Moderated To save a soul [Seasonal Event: Hot 722]

30th of Saun 722

Far to the north, in the land of endless snow and cold, is a place that only the brave can survive. Twilight Province is known for the predators that can kill a man without blinking an eye. Hidden beyond the snow and mountains is the great city of Viden, and five other townships that house the hardest people known in Idalos. Are you prepared?

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To save a soul [Seasonal Event: Hot 722]

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30th Saun, 722

Over the last few trials, people in Yvithia's Fortress, the Fortress City of Viden, had been enjoying the chance to go outside. Of course, that was because of the second sun and, of course, that meant that the frozen tundra of Viden was now only as cold as most other places are in the depths of a freezing winter. But this is Viden and, for all that the people live in the warmth of the Fortress, they have grown up surrounded by that tundra. The schools had celebrated by running trips and excursions; usually these were carefully planned and focused on the safety of the children first.

This one had been no different.

Yet, one of the children had gone missing. A call had gone out for volunteers and so, on the 30th Saun 722, they met in one of the large rooms used by the guards, just off from the entrance to the Fortress. Those who gathered there were told to wait and then, after a moment or two, a man came in to view. Recognisable to any who had been in Viden for any length of time, Lord Verity Talius was known as the right-hand of the Máthisi. The eidisi man looked around and lifted his hand for quiet.

"What we know is this. They went out in a class of ten children, two teachers and three parent helpers." Verity paused, just a moment, to let that sink in. They were working on a 2 child-per-adult ratio, and somehow this still happened. "They were exploring ice formations and collecting interesting items on the outskirts of the White Pine Forest. The adults were watching, alert and aware, and this still happened." Black eyes swept around the room. "We have found no tracks and have no idea in which direction she went. Which means two things. It means that the child was literally gone in the blink of an eye and that we don't know exactly when it happened. We have a ten bit window before they realised she was gone."

It didn't look good, and they all knew it. "The girl in question, Dana, is seven arcs old. She's human, with dark brown hair. We are asking for volunteers to work with the rangers and cover as much ground as possible. Groups will be formed, each one with a ranger in charge. If you are willing to help, go through that door, and give your name at the desk. You will be assigned a group. We have coats and shoes and cold-weather gear for anyone who needs it. Time is of the essence, so please hurry."

That said, he lowered his head in an almost-bow and he turned and walked away.

The door he had gestured to did indeed open into a room with a desk. There, there was a biqaj woman who asked three questions. "What is your name?", then "What skills, abilities or so on do you have which may be useful?" and, finally, "Do you have any medical conditions or weaknesses which we need to know about?". Then, she handed out a small piece of parchment. "Please put down contact details for who we should inform in the event of your death. Supplies are over there if you need them. Once you have everything you need, please go through to the waiting area.".


And, indeed, another door led to a waiting area. There were hot drinks and the chance to mingle in the few moments before they left.


OOC Stuffies!
Welcome to the seasonal event for the Hot Cycle 722!

It's intro post time, so please make sure that you:
- answer the questions asked of you, IC!
- tell me if you're taking any equipment from the registration room. You're able to access any (sensible) cold weather gear and you will be expected to take only sufficient for yourself.
- get yourself to the point of being in the Waiting Area. You may mingle here, and if you want to make up a random NPC to chat to, that's fine. Chatting to other PCs is fine too!
- lets have some fun!


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Virikai Talius
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Re: To save a soul [Seasonal Event: Hot 722]

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This wasn’t the first time Virikai has done something good for Viden. His whole life had been dedicated to the betterment of the city state he called home. His work in the now-defunct Facility for Retrospective Analysis, his attendance at various formal functions, his time spent in the Infirmary… you name it, Kai had probably done it in Yvithia’s name.

Most of it was at the behest of his father, Verity Talius. Virikai was to uphold the family name, to be the poster child for what it was to be Videnese. Alongside all the knowledge and learning, there was the expectation to do good deeds. When he had woken up that morning, Virikai already knew what the day had in store for him. He had been briefed in full already by his father the night before, and it was the expectation that a member of the aristocracy would show face and help out in finding the lost child.

He was prepared for a cold and miserable day. He wasn’t looking forward to it in the slightest. But he would do what he must, it was his duty after all.

