yeah. He's acting weird. He was about to ask if he knows the woman only to be cut off by the FART members yelling through the door at her. And then...Renar grabs the one by the beak and confirms his suspicion. So he knows the woman, but he doesn't want her to know who he is? That's really weird...
Insight on Renar? 3 (To see if he could put two and two together...which apparently he does not lol)
Without asking his question, he watches the shifter run around before rushing back out and start addressing the woman. Oh well, guess he'll have to wait and see how this all unfolds. Following Renar and Alex back out of the room, he leaves the door open so they can hear if the three bandits try anything. He gives the woman another friendly wave when the paladin gestures to him, and visibly cringes when he mentions his nobility. Ugh, he's going to have to make sure they stop telling people that. Seriously. He doesn't need that to be common knowledge. Next thing he knows they'll be expecting him to pay for everything. It's not like he's rich! He's living off his sisters scraps right now! He only gets whatever coin she sends his way...and makes it through the mailing possess.
"Yep. Travel with us as long as you like. Just know that we may run into trouble here and there....though maybe you should hang back a bit while we get the genasi problem figured out...." He scratches his head and glances at Alex, "Just in case the church doesn't decide to side with us."
History: 23
She smiles and waves as Alex introduces her. "I'm sorry you've lost your son, we'll help you find him if we can. We should all sit down and take a rest for now and wait out the weather. Then we can see about what to do next."
--------------------------------------
Insight on Ren: 13
Suddenly something clicks for Alex. A fox... with nine tails.... He's read about that somewhere hasn't he? His eyes go wide and he has to keep himself from gaping as the realization sets in. ...This lady... she's... how?
He scoots over to Shugo (since he's Prihyen and Renar seems preoccupied), "Uh... am I crazy or is she a kitsune? Aren't they... you know... supposed to be..." He hesitates, "You know what maybe I'm just remembering things wrong... heh. Sometimes I read things and can't keep my facts straight."
"Ah? Hontoni? (本当に, Really?) You all... Find my Muzuko? Help find my son? Arigato!" Thank you!" She exclaims delightfully as she happily sways her hips from side to side before she turns towards Alex. She gives off a small glance with her eyes shut as she tilts her head up and down at him whilst he introduces himself. "Alexsu-kun eh? You look... So kawaii! (Cute) So handsome, like my son. You and Raiden, you two... be best friends, if my Muzuko... was here. Heehee!" She giggles as she gently pats his head with a fluffy tail if he permits. And then she notices him introducing the rest of the members to which she swoons as he does so. "Renar-Kun, Shugo-Kun, Venetu-san... And Tariya-san... Ahhhh! You all kawaii! Raiden... would... make friends! With all you!" She giggles again. She never had been able to befriend people by herself so the prospect of actually doing so means to much to her.
"Arigato! I will... Love to... Travel with... All of you all!" Maya smiles, seeing that there will be people accompanying her on her search. After she finishes hearing the introductions she thinks it's time for her to give out hers. And so she does. "Watashi no mae wa (私の名前は, My name is) Maya Kurosaki!" She says as she gives them a majestic courtesy. "I look forward... Joining... You help... Find my son... And your journey!"
She then looks at Renar, the hooded boy and has this slight feeling that she saw his face before. Could it be... She may not have to search for him anymore? And why is everyone staring at him suspiciously, she wonders? Maybe it's time she pries the truth about him... Insight: Renar's disguise is busted lol (Nat 20)
Actually... she didn't need to. As soon as she locks her blindsight onto the hooded man's face, her smile instantly widens at a familiar sight; Her search for her son... it's over. She didn't have to find him... they led her to him. She's reunited! She's... Well, as a wave of happiness flood through her entire soul, she reaches her arms out before she... No, better yet, just only take the cloak from him; She can easily tell her son is terrified just by reading his face. And... now that she's surrounded by children, she will have to draw the line for the time being, rather than to lunge at him and give him a massive embrace. So instead of exposing him entirely, she will, just this once, play along with his façade "Ahem... Renar-kun." She addresses him as she takes the cloak from him after drying herself up. "You... understand... what I saying? Right? Arigato... thank you... for new clothing. I will... agree... to travelling... with you all... but... I have request, young one." She cradles the folded cloak on her left arm whilst she puts a finger on her lips. "I will... let you... keep disguise... on head. But only... if you help me... translate... what they saying... and... what I say. Ok? Starting now, from my introduce name."
"Ah! Sekai! (正解, Correct) Me and my son....we are fox people. Kitsunes!" Maya exclaims as she unknowingly reveals the one of the main details her son never wanted to give out. And... wait... Fire Genasi? That race rings a bell for her...
