Zeroth

The Book Of Thoth (A Shin Megami Tensei Inspired Roleplay) (CLOSED)

Posted. Maybe you should send a mention or PM to those who asked about spots back before we closed? Or bump the interest check?

The Book Of Thoth (A Shin Megami Tensei Inspired Roleplay) (CLOSED)

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Inokashira Park

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Before long, one of the roads leading through the park appeared to be filled with a long line of white vans. Several of them had the logos of different restaurants or other service providers, like those who would set up tents or stages and seating for events--that had to be related! Otherwise, why would so many of them, from different businesses, be all following each other? Miyuki pulled her hood down as she jogged down one of the nearby bike paths, following the vans' route as they entered the park proper.

Now other people were starting to filter into the park. Some of them carried bags and looked around shiftily. More than once, Miyuki saw them stop behind large trees or near benches. They would don long white robes over their clothes, and remove their shoes and socks to put on simple leather sandals. They were definitely cultists!

But there seemed to be some others within the park as well. @The WorldA girl in a yellow hoodie...and a large, muscular man wearing all black like some kind of creeper. Miyuki didn't particularly linger on these individuals, since her focus was on getting closer to the large field where people seemed to be setting up for an event...but, she unconsciously held her hand closer to her chest as the symbol began to throb again.

It wasn't just a stage, or a tent with seats, or food stalls. The cultists were setting up strange figures of straw or wood. She had seen footage of a festival on the internet once, something in the United States called Burning Man, and while none of these structures were on par with the sheer scale of that one, they seemed to loom darkly over Miyuki as she passed under their expressionless faces.

"Excuse me, Miss!" Miyuki barely stifled a squeal as a large man in one of the white robes stepped out in front of her. "Are you here for the Messengers of Hope event?" The man smiled at her--unnervingly so--but held his hands loosely clasped in front of him and his body language didn't seem threatening.

"Y-yes, s-sorry! I've, um, n-never been to one of these before!" She pulled the wrinkled flyer out of her pocket and handed it to the man for inspection. He nodded, his smile widening to a disturbing grin, and held it back out for her.

"Please, don't apologize, my sister! We are so very blessed to have you! Please, please, take a seat towards the front--we must be sure our newest believers are able to experience all we have to offer!" Nodding as she gulped down her fear, Miyuki clutched the flyer close to her and moved towards the seating area. Then, she suddenly stopped and shook her head!

I'm not supposed to go along with all this! I just want to know what's up with the demons, and these crazy dreams!

But, now that she was among the crowd, and listening to the laughter and chatting going on around her, the shy girl began to realize just who was in attendance. A model she'd seen in magazines and on morning shows was wearing one of the white robes, and speaking in a fast, enthusiastic manner to a stern looking man. The collar of his robe was a little low, so Miyuki could see the stiff neck of his business suit beneath it and part of his tie. She didn't know him by sight like the model, but he radiated a "CEO" kind of aura. And...

"Ohmigosh," she dropped her flyer, and brought both hands to her mouth. Or rather, her scarf. "Is that Rei-kun!?" Though no one around her replied to the whispered question, Miyuki blushed with second-hand embarrassment. "Rei-kun" was the stage name of a member from her favorite male idol group, and the young man himself was gathered in a circle around one of the effigies--"And that's T-Takki, a-and Yuuya! N-no way!" Was the whole group involved in this cult? That put a serious damper on her multi-way crush, to imagine her pure and beloved idols could be involved with such a weird group...

Someone called for everyone's attention, from the podium nearby. As spotlights were swiveled in that direction, Miyuki saw another face she recognized from the news. Satoshi Miura. Forced to step down by his fellow party members and embroiled in numerous scandals and lawsuits, the politician's appearance came as less of an unexpected surprise to Miyuki than the idols' had, but she was still confused. She had thought he would be in prison by now, or at the very least under house arrest pending one of the several cases being built against him. Even if he had enough money to get out of it, like all the other wriggling worms in government, to knowingly involve himself with a group as controversial as the Messengers of Hope didn't seem like the brightest move.

Everyone else started moving to their seats. Miyuki faded into the background, finding a seat in the further rows near the side of the event grounds--not quite at the back, where they would look for stragglers, but definitely nowhere near the front. And Satoshi's speech began.

Protection? How could the Messengers of Hope protect people from demon attacks? How could Satoshi promise something like that, when he no longer had any such power? Besides, if someone was in danger, wasn't it better to call the police?

And who were they supposed to be praying to? He hadn't said anything about who or what the cultists even worshipped...

The chanting began. Miyuki's hand throbbed, and she began to massage her palm with the other. What was this strange feeling bubbling up inside her? Why...did she suddenly feel...so foggy...?

The lights were too bright. No, wait, those weren't the spotlights, they were...what...who?

Dream Sequence 2

She sat under the kotatsu at home. At the old house, the one they'd all lived in...together. The table was set for breakfast in front of her. The air was warm, so they had the door open to the side porch overlooking the small flowerbed and the tree with her childhood swing.

She looked up, and across the table. He was there, cracking a raw egg into his fresh, steaming bowl of rice.

"P-p...pa...Papa?" Tears began to well in her eyes as she sniffed, and pulled her scarf down from her face. He looked at her, and smiled his one-of-a-kind, lopsided smile.

