Duty Session 273: Escort Quest: Artificial Stupidity

It started off simple enough. A lone Lander standing out near the edge of the small town. He was waving a hand and trying to draw the attention of some Adventurers.

"Adventurer! Oh Adventurer! I need your help please!" He calls out to any who will stop for a moment and listen, "I must make it to the shrine nearby in order to deliver an offering! However there are monsters on the path!"

Tenko, it seems, had been nearby enough, looking at the others ignoring his plea for help. Eventually she moved up towards him, "I will assist you. However judging by where the shrine is, we may need some assistance from some others."

"Oh thank you, Adventurer! I, Oroka Haisha will let you lead the way! Thank you so much!"

    There was more than one adventurer near by, hearing the pleaing call of a lander in need of aid. Sigh. "Accept." Why not? The last time Arashi had accepted a random quest like this she found another shard, so she may as well follow through with it. Tenko is given an acknowledging nod as she closes distance. "I have a bad feeling about this."

    Escort quests-- The bane of all quests and yet, money doesn't grow on trees and so escort quests it is!

Another adventurer makes his way over, a human by the looks of it, though the mark on his neck says otherwise: A were fang. Those golden eyes look at the Lander who addresses Tenko, before he looks over to Tenko. "I'll aid with helping getting this fellow to where he needs to go." He says as he runs his hand through his own hair.

"I just hope it is worth the time." Beat pause, "... and possible headache I am sure that will be coming."

A salamander wearing something like a worn and dirty karate gi comes along, hearing the plea for help and receiving the pop-up prompt as well. Michio takes a moment to read the window, then sighs and taps accept.

"This is likely going to take far too long, but I do not like to deny those in need." the man says before moving closer to the gathering troupe of adventurers and the escortee. Hearing Vafrum's last sentence, Michio grunts in the were fang's direction and nods, "They never do seem to pay out, do they? But they do often lead from one quest hub to another, so sometimes they're worth it." He sighs and shrugs, "I am Michio. Ki Master, heal spec with some DPS tricks and buffs. Well met all."

Kauchemar just crosses her arms. Looks at the Lander. Looks at Arashi. Then glares at Tenko. "Calling me into this is revenge for something I did, isn't it?... I didn't think you had that kind of trolling in you."

Fortunately, a familiar face. "Michio! Funny crossing paths again so soon." And one less so. She tilts her head at Vafrum. "Well aren't you sharply dressed for drudging through the wilderness."

    "Vafrum Fonias." The man responds back to Michio. "Marketeer of sorts and while they may not pay well," He chuckles lightly, "They at least pay something that can be sold for a few bags of gold." He looks over to Kauchemar and gives her a very fancy bow. "A man must always look his best!"

Tenko looks innocently towards Kauchemar, or at least as innocently as she can look behind the kitsune mask she wears.

"I have no idea what you mean, Kauchemar." She replies, the nightmare unable to see the grin behind the mask. As the others gather, it seems like enough time has passed for the Lander to set off on his own adventure towards his destination.

The group wanders for a while, it seems, until the Lander veers off the right hand side of a fork. He seems to know where he's going, until he stops suddenly, "Oh dear..I think we're lost."

He begins to look around, starting to walk in a circle, "Oh dear oh no. I must make it to the shrine soon. Adventurers, do you know the way?" Asks the guy who was leading the group.

    Down the road they all go. Where does it lead? Hopefully the lander knows. .... Except they don't, is discovered, a while later. "... I am going to kill him," Arashi mutters under her breath before digging into her inventory. "You're lucky I've been around here," she explains, bringing up some really sophisticated looking charts, maps, and the like. The Shardseeker needs her maps. "Give me a minute.."

Offering Kauchemar a polite bow of the head by way of greeting, "Well, this is just outside the town we were both questing in, so not such a surprise I suppose." A soft smile taking any possible sting out of his words.

To Vafrum he offers, "Merchant of sorts? Please elaborate. Are you a merchant that does not have a shop to work out of?" He seems both interested and hopeful about the answer to this question.

As the Lander stops, Michio turns to him and says, "Mr. Haisha, this path does not seem like the right one. It is not well travelled, as the way to a temple would be. Perhaps we should have taken the left fork?"

The response from the kitsune just gets Kauchemar to roll her eyes. "Well, let's be on with it then." Of course, that is just straight in on having no idea were they're going. Typical useless Landers, needing help while being no help themselves. Kauchemar sighs, putting a hand over her face. "Well this is off to a lovely start, I don't see a single sign of an actual path."

