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4 yrs ago
Current Memes aside, pineapples on pizza is ok actually. Being shat on for liking things different from other people gets old after a while.
7 likes
4 yrs ago
Hark, it seems I am in dire need of medical attention that is easily accessible by specialized containers we call medical bags.
2 likes
4 yrs ago
no one cares about christmas. What is important is how we let some strange old man in red in our house depositing mysterious packages and never question him for it
5 yrs ago
Oh shit, I'm sorry
6 yrs ago
instructions unclear, snorted all the dicks
3 likes

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[Ranger]Ari Reina Caladis(Theresa)



Her ears twitched as the crystal was brought out onto the table. Stretching across the table, she pawed at the crystal.

"Yeah a palace. Full of stone guards too. It was pretty creepy. Like that uh, that old movie with all the mist in it. It was pretty cool though, it had a huge wall fresco and everything but... It seemed more like a prison, from the presence of the huge monsters in the walls. That or it was made to contain the monsters? I'll have to ask them again if I go back there, but I think I have to be stronger and bring some sort of tribute to them."

Her expression darkened for a moment, her ears flattening slightly.

"If I do get stronger. My friend died from the guards there, and they broke a piece of my equipment I was still paying for. I... probably should go get more money first to pay him off then apologize after."

She sighed a deep sigh, sinking onto the table as she did so. They probably won't be pleased to meet her again, and the rest probably won't be too. Not that Ari was going to say that out loud.
The jungle was not merciful to the weak, or those unable to work together.

Angry barks filled the air, with intermitted yips and yaps. The kobolds at the outer perimeters was already swarmed, though mostly from the birds rushing in a feeding frenzy rather than attacking them directly. The staggered lines hit them first, thinning their numbers, but there was still too much for the kobolds to handle, the final shield wall bristling with the better equipped chief and his retinue looking to be overwhelmed by the sheer numbers.

But that was why they were here. Spikers of a newly formed group, gathered for their abilities and their resonance with the strange magical objects.



The elf was classically trained, and certainly mere birds weren't any match for him. Beautiful arced swings flashed out, slicing though their small bodies with ease. In numbers however, they were approaching faster than he could kill. He took a hits here and there, from several birds, but with his robe taking the brunt of the damage, he would probably only be bruised if that.



Amitha was less refined, simply charging into the fray like an angry goat, swinging wildly at the crazed birds. Perhaps not the best of tactics, but it worked well enough for the birds as she simply plowed through them. Sturdy hammer broke bird bones easily, and swinging around another weapon, even if it be the body of another bird, ensured that any she hit with it will at least be stunned for a moment, easy prey for any nearby kobolds. Effective, but without a doubt a painful one as several birds managed to kick and bite her.



The minotaur was barely phased by any of the birds' attacks, with his sheer mass and his chitinous coverings. Blood and gore splattered in a crescent arc as he swung his massive stone axe through the horde. It was enough that the kobolds fighting around them tried to give him a wide berth. Like a rock against which the waves crashed, his resolute presence was enough to cow even the frenzied birds, slowing down the rush in his area.

Tash didn't fare as well however. Falling down onto the mud after killing one, he was immediately trampled upon by the horde of birds with no more resistance. At least the birds were more interested in the crops than actually tearing him apart.

The tide was holding for the moment, but it now seemed that the farm was more in danger of being trampled rather than being eaten by this point, as the sheer number of their enemy threatened to simply wash over them.

"Snagtoothed bill. Grows frenzied when small flocks amass, triggering a change to lead them to devour everything they could before breeding and laying eggs before dying."

A clear voice rang out from behind the Spikers, as a snagtooth flew through the air, crashing onto a group of them so hard their bodies ruptured.



A small figure just a bit taller than the average kobold walked carefully past the chief's shield wall.

"Killing them all would be a monumental endeavor for this few men. Fire would both frighten and repel them."

