[ORP] Glory Hunt [Closed, thank you <3 ]

[Kimaria]

Gren, happy with that answer, was content to allow the young hyena to do most of the talking. She, herself, had never been much good with words and would have far preferred to have taken the easy route of sneak and attack. Yet, she had a job to do, and getting close to the kulukadok would allow her to see what rarec it carried. Maybe it would be easy enough to figure out which piece the Graos Oma wanted kept safe.

As the pair drew closer to the spot, it was clear to see that the swooping ravens were disorientating the kulukadok. The creature was half-cowering, occasionally swiping out with a paw to knock an unlucky feathered body off course. She was small for one who had leeched the power of Tra Ord Omak, with tan fur, plain to look upon. In fact, if not for the rarec that clad her slender limbs, she would be a plain thing to look upon indeed. Surprisingly, however, she was not alone. A snake was with her, coiled tight on the dirt, its body pressed against the outcrop of stones.

“I shall chase off the ravens,” Gren gra-Groul rumbled, “your face is pretty, the kulukadok will be less afraid of it. Be gentle in your comfort.” And she barely waited for a response before she was charging forwards, scattering the ravens that, with a raucous scream, retreated upwards – continuing their circling just in case the parasite had other ideas.

-----

Meanwhile, Muunokhoi was moving into position with the rest of the Nergui forces behind him. Just up ahead, the long grasses curved around a steep incline in the ground, giving them cover and height, both. The land here was advantageous, it seemed. Graos Oma and the kaar were right, after all. This would be a success. He could already taste the victory.

“Choose your path. High or low,” he murmured quietly. “Then wait for my signal.”

The high ground would take them up a steep climb that would bring them almost directly over the goddess’s position. It was a riskier place that might draw attention too soon, but a stronger tactical spot. Continuing on through the grass would bring them behind their target and out of the line of sight. A safer option but with a longer run up when the attack began.

-----

exclaim Random Event – for Muunokhoi’s team

In your next post generate a number between 1 and 6.

Rolling a;

1: you attempt to climb to the high ground but stumble and make a sound. You opt to take the low ground instead.*
2-4: you opt for the low ground, hiding amongst the grass
5-6: you opt for the high ground and make the climb with no trouble**

* If ‘1’ is rolled twice during this phase, the Goddess will be alerted and the attack will have to start prematurely. Characters lose all bonuses gained.
**Successfully climbing the incline will give you +1 to attack bonus

[Again, if you have only just joined us, feel free to merge as part of Muunokhoi’s team at any time to join in on dice rolls and the chance to win prizes].  

[ShinosBee]

Daudr, of course, immediately set to scrabbling up the 'high road'. She was far too overeager to waste time slinking in the grass, though her coat would hide her well there. Thankfully she was a tough thing, and she made it up the incline without issue. Careful to keep low and quiet, she edged nearer and nearer the precipice, eyes firmly locked on the overlarge lion-y shape and the swirling bird flock.

Doxailol instead chose to silently and gracefully slink through the grass. She was certainly strong enough to be a front-line fighter, but her disposition made her a better fit for a second-wave runner-up. And besides - this way she could have time to observe while charging, and she cared more about that to tell it true than killing this god. Not that she'd make mention of it.  

[Kimaria]

Wanting to get to higher ground, Muunokhoi launched up onto the steep incline, using his claws to pull himself up to the grassy edge. For such a large lion he made the task look surprisingly easy, the rocks staying put beneath his paws. One was already ahead if him, though, amd when he turned to look back it was to see another preparing to follow him. Ah the Nergui.

They made him so very proud at times like this.  

[SilverLutz]

Los followed the large group of Nergui around behind the flock of birds, watching his younger pup walk off with Gren. He felt no fear or concern for her, and he never did for any of his children or himself. He didn't know those emotions. Los welcomed pain and the possibility of death, and he was confident in his offspring to survive and prevail. If not, they'd be gloried forever in song. No one would forget their deeds here.

The split came and, knowing he wasn't very fast, decided to head up the high ground after Muunokhoi. His paws were quiet and stealthy, and he reached the top with no problem. Hunkering down, he realized he had a great view of the scene below and watched with a grin as Gren chased off the birds.

+1 attack bonus

Sticking close to the large lioness, Krieg felt her heart start to race as they drew closer to the flock of birds attacking the goddess. She'd never seen a god or goddess before and was very excited. The fact that she had been put in charge just moments before by Gren made her spirits soar: she was the one with the weight on her shoulders, and she knew she could do it.

When Gren chased off the birds she was rather disappointed by the lioness that lay beneath. She was very plain in color and didn't have grotesque horns or bloody eyes or poison barbs on her tail as she had imagined. Oh well. Clearing her throat, she adopted a concerned expression and moved forward. This was something her father wouldn't have been able to do. He only knew how to intimidate. Thankfully her mother's side lent her the ability to lie and act in such a way that she surprised herself sometime with how genuine she sounded.

