darkSpyro

"I've never been in a desert before," Nolis added. "So I don't know what to expect. And a smoother path would be ideal, but there's also a greater risk of encountering highwaymen. We aren't likely to see any shady people in the rougher path, and it might take just as long as the smooth path anyway because it'll be harder to travel on."

Eydis's attempt to encourage him wasn't in vain. His slouch straightened the smallest bit. But it didn't get a smile out of him.


The time it took for the two to be within range of their destination was long enough to make Nolis decide he didn't like deserts. He was already sweating heavily, and he feared he'd get dehydrated faster than his canteen could supply. When the desert came into view, Nolis looked a little taken aback. He didn't know much about that type of terrain, but he had never heard of them being... perfectly divided like that. He could safely assume it wasn't naturally occurring, however. "Are you familiar with this," he gestured to the two sides in the distance, "sort of thing?"

// i gave you all options on the last post of page 2, check it out if you missed it!//

"Shh... up ahead!," Todd quickly said noticing the rustling up ahead in the grass. He quickly looked around at his surroundings taking note of their options. "We can fight it it or we can go around. I say you draw it out and I've got your back from here. If we're going to save the world, we might as well get comfortable now.," he then added giving his opinion and preparing to draw his bow. His first instinct would've been to avoid it, but he knew that whatever this creature was would likely be the least of their concerns.

Phillip was about to reply when Todd hushed him. Immediately alert, the guardsman followed the smaller man's gaze until he saw the rustling in the grass as well. Hand on the hilt of his longsword, he listened quietly as his companion spoke. He nodded his acquiescence, drawing his longsword and approaching the rustling in the grass cautiously. It wasn't as if he had any better ideas, and Phillip had always been a follower, not a leader, so he took Todd's advice in approaching the... whatever it was. It couldn't have been too large of a creature - or person - if it could be completely concealed in the tall grass. He glanced back at Todd for a moment, making sure he was ready before stepping forward, readying himself for whatever might come hurling out of the cover of the grass.

The normal sand path ahead of Eydis and Nolis was slightly longer than the blue path, and it was the most accessible. But if what Nolis says was true, then there was less risk of encountering highwaymen that could delay their journey and make that path even longer than it already was. However, there was a trouble with the blue path.
"The blue sand is shorter, but it's more perilous. Sure, we may not encounter thieves or highwaymen there and might find more precious materials there for that reason, but there could be more dangerous creatures there. Also, I've heard that some of this blue sand can be like quicksand." Eydis analyzed as she tied her hair into a ponytail, trying to remember everything she learned from the last and only trip to a desert. She encountered blue sand that time, but it was very far and never took that path.

The grass ahead of Phillip and Todd continued to rustle, and out of which, came a terrifying, large, man-eating...Oh...Nope, it's just...A small Gnome? The Gnome walked out of the grass, seeming kind of roughed up, bloodied and afraid.

"P-please!" He spoke in a sort of voice one would sound like after inhaling helium. "Don't hurt me! No more! Why did you follow me out of the maze! Please! What do you want! I don't have any gold! Take my hat, but not my life!" He began to cry in front of the two, shaking.

Todd quickly withdrew his bow and opened his eyes wide in surprise. "Woah! Calm down-- no-one is getting hurt here!," he then said getting Phillip and the Gnome. He motioned for Phillip to put away his weapon and looked down at the little guy. "Relax friend-- we don't want your hat and we're not here to hurt you. We just showed up ourselves and thought you were something else friend. Now.. you alright?," he then said trying to calm the poor fellow down and avoid any unnessary violence.

Phillip stepped back a few paces away from the Gnome and lowered his weapon, but he did not sheathe it. He did not make a habit of trusting anyone so easily, especially out in the middle of nowhere like this. Though he did not suspect that this Gnome was dangerous, he wasn't about to take any chances. So he simply stood behind Todd and let the smaller man do the talking for the both of them. It wasn't as if Phillip would have anything useful to add. Consoling people wasn't part of his skillset, especially when he still wasn't sure whether or not he could trust this little stranger.

At the insistence of Todd's words that they were of no harm to the tiny man, he became much more visibly calm, but he still continued to shake, as if he were in shock. His clothes were tattered and torn, a scratch mark across his face, still fresh. "Please...Y-You....We were just...We heard that inside the maze if you took a left, a right, a right and then a left, you would arrive at a room of treasure, but there was a beast waiting for me and...Oh god, I left her, I just left her! Please, my friend, she's still there, the beast has her! Please, please save her! I-I don't have much to give you but I-I-...Please! I'll let you keep the treasure if you find it! Just save my friend, please!"

OOC: So far, this reminds me of a level one Pathfinder compaign I'm currently playing as we speak. Good job so far.

"Shh... shh.. it's alright. Just stay here. Phillip-- we should go after her. We can't let an innocent life suffer if we can help it.," Todd said continueing to console the little Gnome and looking at the guardsman. He prepared to draw his bow again and go into the maze, assuming they were in agreement. Left, right, right, left...,' he repeated in his head.

Nolis's eyes were locked on Eydis as she gave her analysis. He never nodded or gave a verbal affirmation of his attendance, but the piercing, almost unblinking stare was enough to prove that we was listening. "I take it that you travel a lot, then?" he asked, uncurling his map and studying it. "I've familiarized myself with the landscapes around my hometown, but I never went far. Never had to fight aggressive animals, either." Looking back at her, he said, "I feel like you're more suited for this scenario. I'll follow your lead."

The half-orc grinned. "Really? That's great! I always loved going to see the gemstones myself. And heck, maybe you were even brought to my village. Can you imagine? We could've been in the same place all this time and not even realize it, isn't that something?" Her grin faded. "Although, come to think of it, that's hardly surprising considering everything else we've heard today." She shrugged. "Oh well. I still thought it sounded interesting anyway."

Muta nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I think we'll make a good team. Although, you have a point, an archer would probably be great in a forest. Maybe I could just throw my dagger at the food? Of course, I can't promise I'll hit anything. I'm not used to throwing weapons. So maybe instead I could just lift you up onto my shoulders? I'm sure I could, I'm pretty strong, after all." She grinned and flexed her muscles.

She donned a more serious expression when the pendant was brought up. Muta gave a small nod and looked down at her own pendant. "Yeah, maybe... I guess that's a good thing for us, since we need to use this magic to save the word, so it'd be pretty bad if it wasn't working."

When they reached the forest clearing, Muta gave a thoughtful gaze to both paths. She put a hand to her chin and considered both options. "Looks like neither path is particularly welcoming. One wants to poke us with prickly thorns, and the other will likely leave us itching all the way to town." The half-orc let out a quiet grunt and unsheathed her sword. She raised it and pointed it to the thorns.