One of the first to arrive, Kai took a moment to mill about, looking in feigned interest at the artwork on the walls. Having only ever left the city of Viden proper once or twice in his entire life, Kai was not one to have experienced the icy nature of the frozen tundra. He had little in the way of survival skills or knowledge. He could barely read a map. And he could not even begin to imagine the tracking of the lost child. He was not the best fit for this particular expedition (or any expedition for that matter). But he was here to do his bit all the same.

Looking up, Kai watched in silence as his father entered the room. Clasping his hands behind his back, he stood at parade rest. Stood towards the back of the crowd, Kai was taller than the average human so had a good enough view, but his mind drifted as Verity spoke. He already knew what was about to be said. Tuning in to the end of his father’s little speech, Kai waited for others to step forwards first. He watched Verity leaving before the volunteers even made their way into the next room. Shame, he had had a witty (if a little biting) comment to pass on to his father.

Following others through, he waited until it was his turn to register with the clerk waiting to sign them up. He answered the questions quietly and succinctly: “Virikai Talius. Favoured of Yvithia, with medicinal skills. If the girl is found, she will undoubtedly require medical care and I will be able to help there. No medical conditions or weaknesses that I know of.” Receiving the piece of paper, Kai barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he stepped away and filled in the parchment. He put down ‘Lord Verity Talius’. His father could deal with the fallout of facing his mother’s ire at putting her favourite child in mortal danger. Also it didn’t hurt to let the clerk know exactly who he was… Kai was not above receiving special treatment because of who he was. When the opportunity presented itself, of course.

With the parchment returned to the clerk, he turned to examine the equipment. He wasn’t sure what he would need, truth be told. He was loathe to select one of the warm fur coats, having no idea where they came from or who they had been worn by before. But it would be the height of foolishness not to dress warmly, so he selected one and, after a moment’s hesitation, he picked up a pair of clearly second-hand snow boots. Having no skill in wilderness survival, he decided against selecting rope and ice picks and whatever else equipment that he couldn’t name… the rabble could select them. They would be no use in his hands anyway.

He had brought with him a small satchel filled with medical supplies anyway, and that would be enough for him. That was why he was here, after all. Well no, it wasn’t why he was here - there were better trained physicians that could be here, but no, the lordling was obligated, so he would offer what skills he had, and no more.

With that done, Kai left the room, heading into heat another room beyond this one to wait to be told what to do. Pushed to be here, he wasn’t in the mood for chit chat, but if anyone approached, he would put on his best welcoming face and engage in whatever small talk was forced upon him.
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Re: To save a soul [Seasonal Event: Hot 722]

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Despite the relatively ‘balmy’ weather of late Saun in Viden, Rorom was dressed appropriately, in a very warm outfit. He wore a high-necked, knit sweater of woolen fabric, dyed an attractive pale dark blue color. The sweater was very thick, and made him seem even bulkier than he did ordinarily. For trousers, he wore dark buckskin trousers, lined with sea-wolf fur. His boots were similarly made of furs, wrapped in tough twine to keep them secure on his feet. Over it all, he wore his grand cloak, a large hooded cape of sea-wolf fur, taken from the hide of Breachfang in Harvardr in Scalvoris. Rorom understood he had become something of a folk hero in Havardr since leaving, no doubt in large part due to his partner in that venture, both Jundland and Darius Baer of the Libertalia.

In his hands, he held a large quarterstaff. He’d heard rumors of a girl going missing in no less than ten bits, and heeded the call for people to come and aid in the search. He thought it was a good opportunity to make himself useful and ingratiate himself to the locals. Plus it was a chance to do some good in the world.

Rorom wasn’t much of one for tracking prey over land, but it couldn’t be any harder than tracking them in the water. The principles were similar, and perhaps even easier depending on the nature of their quarry.

He stepped into the guardroom where the high-ranking official-looking Eidisi was stood, explaining the situation. Rorom kept his head down, and his hood down as he entered the threshold.

The quarterstaff was as much for balance in walking on the icy and snowy, slushy ground, as it was for protection in the case of any animals or people who got too ‘friendly’ with him. He could’ve brought one of the spears from the Onyx Cascade’s armory, but thought better of rocking up on a search and rescue operation with a weapon of war.

When the time came for them to introduce themselves to the clerk, Rorom smiled at the woman, greeting her in Rakahi, “Hello. Rorom Nji’Ihai. I’m a grand master hunter and fisher, and I’ve tracked many a beast over the waters. I’ve less experience on land, but then it can’t be much harder than searching through the water for schools of fish, where tracks are left, and signs against every tree.”

