Duty Session 575: Hungry Like a Wolfgarm

    After almost a year and a half the hunter's guild has finally finalized the paperwork and put out the request for the adventurers to make their way up to the fourth floor. It is here where they will find the wolfgarms for a proper old fashion kill the monsters quest. So as the person who put in the request for the hunter's guild to do something he decided he might as well participate in the wolfgarm hunt. Still though he fought these things before and isn't just going into the forest alone, but to wait for a sufficiently sized party that can burn anything down, even the forest.

Yeah, what's with the hunter's guild dragging their feet with things these days? It's almost like the people running things were on vacation or something!

. . .

Prophylaxis is here again, waiting in the shadow of a tree. He seems to be checking over his inventory of tasty, tasty potions (injectable).

He might need them. After all, wolfgarms might carry rabies...!

Yeowang has chosen a very odd way to get her department store started. Construction is underway in Dun Loireag and has been funded, but she knows nothing about construction, and though she's a good manager, she knows that the managers she's employed don't need her loitering on-site. But what can help the project is getting some more loot and acquiring some goods for the store at a discount of 'wrested from their former owners', a valid acquisition strategy here in Yamato. While she can't burn a forest down, she's no Scaley, Proph, at least, has seen her punch things hard enough to do terrible things to them. That was back in the Palace Lands, of course. And having a hunter-type on the team can't hurt, right?

Dosbox is doing his best to fall in line after Doc like a puppy keeping to the heel of his master. Every 5 minutes or so, he can be seen hitting the Menu Clean function in his UI and smelling himself. He looks fairly nervous, "I don't smell, do I? Yeowang? Do I still smell?"

    Setsuna yawns and looks about at the group on hand, "Well this is probably enough. What do you think doc? " Setsuna stretches and does one last final check of his own inventory before he looks at the others. "Well if anyone has any reason we should not go hunt wolfgarms, speak now or don't. I mean it's up to you." With that Setsuna takes off into the woods. Only a few minutes of wandering through the woods and the necromancer will realize he has no idea where he is going. "I guess this is the point where I am suppose to say something like lets split up gang and look for clues?"

Yeowang peers critically at Dosbox as he badgers her. She stops, takes a small bottle from her inventory, and pours a bit of liquid into her hand. She upends the hand over Dos, and he will discover the bottle is quite expensive perfume. Women's perfume, of course, but it completely covers his scent. She's putting the perfume back in her inventory and proceeds on. He didn't stink before, but if he couldn't tell, this makes it abundantly clear.

"If there is wolf crap here, I am going to punch them twice as hard," she mutters, and says sourly to Setsuna, "If we're looking for wolf scats, I am gone." Dos can explain that one to the Scaleys.

Dosbox is not the hunter type. Even in IRL, he hadn't once went camping. The closest he has gotten to roughing it was creepily sitting out in front of Haru's Atelier overnight because he fell asleep that one time. "No no no no. NEVER split the party. I know that VERY well. That's when the DM kills off party members. I mean, we aren't playing D&D or anything but...." He is suddenly COVERED in a beautiful floral scent. "Oooo. I smell pretty." He is satisfied with the outcome regardless. Unfortunately, the high concentration of scent has thrown off his senses. It's a good few minutes before he is seeing straight, and by that time, the party has found where they need to go.

Prophylaxis glances up. He looks between Setsuna and the other two, then shrugs. "A little smaller than I'd like, but it'd do. Now, let's get tracking."

Prophylaxis... doesn't move. Or rather, he just shakes his head. "...By which I mean, could you guys handle this? The locals don't like the look of non-humans, and I can't track animals worth a damn."

He's not helpful here! Go looking for someone else to lend a hand!

    Setsuna looks over at Dosbox, or as Setsuna thinks of him, the new guy. "Other alliances don't split the party. We are Scale though, well except Yeow...whatever. Anyways this is a scale party so we definately split up and do things the dangerous way. It is just how we operate. " Still though Setsuna is a bit lost as he wanders off from the group for a moment, until he crosses the path of a beaten up adventurer running directly towards him. "Excuse me do you know which way to the wolfgarm..." The adventurer keeps running away from him shouting about the scary wolfgarms from that direction. It would appear to be similar tracks to what Yeowang may find. It appears they are on the right path.

     The tracks lead directly to a pair of wolfgarm scouts. Looks like two young wolfgarms that are just above the stage of being alled pups. They are playing with each other more then really watching for anything that is until a branch falls near by and they suddenly jump and run around paniced before sniffing towards the branch and realizing what happened. It would appear these two wolfgarms are a bit jumpy.

