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

[gunsmithed]

You'll be fine.

[ Just a touch dismissive, but if Percy hasn't hit any allies yet, he's reasonably sure he can keep from hitting her as well.

But he does sweep his free arm in front of himself in a gesture for her to lead the way, since she seems to know where their target is. ]

I think we can manage. If not, I hear I have magic.

[ That part is definitely dry. ]

[showsnopiety]

[She nodded, and with that sweep of the arm, she started off. Her strides were confident, and while she did slow every so often to get oriented, she kept going.

It wasn't particularly fast though, especially with the snow and...well, with being short. Still, his retort made her snort, and hide a smile.]

Magic? Really? Goodness. I wouldn't have thought.

[Two can play the dry humor game.]

[gunsmithed]

[ Well not much of it, to be fair. Certainly not anything Percy's willing to rely on in a bad situation. Luckily he's never much needed it before, he doesn't see that changing even here.

Which is not in any way going to stop him from continuing to be sarcastic. ]

I'm sure. Luckily we also have strength of arm to protect us.

[showsnopiety]

[He's a gun boy, not a magic boy. He's staying true to himself, despite the situation.]

I didn't know you were not only magic but brawn.

Goodness, you don't need me at all, do you?

[This is fun.]

[gunsmithed]

Well I'm not as good with a sword.

[ Mostly true, in addition to being impressively deadpan. ]

Besides, there are enough things out here that I'm perfectly happy not to have to deal with alone.

[showsnopiety]

Ah. Well, it's certainly good to know I can be of use.

[The their banter is so dry, the air might crackle from it.]

I'd rather not deal with them alone either. I could, but I might get sweaty. That would be...

Uncomfortable.

[gunsmithed]

My sympathies.

[ He's not exactly looking at her as they move, attention more on the forest around them, but he can just see her out of the corners of his eyes and that seems to be good enough for the moment. Enough to know that she's not taking this any more seriously than he is, which can't be a bad thing. ]

What were you doing before you ran into me, then?

[showsnopiety]

I'm glad you have some sympathies for my clothes, thank you.

[She's watching him too, just a bit. Most of Caren's attention is on tracking down the Ent, but she's enjoying herself in her own perverse way. And Percy seems to be having some fun too. She might have found a sarcasm buddy.]

Wandering and slapping a lot of hostile creatures down. I did find some dryads while I was getting my morning walk.

What of you? I'm sure I interrupted your morning tea.

[gunsmithed]

[ When one is used to traveling with a crazy pack of assholes, you pick up certain things, even as reticent as Percy can be. He finds he's missed it, oddly, which might be why he's willing to go along with the current ridiculousness so easily. And he does throw her a small, wry smile. ]

Tea, yes. Pity about the wolves, but they're the only ones I've run into so far. Perhaps the rest have been avoiding me.

[ What with the loud explosions he tends to carry with him. It's equal chance that he'll attract too much attention or keep it all at a very wide berth. ]

[showsnopiety]

[She just misses being dry and sarcastic. She's been so polite lately, too nice and...well, it feels nice to let loose a little. Even if they were strangers.]

Avoiding a gunslinger like yourself? How awful.

[Yeah she likely heard the explosions, but didn't link the two. Not yet, when she was used to the idea of guns not being...loud but not that loud.]

If it helps, I'm sure we'll get the drop on the Ent. We're getting close to them now, if the rotting scent is any indication.

[gunsmithed]

[ The description gets a flash of a surprised look -- being accustomed to one of possibly two gunslingers in the world means that he's more used to confusion on the subject than easy acceptance. But he's trying to get used to that idea here, that gins might be something so uncomfortably commonplace.

Besides, he's got bigger things to think about. And Percy's nose wrinkles slightly. ]

Is that what that smell is? Charming.

[showsnopiety]

The cywld always smell of rot. I've found that it's a good indicator that one of them is close-though usually when humans can smell them, it's nearly too late.

[They can talk of guns later. She's even vaguely familiar with the idea of magic bullets.]

It does make you wish to bathe and sink your nose into another scent, doesn't it?

[gunsmithed]

To say the least. I've been through sewers that smell more pleasant.

[ It's the rot, it always is. That indefinable sense of wrongness, and that certainly covers the cywld well enough. Percy shifts a little and sets his jaw to power through it. ]

The sooner we take care of it the better, then.

[showsnopiety]

You've certainly been through your share of adventures, haven't you?

[Curious that. She was a little amused but-it was hard to be more then that with the smell of the cywld invading their noses. She wrinkled her nose-she's just glad her eyes aren't watering-and reaches for her sword.]

But yes, I agree. My nose hurts from this thing.

Shall I go ahead and start luring the Ent into position?

[gunsmithed]

[ To say the least. It earns a flicker of a wry smile in her direction, but Percy's too intent on the problem at hand to be distracted long. He considers for a moment, then nods once as he slides the rifle hooked across his back down into his arms. ]

If these things move slow, you may be able to bait it without staying in range too long. [ It comes out almost absent as Percy loads the gun without looking. ] But whatever you think best will likely work. As I said, I won't hit you.

[showsnopiety]

[Yeah, as much as she is curious, it's not story time. It's fighting time. She nods, glancing at his gun once, before she starts to move forward. Less of a searching walk, then a fast one. Almost a jog.]

Then I'll try my best to be bait long enough for you to get the shot.

[She pauses for a moment, glancing back.]

If you think you can get the eye-that'd be a good target. It's only blind in one.

[Way to set the bar high but maybe she wants to see if he can follow it up? She's already moving forward to go out into the clearing where she can hear the Ent lumbering around.]