Rorom tapped his staff lightly against the floor once, and thought to himself about his other skills. “I can also set a camp, and help with that part of things. I know how to sail if you need to traverse waterways, and I’m a decent leader.”

“As for who to contact, I’m a member of Isonomia…” He pointed toward the silver phoenix pin on the lapel of his sea-wolf cloak. “I’ll be wanting you to contact Faith Augustin about my death, should I not come back. She’ll know where to contact my next of kin, Noille and Eairok in Rharne.”

This said, he gathered what supplies he could from the table. Mostly some mittens and gloves, and a fur face-mask to keep the cold from biting off his nose. Also goggles were important, in case the weather kicked up snow.

Rations were less of a concern, but still small enough to carry that Rorom couldn’t pass them up.

Rorom took himself through the next threshold, into a warm and heated room. There, he took gratefully the cup of cocoa, and sipped it as allowed by time. Chocolate was a rare treat for the biqaj, and one he didn’t get enough chances to indulge in. He could get used to Viden, if they had more chocolate where that came from.

Hell, they could pay him in the stuff.

He noted the location of another man, an eidisi nearby, and nodded to him. “Rorom Nji’Ihai, master hunter.” He said, by way of greeting, and left it at that unless the other man wished to have a conversation. He looked like the standoffish type, however, so Rorom didn’t want to assume.

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Re: To save a soul [Seasonal Event: Hot 722]

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30th Saun, 722

Lord Verity Talius watched as his son exited the room. The merest ghost of a smile almost crossed his lips, but it was so brief that it was there, and gone, in a moment.

The people there were able to gather resources, make sure that they had what they needed and so on. Kai chose very little, and Rorom was also careful about what he carried. Of the two of them, of course, Rorom was making much more informed decisions, in terms of his skill and the two of them drifted together as Rorom introduced himself to Kai.

A few moments went by as the people there were put in to groups. As luckI know right!? would have it Rorom and Kai were put in a group together. The man in charge of that group was one of the Rangers and he stood tall for a human, maybe six and a half foot. He had long dark hair and dark brown eyes, and he was dressed like someone who lived in the wilds. His large frame was wrapped in furs and his footsteps were loud.

Other than the Ranger, they were assigned to a group of eight - so nine of them in total. "Alright, pay attention," he said, gesturing for the eight of them to come over to him. "We've been assigned an area to search. At first, we'll go out in a large sled, two groups of nine. We'll get to where we're searching first, and we'll disembark there. My name is Travis, and I'm proud to say I'm one of Viden's Rangers. That means I'm used to surviving out there in the winter." He gestured to "out there."


"Even though it's summer, it'll kill you quick enough. Therefore, I'm going to suggest that everyone brings furs. Make sure that your feet and hands and head are covered, and layer up. I also need to ask you to do what I say, when I say it. If you can't do that, that's fair enough. But if you know you can't now, then best you stay here. If you find you can't when we're out there, know that if you don't do as I've instructed, we won't be coming to find you." That there'd be no point because they'd be dead was implied.

"So pick up any additional bits you might need, and on the way there, we'll get to know each other."

Once they had collected any additional equipmentlast chance!, they'd be led out to where there were, indeed, sleds. These were large sleds where up to 20 people were pulled by teams of dogs. Two groups of nine went on this one, Travis ushered his team to sit all on the left hand side, while the other Ranger did the same, but on the right. On the way there, Travis handed out whistles to them, explaining that should they get lost, they were to use these.

They travelled for three breaks. During that time they could chat, prepare, or whatever they wanted Please ensure that you describe what you're going to do in your next post During that time Travis made his way through and spoke to each of them in his team. He was happy to answer any questionseither have him answer them in your post, if you know them, or ask them and leave them for me if you'd rather! He spoke to them, discussing their skills and experience.

Eventually, they got to where they were heading. It was a clearing with a roaring fire pit in the middle of it; there was another Ranger there and he waved to Travis. Travis led them over, urging them to grab a warm drink from the kettle on the fire, and the two men spoke.

"Alright," Travis said after a few moments. We're going to split you up into four teams of two."[/b] Rorom and Kai were placed together. "I'm staying here to co ordinate and my companion here is being picked up by the sled on its way back. We have four areas to search, you've each been assigned one."


Rorom and Kai were searching some very thickly grownspooooooky woods. Having spoken to them both, Travis gave Rorom the map and compass, and nodded. "Travel for a break, then come back. Made notes of anything you see on the way and keep calling out for Dana when you deem it safe to do so."

