• Event • Into the Unknown (Closed)

[Oracle]

40th of Saun, Arc 718

A scattering of clouds peppered the afternoon sky with shades of gray. There were hints at a storm brewing and that never boded well out here on the edge of the Stormwastes. Draven Martell, Knight Commander of Storm’s Edge watched as a line of oxen drawn wagons rolled up the massive ramp into his fortress. Storm’s Edge was a sight for those that had never seen her lofty nigh impregnable walls before.

Dust swirled and choked the northern gates of the fort as more wagons were brought inside. Many of the carts were loaded with provisions for the expedition that had been planned into the Wastes, but two large covered wagons brought more valuable cargo. Volunteers were being brought in from across the length of Rharne to support the Lightning Knights in their mission. All manner of folk were joining them on their journey into the Stormwastes to investigate the bonfires that had been seen dotting the horizon at night. Something was going on, and the Commander Martell intended to find out.

The wagons containing the volunteers were brought round through the courtyard of the fortress before being brought to a rough jostling stop at the southern gates that faced into the Stormwastes. The gates themselves were open to-trial and the red wash of wasteland could be seen in the distance. Nothing really grew there, just bits of moss, lichen and fungus for the most part so the land remained barren.

All volunteers were asked to disembark by a young Lightning Knight at the southern gates and wait for further commands. The expeditionary force was beginning to form at the gate as more Knights began to arrive and begin forming a neat and orderly line. Two heavily muscled roan Rharnian thoroughbreds were brought forward to pull a large cart stacked to the brim with provisions that would include the team’s food and water along with camping supplies. Squires arrived to pass out free outerwear for the volunteers which mostly consisted of thin oilskin coats that were apparently for weathering any sort of sudden storms that were common in the Stormwastes.

The volunteers were given a few bits to gather themselves and join the line of Knights forming at the gate. After six bits had passed a large dark shadow passed overhead. It was massive and it could only be one thing: a Storm Roc.
The golden and indigo marked avian proceeded to land on the gate of Storm’s Edge itself, tucking it’s wings in a practiced sweeping motion. On the back of the eagle sat a dark haired man in full plate armor with a long staved halberd in his hand. His scarred face looked down at the group beneath him with a critical eye.

“I am Knight Commander Martell, and I will be leading this expedition.” He said with a booming voice.

“You all should know why you are here. For those that don't quite understand.... just know that something strange is going on the Wastes and it is a force that has continued to elude our patrols; which is why we have requested your aid. This mission has been ordered by the highest authority in the land; the Lighting Mother herself. You will find no higher cause than this, to serve our lady Ilaren is the highest honor we Rharnian’s can ever hope to achieve.” His tone was utterly and completely serious. Draven clearly cared deeply for his patron Immortal and took his service to her and Rharne incredibly seriously.

"Make yourselves ready.” He commanded firmly with a tinge of worry woven into his voice. With barely any sign that he had given the Storm Roc a command the bird lifted off from the southern gate with a two great wing beats that sent dust spiraling through the air around the expedition. Draven and his mount spiraled higher into the air before taking up a position over the caravan. Obviously he would serve as both their commander and the team’s eyes and ears in the sky.

The Stormwastes now waited for them. There were perhaps three or four breaks before sunset so the group could cover a fair bit of ground before needing to make camp for the night. Orders were given by the lieutenant in command of the dozen or so Knights that were coming along that they would be leaving within the next five bits. The volunteers were to prepare themselves for departure as best they could, all with the knowledge that they might not return from this particular mission.

!

Message from: Oracle

Welcome everyone to the "Into the Unknown" mini event! Only 5 people are allowed to post here. They are: Varlum Lucus Hanabi Lynessa Braker If you miss more than three rounds in a row then you are out. I will be attempting to post weekly, so try and keep that in mind. You will get 7 days after each post in which to reply. Information You all have 5 minutes to arrive and prepare for the journey ahead. This mission may potentially take place over more than one day.

