Edgewalkers Campaign Thread

"Worth the effort... This time." Vusgaar confirms gruffly. "Remember name given last. Could be key. Could spell doom. But worth trying all same." He would add, trusting the others after that point -- any of the others -- to handle things from there.

OOC: Apologies for the delay here, I kept forgetting to post and then getting distracted. Plus been dealing with trying to get my license.

The shifters near you quickly and spread out into a loose circle around you, spears and swords held at the ready while you're watched, although no hostile moves are made...yet. One of the shifters, a russet furred longtooth, steps forward. "The Qiku greet you, travelers," he says evenly, his tone cautious. "What brings you here?"

"We're out here looking for the Kalaak" Meiara repeats for the tenth time.

Surprise ripples through the crowd, and the male shifter tilts his head. "Looking for the Kalaak? What for?"

"They're moving southward. We intend to stop them."

The shifter begins to chuckle softly. "Just the eight of you?"

Ani would simply shrug, then smile before blurting, "Care to join us?"

OOC: Cue varied and assorted cursing as I realize I forgot to reply to this. Very sorry, guys. Ani, give me a Persuasion

Casual persuasion: 16

The shifter looks at Ani for a long moment, then says with a chuckle, "That's not up to me...Edgewalkers." His gaze sharpens, and a ripple of tension goes through the group of shifters around you.

"Hmm." Ani puts her hands on her hips. "I can understand that wasn't very convincing." She'd put a hand up nodding. "That's fair." The dark haired woman would start patting her nose with her finger as she paced a little from side to side. "Can I offer some wares for exchange for joining us? Or." She'd put a finger up."Or, safe passage." She'd gauge their reactions and pause for a moment. "Or, if you must shed blood." Ani would square up to the shifter, "Instead of expending valuable resources on a brawl, how about a dual?" she'd raise a brow.

"You misunderstand," the shifter says with a sharp-toothed smile. "Whether we assist you or not, give you safe passage, whether there is bloodshed today, none of those are for me to decide." He extends a hand to his right. "It is hers." Several of the shifters part, and Lirika steps out from their midst.

The shifter is far changed from when you rescued her from the Ohr Kaluun cultists. She wears sturdy hide and leather armor, well-made and fitted to her body. A necklace of amber beads rests around her neck, and across her back are two shortswords with leather bound hilts and pommels carved of bone to look like rising suns. She gives the eight of you an unreadable look and says evenly, "Edgewalkers. It seems that fate has decided we are not done with each other yet."

A soft murmur of surprise ripples around the shifters gathered around you.

 Vusgaar had already been on edge from the start. Seeing Lirika in the flex only made him that much more tense. Still, he kept to a benign act, and merely continued to observe for now. Well, he tried to, but....

"So it is so." Vusgaar states, as he steps just a step ahead of the party. "Question is if this meeting to be an amicable one. Or now that we're in your -territories- this time, you have something else in mind?" He questions. "Because we've made our purpose here quite clear."

When Vusgaar speaks, there's a sharp murmur of realizations from several of the shifters, and he gets some nasty looks, but Lirika makes a sharp motion, and the voices fall silent.

"Tel-Lir," the shifter you spoke to first says in a low voice. "You know these Edgewalkers?"

"Some of them," Lirika replies to him without shifting her gaze from Vusgaar. "The Kalaak are all our enemies," she says, voice becoming louder as she addresses her entire band as well as you eight. "A greater threat even then the Riedrans. We do not have the strength to stop them, and you do not have the skill to find them." The declaration is matter of fact. "I and four of my fellow Qiku will bring you to where the Kalaak are most often found. We will help you find them, and we may even help you fight."

"Tel-Lir!" the other shifter protests. "We cannot trust them! They will turn on us as soon as they no longer need us."

"Silence, Telaani-Kasqae," Lirika says sharply. "The enemy of our enemy is our ally, for now. And you will not be accompanying us." The shifter looks like he wants to object, but at a piercing look from Lirika, he falls silent, bowing his head briefly before sweeping you eight with a sharp look. Lirika turns back to you. "What say you, Edgewalkers?"

Vusgaar's initially starts to look back to his own team, but the ursine shifter catches himself mid-motion and looks sharply back to Lirika. "That should go without saying at this point. So long as you can keep your pack of mis-... me-...." After the second time words catch in his throat, he lets out a huff through his nose. "So long as your people prove not an obstacle, there is no reason why we cannot walk the same path. This time. And perhaps through this, another will re-open to you and yours." He states. "But for now, we focus on the Kalaak."

Lirika nods and turns to the band, her voice sharpening and gaining authority as she gives orders. "Tel-Aki, Tel-Kut, Tel-Arn, and Tel-Kin, you will join me." Four shifters step forward, two male and two female. Three of them carry shortsword and slings, while the fourth carries a longbow. Lirika turns to the male shifter she spoke to, Telaani-Kasqae. "Tel-Kas, you will lead the band while I am gone. Send a messenger to Tel-Marq so the Sky Teller knows of what we do. Remember, the wolf is always watching."

The pair exchange a nod, and Tel-Kas says firmly, "Bonded we live." After a moment, he adds, "Tear at the throat, and be done."

"Indeed, I intend to." Lirika turns to face the Edgewalkers as the shifters withdraw from their circle, the female shifter's mouth forming a wide, fierce smile. "Today we hunt Kalaak." After a moment, she adds innocently, "Will you be wanting to send someone with Tel-Kin while she scouts for the barbarians' scent?" She gestures towards the shifter with the bow.

"No, I think that we're good."

 "Not wholly true." Vusgaar turns as if to look over his shoulder. Though visible to those shifters who encircled behind before, the catican hops and flutters on onto the Ursine's shifter's shoulder. "This one will be of aid as well. Provided they do not mind the company?" He asked, going from scratching at the Tressym's head to staring narrowed eyed at the scout. As soon as the two receive the go ahead, the Catican flies over to hover by the scout,  ready to follow at a moment's notice. "They are not much for words, but their senses are fairly keen. It would do you well."

Intense. Ani would just slip back to the back of the group to try to blend in. She’d pull out her flute, but then second guess herself and tuck it back away. Instead she’d just drum her fingers with her hands on her hips, ready to move with the group should they proceed.

The scout, Tel-Kin, nods. "They're welcome, if they can keep up," she says with a challenging grin. A moment later, she throws her head back, and russet fur grows across her body, her nose extending into a pointed muzzle. Her grin becomes accentuated by pointed fangs, and a fierce joy appears on her face as the shifter takes off to the north with a barking cry.

Lirika watches her go, then turns to regard the rest of you, tilting her head. "Tell me, Edgewalkers...do you have a plan for when we find the barbarians?"