"Fire... Genasu-si? Does that..." Maya whispers as she glances outside the door. "Sore Wa... Rixian desu ka? (それ わ、Rixian です か?Is that... Rixian?)"
Wildland Shifters Pt 2 (Pt 1 with PyromaniIsDeadThankGod)
Celci (The Lamb) - Non-Binary Changeling Sorcerer (Shadow Magic)
Maya Kurosaki - Female Kitsune Cleric (Twilight Domain); Currently in Lancea
Randy Wolftree - Male Human Artificer (Armourer); Currently in Crimson Sands of Time
Shijiro Otsune - Male Kitsune Blood Hunter (Order Of The Lycan)
Trojan Dseyller - Male Tortle Barbarian (Path of the Ancestral Guardian)
Xenia Ironhide - Female Kobold Rogue (Soulknife)
I noticed a wave of uneasiness has swept throughout every single corner that juts out within the shack. Not in just me, but Shugo, Alex, the mermaid lady, Okaa-san, Taliyah-san, those people's idiots... literally everyone. And... why is everyone staring at me?! I'm only just trying to minimize a possible threat that could potentially hinder our journey! The mission comes first, people second, right? It's my job to maintain this should things go sideways! That's why I'm panicking to get things back in order! And yet... You guys... aren't making this easy...
Deception: 7 (Uh-oh...) *Renar's face is noticeably blushing as he tries to withdraw into his kuudere look again; Though he's doing his best to remain stoic as much as possible, to Maya and Venet, it's pretty obvious he's finally falling apart from the inside* Damn it... my heart is pounding... I can't breathe... *He holds his arms out with the cloak folded in his hands as he waits for his mother to take it*
*Renar gives off a soft sigh of relief* Oh my... Arigato gozai masu Alex... I thought... for a second... you would stab me in the back there. *He shifts his yellow eyes to the young paladin* I'm not good with thank yous, but... if you ever need someone to spar with... let me know. I'll happily do so, even if you overpower me at some point. *He apprehensively watches his mother interact with the others whilst he hangs back in the shadows* Man... all of this emotional drama is already forcing my back up against another wall...
EH?! *As Maya takes to cloak from him to her own arms but still calls him Renar, a thousand question marks fly over his hooded head as he raises an eyebrow* Wait... Okaa-san...?! Did... uh... did she not recognise my face? Or... is she holding herself back from lunging at me because there are lots of people around? I... I cannot tell. It's either my disguise worked, or she's letting me off the hook for now. Either way... I'll assume that my disguise has worked for now... "Uh... ok? I guess... that works, my lady? I mean... sure I can help you translate back and forth... if that works for you?" I reply utterly confused. That's odd. Usually Okaa-san's able to identify my face even as I hide my fox-like features underneath my best disguises yet. Which means... *She nervously glances at Shugo and Alex again* ....It's either she's not paying attention to my poor attempt to mask myself, or she knows, but she's not going to admit it yet.
What else? Oh yeah. *As per his mother's request, he translates what Elvins said to her in Japanese in full detail; Once that's done, he again takes the pain of translating what she said to the rest* "Sigh... As she said after Alex introduced everyone including me, this lady's name is Maya KO-Kozaki." Damn it. She said my actual last name so I had to mix it up a little. "And... the language she's speaking... just like me, um, she's speaking changeling language, yeah. She's aware I can understand her, um, 'gibberish', if that's what you guys are thinking. That's why... she's asking me to be her translator, in case you're wondering." *He sighs* Well... at least it's better than having my true heritage revealed, that's for sure. I'd honestly take that for a grain of salt and let that slide if I were-
I take it back... *Renar comically turns to stone as his heart sinks all the way down to his lower body after hearing the one fatal mistake that could cost him and his mother the mission* OKAA-SAN (おかあさん)! WHY?! NANISHITERUNO?! (何してるの, What are you doing?!) And... oh my goodness she actually mistook Stupid Rixi for the actual one?! GAH! I need to correct her asap. And... seriously... where is the real one? "Uh... no. Whoever that 'Rixian' you're asking about is um, that's not him. Its uh... he's another fire person we had to deal with, eheheh..."
The Wildland Shifters
Daisy Ethalena - Female Wood Elf Ranger (Monster Slayer)
Ethan Wolftree - Male Simic Hybrid Warlock (The Hexblade)
Mira Laurits - Female Harengon Sorcerer (Clockwork Soul); Lancea
Raiden Kurosaki - Male Kitsune Wizard (Bladesinger); Lancea
Rixian Nishinoya - Male Fire Genasi Paladin (Oath of Vengeance)
Tenebris Amaro - Male Dark Elf Druid (Circle of Stars)
Yurime Hanasaki - Female Kumiho Bard (College Of Creation)
The People's Army are having their own discussions too.