[Varlum]

As volunteers rolled in, Varlum waited with the other Lightning Knights. It was his first large expedition, and so admittedly he didn't know what to expect. But he'd served with a different military before, in equally dangerous conditions to this. Besides, what was dangerous for the human races proved to be much less so for the Ithecal. Standing at nine feet and two inches had its perks, and the raw muscle they were made of helped too. What really benefitted Varlum, however, was the heat. Saun was the perfect season for him, the temperatures making him beyond comfortable. While he dreaded the day that Cylus came around, the season of Saun was the best condition for him to work in.

Gradually men and women walked in, the giant Ithecal standing tall with his battle axe firmly on his back. Cold eyes glanced over everyone around, the scar prominent to any that looked. Even among other Lightning Knights, Varlum stood out, giant and towering. Something about it felt right, the way he stood tall and proud. Working as a soldier was an aspiration he had for a very long time, and one he couldn't fully achieve in the Ivorian Empire. With the attitude people had towards him, and his choice of weaponry, he hadn't fit in remotely with the military. Here? Nobody had any complaints to make, aside from perhaps the lack of armour.

Eventually, once people had settled down, a voice spoke up - causing Varlum to turn around. Knight Commander Martell, his name was, and he was in charge of this expedition. Varlum wasn't going to make any arguments against it, the man clearly knew what he was doing judging from the way he rode the Storm Roc underneath him. It was a beautiful creature, one of great power and promise. If Varlum cared for mounts he would be jealous, but riding another creature never seemed like the style that Varlum would want. After all, the man found his own force to be a much more efficient means of combat, and it was hard to find a mount for a man of his size.

Their mission, it seemed, was simple enough. Fight on behalf of Ilaren, go out and find what strange events were going on in the Stormwastes and generally prove useful to the city of Rharne. Overall, it seemed like the kind of job the Lightning Knights would be sent on. Then again, the fact that volunteers were requested meant this mission would be more than just a military issue. Varlum knew enough about the military to know that recruiting civilians to help was never a good thing, that the Knights must be in some dire need if that was the case. But today they would find the root of it, Varlum would be sure of it. Hopefully, others had the same intentions.

Eventually, he had his orders to leave and readied himself, preparing for the harsh journey ahead.

[Lucas Nardovino]

Lucas had been heading to the Fortress for a different reason to most of the others. He had noticed a large amount of people heading there and had even managed to hitch a ride on the back of a carriage, jumping on as it passed by on a busy bit of road. Still he hadn't been able to garner much from them only that something was going on in the wastes. Lucas had planned to join the knights this trial, he had finally reached a point where he was ready to take on the responsibility but it seemed it might have to wait.

Apparently there was something important going on and he would be a part of it, his service would begin before he even got himself enlisted. The more he looked around though the more he supposed he was not like the others here. They carried weapons and wore armour, ready to fight off whatever came their way. Lucas on the other hand was dressed in old worn clothes, small holes and dirt were littered across the fabrics. He looked out of place.

Still he trusted that he could be of some service, depending what they faced out there, there was a few things he could do. Although, his preferred opponent would be people, then he wouldn't have to resort to his lacking skills with a blade. As they reached the fort he noticed that the carriages and the volunteers went a separate way and so did he. Following the people as they moved over to wait by a large gate.

The air was thick and humid, the clouds above didn't bode well for the weather and so he welcomingly accepted the coat that was offered to him. It beat being completely drenched to the bone. He moved with the crowds and stood in line waiting to leave, of course that couldn't happen before the stereotypical speech from their commander. It brought a little smirk to Lucas' lips, for all he was excited to hopefully become a knight they certainly liked to make a show of things.

For the ex-con's preparations were easy as he simply pulled the coat on, leaving it undone for now, and watched and awaited the order for them to head out. Inexperienced his only hope was that he didn't drag the group of Rharnians down, the last thing he wished to do was to be a burden but he would find a way not to be. He had too, for the sake of his future.

