The Hunting Grounds IV: Drops Contain 0% RNG

[Recaiden]

"That's right." Anchor nods when Karl points towards the noise. Anything that loud must be pretty confident it can win a fight.

The summoner is doing a great job of making himself seem vulnerable, and soon has the monster's attention - it glimpses him between the trees; there's just time to see a vast eye with a slitted pupil before it vanishes into the treetops. The monster is hunting for them even as they're hunting for it.
Continuing to act like bait might lure it out.

Anchor moves away, gives Karl some space to look vulnerable in. If he really is doing so on purpose, she might spoil the effect.

[Zefir]

[Forest]

Karl continues on his path. He sure is ready to be attacked, but avoids appearing so. As they go deeper into the woods Karl will often trn around when he heares noise and the fact that Anchor is a bit away also makes things hard.

Look at that monsters. there is a tourist in the hunting grounds. Let's have a bite?

[Recaiden]

At least one monsters decides that Karl looks edible enough, and springs towards him from the undergrowth with a snarl.

As one might have guessed from the roar, it looks something like a lion, but with three faces emerging from its mane and not just one, each blind and dominated by an implausibly huge toothy mouth. Instead, the monster has eyes on its shoulders, sides, even its tail. And it does try to knock Karl to the ground and take a bit out of him, just like he was tempting it to.

[Zefir]

[Forest]
(Sorry for the delay)

As the beast jumps out of his hiding spot onto Karl it jumps right into a green sphere and should be blocked. Out of Karl's pocket peeks the little Carbuncle with a smile obviously done his job well.

"Now would be a good time to attack." Karl sas loud, but also has the feeling that this monster one you can't take by suprise.

[Recaiden]

((No problem. I'm not the fastest myself.))

The monster crashes into the blocking sphere and snarls with frustration. Karl had seemed so vulnerable and edible! It paces around, looking for a weakness in Carbuncle's protection. Anchor, some distance away in the trees, does find this a good time to attack, and shoots for the beast's heart. The monster just blinks an eye and the bullet dissolves in midair, splashing harmlessly to the ground.

"Trying!"

[Zefir]

[Forest]

The sphere will trun invisible by the bare eye after the monster got some distance. Carbuncle is a mighty summon and it can keep things up, especially when the barrier isn't in use.
Karl on the other hand is extremly worried. The creature can disolve arrows? It seems to be stronger than he thought and even trickier. He will try to face it all the time.

"I need a bit to create more distraction if that is what you need." Karl says and srarts making a circle on his hand. He appears calm and concentrated even if sweat runs down his face.

[Recaiden]

The beast rushes at Carl again, attempting to break through the sphere with strength alone.
Probably that doesn't work and it crashes off carbuncle's shield again. But it had to try.

Anchor shoots at the monster again, twice in quick succession, if not as carefully aimed. But the result is the same; both shots dissolve. Karl might notice that the beast flicked two of its eyes towards the incoming attack. If they hit it with a lot of little things at once, that could create an opening for a real attack to get through. The task of creating enough simultaneous projectiles that the beast feels threatened by is left to the hunter's ingenuity.

[Zefir]

[Forest]

The shield holds. It won't do it forever, but right now it should Keep things up.
It's good to notice how this thing works so let's see if this thing can handle meele as well. Karl is ready and presses his hand into the ground creating a circle. A few moments later skeleton hands appear at the edge of the circly and try to climb out of it. When the first one is out it helps the next one and so on.The beast can attack them wheneverr ti wants. if not they will stand ready 6 Skeletons two with lance and shield, two with sword and schield and 2 with helebards.

"Do you have anything to shut down his eyes all at one or maybe blind them?"

[Recaiden]

The beast growls its frustration at being unable to pass the shield, but it realizes that isn't working. It will need to try-
Huh. Skeletons. Skeletons are not nearly as good to eat as living prey, but...
After two of the bonies have appeared out of the circle, the beast springs towards them, trying to use two of its mouths to hold the weapons at bay while with the third it chomps down on some arm bones.

This gives Anchor some time. She slings the useless gun away and flips open her spellbook.

