Duty Session 261: Threat to the Harvest

Uta has responded to the call of duty! Hunters' guild duty that is.

"The countryside! I love the countryside! It's so full of animals! And ingredients! I love food!", rambles the white-clad Spriggan whose attire makes her vaguely resemble... something halfway between a nurse and a martial artist, as she walks into view. Her trusty magical staff is firmly cletched in one hand, and her wings flutter with excitement.

"Thank you for coming, Noble Adventurer! I, Mister Bumpkin, welcome you to my farm!", greets a bearded and mustachioed Lander.

"...Mr. /Bumpkin/?" Uta asks, incredulous.

"Indeed. Bumpkin. Country Bumpkin.""...Is that your full name?"

The lander bursts into laughter. "Of course not!" - "Ah." - "It's Country Cornelius Bumpkin- Wait, didn't we have this conversation already?" - "...Actually, now that you mention it..." -- "Anyway! Your fist task, should you accept it, is to- look out! Birds!", the Lander says, pointing at a bunch of, yes, birds, who are swooping down to attempt and eat the grains.

    Merek nods a bit to Bumpkin. The man will assist, as Jaz needed to work on that generally. The man takes a look to Uta, and to Jaz. "Well, I will assist in whatever way I can." Keeping the different places safe meant even more farms would be able to harvest. Which meant a lot to a Trade Company like the Knight's as well.

And thus is Jazz around as well, as Uta has ensured that she is. It's just how things work if you want Jazz to do things other than work on maps in the library right now

"Well," she begins.  "So, I'm here. I'll help." That's easy enough, isn't it?

    Merek will begin to assist with the birds while using the Frost Shock to freeze them, then to work that magic into general lightning.

There's a heavy sigh from Jazz as the birds start making their presence felt and known. Her tendrils lift up and lightning crackles at her fingertips, edged with purple and white. A few thunderous booms later, calling down those sea-witch storms in small bits and sparks and thunder that spook them enough to drive at least some away for the time being. A look is given to Uta. This is all HER fault.

Uta, unaware of the glare tossed her way, spins her staff. "Begone, foul beasts!", she yells in a bout of cliche, and the ensuing whirpool of air, soon turning into a miniature tornado, is swung around like a whip, catching birds as it's whipped around, like some gigantic cone of fly paper. Uta spins in place a few times, like an athlete in an olympic hammer throw competition, and just like in that sport, she finishes off by launching the miniature tornado in the distance. She shields her eyes with one hand as, with a smile, looks at how far away the tornado touches ground again. "I think it might be a world record! I mean, uh, I don't think anyone else did that, so... I qualify by default?" She scratches her head. "Wait, no, I did the same thing a few days ago. So... uh... maybe I've beaten my own record then?"

While Uta is busy rambling, there is suspicious movement among the crops. The uniform surface of cereal plants is disturbed by some shifting. Probably someone up to no good...

    Merek looks to the field, and nods a bit to the scout, "Well, it looks like we have company," the man says, while he takes a moment to begin assisting in using Earth Magic to keep them from hiding away from the party.

"No," says Jazz to Uta, dryness in her tone. The Sea -Witch shakes her head slowly and then draws her attention to Merek's gesticulating.

"All right, you damnable birds, get out of there!"

The surprised yelps coming from the Lander Bandits as the crops sprout seaweed from amongst them that grabs and snatched them and even lifts one into the air.

"... that's not a bird," says Jazz, staring at them.

"Nor it is a plane- OH MY GODDESS!", exclaims Uta, and rushes towards the bandits. "Will you sign an autograph?!"

All that noise, however, attracted attention. More bandits make their way out of the nearby trees, armed with swords, crossbows, and cudgels of all sorts. They are dressed in simple armor, likely not expecting to face the sort of resistance that Adventurers usually bring with them.

They head straight for the largest group of farmers, likely intending to capture or slay as many as they can in order to seize control of the fields for themselves. There is a war cry from a heavier armored bandit at the lead as he raises a sword high, rushing into the fields.

    Merek will begin to lift up a hand while he brings a shield about everyone, and protects them from the bandits while he will wait and watch, "I think you all can manage with that."