"Myu-tan, can you pass me the soy sauce?" He pointed. She nodded, numbly, as her chest and throat began to close up. She reached for the bottle--

Her hand stung. Blue embers began to glow around the strange black tattoo. She flinched back.

"Ah! I...Wait! How did I...what is all of this...?" She looked at her father, and he looked at her...then he blinked, and looked down at her hand.

"Oh, I see. You should probably get going, then." He looked sad, but set his rice down on the table. Then he took his chopsticks...and instead of laying them across the bowl, he instead gently stabbed them into the white, fluffy grains and let them stick straight up.

Like an offering to the dead.

"Sorry Miyuki. It's going to be a while longer before we can share a meal together again." His eyes rose to meet hers again, and once more, he smiled.

"W-wait! Papa! Don't...don't leave me!" She rose up on her knees and tried to reach for him, over the table--and a blood red hand grabbed her by the wrist.

"Now, now. Please, don't rush." Her father's seat seemed to slide further and further back, of its own accord, as he rose up from his knees. "There will be plenty of time, later. But for now...be strong, my princess." Then he looked over her shoulder, at the dark presence growing heavier and heavier behind her.

"Take care of her, will you?" But then, he furrowed his brow and poked his chin out like he was imitating a Yakuza, and doing a poor job of it. He jabbed his finger at the entity holding Miyuki back. "But don't think I'm giving her to you, got it!? Any man that wants to hold my little girl's hand, has to beat ME first!"

"Aye, m'laird." said the darkness, before yanking Miyuki away, through the black waves of a tossing ocean...

Miyuki regained consciousness with a scream, tears running down her face. As she stood from her seat, knocking the chair over in the process, she saw that several others were in the same state--only, their tears were a dark, thick red. Eyes rolled back into their heads, other people among the crowd frothed at the mouth or convulsed in their seats. Gasping with revulsion, Miyuki groped for the tote-bag holding her bokken as she looked around at the rest of the cult.

"JACK FROST!" someone roared. Miyuki turned to see that strange man in all black leap up, throwing off his hood as he whipped out--a pair of nunchaku?! And as he rushed the stage, she recognized him too! That was Xavier Wong, an international action star! Was he part of the cult too?!

Wait, he was fighting with the cultists! And...was that a little kid in a snowman costume with him?!

Na, lassie. That be Jack Frost, a demon lik' masell. This be whit Ah spoke tae ye before--Let us jyne th'fray!

The girl started to protest--before Satoshi's chant continued, and two more monsters appeared! A crystalline, angelic figure with a beating heart in its stomach and a blue giant with ox hooves and horns, but a singular eye in a human face arose from bright portals at Satoshi's feet! Just as Mr. Wong knocked out the two cultists with knives attacking him, the demons lunged for him!

"LHAM DEARG!"

@Eviledd1984Just as the Cyclopes was about to bring down its hammer on the martial artist's head, sparks flew! Steel clashed with steel, and the red-handed fae soldier managed to barely deflect the blow! As the hammer's head came down on the stage, an explosion of wood chips and dust rained over the comatose crowd!

"Lass! Thay aren't a' oot cauld!" shouted the demon towards Miyuki.

"What?" she questioned with a blank face, before a sudden movement close to her face caused her to whip backwards with shocking agility for a nerdy girl. One lens of her glasses cracked at its edge, a near miss!

"The lord...The LORD our Elohim...is one LORD..." mumbled a cultist holding an extending baton. The man approached as if he was drunk, but with clear purpose. Miyuki's hand closed on the hilt of her wooden sword, and as she drew it the cloth tote was thrown aside. As it drifted on the wind, all ten of her fingers slowly flexed and closed on the weapon's grip.

"S-stay, stay away!" But of course, the attacker didn't heed the warning. A new look entered Miyuki's eyes now--the look she had whenever she stepped onto the club mats to spar.

With an unintelligible gurgle, the cultist lurched forward--!

Miyuki was two steps faster, and with movements combined from HEMA and kendo delivered a flowing three-strike combination--head, body, and chest! The cultist was stunned by the heavy blow to his skull, and the next two drove the breath out of his lungs--he wasn't dead, but dropped to the ground all the same. Then the intense look on Miyuki's face was immediately replaced by one of confusion as she ran towards Lham Dearg, and by extension Mr. Wong and the Jack Frost demon.

"What's going on?!" she blubbered, as all around them the seizing victims in the crowd continued to chant...

Children of the Otherworld - An Isekai Story

Zeroth has yet to post, so one could form the hypothesis that they're both just engaged in action in the PMs, to be settled before NoCo can make a GM post.

@ERode

Yes this was absolutely the reason I haven't been slacking off or anything
>_>

<_<

Anyway have a post!

Children of the Otherworld - An Isekai Story

Dalton

@TheNoCoKid
^{Misunderstood Understatement}

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Silverclaw Tribe

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Inara's response was...to laugh at him.

Deep in the pit of Dalton's gut, a cold burning sensation surged. His fear and anxiety dulled, just a bit, as familiar memories ate away at him. This wasn't the first time a girl had simply laughed in his face. But, with the strength only an abused customer service representative can understand, he kept his expression completely neutral.

