Monster Hunter, The Swampy Second - RPLOG
Participants
Date
8/5/478
Log
The swamps are muggy and oppressively hot in the late afternoon and midges, mosquitoes and all their bloodsucking ilk are out in abundance. The rangers at the outpost directed all interested hunter out here to the edge of the mangrove forest. Waiting on one of the few bits of dry ground is a female pangolin in ranger garb with a clever clan seal placed prominently on her shoulder. She has a crossbow ready and is peering around warily, even as the Freeswords approach.
Cara walks through the swamp, axe in hand. As she wades through the much, she smirks upon noticing the pangolin in ranger garb. She waves and makes her way over to her. "Hello, I'm here to help." The feline takes a look at the crossbow for a second and smiles, "I see that you've come prepared as well."
Despite her fondness for excessive amounts of armour, Lucasiel knew when it was and wasn't a good idea to wear it. Swamps were no place for heavy armour, so today she's chosen to dress in a light metal breastplate over a leather tunic and a matching pair of pants. The only other armour on her were her gauntlets. Still carrying that massive axe, though. "Swamp troubles that the Rangers alone couldn't handle? I am curious, now."
Kalt humms gently to herself as she makes her way through the swamp, the Vixen's tail flicking a bit behind herself as she seems to be in slight contemplation before taking notice of their employer(?). A small dip of her head to the woman as she adjusts her bladed gauntlets with a smile, and double checks her gilded armor. "Evenin'!" She chimes out to the Pangolian, and any fellow freeswords whom arrive.
Zuri arrives shortly after. The small salamander is dressed in practical armour, a chain hauberk worn over a cotton tunic, lightweight but still protective. He peers behind him at the jasmine being following in close proximity with a smile before strolling over to the gathering group. He offers a polite nod at those gathered, except Kalt who receives a bright smile. "Howdy folks."
Rokarion stifled a yawn as he walked after the salamander, the plant being clad in his usual body-covering heavy cloak. The nonchalant looking youngling glances all the mercenaries grouping up near the pangolin as he closed in himself, "I hear there is an unusual creature that you are having trouble with?" he asks idly. With such disinterest one wonders why did he even bother showing up.
Shizuko follows Lucasiel through teh swamps to the Rangers' outpost; the older leopardess is fully armed, and she moves with an easy grace as she picks her way through the terrain. As she reaches the outpost she gives the pangolin a nod, then stands and listens for the briefing.
The Pangolin puts a finger to her thin lips, and waves the newly arrived freeswords closer. As the gather, she points out into the mangroves. About 100 feet away (30 meters) the haunch of some sort of large bovine hangs above the surface of the swamp with flies and midges swarming about it wildly.
The ranger cups a hand to her ear. The group is suddenly made aware that the normal chorus of birds and swamp beasts has fallen silent and waves lap gently along the mangrove roots. In normally stagnant water. The pangolin carefully aims her crossbow toward the hanging haunch.
Suddenly, the water boils and something huge lunges from the water! There is an impression of teeth, teeth and more teeth, the twanging sound of a crossbow, and then it is gone, along with the half a cow!
Cara raises an eyebrow from the now bleeding husk of a cow. "Okay, well, it looks like we're hunting today. I'll get it out of the water." A small smile comes to her lips as a plan comes together. From the safe distance, she begins to concentrate as water math begins to gather around her. After a few seconds, the water math is sent directly over to the lake that the beast is inhabiting in her attempt to get the beast onto land. Hopefully, the land will slow it down.
Lucasiel raises her brow at the sight and lets out a low whistle, tugging her hood up. "That certainly is a creature. Unfortunately, I can't really do anything about it as long as it's under the surface."
