Monster Party
You used Magic Analysis I!
---Minor Heal I---
The most basic of healing spells. In most cases, only surface level wounds are affected. Cannot cure diseases. May even accelerate certain conditions not healed by the body's natural recovery. Cast upon a single target within eyesight.
---Analysis Complete!---
As Digbie analyzed Ash's spell, the Pygmy Drake sent forth the healing energies to Torrent. Somehow they found the Lesserwurm despite her constant movement as the Giant Slime rolled, and the System informed her that her HP had fully recovered--at least until the next rotation. Oberon began to channel his Mana, again shaping a Fireball into something more like an arrow or javelin, but in the time it took him to do this Digbie ran towards a higher vantage point and Torrent made her own move. Again the Fireball blossomed into being--around the reptile's body. She pushed and it expanded, but the Fireball was already in contact with the Giant Slime. As Torrent went around one more time there was a WHUMPH underneath the slime, and the blast threw it off balance. It lurched to one side, just as Digbie's Earth Wall sprang up to stop it cold.
Almost simultaneously, Ash and Oberon let loose their attacks. Venom and flame pierced the gelatinous membrane--luckily missing Torrent--and the creature let out one last screech as its acidic innards leaked from the piercings like blood. The Giant Slime "let go" of Torrent, as its entire membrane began to lose cohesion. It began to deflate with a sizzling sound, its color growing dull and dead just like autumn leaves...
Skill Rank Up: Sacred Ground I (1.9) > Sacred Ground II (2.1)!
HP Recovery Speed increased. Enemy Damage Resistance Increased. This skill now also slightly boosts resistances to Status Effects.
LEVEL UP! Your combined experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 8! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you like!
Unspent Skill Points: 10
Current Skills:
**Use Light Equipment (--)
Tremor Sense III (3.2125)
-Soil Manipulation II (2.8)
Stone Shot II (2.0)
Taboo I (1.0)
*Stronger I (1.5)
**Sacred Ground II (2.1)
Rock Spire II (2.2)
Earth Affinity I (1.3)
Meditate I (1.5)
Earth Vein II (2.25)
-Spell Chant I (1.025)
Monster Analysis I (1.075)
Material Analysis I (1.125)
Plant Analysis I (1.1025)
*Mental Resistance I (1.0)
Fortify I (1.1)
*Mana Orb (1.5)
**Shield II (2.25)
Overwork I (1.75)
Mana Affinity I (1.0)
Magic Analysis (1.275)
Analysis (--)
**Earth Wall I (1.8)
<UNUSABLE>
Quake (0.5)
Crafting (0.5)
*Point Strike (0.6)
*Smash (0.6)
Throw Item (0.2)
Charisma (0.1)
*Mana Strike (0.3)
Focus (0.1)
Stone Fist (0.6)
*Stone Breaker (0.2)
Intimidate (0.2)
-Scribe (0.2)
*Fire Resistance (0.3)
Demon Affinity (0.25)
Underground Movement (0.5)
Guidance (0.8)
**Use Medium Equipment (0.1)
*Minor Heal (0.4)
Faster (0.1)
Alert (0.1)
Dual Cast (0.1)
LEVEL UP! Your combined experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 8! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you like!