"I vote we go that way. I can easily cut through those thorns like butter. Besides, a little poke would hardly be worse than a little bee sting," she scoffed. "I rather not deal with poison ivy anyway. Thorns you can at least touch if you're careful, but one touch of poison ivy and we'll be too itchy to properly focus on much else. I rather not be distracted like that. What do you think?"

Gallan was relieved to not have been paired with Nolis, Phillip or Eydis, he was certain their personalities wouldn't match, and after seeing the way Todd asked so many questions, seeming unsure, well Gallan, being unsure himself, worried about that. So it seemed that Muta was the perfect companion, however that didn't change the fact they still needed to traverse this forest and no matter who his companion was it would still be potentially dangerous.

Gallan listened to everything Muta had to say, she was making sense, until she said "B-B-B-BEES?" Gallan froze, shaking. "Wh-wh-wh-wh, do you think there are bees here? Why would there be bee-...Oh, you meant...I...I'm sorry, I heard the word 'bees' and I just...It's a long story, haha." It was a long story. When Gallan had been younger he would often run off into the backwoods behind his aunt and uncle's house, he'd climb the trees and chase the squirrels, but one day while climbing a tree a large black bear came walking through, just underneath Gallan. The large furred black creature spotted the small boy and roared ferociously, its glimmering white fangs sharp like razors. It was clearly territorial as it began to shake the tree; what Gallan hadn't known was that there had been a bees nest in the tree, bees that flew out from the disturbance and began to sting the bear causing it to run off, but also attacking Gallan, barraging him with stings and causing him to fall out of the tree unconscious. It was entire possible they might have been wasps, but Gallan never stopped to check.

Gallan, embarrassed and blushing from his outburst let out a forced and nervous laugh before getting serious. "Hmm...I think you're right, we can't be certain our armor will protect us from the itching but...The thorns could penetrate our clothes and therefore our defense...But, I trust you with your sword, and if we can cut down those thorns before they touch us first, I think that we should be golden! After you?"

Eydis sighed at Nolis's comment, feeling disappointed in that she seemed the ony one of the two to have any experience in traveling, and maybe even combat. Nevertheless, it did made her feel relieved that things were going to be done her way, at least for a while. After analyzing the pros and cons of each sandy terrain, she chose what she believed was the best option.
"Right then, to the blue sands we go. However, we will need to watch our step. I will use one of my spears to touch the sand and make sure neither of it is sinkable. You can throw rocks in front of us to make sure, just be certain you don't throw any valuable material. The blue sand is shorter but probably more perilous, but at least it doesn't absorb as much heat as the normal sand, so we should be alright. Keep all of your senses alert." Eydis instructed, exited but nervous at the same time. She was used to traveling, adventure and battling, but this time, there was much more at stake. She couldn't afford to make any mistakes.

"Yes." With that blunt reply of affirmation, Nolis started investigating the surrounding area for rocks and anything else for testing the presence of sinking sand.

The lizardboy had a very keen eye for details; even back when his parents were still around-- especially so, given that they had lived almost out in the middle of nowhere-- there wasn't much to do or interact with besides the environment itself. He started taking note of all the different plants, types of dirt and soil, stones, and the insects that crawled about. Soon after, he began to take an interest in his parents' work. His father was a tinker of sorts, and his mother crafted and enchanted talismans with her magic. They had started to teach him and sharpen his own crafting skills, and his mother had hinted that she'd test him to see if he had any magical ability. She never had the chance to, for soon after, they disappeared from his life. That aside, it never stopped him from learning more himself, going out on scavenging hunts and using his attendance to detail for use, especially once he became acquainted with his grandfather's town's local pawn shop owner.

Nolis investigates his surrounding area, to the left a little forward in the desert is a large boulder, somehow you didn't see it, maybe because how infatuated you were at the glistening and sparkling blue sand that seemed to envelop you and lull you into a sense of security. Nolis approaches the boulder cautiously and makes it, looking behind the bolder he find a bunch of rocks, and to his surprise: gems and rare looking crystals: two pink, two yellow, one green, one blue and 50 pieces of gold, maybe someone less fortunate dropped them? Best to put them in your satchel for the time being and hope you're lucky enough unlike the last person who dropped those crystals and gems.

...

As Nolis places the items in his bag however, he can feel a rumbling, maybe it was his stomach? But he ate back at the WoM's Base...Curious. Eydis feels the same thing...Just then, behind Eydis at the start of the blue sand, giant spikes shoot up, blocking off the escape route. More rumbling, roaring, it's as if the entire ground below you is about to give way! But...Is something moving underneath the sand??? A large fin protrudes out from the glistening blue sand and the sky turns dark gray, wind starts to blow, and out from the sand a couple meters in front of you pops out a giant Sandjaw, like a shark, but bigger, badder and sandier. He lunges at you, this is certain death....But then, another creatures pops out from the sand, erupting out from its slumber, a giant Squid? It looks like a large squid, Blue like the sand, its eyes glow green as it grabs the Sandjaw and devours it whole, staring at you with its large singular eye. It's as big as a semi truck, much taller than you...But maybe you can defeat it? Well...You'll have to.

The creature makes its move, staying in the same place. It swings its long tentacle and smashes the top half of the boulder Nolis was behind to pieces, leaving on the bottom half for cover. What will you do?

It took a few seconds for the initial shock to pass, which had froze Nolis in his tracks the moment the Sandjaw bulled towards him, mouth agape and ready to devour him. He had never encountered such a large predator; he had seen wildcats and wolves in the distant woods before, but they had quickly left his sight as soon as he had seen them. He had never been in such close proximity to a huge monster, and definitely not one that was intent on devouring him.

The majority of his shock had been from the near death experience he had just encountered, and the bigger monster that had appeared and consumed the initial one. Hands shaking, he forced himself out of his trance and bolted away from the giant sand squid, gesturing wildly at Eydis and shouting "Get away from it!" He attempted to dodge the tentacles, meaning to escape behind the reach of them, hoping that Eydis could as well and use her experience with ranged weapons to attack if needed. He also hoped they could outrun it if it could push itself through the sand and follow them.

OOC: Hey Lunarz. Should we keep track of the loot the characters collect, or will you do it?