And that, it seemed, was that.

Assuming that they went forward into the woods, it was dark, it was cold and it was very spooky. Shadows seemed to move strangely and there was a ghost just out of the corner of their eyes, it seemed.

OOC Stuffies!
Welcome to the seasonal event for the Hot Cycle 722!

Okie dokie!

Objectives for you to meet!
1. describe something interesting that you spot on the sled - ride
2. be clear what (if any) extra equipment you're taking
3. let me know what you do / who you chat with on the way - bonus points if you make up an interesting NPC (you don't need to dev them - just use them here)
4. In the woods - rorom you spot some unusual tracks. Please describe them. kai you spot an ancient abandoned firepit. It has an item there - not from the girl, it's aaaages old. Describe what you find.
5. Let me know how you organise yourselves.


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Re: To save a soul [Seasonal Event: Hot 722]

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A man approached, introducing himself as ‘Rorom Nji’Ihai’. Kai was good at names and faces and committed this particular man’s to memory. “Virikai Talius,” the lordling offered his hand to shake. It didn’t bother him if the man did or did not recognise him for who he was, but they were serving a common goal and Kai was nothing if not the height of polite when it came to meeting new people he might some day reply upon. “Medic, I suppose…” he answered, feeling less sure of himself than he outwardly showed to the man. As they waited, the Talius scion silently cursed his father for forcing him to attend. He definitely was not suited to this particular kind of adventure.

Desmond Brethel. I’m a hunter and tracker by trade,” another man joined their small party, introducing himself and sticking his hand out to Virikai first (who shook it) and then to Rorom. Virikai nodded along as the man spoke about all his experience in hunting and tracking. He had quite the extensive career, being a human of elder years, with grey flecks in his otherwise dark hair. But Virikai was only half listening. He was beginning to wonder about his own qualifications to be on such an expedition. He couldn’t pull out now, that would look… well at best flakey, and at worst weak.

For his part, Kai did not participate further in the conversation, listening in silence as he looked around at the assortment of volunteers waiting for further instructions. He looked at their backpacks, brimming with equipment, and decided that he was severely under equipped.

Drawn out of his reverie by someone organising men (and women) into smaller groups of eight plus a ranger. As it turned out, Kai was huddled into the same group as his two newest friends. The ranger introduced himself as Travis and as he looked around the group and met each person’s eyes, Kai attempted a small smile when it was his turn. Then Travis spoke to them and this was all new information to Virikai so he listened carefully to what was said, every second hating more and more that he was here.

Then the ranger offered them the chance to pick up more equipment. Virikai already had the clothing down: furs, boots, hat, gloves. Despite being created in the icy tundra much like the ellune, the eídisi were not impervious to the cold weather and Kai wasn’t taking any chances. He liked his fingers where they were, thank you very much. Virikai spent a little bit of time examining the other members of his tracking group, looking to see what additional equipment they were picking up. Almost everyone had rope, so Kai snatched a coil of it for himself. He also picked up a backpack, which he began to fill liberally with supplies. He picked up what looked like long-lasting snacks to keep up one’s energy. He picked up a small kindling set. He picked up a small blanket. He selected a number of tools, ice pick being foremost among them.

Feeling a little better about his preparation, he slung the backpack onto his back and headed out to the sled. With many breaks to fill, the only thing for it was to either sit in miserable silence, or to sit in companionable misery. Both sounded awful to the medic, but one was certainly better than the other. So he made polite conversation. “Are you from Viden, Rorom?” He asked, borderline shouting to be heard as they travelled through the snow away from his precious city.

Conversation lulled a bit as Travis approached, and Kai shook his head, then hesitated, then opened his mouth. “Are you expecting to find the child alive?” He asked the blunt question. It was a harsh reality but Kai couldn’t think of any other outcome to this particular situation.

Finally arriving at… wherever they were in the wilderness, Kai exited the sled and did as bid to take something hot to drink. He graciously poured one out for Rorom and Desmond before pouring his own. Sipping it slowly, Kai enjoyed the warmth travel down his throat and heat up his stomach. Then Travis split the group further into pairs. Virikai found himself with Rorom. Any other day he would disapprove, but it seemed serendipitous for the totally inexperienced academic to end up paired with the master hunter. It boded well for his survival.

The pair, after receiving instructions from Travis, turned and headed in the direction he pointed. Turning to Rorom, Kai asked, “Do you know which direction we are heading in? I imagine, assuming there are no obstacles in our way, we will walk straight and just head back after the break is up?