Unspent Skill Points: 12
Current Skills:
Minor Heal III (3.0)
Lesser Flight II (2.65)
Shield IV (4.02)
Magic Analysis IV (4.27)
Mana Orb II (2.55)
Mana Shape II (2.75)
Lesser Status Heal (1.2)
Mana Dart I (1.55)
Alert I (1.65)
Monster Analysis II (2.5)
Meditation III (3.07625)
Light Ring I (1.25)
Gather Light I (1.75)
Fireball I (1.7)
Plant Analysis I (1.0)
Material Analysis I (1.0)
Sacred Ground I (1.0)
Mana Slice I (1.05)
Overwork I (1.75)
Keen Sight (1.1)
Minor Heal All I (1.0)
Spiritual Awareness I (1.0)
Minor Regeneration I (1.0)
Spell Chant I (1.1)
Focus I (1.1)
Mental Resistance II (2.25)
Sensory Resistance I (1.0)
<UNUSABLE>
Wall (0.6)
Faster (0.5)
Charisma (0.9)
Light Affinity (0.8)
Fire Resistance (0.2)
Spell Cancel (0.1)
Mana Puppet (0.5)
Earth Wall (0.1)
Aqua Sphere (0.3)
Mana Drain (0.1)
Wind Break (0.1)
Flame Lance (0.6)
PixieSlime Party
With the Bowhorn Deer slain, the party began to divide the spoils. Momma Slime slowly ate her way through the connection of its back leg while Steve injected her webbed portion with her spider-venom. It wouldn't spread to the rest of the body, since the creature's heart was no longer beating, but its purpose wasn't really to poison the meat anyway. It would break down the proteins and reduce the flesh to a type of mush, which the arachnid's mouth parts could then slurp out through the holes her fangs made in the webbing. When Asura began chopping off the head, however, Steve shrank back to a safe distance and tilted her head. Momma Slime had weakened the back leg enough that she began to pull it the rest of the way off, with a loud meaty crunch and tear. Storing the back leg inside her membrane for later, she watched as Asura finished cutting off the head then turned towards Ardur.
As Ardur healed up Asura, restoring the red slime's HP to full, Momma Slime lurched over slowly. She seemed curious, but also wary.
"Ahdoo. Wat dat? Wat do Ahsoowa?" the monster asked the Hipixie while he began to carve the deer with a broken mandible from the Flak Beetle. It was rather hard to do--the mandible was sharp, but also brittle and not really designed for this kind of work. He would have to small cuts over and over again, "digging" deeper into the hide and meat before he could make any real headway.
If the fairy chose to explain his spell, while he was doing that Momma Slime took the opportunity to quickly grab whatever intestines and other organs he removed from the deer. She didn't seem disturbed by the smell and if she could taste anything within the offal it didn't seem to bother her. Steve went back to her poison leg "smoothie" while Asura began forcing himself into the Bowhorn's skull.
The Amorphous Slime's liquid body made use of his Limited Shapeshift skill much more fluidly than he had before, when he tried to use a Dire Rat's corpse as a hiding place. Surrounding tendons and muscle, working his way between flesh and bone, his body itself almost became a mold for the material under the deer's hide and allowed him to better understand its structure. He stuck himself to the severed ends of every blood vessel and began to drain it all out--the innards of the deer shrank as they were emptied out completely. Red flesh became a much lighter pink, and the hide just below the fur began to sag. But what Asura had taken in he replaced with himself. The head filled out again, even bulging in places as he worked his way in. But even with Limited Shapeshift increased in rank compared to his previous attempt, he just wasn't able to force all the mass of his body into such a limited space. The smaller veins and capillaries would simply burst. He was able to work extensions of himself into the major arteries though...and once he had traveled through those, reaching the brain and eyes, he ate his way through and cleared a path to the brainpan.
Pseudopods wrapped around the tendons of the jaw like rubber coating on copper wires. Muscles couldn't push, they always had to pull. They had to be anchored on the bones. And when one set of muscles pulled, the opposing set had to relax...
Skill Gain: Slime Shell I (0.7) > (1.0)!
A skill Unique to Slimes that have gained a shapeshifting skill. By forming themselves into an appropriate shape, they can infiltrate some of the oddest objects and use them to protect themselves. Much like a species of crab may force a mollusk out of the shell, then use it for itself. As this skill increases in Rank, the complexity of the shell and the strength of the Slime's bond to it grows. Currently, you may have only one Shell of relatively simple design. You possess the skill Cling I--the strength of your shell's bond is boosted.
Slime Shell Acquired: Bowhorn Skull
The decapitated head of a Bowhorn Deer. It has one remaining joint: Jaw. Operation of this joint is not fully functional at this Rank, it grants no Sub-Stat Enhancements. This Shell has not been fully bonded; you feel tougher when wearing it but it is slowing you down. Fully bond the Shell to remove Negative Sub-Stat Enhancements and increase the effectiveness of positive Enhancements.