Eydis was also recovering from the initial shock, though she managed to recover a little bit faster than Nolis.
"The elder wasn't kidding when he said this mission was going to be dangerous." she exclaimed, watching as the giant squid thing was following them with it's eye. Now she had a very good idea what happened to the original owner of the diamond and gold Nolis found.
"Listen, you get behind me. We will try to move away from this thing as slow as we can by surrounding the boulder, but we need to be ready to dodge the tentacles if it attacks. If we have no choice but to fight, aim for the eye. With the large meal it had, hopefully, it's bound to be much slower." Eydis analyzed, not being able to comprehend how this forsaken place was able to sustain such large species. She was hoping that with the big meal the squid had, it would be enough for it to leave them alone, but that didn't seemed to be the case. She was ready to throw a spear to it's eye if necessary, for it would do much damage than a simple arrow...

//Actually I typed out a reference sheet for hp, items, equipment, skills and money for all the characters the other day and I've been updating it so yep It's already being kept track of by me //

The large creature, unidentified to either of the children by species and only knowledge that it was some sort of mutated desert byproduct of the usually ocean-based Squid, although this one only had two tentacles, which was clearly more than enough to help it corner and devour its previous meal with no resistance whatsoever. The creature watched intently, seemingly wanting to play with its food until it wasn't as bloated from eating the caravan of people that had attempted to ride on through before. The Squid slammed its far tentacle down and began to swipe back and forth, kicking up a small sand tornado that shot towards the two, thankfully Eydis was able to dodge the sandstorm but Nolis was thrown about and into the luckily soft sand which cushioned his fall, but wore down his armor quite a bit. The squid roared like a large dinosaur and waited for its food to play back.

OOC: Alright, good to know. I was about to keep track just in case

Eydis, after a deep breath, was quite surprised that she was able to dodge the squid's merciless tentacle tornado with such agility, but looking besides her, she could see Nolis didn't have such luck. She was initially confused as to why the squid was swiping it's tentacle like that when it could be easier to just surround them with it and grab them. She then realized that the squid reminded her of a cat playing with a ball of yarn, and she slowly came to the realization of what was really going on.
"I think... I think we have no option here Scales. I doubt this thing is intending to let us leave." Eydis said to Nolis, having already adopted hat nickname for him. If the squid wanted dessert, it was going to have a hard time getting it. Eydis aimed for the eye after waiting for a while for the squid to stop swinging it's tentacle, intending to hit it right in the middle of it. She was slightly better with a bow and arrow than a spear, but if there was one thing she could do quite well, was shooting a long weapon, no matter if it was a spear, an arrow or even a javelin....

The large creature opened its large beak wide and screamed at the two, fully intending on tearing them about and digesting their innards, it barred its large fangs, two on top like tusks that were visible at all times and two slightly smaller inner fangs at the bottom. It got ready to shoot up another sandstorm but just before it could, a whizzing noise, it was like something was splitting through the air itself and coming right for the creature.

Not only did the arrow pierce the creatures eye, it was a near perfect bulls eye. The monster flailed about, screaming in agony, its flailing causing a blinding sandstorm around it, nothing could be seen between the monster and the two, it was like a barrier, and that's what the squid intended, though nearly defeated the monster still braved one, grabbing the small arrow with its tentacle and painfully pulling it out, blood following suit, covering the creatures beak, drenching down its previously beautiful blue and white body. The sandstorm subsisted and the squid made its last ditch effort to defeat the pair, although clinging onto consciousness, the squid took in a deep breath and then shot out a burst of wind at the two, throwing them back, and although not injuring them too much, Eydis's armor was damaged and Nolis's armor had completely shattered, leaving him bare and ready to attack, the creature, seeing..Well, almost seeing, its opportunity grabbed Nolis in its bloodied tentacle and brought him up close to his eye, holding him by the legs, staring at him, almost as if admiring its meal.

"Of course," he said, nodding his agreement. Looking to the Gnome, he asked as softly as he knew how, "What sort of creature was it that attacked you?" He hated to interrogate the man after he's clearly endured so much, but there were things they needed to know. Phillip wasn't about to go rushing in there completely oblivious as to what they were about to be facing. He wasn't even sure if two people would be able to take down this creature, whatever it may be. As much as he wanted to help, they couldn't be certain yet that they could.

OOC: Beak and fangs at the same time? That's quite an image

Eydis was rubbing her eyes while getting up, trying to get as much sand from them as possible. Although her eyes were a bit watery, she could still see the scene set before her, ignoring completely her damaged armor. Adaon was restless and cowering in his bag, but she didn't noticed. She was instead more focused on Nolis's predicament. Despite having been her the one who injured it, the squid seemed more interested on attacking her companion first. So typical of a predator to go to the prey that seemed the weakest, though after watching Nolis without his armor, she could see why.
"Hey you filthy beast! Have a shattered pride? Why don't you aim for the one responsible?" Eydis yelled recklessly, taunting the giant creature. Since she had noticed the squid had a tendency to roar, she waited until the monster would open it's humongous, fanged beak at her so she could aim an arrow to it's throat. She only had one spear and didn't want to risk losing it, plus the smaller arrow would have more chance to enter. She knew the risk she was taking, especially since the squid had one more free tentacle, so she had to consider her timing extremely carefully while scanning the big extremity at the same time. She was hoping that with an arrow piercing it's throat, the beast would let go of Nolis, and with luck, also discourage it from trying to eat them.

"Right," Nolis shouted in reply to Eydis's instructions, setting a hand on the hilt of one of his daggers and widened his stance in an attempt at a fighting pose. It was for naught, as the boy was quickly swept up by the turbulence of the dirt devil and flung face first into the dirt. Stunned, he heaved himself up to his knees and spat a mouthful of sand out. "That's a strange taste."

Getting up on his feet, head still spinning a bit, he stepped closer to Eydis and nodded. "Do what you can." And so she did, the arrow hitting its mark directly, sending the beast into a momentary fit of agony. And apparently rage, as its flailing tentacles caused a massive windstorm of sand, leaving Nolis unable to predict its next move. The precision of its next attack blew Nolis hard into the ground, shattering his armor.

The lizardboy didn't have an opportunity to ponder how short-lived his protection had lasted, as the squid took no time to snatch him and pull his legs into an embrace of steel. Loudly hissing an expletive, Nolis unsheathed a dagger by instinct, having the mind to slice at the monster's tentacles around his-- no, the eye. Nolis attempted to jab his weapon into it.