A helpful revelation, and indeed there were a few extinguished campfire as they entered the farm, but those now was filled with angry honking snagtooths smothering any chance of it being ignited in the chaos. Would it be worth leaving their front and risking the kobold lines be overwhelmed to light up the fires, or would they just stay and try to weather out the horde of birds? After all, surely there can't be that many birds?
[Ranger]Ari Reina Caladis(Theresa)



There was but mild curiosity when she was dragged away by Zhi-Toren, but it slowly turned to dread as the areas around her changed more and more into what seemed to be homes. Places where people live in, and maintain a semblance of normalcy compared to the organized chaos that was the areas of the town she had been to. Worse, she was brought to a rather respectable looking shop that wouldn't look out of place in a big mall.

Was her tail dusty? Did she even comb her hair? The rough paths she had went through did no service to her clothing, but it was alright as long as she was in the town with the other Immortals who wore more outlandish garbs with various signs of travel and weather on them. Here she felt like she should be in at least a modest sundress, or a decent jeans and vest combo.

Her tail twitched erratically as she sat down at the table, more nervous than anything now, though her ears did twitch slightly on hearing what Zhi ordered.

"Ah, about that... I..." Ari scratched her head at the question. "The first was me underestimating the area, and the second, was being caught wholly off guard by the place. Ah... I've still not entered the palace yet. With such an important looking bell on it, I think there'd be an awesome event if I rang it a few times."
[Ranger]Ari Reina Caladis(Theresa)



"Geh!"

Her surprise was almost immediately drowned by embarrassment after the woman spoke. Sewer diver? Ari sniffed at herself, wondering if the benefits of being Immortal doesn't extend to not having to take a bath. Would she need to go to the toilet if she were to stay in the game longer than a day?

"Is...is that what my reputation is?"

Sorry but I'm busy, was what she wanted to say. But she wasn't really in any hurry to meet that merchant again. At the very least, she could just listen to what this person was going to say, instead of just rudely brushing them off.

"I've got time. I've never heard of your company though."

At least, she assumed it was a company, considering how they dressed and the way they said division. Foreign clothing were often traded after all, and sometimes were seen as a sign of wealth. It certainly stands out among the masses here.
With the beast slain thus, it seemed all would be fine and done. Of course, nothing was truly that easy.

But it was not so, true these small flightless birds were a menace to kobolds, and anyone who had experience with them knew that the rows of serrated teeth on its beak while able to tear through flesh was more for tearing through tough fruit skins. The real danger these birds posed would be through their legs, with powerful kicks able to bruise and even break bones if one was not wary.

That, and their numbers.

Almost immediately the brush broke into a flurry of honking birds, rushing towards the farms. By now the staggered formations of the kobold would have made sense; without the advantage of size and weight, a proper battle line would just result in them being knocked over and overrun immediately. Staggered, they could slay what they could, leaving those who rushed past them to those behind them, and hopefully thin them enough that none remained alive to reach the crops.

A wave of the birds crested over them, a veritable mob of angry honking and birds. Whatever tactics they used, it was clear they needed to thin the birds number quickly if they didn't fancy being kicked around.
The kobold's tail started wagging furiously as his tongue lolled out, pleased to be greeted like this.

"Yes. Yes enemy. Bad come to farm. Bad harvest with enemy. Come. Come now. Enemy soon."

The barks and yips of faraway kobolds could still be heard in various intensity as they followed the guard. The furhook berries shrubs they passed seemed almost ripe, with many already weighting heavy on their branches, ready to snag onto any furry animal. Once harvest comes, the kobolds would be running up and down the rows of shrubs, shaking off the berries onto a basket every now and then. Primarily used like a vegetable because of their sweet acidic taste, these would also be used to make a sweet mead the lamias seemed to particularly enjoy.

For now the farm only hosts apprehensive kobolds, with a particularly more well equipped kobolds standing out nearer to the main storehouse, wearing a thicker leather and fabric armor as well as a very well made shield. Even the rock axe he wielded seemed a step up from the rest of the clubs and axes the rest had.

The Kobold Chief and his retinue.


From the way they were positioned and the way the Kobold Chief was arranging the men he had, it was obvious they were the frontlines. The other kobolds were positioned strangely however, staggered too far to make a holding line feasible. With yips and barks, the calls kept getting closer and closer, until two kobolds burst from the foliages in front of them, holding their weapons in their mouths as they scampered past the group. By now every single kobold in the farm had stood up, gripping their weapons at the ready, as the far away yips and barks were noticeably clipped and shorter in tone.

