quest log | wilder training

[faileas]

Who: Those who signed up for the High-Risk Quest "Wilder Training"
When: 08/09 to 08/12
Where: A camp on the south-western edge of the Wilde.
What: From the quest information itself: "Outside of the recruitment, the Wilders are also offering training for anyone who'd like it regardless of bonds and experience. They'll be taken into a safe, slightly infected area in order to hone skills of magic (both Witch and Monster based), how to handle different weapons available, have lectures on things to look for in the field, and finally a test to see what they've learned. No notes allowed."
Warnings: None in the log post itself; if anything comes up, let us know, and we'll make sure to add it here.

The Way There

The training camp party gathers just outside of the city's walls before the sun begins to rise; once heads are counted and everyone is accounted for, Yvette Tressa - the same Witch who led the expedition into Smugha Cave - will start the march through Dead Man's Land, following the river. It isn't quite dark at this period of dawn, the bare landscape painted a washed-out blue by what small light there is, and as the sun settles into the early morning sky they reach their first destination - the edge of the Wilde. Rowboats large enough to fit five or six people (or a few significantly larger people) bob gently up and down where they're tied, the runes marking around the area marking it as protected by a barrier; keen eyes will notice these are the same as what the Wilders and the Coven have been setting up around Smugha Cave.

The party is herded into the boats and sent up the river into the Wilde, the boats gently rowing themselves against the current. The trees of the Wilde have slowly, almost imperceptibly, been shifting to a new color as summer turns into fall outside of it: browner and fully dead, with fewer leaves hanging from their branches, as if winter has finally come. The air is also significantly cooler the deeper they row into up the river, the breeze a sharp string of cold when it blows, and several Wilders shiver despite their being used to it. The journey is a quiet one, the river ducking out of the Wilde when the sun is at its highest point - the area is changed from the familiar fields around Aefenglom around this small bend, with dozens of flowers waving their faint scent in the still chilly breeze. No two flowers look the same, but the boat ride doesn't stop there: it continues back into the Wilde, leaving the sweet smell behind them.

The sun is still visible where they dock, noting it as a little later in the afternoon; further ahead, the river splits two ways, and it's to the left side the party will be guided. As they come upon the split's left side, the trees begin to thin in a way similar to the area around Smugha Cave, their branches cleaned up and the start of infection scraped from their sides - and then abrupt barrenness as it becomes clear just what the trees now suddenly missing have been used for: A fortified camp, well-protected by its high, sturdy wooden walls, the tops of them sharpened to a point. As the party draws closer, runes of protection are easy to notice, carved line after line in the thick, wood logs.

Training Camp: Sauf

Located on the edge of the Wilde (the red dot; the navy dot is Smugha Cave, for a point of reference), Sauf is a fairly large camp equipped with all of the basic necessities. Used year-round for various training exercises, Sauf is home to around twenty "permanent" residents - that is, those who have volunteered to stay the year - and otherwise hosts trainees, instructors, researchers, and so on. Look-outs are positioned all around the camp's edge, manned by at least one pair of Wilders, and a large communal fire pit sits in the middle of the camp. The main entrance is on the south side, with smaller ones located on the other three sides.

The north side of the camp is where characters will find their living quarters for their weekend stay: large, sturdy tents designed to hold several dozen people comfortably. Given the Wilde's chill, these are kept toasty and warm through the use of small piles of heat stones similar to the larger ones found in the city during the snow last month. Also on the north side is the mess hall, where characters can get some grub or hang out and mingle with their fellow trainees, mirrorbound and native alike.

The east and west sides of the camp are where the training takes place. Each side has a different function, however: the east side is for more individual-based training, with dummies and moving targets, both magically-repairing, and instructors, while the west side is for arena-based training - that is, fighting one another. Any type of match-up is considered fair and reasonable, and fights go on intermittently over the days, as does betting.