Ardur tossed Asura the liver of the deer just as he was figuring out his new skill. If Asura watched, he would join Momma Slime and Steve as witnesses to a gruesome scene. Ardur cut out the deer's heart, an organ almost as big as the Hipixie's own head. In imitation of some grisly ritual, he drank its blood and held it up to the sky as he began to pray...
"“An offering to those that helped us. To those who we met and are now gone, to those who made us stronger and survive, to those that watch over us, I praise." Somehow the silence seemed deafening. Like when one tries to speak in a crowded room, yet for some reason all conversation suddenly stops the moment they begin to shout over the volume. "For the protector, who helped us defend our home from the unknown." The blue light of dawn was fading. The sun rose, and its rays spilled over them as they stood around the corpse whose heart Ardur held aloft. "For the king, who helped us lead and work together." The warmth of these new yellow and red rays tickled the skin. A southerly breeze began to blow. "For the mother, who has rewarded us with a fine gift." A stray cloud, blown by the wind, passed over the sun. But soon it had moved on, so the light merely blinked for a short moment. "I praise you and offer this sacrifice. The heart of the beast, may you take its strength and let it join you to find peace.”
The wind picked up. The cloud was driven further away. The sun's light seemed brighter in the now-clear blue sky. Ardur focused on his hands and cast Fireball I without the intention of letting it fly but simply to burn the offering in a sort of ritual sacrifice. The heart, being fresh and full of fluid, steamed and sizzled as it began to char and blacken. The smell was like cooking pork, and it began to drift up on thick smoke. The breeze carried it southward, a trail of succulent scent. The morning light was now catching the snowdrifts atop those high mountains, reflecting in some places along the western slopes like glittering gemstones. But these gems were set high, high atop the mountains, in the snows that ringed their peaks...like crowns of wrought ivory reflecting a fiery light. And like the wind, the sunlight's refraction seemed to bounce away among the rocks and crags to the south...
Rat Party
You used Monster Analysis I!
---Adult Male Human ???---
Humans are not technically considered Monsters. They are of the Enlightened Races. Nonetheless they are an advanced race with civilization, history, culture. WARNING: DANGEROUS!
---Adult Male Human ???---
Humans are not technically considered Monsters. They are of the Enlightened Races, considered truly sentient. Nonetheless they are an advanced race with a fully functioning civilization, a varied history, and distinct cultures. WARNING: DANGEROUS!
---Analysis Complete!---
You used Monster Analysis II!
---Cluckel---
An interesting example of a Monstrous Beast that has been Domesticated, and thus degraded somewhat to a more Mundane creature. Some say that Cluckel's primitive ancestors were actually related to the Cockatrice or even other Avian-class Monsters like Rocs. In truth, this could be the case for either ancestor depending on what subspecies of Cluckel one is talking about. Humans raise Cluckels for their feathers, their meat, and their eggs.
---Analysis Complete!---
As the rats searched the woodshed, they would find a few items left here for the sake of storage, but nothing incredibly valuable...well, unless they could make something of it for themselves, perhaps. Ed found a small wooden box on top of one of the jars that contained a piece of flint and a piece of steel, as well as some woodchips and grass--a flint and tinder box. And he also found a weapon, perhaps intended as a spare or in case someone was out at the shed at night and suddenly got attacked. It was about four feet long, made of hard wood, and while the first half of its length had been sanded down smooth and wrapped with leather strips, the latter half remained about as big around as a baseball bat and had been studded here and there with bits of metal. The Greatclub actually wasn't
too heavy for Ed to be able to lift...but given its length compared to his height, even with his enhanced strength stats he just couldn't seem to hold it well enough to actually use it. Would he leave it, or risk dragging it with him if it meant possibly learning to use it later?
Asteria got luckier, as the jar she grabbed and stuffed the scroll into also seemed to have something else already in it. What was more, the scroll wasn't a scroll of parchment--it was a tanned leather hide that hadn't yet been put to some sort of use. The material seemed relatively freshly dried, so it was still quite flexible, but hard and thick enough to serve any purpose that leather could be put to--so long as there was enough of it for the given task. The other items in the jar were some kind of antler or horn from some creature--it was an unusually vivid purple color, and Asteria's nose picked up an unpleasant odor not unlike the Fanged Lizards from the cave. There was also what looked to be an actual dried eyeball of some kind...or maybe it was a bead, given how it rolled and rattled inside the jar. They might have to examine these objects more closely to really understand what they were...but for now, they wanted to move.
