[IC] Tzane the Troll

[Anastasia Sheel]

"Kin... hero.." The little girl said as you felt her grip on your clothes weaken. The wound looked serious, but to your surprise she held on, fighting the desire to close her eyes, she remained conscious. Her willpower alone was surprising, and thought every movement she made pained her, she still did her best to keep up.

[Linwelin]

Kin gritted his teeth. Hard. He hadn't expected the girl to be a target. Now, forget the wounds, his pride and heart pained him more than anything. If he couldn't prevent one little girl from getting harmed, then what good was he? The rage over his mistake built quickly, but instead of boiling over, Kin refined it, focusing it directly at the ones responsible. It was time to vent.

"...Kid, hang on a little longer. I'll take care of this and heal those wounds in no time. So don't strain yourself, your hero's gotta do a hero's work." Kin immediately rid himself of his hesitation, throwing caution to the wind, and attacked all-out, his rage and desperation carrying him further than normal.

Spoiler

Attack:  1d20+9 : 10 + 9, total 19

Damage:  1d8+3 : 1 + 3, total 4

Cleave if skeleton downed:  1d20+9 : 18 + 9, total 27

Damage:  1d8+3 : 1 + 3, total 4

[close]

[Linwelin]

KARMA-FUELED RAGE ATTAAAAAACK!

Attack:  1d20+9 : 19 + 9, total 28

Damage:  1d8+3 : 5 + 3, total 8

Cleave:  1d20+9 : 9 + 9, total 18

Damage:  1d8+3 : 5 + 3, total 8

[close]

[Anastasia Sheel]

Blood dripped. Pouring down the little girl's legs and bare feet, mixing with the dirt beneath her.

Everything is getting heavier. These clothes... My arms... and legs... Why are they so heavy? My eyes are so sleepy. They're not staying open. My body hurts. Everything is painful. And my head feels light. This isn't normal, right?

Death is near. Death is near. DEATH IS NEAR.

Death..? What is that?

No response save the clashing of steel against bone, and the rattling movements of skeletal frames moving.

I hear him. Hero is fighting, he's protecting me from those scary things. Hero will protect me. But... sleep.

The little girl's eyes were closing. Heavier and heavier they became. The skeletons had just been downed, but it wasn't the undead who also crumpled down. Her grip on Kin's clothing was gone at this point, and she slowly collapsed, only her strength of will preventing her from falling abruptly down. The wound on her chest looked grievous.

Spoiler

Kin kills all 4 skeletons. I'll resolve exp later.
Please roll a Perception check. (Also going forward I'll be using passive perception, but only after people start adding that into their sheets.)

[close]

[Linwelin]

Spoiler

Perception (spot for now):  1d20+7 : 11 + 7, total 18

[close]

Kin looks back after smashing the last of the skeletons to show the girl a relieved expression, only it was him that continued to be upset. The kid was on the ground, her eyes closing and blood gushing from her torso. "Damn it all! I didn't notice it was this bad...Like I'm letting it end like this!" The halfling knelt beside her and quickly dug through his bag, retrieving a cure light wounds potion. He quickly uncorked it with his mouth, leaned over while slightly propping the girl up with his other arm, and helped her quaff the mixture. It was a slow process as she'd lost most of her consciousness, but the blood flow began to recede, and the wound closing a little. He continued to wait to see how much damage the potion would revert, waiting for her eyes to open once more.

"Kid...get a hold of yourself, don't go to sleep on me now! Come on...come on...!" Kin was getting antsy, knowing that there must be someone else nearby from how the skeletons acted. It wasn't safe, they needed to move.

Spoiler

Potion healing:  1d8+1 : 7 + 1, total 8

[close]

As soon as he deemed it safe to move her, Kin picked the kid up on his back and set off cautiously from the area, hiding amongst the foliage once he got the opportunity. He continued moving to regroup with his guildmates, hoping the girl would wake soon.

Spoiler

Due to the muleback cords, I KNOW Kin can carry her (Counts as +8 str score), so no worries there.

Hide:  1d20+7 : 15 + 7, total 22

Move silently:  1d20+7 : 2 + 7, total 9

[close]

[Throndir]

As you hid in the bushes. You hear the clashing of fighting against the skeletons that your other group mate were engaged in. It seemed like there were more this time around. You were glad you hid in time, you may have very well been another of the targets, and with the little girl as wounded as she was, you couldn't bring her into another round of battle.

You notice the little girl open her eyes Like before she stared blankly at you, having a hard time reading her eyes or thoughts, she simply let herself be carried without saying any other words. She clung to your clothes though, the strength in her grip returning. You can tell that the potion you used had a good effect on her. The wound on her chest was still severe, but a lot less than it was. It no longer looked life threatening at least.