    Vafrum follows along, allowing others to lead in the front, while he remains more in the rear of the group. As Michio asks, the charismatic man gives an equal smile that matches his looks. "I have knowledge in marketing and have some very advance plans here in the near future. Mayhaps we can speak on such matter when not dealing..."

Then the Lander is lost...

"... with an ignoramus personage." Then sighs gently and rubs the bridge of his nose gently. He allows the party to figure it out. Such things like finding directions is /not/ his strong suit.

Arashi seems to be the only one who has any idea where the group is going after they get lost. Though it looks like Michio also has a good idea that they're not going the right way. Though it looks too late to backtrack and go down the other path.

Tenko is trying to find a good path, but it seems that there's no luck with that. Though Arashi, having seemingly found a path, manages to break through towards a clearing.

"Slow yourself, Adventurer!" The Lander calls out, as he follows after her. At least he's not moving at one or two steps at a time.

In fact it seems he's actually moving too fast, as Arashi finds herself at the bank of a river. If anyone looks to the direction where the other path lead, they would see a very well constructed stone bridge that they could have crossed, "We must swim across!" The man declares, as he runs into the water. He starts to swim and it looks like it's going well.

That's when the tentacles wrap around the man and pull him under the water, "Ahh! Help!"

    Tromp tromp tromp. The war-horse is not entirely happy with the lander that already got them lost. At least she had maps! "This way!" she calls out to the rest of the party before marching along the clearing, and then a river. "Mmm.." The lander calls. SIGH. "Why do I do these quests?" she grunts before looking up and down the waterway. "We could head over there and- *sploosh!* -...use the .. bridge.." Then -tentacles-. Arashi looks like she's about to scream. Rather than that, she just marches into the river and starts hacking at the beast that's attempting to capture the lander. The river doesn't bother her much. "I swear.."

"Ahh, you already have plans? That's a pity." Michio responds. "Though yes, we can discuss such matters at another time. I myself have a shop I wish to open, and need someone to tend it." And then *kersploosh*.

"Baka." says Michio as he watches the Lander get pulled under. He strides up to the edge of the river and waves a finger, "No! Bad monster! Release the Lander!"

It's not very effective.

And then the Lander is grabbed by... "A monster like that shouldn't even -be- in a river," Kauchemar points out, unphased by seeing tentacles. She's a summoner, after all. However, trying to get the monster back under control isn't really going to work at time like this.

So instead she uses her own. "Darkest Moon, Bitterest Cold... Bring forth your icy grasp and hold!" A powerful blast of ice is flung into the water, freezing the surface around the tentacled monster so it can't swim away, or more importantly, drag the hapless Lander or anyone else back into the water.

    "Oh, not plans that others can not assist with." Vafrum explains to Michio. "Far from it! I plan to make something all those who wish to have shops can have a piece of the pie. I just want to make sure that things are--"

Then suddenly a Lander is swimming-- and being attacked by a monster. The Were Fang's jaw clenches and shifts to one side in frustration.

He then begins to remove his vest while saying. "I swear..."

Then his shirt, "If I had a silver coin for every time a lander needed to be saved..."

Then his eyes begin to glow. "I'd,"

Without even a thought, Vafrum runs toward the river, each step he takes his body shifts without any effort, " be,"

Before he leaps in his form fully shifts to his Were Fang form: A Dire raptor, "A rich man."

Soon the lander would find himself being assisted by something just a fierce as what is attacking him, as those massive sharp teeth bite into the flesh of the monster, along with his own claws and teeth ripping in. The only words Vafrum has near the end, "... You owe me." He growls lowly at the Lander as he spits a piece of monster bit from his mouth even as it poofs into digital pixel dust.

"Help! Help!" The man calls out again as the group goes into action. Well some go into action. Arashi begins to clobber the octopus, as Kauchemar freezes the water around it, allowing the others to free the Lander.

Tenko makes a movement with her hands to part the river, allowing the lander to run the rest of the way to shore once he is freed from the grip of the beast. Between Vafrum's claws and Arashi's blade, the octopus monster bursts into data and loot. Tenko keeps the river parted as best she can while the group makes their way across and then lets the water collapse back down.

After taking a few moments to catch his breath, the Lander looks around, "Oh! I am familiar with this area! My friends and I used to come here when we were children to play in a cave nearby!"

And then off he goes again. At least this time he does lead them to a cave, but it's pitch black inside, "It goes through towards the shrine, and there's a lot less monsters than going around!" And then he vanishes inside. After a few moments, the team hears a loud, reverberating THUNK from inside, "Ow. I didn't bring a torch.."