Asteria wanted to find some sharp tools if possible, but as the rats prepared to grab their loot and go, it looked like one of the guards was coming too close to the destroyed pen to risk it. That pen was also further inside the village as well, in plain view from several huts, so right now it wouldn't be prudent to risk it. Here inside the shed, only one tool could be found besides that Greatclub Ed had found.
It was a small hatchet, even smaller than what one usually thinks of when they think of a small one handed axe used for wood cutting. Maybe its shaft had broken off at some point, or maybe it was only meant to split really small wood for kindling. But even a human child could have easily handled it. Its head was made of stone, however, and not iron--it would be somewhat heavy.
If they left immediately they could probably make it out unseen, the same way they had come in--but would they take everything and risk being slowed down? Or would they quickly select the most valuable items? The lightest? The ones that would make the least noise? They had only moments--!
Ghost Party
Physical Damage Resistance I (1.0)(0.1)
Warcry II (2.175)(0.1)
Stone Shot II (2.6625)(0.1)
Rock Spire II (2.075)(0.1)
Tremor Sense II (2.425)(0.2)
Soil Manipulation I (1.15)(0.2)
Telepathy II (2.725)(0.5)
Material Analysis I (1.2)(0.1)
Magic Analysis I (1.55)(0.4)
Monster Analysis I (1.55)(0.2)
Mental Resistance I (1.55)(0.4)
Charisma I (1.15)(0.1)
Focus I (1.3)(0.5)
Limited Shapeshift I (1.6)(0.3)
Mind Wave I (1.2)(0.2)
Spell Chant I (1.3)(0.3)
Bounce I (1.15)(0.1)
Faster I (1.05)(0.1)
Blunt Resistance I (1.0)(0.1)
Spiritual Awareness I (1.75)
Transparency I (1.25)
Taboo I (1.9)
Levitate (--)
Guidance I (1.15)
Mana Drain I (1.45)
Meditate I (1.6)
<UNUSABLE>
Earth Affinity (0.7) <CANNOT BE INCREASED BY SKILL POINTS>
Wave Shock (0.1)
Swift Swimmer (0.1) <UNUSABLE WITH CURRENT ABILITIES>
Aqua Sphere (0.7)
Alert (0.1)
Smash (0.5) <UNUSABLE WITH CURRENT ABILITIES>
Cleave (0.3) <UNUSABLE WITH CURRENT ABILITIES>
Blood Drain (0.7)
Muffle (0.1)
Crafting (0.3) <UNUSABLE WITH CURRENT ABILITIES>
Magic Resistance (0.7)
Agriculture (0.3)
Plant Analysis (0.3)
Acid Spit (0.5) <UNUSABLE WITH CURRENT ABILITIES>
Fire Resistance (0.4)
Fortify (0.2)
Sensory Resistance (0.45)
Mana Orb (0.7)
Shield (0.5)
Alchemy (0.4)
Air Read (0.4)
Keen Sight (0.2)
Point Strike (0.2) <UNUSABLE WITH CURRENT ABILITIES>
Doze (0.1)
Acid Resistance (0.1)
Rabid Fit (0.3)
Pierce Resistance (0.8)
Lesser Cleanse (0.2)
Dextrous (0.2)
Quicken (0.3)
Earth Wall (0.1)
Stone Breaker (0.1) <UNUSABLE WITH CURRENT ABILITIES>
Iron Gullet (0.1) <UNUSABLE WITH CURRENT ABILITIES>
Slash Resistance (0.2)
Earth Vein (0.5)<UNUSABLE WITH CURRENT ABILITIES>
Mana Sense (0.8)
Mana Shape (0.2)
Possession (0.35)
Lesser Force (0.1)
Spell Cancel (0.1)
Curse Word (0.1)
Mana Density: The degree of compactness of a given amount of magical energy in a container of a given size.