//If I didn't mention you guys all have health I monitor and I've given you 100 to start off, but these beginning monsters are pushovers anyways, at least for all you strong folk //

The Gnome was beginning to be less wary of the two travelers, especially now that the silent one had begun to speak, his lack of vocals was proving to the Gnome to be quite intimidating. The Gnome removed his hat, revealing a scruffy brown head of hair with a patch ripped out, he tells the two about a horrible creature...Not due to trust but desperation, after all, his friend was trapped and could do nothing

"I-I..." The small man took a large gulp and a deep breath in and out before answering Phillip. "We were just...We wanted the treasure ykno?" He looked down at the ground, seeming guilty. "I left her...I..." The small creature composed himself, he knew he had to be brave. He looked up at the two. "I...Okay, we got to this opening in the corn, it even looked like there was a tunnel leading to the other side! My friend, Ginana, she ran for the large chest that we thought contained the treasure...I told her not to.."
He wiped back a tear. "But...She opened it and this big rat looking creature jumped out! His tail has this weird ring on it! Like, glowing black, it was super scary! His eyes were...Th-They were pure white! He was so big! Like, at least six feet! Oh god, Ginana...." The Gnome began to cry once more, mumbling to himself. "Left, right, right, left."


------

This time the horrendous creature was ready, as Nolis went to jab the creature, it was able to notice, after all its attention was stuck on the Lizard boy, the creature threw nolis down to the ground, he lost 10 Health. The creature roared, and as Eydis took the opportunity to shoot the arrow straight into his mouth, she missed, and this time the squid was ready, he grabbed the arrow and smashed it to pieces before smashing the last of the boulder and showering rocks down the two, Eydis only taking 5 damage but Nolis taking 7

The beast had lost a lot of blood, still screaming in agony, it looks away this turn, unable to make a move as it yells up at the sky, its tentacles flat on the ground.

OOC: This is no RP. This really IS a board game
Anyway, remember Lunarz and Waaksian, what was aimed at his eye was a spear, not an arrow. The arrow was for the throat.

Eydis didn't take too much damage, but it was enough for her to realize just how severe the situation was. This wasn't just an ordinary predator. It was a creature that could think. She knew now both her and Nolis will have to stop attacking in a pattern or else they will be in worse shape than the sand shark that tried to attack them.
"Change of plans Scales! Aim for the tentacles this time. As for me..." Eydis instructed, believing that with the squid blind in one eye would give them some advantages, but as long as it had it's tentacles, it could still attack them. Shortly after telling Nolis what to do, Eydis tacked the monster with her remaining bravery, grasping her other spear and pulling her arm back, pretending that she was going to throw it to it's mouth again like she did with the arrow, but it was just to fool the squid into thinking she was going to use the same strategy. At the last moment, she jumped as high as she could to try and stab it right in the head, hoping to get a vital artery or maybe even the brain. She tried to fall as fast as she could, for there was the risk that if the squid had fast enough reflexes, it could catch her in mid air, or in worst case scenario, it could move it's head and she would fall in the wrong place, possibly even it's jaws...

OOC: Oops, I must have missed that, my bad.


Nolis had slammed into the ground at an alarming velocity, due to the monster's strength. He landed on his upper back, his head following suit, the impact shooting pain through his spine in both directions and sending him into a state of near unconsciousness for a second. He groaned, mind swimming and throbbing in pain, and struggled to get up. He had taken too long to situation himself, and didn't react quickly enough to the onslaught of rock shrapnel-- a few pieces had struck hard onto his head and chest, nearly knocking the wind out of him and causing the muddled state of his brain to worsen.

Nearly collapsing and holding himself up with an arm, his body started to shake, as if he were about to go into shock. Eydis's voice, thankfully, helped him keep to his senses. "I-I'm on it!" Forcing himself to his feet, he grabbed his dagger and stumbled towards the beast's left tentacle, and seeing the window of opportunity, attempted to lacerate it.

OOC: Right. My bad. I was typing too fast and missed that detail. Plus, Anolis is the scientific name of many species of lizards, so you can see the confusion. Changed it

//oop my b//

The Squid roared again, clearly having an affinity for doing so as it lacked the ability to speak and rarely had guests so needed to find some way of communication...Although this wasn't exactly communication it was more like...Attempted murder? Regardless, Eydis lunged at the beast, attempting hit its brain with the long spear, she stabbed his head, piercing the skin....But nothing happened, all that did happen was some blue white liquid coming out. The Squid stared with its lowered vision as best as it could at Eydis as she fell to the sand below. It opened its gaping beak, ready to devour Eydis comple-...Something stopped it. The squid writhed and screamed in agony, as if it couldn't control itself. As Eydis looks back she sees Nolis, his dagger inside the beasts tentacle. The beast erupted into a flash of blue and purple smoke, leaving behind some skeletons, 100 pieces of gold and a piece of the creatures fang.

As the beast was defeated, Eydis and Nolis' pendents begin to glow, penetrating their brain with magical knowledge of the beast.

Beast Entry: Desert Tentacla - A large and fearsome beast, this specific subspecies choosing to live underneath the cool blue sands of a desert. It has large fangs that protrude from its giant beak which is able to crack anything from a nut to a mound of diamonds. Its entire head is filled with a white liquid that constantly cools its body temperature. It houses one half of its brain in each of its two tentacles. Can create large gusts of wind by inhaling and blowing outward. Its three eyes from the normal species of Tentacle have been merged into one and has a see through eyelid so that sand cannot get in and irritate it while it digs.

Congratulations Eydis and Nolis, you have defeated your first challenge, enjoy it.

EDIT: added in that Nolis stabbed the tentacle

Muta blinked and stared blankly at Gallan for a moment. She lowered her arm, the tip of her blade hitting the ground. "Uh... What?" She muttered. She was about to ask what was wrong, or if he was okay, when he seemed to realize there was nothing to worry about. Noticing how embarrassed he was, she decided to let it go. She also made a mental note to not mention bees around him ever again.

The half-orc nodded with a grin. "Yeah, as long as I have a blade, I can cut down anything that stands in our way." She swung her sword in the direction of the thorns, pointing her blade towards them once more. "Onward!" Muta marched towards them, ready to slice her way through them. With a quick, powerful swing, she aimed for the first set of thorns.

Eydis was sitting on the sand, pale and still shaking. While she acted all brave and reckless when the squid was attacking, it had all been an adrenaline rush and a need to save her companion. Once the danger was over, she realized now just how afraid she has been. She knew that if the monster hadn't died when it did, she probably would've been another digested skeleton like the ones before her, for she wouldn't have had the time to reach her bow when the creature lunged at her.
"Highwaymen and thieves don't sound so bad now, do they?" she told Nolis, still recovering from her shock and struggling to get on her feet. Barely the first mission and look at the abomination they had to face. Was that suppose to be the first task? Now Eydis regretted not having taken the road with the normal sand as she originally planned. The loot was valuable, but was it really worth risking their lives like that?

