If there is anything that Tuto isn't a fan of, it's the familiar. The gnome lives and breathes on the idea that new days bring new sights, sounds and memories. That's been true, for better or worse, since he's answered the call to action. The friends he's made, the battles they fought together, he'd cherish them to his last breath.
Right now, he wishes he never left his woods.
Tuto wasn't familiar with these people, but he could tell they were happy. They lived life to the fullest. But most of all, helpless. Everything was gone. It's all gone! And he could've helped. He's always too late. He's always cleaning up after the damage is done. Then there was the music. There's always music. But...it wasn't coming from him. He had to find it, he's remembering too much.
Tuto began to wander in the direction of the ocarina.
"Ah Tuto, hold up," Ro snaps at Penelope's reigns, steering the warhorse to follow after the gnome. As Ro catches up to the gnome he orders Prim to seek out the source of the ocarina tune while Ro, himself, looks over the landscape for any survivors. "I knew things wouldn't look pretty, but this is... it's horrible..." Ro says aloud.
Lelith prayed for the departed villagers in the afterlife. She heard the tune of the ocarina, with a wary eye and her bow in her head. She headed toward the sound with careful steps.
Greko gasps at the destruction of the Kokiri clan and promptly reports to the other groups on his Auryn. He then begins checking the dead and saying a little prayer to Damu praying for rebirth in aiding nature to recreate
Oten walks through the remains of the village wordlessly before coming to a stop before a particularly large pile of Koroks. He looks on silently. Impassively. Processing, while the others look around for the source of the music. When Greko approaches the same pile to say his prayer, Oten looks down to regard him in his small ritual before returning his gaze to the bodies of the dead.
It doesn't take anyone long to find the lonely Kokiri girl sitting on a stump playing her ocarina. She cups the little wooden instrument gently in her hands and plays with her eyes closed, her head back, green hair laying over her ears in a short cut. It's hard to tell immediately if she knew they were there or not; she just keeps quiet, keeps her eyes closed, and keeps playing. She plays and plays, never looking up at the people who have found her. A sad little fairy flitters for a moment on her shoulder, the quick beat of her wings the only sign that she's even there; she's not even glowing anymore. The Fairy at least looks around and acknowledges those who have gathered around her.
Lelith recognized the fairy almost immediately, not that it took that much out of people to recognize one. She was merely familiar with them in ways unseen except to the mind's keen eye. The fey knew how to recognize each other, no matter how thin their blood might be. She carefully knelt in front the Kokiri girl and the fairy, allowing her to look at them at eye level to a certain extent. "Hello, young one. I am Lelith and these are my companions. Do you need help with anything? No injuries? Are there other survivors?"
After receiving answers to her concerns about their wellbeing, which she would act upon, she asked both of them. "I understand if it is too much to ask of you, but would it be possible for you to tell us what happened here?"
The Kokiri slowly lowered her ocarina and looked at the gathering crowd of heroes before her. The little Fairy looked almost as calm about it as she did.
"I'm alright." She said. She blinked slowly. It seemed like she was having trouble realizing that the people gathering before her were real and that she wasn't alone any longer. Well, save for her Fairy companion, of course. "It's just us. It's only been us for a little bit now. Several days. However long."
The Kokiri thought about the question for a little bit.
"He had mechanical monsters." She said, pushing the heel of one hand into her eye and pressing as if to wake herself up. "He came in from the west, and the mechanical monsters destroyed everything. Some of them were flying. They blew up and burned the houses, and tore down trees, and killed everyone that tried to run...which was everyone. Everybody else. I think he captured a few Fairies but I don't know that for sure. Then they went to the Deku Tree and they took the Sacred Stone. I don't know what happened from there."
The Kokiri slowly lowered her ocarina and looked at the gathering crowd of heroes before her. The little Fairy looked almost as calm about it as she did.
"I'm alright." She said. She blinked slowly. It seemed like she was having trouble realizing that the people gathering before her were real and that she wasn't alone any longer. Well, save for her Fairy companion, of course. "It's just us. It's only been us for a little bit now. Several days. However long."
The Kokiri thought about the question for a little bit.
"He had mechanical monsters." She said, pushing the heel of one hand into her eye and pressing as if to wake herself up. "He came in from the west, and the mechanical monsters destroyed everything. Some of them were flying. They blew up and burned the houses, and tore down trees, and killed everyone that tried to run...which was everyone. Everybody else. I think he captured a few Fairies but I don't know that for sure. Then they went to the Deku Tree and they took the Sacred Stone. I don't know what happened from there."
Lelith wasn't quite sure what they will achieve once they reached Ganondorf... He had an army and they were but a small band. However, they didn't have much of a choice. Ganondorf cannot be left unchecked. "Thank you for answering. Do you have anywhere to go to? Staying here may not be safe."
