Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

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Gunmetal_Rainbow
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Gunmetal_Rainbow »

Sandra looks up as your group enters her office. She looks at the same time relieved and not at all surprised that you have all returned looking none the worse for wear. She offers you drinks and calls for Erin to bring sandwiches then listens patiently as Lloyd and Moira lay the report.

"So the gang's leader was corrupted..." she considers silently for a few moments. "Pardon an old woman a moment of thought. Anyhow.. while the name Helmontra means nothing to my memory, it does sound like some manner of patron or master of this bandit. Petram is a village to the north in Primium. Before I continue however, I am certain you would like to know of your rewards."

Sandra leaves through the forest of paperwork on her desk until she finds the one she is looking for, carefully extracting it from the mound. "Please hand this in to Erin after our meeting for your reward. Ninety silver each and if I am not mistaken, accolades which will ascend you all to expert rank. Congratulations. Erin will see the paperwork done quickly so you may requisition expert rank gear."

Having congratulated you all for your promotions, Sandra leafs through a folder. "Now...for Petram, I would like to send your group north to investigate and see if this Helmontra may indeed be an akuma. If it is, your mission to to eliminate it. If there is no akuma, I would still very much like to know this Helmontra's connection. There is another hunter I would like to send with you as a guide as she is originally from Petram. She may be of valuable assistance as a guide. While I reach out to her, how about you take the rest of the day to your own devices and we will meet at sun up."
so 90 silver for each of you, and if I've not miscounted,you should have definitely reached your three novice accolades in order to rank up to expert. Protecting the caravan from Bandit's and deceivers alike, your encounter with the akuma and racing the sick merchants back, and dealing with the Hognose gang. The battle house party members will also have 1 expert accolade in addition for the warchmogger.
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Vivid
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Vivid »

"Eliminate... an Akuma...?" Moira says with an odd mix of excitement and apprehension. "That's... uh... yes, Ma'am."

"And, Ma'am, there are some upgrades we're all waiting for that will be about a week in completion. I imagine it may take some time to familiarize ourselves with new Trade gear too. I'm hoping that timeline works for you and this guide."
Moira ventures.
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Gunmetal_Rainbow
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Gunmetal_Rainbow »

Sandra considers, then nods. "While I would prefer you leave sooner, being properly equipped and prepared will garner greater odds of success."
Prof Weird
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Prof Weird »

Sashura Vlasova

Sashura's good mood at the Guild promotion paused for a bit - taking down an Akuma sounds like something a team of grandmasters might have trouble with. Best idea would be to see IF that 'Helmontra' is an Akuma, then come up with a plan. Or call in a lot of help.

At least she already had a good idea of what gear to requisition : the Auto-Buckler from the Guardian trade (Chelydra can cast a powerful shield and can heal ! What else would she be ?). And maybe the pheromone dispenser.

So far, the strategy of keeping a big monster focused on her while the other members of the team beat the snot out of it relatively unmolested seems like a good idea. And there is nothing more distracting that a target right in front of you that you just can't hit.
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Arkrite
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - First journey

Post by Arkrite »

Grigor "Dog" Geddings
AT: NA Wounds: 5/5

Dog helps himself to a couple sandwiches, happy to just eat. The mention of pay was nice, though the guild rankings just caused him to shrug and reach for yet another sandwhich.

He chokes when the Guild Leader suggests they just kill an Akuma.

"Uh, beg your pardon, but don't you normally send armies to deal with Akuma?"
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Doctor Malsyn
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Doctor Malsyn »

"It is a b-b-bit... Outs-s-side of out u-him... Exp-p-pertice... I -I mean, we... We already met o-o-one of... Them before... They j-just seem so... Insurmountable." Ericka managed to get out, her stressed nerves quickly catching up with her.
Am I dead? Am I alive? The answer may surprise you!
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"What a week, huh?" "Doc, it's only Wednesday."
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Vivid
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Vivid »

Lady Moira Sterling
Moira AT:
Raptage AT:

"We can at least determine what it is." Moira says to her fellows. "And there are ways to tell power level, like if it floats or not. And we'll have that other Hunter with us."

"Growing up I heard plenty of hunter's tale, reputable ones too, about smaller groups than us taking out a lesser akuma. We'll have upgraded gear, penetrating bullets, we can outfit for fire... let's just see what we're dealing with."
Moira says with cautious confidence.
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - First journey

Post by Flynnarrel »

Lloyd Millhaus
AT: ___ || Wounds: 7/7 || Casting: 6D6

Lloyd is... unconvinced. But says nothing either way on the subject of akuma elimination. The prospect was... daunting, but then again, neither himself nor his fellows took serious injury in any of the conflicts in their time together (though he'd never voice that aloud for fear of jinxing it). He idly wondered about the new guy being assigned as guide for their group and what they'd find in this 'Petram'.