As Jason lunged at the beetle, upon thrusting his essence into its body and seizing hold of the soul inside he found that the "bubble" didn't pop. Rather, he felt it as if he were holding onto a water balloon only partially filled. The gray light within the beetle surged as it seemed to detect that something was attacking it--without knowing, without seeing, the insect began to buzz angrily and tried to open its wings. Danny, from his perch on the tree, could see a soft blue glow coming from underneath the creature's abdomen. He prepared a Mana Orb, and the projectile crackled with more powerful surges of magic with its second rank. The beetle looked up and suddenly paused, as if it had just realized Danny was even there.
Jason's misty pseudopod fully engulfed the beetle's soul. Its memories flooded him--
A worm, digging in the dark and the wet. The sun, bright and blinding. Plants, roots, life giving water...Growth. Feeling tight and restricted. Growing too big. Curling up. The skin hardened. Organs liquified. Sleep. A long sleep. Cracking. Breaking free, in the dark and the wet. The sun, bright and blinding. Plants, roots, water, smaller insects. Burning inside. Using this. Attack the not-me. Eat. The pull of nature. Seeking a mate...Fighting for food. Fighting for territory. Fighting for mates. Predator. Pain. Injured. Need shelter. Need food. I am Jason.
Like the slime, this creature had no real sentience. Its intelligence was entirely limited. The experience of
being this creature confused and consumed Jason, almost as if his own will had been temporarily stripped and he had been reduced to a machine that simply made conclusions from information. But ultimately, it was shallow. It could not drown him. He emerged, still himself.
But as he was draining the last of the Beetle's soul, the creature itself was not going down without a fight. Looking at Danny, the only other creature nearby and thus the only creature that might be attacking it right now, the beetle opened its mandible. Something bright and fiery burned in the depths of its mouth--so, seeing that it was about to attack, Danny would launch his own. The Mana Orb crashed into the bug's face with a bright flash. Jason "felt" its soul go limp in his grasp.
The Ectoslime devoured his next soul, and felt his mana grow. Danny watched the bug's body twitch as its mandibles cracked, and it flipped over onto its back. It seemed to instinctively curl in on itself, much like a spider, as it died.
LEVEL UP! Your combined experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 8! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you like!
Unspent Skill Points: 10
Current Skills:
Physical Damage Resistance I (1.0)(0.1)
Warcry II (2.175)(0.1)
Stone Shot II (2.6625)(0.1)
Rock Spire II (2.075)(0.1)
Tremor Sense II (2.425)(0.2)
Soil Manipulation I (1.15)(0.2)
Telepathy II (2.725)(0.5)
Material Analysis I (1.2)(0.1)
Magic Analysis I (1.55)(0.4)
Monster Analysis I (1.55)(0.2)
Mental Resistance I (1.55)(0.4)
Charisma I (1.15)(0.1)
Focus I (1.3)(0.5)
Limited Shapeshift I (1.6)(0.3)
Mind Wave I (1.2)(0.2)
Spell Chant I (1.3)(0.3)
Bounce I (1.15)(0.1)
Faster I (1.05)(0.1)
Blunt Resistance I (1.0)(0.1)
Spiritual Awareness I (1.75)
Transparency I (1.25)
Taboo I (1.9)
Levitate (--)
Guidance I (1.15)
Mana Drain I (1.5)
Meditate I (1.6)
<UNUSABLE>
Earth Affinity (0.7) <CANNOT BE INCREASED BY SKILL POINTS>
Wave Shock (0.1)
Swift Swimmer (0.1) <UNUSABLE WITH CURRENT ABILITIES>
Aqua Sphere (0.7)
Alert (0.1)
Smash (0.5) <UNUSABLE WITH CURRENT ABILITIES>
Cleave (0.3) <UNUSABLE WITH CURRENT ABILITIES>
Blood Drain (0.7)
Muffle (0.1)
Crafting (0.3) <UNUSABLE WITH CURRENT ABILITIES>
Magic Resistance (0.7)
Agriculture (0.3)
Plant Analysis (0.3)
Acid Spit (0.5) <UNUSABLE WITH CURRENT ABILITIES>
Fire Resistance (0.4)
Fortify (0.2)
Sensory Resistance (0.45)
Mana Orb (0.7)
Shield (0.5)
Alchemy (0.4)
Air Read (0.4)
Keen Sight (0.2)
Point Strike (0.2) <UNUSABLE WITH CURRENT ABILITIES>
Doze (0.1)
Acid Resistance (0.1)
Rabid Fit (0.3)
Pierce Resistance (0.8)
Lesser Cleanse (0.2)
Dextrous (0.2)
Quicken (0.3)
Earth Wall (0.1)
Stone Breaker (0.1) <UNUSABLE WITH CURRENT ABILITIES>
Iron Gullet (0.1) <UNUSABLE WITH CURRENT ABILITIES>
Slash Resistance (0.2)
Earth Vein (0.5)<UNUSABLE WITH CURRENT ABILITIES>
Mana Sense (0.8)
Mana Shape (0.2)
Possession (0.35)
Lesser Force (0.1)
Spell Cancel (0.1)
Curse Word (0.1)
LEVEL UP! Your combined experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 6! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you like!