With the courageous and brave Muta leading the play and Gallan close behind, nothing seems impossible for the two. Unfortunately, they might be tested on that sooner than they expected. As they trudge through the forest of thorns, they can see a small camp, smoke can be seen coming out of a dead campfire, three logs set out around the coal based fire, there are wooden barrels, some laid on their sides, all in the corner of the area. wooden sticks are stabbed into the ground near the campfire.

Gallan took notice, although he was short, he was able to sneak a peek around the Half-Orc in front of him. "H-Hey!" He yelled, quickly covering his mouth after realizing he could have just potentially called attention to the both of them. "Hey Mute." The boy whispered, a bit excited. "I think there might be other people here! Maybe we should go investigate and see if anyone's around?" Yes, the task that had been forced unto their shoulders was scary, but Gallan was beginning to feel more and more like a brave adventurer; he wondered if this is what his parents felt like on their quest, except this time, Gallan had nothing to lose...Well, he did...But that may have already been lost for all he'd known. But it was no use thinking about his past and what he could lose, he needed to think about what he could gain.

"Muta, maybe we should um...Excuse me..." He tried to slip by, wanting to prove to Muta that he could be brave like her, For some reason in his mind her chopping thorns was courageous, but maybe also because she just seemed so...Like nothing mattered, like she was ready to fight and do anything.

Unfortunately for Gallan, the thorns prick was too much, it prodded him and pinned him, and tore off a bit of his clothes he wore underneath his armor, cutting him as he lost 5 HP. The thorns also pierced his armor, wearing it down slightly.

"YEOW!" Gallan screamed, grabbing the cloth he'd wrapped around the two pieces of chicken in his bag and wrapping it around the medium sized cut. "S-sorry I just...I'll do good, watch!" Gallan ran over to the campsite and decided to investigate.

As Gallan examines the camp, he decides to look in the barrels, inside two is nothing, another is fish, but in the third he's able to find a couple crystals, one blue and one red. As he looks more he finds that the spears are covered in blood, not from something huge but perhaps...Eugh, is that the smell of fish on the sticks? The blood is fresh too, and so is the dead fire, as if just being extinguished.

"S-Someone was here Muta...Oh! Here, I found these gems, you can have this blue one! It suits you I think!" Gallan gave a slight smile before getting serious once more. "Someone's been here and it was recent. I think we should sit on these logs and wait until they come back, maybe they can show us the way out if they were able to get in from the other side. Plus we could take the time to get to know each other!" Gallan, retaining his chipperness from after finding out his parents were Saviors, took a seat on one of the logs.

OOC: To be fair, I did take the name Nolis from Anolis, so the confusion is understandable.


As soon as Nolis's dagger sliced into the beast's tentacle, it began to writhe and wail, until finally the appendage exploded into a blue mist in his face. His mouth had been half open as it happened; he coughed and grimaced at the taste.

His confusion ended when a fragment of knowledge seemed to lodge itself neatly into his mind. "Oh--" He looked at the dagger in his hand, which was stuck halfway in the sand now that the creature had dissipated. He... he had done it? After his consistent amount of suck during this fight, it surprised him.

He turned his head to Eydis when she quipped at him. "... Heh," he gave a nervous smile-- the first he had ever given since he had met the others-- and rose to his feet. His smile turned back into a grimace at the pain in his head... and chest... really everywhere, but mainly his head. "I wasn't kidding when I said I had never fought."

Behind the girl, gold pieces scattered about caught his eye, as well as a piece of the creature's fang, which immediately intrigued him. "Hey, look," he pointed, and stumbled towards the loot.

Eydis looked at the gold, but she took her turn at the fang.
"This... I think this could be very useful as a weapon." Eydis commented as she picked it up, believing this fang would be perfect for something like a dagger... or a spear. Speaking of which, she looked at the one she threw at the beast's eye. It was ruined... but maybe it could be fixed? Nevertheless, she picked the remains and starched them, turning her attention once more at the gold and the skeletons that could've been them.
"I suppose... these poor souls weren't as fortunate as us..." she contemplated, concluding that the gold belonged to these unfortunate travelers. She almost felt bad for picking it up, but it wasn't like it was going to be of use for them now.

Sheathing his dagger and resting a hand over his throbbing head, Nolis took a knee next to Eydis as she investigated the fang. "Yes. Although not in of itself; animal bone is useful for crafting weaponry and magic items. And given the jaw strength of that squid-- I'm guessing you got that weird "beast entry" too-- this particular tooth should be very durable."

The gold came to his attention once Eydis started collecting the fragments of her spear, and he eventually got them all in a pile in front of him. He had already possessed 50 pieces from the finding earlier, along with the gems; after doing the mental math, he supposed he could divide this set into 75 for her, and 25 for him, and it would be equal. But then as he thought, he considered that he had taken the most damage, and he had been the one to ultimately kill the beast-- even if it had been by Eydis's instructions.

Her remark brought him to actually pay attention to the deceased among them, which he had been stubbornly trying to ignore this whole time, but now had no choice but to acknowledge. "It is unfortunate, yes. But better them than us," he said coldly.

He nonchalantly scooped 50 into his bag while gesturing to the other 50.

"Oh, you heard that too?" Eydis said at his previous remark, ignoring that rather cruel last statement. She thought she had been the only one hearing that voice in her head telling her about the beast, but it looks like it was part of the pendant's power. No wonder it had glow when she heard the voice. The elder didn't tell them everything it seems.
"Which reminds me... thank you for saving my life." she said after much hesitation, realizing that based on the info she just heard, the reason why the squid died when it did was due to Nolis stabbing it in the tentacle, where it's actual brain was. Sure, it has been due to her instruction, but if he hadn't reacted just in time, she would've been meat for the squid by now.

//https://docs.google.com/docume...dit?usp=sharing

made a ref sheet for hp, items, equipment, skills, etc.
people with this link can view but not edit.//

Quote: Lunarz

The Gnome was beginning to be less wary of the two travelers, especially now that the silent one had begun to speak, his lack of vocals was proving to the Gnome to be quite intimidating. The Gnome removed his hat, revealing a scruffy brown head of hair with a patch ripped out, he tells the two about a horrible creature...Not due to trust but desperation, after all, his friend was trapped and could do nothing

"I-I..." The small man took a large gulp and a deep breath in and out before answering Phillip. "We were just...We wanted the treasure ykno?" He looked down at the ground, seeming guilty. "I left her...I..." The small creature composed himself, he knew he had to be brave. He looked up at the two. "I...Okay, we got to this opening in the corn, it even looked like there was a tunnel leading to the other side! My friend, Ginana, she ran for the large chest that we thought contained the treasure...I told her not to.."
He wiped back a tear. "But...She opened it and this big rat looking creature jumped out! His tail has this weird ring on it! Like, glowing black, it was super scary! His eyes were...Th-They were pure white! He was so big! Like, at least six feet! Oh god, Ginana...." The Gnome began to cry once more, mumbling to himself. "Left, right, right, left."