[Hanabi]

It was Hanabi’s first real mission as a Thunder Priestess. Assist the Lightning Knights on their expedition. That was her order and it was one of the few that she had no qualm in following. Out of her fellow novitiates she was one of the most combat-capable, even if she did lack the discipline to truly excel. She would arrive just in time to get a bite to eat. She scarfed down whatever she could manage and wished she had the foresight to purchase some armor before the big day. All she brought was the clothes on her back, and her waterskin which was full to the brim.

There was a thunderous sound coming from above which Hanabi took to be her leader. She had already been tipped about what they would be doing today, but it was nice to have reaffirmation. It was only when she saw the commander’s mount that she started to worry that she wasn’t ready for such a big mission. There were many other volunteers and nobody would notice if she just slipped away…

”That’s Lucas!” she would think as she saw the man who had likewise not brought any sort of armor. Hanabi started walking towards him, but she inadvertently walked right into an Ithecal. The Ithecal towered above her as she was merely five feet tall and the sheer mass of his body made Hanabi fall onto the ground. “Sorry about that!” she would shout as she got to her feet and tried to find Lucas who had disappeared into the mass of volunteers. ”Perhaps now isn’t the best time to be socializing.”

[Braker Ironsides]

Braker was always seeking work. However, work in the Stormwastes was always a dicey prospect. The winds, lack of cover, and general inhospitality of the area was raising red flags with him. Beggars couldn't be choosers when it came to coin, and so he'd volunteered to help the Lightning Knights. He didn't know much about them. Nel was nel, and he'd come to Rharne for more of it. Honestly, he wanted enough to purchase a shield. At the moment he was relying on his impressive size to get by. While it wasn't the worst idea, as people tended to avoid the large, muscular, bald man...it was with a shield he felt truly complete. Braker had never used a blade in his life, and other weapons such as mauls or bows didn't appeal to him. He liked becoming a moving, breathing wall. Using the shield both as its own weapon and a form of protection. He felt naked without it. Hopefully the Knights would let him borrow one, at least temporarily.

He settled, watching the world go by quietly. He ignored the others in the wagon; Braker was focused on himself and the task at hand. In his experience if the others died, that meant he would get more of the cut. Or at least be able to loot whatever they had on them. He stepped out of the wagon when he was bidden and lined up with the others to listen to the spiel of the captain. He eyed the roc. He didn't trust the bird further than he could throw it. Birds were dangerous and unpredictable, and as a native of the city where bird-people ruled...he was understandably suspicious of the creature. He was far too used to people using birds and bird symbols as signifiers of status. Very well then, he'd let this puffed up tin can blither on about duty. Ah yes, the Immortal of Lightning. One would think she'd get off her red-haired ass and do something. Couldn't she summon Lightning itself? Why did she need this man and his men to do her bidding for her? If there was a force eluding her chosen men...why then didn't she go after them herself? Braker knew the answer. Immortals enjoyed the game. They liked shuffling their pawns around and getting the shit work done without getting their fingers dirty.

Of course, one begged the question; if it was so dangerous a man was going out there in full plate armor with a gigantic bird hovering above them, what did that make them?

Expendable. That's what it made them.

This wasn't volunteering, it was bait.

If he was going to be bait he wasn't going to make it easy. He eyed the Knights gathering at the gate and made note of where they were coming from. Plate armor was heavy and people didn't tend to walk too far in it. The armory had to be nearby, for quick assembly. Ah, there it was. Closer to the main building and off to the side. There had to be something in there of use. He made a beeline for it and stared down the quartermaster inside.
"I'm not going unarmed." Braker grunted simply, and scanned the racks for a weapon. "You can take it off my corpse if I don't make it. If I do, I'll return it."
The quartermaster cocked a brow, but sighed and gestured to the racks. Braker nodded at him. Plate armor he didn't put much stock in, but he did borrow a leather jerkin, a chainmail coif, and a large tower shield. It covered from his knees to his cheekbones, and he found he could easily slide it over a shoulder and onto his back with an attached strap. A simple shrug and dropping his right shoulder would cause the shield to slip off and into his arm where he needed it. Good. That felt significantly better.