Assuming Rorom kept his eyes on the map, they should both be fine. Walking for a while, Kai thought about topics of conversation. In any other situation (namely a situation where he was around like-minded people in an academic or political setting), Kai would have flourished in small talk. But with this stranger, brought and ready, he had no idea what to say.

Look!” Kai announced, stopping in his tracks. Whether Rorom stopped too was not something that even occurred to Virikai - he was used to people following his orders and veered right without waiting for his companion to follow. There, stark against the white snow, was a small fire pit, blackened with charred wood. There hadn’t been any recent snowfall to cover it. It looked old, ancient even, with weathered stone blocks marking it in the ground. Upon approach, Virikai noticed that some of the wood was still smouldering - it had been recently used, which was probably why he had spotted it.

Kai doubted the girl would have used it, so a small part of his brain told him to move on. But he was interested nonetheless. Kai knelt down, hand reaching out to stoke the embers with a protruding stick of wood. “This looks to be recently used,” he stated the obvious for his companion (who he still assumed had followed him). “How many ten year old girls do you know who can haul this wood, set a fire and then extinguish it safely before moving on?” The answer was ‘not many’, Kai assumed, and it was a rhetorical question. Standing up, his milky orbs scanned the area immediately around the fire pit. There was a strangely lumped mound of snow, in amongst land that would otherwise be considered flat.

He approached and kicked at the snow, moving it aside until his got met something solid. Crouching down again, Kai winced reflexively as his knees clicked, and leaned forward, removing a glove to push the remainder of the snow away. Picking up the object, he turned it in his hand, and noted the intricate carvings on yet another cylindrical block of wood. Much like the stones around the fire pit, the wood was weathered, and the design was hard to make out, but the ink that the wood had been impregnated with gave him a good idea of what it once might have looked like. Still, he had no idea what it was for or even what it could be. “Fascinating…” he murmured, more to himself than to his associate. Standing again, Kai squinted as he looked at the totem (as he had decided to call it), before removing his satchel and carefully placing it inside. If nothing else, then chances are one of his colleagues studying the arts might know what it was.

Finally turning his attention back to Rorom (who he still assumed would be waiting patiently for Kai to be ready to move on), he returned his glove to his hand and trudged through the snow back over to the other man. “The girl hasn’t been here, I would hazard a guess, and we don’t have long before the break is up and we have to head back. Where to?
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Re: To save a soul [Seasonal Event: Hot 722]

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Rorom didn't spend too long in conversation with the medic, but thought it good to stay on good terms with him, and so nodded in response to his own introduction. He looked to be a high status individual in Viden as well, someone to know and get on his side, perhaps. But for now, he was another useful body during this expedition. Although Virikai may feel out of place, there was certainly a need for medics on this expedition, in case they found the girl in less than ideal condition, which was extremely likely.

But Rorom didn't speak on his suspicions of the girl's potential for harm having befallen her.

Another person joined their party, a woman eidisi who introduced herself to the rest of the eight. "I'm Yalva Indrost. I'm a cartographer and surveyor by vocation, I've been interpreting the information returned from rangers and other sorts who explore the wilderness, to turn into accurate maps and data for such." She stated very mechanically and matter-of-factly. She didn't smile at any of them, but merely settled into their group.

Rorom was curious about the bluish skin of the woman, and thought it was very attractive if strange quality. He wondered if Eidisi showed a different color once they were claimed by frost?

The fisherman, however, didn't linger much longer in conversation with the rest, but saw if he could pick out anything else that might be of use. He selected a few sets of torches, torches with a wind-shield on one side of them, so that they could be lit and not exposed at any one moment to the direction of the wind. Of course, it occurred to Rorom that during the dark hours the shields might obscure any light they'd provide in the direction of the wind, and so may in fact get in the way.

Nevertheless, they seemed to him a good thing to have. He also packed a furred bedroll, anticipating that they'd have to stay in the wilderness overnight.

Eventually, however, they got underway, and Travis the Ranger in charge introduced himself. He stated that they'd be making their way via sled ride, and that they'd be separating into groups of two, searching specific areas.

During the three breaks they traveled, Rorom had to rub his eyes, as he thought he saw a foreboding shape of a burl in a tree, in the shape of a livid and monstrous face. He almost didn't believe what he saw when he noticed it, and so didn't call the sled team to slow down or stop. But they kept on pulling the sled.

