Complete Private Solvale Too Simple, Sometimes Naive

[Eva]

Eva kept her promise. At least every day after the day they logged in, the woman helped @Kyanna Wynne with several small quests and training while discovering her own expertise in magitech equipment crafting and alchemy. Still far from proper adventuring gear, but at least both of them managed to save enough to finally blend in with the rest of the players and travelers alike with their equipment.

With a simple white, long formal shirt and black pants with enough pockets to hide her gadgets, Eva walked out of the inn and made her way out of the Pormont city gate where a group of caravans was waiting outside. Kyanna and her managed to raise enough gold to finally afford travel to Astorea, specifically toward Finweald, the capital city. The older woman then waited for the girl, leaning on a wagon wheel as she checked the clock on her UI.

Before the departure time, the white-haired gadgeteer double-checked her equipment. She wasn't exactly the combat type so coming prepared is important in case something happened. Inside her waist pouch, there were types of potions, oils, acids, and bombs. Hidden in both of her sleeves were one-shot hidden crossbows, something she could produce with the limited resources she had for now.

Ten minutes until departure.

@Kyanna Wynne

 

[Kyanna Wynne]

Kyanna felt blessed at the fact she had someone to spend her in game time with. Even if Eva didn't talk much, just her presence was enough to keep Kyanna at ease, keeping all her focus on studying and learning more about her abilities than being uncertain of what could happen in that game.

Even then, a good portion of her learning was with the older woman, and when they were finally ready to go, Kyanna didn't hold back to gear herself up.

Her outfit resembled the typical witch, with a large pointy hat, black dress, and some cloak to cover what her dress couldn't. On top of that, she kept a grimoire, that was still mostly empty, and a staff that was nothing far from a broomstick.

Far less subtle than Eva, the witch approached eagerly.

"I wonder how traveling will work out, with all the log in and lot out-" She wondered. "How we will make sure our things will remain intact?"

@Eva

 

[Eva]

Noticing Kyanna by the corners of her eyes, Eva gave a slight nod and small wave as they waited for the caravan to depart.

"I wonder how traveling will work out, with all the log in and lot out-"
"The travel guide told us to set the log-out setting at 'synced', I assume that would leave our body in the game while logged out," She reviewed the guidelines for long-distance transportation for travelers, which obviously was directed towards players rather than landers.

"How we will make sure our things will remain intact?"
"That, and the safety of our unattended body. They said they've been doing this kind of service for years, so let's trust them."

Her eyes scanned the girl from top to bottom, before flatly giving a compliment. "Sharply dressed, you look like..." Sadly, she couldn't think of something before it passed the awkward silence time limit, so the woman just stated the obvious. "... a witch." Eva nodded, satisfied with her own compliment.

"You two going to Astorea? Hop on, we'll depart soon." A hooded old man, most likely in charge of overseeing the carriages called to them, pointing behind. Eva slightly nodded, before gesturing Kyanna to follow her and climb to one of the wagons.

@Kyanna Wynne

 

[Kyanna Wynne]

"Oh! So our bodies just stay 'online' while we are 'offline'?" Kyanna blinked, surprised and intrigued about how it even worked. There were a couple of games that were like that, but in a game where true death was possible... How it would work? She certainly didn't want to find out, but the reassurance of the service kept the girl at ease.

At the compliment, Kyanna blinked with slightly rosy cheeks for a moment, before swirling to strike a pose, flicking the edge of her hat. "Thank you, Eva!" She smiled. "I do look very witchy" Kyanna admitted, then leaning in.

"You are well dressed as well, looking like..." Kyanna tilted her head, feigning to think. "... A beauty!" She giggled, leaning away when interrupted by the hooded man.

She glanced at Eva, nodding and following the gesture to climb on the caravan, getting herself comfortable and resting the grimoire on her lap, soon to start the travel, with Kyanna being nothing short of talkative during most of it, mentioning training, everything she had learned, the power stones and sometimes just enjoying Eva's company--

Until something shimmered. A scarlet string, that made Kyanna become abruptly quiet while her eyes trailed off to nowhere in particular among the tree lines.