That accomplished, he headed back outside where the Knights were gathering. He immediately spotted a large ithecal and went to stand next to him. Honestly, in a firefight any enemy with a lick of sense would be going after the Knights first and the dragon second. Braker knew enough about shields to use a living one when he saw one. The other member of their little group seemed to be a bouncy little woman who crashed into the ithecal then went spinning to find a friend of hers. A skinny unremarkable creature in flea-bitten clothes looking substantially nervous. Braker sighed and glanced at the ithecal. "If someone's going to use me as bait to pull out a monster, I'd rather they just get on it and stop pulling their cocks about the lightning immortal. I never liked being set out on a plate for anyone else. Why don't we make sure he doesn't get killed doing something stupid?" he nodded his head toward the man with holes in his clothes, and the woman.

"Speech"

[Lynessa]

Alia, her old mentor, had taught it would be good for her to take her mind off the whole Aukari mess for now. Admittedly, Lynessa had been obsessing over the Ring of Fire, especially after Karliah’s death and Leth’s injuries. She barely did any patrols or trainings, dedicating most of her time to pursuing leads – even if those leads were unreliable. She was desperate to find something… Something to blame. This whole… tragedy reminded her too much of what happened to her father. What the Aukari did to her, and that fact was not missed by Alia.

Despite her protests, Alia was the one who notified her of the request for volunteers to investigate the bonfires in the Wastes. Her first guess was that they would be bandits who had started to infest the lands, but Lynessa could understand the need to make sure that they were not too big of a threat.

And that was how she ended up climbing off the wagon in Storm’s Edge that was filled with a few other priestesses. There weren’t all that many of them since the nature of the mission – expedition – was usually taken over by the Lightning Knights. Still, this was Alia’s idea of distracting her. Along with that, a few novitiates were also assigned to the mission and a high priestess had told her to keep an eye on them.

So, babysitting and relaxing, that’s what this trip apparently was supposed to be.

Naera immediately trotted towards Lynessa as she shouldered her supply bag, nudging her playfully. She purred, clearly happy with the fact she was allowed to run freely just now. People’s eyes widened as the Zephyrus approached, some looking fascinated and the other fearful. The sight of a massive cat of indigo and purple furs was more than enough to give them a wide berth. Naera was almost grown to her full size, but she still needed a lot more experience.

“Stay with me, alright?” Lynessa reminded the feline as she stroke the thick fur of her neck. This was the first time she brought Naera to an actual mission and not just patrols. She had always been a little too curious and independent for her own good. “No wandering too far.”

The Zephyrus snorted indignantly, like the request was offensive. Her violet eyes glittered with mischief, but at least Naera decided do sit down instead of investigating the supply wagon or following around a random knight because their shining armor caught her eyes.

The priestess then scanned her surroundings, taking note of her fellow volunteers as Knight Commander Martell talked to them about the mission. He was certainly one of the few people who could be instantly recognized as a true follower of Ilaren. Then again, she was probably considered as one too – after all, she had dedicated arcs of her life for the Lightning Mother’s work. Even if so far, it seemed she wasn’t good enough to get Ilaren’s notice.

Like most of the volunteers, Lynessa was dressed in the best gear she had – which wasn’t much to be honest. Her leather armor was worn, but it had been reliable enough in the past and easy to move in. Stormsister was strapped to her right thigh, while her common dagger was strapped to the other. Throwing daggers lined her belt, another set of weapons she could use if the need came. To top it all off, the silver chains around her wrists announced to the world that she was a full-fledged priestess.

A ragtag group caught her attention in particular. It was difficult not to notice them, to be honest. A large, towering Ithecal with a scarred eye, a small girl with pinkish hair, a man with worn clothes and another oddly garbed in knight gear even though he was clearly wasn’t a knight considering what he said loudly.