"Excuse. How long since anyone heard from Petram village?" he asks. An akuma leveling a village with it's awesome power would be one thing, but if 'Helmontra' charmed/corrupted the arsonist to 'punish' it, that would say an entirely different thing about their chances against it.
Last edited by Flynnarrel on Sat Dec 11, 2021 10:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Doctor Malsyn
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Doctor Malsyn »

Ericka continued to shuffle foot to foot, yet refused to further the matter.
Am I dead? Am I alive? The answer may surprise you!
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"What a week, huh?" "Doc, it's only Wednesday."
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Gunmetal_Rainbow
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Gunmetal_Rainbow »

Sandra weathered and considered the concerns raised. "Akuma can be a formidible threat to be certain, but as your comrade mentioned, they do vary in power. If I were to hazard an educated guess, the motif of flames would have me think any akuma would be ruin. Certainly easier to deal with than madness. Be cautious all the same, and certainly withdraw if the threat turns out to be too great. I have faith in your abilities."

Loking over to Lloyd and inclines her head. "As for Petram, i couldn't say. I have no personal connections, so I have no way I knowing when the last has been heard from there. It is possible an akuma's influence has prevented information about the town being razed from reaching us as well. All the more reason to investigate."
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Arkrite
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - First journey

Post by Arkrite »

Grigor "Dog" Geddings
AT: NA Wounds: 5/5

Dog's response to the blasé response is to help himself to another sandwich on top of the one he was already eating.

Don't worry, the terrifying demon creature was probably less scary than other terrifying demon creatures. This, he noted in his head, was why he wasn't a part of the guild. Nobody could order him to attack an Akuma.

"I'm assuming there's some kind of bounty for it?" Dog asked.

Bribery, on the other hand...
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Gunmetal_Rainbow
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Gunmetal_Rainbow »

Sandra nods to Dog. "There is a bounty, of course, however, without knowing exactly what you will be dealing with, it is difficult to say what it will be precisely. For investigating however, I can promise at least fifty silver, with that going up depending on what you ultimately encounter."
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Arkrite
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - First journey

Post by Arkrite »

Grigor "Dog" Geddings
AT: NA Wounds: 5/5

"Uh-huh," Dog responds looking less than enthusiastic. He contemplates taking a third sandwich out of spite.
Flynnarrel
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Flynnarrel »

Intermezzo...

Everyday was a fresh bruise or 6 for the Uhyrean woodsman as his Striker training involved a brutal obstacle course of varying heights, tasks, and challenges. Added to this were alternately swinging knobbed weights the size and mass of a bull, a maze of shifting rotating rattan rods that would reconfigure and change velocity at random, and the unenviable task of climbing a bucking mechanical structure destroying wooden targets throughout.

Lloyd was grateful to be associated with gifted healers and battle medics in the form of Ericka and Sashura respectively.

From sun-up to sun-down he trained and tested himself against the course set to increasingly difficult settings. It was a marvel of technological innovation and sadism although Lloyd would appreciate little of it's engineering to instead curse the hellspawned designer of the nightmarish torment. Still, by the end of the week he was a marvel to watch him zipping among the areal platforms and gliding amongst the heights avoiding obstacles with more determination and focus than any sense of 'ease'. The training wasn't secret by any means and any in the Hunter's Yard could watch; indeed, it was great sport and a source of amusement (and possibly betting) for the veteran and novice hunters.

All too soon the final days of training was upon Lloyd. The course would be cranked to one of the highest [of the Adept] settings and further there could be the Striker training Master herself and a couple of volunteers hidden somewhere among the Obstacles to further add elements of chaos and danger to the test.
[I was thinking to actually write out the test itself with a few rolls to see how he does.]
"Something pithy this way comes."
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Vivid
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Vivid »

Lady Moira Sterling
Moira AT:
Raptage AT:

Moira spent the week going between the trappers and the sharpshooters. While drawn to the mechanics behind the ingenious trapping mechanisms she ultimately decided on the precision of the ranged-weapon specialists. Though a quick study, she wasn't prepared for the chemistry involved. She lost a day to a mishap with the sleeping paste but woke up refreshed if annoyed at her blunder.

Otherwise she spent time volunteering to work with the bulletsmith who designed the penetrating bullets and sent missives back to her family for Sterling Industries to hire the innovative smith and purchase his formula for mass production. The man should be receiving a very lucrative offer and the opportunity to name the new class of ammunition.

She couldn't just leave Bearrage somewhere without visiting it often, observing the lightening techniques and overseeing the reassembly.

Her week otherwise passed quickly and she was definitely at Lloyd's final test run of the obstacle course.
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