Then she jumped up and grabbed his hand. Still giggling as she seemed to believe his behavior was incredibly unusual, she started to drag him in an unknown direction. He immediately stiffened, but it didn't really matter--she just kept going, oblivious, as his feet wore small furrows into the earth.

"--perhaps I can convince our Alpha to let you challenge the Mouthclaw in the caves! Members of our tribe have been trying to claim that skin for nearly a century. I'm sure that will be perfectly worthy prey for the mighty skinless hunter!"

"Oh yeah, sounds perfect!" I HAVE FUCKED UP!

Then again, she isn't hostile anymore, and that was our goal, correct? We've bought ourselves some time to think! said his tactical side.

Aargh, I can't figure out if she's honestly making fun of us or not! She's holding our hand, though! came the emotional side's response. But it was easier to repress those thoughts, because Dalton was still sulking internally about being laughed at and how pushy Inara had been thus far. If he had decided that he would live "differently," this time, then he didn't want to be anyone's doormat any longer. But the question was, what exactly did he need to do to be a different person?

A branch whacked him in the nose just then, and as he rubbed at it with the hand not currently bound in Inara's iron grasp she prattled on to introduce herself. If she was in training to be the next Alpha, then not only was she probably way stronger than him, but she was going to have a lot of pull within this tribe. Staying on her good side was paramount now--or else, getting far, far away from the Silverclaws.

They soon came to a place where the forest floor dipped among rocky cliffs, and Inara led him down the slopes of a rugged ravine. Apparently, the Merrick settlement was hidden--was it because they had other rival tribes, or because the monsters in the forest didn't fear humanoids? Dalton winced as the thorny vines prickled him, and tried to take note of the surroundings with a sharp attention to detail.

He was reminded of a history class where they'd studied Native Americans, and the textbook had a picture from the Mesa Verde National Park. Within the cave dwellings, the Merricks had either built or carved a few primitive structures, but rather than just houses it seemed like these were more along the lines of strictly necessary things--kilns and stoves of fired clay; storage for tools, water, and food; and what seemed like a communal area for meetings or meals.

Outside the cave, any other structures looked distinctly temporary--tents of thatched grasses or hides strung between wooden poles or bone spikes, simple bedrolls under lean-tos, and so forth. Dalton assumed that meant they were at least semi-nomadic, perhaps following the migration patterns of animals whose pelts they harvested most often?

Speaking of pelts, Dalton felt even more naked now that he stood within eyesight and earshot of the first "people" he'd encountered in this new world. Just like Inara had implied, even some of the kids who didn't even look old enough to have gone through puberty still used small bits of animal skin in addition to woven grasses to cover themselves. Teenagers had clothes made entirely of pelts, and several adults even had capes or makeshift "armor" made from the layered hides of creatures. Some of the faces that now looked at him did so from beneath the visage of wolves, mountain lions, or boars that still had their tusks intact.

I think it's the "number" of pelts, rather than the strength of the creature it comes from, that determines their ranking... theorized the analytical voice as Dalton took in the other tribe members.

Great, so our bluff is for sure not gonna work! But we can't change tunes now, we've already somewhat convinced Inara! What do we do!? What do we say!?

Don't panic. Dalton futilely told himself. He crossed his arms to try and hide a shiver that passed through him. How many assholes did we know before who got by solely by talking out of their ass at every opportunity? If lying and cheating is what it takes to succeed no matter what world we're in, then that's what we've got to do!

"Well, you weren't lying after all!" He said to Inara, trying to project his non-existent confidence with a smirk. "Compared to where I came from, everybody here at least looks like they can handle themselves!"

"I told you so!" Inara put her hands on her hips and grinned wolfishly--pun intended. "Now, let's find my--"

"Inara! You've returned!" Both the wolf girl and the newcomer turned to see a male Merrick, somewhat older than Dalton and a fair deal more muscular, swaggering towards them. The Otherworlder couldn't be sure, but he made an educated guess as to what the man was wearing: deerskin leggings and breechclothes, a vest of something like buffalo or yak hide, and a badgerskin cap. In addition he had a belt that looked like some kind of snake skin, and a few other trinkets like bone necklaces, leather pouches, and more. Dalton couldn't be sure just how much of a pelt was needed to transform, but he was certain this guy probably had at least four, maybe five "combat ready" forms and at least one or two others that weren't immediately obvious. "How was your hu--what?" He blinked when he registered Dalton standing next to the female Merrick.

He and Dalton locked eyes for a moment.

Standard isekai flag--make your bets! Jerk With a Heart of Gold? The Rival? Red Herring? Intellectual Dalton once again metaphysically pushed his glasses up on his nose.

He's giving us "new fish in the prison block" eyes! And it's gotta be BAD if it's this obvious, because we've never BEEN to prison!

"Who is this outsider!?" boomed the man, drawing even more attention from those who hadn't yet noticed Inara's guest. He pointed at Dalton, who turned his chin up and stared, once again, dead center at the man's forehead. "Why're you bringing him into our camp unannounced?!"