Unspent Skill Points: 10
Current Skills:
Mana Orb II (2.475)
Lesser Force II (2.825)
Levitation (--)
Monster Analysis II (2.75)
Meditate I (1.4)
Mana Shape I (1.3)
Aqua Sphere I (1.2)
Magic Analysis I (1.7)
Mana Dart I (1.05)
Blunt Resistance I (1.05)
Focus I (1.0)
Faster I (1.05)
Plant Analysis I (1.05)
<UNUSABLE>
Mana Strike (0.5)
Mana Shell (0.1)
Point Strike (0.8)
Suppress Presence (0.8)
Muffle (0.7)
Spell Cancel (0.1)
Aqua Stream (0.1)
Magic Dash (0.2)
Spell Chant (0.1)
Material Analysis (0.5)
Mana Drain (0.1)
Alert (0.2)
Fire Resistance (0.1)
Charisma (0.2)
Spiritual Awareness (0.6)
Mana Vision (0.5)
Stronger (0.1)
With the Beetle dead, it seemed like nothing else was around to disturb the ghostly slime and the Poltergeist. They couldn't hear Trent chopping trees anymore...in fact, something, maybe their animalistic senses, told them that the humans probably were not nearby anymore. They knew that the goblin tribe had gone to the east--but who knew how far they had traveled by now? They might risk going back to the cave, if they wanted to try running in and out of the dungeon video-game style to see what loot or experience they could get. But they could also go west to the mountains, or east to...whatever was out there. Maybe south. Anywhere they desired, really...what were their goals, from here on out?
Orchid's Tribe
”OI! Quit hollaring! So you all got stronger. What of it? We still gots lots of work to do if we wanna survive out here. Hunters, make sure you get skills that’ll help you fight. I’m sure some of you might be tempted to pick something like smash or slash, but if you can get something that’ll help you throw or shoot. Being goblins, the chances of us surviving a fight against a big monster ain’t big, even if we’re working together. Better that we can hit em hard from afar.”
Orchid's goblins stopped celebrating as she raised her voice. And as they processed what she said, they began to look confused...all except for Crispy.
"Get skillz? How we do dat, Boss?" Bigs asked, scratching his head.
"Yeah, ya can't just pick skillz!" Wej said, nodding like someone who doesn't really know but wants to look smart anyway. "Everybody knows, skillz is da blessins from da Old Gobs! Dey just shows up when dey shows up! Is all misty-airs!"
”Crafters need crafting skills of course. And learn more about what you’re working with, whether it’s plants or monsters or what. And gatherers need similar skills, maybe something that’ll also help you move faster or stronger so you can carry more stuff. If you can learn magic then do it.”
"M-magic?" Yoona looked at Crispy, then at Orchid, then down at himself. "B-but, we can'ts do no magic! Only yous and Crispy got it, and yous da only one talked to Big Demons! Crispy just got burnt! I dun wanna get burnt!"