Finally, the south side of the camp is home to the meeting hall, a large stone building; while not currently in use, it remains an important fixture nonetheless. The healer's wards are also located here as two tarped areas that hug both walls, which provides medical help for those coming in or who have been injured during training, and protection for those venturing out.

I. A Primer On Witches


In addition to weapons training - which, specific to Witches, comes in the form of long-reach weaponry such as lances, quarterstaffs, or halberds - they offer instruction in spells that come in handy while needing to defend oneself and others in the Wilde.

• Abjuration 1: Barriers, shields, alarms.
• Abjuration 2: Healing (both lower level and advanced courses), dispels.
• Alchemy 1: Potion-brewing for healing draughts, magic draughts, potions that can cure basic ailments (poison, paralysis, sleep).
• Alchemy 2: Arrays to create on-the-go bombs (palm-sized) of the offensive and smoke varieties, weapons of various types, all from materials able to be found around and on oneself.
• Conjuration 1: Temporary camps (tents and campfires), various magical weapons, food and water (not very filling nor hydrating, essentially as a just-in-case thing).
• Conjuration 2: Living creatures such as animals and insects, a variety from the harmless/watcher-type to more offensively-based ones.
• Divination 1: Scrying on the fly using pocket mirrors, running water as a medium, speaking with animals (sometimes not extremely helpful given their lower intelligence).
• Divination 2: Finding magic via a scavenger hunt, how to enter a dream-like trance to access the subconscious and interpretation of signs found there.
• Enchantment 1: Charm spells that work against either humanoids, Monsters, or animals, which make the target more friendly or a straight-up ally; some target will know they've been charmed.
• Enchantment 2: Strengthening spells such as for physical, mental, or magical power, as well as elemental imbuing for weapons and other objects.
• Evocation 1: Single-target elemental spells and how to control them, particularly fire and ice for the latter, with elements also including earth/stone, water, lightning, and wind.
• Evocation 2: Multiple-target elemental spells with the same instruction and types as above, as well as multiple-target healing spells.
• Illusion 1: Visual illusions (people, animals, items), larger illusions (areas, buildings, bigger varities of aforementioned types).
• Illusion 2: Audio illusions, how to tie them together with visual illusions.
• Transmutation 1: Transforming oneself or one's items and back again, as well as mending minor objects.
• Transmutation 2: Transforming other people or other people's items and back again, as well as how to do it sneakily.

II. A Primer On Monsters


In addition to weapons training - which, specific to Monsters, comes in the form of short-reach weaponry such as swords and axes - they offer instruction in the special traits and perks each Monster has, particularly ones that come in handy when defending oneself or others in the Wilde.

• Arachne: Speed/jumps and web-spinning, either as traps or in use as rope, whip, etc.
• Chimera: Fighting blind and/or deaf to avoid charms, illusions, and curses.
• Dragon: Breath abilities, both how to use them and the finer points of control.
• Fae: Creating illusions and seeing through them, with a heavy focus on landscape and areas rather than creatures or objects.
• Faun: Plant growth, with a focus on naturally revitalizing plants and ones with more offensive uses, such as bomb-nuts and carnivorous flowers.
• Harpy: Singing lessons, as well as flying lessons with the use of wind magic should one have it.
• Merrow: Water magic, with an experimental focus on purifying it for drinking or bathing purposes.
• Naga: Speaking to water and empathizing with it, as well as instruction on the proper and ethical usage of hypnosis.
• Puca: Impersonation practice, with shapeshifting into someone they know or see and mimicking their voice and way of speaking.
• Turnskin: Sense training, particularly smell and hearing, with the use of blindfolds.
• Vampire: Casting thralls, and proper measures to take against the sun.

