[IC] From the Weakest Goblin To the Greatest God

[Jangel13]

@Wasted Ink@Duoya@Rune_Alchemist

As the victorious goblins enjoyed their feast and made their decision on where to go they would be off going towards the path that would lead them towards the clearing. Along the way they spotted many different bushes filled with a variety of berries and edible plant life. Their would be no shortage of horned rabbits. Case in point ahead of them they would find two horned rabbits and they were.....making more horned rabbits as it would seem that they were very...involved in the process the goblins would find them easy prey. After all anybody would be easy to kill if they caught them having fun in the same manner. The clearing was much smaller then the one before and as such would be easier for them to sneak up close to the rabbits however they were still two horned rabbits and if they didn't kill one in the ambush they may end up being overwhelmed and killed...

[Heyitsjiwon]

@Duthguy@Jangel13@December

Lothar grinned as the horned rabbit was felled. However, there were other more pressing issues. He looked at Stegs and said "Oi, you all right? That doesn't look too good. Didn't think I'd stumble across you two here... much less in a bit of a jam too." Stegs then mentioned something about fishing so that he could bargain with the Old Man for some treatment. Lothar was a bit perturbed by Steg's cynicism, but he wasn't wrong. It seemed like everything had a price around here. Lothar nodded and said "All right then. Let's get started. Shall we?" He then looked at the now deceased rabbit and thought that the horn could be useful to catch the fish. Lothar then looked at Skubli and said "You've got some sharp claws. Mind skinning the rabbit? We can use some of its fur to cover the wound and try to stop it from bleeding too much. Don't want Stegs here to get too light headed, eh?"

He then said "I'll try to see if I can skewer me a fish with this horn. Don't start worrying. We haven't officially divided everything yet, so I'm not going to go and run away with it. Just gonna use it for now to see if I can catch some fish. Heck, I might need some help and someone else might be better at catching fish than me. Who knows." He then walked over to the dead rabbit and got his left hand covered in the rabbit's blood. Maybe fish could smell blood or something and get attracted to come closer? Lothar sure as hell knew that if he smelt food in the distance, then he would be pretty tempted to see what was happening. Either way, Lothar needed a way to get the fish to come close to him before he could try and go in for the kill.

[Rune_Alchemist]

~Isurta~

@Wasted Ink
@Duoya
@Jangel13

---

"Hmhm! You'll have to show me when we get back." Isurta replied to Kishi. She wanted to know, and it'd be a good way to pass time between skinning the rabbit and eating. At least it'd be better than sitting on their butts and doing nothing. For now though, they had a mission of finding two more horned rabbits. The dark forest smelled of bad times and un-fun creatures that could make goblin mincemeat. They'd definitely be morons to go down that road, as much as Isurta wanted to know what was down there. So for now, they should play it safe and go down the lighter route. With Xaal seeming to be in agreement, Isurta set off after him, quickly tying the broken horn to her makeshift loincloth with a few loose strings. It wasn't the most secure thing, but it'd do for now probably.

She followed quietly after Xaal. The lighter path was certainly the scenic route. A number of berries and edible looking plant life filled the forest around them. Perhaps they could take some back? She doubted many of them were dangerous to eat, since the Horned rabbits seemed fond of them. They'd need something to carry them in though...like some sort of container or something. Before she could think more on the subject though, they came across two more horned rabbits engaged in...baby rabbit making.

Isurta had to stifle a giggle.

"Our lucky day...should be easy enough to sneak up on those two." Isurta quietly spoke to Xaal and Kishi. Still, she remained low to the ground to avoid potentially giving away their position. One couldn't be too careful sometimes. "You two wanna take these two?"

[December]

- Skubli -

@DuthGuy @Heyitsjiwon @Jangel13

---

Skubli warily approached the Rabbit's corpse as he eyed the new goblin. After a few moments of distrustful analysis, he turned his focus to the Horned Rabbit. He began poking and prodding the creature, searching for the best part to start skinning. Eventually, he gave up at finding a good location and tore into the Rabbit's throat.

The blood and still warm flesh felt both revolting and natural in the runt's hands, giving him an odd feeling within his stomach.