By now even those who weren't well versed in the kobold language knew what that meant.

Danger close. Beware friends.

With a mighty rustle of leaves and snapping of twigs, the danger in question leapt out into the opening.




The 2 foot tall beast let out a mighty honk.

The battle... begins?
[Ranger]Ari Reina Caladis(Theresa)



Dying again didn't do much to dampen her gaming high, but the messages afterwards on her feed certainly did. It was as if her chest had clumped up and sank down to her sternum, weighing heavily inside her. What could she say? She had stared at the last words on the party chat for quite a while, before simply leaving the party. Taking off the gear off her head, she laid down on her bed, hugging her fluffy pillow as she stared at nothing in particular.

There was no frenzied study of anything tonight, no looking up things she can do and perhaps make in the game world just to stand out.

Just like that, she fell asleep, a dreamless black that carried her all the way till morning.

***


Morning came and go without much ado. The usual breakfast, some bread and a mug of hot Milo, in front of the tv. Nothing interesting on all of the 4 channels, but that was all the time. By the time Theresa cleaned up and cleaned out her home, she had nothing to do again in the afternoon. Save for reading her books again, or perhaps... going back into the game.

There was both apprehension and anticipation whenever she thought about going into the game again. Perhaps she wasn't really cut out for games like these. Taking in a deep breath, she started up the gear again.

At the very least, she owe that shopkeeper an apology. And she was going to earn at least enough to pay back her debt. She didn't have a debt to Far Tung at least, so hopefully he will just forget about her if she was to stop playing.

Feeling the familiar feeling of being someone else once again, Ari opened her eyes.

She wasn't looking forwards to apologizing to the merchant, especially now that she broke one of their wares without even paying for it. Afterwards at least, she was going to need some way to crank out that much money to cover her debt.
[Ranger]Ari Reina Caladis(Theresa)



“Of humanity’s vices, we know not. But of the adventurer’s lust, we know well.”

Gradually, the polearms were lifted up once more, returning to their original position. The two guards retained their burning gaze unto Ari, but they did not seem to be aggressive any longer.

“You’ve not the merits necessary to pass through these gates. Return from whence you came. Do not plunder from the keepsakes of the Emperor’s subjects, and do not stray from the middle path, beastkin.” With the groan of steel, the statue on the right raised his hand, pointing outwards. “If you seek to make another pilgrimage though, do so with respect, tributes, and strength enough to affirm your worthiness.”

Merits? Strength? Tribute? Her ears and tail perked up immediately. Would this mean she gets to talk to the Emperor? A whole brand new story to be discovered? Well, now that she knew it was a tomb, she guessed it was kinda horrific to plunder their things. Mnngh… not very heroic of her, but there were a lot of books where they went into long dead people’s graves to get some powerful artifact or other.

“Is… is there any other way to exit this cavern other than the entrance in the waters?”

“Of exits and entrances, there should be none.” The rightside statue lowered his arm once more and their gaze shifted away from Ari. The burning gaze faded, and the two became inanimate once more.

She sighed. That means the statue didn't know either. Well, at least… at least she could escape with her life if she meted out her mp? Lucky she had this thing on her arm. Trying not to go into the city now that she knew what this place was, she tried scampering to the outskirts before turning on her nuclei again, searching for an alternate way of getting out.

The outskirts that Ari scampered to were thankfully devoid of the statue-guards, so long as she avoided anything that looked like a proper road. Up close to the walls, the murals were so gigantic that she could hardly figure out what was happening, but the catgirl wasn’t there to sightsee anyways. Drawing Xu Fu over her eyes again, she allowed her senses to be taken by the light of divination…

...and was almost blinded by a searing pillar of red within the wall, shooting up beyond even the limits of Ari’s phantom sight.

Startled by the sudden red hue, she turned it off immediately. What on earth was in these walls? Stepping back, she examined the walls closer, taking in everything she could of them. It doesn’t look much like anything else than a giant wall mural of things. Then again, there could be something hidden on the murals or on the wall itself. Perhaps a secret button or some sort of lever.