"Stop shouting, Reidun!" Inara growled, wrinkling her nose. "Your bellowing is more likely to give the camp away than anyone I've brought!" She swept her hand towards Dalton. "This is Darutan, a lone hunter! Listen to this--" She smiled again as she laughed, "He doesn't have any pelts, because he says he hasn't met prey worthy enough to wear! Isn't he interesting?"

"Interesting? Him?!" Reidun's dark eyes narrowed. "And...what do you mean, he doesn't have any pelts?" Now the bigger male laughed at him as well, as he looked Dalton up and down.

"She means, I'm strong enough they don't make a difference." The Otherworlder wrinkled his own nose. He had to stick to his story, and stand up for himself. It didn't seem like Inara would let this guy attack him outright... "Nothing I've hunted before was enough of a challenge--why wear its pelt if it barely benefits me?" He made a show of looking at Reidun's own pelts with a snort of disdain. "If you stack a bunch of weaklings up on one another, aren't they still weaklings?"

"Hah! Do you mean to say you think you're stronger than I am?" Dalton lazily dug a pinky finger into his ear while closing one eye, in the hopes of giving the illusion that he was completely unconcerned about the bigger Merrick.

This dumbass is gonna take everything we say with hostility, but what do we do if he swings first?! He's DEFINITELY stronger than us!

Primal Rage's intimidation effect will probably work on him at least temporarily, like it did with Inara, but what if it affects the rest of the tribe too? Do we know its AOE?

"I don't really care how strong you are, bud." he quipped to the bigger Merrick, whose face started to redden. "Inara just brought me here to introduce me to your Alpha." To his internal self, Dalton added, And if he doesn't want to offend the Alpha-in-Training, or whoever their leader is, he'll have to back off, right?

"To introduce you...?" Reidun's expression changed again as he looked at Inara, and Dalton caught the slight quiver in the man's jaw. "Inara, what are you thinking?! Surely, you can't be--!"

Oh shit. Did he just jump to the conclusion I think he jumped to?

An Unsuitable Suitor, then. His analytical side sighed deeply.

That bastard! Stay away from Wolf Waifu! With his own sigh, which he actually did in real life, Dalton repressed his emotional personality.

"Reidun, you are being too loud again! Unless you know where my grandfather is, get out of our way." Inara seemed to bristle at all this questioning. But, just then, all three of them heard the rustle of beating wings and a shrill cry!

A falcon landed on a small tree growing out of the cliffside just above them, its roots clinging steadfast to the rocks. As they watched, it transformed into a Merrick scout wearing a feathery headband!

"Inara! Where is your grandfather!?" said the wildling, as the branch he'd landed on cracked when the weight of his original form replaced that of the falcon. Just when it was about to snap, however, he nimbly leaped and turned a somersault before landing like a cat in front of the young woman. "I must report to him immediately! Orcs have been driven into the forest by an elvish attack, near the shoreline!"

Dalton, in the manner of those who spend too much time analyzing every little thing that happens to them and who lacks the social ability to properly express their feelings, froze with a completely neutral look on his face.

"I'm sorry, Havardr, but I've only just gotten back. I'm looking for him, too!"

"Then let us hurry!" Havardr the Scout said with a nod. But once again, Reidun stepped in front of Dalton, who simply continued to stare at the man's forehead.

"I will keep watch on this outsider, Inara!" declared the warrior. "It seems the Alpha will have more important matters to attend to!"

"Get out of the way, Reidun--Darutan is my guest!" The girl's eyes turned into bestial slits, and the larger Reidun took a step back as she growled.

[Combat Sense] has been triggered.

Wait, what?!

The Skill's description said "potential attackers" would be detected! In game terms, our reputation with this NPC just flipped to "hostile!"

We're not even doing anything! Inara and this scout are both on our side, aren't they?! So why--

That's it! He's outnumbered and Inara outranks him! I think we can safely assert ourselves without worrying about him causing any more of a scene, and get past this already!

Reidun looked between Dalton and Inara, and gulped.

"In, I-Inara, I only meant that--"

"Didn't you hear her, pissant!?" Dalton suddenly shouted, putting his hands on his hips and puffing his chest out. "I'm here by invitation, and now there's something else going on your Alpha needs to know about. So stop your whimpering and GET! OUT! OF MY FUCKING! WAY!"

Yeah, channel everything we've ever wanted to say when we get cut off in traffic! This is our new life in a new world--no more Mr. Nice Guy!

It's a bit pathetic we only feel we can act like this when we outnumber the opposition, though...

Unbeknownst to Dalton, however, Reidun's reaction towards Inara was not entirely due to their difference in rank. In fact, his thoughts went more along these lines:

Inara brought another Merrick to the tribe? A male? She thinks he's interesting? She wants him to meet her grandfather!? She can't...she can't possibly be thinking of taking him as her mate, could she?!

This peltless fool says he's stronger than me!? He wants to meet the Alpha--he can't possibly be pursuing Inara as a mate too, could he?! No! I'm the one who's going to win her over!

Why's Inara angry at me? I'm trying to help her by keeping track of this outsider! What if he's a spy from another tribe?! Does she REALLY like him better than me!?

He tells me to get out of HIS way!? As if he has a right to see the Alpha?! If he's so determined, then he really must be after Inara! She invited him! Me? Whimpering?! He really does see me as weaker!

I WON'T LET IT HAPPEN!