"Do you guys know what a Kitsune is? Some sort of Sekurian dish?" Lavīze tilts her head.
Veno walks back to the group and sighs, "Not really... it's just..." He whispers something, it's too quiet for you to hear, but it's probably not something good, the rest of the group all gasps in unison.
"Oh no..." Lavīze covers her mouth. "Do we really have to bring her with us? We'll have a conga line full of anthropologists follwing us once everyone figures that out." Probably something regarding that she's a Kitsune, it feels out of the blue since there was no context from earlier.
"Of course, we will." Veno speaks up immediately, "These guys... they've been nothing but useful and kind to us." He glances at the group, "I'll admit, I'm a bit disappointed they didn't knock out Eerin and her cronies earlier, but I'm willing to let that pass. We need allies more than ever, I'm willing to handle the crowd once it gets overwhelming for Maya, there will definitely be a lot of questions once people put two and two together."
The Tiefling continues, looking at Maya. "If you have a way to hide eight of your tails, then you'd probably pass as an actual fox Shifter. But all and all, you should probably head to Vārti and find the manager of Anthropological Association of Perkwunos. You and your son should have some discussions with them about your language and your... situations." He fidgets the edge of his hood, "No need to worry about it now, for now, just relax and settle down. We can't really do much anyway since it's raining outside."
Speaking of outside, a DC15 Perception would reveal that:
There is an elephant in the room (or in this case, outside) that everyone seems to forget about: Cezars.
He's lying face down to the ground, but upon a closer inspection from you, it seems that his eyes are open and he's fully away. He remains still, pretending to be unconscious.
His finger on his tied hands move a little bit, it seems like he's trying to get his binding loose and make a run from it.
His gryphon is still unconscious, with no sign of waking up or being alert of her surroundings either.
"The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference."
—Richard Dawkins
DM—Stories From The End of The World: Episode I
"Oh uh... that... hooded boy... not my son. He look... similar, but... not same. Not identical." She replies, since she's willing to keep up the act just for him. And him alone. And, almost immediately, Maya's nine wispy tails suddenly furl up as they combine into a single, fluffy bundle. Since she hasn't put on the cloak yet, her tail, which now a single tail instead of nine, is still visbily swaying left and right as her smile persists. At least, until her blindsight vision spots something else, something she noticed happend in the masive donwpour of the rain... (Perception: 22)
"AH! Choto Matte! Kare O tomete! (ちょっと 待って! 彼を止めて!, Wait a minute! Stop him!)" Maya yells out as she points outside to see the tied up Fire Genasi trying to break free and alerts the others in the process.
Wildland Shifters Pt 2 (Pt 1 with PyromaniIsDeadThankGod)
Celci (The Lamb) - Non-Binary Changeling Sorcerer (Shadow Magic)
Maya Kurosaki - Female Kitsune Cleric (Twilight Domain); Currently in Lancea
Randy Wolftree - Male Human Artificer (Armourer); Currently in Crimson Sands of Time
Shijiro Otsune - Male Kitsune Blood Hunter (Order Of The Lycan)
Trojan Dseyller - Male Tortle Barbarian (Path of the Ancestral Guardian)
Xenia Ironhide - Female Kobold Rogue (Soulknife)
Venet turns around with a frown to bonk the genasi on the head with the blunt end of her rapier.
Despite the fact that Renar is indeed Maya's lost son being relatively obvious. Shugo somehow still doesn't catch on. Though clearly the two know each other since they both speak "gibberish" is she his ex or something? Is that why he didn't want to see her? Eh. Whatever.
He glances at Alex. Kitsune? That sounds familiar but he just can't place the word. So, he simply shrugs to the young paladin. Then Maya explains that both she and her son are kitsunes. Oh, so it's just another word for fox-person. Wait what? Anthropologists? Well he supposes that makes sense. A nine tailed fox person isn't exactly a common thing. He almost loses himself in thinking about how annoying it would be to have a mob following them around when Maya suddenly somehow combines all nine tails into one. Wow. That's convenient!
He jumps slightly when Maya and Taliyah both yell out that Cezars is trying to get free. "Oh, easy now. Just knock him out again and re-tie the bindings. Hmmm. I suppose we'll have to figure out a better way to hold him when the rain stops...Anyone happen to have any shackles? No? Eh, didn't expect ye to. How about the hold person spell? If we put him in the cart and cast that on him, it should be easy to get him to the church."