III. Partnering Up


Skills and spells are both useful while out in the Wilde, but one's biggest asset is their partner - or partners, plural. The Wilders will pick at random two or three people to partner up and do a variety of things in order to build trust and clear communication, such as your ordinary trust-falls or a game of telephone, as well as things that might be a little more on the side of seeing just how far they can go: clothes-switching (you don't know a man - or Monster - until you've walked a mile in their shoes), taking care of an inanimate object together, and being connected to one another for several hours, courtesy of some enchanted pair bracelets that won't allow their wearers to move more than a foot from the other half of their pair.

Outside of that, they'll be offering up the opportunity for those without Bonds to try temporarily Bonding to whoever their eyes land on first (with a quick, non-ceremonial shot of silver liquid), as well as fighting together against other pairs or tamed beasts (with or without the Bond) in the arenas.
IV. A Little Exploration


On the final day of the weekend training excursion, everyone is once again gathered - this time for the test promised to them. It isn't a pen and paper test, however, but one to test how well they've retained the training offered to them. In the early morning, the group will set out north-west of the camp; the path begins well-trod, but overgrowth soon begins to get underfoot. Patches of frost begin to show up as well - perhaps it's the Wilde's odd season at work.

Or perhaps it's something else.

Entire trees are encased in ice, their branches looking like arms reaching out or twisted around themselves; the bark resembles faces, with hair curled to their chins, and while some may have the sinking feeling that appearances might not just be appearances, the humanoids frozen mid-stepping from similarly frosted trees may all but confirm it.

Dryads, frozen in time, the Cwyld dark and trapped beneath the ice - or maybe those are remnants of the fire that was an attempt at culling the infection before it could begin. Some of them are cracked and broken, their limbs lost, while others are perfectly preserved.

There won't be too much time to stop and stare, however; this is a test, and the enemies of the day become apparent:


• Ice wolves. With a chilly bite and a tendency to work in pairs and groups, it's worth doing just the same to take them down. Their paws are black and crusted with mud and Cwyld infection, their eyes bright and unseeing - and though they may be blind, the rest of their senses have become even stronger in response.
• Snow elementals. Large and actually made of a mix of ice and snow, their patches of Cwyld streak across their white bodies - it makes them easy to see in all the white, but gives them some resistance to the traditional use of fire to melt them. They primarily rely on ice spikes and other related magics, ut will throw a heavy punch if gotten too close to.
• Withered ents. Ordinarily peaceful, these normally massive moving trees are as tall as a one-story house due to hunching over from the cold and ice that covers them. Similar to the wolves, their large, gnarled hands are covered in the black of the Cwyld, but only one eye is the blind white that marks infection - the other is hollow and sunken in. Roots and heavy earth shakes are their primary skills, being otherwise slow to move, and they avoid fighting where there are dryads.
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Comments

[eightleaves]

[Rean hears the quarterstaff hit the ground and whips his head around to check on her, only to get swiped by their opponent. That... smarts, but it's fine, he'll get over it, especially since the pain eating away at his heart is much worse than a little bit of blood on the inside of his cheek. He staggers and falls to one knee.]

Stop! I said stop! We yield!

[The supervisor blows a whistle and the other pair backs off. Still short of breath, Rean darts over to Towa's side, offering his right arm around her shoulders to keep her standing.]

Are you okay? ... Come on, let's sit over here.

[overworker]

[The sharp sound of Rean’s voice helps her focus. And after a few seconds, she can look up and recognize the shape of him leaning over her.]

No, no... I’m alright. Really. I can keep going.

[The last thing she wants is to be responsible for holding Rean back. It takes a moment for the injury he’s sustained to click in her mind but when it does, her green eyes widen quickly.]

...you’re hurt. This is all my fault... I’m so sorry Rean...

[If he hadn’t needed to protect her... if she was stronger... it wouldn’t have needed to happen like this... right?]

[eightleaves]

No, we're ending the exercise right now. [His voice is firm.] We could do it without the temporary bond, but not while you're hurting.

[He hesitates as she points out that he's hurt. He honestly didn't even notice, though as he pulls his fingers away from his cheek he sees a little blood. He bit the inside of his cheek too but that's less important. What's important is reassuring Towa that it's not her fault... because it isn't.]