"Inara, I shall go ahead--" Havardr, clearly having no patience for this kind of thing, spoke up. For an instant, Inara turned away.

Reidun let out a sudden roar, launching himself at Dalton.

But Dalton already knew he was hostile, thanks to [Combat Sense]. With that tenth of a second of forewarning, he ducked out of the way! Reidun was in mid-transformation--great horns began to grow from either side of his head, and shaggy fur sprouted all over his back, as his bare feet began to twist into hooves--

Then he hit the wall of the cliff the three of them had been standing next to. The impact shuddered the rocks, and caused Reidun to reel back! His transformation was canceled as angry red bump swelled on his forehead.

OH GOD WHAT DO WE DO WHADDA WE DO!?

We have to defend ourselves, we don't have a choice! There's not enough room to run past him and Inara's behind us, we can't let her get hurt!

Activate Skill, please! Primal Rage! Please work!

Reidun whirled on his opponent--and Dalton, once again, had frozen up with a completely blank expression. Any other fighter would know that once shit hit the fan, the only options were to fight, or flee. Freezing would only get you killed.

However...

The branch that had cracked under Havardr's weight, earlier, had been shaken completely loose by Reidun's charge slamming against the cliff. Just as the man raised his fist, his face already beginning to sprout fangs as white fur bristled and two black stripes appeared running down his eyes, the wooden bough came down.

Again, a dull SMACK echoed from Reidun's skull.

And by that time, Dalton had actually decided on what to do.

With a sudden scream as his whole body flushed red, the Otherworlder stepped forward and threw a punch. It was a wild swing, uncoordinated, undisciplined. Dalton had never taken a martial arts class or really ever worked out, after all. However, his opponent had just taken two stunning blows to the head. A punch that anyone else would've seen coming, he didn't see at all.

Then there was the matter of Dalton's punch, in and of itself.

His new body was not as weak and unathletic as he had once been. On top of this strength, he had the true intention to hurt someone--he was done with playing by the rules, with trying to be civilized. He wanted a NEW life, a BETTER life! What was more, was the boost given to him by Primal Rage.

Primal Rage: (Active/Legendary) - You turn your anger into a weapon. When activated, you can impose fear upon any creatures weaker than yourself. Stronger creatures lose the will to fight for a brief period. When used in combat, your strength will grow in proportion to your anger.

Dalton already had anger building beneath the surface. He'd just DIED, after all, because of stupid people, after getting yelled at by other stupid people all day.

Primal Rage Active: 0.02s - Anger is building...

Then some girl had just ATTACKED him out of nowhere, just because he happened to be in her "territory," and now he was being dragged around and involved with a bunch of shape-shifting cavemen!

Primal Rage Active: 0.04s - Anger is building...

And NOW, just like every other bully he'd ever dealt with in life, some stupid meathead who wanted to cause him problems wouldn't leave him alone!

Primal Rage Active: 0.06s - Anger is building...

Dalton had more than two full decades of repressed, untapped, utterly cringe-worthy anger to draw on.

Primal Rage Active: 0.08s - Anger is building...

Reidun blinked--and then Dalton's fist collided with his face.



Specifically, by little more than sheer luck and the fact Reidun hadn't been able to defend himself, Dalton had gotten him square on the chin. And as the Merrick Warrior's head rocked back, there was the cliff right behind him, yet again.

Dust fell from the rocks as the man slumped to the ground, barely conscious, his eyes rolled up to reveal blank whites. Dalton stood there for a moment, fist outstretched--and, again, aside from his widened eyes, his face was completely blank. This time, rather than freezing up, it was more that he was completely shocked at himself and his behavior.

Unbeknownst to Dalton, however, it didn't quite look like that to the outside observer. Havardr, a particularly sharp observer befitting his status as a scout, happened to be thinking along these lines:

I didn't register him at first, despite the fact that he should've clearly stood out--he has no pelts, even though he's an adult! Yet when I arrived, he didn't flinch at all--he was completely calm, with a stony expression.

When Reidun stepped up to him, he never once broke eye contact. And his expression remained unreadable--to be completely unphased, despite facing a warrior with several pelts like Reidun, even if he's a bit of a braggart...

And when Reidun attacked, he moved like he'd already seen it coming! Not to mention...did he intentionally move towards the wall, knowing that if Reidun hit it, it would dislodge the branch I broke earlier? That's an impressive level of environmental awareness--and to come up with such a keen strategy in an instant!

He knew Reidun would be distracted, and so he put all of his power into a punch that would've been too obvious otherwise--sacrificing technique for strength, yet with the full confidence it would work! Without a single pelt, he felled one of the famed Silverclaw Tribe's warriors with only a punch!

"Inara...who have you brought to us?" he asked, as Dalton stood stock still over Reidun. The falcon scout had seen that kind of look before--a wise predator who knew that the moment they became complacent, the prey might suddenly spring to life again. Just how many life or death struggles could this Merrick have survived, to reach such a level while wearing no skins?

"His name is Daruton!" Inara grinned, as if she were proud of herself for some reason. "I think grandfather will like him!" Then she called out to the Merrick in question. "Daruton! Let Reidun sleep off his stupidity! We need to go!"

