Duty Session 592: Hungry Like a Wolfgarm

    Having recently hunted a direwolf, and with success owing entirely to Goldenblade, Lauren is quick to move again. In fact, the imp is always quick, usually trying to rope people into the field. In this case, however, the artificer who caught a direwolf is facing down the /insistence/ that she, An Adventurer, can maybe deal with these wolfgarms. And not die in the process.
    What is an imp to do?
    This imp sets out the call: Wolfgarms to be dealt with. It's a lovely day to tromp through the woods, magic and weapon in hand, to deal with a local population problem. At the designated meeting point Lauren stands ready, reading and re-reading the sign.

Haru, in the general area at the time, responds to the request to look into the dire wolfs. It is all procedural in nature, a sidequest on his way back to where he is going, such as Shibuya or Dragon's Eye. He seems altogether distracted by other things, looking into a notebook the size of his hand as he walks about.

Goldenblade wouldn't say it was entirely her help. Lauren brought a lot of the actual needed talent. She just got chewed on for a couple minutes. But she's eager to help all her young guildies, or allianc-ies, and given her age, that's basically everyone. "Couldn't bring a shotgun," she laments. "I guess we'll have to make do." She's pretty sidetracked also, responding to stuff in other windows when no immediate crisis is happening.

    "Goldenblade!" This person, at least, Lauren knows. And knows well. "I'm so happy you could show up. And thank you again. I don't know what it is with me and wolves, but." She gestures to the forest. "It seems more like a sorcerer's job for slinging spells, but I'm being press-ganged here. An artificer amongst wolves."

Haru also does not know much about the wolf situation. He stands by a tree and flips an errant page, markng that page before closing it. "Use your summons, then," he idly notes as he looks to Goldenblade first and then Lauren. Back to GB, "Which using other creatures to do work is mundane enough. Domesticated livestock and all that." He isn't much in the mood to get into the oft debate of 'magic versus mundane' today.

Goldenblade smirks to Lauren, and says, "Who can say what makes certain enemies common at any time? It used to be goblins everywhere. It shifts." As far as an artificer among wolves, she looks to Haru, and then back to Lauren. She says, "Spellcasters can be potent, even if it's a bit sissy." Sadly, that's probably as positive as she gets about spellcasters, but it looks like Haru's not in the mood for the old arguement. It's just as well because in this game, he's entirely correct, but she doesn't have to like it. "Haru, if he's got time, can probably coach you better than I can," she admits grumpily.

Lauren stifles laughter as the group moves further into the forest. And what a forest. Grand vistas of shadow and light which fall through the trees like sunbeams: soundless, but curiously calming.

    Until one remember what they are here to do.

    Tracks spread every which way, mostly those taken by local villagers-- although even those are overgrown. "And now we go find grandmother," Lauren says.

    Lauren spots bits of tracks, but the greater context is given by Goldenblade, for the context gained from their conversation with the locals turns clues into signs. And thus the party wanders in further, deeper into the forest where the light falters. The group is still finding its way when they come upon a target. A target that has yet to notice them: A pair of wolfgarms.

It's a pretty nice forest, as forests go, but Goldenblade's dreams tend toward grand construction, so vistas of trees are, to her, so much lumber and plot space. She could build a small city here! There are people here, but they can be bought out, she's sure. The wolfgarm must certainly have lowered the property values!

She will go house to house, taking a survey about whether the Wolfgarm are a menace, and where might we find some. "Hello, yes. Yes, I am that Goldenblade. Do you have problems with Wolfgarm? Just the facts, ma'am." It's odd, but sometimes the old fashioned way gets results.

Haru adjusts his monocle of silver-black rim and purple lens, "Yamato's best Artificer," he states more in objectivity versus subjectivity. If there is one better, he hasnt run across them at least. His demeanor isn't doing much of any favors as he is short with the Landers. The same three questions. Moving on. After the survey he is finished with a vague direction of where to go. With a literal Legend in their party he isn't wasting his energy, but also isn't wasting the potential for luck to show up. The key to most adventures.

    Lauren spots bits of tracks, but the greater context is given by Goldenblade, for the context gained from their conversation with the locals turns clues into signs. And thus the party wanders in further, deeper into the forest where the light falters. The group is still finding its way when they come upon a target. A target that has yet to notice them: A pair of wolfgarms.
    She says nothing and remains quiet in the company of the group. This isn't a mission that lends well to chatter, especially with present company.
    Because there are two wolfgarms, as of yet unawares.