It was at that moment when you were safely hidden in the bushes, that you spotted a figure appearing where you were just at. He wore a white cloak, but what caught your eye the most was a distinct symbol etched into it; a white raven.

"So the moment I look away, you disappear. Though, I did hear a certain halfling scurry away." The man said to the area.

"That little girl isn't what she seems. We need to talk." He continued. You notice him looking about, backtracking and heading back into the fray of bushes and forests, searching for his quarry. Skeletons around him ignored him, as the undead continued to bolster their thinning ranks.

[Linwelin]

Kin gritted his teeth at the dilemma before him. This man was obviously the one that controlled the skeletons, from how the ignored him. And he said he wanted to talk, but had that been the original intention, he wouldn't have enacted a skeleton assault. Then again, Kin had seen mages do stranger things; but something changed his plans. Kin's mind clicked in recognition.

He sighed, holding the girl close. Once the man was close enough, Kin stood up to face the man. This was one of those moments he wished he were taller, as he WANTED to get behind him and hold a knife to his throat. "So ya realized skeletons weren't enough to get past your target's defenses, and came out yourself. I sensed your desire to kill the girl through your puppets' actions, so I hardly trust those words of yours. But I agree I know nothing about her, and can see I need to if I'm to protect her properly. So, speak. I'll warn ya now ya won't have much better luck than your skeletons if ya try to force my hand, necromantic bastard." Kin then mumbles to himself, "Attacking a kid with SKELETONS! Seriously...these mages...even if there IS something to this kid, going that far is insane."

Spoiler

Rolling to intimidate him into answering without trouble.

Intimidate:  1d20+6 : 20 + 6, total 26

[close]

[Throndir]

When Kin had popped out from behind, it had nearly caught the white-cloaked man by surprise. The swordsman drew his weapon then, but as the halfling showed a force of effort, he stepped back - only to trip roughly on the ground. He was still sitting on the ground, his sword stuck on the ground pushing himself up as he began to answer the halfling.

"Damn it." The swordsmen was not in a good position, but he motioned the skeletons and zombies to stop. Soon enough the undead beings had stopped their assault on the other party members as they were either quickly dispatched or left alone. He knew when the jig was up.

"The girl is a menace. I may not be in a position to do so at this moment, but believe me, you'd wish she wasn't around when danger strikes. We had our suspicions, and though we don't have anything concrete, she's been the only survivor of two attacks on passing caravans that we've seen. The rest were horribly butchered - in fact I believe you'd fine their remains right behind you." He said as he motioned to the cave where Tzane had lived.

"Things are stirring around here. That little girl might very well be a part of it." With that the swordsmen sheathed his weapon.

"We're leaving." And a moment later he began to trek back into the forests.

The little girl at this time, still being carried by Kin, shifted, as if wanting to stand.

"..."

[Linwelin]

Kin nearly guffawed at the events before him, with the man literally falling over himself. "You DO realize there there was a TROLL in there right? Though I admit I don't know why she wasn't killed herself, I hardly think she has the intent for murder. All I can see is a knack for misfortune. But if there is something strange involving her, I'll be sure to take care of it. I still can't believe you'd fault a kid for this."

"If anything you're the strange one! Assault with skeletons, yet acting like the GOOD guy? You're all sorts of messed up." He shouted this as the guy retreated, not really expecting a response, but hoping to at least put him to shame.

Still shaking his head, Kin noticed the girl's movement, recognizing she wanted to stand. He set her down upright. "So now that that's done, let's get you back to the guild to be looked after. What's your name?"

[Anastasia Sheel]

After Kin's show of intimidation against the man, the halfling spoke to her, asking the little girl for her name.

My name? That is what they call me. What is my name? Do I have one?

The little girl simply stared back at her hero, but her face was blank. She responded, but only after a few slow seconds.

"No name..." The little girl said, keeping her eyes locked on Kin.

[Linwelin]

"No name!?" Kin nearly shouts in surprise. "Hmm, well that's no good...How about Anna?' Kin looks at her to see if it fit. "No no, too simple for a mysterious little girl like yourself...but I do like the sound of it." The halfling thinks a moment more, then snaps his fingers at the thought.

"Anastasia! How's that? Do you like that one? I want to make sure you like your own name." Kin waits expectantly for the girls response.

"As for a last name, well, we'll leave that to whoever ends up as your caretaker." He says with a laugh.

