Swamplands

[LardMcLovin Deactivated]

Balik had made his way from the town, making his way to the swampland. His boots sink deep into the muck as he travels, his senses dampened by the smells of the rot and stagnant waters. He looks about for any signs of the missing guild member, trying to follow whatever signs that show someone had been walking through or exploring the swamp lands, especially trying to take note of any signs of humanoid struggle.

[JennyDK]

8 hours ago, LardMcLovin said:

Balik had made his way from the town, making his way to the swampland. His boots sink deep into the muck as he travels, his senses dampened by the smells of the rot and stagnant waters. He looks about for any signs of the missing guild member, trying to follow whatever signs that show someone had been walking through or exploring the swamp lands, especially trying to take note of any signs of humanoid struggle.

Before fully leaving the guild building, he was given a brief summary of the person he was looking for:
A old male gnome who is dressed is rather lavish clothing and who doesn't use weapons, but rather wield the elements of the world like fire and ice. He went here to track down a potential lead towards the search for the missing children of the capital.

The surroundings at first are fairly open, easy to venture through and thus the swamplands don't seem too harsh, but just like a certain other person found out earlier, things don't stay this easy for very long.

[LardMcLovin Deactivated]

With the swamps becoming harder to get through, Balik started taking to using some of his skills to better navigate. He was jumping off of tree trunks and swinging through the branches like monkey bars to help not become stuck. If it was a gnome he was looking for, he wouldn't be surprised to see them stuck in the muck up to their neck.

[LeSane]

21 hours ago, JennyDK said:

"Ekóh's kind suffer with idiocy then. There could be poison in the bite as well and simply allowing a wound to stay open and bleeding is invited the Spirits to take you to the Afterlife....also Nishka is only happy to help out. Just let Nishka look at it now and then, and Ekóh will be okay", she responds, wondering if this sort of pride has gotten him into trouble many times before. She does the last few things needed to close and clean the wound so he may get better much faster and easier than what other methods, if any, he uses."This makes the task here done, yes?" she asks him.

"The afterlife has been fouled, and soul will not be claimed today." He said, giving a hardy laugh though quickly wincing in pain as he felt his wound open up. "Ahh damn it. Going to feel that later." Clutching his side before getting up and clambering over to the felled beast. Ekōh was going to need to take its head back as proof that he'd killed the monster. "You have a knife?" Asking Nishka glumly at how much work was needed to cut the muscle and bone. "Now the boring part of the job."

[JennyDK]

1 hour ago, LardMcLovin said:

With the swamps becoming harder to get through, Balik started taking to using some of his skills to better navigate. He was jumping off of tree trunks and swinging through the branches like monkey bars to help not become stuck. If it was a gnome he was looking for, he wouldn't be surprised to see them stuck in the muck up to their neck.

At some point, he begins to see something familiar at the ground. Fairly fresh footprints that lead further and deeper inside. Whilst things have not gotten too dark, dank and otherworldly, there is already something about this place. Something that usually makes people want to stay far away from this place and which now only is showing the bare minimum of its existence to the large man walking in here. So far, there is nothing that outright seems dangerous or strange, so any sort of notions about the creepy otherworldly rumours of the swamps seems greatly exaggerated at this point.

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5 minutes ago, LeSane said:

"The afterlife has been fouled, and soul will not be claimed today." He said, giving a hardy laugh though quickly wincing in pain as he felt his wound open up. "Ahh damn it. Going to feel that later." Clutching his side before getting up and clambering over to the felled beast. Ekōh was going to need to take its head back as proof that he'd killed the monster. "You have a knife?" Asking Nishka glumly at how much work was needed to cut the muscle and bone. "Now the boring part of the job."

"Nishka supposes Ekóh might be right about that...however, fate has a way to get its will done...one way or another", she solemnly comments back, not intending to be philosophical of any sort, just wanting to express her thoughts. The ratfolk puts away her crude, but still effective tools for medicine and first aid."What does Ekóh need a knife for? Nishka does have a small one though....", she answers him, wondering what he seems to want to cut.

[LardMcLovin Deactivated]

Seeing the footprints on the muck, the goliath would drop down from his bounding and swinging. He would kneel to better look at the prints, before taking it a bit slower. He would judge where the prints would be heading, before getting back on the trees to jump his way to them, stop, track the prints, and make another jump. His people would talk a lot of spirits and otherworldly things. So to him, the stories of this swamp meant a lot. Most hauntings often carried some truth to them, however small it may be. So Balik was not afraid of what may lie further into these swamps.