"Did Grandpa give you name?" Skubli asked quietly, eyeing the third goblin out of the corner of his eye. The blood slowly spilled across his hands, providing an odd feeling of liquid warmth. Continuing to prod the dead body, he ripped apart pieces of the flesh, careful to avoid severing the big muscles, and managed to pull off a nicely sized portion of hide from the rabbit's flank to cover Stegs wound.

[Duoya]

@Rune_Alchemist
@Jangel13
@Wasted Ink

Kishi, while thinking of the various uses of the rabbit's body parts, barely noticed that Xaal and Isurta left in time, and ran quickly to catch up to the duo. When he had caught up to the two of them, he began to pick the berries he saw the previous rabbit eating before it's death, eating them as he continued to walk down the bright path. The horned rabbit they fought earlier luckily weighed very little, making it easy to carry. I really need to create something to hold all this junk... As Kishi thought this, he saw the other two crouch to the ground, and he imitated the action far better than he did the first time. In the clearing ahead, two horned rabbits were... wrestling-?

Having sex. The voice in his head chimed in.

"T-that's pretty lewd..." Kishi whispers absentmindedly.

Kishi was blushing, turning his light green cheeks the same shade of crimson as Xaal's eyes. He runs his hands through his hair and tries to think about the situation rationally when Isurta begins to giggle lightly. Slowly, the gears in Kishi's head began to turn, until he had all the information he could gather. This clearing was significantly smaller than the previous one, allowing for a closer assault on the enemies. Additionally, the horned rabbits were... distracted at the moment, leaving a window of time for a surprise assault or, should they wait a while, a significantly weaker male horned rabbit who would still be in sage mode. The trees were close enough that an aerial assault could be justifiable, but being unable to move in midair is a major drawback and Kishi's skill with the spear would not allow him to throw it effectively. The bushes nearby and the proximity of the trees likely meant that leaves and sticks littered the ground like landmines, and with the ears that the horned rabbits had, they would surely notice the noise.

Eventually, Kishi gave up on formulating a plan. Their were simply too many variables and risks for him to accurately account for, so going with the easiest option was the only choice he had.

"I can't really think of a good plan, but what about this: Brother Xaal can attack from behind and, when the other rabbit is distracted, I'll charge in from the front. If you can think of a plan that doesn't involve me potentially dying though, I'd love to hear it."

Kishi fingered the small stone in his loincloth neurotically, before laying the body of Isurta's rabbit on the ground and placing the leftover spear next to it.

[Wasted Ink]

X a a l

@Rune_Alchemist
@Duoya

---

From his crouched position, Xaal watched, a single eyebrow raised in bemusement. Lewd, indeed. The rabbits were definitely...preoccupied at the moment, but, seeing as he wasn't an expert on rabbit stamina, Xaal was not sure how long they had until the animals were finished with their mating ritual. Whatever plan they thought of, they would have to do it fast. Ignoring the same annoying heat that flared in his ears at the sound of Isurta's stifled giggle, Xaal began to take in the situation as a whole. The rabbits were in the middle of the clearing - the clearing, in which, was much smaller than the previous one. It wouldn't take too many steps for him to get into a position for an ambush, and hopefully, Kishi would be fast enough to take advantage of any surprise or shock the other rabbit may go through. Leaves and sticks littered the ground, but Xaal was too observant to be caught off guard by a stray piece of wood.

"I can't really think of a good plan, but what about this: Brother Xaal can attack from behind and, when the other rabbit is distracted, I'll charge in from the front. If you can think of a plan that doesn't involve me potentially dying though, I'd love to hear it."

It wasn't a bad idea, and Xaal was confident that this would be an easy haul if they both played their cards right. The only thing was, he wasn't sure if Kishi would be fast enough to move in and take out the second animal in time. A simultaneous charge, however, would yield potentially better results. The rabbits were in their own little worlds right now - if they struck hard and fast, it would be easy kills.

"Okay. Kishi, I will sneak in closer, and get into position. Try to get as close as you can without making noise. When I raise my hand, we will strike at the same time. You attack the male, and I'll take the female."