@Eva

 

[Eva]

"... A beauty!"

"Thank you," She bowed to the girl's compliment before both of them finally got on the caravan. It shortly departed, with no other passengers other than the two and their belongings. The caravan driver was accompanied by a veteran caravan guard, who looked like a hero out of medieval shows. Their journey was estimated to take more than half a day, not counting rest and stops.

As the journey continued, the older woman spent most of her time listening to Kyanna's stories and reading her own journal. She would jot down important points and insights that she inferred from the younger girl's discoveries and training, feeling as though she was starting to understand the rules of this world better after a few days of research. It was a peaceful and productive way to pass the time as they traveled across the plains of Falderen.

As the girl suddenly became quiet, her gaze quickly turned from the book toward the girl who sat in front of her. Kyanna's eyes seemed to fix somewhere else, prompting Eva to ask her sharply. "Is there something bothering you?" Closing her book casually, she turned to see where the witch was looking; the woods, with no particular thing standing out.

Her eyes picked out nothing. How weird.

@Kyanna Wynne

 

[Kyanna Wynne]

Kyanna's gaze remained unmoving, even for a couple seconds after Eva's question before she finally admitted:

"Yes, it is." Kyanna said, suddenly standing and bending against the edge of the caravan, frowning, feeling a sudden pang of worry deep in her chest. "Something isn't right... It just doesn't feel... Well..." She said, supporting a foot on the edge and pulling herself up.

"I will check it, really quick!" She warned, leaping out of the caravan and nearly stumbling, before she quickly recovered and darted off, making the old man of the caravan hiss a curse and halt the horses.

That didn't stop the witch, however, that hurriedly pushed through the vegetation, following the scarlet string that seemed erratic, flickering and intensifying sometimes, as if it was about to die out but quiet bursts of energy lived it up.

It wouldn't take long for a whimpering to be heard, a desperate and quiet cry, that would soon be revealed to be a bloodied woman carrying a limp man, both of them pale and at the verge of the worse.

These two weren't unfamiliar, being the responsibles for the chaotic introduction to the game Eva and Kyanna had.

@Eva

 

[Eva]

Whatever it was that Kyanna noticed, the woman wasn't able to pick up anything. Perhaps she was able to sense what the older woman couldn't?

"I will check it, really quick!"

"Kyanna," Eva tried to stop her, but the witch quickly darted off before the woman could reach her. Sighing, she informed the caravan driver. "Would you wait for five minutes?" The old man, clearly had experienced this kind of thing not only once, abided with a term. "Fine, but if we miss today's schedule, you're paying the loss."

As the white-haired woman stepped down from the caravan, the guard offered to go with her, to which Eva refused and asked him to guard their belongings. Running toward the general direction that the girl disappeared into, she quickly find the girl stopped, and in front of her were two adventurers that weren't unfamiliar to both of them. Instinctively, her right hand quickly went into the pouch before noticing their condition.

She slowly walked to the witch's side, before muttering to her, "It's two of those four we encountered on the first day." Her eyes scanned their wounds.

@Kyanna Wynne

 

[Kyanna Wynne]

Kyanna was frozen on place when she had noticed the two of them, their state being pitiful, with whimpers of pain, to a point they didn't even notice the presence of the strangers they had tried to ambush before.

When Eva approached her side, Kyanna was startled, but finally snapped out of her shock.

"It is, but..." Kyanna said, turning to look at Eva, feeling her chest tighten.

Then, a loud thud caught her attention again, turning to see the woman that was now on four, with the collapsed man next to her, being too heavy for her weakened state.

Kyanna hurried to close their distance, crouching next to the man and nearing her hand to attempt a spell, but just as soon as she approached, the woman seemed to regain some of her strength, enough to 'throw' herself toward Kyanna and 'push' her away with the shoulder, before falling on top of the man and holding on protectively.

"H-Hey!" She protested.

The woman glared up, with a hostile yet exhausted expression.

"I am just trying to help-" Kyanna said.

"I... Am... Not that stupid..." She replied.

