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Xaltwind
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Snowdrops
BunniesOfDoom
Sp00ki
Charley
Danyel
Cleveraptor
RemramNorth Caves
@King Cosmos@Kazemitsu@ERode
The emboldened Esfir seemed to decide that she would continue into the depths of the cave, whereas Akeno decided it was time to stop taking risks. The little group of Runts seemed intent on separating for now, but hopefully they would all survive to meet back at the camp later.
As Esfir creeped into the cave, further than Lazash and Vola had, she would pass the same Ore Deposit that the Flak Beetle's explosive demise had damaged. And, as her feet carefully, quietly, carried her along the narrow passage, something bounced away from her ankle. It seemed there were three more pieces of the damaged ore that had probably been blown further down the tunnel, in the shadows of the wall where Lazash and Vola had barely missed them.
Obtained Raw Chalcopyrite Ore x3!
She exited the narrow passage into the winding, upward sloping chamber. As she kept close to the wall, Esfir would soon notice how smooth it felt under her touch--and, in some of the uneven crags and nooks of the rock, her other senses told her more that her eyes could not see. Though dry, the rock was quite cool to the touch, and her nostrils could smell the faintest whiff of stagnant water or damp sediment.
The smooth floor rose around the bend like a spiral staircase designed by a drunkard with no measuring tools, then opened up into a long tunnel, almost a natural hallway. Its upward slope continued, though at a lesser grade, and here and there stalactites and stalagmites formed a sort of stony forest. They were all smooth and...almost milky, to the touch. Some of them had points that came to sharper tips, or at least thin enough that they might pass for sharp if they weren't wet. She could hear dripping water somewhere.
The temperature and texture of this rocky tunnel seemed to imply that water from higher up the mountains had worked its way through the stone over time; thus, rather than go deeper and deeper into the earth like some kind of crypt, it had probably emptied out into the valley at some point just like that waterfall they had seen, joining the meandering stream and heading downhill into the forest. So if the Runts continued to follow this cave, they'd be climbing up into the mountain.
However, past this point, the sunlight from the outside could no longer reach. Esfir had only the barest indication of her surroundings, and to go further without a light would leave her blind and groping. She did not hear the roar again. However, even her hushed breaths felt like they might carry for some distance in the long, smooth walls of the dark stone hall. There was, somewhere in that gloom, a quiet scuttling, insectoid in nature--but telling distance, or size, was impossible for the moment. Water dripped.
Meanwhile, Akeno spoke to Grunthor, who was looking a bit sickly, then made her way at a jog back towards the forest and the camp. It had taken them around an hour to reach this valley, but that had been uphill and with more careful observation of their surroundings. Now that she had identified the paths and perils of the locale, Akeno moved much more swiftly. Down the gravelly slopes, across rocky outcrops, down into the scrubby grass...soon she was quite close to the treeline, as the sun above her lingered at almost exactly high noon. The mountainous air was still pleasant, but the heat of the day was rising a little bit and her exertions had worked up a sweat. She got the feeling that, had she not taken the Stamina Point upgrade when she leveled up, that she would probably have needed a rest by this point after all the day's activities.
But, even so, it was nothing a good breather wouldn't fix. As she continued back in the direction of the area where the group had cooked their first meal, no doubt her eyes would be peeled for any more prey she might be able to take with less effort and risk to herself than whatever was lingering in that cave.
And, because she was coming down from a higher elevation, she had a nice view of the trees that would've been hard to pick out from the ground. On one such tree, coiled around a branch that stuck out over empty space without much foliage to cover it, was a Tatzelwurm in the process of sunning itself. The cat-serpent was not only looking away from Akeno's direction, but also had its eyes closed...
The Forest
@Rune_Alchemist@Timemaster
As Carmina sung yet again, there was a strange buzzing sensation deep within her--something was off with that flow of power she'd experienced. And then her voice hitched for a moment in her throat, one of those sudden breaks a singer doesn't expect until it hits them seemingly at random.
Error. Skill [Sing] cannot inflict [Sleep] at this Rank.
Your MP is Low.
Nonetheless, Svarok followed through on their unspoken plan. With a running start and the torque of all her small body's muscle, she hurled the poison-tipped spear at the retreating goblin!
And she overshot.
Or she would have, if the goblin hadn't been running full tilt, and if the creature hadn't been running in a completely straight line due to its panic. With even a modicum of survival sense to zig or zag, it might've avoided the lethal weapon. But as it was, an arcing throw that would have sailed over its head instead caught it in the back just as it was trying to put on a burst of speed! The not inconsiderable force of an Orc Runt, combined with gravity, combined with with the sharp point of the stone wedged between wood, punctured the skinny green monster's hide. It only went in about three, perhaps four inches at most--and that was enough to pierce muscle and internals. The goblin went down with a scream.
He was still twitching, coughing blood, but death seemed a certainty. Gasping and pleading unintelligibly, he clawed the ground and inched forward, even as the two runts would no doubt close in to confirm the kill. By the time they got there, he had convulsed, and bled, and died.
Victory! You've slain a goblin!
Obtained Loot:
Lightly Tainted Goblin x1 (2 total)
Stone Hatchet x1
Dirty Loincloth x1 (2 total)
Furry Pouch x1 (2 total) (Contains ??? Healing Salve)
In addition to the goblin's more obvious belongings, he had something in his pouch like the poison gunk from before, but it wasn't the same substance. Instead, a large hollowed nut shell, wrapped in a broad leaf, held a waxy substance that was pale and off white in color. It smelled slightly fruity.