"Shh... shh.. it's alright. We all do things we don't intend to when we're scared-- heck I once ran into a thorn bush over the sounds of nothing. The important thing is that you're alright and you don't have to worry. We're here now and we're happy to help your friend. Now listen carefully, any more important details you can remember before we go?," Todd said trying to lighten up the mood and calm down the poor fellow. The story he mentioned was true, much to his shame and embarrassment at the time. Sadly, the simple times were gone now and they would soon face their first real threat.

OOC: Made some minor grammar corrections and a slight extension.

Muta hacked away at the thorns, easily clearing a path for the two of them. When they came across the campsite, she came to a stop in front of it. She took a moment to quietly scan the area around her. Before she could take it all in, she heard Gallan shout. She turned her head to look over her shoulder, and was about to tell him to lower his voice, when he covered his mouth. Muta nodded to his suggestion.

She was about to move out of the way for him, when he started to slip by her. She reached out her free hand towards him, trying to warn him to be careful of the thorns, but she was too late. He got pricked by them, losing a piece of clothing in the process. "Be careful," Muta said gently. She promptly slashed away at the thorns, removing them from his path. After that, she stepped aside to allow him more room.

The half-orc watched as he ran past her and started to investigate. She noticed that he began checking the barrels, and for a moment, she watched him. Muta turns her gaze to the rest of the camp, scanning the area with a watchful eye. Her sword was still drawn, with the blade pointing towards the ground in a more relaxed position. Yet her grip was still firmly on the hilt, and she scanned the area as if searching for a target. While eager to explore herself, Muta was also aware of the potential dangers a journey held, and wasn't about to let a possible threat sneak up on them.

Her attention was brought back to Gallan when he spoke up. She gave a small smile and accepted the blue gem. "Thank you." She placed it in her pocket. She figured she could inspect it later. Muta gave a quiet grunt and slight nod of understanding. So someone had been here recently. That made sense. The dead fire seemed fresh. Perhaps the previous campers had simply moved on? It's possible they could have just been travelers like them, who only stopped briefly to rest.

Muta followed him to the logs, but remained standing. She scanned the area again real quick, before turning her gaze back to him. "That sounds fine, but what if they don't come back? We can't wait around here all day." She didn't want to spend too much time here, as they still needed to meet up with the others at the town.

The gnome shook his head back and forth, wanting to sit down in fear of passing out so he found a small boulder and took a seat. "I...No, I'm sorry, he...He was moving so fast, it was like it had three faces...B-But oh! We Gnomes are so small, it will be easy for you! Much smaller than either of you!" He smiled, trying to be happy, but worrying as time was ticking for his friend.

-----

Gallan kicked around the dirt with his worn boots, he seemed playful, like a child, and maybe that's because this was all new to him, and while being nearly as old as Muta, he seemed far less mature, instead of casing his surroundings or keeping wary he just ran in headfirst and took a seat in what could have potentially been a trap, while Muta, well she had the right idea: constantly scanning the area, keeping her blade ready if the time came where she would need to use it, plus it had already been made abundantly clear that Gallan couldn't contain himself when he thrashed through the thorn bushes.

It was obviously to anyone with a brain that Gallan had never been out of the farmlands, at least not since he was very little, sometimes his dad would bring him to many amazing places, but since he'd become so sheltered and reserved after his parents leaving, it was like the entire world was an oyster and he wanted to find the pearl. He took in his surroundings, the bright and evergreen colors melded together to create a beautiful contrast, slight sunlight could sometimes be seen poking through the leaves and that made it look even more beautiful.

Gallan looked down at his arm, the blood has soaked through but he could tell that it was beginning to fade, thankfully the wound wasn't deep and most likely wouldn't get infected. The short boy picked a couple of thorns out of his boots and socks, hoping he didn't have any more shoved into the front of his boot where he'd step on them. "Well..." Gallan ruminated, putting down his beige leather rucksack and taking out an apple. "I think, that maybe," before he finished he took a big bite of the apple, crunching it until it was ready to swallow. "Ah, sorry. Um, I think maybe it wouldn't hurt to wait a little while? N-not long, just like, five minutes? I mean, I'm starving and I saw your appetite!" He offered a laugh and a smile, hoping the girl would comply. "Besides, if there were anything bad I bet our pendents would have sensed it y'know? Considering the magic stuff they have in 'em, but I'm only assuming...So, um...You're like, an Orc right? Did you come from an Orc village? I...I'm not judging, I'm not specist, I just...I've heard some bad things..." He hung his head down, regretting bringing this up. "I mean, not all Orcs are bad, right?" He hoped she didn't take offense, he really didn't mean it badly. "I'm sorry, that was a dumb question, you're really nice and I shouldn't have said anything, I-I'm sorry..."

"Hey-- don't ever let size hold you back, friend. It's alright-- just stay here and we'll be back soon.," Todd said offering false encouragement considering how he felt about his own height structure. He motioned towards Phillip that they should get going and rescue the Gnome friend.

"Remember-- Left, right, right, left.," he quickly said not wanting to forget that crucial detail. 'Left, right, right, left...,' he repeated again in his head heading towards the maze. Time was certainly not on the Gnome friends' side and they had to get moving.

After her shy comment, Eydis made no haste and continued to head to the village, rushing Nolis to do the same and using her remaining spear to make sure there is no quicksand ahead. She did it at a quicker pace than before though, not wanting to linger there too much and risk encountering another monster wanting to make a quick meal out of them. So many things could've gone wrong with that battle. First the sand shark. If it wasn't for that squid, it would've been the much quicker shark the one who would've finished them off. Secondly, if the cephalopod hadn't fed at that moment, it would've been quicker and hungrier, so the fact that it wanted to play with them instead of going for the immediate kill is what gave them a fighting chance. Worst of all, if she hadn't suggested Nolis to aim for the tentacle, or worse still, if the lizard boy hasn't stabbed the creature at that precise moment, she wouldn't be alive right now. Definitely so many things could've gotten wrong. It made Eydis green with the thought.

