"Who's brainy? who's brainy? Maybe being a wise ass can help you win the riddles right Riv?" the bunny winks at him.

"No?"

"Tortoise-riding! That sounds like fun, who's in?" Berk says, then thinks for a minute and says, "what's a tortoise, are they large? Don't have them from where I'm from, least not by that name."

Joy can barely contain her excitement as she tries to decide what they should do next. Arm wrestling, swimming...rice?! Berk's suggestion makes her grin at the thought of cute tortoises.

"I'm in! Tortoises are like lizards with shells. I've never met a giant one though! I've never heard of them being particularly fast either...There's only one way to find out."

Riven’s expression remained composed as ever, but for those who knew him, the subtle twitch at the corner of his mouth betrayed something… dire.

“Stand on a stage,” he murmured, “in front of a crowd, answering riddles?”

He said nothing more on the matter, but the look he gave Ylis’s “wise ass” comment earned a glance from Riven that lingered just a breath too long. Behind his eyes, something flickered, something softer, a faint, hollow pang of realizing you’ve been seen differently than you thought. 

For a moment, his usual stillness wasn’t distance, but something closer to sadness, not dramatic, just a quiet recognition.

Then it was gone. He exhaled through his nose, steady, and turned his gaze back.

“…Tortoise-riding.”

He looked to Berk, and nodded once. “Large. Slow. But steady. They carry their homes with them.”

Then, softly, without the chill that often edged his words, he added, “You’ll like them.”

He turned his gaze towards the event. Limited crowd. No stage. No riddles. Just motion, rhythm, and balance.

“That’s my vote,” he said simply, starting down the path toward the tortoise-riding field, already falling back into his usual, quiet pace.

But as he walked, he cast one more glance over his shoulder at the others, specifically Ylis. Just… contemplative. Then he looked forward again, silent.

"Tortoise-riding it is. I'm sure we can come back for the riddles later, Ylis," Vazo'yn says with a lighter tone now that the conversation had moved on from the deeply spiritual discussion of their existence.

"Remember, we once rode a transfigured Randa crab across a raging river. A tortoise will be child's play by comparison," he continues encouragingly.

" Horizonbacks?  The Elders say they used to see wild Horizonback tortoises as far south as Fevergulf and as far west as the foothills of Draconia......but there haven't been any sightings of wild ones for decades only the domesticated ones used for travelling villages.   I saw some of those in Igrathad on my way north."

" The ones in the competition must be juveniles I think........adults would be too large."

She followed the others to their new destination.

When Vazo'yn spoke of the crab Randa got a strange expression on her face as if trying to recall something that she couldn't quite grasp.....she gave him a vague smile and nodded tightly.

DM: Just a note, you do not have to play all the games and some are able to be played more than once. The pie-eating contest, for example, can be replayed, just not by Ylis. You also do not have to do challenges with only one participant from the Fellowship at a time. Multiple party members can play in a competitive game, even if they are not the team games.

OOC: NOT playing the pie game again =)

"Oh, 'Cranda'!" Joy gives a nostalgic smile and laugh as they head towards the tortoise races. "So many memories...If they weren't 'me', it'd be very confusing. I can see why it takes special instruction to remember everything after Consecution." The paladin thinks aloud, quickly getting distracted again as she looks the cutest--er, fastest tortoise.

Perception: 6 / Animal Handling: 18

When they got to the tortoises Jacaranda gave them a quick once over trying to determine pecking order, general healthy and most tame.

Animal handling- 9

Nature- 17

Riven followed the others toward the tortoise pens with the slow, steady gait. This wasn’t exactly how he pictured spending his afternoon, but once committed, there was no sense dragging his feet in the mud.

His eyes moved from tortoise to tortoise with a quiet, analytical focus. 

Size isn’t everything. Which is least likely to move sideways, or not at all for that matter? Which has the clearest eyes? Scars could mean experience. Mud on the shell’s edges, less movement today......but is that good or bad?