    "Can we kill him..." Vafrum asks lowly with a deep, rumbling growl in frustration. He wasn't being serious-- hopefully. Maybe. Hard to tell with that jurassic features.

"Who needs a torch when you've got a salamander?" Michio enters the cave behind the Lander and simply snaps his fingers, causing an orb of violet fire to begin floating just above his palm.

To Vafrum, Michio hmms and nods. "Not until /after/ we turn the quest in. But, killing Landers is generally bad, even if they're really dumb. Let's just get him to the temple, then you and I will discuss this enterprise of yours, yes?"

    "Maybe once the quest is done," Arashi quietly replies to Vafrum. These two? Sharing a braincell. It results in one were-fang coming to respect the other. The dire-shire heaves a sigh as the lander darts into a cave, only to *thunk* a moment later. She simply produces two torches, shoves one into his hand, keeps one for herself, gives a -death- -glare- to the lander, then marches forward. "Just say where to go.. I didn't explore this cave."

Kauchemar .. raises a brow as Vafrum takes care to remove his clothing before transforming. "That... is the first time I've seen a Were Fang strip before changing... Though considering the nice clothes I don't really blame him. Now someone hold onto that guy be--"

Too late, the Lander is already off, this time into the darkness. "So, so tempted," she mutters in a low tone that would be hard to hear, if it wasn't for all the people with Were Fang senses present to hear it.

She snaps her fingers a few times, but gets no more than a few sparkling embers. Shrugs. "How many times do I have to tell people I'm not -that- kind of Nightmare? The fire aspect was added in more recent times."

    Once they are on the move again, Vafrum transforms back to a normal man and shakes his hair free of the water. Using his hands to comb back his hair, before moving to place back on his upper body clothing.

"I would not really... Maybe." He says, as he straightens his sleeves. "Though sometimes..." Whatever that is all suppose to mean. Then he hears the thud. "... Yet sometimes the beast inside might have other ideas, even if I, myself, am not one for barbaric actions." There is a dead-pan look on his face.

Like Kauchemar he uses magic to light the way and he looks over to her. "I only remove my upper clothing because it gets in the way if I have to do anything," He motions with his free hand. "Horrible or athletic. That and one could jokingly say that blood is hard to get out of cloths too."

It seems that the group is more than capable of using flames to light the way through the cavern.

Multiple lights open up the path, showing the low stalactite that the Lander had run into.

Now able to avoid all of the low hanging dangers, and weave their way around the path through the cave, the group emerges into an open plain.

"Oh it hurts! Ohhh!" The Lander holds his hand to his head, and sits down, "I cannot go on any more! Oh the pain!"

He's not moving unless the group is able to heal his wound...Or perhaps if Arashi throws him over a shoulder and hauls him the rest of the way to the shrine.

"This is getting to be worse than Uta-sitting," Kauchemar grumbles. There's not much she can do, so she summons her Tabby Slime and sends it off in search of useful herbs or something.

The cat-slime finds something... but then starts just chewing it up itself. "Ah, no! You're suppose to bring, not eat!" Kauchemar grabs the slime and shakes it a few time, but only gets a useless wad of slimey hair. "... A hairball? You don't even HAVE hair."

"Baka... ba...ka... BAKA..." mutters Michio as he looks through his pouches, "I don't have any stimleaf. Looks like we're just going to have to sit and wait for the stamina to regen."

     This time Arashi just lets out a frustrated sigh. She does check her inventory and look around for a moment just out of sheer frustration, but afterward, "No, no, you need to get up and get going. Seriously.."

    The lander hurts himself and Vafrum's attitude was simply...

SUFFER YOU WHELP!

His golden eyes peer at the Lander. Their predatory glare was very clear in his eyes. There was no remorse, no pity for the suffering man. "Grow a spin, you suffering, sniffling, baboon." Is all Vafrum says as he just /walks/ on.

Tenko kneels next to the Lander, and then puts one of her hands against his head, letting the healing energy she can put through into him. She also whispers something to him, "You are almost there, my friend. The pain will fade, and then you will be at your destination."

It seems that perks him up, as he gets to his feet and then begins to head back in the direction of the shrine, "We're here!" He seems excited that the group has made it, and perhaps has almost forgotten about the injury. Until he's almost injured again as one of the hag's swipes at him!

"Ahh! Hags!" He quickly falls backwards and scrambles behind the Adventurers, as the Hags descend upon the group, an action they will probably regret considering this will give the team the ability to vent their frustrations.