"Yes, Prim is still scouting in the skies for us," Ro replied to Rum. The elf-dwarf pulled out a mix of fish jerky and fruits from his bag of holding and offered them to the girl, "If you are hungry, you can have these."
Greko looks at the group and turns his back to the Kokiri girl and quietly says "I believe our drive to follow Ganon is foolish. If what the girl says is true he has an army of guardians with some that fly! I think we should abandon this and head to Hyrule castle as quickly as we can. There we can make a stand and help more than chasing him through the woods. Chasing him into the woods will be certain death and then Hyrule will have no warning. We can take the girl with us and make haste. What say you all?"
Ro addresses Greko's statement, "We're already a week behind Ganondorf's trail, it is extremely likely that he has already reached Hyrule Castle..." He pauses a moment to chase away any negative thoughts, "It would only be through some divine blessing that we get there before Ganondorf's army. Our tardiness allows us to only take reactive measures. Though I agree that we should make for the castle with due haste."
Ro lightly hits his head with his fist, a gesture to stimulate thinking. After hearing if the girl has anywhere safe to stay and giving her the chance to take his food, Ro also asks the girl and her fairy, "We have only recently arrived in Hylia, so our news is a bit dated. Do you know if Ganondorf already has the Sacred Stone belonging to the Goron's?"
Oten pulls away from the pile of bodies and walks over to where he hears his companions speaking with the Kokiri. "Indeed, it seems we are playing catch-up here. If we can reach Hyrule, we can pitch in and assist their efforts, but I think Ro is right. I found it doubtfull that we could outpace them with such a large lead. However... It's a long shot, but if Ganondorf's army is engaging in siege or combat when we come upon them, we may have a unique and tactical opportunity. I have studied some military history, and it seems an unexpected and quiet approach from the rear flank could allow the right actors to have an impact disproportionate to their numbers. We may see an opportunity to strike a key target, disrupt organization, or even reclaim some of what has been stolen. Either way, we would be doing more than we can here by my assessment."
Rum turns his attention back to the others and the ongoing conversation.
”Surely the plan was never to fight an army, only to gather information and help survivors. If the Kokiri girl is right, and it has only been a few days, we may yet beat the army to the castle with the information we have. But it would mean trading stealth for speed, which is dangerous”, he says.
“We need to know where the army is now. How far can Prim scout? Can they catch up to the army and report back?”, he adds, unsure of the capability of Ro’s bird.
He looks about the area sadly, “Either way there is nothing more we can do here”.
After the Kokiri girl and her fairy responded to the band's questions, Ro acknowledged Rum's question about Prim. The tabaxi's suggestion was a brilliant idea he hadn't thought up, causing his face to light up a bit, "That's a great suggestion Rum. Prim can travel an infinite distance away from me, and at double the pace we can on our mounts. We can definitely send her ahead of us to survey the situation."
Ro pauses a moment in brief thought, "I reckon we could use her as a messenger bird too. Possibly send out a message of aid on the way, and then someone from Hyrule Castle could write back to us about the situation in detail."
The elf-dwarf turns to his bandmates, "What do you all think?"
The young Kokiri looks around, first at the faces of the heroes gathered around her, and then at the forest.
"I have my home." She says gently to Lelith, clearly not confused about her situation but conveying a message of where she belongs. "It's still here."
She reaches out, taking the jerky and dried fruits from Ro and uttered a little 'thank you' before taking a bite. She sighed deeply as the food filled her mouth, like she was really enjoying the taste of something that wasn't simple forest delicatessen.
"It's been longer than a week." She said through a mouth full of fish jerky. "Eleven or twelve days, maybe a little longer, I think. I don't know. It's been hard to keep up. But I don't know. All I know is he came here and killed everyone I know and love and took the Kokiri Emerald. With the Deku Tree's weakened state, this was no great deed."
While still conversing with the kokiri girl, Ro gives a late introduction, "Pardon me, my name is Ro Aleron, 'The False Knight'. What is your name?" Ro pauses for the girl to respond. Afterwards, he thanks the kokiri girl for her time and offers her several days worth of rations and his spare tent if she'd like them, "I wish I could do more, but our band is severely pressed for time. We can't stay here much longer."
Ro then turns to respond to Oten, "Yes, I can definitely send Prim on her own."
The elf-dwarf then reaches into his bag of holding and pulls out a single sheet of paper. With a snap of his fingers, a quill pen manifests into the elf-dwarf's hand. Ro turns to address the entire band, "I can write to my parents. They're a part of King Hyrule's elite guard so they'd have knowledge on the status of Hyrule's royalty, state of affairs and battle situation. Is there anything specific I should add to the letter?"
If there is anything that Tuto isn't a fan of, it's the familiar. The gnome lives and breathes on the idea that new days bring new sights, sounds and memories. That's been true, for better or worse, since he's answered the call to action. The friends he's made, the battles they fought together, he'd cherish them to his last breath.