His expression remained flat, save for a faint furrow between his brows as he watched their movement. The right one was here, he’d just need to watch a little longer.

“This’ll be decided in the first ten steps,” he muttered under his breath, more to himself than anyone else. “Pick wrong, and you’re just decorating the shell.”

He glanced sideways at Jacaranda working through her own assessment, catching that glimmer of shared calculation between them. 

Folding his arms, he watched, silent, waiting for the choice to make itself clear.

Animal Handling Check (10+2)=12

The Fellowship makes their decision and immediately makes their way toward the southeastern portion of the city, at the open field. Festival-goers are clustered around a paddock full of young horizonback tortoises that are shuffling around inside the enclosure. The fifteen-foot-tall tortoises are being tended by young herders, who are fitting them with makeshift bridles. These individuals are overseen by a tall, attractive (for those who are interested in the lean 'bad-boy' look) orc who makes sure the bridles are attached correctly.

Joy struggles to find any that would be conventionally cute. Their serrated plate armor has a certain dangerous charm, but as they are being harnessed, they snap at each other and even some of the young herders, some of whom would be easily bitten in half if not careful. Randa easily identifies the strongest of this young bunch of monsters, standing a solid man's length above the rest. As it lumbers through the yard, other horizonbacks shift to make room for it. As Randa beckons it from the safety of the enclosure, it eyes her with murderous intent and makes a rush at the fence. People around Randa immediately yelp and flee as it races for the fence and Randa can feel the rising feeling of anxiety cause a hot, prickly feeling on the back of her neck, but she holds her ground and the horizonback turns away at the last moment, blowing Randa over with a trail of dust. All the while, Riven watches intently. He manages to see a rather intelligent-looking beast that sidestepped from the massive tortoise, not out of fear, but a calculated move to avoid unnecessary conflict. 

The handome orc sees this and waves at the gathering Fellowship. “Have you come to join the horizonback migration? I am the horizonback rancher here and am also running this challenge. Name's Adan. I breed and train these tortoises to be beasts of burden and eventually, homes for mobile multi-family units. There’s a tortoise for each of you, and a medal to be won if you make it to the end in one piece. Last year we had to rebuild three houses after the festival!” He chuckles, but the look in his eye clearly communicates that it isn't a joke. Failure to control the gigantic beasts can be catastrophic. He gathers those who have already expressed interest and looks to Randa. "No one wants to take Half-Pint and it seems he took a liking to you. You're the first who didn't wet themselves when he did his playful rush. I hope you don't mind?" He asks in a manner that suggests he half-expects Randa to refuse the surly beast. "He was the smallest in the litter, but growing up small made him develop a bit of a complex, even after he filled in."

He looks over the crew. "Try to control them if you can, but if you can't, cry out. We will come to help. Hopefully before they knock over some houses... or eat you." he looks over at Ylis. "How about you, little lady? Are you going to join in the fun?"

" Half-Pint....reminds of a younger Ylis....sure I'll take responsibility for him.  "

She brushed her hair behind her ear, " Thank you for the opportunity Adan.", she said with a crooked smile.

Vazo'yn stands to the back a little while the handsome young orc addresses the others and then turns to engage Ylis. His golden eyes can't help but linger on the horizonback-herder for a moment before he forces his attention to the contest ahead of them. He had been content to simply watch the migration, but now he feels an a strange urge to compete himself.

He looks over the herd of riding tortoises, searching not for the fastest or strongest or most eager, but one that seems content and quietly confident, who will have the determination to push through. A mirror for Vazo'yn's approach to adversity. With a prayer to the Luxon, he searches his memories, from this life and others before, for guidance.

Animal Handling: 18 (22 with guidance)

Riven's gaze didn't rest on the biggest or loudest of the horizonbacks, not Half-Pint, not the ones snapping at handlers, but the one that had stepped aside. A creature that didn’t waste energy unless it served purpose.

When Adan finished his introductions, Riven spoke up, “That one,” he said simply.

He glanced sideways at Adan. “Half-Pint can posture all he likes. I’m here to win.”