Haru works up a set of basic fire spells at the wolfgarms, intent not on burning them to a crisp but to get them to take the party back to the main pack. A couple 'Ignis' bolts later and the forest itself is catching ablaze instead of the wolves. Being a responsible New Worlder, Haru reduces his hot assault to take the fires out before it causes further ecological damage. Perhaps the heat and smoke is enough to accomplish the goal all the same.

Goldenblade spots the two wolfgarm, and they would have got the jump on them, but some timer or other goes off and Goldenblade gives a loud, "Huh?" as she dismisses it hurriedly, and will try to importune the Wolfgarm scouts with Fire. She's generally pretty good with Fire, but this was a badly timed attack against an alerted opponent, and it scortches the earth where the Wolfgarm is no longer standing. Well, that could have gone better.

And now they're bolting off. Gah, this is worse than running after her grandkids when they were six! Luckily they're out of college, now, and if they've provided great-grandkids, she has no idea. She imagines this is what it would be like as she dashes in pursuit.

    Slightly before either Haru or Goldenblade, Lauren had sent magic creeping through the shadows, oozing into the landscape and working its way to transform the actual animals. And while she succeeds, they bolt, leaving her looking baffled... and then coughing at the forest fire. "I guess we run?" She asks.

Goldenblade nods to Lauren, and can at least run. Much better than she could outside the game. Probably better than she could run in real life, at least since high school. Back in the day, there weren't so many things to do, so athletics was much more popular, and while she never made the team, she'd go out for track in the spring. Her boots turn up turf in heavy clods as she dashes along, pushing hard to keep up.

Haru is not a fan of running on his own two feet. He conjures up a large wolf-lion of ice and mounts up. In a short amount of time he catches up and maintains pace while on the beast. "Yes. We run," he says, leaving the running to other things.

    A sharp smile cuts across Lauren's lips, an idea come to fruition. As if raeching for something not immediately visible to others, she extends her right hand... and the summoner makes contact with all of those bones in the ground, all of those victims messily left about by the wolves.
    They point the way for Goldenblade, quite literally.
    Lauren is hot on Goldenblade's heels, having not waited around for a response to her own question.
    "I don't suppose you got a light?" She asks of the other woman.

Goldenblade is panting hard by the time we run the Wolfgarm down to their den, and she watches the dark entrance as Lauren asks if she has a light. Haru knows her, probably expects her answer, but she's distracted, and when asked for a light, what she gets is a conflagration that seems set to burn down the woods before she can tone it down into a mere illumination source. She's got to dial that one waaaay back, they probably saw that on the Green Moon.

    Lauren doesn't know what to do with a great wolf, and she fails to even get its attention. She has nothing prepared, nor even on hand, and... she fails.

Haru knows this answer is coming. Like the whole forest is going to become a torch. He uses fire magic to keep it contained and the illumination directed onward towards the den in a series of floating torchlight.

    Lauren doesn't know what to do with a great wolf, and she fails to even get its attention. She has nothing prepared, nor even on hand, and... she fails.
    "Oh god," She says, "There are more of them?"

Haru has seen enough boss and elites to know that the party isn't /exactly/ large enough for this. It'll be a close pinch.

Goldenblade dives into the fight with the Alpha WOlfgarm. She knows she's melee DPS, this is her forte, and she wails with both swords, using all her close combat skill in the fiery illumination. But she's holding back, it's hard to say why, just some nameless dread of something worse around the corner, and we /are/ a small party. It's always closer to the edge with a small party.

    "Guys?"
    Lauren's voice is normal. Too normal. Normal like someone who hasn't exactly found any more reasons to be afraid, but has discovered greater unpleasantness. "Um... Swarm," She says. "Nest alert ten? I don't know."

Haru draws his hands up, causing spikes of raw earth to pop up in mineral and metal. Some to spike the wolf swarm. Some to cause their advances to hit shields of hard rock. Also to give plenty of materials to Goldenblade to work with.

Ah, this was the other shoe Goldenblade was expecting to drop, and while her ace in the hole isn't applicable, she grins to Haru, he knows what will set her up for success, stacking up Haru's chunks of earth as shoring to keep the tunnels from collapsing. The rank and file wolfgarm aren't nearly as dangerous as the Alpha, but they're a mob, and it's more effort to keep the passage whole than to actually fight our way out. Even a caster could do it! She's in a party with two casters, she keeps that comment to herself.

Lauren doesn't seem to have it in her for construction or physical concepts. Literally. Eschewing either, she makes like a mole and, mimicking with her hands, simply assists Haru by clearing away things from his focus, building a boundary for the three, and keeping an eye on those Wolfgarms.