Quote: Lunarz

//https://docs.google.com/docume...dit?usp=sharing

made a ref sheet for hp, items, equipment, skills, etc.
people with this link can view but not edit.//

OOC: That is one great diagram. I suppose you'll edit it with every event? In that case, you should put it in the front page or anywhere where can see it so we see the progress

While Gallan was playfully kicking the dirt around, Muta was still scanning the area, her blade at the ready, just in case. While the half-orc had hardly strayed far from home, she wasn't quite as sheltered as the farm boy was. She had done enough exploring of the nearby mines and surrounding wilderness to understand that the world beyond her village wasn't nearly as peaceful or safe. While she never encountered anything particularly too scary or threatening for her to handle, she did spend her time training in these areas. So Muta knew to be wary and not let her guard down too much.

When her companion began speaking, she turned her attention back to him. She gave a light chuckle. "Maybe you're right," she admitted. "A few minutes probably wouldn't hurt, and I guess I could eat again." Her grin faded as she turned to scan the area once more. She stared off into the distance, as if waiting for something to dare try to attack them. When there seemed to be nothing dangerous out there, she slowly started to put her blade back in its sheath. The half-orc left her hand on the hilt, as if hesitaint or unsure of her decision to put her weapon away. She glanced back at Gallan when he brought up the pendants again. "Maybe..." She muttered. She admittedly didn't know what all the pendants were capable of. Who's to say they couldn't sense danger?

With her mind more at ease, Muta finally sat down on one of the logs. She took out a piece of meat she had saved from earlier and took a bite. It was nice to be able to take a break. She wondered if the others had that luxury. Probably not, she guessed. At Gallan's question, she gave a slight nod. "Half-orc, technically," she specified, "and no. My village consisted primarily of humans, and a few dwarves. I don't remember seeing any orcs there."

She gave a low grunt. "It's... Fine," she said, quietly. "If you were specist, then you likely wouldn't have wanted to be paired up with me. You'd at least treat me differently," she sighed. Muta gave a slight nod. "Of course not. My father couldn't have been. I mean, if what Aldoron said is all true, then he was a Savior, too, right? So he had to be a hero just like the others." The half-orc smiled softly. "Don't worry about it. You're not being offensive. You're actually really nice and respectful. Not everyone is. Some people just can't look past what I am and what they think an orc is, regardless of how I actually behave." She sighed and hung her head down.

As Muta hung her head down low, Gallan felt guilty, he never meant to upset the girl, he was only curious, after all he'd never met an Orc, and all he'd known of them was rumors and stories, but Muta didn't seem to be upset about his inquiry, but rather the general consensus that Orcs were just blood thirsty warriors who pillaged and raped and killed, or so Gallan surmised as to her now moderately more morose nature. "I um...I think it's kinda cool, y'know? I mean...Everyone wants to be 'normal' and they all think that just being regular is so cool but um, I think it's cool to be different, it makes you unique." Gallan wished he had been unique, maybe that was the real reason why he had chosen Muta as his travelling partner: because she seemed unique.

He'd hoped that what he was saying was helping, he hated to see her so down, and it was his own fault for him raising the question that resulted in her apparent sadness. He felt like he should try to comfort her but the words wouldn't come out any more, and he didn't feel they had known each other long enough for him to place a hand upon her shoulder. He searched endlessly for the words before speaking again.

"And hey! Y'know, maybe um, maybe after we've completed our uh..." He unsheathed his short sword and pointed it up to the sky. "Our Quest of Glory." He laughed and then put the blade down at his side. "And we've saved the world, and all of us have come back safe, then maybe people will know Orcs aren't all that bad like everyone thinks, y'know?" Another crunch out of his apple ended his somewhat rambled thought. "And besides..." he swallowed with a loud gulp and a sigh. "This doesn't seem too hard after all!"

What a horrible time for Gallan to say such a thing, because just as he finished there was a rustling noise, not just from one bush, but many. Three goblins, all with wooden clubs, their stupid slobbery tongues sticking out of their mouths, and one Goblin up high in a tree with a bow and arrow, surrounded each direction. They babbled and slobbered at their new found 'meal' Gallan grabs his sword and stands up, but from his nervousness trips over the log and tumbles back, setting off a trap, his entire being enveloped up high in a net trap, now hanging from a tree and helpless, his short sword falling to the ground rendering him helpless. He tries to reach for his dagger to cut the net but his arms arm stuck and tangled. The Goblin's stare at Muta, chanting in a loud, flemy and simultaneous manner. "Hung. Ry. Hung. Ry." How will Muta save Gallan? Will she? Or will she take on the Goblins alone?

Gallan wreathed and wriggled around before stopping fully, something was happening, he'd never seen these creatures before but...His pendent began to glow and so did his eyes, illuminating white if only for a few seconds, and somehow...He just...Knew.

Gallan yelled down to Muta. "Muta! This is going to sound crazy but listen up! The pendent told me this thing about something called a Beast Entry! Listen up! According to Beast Entry, a Goblin is a basic simple minded forest dwelling creature. Loves to carry around a crudely made wooden club to bonk on its prey which largely consists of moles and grubs and any passerbies unlucky enough to catch its attention and will run after the easiest source of food. As for the Goblin Archer, same as the simple minded basic forest dwelling Goblin, but uses crappily made bows and arrows for weapons. Will run after the easiest source of food. Muta! I think...My bag! I put it down! Get the food! Distract them! Save yourself!"

While the other companions were at their own peril, Eydis was more focused on her own predicament. She doubted the others would have a more horrifying ordeal than she and Nolis did right now, or at least that's what she wanted to believe.
"Look alive there Scales. If you need to pick up materials, be careful it doesn't hide any venomous insects. And look behind you from time to time. We don't want something attacking us by surprise." Eydis instructed, watching the front while letting Nolis take care of their backs. If those blue sands managed to conceal such homongous and dangerous creatures, she couldn't imagine what other beastly abominations lived there. She wanted to leave as fast as she could, but according to the map, they were still far away, probably a couple of miles away from their destination. Eydis didn't let that discouraged her, for it she felt depressed, she was going to be slower, and that was out of the question.

Nolis stared at Eydis for a long while, seeming taken aback at the expression of gratitude. "Um... you're welcome...?" He seemed genuinely confused, as if the thanks given made no sense to him. He sniffed. "Y-- Yeah, you're welcome," he repeated more assertively.