Kalt blinks a bit as the remains of the bovine meal is removed, the vixen raising an eyebrow before she offers a belated wave to Zuri as she smirks. "Well then, let's go gettin' out here. Don't go bein' 'fraid to get yer weapons ready." The Vixen takes off on a slow walk forward, standing farther out than the group in what is hopefulyl ankle deep swamp water as she lowers her body in a prepatory maner... Ready to either shoulder a smaller thing, or dodge from a bigger beast... Hopefully that is. Her voice is low as she gently sings near that water, her words carrying out as she seems intent on drawing it forth.
"Holy Diver, you've been down too long in the midnight sea. Oh what's becoming of me~?"
Zuri jolts as the creature makes itself known by the gruesome spectacle of a cow being devoured in the blink of an eye. The little salamander draws his two paired weapons and darts to the side, parting from the center of the group and circling around. He hopes that the beast will be drawn to the bigger, noisier beings and that he will be able to attack it from the sides.
Rokarion raises an eyebrow before idly taking out his trusty book from underneath his cloak, "Fascinating, and what kind of creature is that?" Rokarion asked idly, "Is it a native denizen of the swamp, because it must have traveled a long distance otherwise, and this place is hardly a favourable environment for the being." Done with his comment, the plant being remained silent for a while as he mentally prepared a calcified flesh spell.
Shizuko takes a long moment to consider the water-beast full of teeth, then slides her miao dao - a two-handed scimitar - out of its sheath. "I see. Fascinating. I will stand guard on the mages until we have a plan."
The water surges and swirls under the influence of Cara's magic, spitting a few horned belchers and some pale fish onto the shore but producing no more results.
The pangolin finally speaks. "You won't get it that way," she says, "The thing has already gone back to its hidey hole." She points to a distant mangrove, a real monster with roots that form a cave like entrance. "Thing is immune to every poison we've tried and just shatters our traps." She looks at Rokarion. "Pretty sure it's native," she says, "Just bigger than any of the critters I've seen. We rangers aren't much suited to a head on fight. Thing took two of our best when we tried to take it out in its den. Fed it enough sedatives to knock out a bone dragon for a week. Didn't even slow it down. Thing is bloody fast in the water, but it will feed on land. That's why we set this up. The crossbow was really just a shot in the dark. Any questions?"
Cara quickly turns to face the ranger, "That would have been useful to know before I tried to get it out of the water." The feline sighs and yells out to the marble fox in the water, "It's not in there any longer." She rolls her eyes and concentrates once again, this time intending on making everyone a bit more maneuverable in water.
"How do you sedate a bone dragon?" Lucasiel muses, adjusting the weight of her axe on her shoulder. "So... We go to it's lair and try to get it in there, then. Well. We have our work cut out for us! Hopefully it'll be amphibian enough to be on land."
Kalt crosses her arms and furrows her brow in contemplation. "... Whelp. Ya heard her, guessin' we're goin' into the root cave an' all." The Vixen nodding solemly as she turns to shuffle in the direction of the root cave, watching the water as she tries to not slip into the deeper water. "If'n we go pullin' it out, or gettin' up close to it, I can go keepin' it's eyes on me when ya lot go for attackin' it."
The Vixen's tail swishes behind herself as she continues to make her way, gently singing to herself, with just enough volume for those around her to hear as she does so. "Men of Firment, stop yer dreamin'... Can't ya see their spear points gleamin', See their warrior penant's streamin' to this battle field~" She's not speeding up in her run, eyes rapt on the water before her as she waits for the other to either catch up or follow along to the cave entrance!
Zuri was already setting himself up to leap upon the beast once it emerged from the water, but it never did. He paces slowly back towards the group, keeping his eyes on the churning muck of the swamp. "Yea, I guess the question is, did any of you bring a cannon along?" He giggles and follows along with Kalt. "We'll have to figure out a way to cripple or pin it somehow, if it moves that fast in water it might just overwhelm us without much effort."
Rokarion looks at the ranger, "So if it is a native species then tell us about it." the plant being said, "What kind of species is it? Any habits we should know about?" he asked before moving closer to the swamp, equations running through his mind as he began summoning an elemental from the swamp water.