"Oh dear, are you all right?" she asked, her common perfect with no trace of an accent. "They didn't hurt you, did they?" Krieg scooted closer as she spoke, hunkering down to come off as submissive. She was much smaller than the goddess, but showing respect, even in jest, was better than standing tall and proud.  

[Kimaria]

exclaim You may continue rolling for attack bonuses/positions if you have not already done so. The following is the conversation that takes place whilst Muunokhoi's team is getting into position.



Suddenly the vicious, angry ravens had gained height and the world became bright again; full of sunlight and space instead of congested with black wings and whirling shadow. And now, in place of talons and beaks, were two pairs of eyes. A lioness and a hyena. And the hyena was speaking...

Very carefully, Rokopelli straightened her legs and pulled herself out of her cowering position to regard them. The rainbow pinions that had been held up defensively came down to rest at her sides, still quivering from her ordeal. The little goddess was certainly not the most intimidating of her kind, that was for certain, but she did have strengths, even if she had never fully awakened to them.

"We are fine, just frightened," her ears fell back against her head. "Birds came from nowhere and dragged us from the sky. We don't know what we did to upset them." She swallowed nervously and tipped her eyes upwards to where the ravens still circled. Whatever she had done to incite them had obviously been bad enough that they were willing to hang around and see their vengeance through.

"T-thank you for helping us."

Behind her, the large green snake had managed to wedge her body into the crevices between the rocks. From the shadows only the tip of her snout could be seen, motionless and wary.



Gren gra-Groul, who had returned to the hyena's side, took a moment to regard the goddess. Small, delicate and sweet; everything that Gren was not. Still, by first impressions it was no wonder the kaar had foreseen victory. The female reckoned that she and the hyena could take on the parasite alone and emerge with hunter's glory.

She gave a deep laugh, regarding the trinkets the goddess wore, "we maad not roqa worried. Trek will ba easy." When the creature frowned at her strange tongue, she furrowed her brow in an attempt to conjure words in the common language.

"We glad you not hurt," her voice was deep and guttural, the accent deepened by the roll of her 'r's'. "Krieg saw you were here. We came. Ravens gone."

Well not gone, exactly, but still, it had the desired effect.

The goddess smiled and relaxed.

SilverLutz

 

[Hopefolly]

Gever: High Ground; +1 Attack

Gever's feelings were as plentiful and as mixed as the colors on the Goddess' wings. Victory was in sight, and for this he felt a swell of pride for his people. Yet to see no sign of their neighbors disappointed and agitated him. His hope was when this was done, there would be no time or memory spared to the matter of Niu's false predictions. The only thing harmed by it would be his own reputation, and any potential trust the higher-ups might instill in her future visions.

And him... Maybe he'd have to rethink his trust in her, too.

For the time being, Gever scaled the rocky slope without incident.

Gable: Roll immune. Automatically takes low ground.

Gable opted for the low ground. He'd argue being the Muvukol took more impulse control than any other noteworthy rank in the horde -- from holding back when punishing slaves, to holding back when punishing your own. He was here for his own benefit as much as Rapha's ears and eyes, and what he sought was information over glory. So he waited in the grass, watching.  

[SilverLutz]

Krieg watched the goddess settle down, inwardly smirking. She was also quite tiny, which was a nice surprise as far as their plan was concerned, but again disappointing to her. She thought gods could fill the skies with their wings! It made for more glory with a bigger opponent. This one seemed so meek and fragile...

Green eyes darted towards the snake to gauge any danger, but the thing was so packed into the rocks that she doubted it could make a quick attack. When Gren spoke she rolled her eyes, a smile on her muzzle. All part of the act, of course.

"No need to fear any longer. We'll keep them away," she reassured the goddess. "You know how birds are with shiny things," she added, nodding towards the decorations on the legs of the lioness. "Greedy things, really. They'll move on once they realize we're not going anywhere for a bit," she said as she nodded to Gren beside her while tilting her head and letting her white tail wag. She could see movement up above them, but there was no sound. The Nergui were shadows of death, and soon they would fall upon the goddess and claim victory for them. She just had to talk a bit longer.

"Once they go, we'll go too, and you can journey on in peace."  

[mouselet]

Tesak's grasp of the common tongue was...not as good as his half-sister's, so he left it to her to do the talking. Truth be told, he didn't really like talking to outsiders unless if they were hyenas like himself or prey. And not prey like the goddess they stalked, but rather prey that already knew it was being hunted.

His father hadn't broken him of the bad habit of playing with his food. Then again, perhaps the older Nohoi hadn't put that much effort into it...

He nodded his understanding of Muunokhoi's orders and opted for the high path. It took him some time to get into position, moving slowly so as to not alert the prey, but it would be well worth it in the end. After all, that was why his father had also chosen the high ground.

+1 to attack  

[Kimaria]

Results of battle position rolls:

All attacking members managed to reach their position without mishap. The goddess is unaware of their presence.

High ground:
(The following receive +1 to their attack bonus – active for first attack only)
Daudr
Muunokhoi
Furchtlos
Gever
Tesak

Low ground:
Doxailol
Gable

exclaim Anyone in Muunokhoi’s group who did not get a chance to roll shall automatically be positioned with those who took the low ground.