[gunsmithed]

I'll see what I can do.

[ It would be all to easy to promise, but well. He hasn't seen the thing yet. Instead, Percy waits patiently for her to find her position, gun at the ready but not sighted yet. It's been a long time since Bad News has blown him off his feet, but no point in exhausting himself trying to hold it in position if he doesn't have to.

He doesn't have long to wait, anyway. Even if he can't see exactly what it is, Percy's well trained enough to register something moving. Something large enough to make his eyebrows lift slightly. ]

[showsnopiety]

[She offers a small wave over her shoulder. She heard what he said but whether he can do it-well, it's more of a hope then a need for her really. She doesn't know how Bad News works, just that he's got guns for days.

Caren moves into the open, and rolls her wrists, readying herself for grabbing her sword or being ready for some dexterity saving throws.

The withered ent looks larger the second time around. Once it gets into sight, she doesn't charge it right off-instead she takes in a deep breath and whistles.

Least that way she can get both Percy's and the Ent's attention. Certainly the latter from the way it starts stomping her way. Welp. Time to dance, she guesses.]

[gunsmithed]

[ The second Percy hears the unmistakable sound of very large footsteps, he immediately has the rifle up and ready, sighting over Caren's head to wait for it to come into view. Which doesn't take long, and she hadn't been overestimating the size of the thing. Percy's too experienced with these sorts of things to be taken aback, but he does take a second to study the creature as it lumbers forward.

But she did mention something about the eyes, didn't she. It's easy enough to time the shot to the creature taking another step forward, and though the impact takes it just to the side of its eye, it is enough to send the Ent reeling backwards. Percy's zeroed in on it now, eyes never leaving the Ent as he blindly reloads. ]

[showsnopiety]

[She wasn't used to toying with things larger then human but...the idea wasn't as startling as it might have been for someone else. Then again, most things weren't as startling to her as they could or should have been.

She wasn't lingering and gaping though; she was already moving, rushing at it briefly before diving out of the way of the sudden eruption of roots from the ground. So far, so good.

It seemed like it was following her, out of the sheer fact that she hadn't been trapped by its plant life. Hearing the crack of Bad News had it stagger at least, briefly, giving her a moment to glance quickly for Percy, before quickly making to circle around. Hopefully if the Ent was facing Percy better-maybe-he'd make the shot.

Even if it meant some risk in her having to dodge and whistle again to keep its eye on her.]

[gunsmithed]

[ As tempting as it is to keep an eye on Caren, Percy keeps his attention fixed tightly on the Ent as it moves. Slow as the thing is, it thrashes around as it tries to track the figure in front of it and Percy's target is smaller than he'd like. He's learned this kind of patience, though, holding his aim as the Ent shifts back towards him, then firing smoothly in the space between his breaths.

The shot hits true this time, right through the eye and catching a bit on the outside. The Ent shifts and flails blindly with something that probably would have been a bellow of pain on another creature, and Percy quickly reloads and takes aim again, just in case it does something unexpected. Until they can take it down, if it's going to be tracking by sight now it means that Percy is the more likely target.

Fine by him. ]

[showsnopiety]

[She'd be too distracting if he was watching her; she was staying on the run as the Ent tried to grab at her. Less, now, with the loss of its working eye. It was far more wild in its attempt to spear her through with roots, and so she has to dance around more-that's fine.

Her wings help, surprisingly. And if it's tracking by scent or noise, well-Caren won't allow it to come close, large as it is.

Once it turns in Percy's direction, she loops around to its backside, and chops at the back of its legs. Even if it makes the earth shake, that's fine. She still has chopping to do. If she could get through enough to make it fall even a little...

that'd make it an even easier shot.]

[gunsmithed]

[ For all of his narrowed focus, it doesn't take much for Percy to realize what Caren is doing once she disappears behind the thing. It's a clever thought, to bring the Ent down completely, though it's thick hide is making doing just about any damage difficult.

He still shifts his aim, firing directly into what seems to be the knee of the leg Caren is focusing on.. With such a large target it would be hard for him to miss, but it's difficult to tell just how much damage the shot does. If only he hadn't used Diplomacy's charge already. ]</small

[showsnopiety]

[She's trying what she can to do to help. Maybe it'd be easier if she had an axe, but she was working what she could. The shot wasn't distracting, but the sudden crack of wood had her startled, falling backwards onto the snow.

Thankfully the Ent was bellowing and distracted enough not to attack.

With a huff, she scrambled back onto her feet, and moved to survey the damage. It was a pretty large impact-there had been a shower of splinters just above the knee that she could see. But...not quite enough.

With a small frown of concentration, she considered. Okay. Well. This could be very stupid. But she didn't see the infection on its feet so...

She moved in, grabbed at its weakened leg as it lifted, and gave the Ent's foot a hard shake, trying to make it fall.]

[gunsmithed]

[ He's got the gun reloaded and is aiming for that same spot, and only barely manages to check himself just in time as he sees her arms go around the damaged leg. Sharpshooter or not, that's significantly closer than he wants to risk, and he lifts the rifle away with a frown to try and get a better look at what Caren is doing.

It doesn't take too long to realize what's happening, but what to do about it is a different question. He can't risk aiming for the leg with her there, and his bullets aren't doing as much damage as he'd like. What he wouldn't give for some spare black powder at the moment.

Still, he has to do something, and in the end he raises his aim to fire straight into the Ent's chest, hoping to at least knock it off balance enough for Caren to be able to pull it down. ]