Shizuko looks over at the pangolin ranger and nods her head at Rokarion's question. "I have not seen something like that before," she says, ears perked as she waits for the details. "It looks vicious."
The pangolin shakes her head. "Don't know much," she says, "We're finding new critters out here every week. Just gotta assume that they are natural and not crawlin' out of Spirit holes or something." She slogs along part of the way with the others. "Y'ever see a Croc?" she asks, "One of the old ones, not a being? It's sort of like that, only longer and slimy and with a lot more legs and a lot more teeth. I haven't seen much more than teeth and scales when it takes bait." The ranger stops and waves, climbing a mangrove. "Here's where I leave you Freeswords," she says, "Good luck!"
With Cara's help, the going is easier, the water seeming to give less resistance as they walk, and Rokarion's elemental rises from the muck alongside the party. So far, the water is no more than waist deep and maybe a little higher on an average being, but it is murky and the mud is treacherous as they draw near the entrance to the mangrove cave.
Cara smiles from that information and continues walking along on, noting a small amount of resistance to movement in the muck. As the feline walks along she grits her teeth, "Err, maybe I better add one more water blessing." The feline concentrates for a moment on getting the same water math correct, thankful for learning water magic in the first place.
Lucasiel adjusts her grip on the haft of her axe as they cross through the swamp, largely keeping quiet, until they start getting closer. "Do we have a plan? Working with an unknown creature might make it hard to work around, but it'd be nice to have something in mind."
"Ain't gonna pretend like m'havin' a good plan. Honestly, m'plannin to draw it on out, get a look at wot it is, then go beatin' it appropriatly. Tried an' true method that is." The Vixen stopping near the entrance of the cave as she taps her chin for a moment. "So it weren't a fan of them last to... Lets see..." The Vixen moving to smack her claws together in a slightly rhythmic manner. "So, lets go seein' if'n it wants a fight out here hm?" The Vixen humming along to the rhythmic pounding of her fists as she doesn't break into open song, instead opting to peer into the tunnel to see how far she could see, before stepping inside as she continue to humm and gently smack her claws together. gently to herself.
Zuri weaves through the group to be closer to Rokarion. The small salamander somehow still expects an ambush, and up until they enter the creature's lair he keeps his attention on the group's flanks. He nods at Kalt's words. "We may just have to improvise. See how it reacts to our presence."
Rokarion shrugs as he idly walks with the group, the muddy elemental moving next to him, "Not really enough time for a plan if you just keep on acting." he tells Shizuko before looking at Zuri and shrugging, "I am not paying you any extra for any unnecessary risks you take." the plant being tells his employee.
Shizuko shrugs her shoulders at Rokarion. "I am staying near, I'm not going to let you walk off alone." She sticks with the group, moving carefully through the muddy water and not terribly upset at getting her clothes muddy.
The sound of splashing water and of tearing meat and cracking bone comes from within the swamp cave. Sounds like someone is having dinner. More importantly, it sounds like they are having it out of the water. Unfortunately, the cave is very dim. Some evening light filters down through the mangrove roots, but at best it only manages to add a dappled greyness to alleviate the pitch darkness, though it does give some sense of the large space. The water has also become shallower here, only coming up to the knees of an average sized being. Kalt's banging and singing do not go unnoticed, of course. The crunching and tearing within the cave go suddenly quiet, followed by the faint sound of rippling water as something slips into the unseen waters of the cavern.
Cara stays quiet and waits for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. There's no point in attempting to fight an enemy that you can't see. The feline brings up her axe, ready to chop away at the monster that might attempt to attack her if the marble fox doesn't keep the attention on herself.
Lucasiel slings her axe down into both hands as they step into the cave, holding it parallel to her waist. "Keep on your guard," she says, as if it needed saying at all. "We don't really know where it could be, and sometimes those big things can be awfully sneaky. We don't want to lose an arm or a leg by stepping somewhere we shouldn't."