Threats to the Landers of this sort has Jazz immediately taking this more seriously. She leaps forward, placing herself between one of the farmers and the bandits charging them. Her shield magic sustains her for a time, but not for long enough. They break through and knock off a chunk of her hit points with a series of blows that leave her reeling.

Thankfully, they're soon distracted by Merek and Uta, leaving her the opportunity to shock the pair attacking her into retreat.

Uta sings an oppressive chant, and a dark cloud of magic pours out from the gem of her staff, enveloping the landers and hiding them from view; also, it makes it harder for bandits to see, and easier for her to go and knock them out, and tie them up.

When the darkness dissipates, she sighs, watching at the pile of tied up and gagged criminals. She activates her medical inspection, and touches all the bandits one by one. "Earlier this week, people were far too eager to just shatter bandits into polygons." Yes, it's an euphemism. "...They inspect as Landers. Aaaand this one probably ate too much. Fall festival dinner, huh?" The examined bandit looks away in shame. "...don't feel bad. I've heard they're plentiful and delicious."

Once the bandits have been taken care of, things seem to quiet across the fields. There is a feeling of relief that spreads through the Landers as they return to their duties. Long hours pass without much activity at all, only the occasional animal that wanders too close to the edge of the fields and has to be shooed away.

Uta takes some time to pour herself a cup of water from a menu-summoned canteen, when all of a sudden, she blinks at her drink. She sets the cup down and-

Rippling concentric circles.

"...I have seen this in a movie once," she frowns. "What did it mean... what did it mean...", she mutters, rubbing her temples, when-

A herd of miniature dire raptors, apparently fleeing from something, stampedes towards the field.

    Merek will use the maneuvering while he speaks to the animals to try guiding them away from anything important, nodding a bit, "I don't like to fight all of the people," he notes.

As the dire raptors arrive, Jazz takes a small step back. Still recovering from her injuries, mild as they were all things considered, she did not want to tangle with mini raptors.

"Augh, no thank you!l Denizens of ocean's darkest hearts, send your drowned to my aid!"

There's a phantasmal burst of water from the soil that dispatches a number of grinning madly and bloated ghosts, sailors wrapped in chains one and all, as they take up positions by the stampede, guiding them and scaring them from their present course and diverting them elsewhere.

Merek and Jazz's attempts are successful. Uta attempts to dodge, but ends up trampled by the stampeding creatures.

It isn't long before the source of the stampede becomes obvious. Trees are toppled over in the path of an absolutely massive creature which lumbers out of the forest. The massive thing seems to wobble back and forth on stubby legs, it's exaggerated cow-like features emphasized by enormous buck-toothed fangs.

It doesn't seem interested in either the Landers or Adventurers, only the food. One massive mouthful takes out an entire swatch of crops as it begins to chew noisily. Anything that isn't eaten, will surely be stomped under enormous feet.

    Merek takes a look to the grunty, while he begins to assist in keeping that away, so that people will be able to work on bringing the thing back to the trees while the man will nod a little bit to the party.

"Augh," repeats Jazz, "No! Bad massive grungy! Get! Shoo!" Sprays of sea water and bubbles of it being splashed against its face do chip off a little hot but serve more to help irritate it enough to seek other pastures... literally, in this case. Hopefully.

Uta sings, loud, louder and higher, higher and louder, a crescendo of pitch and intensity whose finale is a high C so powerful to send a shockwave of ripling air to wash all over he field and impact against the Dire Grunty.

Between Uta's singing and Jazz's bubbles, the creatures gets its senses hammered at, and begins to feel disoriented.

It burps loudly, sending spittle and foul breath through the edge of the fields. Apparently, the adventurers' attacks had given it an upset stomach. Wobbling on those stubby legs, the creature turns and begins to toddle off towards the trees again, its cow-like tail swishing behind it.

Thankful for the aid, especially to Merek who kept them safe while the others were working on the Dire Grunty, the Landers share tales that the grunty had been a problem in years before, almost eating them out of entire fields. The Adventurers certainly pulled their weight in keeping the farmers safe, so they're offered up some of the spoils for their troubles: chipped grunty horns.