Kyanna's lips pursed, turning to look at Eva with eyes that plead for help, at the same time she slipped- "Do you think we could bring them to the caravan?"

@Eva

 

[Eva]

After the female adventurer desperately pushed Kyanna with her shoulder, Eva quickly stepped between them. Of course, she didn't do anything due to the pitiful condition of the pair of adventurers.

"Do you think we could bring them to the caravan?"

"We could, but not like this."

The white-haired woman quickly moved, pulling out a vial containing blue liquid and pressing a small button on top of it. A needle emerged from the bottom, and with a quick step forward, she injected it into the neck of the cautious adventurer. The female adventurer immediately went limp, collapsing to the ground as the sedative took effect without having any chance to react.

"Don't worry, it's just anesthesia," She put back the empty vial, before feeling the larger man's veins. He's breathing heavily, the pulse unstable, but still alive. "I'll drag the man, you get the other one," Eva quickly injected another vial into the male adventurer's arm, before trying to drag him back to the caravan with Kyanna carrying the other.

The driver and the guard raised an eyebrow confusingly, but then they realized that it was somewhat of an emergency and helped them lay both of the adventurers on the caravan floor. "What are you planning?" Eva asked Kyanna, while trying to inspect the adventurers' wounds.

"It's safe to assume that the rest of their group was still somewhere out there."

@Kyanna Wynne

 

[Kyanna Wynne]

Kyanna widened her eyes at the woman suddenly turning limp, but the reassuring explanation made her soften her expression and rest a hand on her chest, with a sonorous sigh slipping her lips as she watched the same procedure being given to the male.

"I hope it goes well..." She muttered, wrapping the woman's arm around her neck, and trying to drag her to the caravan.

It took a bit, but as soon as they were there, the two wounded adventurers were now as safe as they could be, with a brief and grateful nod being directed to the caravan's owner.

"You... Are right..." Kyanna said, moving along and taking care of some of the wounds, using a warm magical fungi, that served as a paste that was gently brushed on their wounds. "... They are... All wounded with cuts, and some bruises..."

She slashes weren't clean either, which meant they were made with crude weapons.

"... I am not sure of what to do... But they should be awake, so we can know what happened with their friends..." Kyanna's lips pursed.

@Eva

 

[Eva]

"... They are... All wounded with cuts, and some bruises..."

She watched as Kyanna treated both of the adventurers with the fungal paste the girl already prepared, which was already doing its work to haste the regeneration of the wounds and clean it. At this moment, neither the witch nor Eva herself was not powerful enough to instantly heal wounds like those. "Doesn't seem like what a beast could have done..." The woman theorized.

"... I am not sure of what to do... But they should be awake, so we can know what happened with their friends..."

"Effect should wear off anytime soon," Eva leaned and started to write in her book again, documenting the wounds and her hypothesis while waiting for one of them to wake up. Not long after, the male groaned before opening his eyes, regaining consciousness before finally fully awake, having to blink a few times.

"Do not move, you're not recovered yet." The woman warned coldly, but it was actually the aftereffects of the anesthesia that prevented the man's limbs from moving. It was potent enough to numb all the pain, thankfully. The adventurer noticed Eva's snow-colored hair and recognized it, before growling. "You..."

She quickly interjected, trying to get into the more pressing issue. "Not important. What happened? Where are the others?"

@Kyanna Wynne

 

[Kyanna Wynne]

Eva's words snapped Kyanna's mind, reminding herself of her own set of masteries before activating the Investigation Mode. She hoped she would have a better understanding of what it could be if it was an animal wound, but instead... She found no detection of wounds caused by beasts, with side info popping up on her UI.

"My... Investigation mode doesn't tell anything about beasts. But it does show some venom. A weak one, but enough to weaken, I think..?" She wondered, only really having Nature Magic to back her up, and lacking the personal knowledge on it.

Even when Eva mentioned the effects being done soon, Kyanna continued to work on the magical healing fungi, closing the wounds, even if superficially, though the growl of the man-made Kyanna frown and take a quiet step back, leaning closer to Eva.

