Cycle 2
Isulus Invaders
Cessia, who happened to witnessed the kitchen fiasco through a cracked window slowly faded away as she began to question what sort of people made up the ranks of the Adventurers Guild. All she could do was pray that the Gold-ranker named @Zelrius would be more apt at slaying monsters than tables.
With all the wagons patched, horses fed and petted, food cooked(?), provisions packed, crates loaded, battle gear shined, personnel briefed, and expeditionaires amped up, it was finally time to hit the road after you survived the ruckus and chaos during the preparation phase.
Before the entire entourage headed off, Levi arrived on horseback and directed himself to the front of the group for a brief announcement, completely missing
@Seigi Ling Ling among the throngs of people. The man figured he might have seen her outline out of the corner of his eyes, but he chalked it up to skipping coffee that morning. After all, only those with Spirit Magic can see dead people.
Alright everyone, we will now set off to northern Isulus.
Considering the size of the expedition and the potential hurdles on the way to the whistle outpost, the trip is likely going to take roughly 5 days in the real world.
We can't have everyone logging off during the ride because of the dangers we might face, and the wagons will need dedicated drivers. Check in with your group, work something out with Lander allies, and log out in shifts if possible!
The more efficiently we deal with the obstacles on the way, keeping up with the rest of the expedition, and manage real-life, the faster we can arrive at our destination.
Got it? Good!
Levi spurred his horse forward, taking the lead at the front of the entourage on his lightly-armored white steed, the kind that would fill the knights in shining armor with envy, the Cadillac of horses.
We're heading out, keep up the pace! FORWARD!
At Levi's signal, the horses whinnied and the wagons left a cloud of dust behind them as the entire entourage began moving, setting out toward the recognizable yet strangely unfamiliar horizon. Four years is a long time for some of you, but for newcomers, it was a completely new experience in an unknown world.
The wagons were constantly on the move over the following days as Levi had mentioned, making full stops and breaking camp every other day so the animals could rest.
Although northern Astorea was normally fraught with dangers involving thieves and bandits, their presence was strangely absent while you were passing through. One can only guess that the army of wagons carrying armed-to-the-teeth adventurers was an effective ward against roadside crimes. If one were to ask any of the four factions how the bandits knew an expedition would move through the area, Cessia's people would be the first to deny having alerted the criminals as to make sure they didn't get in the way of the trip. The Guild's plausible deniability protected them from the Lions' leery eyes as well. Sometimes things have to be swept under the rug for the sake of the joint mission.
Although human opposition did not get in the way of the traveling entourage, Isulus was a completely different challenge.
First, the terrain was full of tree roots that weaved in and out of the ground, forming paths and obstacles the wagons had to overcome. Had it not been for the Whistle scouts leading the charge, the group would have gotten lost in the labyrinth of a jungle.
However difficult the terrain was, the territorial
Myconids was a more difficult problem to get around. Myconids usually ignored small parties, but a group with such a large number of people, fanfare, and is as heavily armed as the expedition is seen as a high priority thread, an army invading the Myconid kingdom. Thus, as you and your group encroached on their territory, the rulers of Isulus made their move, coming down on their invader like a tidal wave ready to wipe them out of existence.
Anyone among you with a passive Awareness of 25 or higher
and Nature Magic will immediately detect a very distinctive veil of spore in the air. An optional successful
Mastery Check (Nature Magic – DC 40) will inform you that the Myconids are planning an assault. This is not the place to stop. Even if the animals are on their last leg, you must get to safety lest you wish to become nourishment for the sentient fungi.
If you were sleeping on one of the rear wagons being pulled along by an overworked horse, a sudden metal fist against the wagon side might be enough to wake you up.
Hey, hey, hey! It's time to wake the hell up! We're being pursued by shroomies!
If there's any Lions in there, I heard from Lev that if we do well and recruit 10 people, he would change our name back to the Lion's Pride!
How's that for a reward, huh? AHAHAHA!
You could hear a certain
someone roaring within earshot:
"CHAD, YOU BASTARD!!!"
However, there was no time for fun and games as a thunderous boom rang out behind the entourage.
Moments later, a massive pod came barreling down the middle of the moving entourage and formed a large crater on the road the moment it exploded. The wagons that were caught in the blast barely managed to veer out of the way at the last second, but it led to a break down in a well-established traveling formation that had been maintained the last several days. Immediately after the exposition, the sound of buzzing filled the air as
the entire expedition had to deal with blood-sucking fungal insects that dispersed from the exploded pod.
If you were riding on the same wagon as Childress, you would immediately notice a frightening aura coming from an otherwise calm-looking Felis. The moment she stood up, her deadly martial energy disintegrated the wagon's cover. The woman then tilted her head and cracked her neck.
Time for some action.
Childress launched herself up from the wagon to intercept a fungal bomb by cleaving it in half and immediately deleting the block-suckers that would swarm her with her deadly energy. The insects all burst in tandem drenching the felis with blood from their last feeding.
When she landed on a different wagon, the blood that coated her body began to burn with intensity. Childress clicked her tongue as she tried wiping some of it off.
Nasty critters... she thought to herself.
Despite Childress cutting down one, several more fungal bomb shots could be heard from the distance as a squad of fast-moving Myconids pursued your group. Although typical Myconids were slow and stationary, the pursuers were fast. If there was a Myconid expert among you, they would tell you all about a special type of crimson-colored Myconids that could run faster than horses and were deployed by their kingdom to chase down speedy enemies or to break through enemy lines. At a glance, these Myconids were gaunt, with human-like extremities laced with spikes.
With shrills that rattled your bones, it was showtime.
How the expedition fared in the next phase was completely dependent on you and your allies' ability to deal with the enemies, while keeping up with the rest of the pack.
The world watches with great anticipation.
