Hangry - RPLOG
From Rusted Promises
Participants
Date
28/10/479
Log
The badlands aren't so bad, really. They are just miles and miles of grassy nowhere between the forest and the quarry with nothing on it but sheep and other grazing creatures and the hardy beings who tend them. One such being is a coyote standing at the edge of the carved quarry and looking around nervously.
Shira makes her way through the grassy boringness of the badlands, till she arrives at the described meeting spot. She looks up at the coyote and gives a little wave into their direction. "Hello! You are the one those ranchers who were looking for some mercenaries, I assume? Shira Runebreaker. What can I do for you and how would you like it done?"
Cassidy is passing the time til others arrive counting arrows and preening herself, brushing dust from her coat with a gloved hand. Shira's arrival gets a nod of greeting before she adjusts her bow tie and straightens up, unslinging her bow.
Peter romps through the peaceful, grassy bliss of the grassland, pissing off a few of the shepherds as his clanking armor scares the livestock while he runs by. "Peter Pitkin!" he introduces himself as he finally finds the other mercenaries waiting. "Howd'y'do."
Zuri arrives fashionably late. The small salamander is tugging his outfit into place following the blistering sprint up the path to catch up to the others. Pastry crumbs on his leather armor and a smudge of raspberry filling on his sleeve serve as clear indicators of what he was doing to be late. He pats the crumbs away as he joins the group, smiling brightly. "Hi everyone! Hope I'm not too late to catch the bad things." He's carrying a bow and quiver slung around his back, as well as his usual two blades safely sheathed in their twin scabbard. He smiles even brighter on seeing Cassidy. "Hi Miss Cassidy! Long time no see!"
The coyote fidgets a little, eyeing the dark canyon warily. "We don't know much," he confesses, "Just that it keeps taking animals. It started out just taking a little sheep here, a goat there. But it has gotten worse. Cows, purple bison, and this latest one was one of the big burdenbeasts. Not even the biggest sandcats can take one of those beasties. But whatever has been taking the critter. . . well, it didn't have too much trouble." He nods down the narrow canyon, "we tracked it this far, but we're just farmers. Fighting things like that isn't really something we're up for. That's why we called you folks in. Don't care what you do with it, just so long as it stops eating our livestock!"
Shira nods along with the rancher's words. "Wild animal then. At least likely. Something big." She rubs her chin. "Should not be too hard! Just leave it to m-" She coughs. "us." She flashes the coyote a smile, then turns to face her companions, same smile still on her face. "Lets go!"
Cassidy offers a tip of her hat to Peter and Zuri in turn, flashing a smile. "Greetings, Zuri. Quite a time indeed. Good to see you well," she says before looking towards the coyote. "We can do that. Whatever it is, it won't be troubling you much longer. Can you recall any signs of its passing? Did it leave blood or corpses? Or did it take them without struggle?"
Peter waves to the arriving salamander, patting his grumbling belly as he thinks of all the treats Zuri didn't bring to share, a little frown in his face. "We gotcher covered!" he assures the farmer, amidst the more proactive freesword's questionings.
Zuri giggles at Cassidy. "Yea! And we're meeting out here about to go on a contract, just like old days!" He listens as Cassidy asks her questions, nodding in agreement. "Yea, it might help us figure out what it is, or how to best stop it. No need to rush in all crazy-like." He slinks over to Peter's side and checks his equipment while the conversation winds down.
"Blood," the coyote says, "There is always blood, but not much, and nothing else. The thing gets through every gate, every fence, every lock, and never breaks anything. Just swoops in and snags whatever it is that it wants and vanishes. We're counting on you." The coyote steps away from the canyon and watches nervously.
"Hmmm. Maybe a large bird of some kind, then," Cassidy notes, nodding. "Very well. Shall we be on our way, then? Sounds like we have a beast to hunt," she says, pulling an arrow from her quiver and holding it in her free hand as she starts towards the canyon. "Eyes on the sky."
Peter looks down at his companions, seeming confused before he turns to the coyote, noticing the abundance of shorter beings. His chest puffs up a bit before he turns and bows his head to Zuri respectfully. "Pretty gentle, for a monster," he says, frowning as he considers the implication. "Could be stealers." He looks around the field, letting out a 'huh' at Cassidy's slightly more logical conclusion. "Thaaat makes more sense.." He grunts and lifts his sword over his shouder and holds it at his side, careful not to end up poking his companions. "Yes ma'am!"
Zuri nods quickly at Cassidy's words. "Sure sounds like something that can fly.. hm.." He smiles up at Peter. "Well, gentle monster is still an option! Or.. hm.. something else that can go around fences, maybe? I dunno.. or something tall enough.." He wiggles his snout thoughtfully as they start walking down the path. "I think flying thing makes way more sense, come to think of it." The small being stops bounding around energetically for a moment to think. "Maybe I should go wing-a-ling pegasus just in case.. "
Shira smirks. "Clearly it is a gentle, giant, flying, fence ignoring monster. Or one of the above. Or a being." The small mouse draws her foil and carefully runs a gloved hand across the blade. "Anyway, I am sure we find out sooner, rather than later."
It seems that the rancher has given all the information he has. The grizzled coyote watches the Freeswords talk among themselves, clearly wishing he were elsewhere. The canyon looms, tall and dark and hungry.
Shira is wiggling in somewhere in the middle of the group, eying the tall walls of the canyon as they move. "I am no expert, but would a flying animal, beast, whatever even make its home in a canyon, seems like it would be somewhat restrictive to something airborne. Especially if its big, yeah?"
"I've seen some that like to nest among canyon walls," Cassidy explains, moving along as she nocks the arrow. "There are not a great many trees out here, and something that large needs somewhere to take shelter from the elements. And somewhere to drag prey. You never know, but we'll find out, I'd wager."
Peter is lingering near Zuri, a worried eye looking down to the small mouse as he trudges along with his muddy boots. "Gotta be bandits!" he says, with an excited hop. "Or that. Jeez.. wish I brang a bow or somethin'," he says. "I didn't expect you guys to be so tiny," he chatters idly, nodding to Shira.