Yeowang is, class-wise, a Shadowfist, which is apparently a sort of assassin that tracks down their prey. She didn't really know that when she selected it, but she tries to play the class as it's intended, and in this case is successful, eventually, leading the party to find a pair of wolfgarm scouts. Rather than track them all the way home, whenever they get done here, she will send them off home with a fierce shout and a scent bomb from her inventory. She's not wating the good scent on these monsters, the whiff that comes back to the party is quite foul. The wolfgarm don't like it, either, and take off.

Dosbox is not someone who questions someone when they tell him that he is wrong because: #1: He is a social coward, and #2: he has no confidence in any of his own decisions. "Yeah, you're probably right. Let's spl..." He shuts up REAL quick when he realizes that the wolfgarms are RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM.

He notes what Yeowang is doing and replicates it, taking the POWERFUL scent still lingering on him and using the air to force it up the noses of the wolfgarm. This only expedites their already hasty departure.

Thankfully there are other people in the party who can actually talk to the locals and not be run off. Racism: it's kind of a problem on the fourth! If only there were people who could enter an obsessive mood dedicated to remedying said racism! IF ONLY!!

...

"Scouts again," Prophylaxis murmurs as the slighter wolfgarms appear. He remembers well from last time how they can take advantage of these creatures. "Spook them, then follow," he instructs, tapping his staff against the ground. On command, a booming echo thunders through the air, whipping the beasts into a sudden retreat...!

    Prophylaxis gives the command and the others act on it, except for Setsuna, his poor fireball firework seems to be more flame less flash. Still though the wolfgarms are scared take off running and the doctor was right on the call as people are going to have to do whatever they can to keep up with them. Setsuna rolls his eyes, "Well you heard the doctor, chase after them but let them run back to their cave." With that said Setsuna takes off running.

Wolfgarms may be fast, but a rock gnome launched out of a catapult and landing in another catapult, ad infinitum, is faster. This is proven not only theoretically, but also in practice, as DosBox sends himself flying through the air over and over again. Normally, one might worry about hitting trees or some other kind of obstacle, but perhaps DosBox is more Scale Emblem than he thought, as he seems to have no problem throwing caution to the wind, or in this case, throwing HIMSELF through THE AIR, with no concern for risk to his own body.

Yeowang is, in fact, ignoring Setsuna's instructions and gives him and Proph dry looks. But she does sprint off after the fleeing wolfgarm, and she sets a pretty good pace, running hard and chewing up the distance easily, seems she's no stranger to running. She keeps an eye on the wolfgarm, pacing them easily, but to the side rather than behind them, so if they look behind them for pursuit, they will miss her. Yet another subtle tactic she's picked up.

"Remember, don't kill them," Prophylaxis warns, giving chase as quickly as a nerd in robes can. Being a nerd in robes, though, he IS able to cheat relentlessly. And does so! By bidding the trees and underbrush of the forest to wriggle their roots in just the right ways to trip up the fleeing wolfgarms. It buys them all the time they need to make good on their pursuit, all without harming a single hair on their heads.

    Setsuna does manage to keep pace with the wolfgarms, but is appreciated of the forest for helping out, such a nice helpful forest. Yeowang though definately is the most efficient at all of the chasing, the wolfgarms never even see her. They are to distracted by the gnome that learned how to fly. The two scouts lead the adventurers right to the den it is really nothing more then a hole in the ground, quite literally.

     As the party adventures into the den, they will find the a new level of darkness, advance darkness. The den is a mess of pitch black tunnels that absolutely needs someone to map it, but more importantly, needs people to light these tunnels up for people to see where they are going.

Advanced darkness is a heck of a thing. Prophylaxis approaches the cave mouth, his lips drawn into a fine line. With a gesture, he ignites a small flame in the palm of his hand, barely enough to see by. "Go easy on the lights," he advises, "We... don't want to alert the Alpha to our presence until we're ready to jump it. The last thing we want is for it to get away."

Sure, that might mean bumping into a few walls, but it's probably worth it.

Dosbox is very unsuccessful at lighting his way. He is, however, successful at finding the wall. Several of them. "I found the wall," He whispers, "It was there the whole time." Dosbox, as a result, does end up losing about 2% of his health bar, which is not great, but not horrible.

Yeowang will head down into the burrowed out lair, and she finds the darkness complete. She backs a couple steps, bumping into someone in the dark, and will fish in her inventory for a lantern. She finds it, but when she tries to light it, she finds it out of fuel, and sighs heavily. Seems she forgot to refill it after the last adventure. Well, she was so intent on getting a bath, restocking supplies maybe got skipped or saved for later. Sadly, now is when it would have been needed, and she will advance as best she can by the others' lights.