"OI!" Crispy broke in, shouting over the others before any more protests could be made. "Da boss means, go practice yer hurtin'! See who can make da loudest bang on da trees wif yer clubs, or who can stick the most leaves on da enda dey spear when ya stabs it! Ya buncha dums!"
Given the look on his face, the other goblins scurried away from Crispy and left Orchid to her crafting and cooking. Jezee began gathering up wood for the bush-turned-campfire, but she wouldn't go out of sight of Orchid and kept looking around the dark woods nervously. Clod sat down with his back against the tree and began examining the stone blade of his sword for any chips or cracks. If he found them, he used some of the stones that had been gathered during the trip to try and hone the edge. Sqwal had run off with Wej and Bigs, and their arguments over who was better at what could be heard by the rest of the group. Yoona helped Crispy re-apply the last of the healing herbs to his arm, solely because the other goblin ordered him to...although, Yoona seemed a little out of it. Whether he was just tired, or something had happened during the fight, he had grown sluggish and drowsy.
Tiddies sat down not far from Orchid, but also kept her back to a tree. Like Yoona, she seemed to be crashing...but she kept her eyes locked on Orchid, carefully watching what the other goblinette was doing with all the parts of the Armored Badger and the food.
Skill Rank Up: Charisma I (1.6) > II (2.0)!
Your ability to convince others has subtly increased. This Skill still won't work on those with strong Wills even if they're below your level. The effectiveness of leadership-type buff skills will be boosted by Skill Synergy.
Skill Gain: Warcry I (0.9 > 1.0)!
In the heat of battle, you can unleash an echoing roar of fury. At this rank, it might hurt someone’s ears, but its real effect is to cause enemies to focus on you for a short amount of time.
Skill Gain: Fire Resistance I (0.8 > 1.0)!
This damage resistance skill applies to both magical and natural flames, as well as higher temperatures in general. If other elemental resistances are gained, skill synergy may occur. Having this skill may make using certain types of fire magic or other fire oriented skills easier. - You possess the Hellish Fiend's Protection (Petty). Your total Fire Resistance is Rank II -
Skill Gain: Defender I (0.7 > 1.0)!
Expend Stamina to harden the muscles in the body and reduce damage taken while blocking an attack. If used with a shield or armor, the effect is boosted. If used without a solid footing, the effect is diminished.
You looted the Armored Badger!
Obtained Items:
Badger Hide (Bad Quality) x1
Tough Hide Plate (Poor Quality) x3
Fresh Badger Meat (30 pounds edible)
Fresh Badger Offal (9 pounds)
Small Monster Bones (Average) x4
Small Monster Ribcage (Average) x1
Small Monster Bone Plates (Average) x4
Small Monster Spine (Average) x1
Armored Badger Skull (Poor) x1
Armored Badger Fangs (Average) x2
Armored Badger Claws (Average) x8
You used Crafting V!
Green Switch + Fresh Badger Meat + Fresh Badger Offal + Fire
Repeat Process x9
Fresh Badger Offal + Blue Argeps + Green Argeps + Fire
You created Badger Kebabs (x9)!
Made with chopped up bits of liver, kidney, and the gamey, earthy meat of an Armored Badger roasted over an open flame and speared with a fresh green piece of wood, this is a surprisingly filling meal for such simple fare.
You created Badger Berry Tripe!
By putting fresh Argeps into an Armored Badger's stomach sac, the acidity of the berries helps tenderize the leathery membrane and their sweetness overcomes the powerful offal flavor. Once roasted over the fire, it's a chewy meal that bursts with fruity flavor in every bite!
21 pounds of Fresh Badger Meat remain.
3.5 pounds of Fresh Badger Offal remain.
The smell of cooking food soon drew the other goblins back to the fire, and several of them were yawning now as well. The sun was good and truly down now, and the stars were twinkling up above. As the goblins finally made to settle down in their little camp, Orchid spoke up again.
