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Cool

Bruh that's fake news

[Strik3r]

Let us go see what's scaring all the spirit.

+1

There's only one correct answer here; Lets hurry toward the source of this disturbance.

Also, i absolutely love the drawings' style, especially Blackhoof himself. It doesn't matter how much i model or render, i wouldn't be able get the feel same as your drawings because i can't replicate the charm and style that your drawings have.

[Quaksna]

Let us go see what's scaring all the spirit.

+1

There's only one correct answer here; Lets hurry toward the source of this disturbance.

Also, i absolutely love the drawings' style, especially Blackhoof himself. It doesn't matter how much i model or render, i wouldn't be able get the feel same as your drawings because i can't replicate the charm and style that your drawings have.

And then, validation happened.

Hey but to be fair, your render kicked me up a few levels, especially in terms of the antlers. New growths are sprouting and some are bending in space to the sides. You honestly helped a lot there 

[Yellow Pixel]

There's only one correct answer here; Lets hurry toward the source of this disturbance.

+1

Of course. For in us lies the spirit of adventure!

Also, i absolutely love the drawings' style, especially Blackhoof himself.

Dig it too. And I particularly like the expressions of the characters!

[King Zultan]

Also, i absolutely love the drawings' style, especially Blackhoof himself.

Dig it too. And I particularly like the expressions of the characters!

I shall also jump onto the pile and say that I also like the art and character design.

[Quaksna]

. . .

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"Your intuition's right, actually." you say to Flax. "This is not okay, and we can't ignore it. We're heading towards the source of disruption."



"Right now?" the warrior asks, pointing you towards the campsite.

"It would be certainly better to move while we can. Although..."

You look at Sas.



"We didn't sleep at all."

"Can we get a safer spot, then?" asks Sas. "I'm up for fixing the spirits, but if we're tired, we're useless!"



"That's a good point..." said Flax. "Hmmm... What could have triggered this situation, Black? Do we have an idea of what're we standing against?"

"We don't." you answer. "Could be anything, really. Other spirits, some maleficent tribe... It must be something tough though, animals of the wild wouldn't be capable of causing such a disruption. It is a mighty foe to be sure..."

You think.



"We have to move. I don't know how far the site is, therefore we can't plan ahead just yet. We'll rest in time, either when I'll be able to sense it so we can regain strength before we delve in, or if we'll absolutely need to."



"Sounds like a plan." said Sas and nods. "What about these spirits here, won't they bother us on the way?"

"I'll lead you so that we follow the trail but also keep distance. Now that we know about them, I can repel them fine, nothing as bad as this night should happen, hopefully..."



"Let's go, then!" said Flax. "Lead the way."








The three of you marched, full of determination, yet uncertainty. Under your guidance, you were able to navigate the land safely, the spirits didn't trouble you.

After a long, long trek, the sun has shown itself behind the horizon, and a new day has dawned. Once it did, though...




"Curses, it's gone!" you bark.

"Eh?"

"The trail ends here. Goes no further, and no spirits not sacred ground to be seen. Gah..."

"What now?" asked Sas.

"Heavens know... You sure you don't know any odd locality around here?"



"I've been this far a few times, don't remember anything. There shouldn't be anything unusual here, as far as I know, anyway."

"Are you sure it's not this place?" asks Flax.



"Shouldn't be... There's nothing in here!"



. . .












"I say, let's climb these hills, take a break, maybe we'll think of something."



Sas follows him, so you nod and go up as well.



On your way there, Sas notices some movement in the snow, and takes out his bow. You leave him to his endeavors, and carry on.



On the top, Flax sits down, and exhales.



"Better to catch a breath, before we'll act, ya know what I mean? Phew..."



You observe the area you're in. Deer tribes rarely venture this far to the east, and you don't know of any particular culture living here. What should you look for...



"Hey! There's something!" you cry and point.

Flax leaps from the ground and rushes towards you.



"You see that? Looks like pillars or something..."

"Well look at that, you're right!"

He turns back.



"Hey Sas, stop chasing wildlife, Black found something."



Sas doesn't seem to be too excited, but he obeys.

"Looks like there are some ruins ahead!" you tell him. "Very strange..."