    Setsuna sighs in the darkness, "I should have brought Demon, or Roki, or well any of the creatures in my menagerie. " Taking a deep breath he tries to cast more fire but , his fire magic is just a bit off. Instead he casts a bright flash for a moment before nothing. So the four of the group wander forward in the dark, only bit of light being from doc's small flame. That is until they see a soft green glow. The green glow is glowing moss hanging in the top of a large cavern. In it is the target of the hunt, the Alpha Wolfgarm and it appears it knows that the adventurers were coming as the moment they enter the cavern the alpha attacks.

As the alpha wolf begins its charge, so too does Boriwyk Rockborer. Only he doesn't take, like, 3 episodes to charge like some underleveled green alien bug person. "SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!!! (Remember, auto-translate)" Dossy launches a beam of pure energy at the wolf, taking out one of its ears. He blows off his smoking finger all cool style like he's in a western. "Ladies love cannons."

Gah, it's the Alpha, but Yeowang was ready for this, and she's in prime form. She's a veteran martial artist and is expert in several styles of martial arts. She presses the Alpha brutally, her hard punches and relentless kicks dropping HP quickly. If this is a DPS check, we've definitely passed, she's savagely beating it down with elbows and knees in close, and if you expect an ALpha Wolfgarm to be brutal in melee, you've never seen her compete in her school league.

The Alpha attacks!

Prophylaxis attacks back. He knew what they were walking into. Even before he had stepped foot in the monster's den, he was preparing the spell. The air around him had gone cold, his lips had frosted over with flecks of ice. The moment the alpha rounds on them--

He casts.

And briefly encases the monster in a block of ice.

"Kick its ass," is his only instruction.

Please do, friends.

    As the Alpha gets beaten the crap out of by the cold winter embrace of the doctor's presence and the burning beam of energy unleashed from the gnome of rock lighting it on fire. In the end though it is the melee barrage of Yeowang's that causes the Alpha to try to book it. It would have gotten away to if Setsuna didnt drop his dagger into it's shadow tethering it to this room. Still the shadows are long in the cavern and it doesn't do much but keep it from running away.

     The Alpha is aware it is in danger and lets out a ear piercing whimpering howl and the thing that comes to it rescue is a pair of puppies. Very small cute looking puppies, they even yip and try to act all tough. It's kinda cute. That is until they grow into very large two legged magic casting wolfgarm shaman who have come to the aid of their boss. Meanwhile under all of this the Alpha has moved to hit and run tactics never staying to long to fight one person but trying to let the shamans tank the adventurers while the Alpha acts like the damage dealer of the group. Will our adventurers survive?

This wolf should know better than to challenge a sith sorcerer! Which DosBox is not. But he certainly is about to plagiarize one, so that's close enough, with a deep baritone voice, he calls out, lightning flying from his fingertips,

"UNLIMITED POWER!!!!"

Multiple tines of lightning course through not just the alpha, but any wolfgarm that is stupid enough to get within range of this rock gnome's PAWAH!!!

Yeowang's martial arts ferocity and tournament skill is strictly one-on-one, and when the backup arrives, her strategy is forced to change. She is still able to avoid all the counterattacks, using her control and awareness of the field of battle, she can strike in and interrupt heals and strike vulnerable targets when and as the come available. It's much harder with three now than it was with one, but she manages to stay with the fight until the end, finally panting as the enemies despawn, leaving loot behind. "This will oook gorgeous in the store's entry hall," she says, sounding pleased.

P-puppies!? How does he fight PUPPIES?!

They're adorable! Even if they are monsters!!

Fortunately for Prophylaxis, they don't remain adorable for long. He feels much less guilty about fighting fully grown wolfgarms. With a shout, he sweeps his arm across the party, surrounding each of them with a protective barrier. Shamanistic spells slam against the shields, but hardly even crack them in the time that the party needs to finish the job.

But this is hardly the end, is it? How long until a new alpha is crowned...?

    The good doctor's shields hold as the shamanism based spells slam against his shield. Meanwhile Setsuna shouts out, " Just need a moment and I will get us some reinforcement." Setusna begins to work on a summoning spell back behind the group. A little magic circle , some pixelated blood, a few words and a damn cast time, still the others got it for now. The lightning of Boriwyk Rockborer strikes out through the cavern dealing damage to the hiding Alpha and the two shamans, meanwhile Yeowang is able to directly engage with the Alpha to finish it off all while Prophylaxis continues to tank the two Shamans. Setsuna still swears he will be ready any moment.

    The Alpha is slayed and Setsuna shouts, "Ok finally." A skeleton knight rises from the ground just as the shamans retreat leaving their dead bosses corpse to be looted , "Oh , well then." Yep Setsuna did nothing for that second half of the fight. "I guess we won at least, but we should probably get out of here."