What? No! This isn't your fault, Towa. Not at all. It's me... it's all me.

[Even if she's feeling just a fraction of the pain in his chest right now, it's too much. Without further ado, he simply sweeps her up into a princess carry and hauls her off to a bench in the area where other trainees have been resting. If he grits his teeth a little, it's fine-- it's a short trip, and he sets her down as delicately as if she were glass.]

Just rest for now. The pain should ease up in a bit.

[The effort leaves him breathing hard, so he sits on the ground against the bench beside her and gives himself a minute. He's hurting so badly that his fingertips are trembling, but of course he hides them beneath the sleeves of his jacket when he notices.]

[overworker]

[Towa doesn't often argue, but she can't simply accept what Rean's saying. Not right now. Even though he's made it clear he has no intention of listening she feels like she has to try.]

Honestly Rean, I'm fi--

[But she doesn't get much of a chance to finish her argument when he lifts her off the ground. Her face turns pink, but she doesn't struggle. Instead, for that moment, she's very still. She can feel the way his fingers tremble even as he forces himself to be strong.

The effect has dulled a bit, but she still remembers it so clearly; how painful it had felt. Had that... had that pain come from Rean?

As soon as she's down on the bench, her eyes shift to him. Completely ignoring what he said, she pushes herself up and goes to her knees beside him. Whether he wants to hide it or not, she's going to take his hands in her own and stare him down. Her chest still aches-- but she knows it's probably only a fraction of what Rean's feeling right now.]

I'm no expert, I don't know what happened out there... but I'm not going to let you take all the blame for this on your own. It requires two people to make a bond, and whether it's success or failure, that's something that we both share.

[eightleaves]

Wha-- Towa?

[He looks over to find her beside him, and he's obviously about to protest, but then she grabs his hands and all he can do is stare, wide-eyed, like he has a few times before. Funny enough, the trembling in his fingers stills when she touches him. Very, very gently, his fingers curl around hers.

He would like to avoid this-- like to look away-- but Towa knows a lot about what's going on, what he's served in, by the nature of her work. And he knows he can't really lie to her, anyway. They really are alike.

After a moment, he closes his eyes and finds his center.]

... Thanks. I really, really appreciate it. But it really is me. [His eyes meet hers, and there's quite a bit of sadness to them and guilt, though he keeps his voice even.] I've been trying to make bonds with people all day-- just the temporary ones, even. Each and every one failed like this after a while, even if I knew the person. Even if I trusted them.

I thought that maybe if I did it with someone I'd linked with before, it would be different.

[He breathes out through his nose.]

And now you're hurt, too. I don't know what's wrong with me, I never had trouble with the ARCUS-- and I just feel worse every time I try.

[overworker]

Rean...

[Even though his fingers have stilled and that's certainly a relief, her heart still aches to listen to Rean explain all that he's gone through trying to succeed. Her hands curl more comfortably around them, letting their joined hands sit between the two of them.]

I'm sure this has been very hard for you. But... It feels like you're running away from it.

[On this, she feels she has to be a little direct. She won't sugar coat it. That said--]

But you know... I was a little uneasy asking you at first too, you know. And Aidios knows it's not because I don't trust you. If there was anyone I'd choose, it would be you. However... it's not that simple. At least... I don't think it is for me. I know that no matter what happens, I can count on you to be there for me. But... a Bond goes both ways, you know? Am I strong enough to support you? Do I have the abilities I need to in order to stand confidently at your side?

[Towa gently squeezes his hands.]

...the truth was, I wasn't sure at all. But... I wanted to try, at least once.

[She's given the subject a lot more thought than she's told anyone up until now. And yet, it's always Rean that she knows she can share these insecure moments with, unafraid that he won't understand or cast judgment on her for it. Her expression softens a fraction.]