-----

Rokopelli nodded, “We’ve never been attacked by birds before. Never seen them take shinies, either. How could they carry them?” Her head tilted quizzically and behind her the snake shifted its head forwards a little to get a better look. Her piercing eyes met Gren’s for a brief moment and the marsh-coloured lioness curled a lip, annoyed, muttering in the garbled tongue.

“We’ve never seen a hyena and lion as friends before, either,” Rokopelli chattered on, oblivious.

Gren gave a strained, ugly smile, and lifted her eyes to check that the others were gathering. What she saw pleased her and she turned to give Krieg the slightest of nods.

She took a step back.

-----

Roll a 6-sided dice:

1: Rokopelli uses confusion. It is super effective! Your character hesitates and does not press on with the attack*
2-4: You close in to surround the prey, preventing her from escaping.
5: You leap in for a quick but light attack.
6: No messing around. You go straight in for a powerful attack, drawing blood.

exclaim If your character has the attack bonus, add +1 to the number you roll. (Example: Muunokhoi rolls a 1. 1+1 = 2. Instead of being confused, Muunokhoi moves to surround the prey. If you roll a 6, a successful attack is landed and the +1 becomes obsolete.)
exclaim For this turn only, Gren and Krieg are unable to join in on the attack.

*please read description of this power hidden beneath the spoiler button below.

show spoilerhide spoiler

Confusion: an aura that Rokopelli emanates and enhances by flapping her wings or attempting conversation. In this battle, effects could lead to hesitation or even turning on an ally. Anyone who rolls a 1 during the battle will suffer from the effects stated during that particular phase.

-----  

[SilverLutz]

Krieg kept the concerned but friendly look on her face as the goddess continued to speak with them. She certainly was blind to danger, wasn't she? All gods couldn't be like this, so trusting and open. Still, a god was a god, and she'd take any down that she could assist with.

"Oh, they have their ways. Strength in numbers and all that," she said with a little wave of her paw. She saw movement up above and, rather than looking up, glanced at Gren. The lioness' nod let her know they had done their job. Turning her head back towards the goddess, she rolled her shoulders in a shrug, using it as an excuse to step back as well.

"We've found we work well together," she said, meaning, of course, the Nergui as a whole. "A nice balance, fill in the other's weakness. You always want to travel with someone who will have your back in a tight spot."

4+1

Los watched from above with a deranged grin as the two down below took a step back. He was proud of his daughter for being a good distraction, but now it was time to fight. Once they were clear of the way, he waited for the signal before pouncing. His position from the ledge was a bit off, but he managed to land with his full weight on one of the colorful wings. He opened his jaws and snapped them shut as he tumbled, coming away with a mouthful of feathers.. Not a debilitating blow, but one that would certainly throw the goddess off guard.

He spat out the feathers and rolled aside, avoiding an attack that might have followed his own.  

[mouselet]

3 + 1 = 4, surround prey

The signal from Gren was subtle, but the Nergui were mighty hunters, accustomed to operating off the most subtle and easily missed signals. The Nohoi might be an important part of the pride, but Tesak was no glory hound. There would be time enough for striking later, when the prey had realized the inevitability of the attack. He would rather wait until then, for there was no real enjoyment for him in surprising prey that had not yet recognized the hunt.

He drew closer, however, leaping down from the height to help surround the goddess, yellow eyes gleaming in anticipation.  

[Annchen]

The scene unfolding below was a somewhat familiar one, but one Raha had never witnessed on this scale. The horde of lions and hyenas moved forward as if they were preparing to hunt, but there were no prey animals, just... They weren't hunting the winged lion, were they? They... they were. But...

The little eagle could see perfectly well from his high vantage point, but he couldn't resist circling closer to the action. It was terrible, but he couldn't look away.

((I'm going to roll to see if he's hit by some of the confusion, he's not joining the fray... 3 = not confused, but might get in the way...))  

[Hopefolly]

Gable

Gable's attention had shifted from the stars of things foretold and centered on here and now. The Goddess was a wonder to watch, but one didn't permit the antelope life simply for being majestic. Neither was she spared this courtesy. His stomach turned, and he wondered if it wouldn't be better for her to fly away.

I hope you're wrong, Rapha, and he rose to his paws.

Gever - 5+1 = 6

Gever waited, waited, waited, and it seemed to him he'd spent his entire life that way. Always waiting for the perfect moment, the prime opportunity, the ideal way to do things without having to sacrifice reputation or safety.

No longer.

He lunged, grabbing the Goddess by the throat.  

[Kimaria]

And so it began!

With fire racing through his limbs, Muunokhoi felt the air move as his fellow Nergui leapt in for the attack, his heart soaring. Ahead of him, a hyena and lion had already gone straight for a strike, pushing ahead and forcing him back a little.

With a sharp kick, he pushed himself off of the ledge and fell in behind the rainbow-winged parasite, hoping her fear would lure her straight into his eager teeth. If she came his way, he would not hold back, and this hunt would be over in no time at all.

He hungered for this.

As did they all...