Alex takes in the scene with wide eyes, unable to really get a word in through the whole exchange. So... he was right about the Kitsune thing... weird, but also COOL! "Yeah I know what a kitsune is!" He says when the question is posed, "Though... that's about all I know. That and well... that they are supposedly..." He trails off, not wanting to somehow accidentally offend the very ALIVE kitsune in front of them by saying that she is supposed to be extinct... especially considering she is looking for her son, who most definitely isn't in the room with them at this very moment. Then Cezars wakes up, which really isn't cool... and that gets him thinking about something else, which will have to wait until after they take care of Cezars.
Giving the people's army a glance--hoping they don't reveal themselves to the genasi as that could cause a world of trouble for Alex and his group--he peeks outside to see whether or not Venet manages to bonk Cezars senseless again. Though he doesn't particularly take any joy in seeing the paladin tied up and... well getting beaten, he does smile at his friends' vigilance. Once that is taken care of (meaning, once Cezars is most definitely unconscious again), he turns to Elvins and asks, "So... we are in a bit of a predicament. It seems like you and these bandits are uh... acquainted with each other. Aside from that, we tried offering them a way out of being thrown in prison, which may or may not have involved them joining your group." He waves his hands and adds quickly, "We, we didn't know that you had a history with them, but, well it doesn't matter cause they definitely refused that." He looks a little troubled, rubbing the back of his head as his eyes angle downward, "But... regardless, now they know we have connections with you. And, well, we need to take Cezars in both for the sake of the citizens as well as you guys. And we also can't just let these kids go either--- but now I'm worried that they might let slip that we've had contact with you and uh... didn't do our job. It doesn't really matter what side we take at this point, right now we really don't need Elmars as an enemy--and it doesn't benefit any of us if my friends and I end up as outcasts. So I was wondering--what do you think we should do with them? If we let them go, then who knows what they will do. Sure, they don't seem particularly dangerous... and, I do feel kinda bad just thinking about throwing them in prison." He pauses, clearly thinking about what they learned about the kobold... if that was even true. How do they know that wasn't just a story they made up? It sounded genuine, but... well... oh Lord he feels like a terrible person even thinking about questioning their story. Shaking his head he continues, "But, we can't just let them get away with what they've done, even if we just let them go for convenience this time, it would just teach them that their actions don't have consequences. And then they'll keep doing what they're doing." With their dreams of becoming supervillains, there is no telling what will happen if they are left unchecked. Besides, if the kobold really does have a limited time to live, what will happen to the other two when she finally does pass on? Losing a close friend like that could break them, and then what? What if it pushed them over the edge? What if locking them up does effectively the same thing? There really is no way to win right now is there.
"Unfortunately I don't know that spell," he says to Shugo. "Heh, not that it matters right now since I'm out of magical energy at the moment..." They definitely need to get a rest in before even thinking about trying to take Cezars in.
"Oh. She saying that we need to stop- WAIT WHAT?!" *His fox ears twitch underneath his hood as he enters scout mode; He almost drops his katana but manages to keep ahold of it underneath via his tail* Since when did Stupid Rixi's awakening happen?! Damn it! Who was in charge of- *Sees Venet to go knock him unconscious again with the hilt of her rapier and sags* Never mind. I'm glad I'm not the only quick thinker here. "Thanks... Taliyah, was it? I didn't hear your name properly." I call out to her for the warning. The thing is though... both Alex and Shugo are right. Eventually the storm will die down and our hostage would find any chance to escape when our guard has dropped. And... *He glances towards his mother again* Okaa-san... I actually... I mean, I do miss you, but, now's... really not the best time to reveal our true heritage, especially when I notices the People's idiots and Alex becoming really hesitant about meeting us...
I couldn't help but overhear Alex's doubts about who to turn in. And to be honest, I agree with him in a sense; My original intention was to garner the trust of both sides whilst we gather info about both of them before we finalize our decision at the ruins, either help both or betray both, or unite both, though I personally despise the second decision. I mean... that's what... were all here for right? Including Okaa-san? "Alex is right. We may have caught those bandits but would throwing them in prison without any accusations be the most reasonable thing to do? What if both sides are presumed guilty despite everything we would do to prevent that from happening? That's something that we need to mitigate if we want maintain our good terms in the long run." I speak for him. "Not to mention that, since our deadline is the 14th April, we will eventually be forced to choose a side when Elmars returns. Obviously there are no dreams, and hence, no honour remains, and we can't please both sides if we take one or the other, but, should either side end up as Elmar's targets, are will still willing to try and rescue them to ensure that we're still on their side? Or do we stay on the former's and let him command us to do whatever garbage he wants us to do? That's what I'm trying to factor in; Whatever solution are the most feasible to keeping neutral terms as lone wolves, it's something I need to think about, especially when you guys are involved."