There was no arrogance, only the certainty of someone who’d fought too many battles to try his hand at bluffing now.

Without waiting for approval, he stepped toward the handlers. Time to ride.

Ylis looks for the biggest orneriest one and casts Speak with Animals

"Heyyyy buddy! You and I are gonna be friends for a little bit OK? Now I know you wanna be the boss and all so how about you beat everybody else through gate! what do you think?"

Then she hops aboard "Yee haw!"

 Vazo'yn carefully watches the horizonbacks and is able to find a suitable tortoise. It doesn't snap at the herders while it is being fitted with a bridle and allows the seat harness to be fixed to the front of its shell with a sense of contentment.

Adan seeks out the eyes of Randa and Vazo'yn, holding their eyes just long enough to be noticed by them, then he gets back to work with a confident grin. "It's my pleasure." he says to Randa. "I only offer him to you because you look like you can handle him." He directs her toward Half-Pint, where herders are working to bridle him but also encouraging good behavior with some food. 

Adan then nods to Riven. "That's Doc. She's a good one."

Seeing Vazo'yn eye selecting his, he wanders over. "This one here is Pasture. Sounds peaceful, I know, and he can be, but keep in mind that all these are horizonbacks. Sometimes, they got a will of their own."

He moves on to Beck and Joy. "I got just the ones for you two. Come with me." he says and leads them away to some other horizonbacks. "This is Bebop and Rocksteady. Not the brightest of the bunch, but they don't need brains when you have plenty for this challenge."

The horizonback that Ylis is conversing with towers over her and it bends its neck down slowly as its massive head meets Ylis, looking very much like a dragon in her mind. "Friends, not food." It says, more to remind itself than anything else. Ylis leaps aboard the single-seated harness and the horizonback cranes its neck up to look back at her with a perplexed look. "Quick not-food."

Adan gets the others settled in and comes back to Ylis. He opens his mouth to say something, but promptly shuts it when she soars from the ground to the seat in a single 15 foot leap. He comes to check the harness is secure, then pets the horizonback on the neck. "Take care of Zip for me." he says to Ylis then makes his way to the front of a large gathering of seated challengers where a massive, not-quite-adult horizonback tortoise stands. Taller than Half-Pint by a fair amount, though a leaner build than him. Zip looks to Ylis and says, "That not-food is always nice."

DM: The Harengon trait is only 10ft but I am pulling the DM card since for story purposes and because we aren't in the challenge yet. 

Adan looks to you all, a solid 14 participants, and says, "Okay friends. Make it to the end on your tortoise and you win a prize! Don't forget to alert us if you give up or completely lose control of your ride. Let's go!"

DM: I need a series of checks from you all. Three Animal Handling Checks. DCs are increasingly difficult. 12, 13, and 14. If you fail any of those, you must succeed on a Dexterity Saving Throw of 13 or you fall off the creature and take 3 Bludgeoning Damage. You then can attempt an Acrobatics Check, DC 15 to see if you can make it back on your tortoise and retry the Animal Handling Check with the same DC as before. If you fail on the Acrobatics Check, the tortoise attacks you with a Bite Attack, as it will have grown frustrated with your poor skill. For the sake of cutting through a lot of waiting, the first attack from the tortoises is all the same: Attack 23, Damage 16 Piercing Damage. If anyone needs additional attacks, I will roll them when we get there. Feel free to write up a post once you have your rolls in and I will fill in any gaps with a post after. 

"Go go Zip!" Ylis shouts encouragingly. 

Ylis Animal Handling 23

Dex Save with Lucky Footwork 21 plus 3

Ylis Animal Handling 13

Dex Save with Lucky Footwork  10 plus 3

Ylis Animal Handling 12

Dex Save with Lucky Footwork  6 plus 4

Ylis is having the time of this life speeding along on a giant creature, but then she accidentally smacks Zip on the head with her staff! He rears up as much as a speeding tortoise can and almost throw Ylis off. She is able to maintain her seat in spite of the rough ride!