A river valley between two mountain ranges. A powerful river flows through rocky terrain, creating strong currents and dangerous rapids. Precious gold ore can be found in the river for those brave enough. The forests surrounding abound with life.
Instinct kicked in when the HALT! rang out. Shifty jumped out of his skin readying his 'About-to-Bolt' stance as the huge horned wolf came bursting thru the tree line meaning some serious business. He knew right away that him and Enya couldnt take him straight up if a fight ensued. Barely comprehending the horned wolf's size and horns, now what resembled a Hyena with the strangest worm like mane came running out of the woods. Shifty's childhood Rival the Hyenas of the Savannah always bulling his family off kills or lands just because they were larger. 'Dont Run' It took his whole pack to take down a single 'Yena.
A parrot wolf emerged lastly asking if he was late like this was a party down by the river. A Rude-imentary patrol for sure, interrupting a civil chit chat between him and Enya. Without missing a beat Enya's Queenly demeanor took over the conversation moving in front of him with a motherly protective stance. She deceptively played her words to make it look like a simple misstep on his part. Thanks Enya, throwing me under the river. His fur wasnt even dry yet.
He could see that the three werent buying her explanation of what was going on. So much for a simple swim on the beach. "I dont think they're buying it" Shifty whispered to Enya out of the side of his mouth as he sidled around her. Yeah its my fault I got caught in the current and dragged down. I didnt think it'd be that strong. All I wanted was a cool refresh. Playing off of what she had said.
Character Diceroll 1: Unuccessful Diceroll must be above 500 to be successful.
0 was added for Stealth.
469 was added for Level 2.
0 was added for A. No Enchantment.
0 was added for A. No Buff / Penalty.
Urna and Quinnat's arrival were met with brief but courteous glances in their direction, not wanting to take his eyes off the intruders for even a moment. He kept his stance defensive, head angled downwards, the sunlight glinting off his steel horns. He is quiet and at the ready as the Monarch speaks to the Noble.
If there was one thing he could agree with, it was that he would have done the same thing in her situation. He wouldn't just let someone die or struggle just because they chose the wrong path. Based on her words, it seems the spotted canine was a new recruit to Verdantis, which would explain why Gabriel didn't recognize him. What Gabriel did not appreciate, however, were the lies she used to tell her story - this location was close enough to his current den of choice that even the light nap he had taken wouldn't be enough to make him miss any cries for help. But... There was always room for doubt.
Even still. He then turns to the wild dog, a lighter tone in his words, "even if she is sincere about helping you, vhat makes you zink she cares vor you as an individual? You could just as easily be a pawn to her game, a simple number to her ranks to pursue her own agenda, a slave to --" he stops just short of besmirching Tsillah. Despite his feelings towards the goddess, he knows better than to evoke her name negatively. Not if he wants to keep his livelihood, "... Those who join duskorna, join only to promote violence, manipulation, discrimination against those zey consider weak... Are those ze kind of people you veel you belong to?" let it be known now, so that the people of Verdantis are aware of the turncloak. Or perhaps, better enlightened, the wild dog will make the right choice.
Quinnat listened to the trespasser’s speech, every word of it. His jaw was taut but his expression was otherwise impassive as she spoke of a heroic rescue. Quinn had been in the area, perhaps too far away to hear the cry? But he heard Shifty’s whisper to his self-proclaimed saviour - and that shattered any doubt Quinnat’s mind had been plagued with. They were lying.
Gabriel spoke, showing concern for Shifty and disdain for the Duskornan woman in equal measures. Quinn listened but his eyes weren’t budging from Shifty. Devotee was what the Duskorna Monarch had called the wild dog. But how could that be if the two had only just met?
His head turned to Shifty. The corners of his eyes crinkled, narrowed but still hovering above a smile. “What do you know about your new deity?”
“Maybe it’s better to have one fewer in our number than one more who doesn’t want to be here.” The tip of his tail flicked and the feathers protruding from it rippled as he glanced at his fellow Verdantians. Then his gaze swept to Enya, and remained there. By now, it was obvious that there had been no call to draw the Duskorna woman into the territory.
Urna didn't particularly care about the wild dog, or for her companions' apparent regard for his well-being. Bet you wish you had more of a pack with you now, huh? Her eyes slid from him onto the bigger problem.
Enya was out of chances, as far as Urna was concerned. The leader of Duskorna couldn't be allowed to just frolic back on home out of Verdantis' territory, not unless they wanted to prove every stereotype of weak-willed pushover Ohrians true. How long until the rival kingdom decided to push their luck again?
Urna trotted a wide semicircle around the duo as Quinn said his piece, watching them for weakness the same way she'd size up a herd on a hunt. "Lying isn't a good look for you," she said. Her muzzle crinkled, lips pulling back to reveal more of her teeth. "We don't want a fight"—blatantly untrue in her case, but her good, diligent comrades likely wanted a peaceful resolution—"but you understand we can't just let you go." Firelight sparked between her jaws, and Urna spat a low blaze racing across the pebbled shore, singeing a clean, straight line between the intruders and the route back to Duskorna.