It took a moment for the man to realize the situation he was in, gritting his teeth weakly as he looked around, spotting his friend, but not noticing anyone else, with Eva's question lingering in his mind for a moment.

"... Hyenas... Fucking Gnolls... They attacked our camp..."

@Eva

 

[Eva]

"My... Investigation mode doesn't tell anything about beasts. But it does show some venom. A weak one, but enough to weaken, I think..?"

"Your fungi should be able to reverse the effects, but I'm still going to take their blood just in case." Quickly bringing out two empty vials, Eva activated the needles and drew both of the pale adventurers' blood.

She brought the vial close to her eyes, scanning the abnormality in the blood. "Hm, not dangerous, but it slowly hampers their muscular functions." Unfortunately, Eva had not enough experience to reverse-engineer a venom or toxin, or make an antidote on the go. Saving the blood samples for later, she opened a metal case stored on the caravan and put the two vials there.

"... Hyenas... Fucking Gnolls... They attacked our camp..."

"Gnolls, not dangerous individually. But they're skilled hunters, capable of tracking down, separating, before slowly disabling their prey in a group without being exposed to danger." Suddenly, the veteran caravan guard appeared behind them, giving both of the inexperienced Starcalleds information. He then continued with a piece of advice, "The woods is their hunting ground, it would be not wise to pursue them deeper into the deep forest."

Eva nodded, mentally taking note of that information before turning back to the fungimancer. The woman could see the "What do you want to do, Kyanna? We're currently on a schedule to Astorea."

@Kyanna Wynne

 

[Kyanna Wynne]

"Hopefully it will be enough..." Kyanna said, leaning her hands away and holding them together against her chest, either in a gesture to reassure herself or to pray for anything or anyone for it to work. The mention of the venom not being too dangerous calmed the witch down, but the man's words made a lump form in her throat.

"Gnolls... Like... Those hyena monsters?" She asked, pursing her lips, knowing how dangerous they could be, and how hard it could be to handle them. But perhaps they would be able to find a way to solve it without too much bloodshed, especially their own blood.

The old man's explanation wasn't very encouraging, but Kyanna remained firm for a moment, averting her gaze to Eva when she questioned about what she wanted to do.

"I... Think we should try to save them." Kyanna said, turning to look at Eva. "They are players, but in this game people can die for real, we... I need to help them!" She declared, with eyes pleading brim hinting in them.

@Eva

 

[Eva]

"They are players, but in this game people can die for real, we... I need to help them!"

"So can we," Eva sighed, putting her hand on the girl's left shoulder. But Kyanna's gaze remained on the older woman's own eyes, prompting her to resign and agree. "But if you'll go anyway if I say no."

Jumping off the caravan, the white-haired inventor prepped both of the one-shot crossbows on her wrists, each making mechanical sounds. "Under half an hour, we promise. Guard them so they don't do anything stupid." She said to the caravan guard as the driver facepalmed. She then turned around, gesturing for Kyanna to follow behind her.

"Let's go, we have no time to lose."

They then proceeded to where they found the pair of adventurers, as Eva recalled the girl's untold abilities to spot them from distances away. "How did you notice both of them in the first place? Can it help us find the other ones?" She asked while trying to formulate a plan in her head. They have never faced the gnolls before, so they have to minimize the risk of getting caught unprepared.

@Kyanna Wynne

 

[Kyanna Wynne]

The reminder that they could also die made Kyanna have a pang of worry in her chest, even if she didn't change her mind at trying to save the two other adventurers.

Eva seemed to understand it, and her following words brightened Kyanna up once again, while her lips perked up. The pleading brim in her eyes faded, being replaced by a joyful one, as she jumped off as well, following Eva along and ignoring the driver's frustration.

"Thank you, thank you so much!" She smiled, following all the way back to where they found the two adventurers.

Kyanna had a firm grip on her staff and grimoire, and Eva's question made her blink, confused for a moment before realizing what did she meant.

"It was... A strange, red string." She said. "It was connected on me and went all the way to those two, and I felt like something was off..." Kyanna admitted.