Placing her hands against the wall, Ari began to feel around it, attempting to glean any part of the stone that would give away, or any part of the carvings that looked like it could be pulled, pushed, or slid. In pursuit of her search of secrets, she even began to attempt to scale the mural, only to be halted around three meters off the ground by how smooth the stone was and the lack of carvings within easy reach. At this range, at least, Ari wasn’t able to uncover any indication of a lever or a button. What she was able to discover, however, was one meager, perhaps only tangentially interesting fact.

Between the two murals laid a point where Ari could clearly feel a ‘corner’. This wasn’t a city enclosed in a circular space. Rather, if these findings were consistent, the Tomb of the Sunblessed Emperor existed within a hexagonal space.

Her brain was going on full power, but all her jumbled thoughts could come up with was some sort of magic circle engraved with the city layout itself. Well, nothing for it, time to circle the perimeter and see what she could find. Moving briskly, she activated Xu Fu again, resting if need be to recover mp. Perhaps another section of the wall could provide illumination on what’s going on, or even an egress.

But there was none.

Perhaps the guard statue was right, and there wasn’t supposed to be any entrance nor exit to this tomb. The huge pillars of red were worrying too, all lined up perfectly where the corners were. Pillars of huge red energy, the shape of the tomb, and the fact it was made not to have any sort of exit at all. Was this place a tomb, or a prison?

In any case, she was, beyond doubt, sure that this place did not lead to the gambling den, and she should've just ripped that first grate off its bolts.

Staring back into the dark waters of where she entered the tomb, she took in a deep breath, and dived in, preparing herself for the worst as she followed the water to where it flowed. Hopefully it will just lead outside to the river.
Runem barely batted an eye at the strange ensemble of characters in front of her, not even the white minotaur. As the elf stood up, she turned her head.

"5 coppers for that fruit wine. Don't run off and leave your debt unpaid, Muzkaag."

Whatever else she was going to say was interrupted immediately by a loud crash into one of the windows. A moment of silence, before it opened abruptly and a feathery head popped in cheerfully.

"GOOD MORNING!"


An almost earshattering greetings for so early in the morning, but that was why harpies were often messengers; it was very hard to ignore one trying to tell you something. This one rubbed her slightly reddened nose, before bending forwards, letting the bag lower enough for her dexterous claws to rifle through the contents and picking out another sooty, badly scrawled letter.

"Clan Wolfbane would like to add more to the request they posted here. They need help very soon. E..Enm... Enimy? Will come soon. Please help." Flipping the paper to make sure nothing else was written on it, the harpy bowed and took a running hop before flapping into the air, presumably to continue delivering more messages.

"Hnngh... Why can't they just read the letters normally..." Runem picked up the cleaning cloth again. "Well, ya heard the bird. Sounds like introductions can wait. The farm is on the outskirts past the second tower to the west. Yeah, it's very out there, but one of them told me the soil was good there or something. Better get a move on."

Whatever they did, it was obvious at least that they had to go right now. It was not just about accepting the job after all, it was about the people here as well. That farm succumbing from whatever ails it would mean not only would they not get paid, but the produce that would have come from it would not be feeding any hungry belly in the Castle, including theirs.

When they made their way there, the well travelled, and well lived in looking areas quickly turned to jungle trails and thick foliage, filled with the usual cacophony of animals and creatures. The cool air and heady smell of the jungle, of the life living there combined to make a smell all of them would be familiar with. Here there was no civilization, only the cold brutal honesty of living. With nothing more threatening than a herd of armored rhinolike creatures scraping at tree barks with their forked horns in their path, they arrived at the farm with nary an incident.

They could hear the farm long before they arrived, the yips and barks of the kobold language readily apparent as they approached. The guard at the edge of the farm let out a series of short clipped barks as soon as it saw them, echoed by several distant kobolds as it finishes. Running on all fours at them, it was wagging its tail furiously as it greeted them.

"Hail friend. Come help? See note? Help us?" Every word was barked out, the guard looking hopefully at them.

Behind them lied the farm, a relatively wide flat area where small shrubs bearing purple hooked fruits was planted in a line. A furhook berry farm, it seemed.
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