The flame smouldered down almost instantly, as much an effect of the damp environment as any control on her part, but its path—and its message—was still clear.
The words came out before she could check herself, before she could defer to Quinn as the higher rank or to Gabriel as the one who encountered them first. "You're coming with us."
Shifty tried to take the blame for himself but she could tell by the looks on the other's faces that they weren't buying anything either of them had said - even if she had told a partial truth. She had saved Shifty. When the horned one talked about how Duskorna promoted violence, manipulation, and discrimination, Enya snorted. It certainly felt like the pot calling the kettle black.
Questions and more questions. Statements made as pieces were moved into position. They were stalling, likely waiting for others to arrive. She needed to move quickly if she hoped to escape this encounter. Already the hyena was moving to flank - to block their open escape. As they repositioned and adjusted and spoke and questioned, her stance shifted from a protective one into a defensive position. Her head was lower now as she carefully guarded her neck. She felt herself wishing she had her armor on right about now. One on one she was confident she could take them, but three against two - and one of those on her side being a complete stranger? She'd seen this before and it hadn't gone in her favor then, either.
"No, I don't think I will" Suddenly a wave of water rose from the whitewater rapids and crashed down in a large amount, aimed with hopefully enough strength to try and force the feathered and ram-horned wolves to keep a distance from her and Shifty. "Time to go" she told Shifty quickly as she turned to make a bolt for the gap she had hopefully opened with her pull of magic. She tried to dodge around Urna to avoid any chances of the hyena making a grab for her. She was playing with fire - literally apparently - and it was time to go before she got burned.
Enya: 8/8 HP
Strength Roll: Level 4
Success: Manages to pull enough water from the rapids to force Gabriel and Quinnat to face an obstacle to reach her and Shifty
Failure: Pulls water from the river but the wave washes out and is not enough to stop Gabriel and Quinnat from closing the distance between her and Shifty
Dexterity Roll: Level 4
Success: Attempts to dodge a grab/attack from Urna as she tries to break past - automatically avoids 1HP damage specifically from Urna
Failure: Cannot dodge Urna should they attack.
Character Diceroll 1: Successful Diceroll must be above 500 to be successful.
0 was added for Strength.
535 was added for Level 4.
0 was added for A. No Enchantment.
0 was added for A. No Buff / Penalty.
Character Diceroll 2: Successful Diceroll must be above 500 to be successful.
0 was added for Dexterity.
503 was added for Level 4.
0 was added for A. No Enchantment.
0 was added for A. No Buff / Penalty.
Shifty didnt have an answer for The Bright feathered wolf he knew nothing of the Deity, he assumed was Tsillah as one of them mentioned. As the 'Yena was moving to flank them and sparking up fire. FLASHBACK! Shifty jumped back to when he was just a pup in the fields of Africa. A blaze had started from a distant storm. The wild fire had made it was across the scorched savannah plain. He was doing his best to save his pack his brother had been trap in a semicircle of fire, without hesitation he leaped over grabbed his brother. Charing his forelimb in the process. SWOOOSH!!! The wave of rushing water brought him back to reality. 'Time to go' Enya yelled and he bolted at the opening!
Shifty glanced back and saw Enya in peril with Urna in pursuit. He want to help her, she saved him now to return the favor.
Shifty: Hp 4/4
Constitution roll: lv 3
Cast shield on Enya to tank a blow from the next attack.
Success: Enya is shielded from the next attack Physical or magical.
Failure: no shield is given
Character Diceroll 1: Successful Diceroll must be above 500 to be successful.
0 was added for Constitution.
525 was added for Level 3.
0 was added for A. No Enchantment.
0 was added for A. No Buff / Penalty.
As it turned out, Quinn never got an answer to his question. While he and Gabriel had appealed to reason, Urna had cut right to the chase. The Noble had been prepared for an interrogation - but he hadn’t expected the intention she stated. His smile crumbled, then twisted into a flash of bared teeth. He shifted his weight forward, ready to - wisely or unwisely - rebuke the hyena. But the Duskorna woman was astute and swift in her reactions to the Verdantians’ movements.
The wave of water stolen from the rapids came so swiftly that Quinn had only taken one or two steps toward Urna, Enya and Shifty before he was forced to veer away in an effort to dodge the worst of the spontaneous waterfall’s impact.
Hackles raised and feathers flared like a collar, Quinn spotted Shifty’s look back at Enya. “Loyalty kicked in now?” He bellowed, lowering his head as if he might charge at the wild dog. Instead, he tried to draw on his Will to tap into Shifty’s senses and conjure an image - seen only by him - of a rift in the ground between him and Enya. How deep did his trust in his new leader go?
HP: 5/5 DEXTERITY roll for Dodge Success: Quinn avoids the majority of the water. Failure: Quinn is drenched and winded by the water for -1HP
DECEPTION roll for Illusion Success: Shifty will see a rift open in the ground between him and Enya. Other characters won’t see it. Failure: Nothing happens