Sas widens his eyes for a brief moment, then looks at you.



"Strange indeed, this shouldn't be here. If there was a settlement we would know. But couldn't sprout here overnight... Doesn't make any sense..." he mumbles.

"Well, it's a clue alright." you say, and are on your way to venture down to the valley, but Flax stops you.



"Let's rest first. Could be dangerous."

"Oh, right. Sorry."



Flax sits down again, Sas doesn't. He's running down the slope, off hunting again.

You sit down too. Not a moment passes, Sas is back, with a pair of lemmings.



"Ain't much..." he says, "At least will be done quick. Prepare a little fire, would you?"



There's not many sticks around, but together you manage to get a decent snack. With a mouthful of meat and a moment of respite, you feel ready to delve into the ruins. Off you go...





"This place's dead..." says Flax. "Has the smell of it..."



"Not quite." you say. "This place does emit some energy... Though not all what I would've expected. If this used to be a sacred site, something truly horrible must have happened..."



"There's some text... Can you read it, anyone?" asks Sas, pointing at one of the pillars.

Flax shooks his head, you take a closer look at the thing.



"I don't recognize these symbols."

You examine the structure of it.

"The stone is detailed, even the color doesn't seem natural..."



"You're right, this is some feat!" whispers Sas, sliding his hand down the smooth, almost flawless surface.

"This is all pretty bewildering... I have no idea what could have happened, but we're definitely onto something here."



You look around, trying to locate anything peculiar. Not that things weren't strange enough already...

There is a large heap of snow, that looks rather suspicious. Then there is a large pile of rubble, lots of chunks concentrated at one point, that's kinda odd. Something unusual is growing onto a few pillars... Nothing too pleasant to behold, and you still don't pick up any spirit trail. Some trees seem to be charred, while some are green, but aside of that...



Sas nudges you. You turn around, to see what the fuss's about. The hunter kneels, and starts sweeping snow aside.

Flax joins you and stares at Sas's doing as well, seems rather confused about it.

"What're..."

"Shhh." Sas retorts. "Quiet!"



He hops around and cleans the area further. It seems random, but the more he does it, the more you're starting to see...

"Tracks?"



"Track. A single one. But look at the size."



Now it's fully revealed. There is a footprint of gargantuan proportions, so large the snow was unable to hide it.



"What on earth is this?!!" gasps Flax, with his jaw dropped.

"No idea. Never see anything like it. Seems like some sort of beast..."



You are silent, trying to put two and two together. Unsuccessfully, as it seems, you're more puzzled than ever.

"There could be more!" says Sas. "We could try and track it down..."

Flax seems more lost than ever.

"Well, Black?" he utters.


What do you want to do?

[Strik3r]

Despite her absence, you find yourself still hearing Nami's voice in your mind as if she was still here, pointing out details you might have never noticed otherwise. Yet for now, her energetic and assuring yet slightly arrogant voice is a mere illusion, conjured up by your own imagination. The time she spent sheltered within you has clearly left an imprint on you, as you find yourself looking at the world through her large, scrutinizing eyes, and imagining what she would say.
"Look! Look at the pawprint! An obvious, boring person would say that it belongs to a dragon. I'd say it belongs to a very large bear! I suppose it doesn't matter. Either one is bad news for y... us if we get caught unaware."
Since we seem to be in no immediate danger, the stone circle seems interesting enough by itself and following the beast isn't really time-critical, i say we rest for a while longer within the ruins while trying to figure out the significance of this place, if any. If Sas or Flax want to run off after the beast, let them.

Also, using the magic that we used to weave our loincloth, could we weave a white cloak, one like Esem had, for Sas and perhaps Flax and ourselves too? Might help camouflage us in these snowy fields.

[Yellow Pixel]

i say we rest for a while longer within the ruins while trying to figure out the significance of this place, if any.

+1

No, my eyes don't deceive me... The footprint has clearly a reptilian shape. So it's not from a very large bear, but from a dragon!

(a beautiful dragon!)

following the beast isn't really time-critical

Following the beast might not be time-critical, but it might very well prove critical!