The lizardboy followed his comrade as they traversed the blue desert, helping by keeping alert for any more creatures within sight. Or, the best he could, considering that his head still ached from the several blows it had taken, and his chest hurt with every air intake from the boulder fragment that had hit it. He was glad it didn't break any ribs. He hissed a sigh out of his nose. He really thought he'd be more resilient than that, given his current level of fitness. But he had underestimated the brutality of battle more than he was comfortable with. And he had reacted too slowly, as well, freezing in shock when immediate action was required more than once. Perhaps he was being too hard on himself; he had no experience with this, after all. For the moment, he was grateful for a companion who knew her stuff and had good ideas in the moment.

Eydis distracted him from his thoughts. "Of course," he replied, not seeming bothered by the list of commands, and added those details to his mental list of things needing his attendance. Soon after her instructions, he had checked behind him many times as they walked.

The heat was starting to get at him. After a tough battle and having the bright sun bear down on him, he was starting to feel a little drowsy, the pain in his head worsening. This was his cue to start drinking from his canteen, and soon it was already half empty.

Eydis was still too shocked from the battle to even feel her thirst. She hasn't touched her water ever since leaving the dome. Still pondering the battle, she remembered something important; her beloved pet Adaon. How was he dealing with what happened? Eydis opened his temporary bag home discretely to check on him, and there he was, coiled around himself like a millipede wanting to avoid injury. At first, she thought he was cowering, but it turned out that as soon as the danger was over, he resumed his previous sleep while still on that defensive position. Then Eydis knew something important; Nolis didn't know, but he saved two lives today. If that sand squid had eaten her, it would've taken Adaon along with her.

She momentarily looked at Nolis with a small smile, being more grateful to him than before, when she finally noticed his injuries were worse than hers.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I forgot you didn't have it easy back there. Here, let me help you." Eydis said as she approached him, grabbing him by the wrist... and making it glow an emerald green. She didn't know how she could do it, but if there was something she could do right besides shooting, was healing. She discovered it by accident, and ever since, she has used it to help others, even if it leaves her somewhat fatigued afterwards.

Perhaps if Gallan had a different attitude towards her this whole time, Muta would have taken offense to his inquiry. It wouldn't be the first time someone had judged her too soon. There always seemed to be someone who got the wrong idea, someone who only knew of the stereotype and were quick to misjudge her for no reason. All because she happened to be an orc. Half-orc, she would always correct them, raised by a human, in a dominantly human village. However they assumed orcs to be, it just didn't apply to Muta. She wasn't raised by them. She was removed from whatever culture they had. So even if they were just mindless brutes, bloodthirsty warriors, or monsters who raided villages, none of that should apply to Muta. She was closer to her human side, and tried her best to not scare people. Yet some people still refused to look past her ancestry.

When the boy spoke up, Muta met his gaze. Despite her solemn expression, she listened intently and considered his words. Unique. That was new. Normally, her uniqueness was seen as a bad thing. Not many people were particularly welcoming of an orc. It almost made her want to reject her orcish ancestry. She hoped that by trying to be more human, people would see her differently. They would finally look past her species, and see her as a person, not a monster. Muta watched as Gallan raised his sword to the sky and chuckled softly. "I hope you're right," she said, quietly.

However, the peaceful moment didn't last long. At the sound of the rustling, Muta jumped up and immediately unsheathed her sword. Her eyes darted around to all bushes. She was watching the goblins warily, until she heard a tumbling sound. She whirls around to see her companion caught in a trap. "Gallan!" The half-orc stares at the contraption, trying to figure out the best way to get him down from there. The goblins chanting catches her attention and she turns back to face them.

Muta was considering her options, and was about to make a decision, when Gallan called out to her. With a grunt, she glanced over her shoulder at him. "Food, huh?" Getting an idea, she hurried to his bag and pulled out some food. Still holding her sword at the ready, she held the food up high with her free hand and waved it around. "Hey! You lot hungry?!" She called out to the goblins. "Come on! Come get it then! Dinner time!" With that, Muta flung the food as far as she could throw it, hoping the goblins would take the bait and go after it. She grabbed another piece and did the same thing, but threw it in another direction. She hoped that would distract them long enough for her to get Gallan out of that trap. Maybe there was a rope around the tree she could cut with her sword.

The-half orc did as both children thought to do, grabbing the food from the bag and throwing it in either directions, unfortunately she wasnt able to throw the food very far,
meaning she only had seconds to save Gallan, fortunately she was able to find a rope wrapped around the tree, and with almost supernatural strength she chopped the bloody **** out of the material, sending Gallan falling down and out of the net, from which he was able to proceed into a rather impressive forward roll and grab his sword while doing so. The Goblin's, after finishing their measly meals, began to surround the two again. The archer shot an arrow directly at Gallan, angry that his lunch had made a daring..Well, he was more like a damsel in distress and Muta was his knight in shining armor that came to save him so Gallan wasn't exactly daring, considering how easy it was to trap him. Regardless, the Goblin Archer shot his arrow for Gallan's head, but the crudely constructed bow was unable to function properly and the arrow missed.

"Muta! Grab a drumstick from my bag. Let's do this." Gallan, acting rather on brains than instinct, ran for the bag, grabbing it just before the clutches of the nearest Goblin was able to grab it. He threw the bag down next to his companion and got ready, grabbing a drumstick and handing one to Muta. The small boy winded back his arm, ready to throw...

Rumbling rang throughout the area, branches shook and the other Goblins, terrified, screamed and ran back off into the bushes as out from a small clearing game a much larger, much more scarier Goblin, standing at 6"2', an abnormal size for a Goblin.

Gallan began to feel a tingle all the way up his spine and into his brain, his pendent shone brightly and his eyes once more began luminescent, a pure white.

He spoke as if he were a robot, or a puppet being controlled. "Beast Entry - Goblin Boss: A medium sized creature, just slightly smarter than an average Goblin. Standing at 6'2", it harbors a large rectangular steel bat with black spikes protruding out from either side. It will go after the easiest source of food. Be wary if its back is to you however, it also carries a wooden shield with black spikes strapped to its back to protect it. The bat and shield it carry makes it back heavy and if it loses its footing it would fall and become immobile.
HOW DO I KEEP KNOWING THESE THINGS." Without missing a beat, Gallan turned to Muta. "I think we're screwed. Any ideas?"

A while back, Nolis had taken off his long-sleeved shirt and tied it around his waist, as wearing that along with his undershirt was becoming rather cumbersome under the heat of the desert sun. He wiped away sweat that was accumulating on his forehead. His black, thick hair wasn't doing him well, either.

When Eydis approached and held him by the wrist, Nolis tensed and made a motion as if he were to snatch it away, until he saw the green glow and felt... better? He didn't understand what was happening at first, until his headache was suddenly gone and the pain in his chest had subsided. "Oh." He relaxed his arm. "Thank you."