“If someone's going to use me as bait to pull out a monster, I'd rather they just get on it and stop pulling their cocks about the lightning immortal. I never liked being set out on a plate for anyone else. Why don't we make sure he doesn't get killed doing something stupid?”

“Well, you do happen to be in a city built by said lightning immortal so you shouldn’t be surprised that we do pay respects to her,” Lynessa pointed out with a grin as she walked right up to the group, Naera following her from behind.

[Oracle]

40th of Saun, Arc 718

It was good to see so many civilians turning out to help the Lightning Knights in their hour of need. Knight Commander Martell knew that a dangerous road lay ahead and that many would not return from this journey, but such was the way of things. Sacrifice was tempered by victory, and the ends justified the means.

The Storm Roc and it’s rider circled higher and higher overhead as the regiment of Knights and volunteers made final preparations to depart. The horses and the cart were guided to take up a position in the rear of the column while the dozen or so Lightning Knights took up forward positions in front of the group of volunteers. Those that were knights stood alongside their brothers and sisters in arms while the volunteers were corralled at the center. Lynessa and Hanabi were the local Thunder Priestesses and they were respected enough to be assigned to rear guard duty. Several Knights looked upon Lynessa’s companion Naera with reverence. It was an honor to be given the chance to capture and tame a Zephyrus and the feline was finally nearly fully grown, although she remained a bit lanky in the legs. Still, the Knights keep a safe distance from Naera’s crackling horn and sabretooth grin.

Although when Lynessa made a comment about Braker’s words a couple nearly Knights snickered crassly at her pointed remarks before snapping to attention when Commander Martell gave the order for their trek to begin.

“Moving out!” The man called from the back of the Storm Roc. With a few massive wing beats the Knight Commander was launched swiftly through the sky and toward the vast expanse of the Stormwastes.

It was unbearably hot and the earth stunk of sulfur. The landscape was somehow both dry and dusty as a desert while still holding host to several green hued pools coated in a layer of slime. Far more notable however was the aroma of ash that eternally clung to the Stormwastes. This place had been created by Faldrun during his inevitable march toward Rharne centuries ago; he had laid waste to what were then the Southern Stormlands and left this terrible place in his wake.

The journey was uncomfortable and broken up only by changes in the weather. One moment it would be hot and muggy, then the next a blast of sandy air would slam into the group. Many people changed into the oilskin coats they had been provided with and kerchiefs were handed out so they could protect their noses and mouths. Two solid breaks passed by and finally the expedition caught sight of a dark collection of shapes in the distance. As they neared it became clear that it was a seemingly abandoned campsite. There was a collection of ashes at the center that clearly had been a campfire, and there was also a shredded tent that bore the Lightning Knight emblem that had been staked up to the eastern half of the camp. The canvas was half collapsed and appeared to have been shredded by claws. To the northern and furthest point of the camp was a single armored corpse. The stench of the body hit the group before they realized that there was a fallen Lightning Knight lying there. The body had begun to bloat from decomposition and it was almost impossible to make out the face of the deceased Knight. Their silvery armor was tarnished from rain and wind but there were marks on the chest plate that matched the claws that had shredded the tent.

To the western side of the camp was a low flat boulder where a tall thin object was embedded straight into the stone. It was made of some form of obsidian and it gleamed with hues of scarlet when turned in the light. The object appears to be some form of lance or spear.

Knight Commander Martell soon appeared as the wingbeats of his Storm Roc battered the group. The massive eagle landed just outside the camp before neatly tucking it’s wings.
Commander Martell looked at the body of the dead Knight worriedly before turning his attention toward everyone else.

“Survey the area, but try not to disturb anything. We need to learn everything we can.”

!