Right now, he wishes he never left his woods.
Tuto wasn't familiar with these people, but he could tell they were happy. They lived life to the fullest. But most of all, helpless. Everything was gone. It's all gone! And he could've helped. He's always too late. He's always cleaning up after the damage is done. Then there was the music. There's always music. But...it wasn't coming from him. He had to find it, he's remembering too much.
Tuto began to wander in the direction of the ocarina.
"Ah Tuto, hold up," Ro snaps at Penelope's reigns, steering the warhorse to follow after the gnome. As Ro catches up to the gnome he orders Prim to seek out the source of the ocarina tune while Ro, himself, looks over the landscape for any survivors. "I knew things wouldn't look pretty, but this is... it's horrible..." Ro says aloud.
Ro Aleron (Ro the Red) -> Illithid, Wizard 8 (Chronugist) // AURYN
Rum surveys the scene from atop the cart, shaking his head sadly.
”Truly this is a saddening sight”, he says climbing down and looking about, checking for any sign of corrupted Kokiri or a guardian left behind.
He hears the tune and keeps a wary eye on Tuto and Ro as they move off, “Be careful, we may come across more corrupted”.
Perception: 14+7=21
Lelith prayed for the departed villagers in the afterlife. She heard the tune of the ocarina, with a wary eye and her bow in her head. She headed toward the sound with careful steps.
Greko gasps at the destruction of the Kokiri clan and promptly reports to the other groups on his Auryn. He then begins checking the dead and saying a little prayer to Damu praying for rebirth in aiding nature to recreate
Oten walks through the remains of the village wordlessly before coming to a stop before a particularly large pile of Koroks. He looks on silently. Impassively. Processing, while the others look around for the source of the music. When Greko approaches the same pile to say his prayer, Oten looks down to regard him in his small ritual before returning his gaze to the bodies of the dead.
It doesn't take anyone long to find the lonely Kokiri girl sitting on a stump playing her ocarina. She cups the little wooden instrument gently in her hands and plays with her eyes closed, her head back, green hair laying over her ears in a short cut. It's hard to tell immediately if she knew they were there or not; she just keeps quiet, keeps her eyes closed, and keeps playing. She plays and plays, never looking up at the people who have found her. A sad little fairy flitters for a moment on her shoulder, the quick beat of her wings the only sign that she's even there; she's not even glowing anymore. The Fairy at least looks around and acknowledges those who have gathered around her.
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
Lelith recognized the fairy almost immediately, not that it took that much out of people to recognize one. She was merely familiar with them in ways unseen except to the mind's keen eye. The fey knew how to recognize each other, no matter how thin their blood might be. She carefully knelt in front the Kokiri girl and the fairy, allowing her to look at them at eye level to a certain extent. "Hello, young one. I am Lelith and these are my companions. Do you need help with anything? No injuries? Are there other survivors?"
After receiving answers to her concerns about their wellbeing, which she would act upon, she asked both of them. "I understand if it is too much to ask of you, but would it be possible for you to tell us what happened here?"
The Kokiri slowly lowered her ocarina and looked at the gathering crowd of heroes before her. The little Fairy looked almost as calm about it as she did.
"I'm alright." She said. She blinked slowly. It seemed like she was having trouble realizing that the people gathering before her were real and that she wasn't alone any longer. Well, save for her Fairy companion, of course. "It's just us. It's only been us for a little bit now. Several days. However long."
The Kokiri thought about the question for a little bit.
"He had mechanical monsters." She said, pushing the heel of one hand into her eye and pressing as if to wake herself up. "He came in from the west, and the mechanical monsters destroyed everything. Some of them were flying. They blew up and burned the houses, and tore down trees, and killed everyone that tried to run...which was everyone. Everybody else. I think he captured a few Fairies but I don't know that for sure. Then they went to the Deku Tree and they took the Sacred Stone. I don't know what happened from there."
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
Lelith wasn't quite sure what they will achieve once they reached Ganondorf... He had an army and they were but a small band. However, they didn't have much of a choice. Ganondorf cannot be left unchecked. "Thank you for answering. Do you have anywhere to go to? Staying here may not be safe."
Rum overhears the Kokiri speak of the attack, and narrows his eyes, casting his gaze to the skies.
”These mechanical monsters can fly?”, he says quietly to no-one in particular.
”Ro, is your bird keeping an eye on the skies?”, he calls across to Ro.
"Yes, Prim is still scouting in the skies for us," Ro replied to Rum. The elf-dwarf pulled out a mix of fish jerky and fruits from his bag of holding and offered them to the girl, "If you are hungry, you can have these."