Something in his brain spoke - the tactic he was going for, was a pincer maneuver. He'd strike the female's while it was busy...receiving, from it's spot in front of the male - with his speed and careful precision, he'd be able to take it out fast enough. Kishi would be attacking the male's blindspot, and would, hopefully, be able to strike fast with that spear range of his. It was also less risky for the taller goblin, leaving the majority of the sneaking around for Xaal.

Tactics laid out, Xaal made his way to his position behind some bushes, closest to the female, footsteps virtually silent as he carefully stepped over sticks and leaves.

[Jangel13]

@Duoya@Wasted Ink@Rune_Alchemist

-the second hunt-

As they decided on a plan the rabbits were to distracted to notice goblins were getting closer to their position. AS they got closer one heard light rustling in the bushes but they weren't going to bother with stopping what they were doing after all they were trying to continue their breeding line. Once they were both in position and strikes the female bunny was the first to die and thanks to their quick reflexes in following one attack with the other the male bunny barely got a second to pull out the female before it had died by a different spear.

Their second hunt was greatly successful thanks to the goblins sneaking abilities and quick attacks.

They would both gain small animal horns and goblin Xaal gained the ability charged attack, while goblin Kishi gained Precise Strike

[Rune_Alchemist]

~Isurta~

@Wasted Ink
@Duoya

---

Well, the second hunt went just as well as the first! If not more so. She didn't even need to do anything! Rather boring, but the safe option was a bit more desirable as a whole she supposed. She walked out of the bushes she was hiding in towards the other two, grabbing the rabbit that they had already killed and resting it and the spear on her shoulders. They had executed that almost flawlessly. That meant they had three bunnies to bring back to show for their efforts!

"Wow, you guys pulled that off flawlessly!" She said to them with a bright smile. "I think that's a pretty good hunt for today. We should probably head back before gramps starts getting worried. We have enough for us." She wondered briefly about how the others were doing? Surely they couldn't be doing as good as them? It'd be rather amusing if they were, but she doubted it. "We can hunt more later...maybe split the hunting if we can come up with a way to deal with them solo. We could hunt more that way if we could."

[Duthguy]

@Jangel13 @December@Heyitsjiwon

---

Thanks to the makeshift bandage Stegs regained some confidence in his left arm and while it was stiff when he moved it around, he was able to move it again. Seeing the fur being used in such a way reminded him of the weapons he had seen the other goblins take along. He grabbed some of the skinned fur and used it to tie a decent sized rock to the end of his stick. Now, the knots weren't too strong but they did the job for now.

The only downside he found with his new weapon was the extra weight, he now had to use both arms to swing it. Part of him wanted to try his creation out on another Horned Rabbit, but he didn't know how bad his injury actually was, and besides learning to catch fish might give the tribe acces to a food source that couldn't fight back. The fact that other animals could come to the stream to think never even crossed his mind.

"I think using the horn to catch fish is a good idea, and with my new weapon I at least have no need for it." He didn't know Skubli too well, but since the little guy didn't seem like the type to speak up even if he wanted something Stegs found it unlikely that the mantle wearer would end up with this horn. "Don't worry, I'll make sure the next horn is yours."

[Jangel13]

@December @Heyitsjiwon@Duthguy

AS they discussed the use of the horn to their new comrade they found that the fishes in the stream weren't that large but they were very colorful ranging from standard blue to brilliant white and every in between. These fish were not carnivorous as they ate small things like krill and shrimp. The stream if followed would lead to a large pond the fish while they weren't able to defend themselves were slippery and would avoid even slight deviations in the water making them tough to catch unless the fishers are clever...

[Heyitsjiwon]

@Duthguy@December

Lothar looked at the fish. Catching them seemed pretty difficult, but it was something that had to be done. He noticed how Steg used some of the fur to attach a sizable rock to a stick and make a crude, but efficient club. He looked at the horn and his walking stick, and immediately followed Steg's lead in order to make a crude spear. Now he could try spear fishing, but the question was how to get the fish close enough to the edges of the stream or the lake. They didn't really have bait to try and lure them, but they could try to dig to find some worms and other bugs. One was was to use bait to draw them in before spearing them. Alternatively, they could try and hold the bait in their hands and wait for the fish to come by their hands before trying to catch them by hand. Also, it seemed like the fish avoided areas where even the lightest leaf dropped at. This gave Lothar an idea. What if they threw rocks towards the middle of the lake to draw the fish to the outer edges of the river then try to spear them or catch them? He looked towards to other two and said "I've got a few ideas right now." as he then proceeded to explain his ideas.