Rorom thought to chat with the woman, Yalva, "So Yalva, or any of yer. Have yer ever done your businesss of cartography on the water? What about you Travis, ever hunted on the open seas?" He said little else, and didn't want to spend too much of his breath in this chill. It was important not to let that precious body heat flee if one could help it, and talking too much could be bad in such a climate.

Yalva responded to Rorom, for what it was worth, "I've never actually been on an expedition." She stated flatly, "I only interpret the information that people bring back for me in the Academy."

Rorom's head turned toward her, as she answered, and he felt dumbfounded. How could one even begin to map areas without having seen them firsthand? "How do you manage to make them good?" Rorom asked, incredulous.

Yalva's demeanor remained unassailable, even to his incredulous tone. "I'm a bit of a prodigy with spacial recognition. I can just... make sense of what people say about an area, and nobody has complained about my map-making skills yet."

Rorom nodded, satisfied well enough with her explanation. "Well, I have to admire yer fer comin' out to help here. It can't be an easy change from the safe halls of the Academy."

Soon enough, they came to a stop in a clearing with a roaring fire pit in the middle of it. Eventually they got sent along on their way, out into the wilds. Rorom went along with Kai, and was glad for the medic's presence. It seemed, although Kai probably wasn't suited to survivalism, that they'd make a good compliment to each other's abilities. Rorom afterall knew nothing of first aid or healing arts. But he could help them navigate the wild spaces, and find important signs that eluded the medic in the wildernesss.

Kai asked Rorom which direciton they'd be heading in. Rorom nodded, "Thataway." He pointed toward the creepy woods. "And aye, we'll try and keep our path straight, but on the way it wouldn't hurt to leave bread-crumb trails to make our way back by, incase we find ourselves traveling in circles. Goin' in one straight line through the wilderness is not as easy as following a road, for instance. It's too easy to get turned around and make your way back in such wild spaces." Rorom informed Kai of that quirk of wilderness travel. "Much like the open seas, you have the stars for guidance, and also a compass ideally, as we have here."

They searched along for a while, and Rorom thought he spotted some strange tracks. Strange, because they didn't appear to belong to one who was walking straight forward... but walking backward, their back toward the direction they were headed. Very strange, what would possess one to walk backward into the wilds? Perhaps they were backing off of a threat?

"I'm seein' tracks here." Rorom stated to Kai, "Someone backing away from something they're seeing, though I'm not seeing tracks belonging to whatever that might be? Perhaps something that floats off the ground, or else..."

Then Kai shouted for Rorom to look. Rorom stopped immediately, and attended to the anomaly that Kai pointed out... There was a smattering of charred wood, in the form of a firepit. Rorom furrowed his brow as he lowered himself to check the remains of the wood. As he did so, he thought to Echo the senses of the Sea Wolf that rattled around in his mind at times, rebelling against the over-small shell that held its essence. Rorom had to try and reign in its urge to manifest, but he did so with whatever willpower he could muster. In the end it was enough, and he was able to hijack the sea-wolf's sense of smell. He picked up the piece of charred wood, and brought it to his nose, Echoing the ability of the Sea Wolf to pick up scents and things that were unusual in their surroundings. Particularly, he was wondering if there was any bloody residue evident on the charred wood.

He knew it was risky to use magic unlicensed in Viden, but this spell in particular was fairly low-key and had no physical manifestation. All anyone would see was Rorom taking the bit of charcoal and sniffing it. But what Rorom would receive in terms of information would grant him information that might be useful, in tracking down the girl or her kidnapper.

"Aye, it seems like an adult camper was here. I can't tell if the girl was here, however... There's only one set of tracks, belonging to a woman grown." Rorom looked at the tracks again, and came to the conclusion that based on the space between the feet, they belonged to a female. Another oddity perhaps? But then there were plenty of female survivalists as much as males. He wondered if this was their culprit, or just someone who'd made camp of a night.

"If the girl was here, she was being carried by the other making tracks, not walking of her own power." Rorom mused, aloud.

"Aye, it doesn't seem the girl was here, and if she was, she didn't leave her own set of tracks." Checking his compass, he determined the direction they'd have to go to get back to base camp.

"Aye, it'll be getting dark if we linger too long here. Let's make our way back, and share what we find."


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Re: To save a soul [Seasonal Event: Hot 722]

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30th Saun, 722

"Expecting is a strong word," Travis answered to Virikai's blunt question. "She's Videnese, so she should have the sense she needs. But ..... " He shrugged slightly. She was a child, it was freezing, and there were many other dangers out here too. "We hope she's alive, but it's possible - even probable - she's not."