"Y-yeah! Sure!" Dalton snapped to attention and jogged after the two of them as they continued deeper into the encampment in search of the alpha, leaving some of the other tribe members to gather around Reidun, all talking among themselves of what had just happened...

We fucked up.

Did we, though?

Oh we absolutely fucked up, but it was AWESOME!

Except now his knuckles hurt really badly. Absently, he rubbed them and hoped he hadn't broken anything.

---

QUEST/ACTIONS

Quest(s): SPEAK TO ALPHA
Action(s):

• MORE BLUFFING
• LUCKY PUNCH
• SEARCHING FOR INARA'S GRANDPA

INVENTORY

Equip:

• Grass Skirt
• Woven Sandals

Children of the Otherworld - An Isekai Story

Last Health Update: Leg is almost back at 100%. New 'world' post should be incoming tonight. Also, trying to get characters to 'link up' as fast as I can so you aren't stuck waiting for me to update constantly.

@TheNoCoKid

Did you ever get my latest PM?

Why Were We Reincarnated as Orcs?!

Did some editing and adding new stuff today to the "World" section of the Character Tab! A list of what was added can be found in the OOC Zeroth post!

Why Were We Reincarnated as Orcs?!

Update has arrived! As always, let me know if I missed anything or if anything's unclear!

Why Were We Reincarnated as Orcs?!

Forest

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@ERode

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Obtained Tungem Branch x4
Obtained Jackalope Antlers x2
Lost 1 Tungem Branch > Broken Wood Pieces x3
Obtained Pimplestool Mushroom x2
Obtained Crushed Pimplestool
Obtained Mushroom Shreds x3
Obtained Mycellium Lash x3
Obtained Frayed Mycellium Lash x2

Consumed: Partial Frayed Mycellium Lash
You have resisted Poison!
Activate [Ingestion: Pimplestool] (Y/N)? Approximate Ingestion: 0 > 10%.
Ingestible Skills [Pimplestool] - Further Progress Required.
Warning: This will ERASE current Ingestion progress!
Current Ingestion: Elwet 85%
All Ingestible Skills [Elwet] known; Additional Biomass Required for further Ingestion.

Jackalope Antlers have been broken down.
Obtained Jackalope Point x5
Obtained Broken Jackalope Point

You've attempted to Craft something!
Materials: Tungem Branch + Jackalope Point + Mycellium Lash
Process: Handcrafting

...Success! You've Crafted a weapon!
Jackalope Spear - 2H Weapon - A decent, if primitive spear. Not suitable as a throwing weapon due to its weight, but made of tough, sturdy materials. Jackalope horn is surprisingly sharp, almost as much so as metal.

SYSTEM:Esfir

The Tatzelwurm that lunged at Esfir met the orc runt's eyes as they flashed. In that instant it understood that not only had this creature seen it, ruining its ambush, but that the creature was stronger than one might expect for its size, and that it not only had the capability to kill the tatzelwurm, but the will to do so as well. The sheer wave of hostility threw the creature off just as Esfir hoped, and in that moment the runt made her move!

The jackalope spear pierced the monster's hide far easier than her sharp stone would have, catching it through its open mouth and piercing into the back of its head! The tatzelwurm was pretty much dead--but, like some venomous snakes of earth, its jaws continued to snap and its body writhed out the last of its energy! Its claws flailed at her, and if she wasn't careful its thrashings would push the body up the haft of her spear within biting range of her hand--!

Up above, the Harpy took off from its perch, and began to circle in the air...

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Orc Camp

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@King Cosmos

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HP Increased! Healing Points are expended when you are injured, and when you suffer infection, illness, or certain status effects. When Healing Points are spent, your body will not be able to tolerate further expenditures. If Healing Points experience a sudden, severe drop, you may enter the Shock condition. When Healing Points are fully expended, you will enter the Unconscious condition. Further damage taken while in the Unconscious condition is highly likely to cause DEATH.

SYSTEM:Akeno

As Akeno explored the camp, she would see that many of the adult orcs and the Grunts were having their lunches around the cookfires, taking naps, or generally doing things that didn't require a lot of moving around, like sharpening weapons or crafting various bits and pieces. The weather wasn't especially warm, but the sunlight reflected off the rocks of the mountains and there wasn't a lot of shade. Combined with the ambient heat of the fires, it was comfortable enough for resting and bearable to move and work in, but unless it was absolutely necessary most of the camp seemed to be in "siesta" mode.

The entire camp rested at the base of a mountain, with a sloping ledge and trails at its edge back to the forest. Many of the camp’s shelters were thus carved into the rocky outcrops and cliff faces, though tents and crude wooden buildings were scattered around as well. Usually only the stronger or more renown monsters lived in the natural caves, with the rest being forced to make do with tents and teepees. In the case of some poor Grunts, it was the best they could do to make an A-frame shelter with a bed of leaves.

The few orcs who were moving around a lot, were doing something important enough to warrant it; Akeno saw a lithe-built orc running with a double armful of freshly cut logs, drawing the ire of several other adults he almost bumped into. Another had several wooden buckets and woven baskets balanced on his shoulders and head, and seemed to be making a lot of effort to keep them that way as he wibbled and wobbled towards a large patch of unclaimed ground near the brood pits. As the stack on his head did its best slinky impression, causing the orc to walk in circles under it until the whole height stabilized again, Akeno saw a couple of small beans fall out of the basket onto the ground.