"... There are other ways though." Kyanna said, looking down at a shrub, kneeling next to it and trailing her fingers on each leaf, muttering something, pausing as if listening before nodding and muttering back, giving one last caress on the shrub before standing up.

"Those two were running away from that direction, so we could start looking there." Kyanna said, gesturing at a general direction before starting to move.

The Time is Ticking

Eva and Kyanna must find the two adventurers before it is too late, and Gnolls are known for hardly keeping prisoners for too long. They may make Expertise Checks, Masteries Checks, or a combination of both to help to contribute the 'search' roll. Along with the 'search' roll, the quality of their roll on each cycle can cause complications.

The longer the duo takes to find them, the higher are the chances of finding the adventurers dead. The chance increases according to the combined rolls on each cycle.

• 1 to 40 - Your search is being a disaster, increases death chance by 20%
• 41 to 60 - Your search is being way too slow, increases death chance by 15%
• 61 to 80 - Your search is being slow, increases death chance by 10%
• 81 to 100 - Your search isn't being as fast as it should, increasin death chance by 5%
• 101 to 120 - Your search is being decent enough, increases death chance by 3%
• 121+ - Your search is being successful, increases the death chance by 1%

[ 0/300 ]

Initial Death Chance: 15%

@Eva (Make a Playsheet, it can be changed after this challenge)

 

[Eva]

"It was connected on me and went all the way to those two, and I felt like something was off..." Eva certainly didn't see any of it, and the current situation was too important to stop and ask the girl further, so she took note mentally of this weird occasion.

"Those two were running away from that direction, so we could start looking there." It was established that Kyanna wields the power of Nature Magic which also enables her to communicate with nature itself. That might help a lot with the search. "Right," the woman started to inspect the surroundings.

The earlier pair was a smaller woman and quite a big man. One of the footprints scattered around the muddy soil was medium-sized, yet the track was quite deep. It definitely belonged to the dynamism user of the group, Eva concluded. "This one is a different person, the size and the profile of the footprint didn't match either of the adventurers we encountered." The inventor knelt, inspecting the tracks as she called the fungimancer to show the important clue she just found.

"This one most likely was using Dynamism trying to escape."

It led deeper into the forest, but now at least they know which way to go. "Let's follow this way, Kyanna." She motioned the girl to follow her as she made her way following the footprints.

Rolls

Expertise Check
1d100 (97) + 20 = 117
Knowledge | Eva | 1605

[ 117/300 ]
Death Chance: 18%

Play Sheet
@Kyanna Wynne

 

[Kyanna Wynne]

109 / 120

-11 HP from Corruption
+51 Buff (3/3) - Start Ticking next Cycle
Vulnerable

Kyanna looked at Eva, rather impressed at her ability to quickly figure out the general occurrence of a potential chase.

She nodded at every bit of information, "So these two are the other pair..." Kyanna muttered, holding on her staff tightly, rushing along with Eva and trying to follow the tracks as precisely as possible, until she paused, noticing marks of cuts on trees and burned grass.

Quickly, she approached the spot, squinting at it and gently resting a hand, with her magical tact on the burned grass.

"... It was a spell... So there was a fight in here..." Kyanna looked up at the cut on the tree, and her hand release a layer of fungi, that coated the area to try and make out the shape of the cut. "It... It is similar to the one on that guy--" Her lips pursed, taking another step across the tree and noticing a spatter of blood on a partially crushed shrub, with a faint trail following past it.

"... Maybe... Maybe they fell here?" She frowned, feeling a sting when the layer of fungi ripped off from her hand, shifting her gaze between Eva and the shrug, before darting off to follow the trail.

Rolls

(P) Corruption | D | Kyanna Wynne
Lose 11 HP. Gain the roll result as extra modifier. If roll result is even, no damage.