Message from: Oracle

Welcome everyone to the "Into the Unknown" mini event! Only 5 people are allowed to post here. They are: Varlum Lucus Hanabi Lynessa Braker Information You all have 5 minutes to survey the area. You may choose one area/object to inspect. Please choose wisely and try not to inspect the same thing that someone else is checking. Options: 1. Look at the body of the dead Lightning Knight 2. Look at the gouge marks in the armor of the dead Lightning Knight 3. Inspect the tent along with the damage done to it 4. Check the ashes of the campfire for clues 5. Inspect the spear that has been impaled into the stone . 6. Take a cursory look at the area surrounding the camp for clues. At the end of your post please note which choice you are making. If there is an option you think I should list then please contact me.

[Varlum]

Admittedly, this was an interesting group.

First was a young woman with pink hair, somehow missing the mountain of an Ithecal and running straight into him. It wasn't that he minded much, though she was fortunate it was him that she ran into. Many people in a place like this would care. Varlum, however, didn't. Apparently, he cared even less than another man that was on their journey, who was under the impression they were using him as bait and were pulling their cocks about Ilaren. Varlum gave a small glance down, debating whether to answer or not. Before he could, however, a priestess came in with a Zephyrus - a big creature. Varlum looked between them all, scarred eyes examining all of them.

"Whether you want to pay respect or not, we have more pressing issues now" he spoke, voice low and gruff with an underlying growl to each word he said. It wasn't hostile, Varlum was much calmer than that. But it was factual. There was no time on an expedition to be arguing, and doing something like this in Ivorian would have been met harshly. "Whatever is waiting for us out there doesn't care if you do or don't want to whip out your cock for Ilaren. It cares that you bleed. Let's focus on the chance of death before we break into a bitch-slapping contest."
Eventually, they made their move - and Varlum loved it. The heat was a condition that the Ithecal thrived in, and this was no exception. What was blistering heat for most soldiers was the perfect condition for him. Admittedly, the smell ruined the comfort somewhat, but that was part of being a soldier. Men died, bodies decayed, warzones were rough and hard to fight in. Nothing about it was often pleasant on the senses unless the sight of blood was something you enjoyed. Then, perhaps, you could enjoy war.

Whether you enjoyed the conditions or not, though, something had to be said for even the mere thought of it. Walking through a wasteland to find missing men and women, to see what could possibly exist out there so dire that civilian recruits needed to be sent out. Perhaps it was a precaution, but the Ithecal highly doubted it. Whatever was out in these vicious wastes was dangerous, and even the Knights needed help to deal with it. But they would resolve this, Varlum knew they would. As he walked, he reached out for the voice of the elements around, focusing with Calling on the wind around to ensure no sandstorms seemed close to building up. To him, the small whispers grew louder, incoherent as if speaking in another language. Whenever a sandstorm approached he informed the Commander immediately of it.

It was strange, he thought, calling out to a Spark. It wasn't a feeling he was used to yet, not remotely. Something about it still felt surreal, the way he reached out to the world around and it answered. It was an interesting bond, one that simply existed. Him and the elements were one. They spoke out to him without words, guided him through different means. While it was comforting to constantly be around a force like that, and to be able to harness their power, he still had some work to do with it. With that thought in mind, he kept walking forward.

Then they arrived.

It was a disaster zone, a body lying on the ground and a clear camp set up. Morale wise, it was going to be a big hit for almost everyone there. Nobody wanted to see it, even if they expected it. But Varlum was at least somewhat used to it. His glance fell to the Priestess he had met earlier, Lynessa. "Keep an eye on the civilians. They're not used to seeing this" he muttered, some level of pity in his voice before he walked through the camp and to the spear, examining it with his hand. As a Blacksmith it made sense that he look at it, he thought. Slowly, he ran his scaled hand up it, on high alert for what might happen.

► Show Spoiler

Varlum is looking at the spear!

Varlum also cast Calling, which allows him to hear the wind for if there will be any sudden strong winds, hence how he would inform the commander and such in advance!

Song for this post:

[Lucas Nardovino]

Lucas was not deaf so of course he heard the words of the man, pointed at clearly himself and Hanabi who he now noticed as he looked over to the source of the words. The ex-con had been called much worse things and insulted on a much more offensive level, in fact the comment didn't even breach the top 100. Still it was not himself he was worried about but the pink haired novitiate that stood closer than him. Of course while he watched, waiting for something to happen the situation seemed to be defused by another woman.