”Didn’t get much done as far as weapon crafting. Fuck, took us the whole damn day just to make some goddamn rope and one spiked club. I can’t be da only one crafting if we wanna raid the farm with more than just twigs and bushes. Wej! Crispy! Tomorrow we’re gonna focus on making shit for the tribe. Ready or not we’re gunna attack the farm at night, when they least expect it. Hunters, make sure you get us food and learn how ta hit hard with whatever ya got. Gatherers, get rocks and sticks wherever you can. But for now, we eat!” Orchid proudly displayed the badger kebabs. They weren’t anything too fancy, but a step up from eating raw fruit and meat. The goblins looked at them in awe for several moments before finally digging in--and once the first batch of kebabs had disappeared, everyone wanted to make their own. As most of them didn't possess Orchid's skill or "sense" for what cooked food actually was, their own attempts mostly consisted of finding a tree branch, spearing some of the badger meat or offal on it, and then holding it in the fire until they either couldn't stand the tasty smell anymore, or noticed that it was starting to turn black. The new battle cry of "HASHAFASHASASH" was heard several more times that night as the goblins tried to stuff themselves before the meat had even stopped burning. Orchid had used a good deal of the meat herself, but by the time everyone had eaten their fill only
10 pounds of Fresh Badger Meat was left, and all the Fresh Badger Offal had been eaten. ”After we done eating we’ll go to sleep. Biggs, you got first watch. Den Sqwal. Third will be Wej, den wake me up so I can get the day started for us.” Now that they were truly full and satiated, for possibly the first time in their entire lives, the goblins brooked no argument with their new boss. Even Crispy had nothing to say as he settled down on a pile of leaves, carefully adjusting his injured arm. Clod had fallen asleep before he even finished eating, his last kebab clutched tightly in his hand with only half of it bitten off. Tiddies, too, was in a deep, heavy slumber, as if she were dead. Yoona had curled up in a fetal position up under a bush, and though the ground was cool the brush kept the wind off of him and the fire's warmth was nearby.
The night passed...
[[Orchid's Tribe enters Day 5]]
"AAAAAAAAAAGH!"
The sun hadn't come up yet, everything was still blue and misty and damp and chilly. But when Orchid told Wej to wake her up, she was pretty sure she hadn't told him to do it by screaming his head off...yet here he was.
"BOSS! BOSS, BOSS, DERE'S STRANGE GOBS HERE!"
Jumping up and down and pointing, the fat goblin gestured until Orchid was on her feet. Then, holding his spear in trembling hands, he slowly edged forwards toward the tree and reached out with the butt of the weapon.
The sleeping Redcap dropped his badger kebab with a snort, and without opening his eyes groped out and pushed the spear away. Wej poked him again, and the Redcap rolled over with a grimace. A third poke provoked a snarl from the monster, and he grabbed the stone sword lying next to him and whirled. Wej squealed as his weapon was knocked from his hand, and the Redcap stood to a full height just over four feet, but fairly broad of shoulder and chest even compared to the pudgier goblin.
"WEJ YA DUM, QUIT POKIN' ME OR I'LL CUT YA HEAD OFF!"
"What's goin' on, shaddup all dat fuggin noise!" Crispy stood up, wincing as his arm throbbed after not moving all night. And behind him, two other figures jumped up on unsteady feet. They each stood at four and a half feet, and their skin was a darker shade of green. Their proportions, and their facial features, had become much more sophisticated. Their ears were still long, and they still had sharp teeth, and their noses were still thick. But their hair had grown and their bodies had developed. To someone who couldn't see skin color, they might have passed for stunted, extremely ugly, human teenagers.
"...Why errybody smalls?" asked the male, as he looked around and blinked with wide eyes--then gasped and jumped in shock when he laid eyes on the other Hobgoblin. "T-t-t-TIDDIES!?"
"Yoona, dat you? And...dat red gob over dere, dat's Clod?" Tiddies' hair, especially, had lengthened significantly and her proportions had grown more noticeably than Yoona's. They were likely the oldest goblins in the group besides Crispy, but unlike him had not transformed up until this point for some reason. As the now much more mature looking female looked over at Orchid, Tiddies seemed both confused and thoughtful. Gears were definitely turning in her head. The other goblins also turned to Orchid, but they didn't seem to know what to think at all.