[The 4 Winds]

Lomen

@Jangel13

---

It had been an interesting past two days, filled with questions. Who am I? What am I? Why am I here? Where is here? The usual questions of existence. Although a few had been answered with a first look. His name was Lomen and he was a goblin. That was all that was gained from his first short look at life. It was an interesting existence. The last thing he remembered was a large push, a growing light, then nothing. In this life he decided that he would not go out as a nameless individual and used his second day to get used to his body. A bit more bony than the other goblins around him, he found his skin was also a slight off color.

After watching some of the other goblins leave, Lomen decided to attempt a hunt. It would be a bit dangerous so on the way, he first looked for a branch that could be used as a suitable club or sword and a possibly piece of wood to use as a suitable shield. Rope would be nice, but anything that could help would suffice. Either way, Lomen went out with the conviction that he would come back alive.

[Jangel13]

@The 4 Winds

-first solo hunt-

The last goblin to leave the cave was the silent one that grandpa hardly noticed which he named Lomen. Grandpa hoped that he would be alright on his own but he wouldn't help him he would sit and wait for all his young ones to come back.

As the goblin left and started looking for his pretty he soon found a horned rabbit eating some berries. Unlike the other horned rabbits though thus one seemed somewhat bigger and had a longer horn then his brethren suggesting that it ate well to get nice and fat. If fought head on it would be a hard fight. Then again it almost seemed to give off an aggressive aura...

[The 4 Winds]

Lomen

@Jangel13

---

He cautiously observed the surroundings of the area, looking for signs of other horned rabbits. This one seemed to give off an air of danger, meaning only one thing in Lomen's mind. He had found an alpha. Fortunately it was distracted while eating and hadn't noticed him yet. First course of action was to stay undetected as he moved to a point which was downwind and out of sight of the rabbit. From there, he threw a small stone across the clearing, aiming for a spot to distract the bunny. Lomen then rushed in, aiming to strike the rabbit at it's neck and then pin it down with a shield bash.

[Duoya]

@Rune_Alchemist
@Jangel13
@Wasted Ink

Kishi slowly allowed the breath he was holding to escape, before slowly slipping to the ground. In the previous hunt, his life wasn't on the line, and being this close to death... Wasn't a good feeling, to say the least. As he gazed at the two corpses, he saw that the male's member was still standing proud... Kishi turned the rabbit on his back, hoping that the blood would abandon the tower between it's legs. Kishi, in a quick motion, reached his hand into the rabbit's mouth and began to rip out teeth, storing them in the pocket of his loincloth. As he does this, he hears Isurta address Xaal and himself.

"Wow, you guys pulled that off flawlessly!"

"I think that's a pretty good hunt for today. We should probably head back before gramps starts getting worried. We have enough for us. We can hunt more later...maybe split the hunting if we can come up with a way to deal with them solo. We could hunt more that way if we could."

Kishi, having just finished pulling out the molars of his rabbit, responds to the exclamation.

"Yeah, we should head back. I wanted more meat, but... I guess that what we have right now is good enough! But, uh, I think hunting, at least for now, should be done in groups. The blood could attract more dangerous creatures..."

Wait, how did he even know this?

Kishi attempted to find out, calling out to the usually compliant voice in his head, but all that responded was a cold emptiness.

Kishi shakes his head and readdresses the group.

"If you guys don't need them, do you mind giving me the rabbit teeth? I have something I plan on building with them, but I need a lot."

"... Do... Do you guys think that the others are alright?"

While it wasn't a dominating thought at the time, Kishi had been wondering this since they killed Isurta's rabbit. While the only goblin that Kishi ever talked to before today was Grandpa, the thought of people that were born with him and raised alongside him... dying... It didn't sit well with him.

Kishi quickly eliminated these thoughts from his mind, switching instead to what he could now do. The hide of the rabbit was most likely going to be turned into some type of satchel or pack, while the smaller parts like the paws and ears could serve as bait for the more dangerous animals. The teeth could serve as a distraction, be grinded into a blinding powder, or, if enough were gathered, be strung together across an two trees or the cave mouth, serving as an alarm system.