And maybe it didn't work, but-- I'm glad I did. Now, more than ever, I'm determined to give it my all. One day... I want it to be possible.

[eightleaves]

[He watches her with wide eyes.]

Running away...?

[Maybe she's right and that's all he's doing. Here he was trying to confront it, but maybe he needs to dig deeper. He... doesn't want to, and that should be his first tell. He doesn't focus on it, however, because Towa keeps talking and her words are just as surprising to him. Towa doubts herself much like he does. And yet she's still trying, in fact she's glad she tried, because now she has something to strive for.]

Towa...

[He shakes his head.]

I've never felt like you weren't enough. Not once. You weren't always there to support us in battle because of your other duties, but you did what you could behind the scenes to keep everything running smoothly. To help save lives. To give everyone hope that the war would end. And even though you were so busy, you always took the time to talk to me when I needed it, or to listen to me like right now...

Maybe it isn't something I can do today, but maybe that day is closer than either of us realize.

I... want to believe that. [He closes his eyes.] I'm just not strong enough right now.

[overworker]

I know that. You'd never think that of anyone. But... that's because you're always working twice as hard to make up for any areas your partners might be lacking. That's why... I want to become stronger too. So that I can protect you for a change.

[No one knows better than Towa how crazy that sounds, the idea of her protecting Rean Schwarzer. But she's serious. As serious as she's ever been about anything.]

I believe that too, so... whenever you're ready to try again. I hope you'll consider me when that time comes. We both have some work to do. Unlike the ARCUS, this connection isn't just about your fighting ability. It's an emotional connection too. [...] I don't know what's hurting you... but I felt it. It's deep and it's dark and it's painful.

[At least, if the pain that she'd felt reflected over their was any indication of what he was facing.]

But I know you Rean Schwarzer and it's nothing you can't overcome. Maybe not alone, but-- there's no reason to go it alone when you have so many friends who care for you right here. I'm not going to press you for answers, but I hope you'll remember that if there's ever anything bothering you, you can talk to me anytime.

[eightleaves]

[Rean looks at her again. Protect... him? He's always so surprised when people say things like this, because most of the time, he feels like he's the one who has to protect everyone else... It calls to mind when Thors was taken, when he lost against Crow, and that makes the wound on his chest twinge.

He doesn't try to interrupt. He just listens to her gentle words and tries to take them to heart. After all, she's trying her best. He should at least listen and... try to figure out what's wrong with himself. But being kind to himself is easier said than done. Rean has always, always been hard on himself. He almost doesn't know how to be any other way.

He lets out a sigh and tries to smile, though he's not too successful. He squeezes her hands a little.]

I'm not ready to talk about everything. I think you understand that, but it's worth saying. That probably makes me a coward-- ungrateful, even-- but it's the truth I'm living right now.

You said I'm running away from something, and... I think you're right. My mind's been a jumbled mess since I got here-- no, maybe even before that-- and I'm still trying to sort things out. I don't know if that's the reason I can't form Bonds like everyone else, but if it is, I'll have you to thank for telling me.

... Thank you for always looking out for me. [He smiles so bittersweet it hurts.] For what it's worth, you've already protected me.

[overworker]

[When the words "coward" and "ungrateful" are thrown into the conversation, Towa's expression falls. She bites her lower lip, forgetting that it's still tender from earlier. But she listens because she knows that he needs her to listen. If this is all she can do right now, then she will do it. Even so, she can't be satisfied with the way he sees himself right now.

It's not until he's finished that she seems to consider what to do with that information. The smile that doesn't really work sits poorly with her. In the end, she releases one of his hands for a moment. She leans forward. And she strokes the top of his head. Revenge.]

There's nothing wrong with struggling with something. You're not a coward-- and I know you're not ungrateful. I might wish there was more I could do, but that's only because I know how difficult this is. And that's the same reason I know that as much as I feel that way, it's not that simple. It'll take time. And that's okay. I'm not going anywhere after all. So... when you're ready, I'll still be here.