[Lance]

---

Meanwhile, back in the guild hall, a certain precocious elf lay quietly at his customary table, where he was peacefully binging on a glass of plum juice while simultaneously stroking the feathers of a raven standing attentively nearby. Lyolf sighed contentedly before finally bringing the once-full glass of juice down.

"You know," the elf told the bird, being struck by a sudden inexplicable fancy. The raven merely cocked its head in response and stared at its master in silence. "If I suddenly had to name a little girl..."

"How would 'Rasputin' sound?"

---

[Anastasia Sheel]

Just then, the little girl felt a sudden chill run down her spine. A horrible chill.

Horrible. Horrible. HORRIBLE.

It felt as if someone had spoken about her, though she didn't quite know who or what. But something told her that when she does find out, she'll have to be on her guard. Very much on guard. She spoke a moment later.

"A-nas-tash-ia. A-nas-tasia. Anastasia." She said as she practiced the seemingly foreign name. There was a slight hint of a smile on her features, though it was hard to notice, and only one who was looking at her keenly would have realized.

"As for a last name, well, we'll leave that to whoever ends up as your caretaker." Kin had said. The little girl shook her head very slowly, but spoke afterwards. Her sentence still in her usual broken pattern.

"Kin... hero... caretaker. Kin hero caretaker."

[Linwelin]

Kin was pleased with the girl's, now Anastasia, practice and ability to pronounce her new name. It seemed she liked it well enough. Then he was slightly taken back. "You want me as your caretaker? Well, I'll certainly be around you often enough, but I wouldn't make the best-" He'd taken his eyes off her to think of a proper response, having been caught off-guard, but meeting her gaze again, as rather expressionless as it was, he could see her insistence.

"Nnn...ok ok! You can live with me. I hardly think 'Anastasia Sheel' works well as a name, though. Maybe we'll think of another surname for you. You'll need to find someone else you like at the guild, too. I won't always be around, since I need to take missions, and I can't take you with me on those. Also-" Kin looks to her sternly. "Do not trust my roommate. He's a nutty wizard that only causes trouble. Good-natured, but nutty."

"Now then, with that done, we should meet up with the rest and head home. This way, Ana." He says with a smile toward her, walking back to the rest of the group to divvy up the loot and head back to Ternadan.

[Throndir]

Takeo made his way to the top of the tree his companions had been waiting at. Though the swordsman had worn full armor, it didn't take him long to reach near the top. With a surprising amount of dexterity, finesse, and agility, he made his way up the tree. One of his hands on the trunk, while his feet placed firmly on a sturdy branch, he stood as he considered his companions.

The first was a winged girl, at the very tip of the tree. She used her wings occasionally to keep herself balanced, but otherwise sat still, with a condescending smile on her features.

The other was a smaller girl, with long white hair who didn't seem to take much notice of him. Though Takeo knew otherwise.












"I don't quite like your smile, Sena." Takeo told her, not really amused at his companion's apparent mirth.

"You got scared... by a halfling!" She laughed then, showing a full grin at her comment. "What is there not to like?"

Takeo simply looked away, but shifted his feet so he could lean on the trunk of the tree.

"Yuki at least helped with her summoning." The swordsman said as he motioned to their other companion. "But nevermind that." Takeo corrected, pushing the conversation in a different direction. "I assume you saw everything."

"Heard too." Sena tapped her head lightly. "Think we have anything to worry about?"

"Too soon to tell. Things are changing in the city. Someone's going to make the first move. But I fear that first move had already begun without our knowledge." They were silent for a few long moments. Simply enjoying each other's company as they proceeded to look down at the general direction of the cave. Sena had the sharpest eyes among them, so no doubt she could very well see what the others were doing. It was serene however, the sun had just started to set, and the trees and skies were bathed with a warm orange. Sena broke the silence.

"Hey Takeo?" She asked.

"Yeah?" He responded.

"Was it the big sword, or are you just afraid of halflings?" She continued not missing a beat. Takeo didn't looked amused.

"Shut it." He said. Sena responded with a mirthful laugh, then grinned as she gave her companion a quick nod.

"Let's head back." She suggested. "That other guild has moved on already, so we likely won't run into them again today."

"Give me a few more minutes." Takeo said. Sena and Yuki both nodded as they left the swordsman alone. Sena took to the skies, while Yuki suddenly disappeared.

Takeo stood there on the tree for a few more minutes, going through his thoughts, and simply taking the breath-taking view of the setting sun.

"The Guild of Galas'nor..." He said to himself. It was hard to read the tone of his voice as he spoke the name of the guild. But a moment later he too made his way down the tree, in a few mere seconds he had climbed down making his way back to his companions ahead of him.

Resolving Exp.