Power Buff
2d100 (71 + 17) + [50] + 10 + 5 = 153 / 3
+51 extra damage to @Kyanna Wynne for 3 attacks
You are Vulnerable.
Nature Magic | Kyanna Wynne | Naive Thread

Expertise Check
1d100 (83) + 10 + 11 = 104
Awareness | Kyanna Wynne | Naive Thread

(BA) Assist | Nature Magic C | Kyanna Wynne
@Eva gains 5 extra modifier to their check or contribution roll.

The Time is Ticking

Eva and Kyanna must find the two adventurers before it is too late, and Gnolls are known for hardly keeping prisoners for too long. They may make Expertise Checks, Masteries Checks, or a combination of both to help to contribute the 'search' roll. Along with the 'search' roll, the quality of their roll on each cycle can cause complications.

The longer the duo takes to find them, the higher are the chances of finding the adventurers dead. The chance increases according to the combined rolls on each cycle.

• 1 to 40 - Your search is being a disaster, increases death chance by 20%
• 41 to 60 - Your search is being way too slow, increases death chance by 15%
• 61 to 80 - Your search is being slow, increases death chance by 10%
• 81 to 100 - Your search isn't being as fast as it should, increasin death chance by 5%
• 101 to 120 - Your search is being decent enough, increases death chance by 3%
• 121+ - Your search is being successful, increases the death chance by 1%

[ 221/300 ]

Initial Death Chance: 21%

Play Sheet

 

[Eva]

Kyanna with her affinity toward nature noticed a similar cut on a nearby tree. "It... It is similar to the one on that guy--"

"Also a snapped arrow, here." The tip was broken, but there were traces of venom dripping down the arrow shaft. Eva quickly took a sample of it with her vials, before commenting. "I have enough samples to begin synthesizing a makeshift antidote. It will take time, though."

The cut on the tree, and the arrow. The gnolls were utilizing different kinds of weapons to ambush the party. Makes sense, since they're born hunters. But so far nothing indicated how many were there, as there were no tracks left by the hunting party somehow. Experts?

"... Maybe... Maybe they fell here?"

"Wait up, Kyanna. Let me go first." Eva stopped her, before readying her wrist-crossbows, both fists aimed forwards as she walked past the shrub, following the fresh trail of blood. The pair of adventurers couldn't be much further.

Rolls

Heal
2d20 (6 + 15) + 10 + 5 = 36 (0 explosions)
+36 HP to @Kyanna Wynne (no overheal)
Alchemy | Eva | Naive Thread

Expertise Check
1d100 (68) + 20 + 5 = 93
Knowledge | Eva | Naive Thread

[ 314/300 ]
Death Chance: 26%

Play Sheet
@Kyanna Wynne

 

[Kyanna Wynne]

120 / 120

+36 HP from Eva
+51 Buff (3/3) - Start Ticking this Cycle
Vulnerable

Kyanna shifted her glance to Eva as she rushed forward, claiming the lead immediately after Kyanna had hurried to follow the trails.

Eva's words ran through her mind, with the hint of hope being enough to make her move faster, determined while muttering another spell, with a mist hovering closer to the white haired woman, empowering her senses and skills.

"If we had these antidotes, we could protect ourselves from the venom now, but--"

"AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGHHH!"

Kyanna nearly stumbled at the sudden, horrified scream. Her heart froze, and she turned quickly to look to another direction, averting from the trail. "It... It came from there-" Her lips pursed, and she glanced at Eva.

Rolls

Power Buff
2d100 (10 + 67) + [50] + 10 + 5 = 142 / 3
+48 extra damage to @Eva for 3 attacks
You are Vulnerable.
Nature Magic | Kyanna Wynne | Naive Thread

(BA) Assist | Nature Magic C | Kyanna Wynne
@Eva gains 5 extra modifier to their check or contribution roll.

An Unexpected Call

Eva and Kyanna may chase toward the sound, or to continue to follow the trail, however... If they chase the sound they must make a DC 60 Knowledge Check. If they decide to continue to follow the trail, they must make a DC 60 Awereness Check.

If one of them fail, the next challenge will be at a minor disadvantage. If both of them fail, the next challenge will be at great disadvantage, along with penalties to who fail.

@Eva (Of course, you decide the course of action)
Play Sheet