Ro Aleron (Ro the Red) -> Illithid, Wizard 8 (Chronugist) // AURYN
Greko looks at the group and turns his back to the Kokiri girl and quietly says "I believe our drive to follow Ganon is foolish. If what the girl says is true he has an army of guardians with some that fly! I think we should abandon this and head to Hyrule castle as quickly as we can. There we can make a stand and help more than chasing him through the woods. Chasing him into the woods will be certain death and then Hyrule will have no warning. We can take the girl with us and make haste. What say you all?"
Ro addresses Greko's statement, "We're already a week behind Ganondorf's trail, it is extremely likely that he has already reached Hyrule Castle..." He pauses a moment to chase away any negative thoughts, "It would only be through some divine blessing that we get there before Ganondorf's army. Our tardiness allows us to only take reactive measures. Though I agree that we should make for the castle with due haste."
Ro lightly hits his head with his fist, a gesture to stimulate thinking. After hearing if the girl has anywhere safe to stay and giving her the chance to take his food, Ro also asks the girl and her fairy, "We have only recently arrived in Hylia, so our news is a bit dated. Do you know if Ganondorf already has the Sacred Stone belonging to the Goron's?"
Ro Aleron (Ro the Red) -> Illithid, Wizard 8 (Chronugist) // AURYN
Oten pulls away from the pile of bodies and walks over to where he hears his companions speaking with the Kokiri. "Indeed, it seems we are playing catch-up here. If we can reach Hyrule, we can pitch in and assist their efforts, but I think Ro is right. I found it doubtfull that we could outpace them with such a large lead. However... It's a long shot, but if Ganondorf's army is engaging in siege or combat when we come upon them, we may have a unique and tactical opportunity. I have studied some military history, and it seems an unexpected and quiet approach from the rear flank could allow the right actors to have an impact disproportionate to their numbers. We may see an opportunity to strike a key target, disrupt organization, or even reclaim some of what has been stolen. Either way, we would be doing more than we can here by my assessment."
Rum turns his attention back to the others and the ongoing conversation.
”Surely the plan was never to fight an army, only to gather information and help survivors. If the Kokiri girl is right, and it has only been a few days, we may yet beat the army to the castle with the information we have. But it would mean trading stealth for speed, which is dangerous”, he says.
“We need to know where the army is now. How far can Prim scout? Can they catch up to the army and report back?”, he adds, unsure of the capability of Ro’s bird.
He looks about the area sadly, “Either way there is nothing more we can do here”.
After the Kokiri girl and her fairy responded to the band's questions, Ro acknowledged Rum's question about Prim. The tabaxi's suggestion was a brilliant idea he hadn't thought up, causing his face to light up a bit, "That's a great suggestion Rum. Prim can travel an infinite distance away from me, and at double the pace we can on our mounts. We can definitely send her ahead of us to survey the situation."
Ro pauses a moment in brief thought, "I reckon we could use her as a messenger bird too. Possibly send out a message of aid on the way, and then someone from Hyrule Castle could write back to us about the situation in detail."
The elf-dwarf turns to his bandmates, "What do you all think?"
Ro Aleron (Ro the Red) -> Illithid, Wizard 8 (Chronugist) // AURYN
The young Kokiri looks around, first at the faces of the heroes gathered around her, and then at the forest.
"I have my home." She says gently to Lelith, clearly not confused about her situation but conveying a message of where she belongs. "It's still here."
She reaches out, taking the jerky and dried fruits from Ro and uttered a little 'thank you' before taking a bite. She sighed deeply as the food filled her mouth, like she was really enjoying the taste of something that wasn't simple forest delicatessen.
"It's been longer than a week." She said through a mouth full of fish jerky. "Eleven or twelve days, maybe a little longer, I think. I don't know. It's been hard to keep up. But I don't know. All I know is he came here and killed everyone I know and love and took the Kokiri Emerald. With the Deku Tree's weakened state, this was no great deed."
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
Oten regards Ro. "Can Prim really do all that? Information is everything right now, and this would be a great boon."
While still conversing with the kokiri girl, Ro gives a late introduction, "Pardon me, my name is Ro Aleron, 'The False Knight'. What is your name?" Ro pauses for the girl to respond. Afterwards, he thanks the kokiri girl for her time and offers her several days worth of rations and his spare tent if she'd like them, "I wish I could do more, but our band is severely pressed for time. We can't stay here much longer."
Ro then turns to respond to Oten, "Yes, I can definitely send Prim on her own."
The elf-dwarf then reaches into his bag of holding and pulls out a single sheet of paper. With a snap of his fingers, a quill pen manifests into the elf-dwarf's hand. Ro turns to address the entire band, "I can write to my parents. They're a part of King Hyrule's elite guard so they'd have knowledge on the status of Hyrule's royalty, state of affairs and battle situation. Is there anything specific I should add to the letter?"
Ro Aleron (Ro the Red) -> Illithid, Wizard 8 (Chronugist) // AURYN