She also saw the huge orc blacksmith, the one the other adults called Bowbh, working under a simple wooden shed. Several tall wooden posts had been planted into the earth, and thinner branches formed a frame for a sloping straw roof on one side. Underneath this shed, a furnace of fired clay bricks had been built along with bellows made from animal skins. Crude tables of both wood and stone held various tools and a few works in progress, although for a "blacksmith" it seemed like he worked as much with tree branches and knapped blades as much as he did with any actual metal. In place of an anvil he simply had a huge, square slab of stone. Its upper half had been blackened over time by the heat of objects laid upon it, and a fine layer of ash and soot. The orc carrying the wood deposited it next to a big charcoal pit, and said something to the blacksmith only to get a dismissive shake of the big orc's head and a halfhearted gesture of his hammer.

The Shaman enjoyed a rather cozy home by comparison: the cave itself was set at an angle to a curved rock face, and the lean-to had been built as an extension of sorts. It was similar, perhaps, to a covered patio or porch built as an add-on to a human house. A few of the Shaman’s personal belongings and knicknacks could be seen around the corner of the stone entry, but the outer area seemed to serve as her “workshop,” or ritual area…maybe even a lab? She seemed to have just finished talking to another Runt, one that had returned earlier than Akeno, and as the orcling went on their way Yambagorn shuffled back to her mortar and pestle.

Shamar, the Head Hunter of the tribe, could be seen near a large, yurt-like dwelling on the far western side of the camp, in an area of flat, unshaded rock. Away from the hustle and bustle of most other orcs, it was unclear whether she settled here out of personal taste... or because the fumes from her animal pelts, stretched and tanning in the sun, were so strong. Even to an orc's nose, they were unpleasantly pungent. The finished product of her pelts could be seen in her home's construction, stitched together in a multitude of colors with fur still attached. It looked like she had just finished hanging some new hides in front of her fire to dry, and now she was looking at several carcasses hanging over bowls of fresh blood as she decided which one to take down next.

As Akeno continued to wander the camp, however, she soon heard a group of orcs suddenly break out in chanting. One of them even began to beat a drum that happened to be sitting outside a tent. In rhythm they stomped their feet as another, larger orc passed by.

"HOO! HAA! AG-RO-NAK! HOO! HAA! AG-RO-NAK!"

The Warchief of the tribe passed among them with a wide berth, two other orcs trailing exactly three steps behind both of his shoulders and scowling at any other adult who dared get closer. Agronak walked up the first set of stairs to a larger, more ornate dwelling than any of the other orcs had, one that seemed to have been properly constructed (by orc standards) to take advantage of the mountainous terrain. His two bodyguards stopped at the bottom of the stairs while the warchief continued on. They turned back, looking out at the rest of the camp, as they crossed their arms and scowled in an appropriate manner for their station.

After seeing all the "major players" of the camp and continuing to wander for a bit, Akeno would also overhear several snippets of conversation--or, as it happened, a few shouting matches.

"Wot's he mean that ain't enough wood?! I spent all morning cuttin' down that damn tree!"

_{“Hmph, more wood? What ‘e needs is more ore! And better stuff, too. That bog iron ain’t worth gruhk!”}

"Anybody heard from them mukhs wot was talkin' bout a new cave they found down south? They oughta been back by now!"

^{"They's prolly dead if they ain't, then! What they been gone for--three days already?"}

_{"Two o' them new Runts went lookin' for 'em! Fat lotta good they'll do if sumfinn's killed the others!"}

"Dat idjit, what's he think he's gonna do? Crops take too long, we needs food now! Besides, where's he gonna get da water?!"

_{"Specially when da spring keeps stoppin' every few days! Won't be long afore we gotta start goin' to da lake again with them stupid big tubs!"}

"Hah! Weakling already knows 'e can't fight worth a grukh, 'e might as well kill 'imself!"

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South Caves

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@Kazemitsu

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Obtained Red Cream x2

SYSTEM:Grunthor

"Camazots are like...a giant bat, I guess? Imagine a wolf, but with its forelegs as bat wings and a way, way creepier face. Nasty predators, and they live in colonies big enough to split into multiple hunting packs. If you still remember what it was like sleeping in the Brood Pit, they were the things that screamed and blacked out the moon every so often." answered the Runt whose name Grunthor still hadn't learned.

As Grunthor watched the ceiling, he saw more web trails here and there but no sign yet of the spider that had made them. The two Runts came closer to the camp, and sure enough found the remains of a campfire, now burned down to cold charcoal, and three bedrolls. There were a few scattered belongings, the blackened remnants of a chunk of meat, and tracks...which led to the Runt's right, further into the tunnel. It was completely pitch black in that direction.