Yeah... about that... "Excuse me for a moment guys but... I'll be right back." *He whips behind the door as soon as he notices his mother's back turned towards him before he pulls out his spellbook and begins to replace a spell just in case (Replace Frost Fingers with Hold Person)* I whipped behind the door because Okaa-san knows what my spellbook exactly looks like; Out of every person I've met in my 400 year life, no one knows me more than Okaa-san, Rixi and Yuri. Damn, at the rate I'm going, I'll end up going broke if I keep wasting my money on replacing my spells...
The Wildland Shifters
Daisy Ethalena - Female Wood Elf Ranger (Monster Slayer)
Ethan Wolftree - Male Simic Hybrid Warlock (The Hexblade)
Mira Laurits - Female Harengon Sorcerer (Clockwork Soul); Lancea
Raiden Kurosaki - Male Kitsune Wizard (Bladesinger); Lancea
Rixian Nishinoya - Male Fire Genasi Paladin (Oath of Vengeance)
Tenebris Amaro - Male Dark Elf Druid (Circle of Stars)
Yurime Hanasaki - Female Kumiho Bard (College Of Creation)
"You... you little lumpsucker..." Cezars groans, slowly turning his head upwards toward the approaching Triton. "You knocked me out, and instead of just leaving me there, you tied me up!? To make a mockery of me!? I will personally torture every single one of you, and you will all rot in prison!" He shouts, "When I was a child, my parents never—" His tragic backstory exposition ends abruptly (and thankfully) as Venet knocks him unconscious again.
"The fact that you knock him out and humiliate him like that already makes you an enemy of Elmars, you probably don't have that much choice either way." Elvīns points at the fire Genasi, "The fact that he's allowed to roam free and assault so many civilians for this long can only mean one thing: he has a connection to the higher-ups—Elmars and the Rauna duchy will probably take his side, not yours." He scoffs, "Can you see how corrupted the Kerwosian government is? That's the main issue we will solve once we rule this land." Whether his word is true or not, the only way to find out is to reach Madura, the riverside military city of Kerwos.
"As for them, though..." Elvīns looks in the room where the rascals are locked in. "I knew these kids well, they run around the kingdom, trying to antagonise everyone they see." He pauses, then sighs, "I'll admit, I don't think they're... mentally stable. When we caught them for the first time, they begged us to be their rivals, and we declined because we didn't want to amuse them." In a lot of fictional works, there are often rival characters that hinder the protagonist but aren't associated with the big bad or their subordinates, that might be where the FART members get their inspiration from.
Speaking of the devil, Aloizs peaks his beak from the room, "Guys, remember that one time when the Tabaxi envoys from Upper Dhegom came to visit Kerwos and we replaced all the teas in their embassy with catnip?" He snickers, "Hahaha! Then when we planted the evidence on you guys and now you get banned from entering Upper Dhegom for fifty years, it was the funniest—AAH!" Veno throws a pot at his beak and he retreats back into his room.
Veno walks to the group and shrugs, "Well, that's one of the examples of their 'harmless pranks.' I can't entirely say how severe their punishment will be, but..." He looks down and grits his teeth, "Me and Eerin grew up in the same orphanage, and ever since, she won't stop following me around and tormenting me. I don't know why she does that, but... she once saved me from drowning too, I want to hate her... but without her, I wouldn't be here. Anyways, I don't think we will allow them to travel with us... they just won't shut up, I'll probably go insane by the time we reach the HQ."
There is also another issue Veno forgot to mention: Cezars and his gryphon. A lot of villages along Route 700 don't have guards, since most of them barely have any population over one thousand. But villages on Route 701 (the one which leads to Madura) do, they'll have to find a way to hide Cezars and shut him up until he arrives at Madura to be tied for his crimes... hopefully.
Veno continues, "The only way that will stop them from playing more pranks is to just... declare them to be your rival, they'll focus all of their attention on you and no one else. I'm not even sure if this will work, but if they crave having an enemy so much, that will be the only way to satisfy them. Or you could also just send them to jail, I can't really decide for you, there isn't a right or wrong answer in this sort of situation."
Elvīns looks out the window, "It will be dangerous to try to travel in this weather, but we should probably retire for the day. Do you have anything else you want to do? Any questions about this land" He looks at Maya and Taliyah, the two newest additions to the party.
"The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference."
—Richard Dawkins
DM—Stories From The End of The World: Episode I