There's nothing like a trail of blood to find your way back home.

[whomthebelltolls]

Who: Lady Maria and CLOSED prompts
When: Auguril
Where: All Over
What: Closed stuff that doesn't quite fit in anywhere else
Warnings: Oh boy. A Witch overburdened with magic hallucinations due to a weak Bond exacerbating underlying mental health issues, including depression, PTSD, and suicidal ideation tendencies. Also general Bloodborne warnings, because I'm sure stuff about her past is going to come up.

Individual threads in headers below. If you would like one, hit me up on Plurk: Reslari at Discord: Reslari#9561 or at my plotting comments located here.

Comments

[moneytwin]

I'll keep that in mind for the next trip. [she tugs her shirt collar up a bit higher] Are there any weather watchers who keep an eye on the Wildes weather, or is it "good luck if you go out"?

[ Tend to be uniform. Well, that's something.

As the pace picks up, Vex follows, and Trinket falls behind to bring up the rear, covering up their foot prints with his own. It takes a bit to find a stride that can keep up with Maria's, but that's due to lack of experience in the woods rather than general fitness. And this world seems to see fit to give her reason to stay in fighting trim. ]

It certainly makes me miss my broom. Hopefully, there'll be enough coin from this to at least lease a horse, if they're needed here. [oh, her kingdom for a flying carpet...] I don't suppose horses here are just ordinary four legged beasts?

[whomthebelltolls]

More or less "good luck if you go out"... the way it subtly shifts the further out of the city you go makes it so you'd have to be in the Wildes to watch the weather. Though perhaps that would be a good addition to make to the Northern Outpost.

[If it seems like they're struggling, Maria can slow down. She does have that amount of manners, at least... and that much knowledge about how tall she is and how long her gait is.]

They are just ordinary four-legged beasts. It was a refreshingly familiar thing to find them here. Even if they have magitech machinery replacing a lot of things, I think horses are still the most versatile thing for the Wildes now, even if they are susceptible to some of the dangerous creatures.

[moneytwin]

Hmm. Can't hurt to suggest. I know storms can sweep in fast in the normal wilds, any with plagued magic will still be unpredictable, but even a short window of observation can help.

[ She can't match the exact speed, but Maria won't have to change it - Vex finds her stride, adapting to their surroundings, allowing her to keep up. Trinket seems to have no issues, though his ears flick back and forth in his armor with care. ]

Oh thank the Gods. It's nice to have that be common between worlds. Horses are usually quite good at reacting to dangerous creatures, too, so they're handy as a warning. ...Well, depending on the creature.

[ The further in they go, the more alert she gets, and soon, she's squinting at the bushes they pass; the undergrowth is growing steadily thicker with them. ]

No sign so far..

[whomthebelltolls]

They can be, yes. There's just the additional danger here of them potentially contracting the blight. They're unlikely to eat it, but wandering the wrong way, or being attacked are quite likely possibilities. Then they become a Shade you have to worry about.

[At least they don't have to worry about being too slow. Being out in the Wildes with experienced outdoorsmen is always useful.

The further they go, the more Maria seems to glance around, as well. They're far enough out now that even the farm holdings that have been popping up around the city are disappearing. A few of the taller towers of the city would be visible if there weren't so many trees, but they're far enough now into the forest that's not going to happen either.]

Oh, but there is one notable thing about weather differences; Dorchacht has screaming storms.

[She says it so matter-of-factly that it's almost comical. She means that literally, too. She pauses, though not so suddenly Vex runs a risk of running into her back, though, as she looks off to one side.

Something - and it doesn't sound very big - is skittering around in the underbrush nearby.]

[moneytwin]

I've heard a few things about Shades. I'd certainly not want to risk that.

[Hence why Trinket is decked out in his armor. There's still risk, of course, there always is where combat is concerned, but she knows who to take him to if there's any concern of infection.]

Wait--screaming? Like, actual screaming?

[ Both eyebrows lift high, genuinely astonished. What sort of crazy curse is on this world?

She doesn't ask that part out loud, partly because it's rhetorical, and partially due to the undergrowth movement. Trinket comes to a stop beside her, lowering his head to snuff at the snow, the mud, their surroundings, while Vex very slowly pulls her bow from her back.