The belongings that Grunthor could make out in the gloom were:

• A necklace of bones and dried ears. The ears were now the color and texture of jerky, but had a more elegant look to them than orc ears. They were long and pointed, but otherwise human-like. The bones all seemed to be finger bones. They appeared humanoid, but much smaller than one would expect from a normal person.
• Leather gloves. Oddly, they seemed too small to fit an adult orc's hands, but they could probably fit a Runt just fine.
• A lucky paw from some bear-like creature on a thin string.
• Fingerless gloves, these properly adult-orc sized, made from plant fiber wrappings.
• A set of playing cards made from squares of tree bark, with smudged charcoal markings for symbols and numbers.
• A red cloth bandana.
• Stone dagger - A properly knapped and shaped stone blade set into a handle that looks to have been made from an antler of some kind.

"Hey, check it!" said the other Runt in a whisper that still managed to carry in the cave. "There's only two sets of these footprints--this other track is like something, or someone, was being dragged!" He grinned back at Grunthor. "So your giant spider must've grabbed one of them, taken him deeper into the cavern, and the other two went after it!" He pointed back at the webbed up tunnel. "But if we haven't seen it again so far, that makes me think they either wounded it, or killed it. If we had a torch we could burn those webs easy, and go deeper to see if there's anything else down here--I bet they were carrying weapons and maybe some other stuff with them!"

From here, when the two looked back, they could also see that the cave wall to their left was a little smoother and less craggy than what they'd passed so far. Near where the wall joined the floor, they could see little lumpy masses that were oddly smooth, like rocks at the bottom of a riverbed. The first thought, of course, might be a mass of spider eggs--but there were no webs around this part of the cave, and where the sunlight's longest rays from the entrance hit them, they glimmered with a black luster...

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Deep Forest

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@ReusableSword

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Skill Gained:
Muffle - Rank I - Muffle the sounds of your movements to become stealthy. The user's footsteps will be significantly more quiet, but this is only a deduction from the normal amount of noise they would make. Therefore, one's armor, weight, etc may still produce sounds beyond a certain level.

+Previous experience carried over
New Observation: Elwet, Goblin
New Ingestion: Tatzelwurm
You've gained a new skill!
New Items Crafted
Discovered New Area: Deep Forest

LEVEL UP! Level 2 > Level 3

• Increase HP (Health)
• Increase MP (Magic)
• Gain 1 Skill Rank Point
• Gain 1 Empty Skill Slot

SYSTEM:Agar

Agar's new skill and his mud camo did wonders for his movement through the forest, as did his use of Field Scan. As he entered the dark grove of trees, the magical "sonar" wave expanded from him...and upon its return, a flood of information almost threatened to overwhelm him!

Skill Progression:
Field Scan Rank UP I > II!
At Rank II, one can roughly sense the silhouette of the creatures within range.

SYSTEM:Agar

Not far from Agar, in fact so close that he could probably catch it if he lunged with the longer reach of his spear, was a rabbit shape with horns--one of those Jackalopes! But there was much, much more to consider before he decided on whether or not to pursue this prey...

In one of those dark trees, a large, bird shaped shadow sat nestled in what was probably a nest. It was bigger than that chicken-like thing he had encountered before. It was staying incredibly still, so much so that the silhouette he sensed actually grew dimmer--was it hiding from something?

That was very possible, given that on the ground in roughly the center of the dark trees, something with a silhouette like an alligator, plus ox-like horns, was slowly stalking through the forest. It was headed towards what looked like a ring of blurry shapes--they were apparently not close enough for Agar to make out the distinct shapes of them with his Field Scan. But based on their size...and the fact that he thought he could hear voices...were they more of those goblins? Or more Orc Runts like himself, possibly sent out here by Shamar? Whatever they were, they were definitely being hunted by this large, spike-backed beast...

Oh, and of course there were things more related to his actual quest. Through careful observation of the area and his stealthy movements, Agar had identified several mushrooms and other potentially useful materials:

• A pointy-capped mushroom that is shiny silver towards its top, dulling to gray, then black, then rusty red towards the base. x2
• A short, leafy tree no higher than six or seven feet, but many smaller branches on its trunk reaching up to nine or ten feet in length. The larger branches, usually near the bottom or middle of the tree, have round green nuts with thick shells.
• Red Cream - An unmistakable red mushroom that oozes a red, creamlike substance when its bulbous head is cut. You once heard an Orc say a single mushroom could keep someone full for several hours. But they only grow in dark places… x2
• Another of the mushrooms that look like a weeping willow, with all the tendrils.
• A Turtleshell Mushroom! x2

However, based on where the various mushrooms were, harvesting them might prove a problem--the Red Creams were under the bushes near Agar, and not far from the Jackalope. Harvesting them, even if he was stealthy, would probably disturb the prey and send it running. The shiny, pointy-cap mushroom was further into the tree copse, closer to that big alligator-esque creature. And the Turtleshells were nestled in the roots of the same tree that the large bird was nesting in!

The other mushrooms, and the tree, would be easier to get to without being seen...in fact, that tree's branches would probably be sturdy enough to climb, if he needed to get away from something very dangerous on the ground...

Why Were We Reincarnated as Orcs?!

I think I need to just say, I'm going to be cutting back on RPing in general for a bit. Thanks for the invite Z and I'll maybe return in the future but atm I'm just feeling a little burned out, I think.

@Rune_Alchemist

Thanks for letting us know! We'll hope for your return, but get some rest! Enjoy the holidays!

Why Were We Reincarnated as Orcs?!

I'm starting work on an update, those still working on posts feel free to continue!