What I mean is that we shouldn't allow Flax and Sas to run after a monster of such "gargantuan proportions"... I do think it would be unwise to split our party in face of such formidable danger. And the look of Flax, that mighty warrior, when he saw the footmark, don't reassure me whatsoever! Let us not forget also that Flax doesn't have a sword, nor a buckler, and that even if he is dragonfire-proof (wich I doubt), it might not be the same for Sas...

However, we could let Sas look for a few more tracks, while telling him not to stray too far, to see in wich direction the beast went and if it did take flight. We would then know if we are truly dealing with a dragon or a gigantic flying bear.
On the matter of Esem's white cloaks:

Such outfits would be very cool, but I believe that when we made our small loincloth out of grass, it took us a fair amount of time and effort, and we can't really afford it now. We should rather save our energy for a potential battle to come! Furthermore, our loincloth is grey and I'm unsure that our magical powers would enable us to make the cloth white.

[King Zultan]

i say we rest for a while longer within the ruins while trying to figure out the significance of this place, if any.

+1

+1

Also can we not split the group with giant things wondering around.

[Quaksna]

. . .

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"Examine the track, try to find more." you say, Sas nods. "Don't stray too far from us though. Some basic idea of time, and/or general direction shall suffice. I'll look take a closer look at this place."



"What about me?" asks Flax.

"You can help me, or just watch over the surroundings. I don't think we're in immediate danger, but you know, just in case."



Sas' keen eyes picked up a trail rather quickly, he walked further from the ruins, occasionally brushing some snow off and examining further. He's not far away, you assure yourself, and focus on your business.



"You see, the most flabbergasting thing is, if this was a significant site, I can't tell! But it's impossible that all spirits left, that can't be... And there is some power around, it's just..."



"Well Sas didn't know about it. People didn't know about it."

"You can conceal ground, that's beside the point. It's just... The trail ends here, while here... Is nothing."



You walk to a broken pillar.

"This fungus shouldn't grow here. There's definitely some power in play..."

"What, are there spirits in the fungi?"

"No no, they like very specific kind of environment, this ain't it. Could brew them later..." you say, and snatch the shrooms.



"What is this..." mumbles Flax, after bumping into the heap you notices earlier. "This isn't even snow!"

You come to him, and truly, snow is only on the top. Below that...



"Ash..." you whisper.

"I mean the trees are a bit burned. Some of them, at least..."

"Nothing of it seems natural. But what happened here?"



You look around further, thinking. A big creature has been here, there was some sort of controlled fire, the place might have been an important site and was hidden at some point in the past... And must've been revealed later. Somehow...

You come to the pile of rubble, that seems almost intentionally arranged to be this way.

"Hey Flax!"

The warrior runs towards you.



"There's a hole beneath this junk. See?"

Flax nods.


 
"This rubble does awful job of covering it... But then again it seems rather large... You think someone did that on purpose?"

"Possibly. Might've been in hurry, someone might've wanted to block it... Wait a moment."



You try to sense. And you think you've finally picked something.

"Corpses. Must be inside..."

Flax starts sniffing, you stop him.



"There's death down there. All I can tell."

"Could it be this is a lair? Of the..."

"Possibly..."

Flax walks around the pile, his eyes flickering left and right.



"Hey here's a good spot, see? If I removed that, shouldn't all fall while I could squeeze through..."



You scout the surroundings before doing anything. You can see Sas is wobbling towards you, pretty slowly and unbothered. No imminent danger for sure.

"You can if you want to. Sas' coming, there shouldn't be anything living down there... At the moment."

You sit down, seems you have still time to rest, maybe prepare the mushrooms.



"This one should affect one's mind, if one wants to see stuff. Maybe could use that to try find more spirits, though, I'll probably fall asleep in this world." you think. "And this one can sharpen focus, or steal your breath and kill you, should you take too much... If I'm not mistaken."

Sas reaches you, doesn't seem particularly worried.



"The tracks do continue, in that direction." he says. "They're not fresh, but not that old either. Seems the thing left recently..."



A crash and curses interrupt his report. You snap your heads towards the source, you can see Flax flailing his arms wildly, while the rubble slowly moves deeper into the hole.



"This didn't work out in the slightest!" grumbles the man.