She doesn't move to collect an arrow just yet, but a small size doesn't mean a lack of risk - plenty of deadly things come in small packages. ]

[whomthebelltolls]

[She'll explain the storm phenomenon in a moment, there's something out there. Maria doesn't quite draw her weapon yet, but she does step forward, just enough, the crunch of her boots in the snow seeming to send a bit more of a flurry of motion, before it all goes completely silent.

Another crunch and... nothing.

Maria raises an eyebrow.] Well, it's hiding from us. Shades don't do that, usually.

[She says 'usually' because she 100% has fought one that did, but it was... well, it was a large, clever Shade made out of a human at one point; this one seems a bit different. It's a critter of some sort. She'd wager a guess about the size of a cat or small dog?

So she picks closer, and closer, until she pauses, and quietly ] ... Oh. I think these were the kinds of bushes they mentioned that grew around those flowers. Maybe there are some nearby... perhaps wherever our new friend is.

['Friend', sure.]

[moneytwin]

[ Whatever it is, the size does it some favours - smaller, harder to see amongst the shrubbery, once it stops moving, the clear intent to hide has Vex sinking into a slow crouch. She does not follow - better to let Maria take point, and potentially flush whatever it is out.

Trinket continues to snuffle at the snow, before moving to one side, following whatever scent he's found off to their left. Vex does not call him back, just yet - he's a grown creature, and would know how best to react in the face of another predator. But just what is it that they've found..? ]

...Hmmm? is that so?

[these bushes? You certainly wouldn't have thought so at first glance. Perhaps that's why they're so successful at concealing the wanted flowers?

The bear rumbles then, happy, and looks back to Vex, who rises slowly in order to step his way. A careful paw drags across the snow, before pushing thorns aside with a plated limb. Look! Look! ]

[whomthebelltolls]

[The sound of a second creature is a bit distracting, especially when it's one as large as a bear, but Maria keeps her focus trained on the front as Trinket wanders off to go find whatever it is he wants to go find.

Maria only spares one glance when she hears a bit of snuffling and digging and realizes he's probably onto something with the flowers.

So that's one thing down, but whatever is hiding in the bushes is a different matter, and Maria continues forward.

Small tracks, claws out... some kind of dog, then, or dog-adjacent species; it's difficult to tell sometimes in this place. They all seem to be scattered around one of the bushes.]

Well, it seems whatever it is made a den over here. Some kind of small dog - a fox, perhaps? Under this bush over here. Did he find something? [She doesn't take her eyes off the brush, just in case it is a Shade - the last thing she wants to do is get infected by a surprise bite.]

[moneytwin]

[ Trinket and Vex have done similar things before. He stops, paws the snow, then moves a little further around the bush, his slow pacing brings him around the back of it. Letting his scent be the boldest, strongest present, if something IS hiding, such an action might flush it out... ]

He won't move further until I tell him to. [Vex's tone is light, calm.] I do think you're onto something about a den, though. Or in the very least, a bolt hole. Something is there. [Sinking back down slowly, she extends a hand towards] Very much a fox, or something in a similar family. The spread of the paw pads doesn't match common feline paw traits, and the claws don't dig deeply enough for a badger-like creature.

..Those are rather pretty flowers. I can see why they might request such.

[whomthebelltolls]

[Maria quirks the corner of her lips. Well, this is an experienced tracker or wilder, then. Not that Maria would really worry if something happened to Vex - she doesn't know her that well yet - but it's reassuring.]

I suppose we'll see when we pick them, if their effects are... what they described. [She looks from the nest, over to the bear, then back down to the nest again. Whatever it is is... not moving. Not yet. It must be waiting and hiding; which tells Maria it's more afraid of them than they are of it. If it was going to pounce, it probably would've already. Or attacked Trinket.]

Well, we can either try having him go down there after it, or I suppose I could try to see if I can flush it out with a spell. If it's not an infected creature though... I'd rather not injure it if we don't have to. Life must be difficult enough to maintain out here without a roving Witch causing more harm. You know your bear more than I know him.