There hasn't been much combat on the way, so Michio is ready for it when it does come.

As the hags appear from behind the statue, Michio extends his left leg and left arm so he's in an archer's stance. Kauchemar has seen this trick before, as the salamander draws his right hand along his left arm all the way to his cheek, and in so doing creates an arching, crackling bow of pure life energy. Centered within the bow is an arrow that shortly thereafter lances forward towards one of the attacking creatures.

    All the lander had to say was an enemy type. "Hags..?" Arashi is smiling. That smile is just -bloodthirsty- "Oh. What. A. Shame," she says, emphasizing each word before taking a single step and just -vanishing- into the shadow of the temple. A moment later, she's coming down from above, broken blade in one hand, a simple blade in the other, whirling down like a buzzsaw on the enemies. She has had enough of this quest.

As tempting as it would be to let the hags get their hands on the pain in their collective butts, that would mean failing the quest. So...

The twisted unnatural forms charge forth... Only for one to reel backwards as they slam face first into a shield. The shield on the other hand just rings a bit with the vibration, then floats back to Kauchemar's side. "Good thing they're already ugly, I won't feel bad about messing up their faces farther." That Binder posessed shield is really useful it seems.

    Vafrum spots the hags and his teeth grit tightly. Once more with a fluid motion does the top get removed, this time tossed to the side in heroic fashion.

He leaps into the air, using magic in aid to get some height, as he transforms. Then with a loud, horrific sound, the dire raptor releases a screech and slams his feet talons down on one of the hags, before timing his next attack with the others, using his tail to whip around.

He even jumps up on Kauchemar's binder shield to get another lift, before brings his bare clawed hands down on another Hag, before letting out another terrifying roar. His nostrils flaring, as those predatory eyes shift and look at the lander, before standing up to his full height. He lets out a low growl, a snarl of his teeth, before back handing a Hag as she tries to come up from behind. "Happy now, little man?"

The Hags realize that they screwed up when the Adventurers lash out at them immediately. The group of monsters are unable to flee, caught in a whirlwind of steel and claws, magic arrows and mind controlled blades.

Tenko is also able to unleash the new ability she had been working on for some time, the kitsune blinking from one Hag to another, the flaming katana slashing through each of them and leaving them burning as Tenko continues her strikes.

All of the hags are defeated seemingly within just a few moments, and the Lander is able to move up to the shrine proper. He kneels and places his offering, "Please goddess, these brave souls deserve a token of your blessing. Gift them with your guidance."

He then rises up, and bows to the shrine, before turning around to face the group, "Thank you, Adventurers. I would not have made it here this day without your assistance. I owe you my life!"

Thankfully there does not appear to be a second part to the quest asking the group to escort him back home.

To Kauchemar, Michio makes an aside, "Well that's two. If we collect them all do we get a special prize?" then to Vafrum. "So, tell me about this endeavor of yours, and I will tell you of mine, and we'll see if perhaps they don't coincide?"

    *Ping* Inventory has been added to! A quick skim and Arashi notes the new item. Well, at least it isn't, you know, nothing. Or slime. Or 'tasty' rat meat. Bleh. "Well, that wasn't as bad as -the other one-," she admits, shuddering at the very thought of ever escorting a wagon ever again.

"... Yeah. Good point." Apparently Kauchemar knows exactly what Arashi is talking about. "Well, at least we don't have to lead him home again."

    Vafrum gets a new item and pockets it away by means of inventory menu. His tail flicks, his eyes still on the Lander. Gears turning, his reptile hands with their claws moving ever so slightly.

There was a minor lip curl in frustration, before he inhales deeply and lets out a slow exhale. Maybe because Michio wants to talk about /business/ and as if someone snapped their finger, Vafrum is a man again.

It was kind of scary how fast he could just move between the two forms really. "Yes! Business!" There was also his shirt and vest back on again somehow. Ah, the power of MMO clothing systems.

He goes to place his arm around Michio all buddy-buddy like. "Now picture a town turned into a entertainment venue! Stores all around, gambling tables..." He may go on about this idea for a bit.

As the arm comes up, Michio drops into a defensive fighting stance. Seeing that it wasn't an attack, however, he relaxes, though he maintains distance. He doesn't seem like the 'touchy-feely' type. He listens for a bit, then grunts softly, shaking his head. "I do not think this is in line with my plans. I want to open a small, and quiet, dojo and apothecarium. I just need a shopkeeper..." He looks Vafrum over, from his feet up, "An honest shopkeeper, to tend to the business side of my venture."