Her words were straight and clear it seemed to end the conversation except for some inaudible grumbles by the giant. Lucas hadn't realised he had been holding his breath, perhaps he was too used to prison where this would have been a fight without a doubt. Still he was glad that the unit was ordered to move out, it took away the chance for anything to escalate.

Lucas fell in line, taking up a position along side the wagon partially to use it as a sort of natural wind shield when the erratic wind blew and also to be close to Hanabi. The man wasn't entirely sure why but he wanted to keep her in view, maybe it was because he hadn't had chance to take her out for that drink yet.

Either way he found himself unusually charmed by the young woman, he seemed to care about what happened to her, perhaps it was due to the fact she had paid attention to him in the cathedral that day. She didn't have to listen to his rambles and neither had she seemed to judge him for his past, a rare occurrence when you told someone you were a ex criminal.

Still he offered her a smile when he caught her eye and then huddled into the coat he had been given and took the kerchief he was offered with a grateful nod. The journey was uncomfortable and it was strange to think he had spent over five arcs in the stormwastes and yet never seen any of it besides the small amounts that surrounded the prison.

Finally they reached a camp, although it was undoubtedly not in the shape the Knights had hoped for. It was in ruins, huge claw marks covered the fabric where it had been rent apart. The body was perhaps the worst part, not because he hadn't seen worse things but because of the putrid smell. It had clearly been standing in the open for a while, at least that would have been Lucas' assessment.

Alas his focus was not upon the camp instead it was their surroundings, the stormwastes expanded seemingly endlessly but they were quite clearly empty. Whatever did this must have been fast and strong. It had clawed holes in armour but the fact it could travel in the conditions and leave seemingly without a trace. No there must have been a trace.

"Something doesn't feel right here." He murmured to himself as he strayed a small way from the camp, searching the dusty ground surrounding the battle site. Lucas was no hunter but something with claws like that must have left some marks, footprints or gashes in the floor if it had to take off. Lucas also did his best to make sure it wasn't a trap, checking for hidden enemies as he searched for a trail from the creature. It was odd and you could possibly mark it up to the dead knight but something just felt wrong and arcs in the criminal world and then in prison had taught him to expect the worst, always.

► Show Spoiler

6. Take a cursory look at the area surrounding the camp for clues.

[Hanabi]

Hanabi was glad that Lucas had somehow ended up close to her. It was nice feeling something at least a little familiar when she was surrounded by armored muscle heads and a bird bigger than she had ever seen. It was especially comforting, because there wasn’t much else for her to relate to. There was the lizard man that she had run into who seemed to be loving every second of it. Then there was the man who thought he was bait and a woman who seemed to have the right attitude. Hanabi would think: ”I guess I shouldn’t complain. We’re all out to help each other, I hope”

As the group headed out, Hanabi kept mostly to herself. The sole exception was asking Lucas, “so you’re here. Does that mean you joined the lightning knights? I’ve been waiting for that drink you know!” She wouldn’t have much ability to talk much anyways because she’d be covering her mouth with the kerchief and staying huddled up in her tiny oilskin coat.

When the group finally ended up at a camp, Hanabi saw a familiar sight. This camp in particular wasn’t familiar, but life on the road brought her across many camps that looked like this. Signs of a beast attack, death, and, more importantly, free stuff was what one might rejoice over if they had been wandering lost for several weeks. Unfortunately, this camp seemed to belong to a lightning knight. There didn’t seem to be much in the ways of free stuff either. Well, there was a spear but the lizard man was the first to inspect it. Hanabi would have been willing to fight over it if she was the type to use weaponry.

As Lucas wandered away from the group, she would go over to the tent. Perhaps there would be something there that would shed light on the man’s demise.

► Show Spoiler

3. Inspect the tent along with the damage done to it