[JennyDK]

On 01/04/2022 at 10:47, LardMcLovin said:

Seeing the footprints on the muck, the goliath would drop down from his bounding and swinging. He would kneel to better look at the prints, before taking it a bit slower. He would judge where the prints would be heading, before getting back on the trees to jump his way to them, stop, track the prints, and make another jump. His people would talk a lot of spirits and otherworldly things. So to him, the stories of this swamp meant a lot. Most hauntings often carried some truth to them, however small it may be. So Balik was not afraid of what may lie further into these swamps.

The footprints get harder and harder to see from above and thus he will have to venture on the ground if he is to be able to keep up with them. Meanwhile, the growth gets much thicker and the surroundings get darker and increasingly more omnious the further in he ventures. The sounds of various animals also seems to change, with new voices joining the chorus of fauna as well as the noises growing deeper and slightly more dominating as well.

[LeSane]

"Need it to cut beasts head. Proof to show the villagers Ekōh's job is done." Shaking his head as she mentioned that all she had was a small knife. That wouldn't do for what Ekōh had in mind, and he cursed himself for not bringing his weapon again. "Will have to take back something." Reaching for the base of the tail and pulling it with all his might until there was a gruesome-sounding snap and then a popping of bone. It was a much easier job than when the monster had been alive.

"Nishka helped Ekōh so come with him to collect reward!" Smiling ear to ear as it was the only thing he could think of that made sense. "Must get tired of swamp, and we make good team."

[JennyDK]

On 05/04/2022 at 08:31, LeSane said:

"Need it to cut beasts head. Proof to show the villagers Ekōh's job is done." Shaking his head as she mentioned that all she had was a small knife. That wouldn't do for what Ekōh had in mind, and he cursed himself for not bringing his weapon again. "Will have to take back something." Reaching for the base of the tail and pulling it with all his might until there was a gruesome-sounding snap and then a popping of bone. It was a much easier job than when the monster had been alive.

"Nishka helped Ekōh so come with him to collect reward!" Smiling ear to ear as it was the only thing he could think of that made sense. "Must get tired of swamp, and we make good team."

Nishka seems to understand the idea of doing it for the sake of proof, as she nods her head lightly whilst listening."Nishka thinks Nishka understands. Kind of like a trophy. Hunters from different tribes sometimes takes those. Ekóh is a hunter from a village?", she asks in return whilst he does his job on the tail, not even flinching from the rather bloody and gruesome act and scene happening before her.

The ratfolk voodoo priestess is then presented with the notion of a reward for her work and the option of travelling out of the Swamplands. She has contemplated the idea of wandering out and explore, but has not really had any particular event or reason that could push her to do so."Nishka thinks it could be interesting to see more...even if Nishka never gets tired of the swamp. Not sure what Nishka might even want for a reward....maybe Nishka can tell Ekóh when Nishka knows?", she suggests.

[LeSane]

"No trophy. It's to show the people ask Ekōh to hunt monster. Proof so they pay him gold. Ekōh am hunter of many things. People, items, monsters, as long as they pay, do work simple and easy." He didn't care if she was unphased by the sight as it wasnt what he had come here for, but what he had been shocked about was her considering joining him. There had been times before when he'd given people this choice, and they all declined to say his lifestyle and utter savagery were too much for their dignified pallettes. Nothing but weaklings who couldn't stomach the reality he'd undergone all this time.

The ratfolk Nishka hadn't been too bad in his eyes as she was at least able to mend his wounds. Ekōh, not being the smartest was very susceptible to intellectuals using him for their reasons. "You can follow Ekōh then and explore. There are many other swamps and other places. Go grab what you need, and I'll meet you back the way you found me last." reaching for the impaled adoption stinger from the neck of this beast. He could fashion this into a dagger or have her take the poison out for later use.

[JennyDK]

Nishka is not used to something like the concept of monetary systems as people out here are pretty much self sufficient. However, she does get that this is something that functions in a different way, from what she is told."Aha. Nishka thinks Nishka has an idea about the concept", she says to utter that she is probably not fully getting it, but at least the gist of it. She finishes packing away her gear after cleaning it with some clean water and cleansening plants. She gives him an eager smile as she looks ready as ever."Nishka has all Nishka needs now. No need to wait. Nishka can help Ekóh find the way out again. Much faster!", she says with vigor in her voice, her wanderlust finally being taken care of.

Neither of them yet aware of the other person currently working their way further inside @LardMcLovin

[LardMcLovin Deactivated]

Balik was soon getting tired of wondering aimlessly in the swamp. So he would get back to the ground level and keep following the prints, all the while calling out for the name of the lost guild member.