To Rorom's question, the Ranger gave a rare smile. "I love the idea of it," he said, of hunting at sea. "But I get very seasick, so not much." He didn't ask anything back, but was content to move on. And move on they did, to the point that the two of them stood in a densely wooded area, with Rorom finding some tracks which were odd and Kai examining an abandoned fire.

As Virikai examined the block of wood with it's intricate carvings, he spotted something else. It was just a glint of metal on snow. Should he examine it, exploring it further, it would reveal a pretty gold chain which had (if they looked) snapped off or broken and fallen to the floor, where it was then covered by snow. It was impossible to tell for sure, of course, but it didn't look like it belonged with the fire Kai examined, but instead seemed to be more something that was just dropped there some time ago.

The tracks were of someone who seemed to be stepping backwards ~ which was very odd behaviour. It could be to maybe throw someone off the scent if they were tracking them. Maybe, just maybe, it was done to make it look like someone was going backwards, but then, Rorom noticed something very tricky to spotGM Hunting FTW!. It wasn't someone going backwards, at all. It was a small footprint being walked over again to make it look like it was a bigger one. It was only because of Rorom's skill that the two of them would know that.

The footprint which had been covered over was small - the right size for a child of the age they were searching. Someone - a definitely adult someone - had done a very good job indeed of covering over the child's tracks. From what Rorom could tell the time frame for when the camp fire was last used and the cover-up tracks was roughly the same. The person who had done that cover-up job on the child's tracks was adult, weighing what a stocky adult male would. Should Rorom explore the camp fire, too, he'd see that there were two people who had sat on a now-snow-covered log. Because of Rorom's experience with hunting, he was able to see that the log had sunk into the ground significantly more on one side than the other (though, these were in truth minute differences). The depth of the log on the side of the heavier person fitted with the weight of the person who had covered up the tracks. The other person who had sat on the log, judging by the depth, was much lighter. Maybe, in fact, child sized.

What they did with that information was up to them. However, just then a cry came from deeper in the woods - from the direction of the footprints, in fact. Two words were clearly heard, "Help us!" before the scream became unintelligible and then, suddenly, ended.



OOC Stuffies!
Welcome to the seasonal event for the Hot Cycle 722!

So VERY sorry for the delays. I'm back on track now! However, since there's just the two of you, I'm going to suggest that we aim for a 1-week turnaround, but if you need longer then please take it :) I'll post when you two have.


Objectives for you to meet!
None this round :D

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Re: To save a soul [Seasonal Event: Hot 722]

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The man he had been teamed with seemed to be much more suited to this particular venture than Kai was. He came out with things that should have been common sense, but that Kai had not thought about himself. Like leaving breadcrumbs to follow so that they didn’t walk in circles, and so that they could find their way back. Virikai thought quickly that the man didn’t mean literal breadcrumbs - he was reminded of an old children’s fairytale, though he couldn’t for the life of him remember the name - but the point still stood that breadcrumbs would, one, be nigh impossible to see and, two, either be blown away by gale force winds or covered in snow before long. Regardless, he liked the idea and his respect for Rorom grew a smidge.

How can you tell the tracks belong to a woman grown?” The lording asked his companion as he closed up his bag after putting the totem he had found inside it. There was genuine curiosity in his tone - Kai was nothing if not an academic. He lived and breathed learning, just as Yvithia liked her followers to do, and this was an opportunity for him to do just that. He’d probably never use the knowledge again, but that didn’t matter to him. “Ah okay,” he replied to the voiced thought that the girl they were searching for did not walk to the fire pit, nor away from it. “Well as far as I understand it, the girl is not with anyone else, so it might be wise to assume that she didn’t come here, I agree.

Truth be told, even before joining this expedition, he didn’t expect to find the girl at all, and if they did, he expected to find a frozen corpse turned blue from the cold. He thought back to what Travis had told him in response to his earlier question. Now that he was out here, freezing in his extremities despite the layers, he severely doubted that a little girl - one completely unprepared to be lost in the wilderness, would be able to survive, no matter how much sense she had.

In his head, he was already mentally drafting his statement to provide to the girl’s family, or one that might be shared with the city as a whole. This type of thing didn’t happen often. There would be an enquiry into the chain of events that had led to the child going missing. Someone would come out from it with a black mark against their name. Kai was glad it wouldn’t be him. But a small part of him was hopeful they would find the child alive, not for the child’s sake of course, but for his own - a gold star next to his own name was never a bad thing.