Kishi slung the rabbit corpse over his shoulder, before returning to the leftover spear he abandoned in the bushes. I can upgrade my spear and butcher this little guy back at the base... Kishi spun around, looking directly at the group and shouting out in a joyful proclamation.

"Thank you guys! Today has been the best day of my life!

He grinned gleefully.



The hunger has died down temporarily.

[Duthguy]

@Jangel13 @Heyitsjiwon @December

---

If he was completely honest Stegs would have preferred to find another Rabbit to test his new weapon out on, but he knew that catching fish was the safer option and food was food. Besides it seemed the fish would offer their own challenge judging by how they avoided even the smallest variation in the currents. Their chances of coming home victorious would depend their wits rather than their strength, which was the deciding factor in the rabbit hunt.

He thought it over and eventually formed a plan, it would take some time but he believed it could work. "Lothar go stand as close to the middle as you can and don't move, unless to spear a fish. Skubli and I will try to scare them in your direction." He was sure that eventually the fish would get used to the presence of an unmoving Goblin and ignore him, not considering that bait could make things easier. "Also guys try to keep an eye out for Rabbits, more horns is always good."

[Jangel13]

@The 4 Winds

-on the hunt: The strike!-

The rabbit didn't notice the goblin in the background until it heard a rock being tossed nearby. It then went on full alert as it hissed in the direction of the rock then at the last moment it heard the loud stepping of a goblin running towards it. It was able to turn around just in time to see the goblin attack it hitting the rabbit in the face disorienting it but even disoriented it was able to get away from the goblin hopping a few feet away till it was able to see straight. If the goblin didn't act fast it would be faced with a tough fight, even disoriented the alpha was smart enough not to stay still...

[The 4 Winds]

Lomen

@Jangel13

---

The strike had effect, that is all that was important. Lomen knew this was his best shot to attack so he dashed in a crescent shaped path in order to prevent the rabbit from dashing straight towards him and went to strike at the rabbits eyes. In order to survive he had to be on the offensive, but he wasn't stupid as he held up the shield in front of his body as he advanced. His full body tingled in excitement, this was a new feeling, a real battle to the death.

Although with the new excitement, he knew that one misstep would be the end for him. This rabbit was sturdy so wounding it and taking away it's ability to fight back was key in Lomen's mind. Even though it sounded like a good plan on paper, in order to pull it off, he would also have to do his best to not get injured by the rabbit. The goal was to make the battle tilt farther and farther to his favor until he had won. Until then, he had to concentrate on the enemy and prevent his own death.

[Jangel13]

@The 4 Winds

-The true battle-

The rabbit took a moment to try and recover but it wasn't given the chance to as the goblin pressed the offensive. The Rabbit charged at the goblin trying to get it on the offensive as it hit the bark making a small dent in it while he was an alpha he was injured and the goblin was able to club one of its eyes so now it was partially blind as it hissed again. Most animals would run at this point but the alpha was much more aggressive and wouldn't back down. The rabbit did its best to charge at the goblin but missing one eye meant it was partially blind and unable to be accurate. The goblin needed only one good hit on one of its legs before it would die since that is where most of its strength was...

The rabbit is missing an eye, and charging with less accuracy

[December]

- Skubli -

@DuthGuy @Heyitsjiwon @Jangel13

---

Once he had finished skinning the Rabbit, Skubli returned his attention to the group. The new goblin, Lothar, explained a few plans to the group. Skubli silently observed the other two goblins interact as he attempted to remove the blood from his claws by wiping them on the grass next to him.

"Lothar go stand as close to the middle as you can and don't move, unless to spear a fish. Skubli and I will try to scare them in your direction. Also guys try to keep an eye out for Rabbits, more horns is always good." Stegs seemed unconcerned with the wound in his arm, and while that worried Skubli, he decided not to mention it.

Skubli crawled over to the edge of the water, poking his claws into the cool liquid with a large amount of trepidation. After deeming it safe, he turned towards the other goblins.

"The water's good. There's more fish that way." Skubli pointed downstream, jerking his head in the direction as well for emphasis. "We should go there to get more fish."