"Let it be for a bit, come take a break."



You center your attention back to Sas.

"That's interesting, do we have an idea of what it is?"

"I did take a closer look at the prints. Doesn't look like anything I ever saw..."

"Does it at least resemble something you know?"

"It's a paw for sure. But the proportions doesn't match any animal I know... It's a bit off for a bear, it ain't wolf either... But!"

He pulls out his hand.



"Found this."



You examine the object, and it's a piece of fur. White color, quite lengthy, but the feel of it... It's hard and sturdy, not quite as a quill, but still rather strange for animal hair. And it isn't the freezing cold either, the heat of your palm didn't change it one bit.

"This is so peculiar it has to be one of the beast's." you say.

Flax joined you in observing this strange phenomenon, and doesn't look any wiser.



"What are we going to do, then? We can dig up the lair... I checked the ash piles, there are no bones or remains there, so... That's probably the only spot left. But the rubble is worse than I thought!"

"We'll rest further. I'll get the mushrooms done..."



"We're making potions?" says Sas, excited.

"Sorta, but we won't mix anything. Look!"



"This is used by seeresses to connect your mind sharper to the spirit world. While your mind is intact and brighter than ever, it's at the expense of your body, you'll most probably lose control of it."



"You'll be possessed like we we..."

"No, no. You'll just be sleeping, or unable to move your limbs or tongue, so that's that. Could use that to reveal something, that might be hiding itself from us now, but only if we're safe, as it renders the user pretty much defenceless in this world..."



"And then there's this, this buffs your awareness and reflexes, makes you react faster. Can also be used as a poison in lethal doses."



"Believe it or not, I was actually briefed on this!" laughs Flax. "Watch out from the shrooms, he said, lots of nasty things growing up north, you'll lose your mind!"

"Can definitely be dangerous... Both may come in handy."

"Do we need fire?" asked Sas.

"If you want heat, do as you please, I don't. Can dry it up myself."



Your companions made yourselves comfortable on the broken pillars, as you crush one fungus, and conjure up heat to dry the other. They're ready for use now, should last for at least two days, could a couple more should you use magic.

Sas sat through all of your moment of respite, resting, in silence. You did so too, trying to clear your head, recollect the thoughts. There was way too much disturbing your spirit as of late.



Flax did sit for a while, but would occasionally get up and take a look at the clogged entrance again. He didn't look very happy about it.



So did you wait. The sun has moved a bit, though it still hasn't reached the highest point in the day. With time came a mild breeze. That itself wouldn't be very interesting, but it was getting stronger.



You three stood up. There was no storm coming, but the wind was sweeping rather powerful, and its voice started to echo the valley.



Pain has bitten you in your ears. Not very severe, and more annoying than harmful, but sudden enough you jerked your head. You can feel a powerful presence in distance.

"Black?" asked Flax, taking steps towards you.



"It's coming. Must be."


What do you want to do?

[Strik3r]

"The tundra titan.... a great... quadruped... It's white fur is rough and patchy... Beware it's fire breath."

i think whatever the beast is, the best course of action would be to retreat to a safe distance to observe the ruins from afar to see what the monster does.

While we could use the mushrooms to scout in spirit form, i think they are best saved for later. But yes, we should do something to preserve them and prevent them from going bad. Some kind of enchanted bag would be ideal for preserving foodstuff in general.

Also, if we find a way, we should definitely try to get some of the monster's fur, it would be extraordinarily good for magically weaving into a snazzy cloak pretty much anything.

[Yellow Pixel]

Well, retreating to a safe distance to observe the ruins from afar to see what the monster does is something I totally +1. However, the changing of the mild breeze into a strong gale was rather swift, and it's something I consider somewhat disquieting... The thing is, as the predatory beast appears to be approaching pretty fast, and as the ruins where we stand are situated in a fairly open area, we might not have the time to run away before it notices us. So maybe we'll be forced to hide in a closer spot, like y'know, exactly where the monster is heading, wich seems to be the hole covered of heavy rubble that might be its very lair, or maybe just some sort of strange catacomb. !!FUN!! But that would definitely be the "worst" scenario.