You don't have to force yourself around me. It's okay to be frustrated, to be unhappy... even to want to cry. I don't want to see you ruin your nice smile by trying to make it something it isn't.

[Oh. But when he says that she protected him-- she puffs her cheeks out in a pout.]

You shouldn't tease a girl like that though. I'm serious. You don't think I can do it, do you? Well just you wait and see!

[eightleaves]

[He makes a fairly dumb face as she pats his head in an echo of what he's done to her (and other girls) a few times before. It's not something he really thinks about, he just does it, but having it done to him is... It reminds him of Crow of all things, and there's a blush as well as an uncomfortable twist in his already-aching chest. He closes his eyes briefly so he can deal with that feeling and maybe listen to Towa at the same time.

What she's saying is important. I'll still be here. What did he do to deserve her? Or the rest of his friends at Thors? His eyes open again, and there's some guilt visible in them as she calls him out for forcing himself. He's... been doing a lot of that lately.]

H-hey, I never said anything about not believing you could do it! If anyone can do it, it's you. You never let anything stop you, and that's really admirable.

[He scritches his cheek with his free hand. Nice smile, huh. Now who's teasing? But for now, he'll let go of her other hand.]

But... thanks. Somehow you always know just what to say.

[overworker]

Hehe... if it helps, then that's all that matters.

[There's a flash of guilt in her eyes, darker than suits her usually upbeat attitude-- there are some things even she's not ready to talk about. So she knows all too well some of the feelings he's bearing.]

You probably don't realize it, but... I owe you a lot. A lot, a lot. I've asked so much of you-- and I've let you take on even more, things I didn't even ask you to. And even now... Since we arrived here, you've already saved me twice. Then you go out of your way to do things like carry me around, when you're suffering far worse than I am.

[Yeah. She noticed.]

If you get hurt because of me, that's going to hurt way more than a few bumps and scratches. And I'm not the only one who feels that way.

[eightleaves]

[He's glad that Towa understands even if he would wish she didn't know that kind of guilt and pain. He... would be in a terrible place without her help, her kindness. He wouldn't be here.]

Me...? No, that's-- you didn't ask anything of me that I wasn't ready to volunteer, Towa.

[That's definitely news to him. He can't imagine ever feeling like she's asked too much of him. If it was for Towa, then he would do it, no question-- like he helps out the rest of his friends. Just being reminded of the pain gives him a twinge, though, and he breathes out shakily as he tries not to prove her point.

He's been pushing himself hard and thinking about not hurting other people, rather than how they'd feel if he got hurt. How many times is he gonna have to learn this lesson?

He ducks his head and closes his eyes. She's right.]

I'm sorry. I've been so wrapped up in my head, I didn't think...

[What a mess.]

I've been awful to everyone, haven't I?

[overworker]

I know that. Still... [Well, she can't say she didn't know that. Without any obligation of the sort, Rean was just that kind of person. He wouldn't have considered it selfish-- even if she'd asked.] Well. Even so, I'm eternally grateful for everything you've done.

[It's an understatement really, but-- no. Now's certainly not the time to go digging deeper. No harm can really come from saving it for another time. Rean already has enough to process as it is right now.]

I wouldn't say that, but... I'm sure I'm not the only person who's noticed. I can't fault you for wanting to protect everyone-- I think we all feel that way to some extent. But you need to learn when to protect people, and when to let others fight for themselves. If you spend all your time trying to protect everyone from every little thing-- when it really matters, and they really need it, you might not be able to do that.

[It's similar to other limits. Everyone, even Rean Schwarzer, has them-- even if he does a good job of making it seem as though he doesn't.

Towa lifts her hand up to the wound on his cheek and softly mutters a healing incantation.]

There. That should be enough to close up the wound at least. I don't know if there's anything more I can do to help though. But... if you want, I can try... [Better yet, perhaps--] Or at the very least let me take you to see someone who can.