Placing his bag back on his back, Virikai almost missed it, but he saw a glint in the snow. He squinted for a moment, wondering if it was simply a trick of the light on a very white expanse before him. He moved his head from side to side, checking once again for the glint, but he couldn’t see it again. After a few moments, he gave up, internally shrugging and turning back to his companion with a nod, “Yes, let’s return.

With Rorom on board to return to their base in the middle of the tundra, Virikai watched with a little interest as the man pulled out his compass and checked their bearing to return. Knowing that he was completely out of his depth in this matter, and appreciating that he had halted their search to drift off and look at a random totem on the ground, he stood and waited for Rorom to be ready, allowing him the chance to examine the ground as necessary for their mission to have as much success as they could reasonably hope for.
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Re: To save a soul [Seasonal Event: Hot 722]

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"I was mistaken..." Rorom said swiftly, when Virikai made ready to head back to camp. He held up a hand as he consulted the compass, but then shook his head, pointing at the tracks. "You see how their feet are spaced far apart, awkwardly? I thought that might mean it was the tracks belonging to a woman. But no, this is a squat man, and his tracks are covering the footprints of the child... You see how the depression is uneven."

Rorom hummed to himself, the echo of the Sea Wolf's senses still sharpening his own, which included his hearing. He heard the scream, and the strangled cry of "Help me!". But it appeared that Virikai hadn't. "Did you not hear that?" Rorom asked, though without incredulity. He couldn't expect his fellow seeker to match the Sea Wolf's sense of hearing.

"Someone crying for help!" Rorom shouted, raising an alarm among the rest of the search party. "Over here! Due north! People crying for help!"

This said, Rorom being the closest of the seekers to this disturbance, he didn't waste time, but proceeded at a jog with his staff and snowshoes, over the snow drifts and through the wooded area. He didn't go too fast, but maintained awareness all around him, using the echo of the Sea Wolf's hearing and sight to pick out any other oddities in their environment.

At the same time, he listened to the call of his kin element, Water. He tried to sense if there were any people struggling over the water, or ice.

"Forget base camp!" Rorom called to Virikai, "There's trouble!"
OOC
Using still the echo of the Sea Wolf totem's senses (Becoming novice) to see if anything is weird about his surroundings, and also calling to water to sense if there are disturbances over the ice, snow, or water (Defiance Competent).

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Re: To save a soul [Seasonal Event: Hot 722]

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30th Saun, 722

Travis' head snapped up at the cry, too, as Rorom heard it. Of course, Travis' senses weren't what Rorom's were but in this case, it made little difference Results are: nothing weird here - everything natural and normal. You guys are the only weirdness, really. As for the water - it's the two-legged people who are the issue in terms of not being natural and that's you lot - and the single two-legged being in the general direction of where you heard the call. You get no more specifics than that . The words turned into a scream and the scream was cut short.

And then, there was simply silence.

Yet, there were signs - the sudden flurry of birds from a particular spot ahead, that kind of thing. Travis didn't hesitate. "We have to move," he said and made his way forward with no more than a cursory, "follow me, stay close."

And Travis moved into the woods ahead. The woodlands in question were quickly very thick and the light of the sun was blotted out completely. Even in the height of Saun, the temperature dropped further the deeper into the woods they went. It was dark and cold; so very cold that they would be aware that it could easily kill the unprepared.

If they went, they would both be able to spot the pattern of the footprints continued for a while. After maybe 40 minutes of following the tracks, Travis would raise his hand. On the ground in front of them was a change in the tracks.

Previously, there had been the consistent pattern of a small foot underneath a large one. But as the branches of the overhanging trees groaned with the weight of the snow, they saw the bright red blood stark against the white of the snow. There were clear signs here and they were obvious. There was blood, and quite a lot of it. Those who examined it Competent or above in a relevant skill could see that there were also broken branches and paw-prints from a very large four-legged animal. There was more to see expert or above in a relevant skill , too - the large animal (and by the depth and size of the prints and the size of the stride it was very large and heavy) had fought with the owner of the adult foot-prints and had dragged that person away. Meanwhile, the small footprints had run away, deeper into the woods.

So, they could follow where the beast had dragged the adult - or they could follow the tracks of the child. They went in opposite directions and so they had to choose one.

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