Then, for the mushrooms, I agree to do something to preserve them, when we'll have the time. Shrooms r gud.

And about getting some monster fur... why not? It would certainly be nice to have some! Except that we might be the ones more at risk to be skinned, if you understand what I mean. Who knows though? Maybe we'll find some in the monster's lair...

[King Zultan]

+1 to the hiding somewhere nearby, if we can't find somewhere pre-built to hide we could always bury ourselves in the snow as last resort.

[Yellow Pixel]

A death query is sought out, ominous depictions are showing their colors as soon as they are drawn...

The wind is rising, a somber shadow looms on the horizon, and all the FBs are in turmoil!

Blackhoof, brace yourself! Something terrible is coming forth!

[Quaksna]

. . .

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"We must fall back." you say. "Leave the ruins, avoid the beast. We can still watch it from afar."



Your companions readily follow your suggestion, and swiftly move with you back to the hill area. Not on the tops again, instead you hide in between them.



"No sights of anything..." says Flax. "You're sure it was returning?"



You are absolutely sure, as blasts of its presence are giving you a headache.

"No doubt... We left in time though. Should be safe here..."

"Shhh, you hear that?" whispers Sas.



You three focus, and truly, you pick up deep murmurs and growling, silently echoing from a distance. They're slowly getting louder. Occasionally, a more powerful can be heard too.

Now the noises made it actually painful. Each sound is like a cut through your head, it's like someone is actively trying to torture you. You fall to the ground.



"Black!"



"Black, listen! What's wrong?"



"I can't take it... It's too much..."

"How can I help?"



"Sas, go look out for the thing. I'll keep an eye on Black."

Sas hesitates, but in the end goes, reluctantly.



Flax kneels besides you. He searches all over his coat for something, and seems nervous. He stops for a moment, and sticks his hand around the neck instead. Again, he waits a bit, looking unsure. But he proceeds.



You can see his hands coming, holding a object on two little chains. It's a necklace, and he puts it on your neck.

"Better?"



The pain truly seems to fade a bit. It is still present, but it's more bearable.

"What is th..."

"A rather useful trinket you need more than I do right now. Will you be able to get up?"

"I hope..."



You stand up, and go check out Sas.

"It's the beast causing it... Almost like if..."



"Look, look!" whispers Sas and points.



The being has shown itself on the snowy plain. It is enormous, white animal, unlike anything you know. It has a horn and two tails, and black lines mark it's flickering eyes. A trail of smoke is coming from it's maw and nose.



"What is it?"

"Kinda looks like a critter from my lands, but those are usually smaller than sheep!" says Flax. "This looks like some one-of-a-kind monstrosity from folk tales, or long lost dwarven records! Do you know it, Black?"

"No, but you're right it's straight from an old legend! Let's see what it'll do..."



The beast is coming closer, but, to your unpleasant surprise, towards you!

"It's going to get us!" says Sas. "It's picking up pace, too!"



"But how? We left before it could see us!" growls Flax. "There's no way..."



"It can sense me, I am pretty sure of it." you say. "There is a powerful spirit within, trying to assault me for a while now. That's the only conclusion I can draw."

"What on earth does it want to do with you?"

"Well, nothing nice for sure by the looks of it. Gah, the pain..."



"But what shall we do now?" asks Sas.



What do you want to do?

[Strik3r]

Nami's Echo

"A nature titan. They're supposed to protect spirits. Maybe it can sense your connection to Crackantler... Or maybe it has somehow become corrupted."

Wraith Crackantler
●

(Soul-Link Telecomms),(Dark Counsel)
"A great, big, fat cow full of spirit.

Dig in and eat it's soul from inside out. So much nourishment to be gained...

Join me in the spirit world and let us feast together, Blackhoof. I'll share..."

If the titan can sense us, then perhaps conflict is unavoidable, and outrunning it seems unlikely.

As such we should strive to gain as much of an advantage right off the bat as possible.
Maybe it's time for Sas to redeem himself and put his exceptional bowman skills to use for a good cause.
I propose we feed Sas the mushroom that is supposed to sharpen one's focus so that he can attempt to kill or debilitate the titan from as far away as possible, maybe by shooting it in the eyes or something.