Arc 1 - Beast of a Thousand Knives (Completed)

[PupSage]

Kuori walks up behind Hakka and says, "We will put the loot in the bag for now until we can get everything appraised. It's only fair to take this as our pay since we didn't fulfill our contract." She looks up at the sky for a bit and says, "Apparently we have two souls to save now." Secretly she hoped it was just two and not one of those crazy destiny things where everyone found eachother. She didn't need that level of cosmic bullshit to happen after everything else that had gone on today.  

[Rain Yupa]

Revenge would sit there for a few moments, before reaching forward and picking up the broken hilt. He would stand, and place it within his pack.

Then, again, if uninterrupted, he would begin making his way back to Lupa.  

[Ryssa Blackblood]

Hakka listened to her friend's explanation silently, not uttering a word. The entire time she was staring hard at the picture in her hands, and only when Ying was finished did the fox girl whisper the name she'd been told. To finally know who that woman was after all these years was....freeing in a sense, but then....to know that the woman who had saved her was in such trouble...Hakka knew that she had to try to help Fumiyo back. It was a strange feeling for Hakka...She had never really made a connection with someone before that was strong enough to make her do something so crazy, not in all her long life...until she met Ying. The Big Lady startled Hakka out of her thoughts and she said, "Oh...um...okay, sure..." and then held the bag open to have the other things put in it.  

[Kowsauni]

Ying and Corsica

As Revenge begins to walk away, Ying would speak to him. "Wait, Revenge, if you wait for a little bit I will heal you too! I would like to repay the favor."

Any items or belongings of interest are quickly stripped from the soldiers and placed into the bag of holding. Ying and Corsica help with this endeavor as well. Once she has had a short rest,Ying also heals the wounds of everyone who has stuck around with her shamanistic abilities. Corsica says to everyone, "Ying and I will be heading to the pond to bathe and relax before we begin our journey tomorrow. We can guide you to the edge of the forest if you like--otherwise, we wish you the best of luck to your futures. You have done my sister and I an immeasurable service."

((If Revenge chooses to leave by himself, he will need to succeed on either a nature or perception check to navigate his way out of the forest without getting lost.))  

[Rain Yupa]

''..."

He would pause, standing in place for a few seconds, before turning halfway around.

''... Kuori. That bag of coin has platinum? May I have one? One solitary coin is all I will trouble you for."  

[PupSage]

As Kuori dumps the treasure into the bag she holds back a platinum. "Fair enough, we will divide your share then. But I was serious about helping you save your wife. I know how hard loss can hit you. If I had a chance to find my happy ending I would jump at it, I might as well help you find yours."
She would take the bag, assuming Hakka gives it up, and walk to the forest. "I think that we can make it out alright." She nudges Revenge's icy plate and says, "Come on Tiger."  

[Ryssa Blackblood]

Hakka would cooperate, hanging behind just long enough to pull both Ying and Corsica aside and say to the older of the two, "I don't know what you intend to do, but I did make an offer to Ying that you would both be welcome to come with me. My home is far from here, across the sea and long out of reach of those Aria goons. I would be happy for you both to come." She gave both sisters a warm smile and said, "I'm going to have to go back into town with the others, but please, whatever you do decide to do...don't leave tomorrow until I come to see you?"  

[Rain Yupa]

If he was handed the coin by Kuori, he would take it into his gauntleted palm. ''... One step at a time. Lets gets back to Lupa first." He would turn to peer at Ying out of the corner of his eye, before turning and beginning his trek back.

(It sounds like that trek might be before a short rest is complete - I'm fine with that for myself, I'm not expectant of anyone else to do the same. Just in case, here's my Naturception result: 17)  

[PupSage]

Nature: 29, 17, 23

Kuori hands him the coin and takes the lead through the woods.  

[I Drink Blue Moon]

Gloom quickly follows, not wanting to fall behind.  

[Kowsauni]

Ying and Corsica

((I assumed everyone took a short rest while the gear was being collected and healed by Ying.))

Corsica nods at Hakka. "We will wait for your return and give you our answer then. My sister and I have a lot to discuss this evening. You will find us at the pond next morning, the place where we first all met."

Ying gives her new friend a tight hug--perhaps a little too tight since Hakka would feel her back crack a little--before tearfully seeing her off with the rest of the group. Under Kuori's and Revenge's guidance, the party has no problem finding their way back to Lupa. It is late afternoon by the time they arrive.

As they emerge from the edge of the forest a lone figure can be seen on the road outside the Hopkin's Ranch. It is none other than Poa. A small songbird is perched on her shoulder and seems to be chirping melodically into her ear. Poa is listening to it with rapt attention. As the adventurers appear from the forest, the songbird flies off and the Dryad looks at the group with a wide smile. "The forest has ears and eyes everywhere and a dryad never sleeps. However, a dryad also needs to know where to look. When you ran off into the forest, I had a friend of mine follow. I must say that was quite an event. And you came face to face with one of my sisters and came out with your lives. That is a small feat in itself."

Poa the Dryad

 

[PupSage]

Kuori rolled her eyes and said, "Yeah, we are big damn heroes. Huzzah." She looked at Poa and said, "Your beast of 1000 knives isn't dead, but it shouldn't bother you anymore, and they paid for the stolen livestock. Everything should be squared. Now, if you can point us towards somebody that can identify magic stuff we will be out of your grass ... hair by morning." To be honest she wasn't to happy about being spied on.  

[Ryssa Blackblood]

Frankly Hakka wasn't that bothered with being spied on. It was the nature of the business, after all, or it was for her at least. It wasn't like she had tried to be sneaky anyway. Her thoughts were more focused on her friend Ying, and what the sisters would decide to do. Part of her mind was also dwelling on the picture of the fox woman, too. She knew that somehow she had to do more to find out all she could. For now though, Hakka kept quiet, going with the party so she could claim her share of the spoils.  

[I Drink Blue Moon]

Gloom looked at Poa and said, "Yes, you are sooooo observent. Hence why we got hired in the first place." He immediately began to walk to Lupa.  

[Rain Yupa]

Revenge would say nothing, and absent-mindedly begin following Gloom.