Her voice echoes between the trees as she speaks the unhearable final magic word p̢̢̻̩͐̄ͤ ͦ̓ͩ̀͏̠s̎͐ͤ͂͏̰͎͚̰͙̜͖ ̴̶̼̣̣͉̔͞l̝̝͖̹̗͍̎͛ͨ̕͝, and the monster shrieks a cry of pain and shuts all its eyes for a second or two, lashing its tail frantically.

[Zefir]

[Forest]

The beast will be able to grab the weapons and bite some bones. The skeletons are fairly weak, but they have other specialities. For example their numers Since the first Skeletons wait for the regeneration to start so they got their arms back, the others will start attacking. Each of them tries to poke one of the closed eyes.

Karl in that time remains silent. it's still hard to have two summons up.

[Recaiden]

As the monster tears into the skeletons (and it will keep attacking, crunching up as many bones as it can get ahold of), they poke out its eyes! Some of them. One skeleton isn't quite fast enough, and the eye flickers open before it can be cut, at which time it tries to dissolve the offending halberd just like it did to Anchor's shots.

Speaking of which, she's casting another spell - and with nothing around to interrupt her, the monster's tail catches fire. It seems fairly alarmed by this.

[Zefir]

[Forest]

At this point the first skeleton attack by the creature disapears. t needed to get back on his realm after the massive damage. Also their helebards disapear, I wonder where they end or are they 'destroey'? Either way the skeletons continueeven without their weapons and the other skeletons made it through as well. They just use their hands that might do the trick for posking out eyes.

[Recaiden]

Well, the monster certainly hoped that the halberds would be destroyed.

With the skeletons clawing at its eyes and now nearly blind, the fire proceeding up it's back, the monster tries to flee!
With a roar it twists away from the skeletons and tries to spring away and around a tree.

Anchor speaks another word of power, shorter and easier to hear, but no more comprehensible, and the monster stumbles and crashes into the tree, hopefully giving Karl and the skeletons time to catch up.

[Zefir]

Okay, helebard got destroyed. Wasn't just sure if he teleports them away like some famouse ninja with his eye ability or if it's more like an ray shooting eye.

The skeletons are untypical fast, mostly like a normal human. they should catch up fast and even those with wepons might get close enougth. The weaponless will continuse to attack with their claws, throwing themself against the beast while the others with their weapon go for the feets to criple it.

[Recaiden]

Anchor pauses by Karl.
"You're alright? Shield held up?"

Now, I don't know about famous ninjas, but it is much more of an eye-ray.
The monster was quick at first, but with the spell tripping it up, the skeletons quickly catch it. Pierced with lances and claws, it collapses, dying.

[Zefir]

[Forest]

"Sure thing." he replies "Next time I want to be NOT the bait." which is totally understandable seeing that he appears very exhausted. the shield even fades a bit away as things seem to be safe.

The skeletons stay guard and ready, thought the damages once and the weaponless disapear. Which makes 3 left (maybe 4).

"So....what#s next? do we deliver this thing to the base or dismantle it first."

[Recaiden]

"Good work. Sure, next time I'll be the bait." Anchor agrees with a grin. She snaps her spellbook shut and strolls over to the fallen beast.
"Back to town, I think. Butchering it here would just be asking for trouble from scavengers." She nods to the skeletons; they're going to help her carry it, right?

Now they just have to make it out of the forest with their kill without anything going wrong.

[Zefir]

[Forest]

Yeah, it would be nicer since he could got for his other summonings if he's not on total defence. He nods to the skeletons which will assist in carry the body. Don't think they are super strong, they are just as Strong as a human of their size.

Karl follows along as well, his eyes open for any other thread. He wipes of the sweat, his shield gone.

[Recaiden]

Karl might feel like someone's watching them, but there's no indication who or where, and no attack comes.

They trudge back to Huntside with their prize, where it can be delivered to the sort of people who value a dead 3-headed beholder-lion.
Would Karl like one of its heads on a plaque? A monster-fur coat? A necklace of teeth that disintegrates incoming bullets? A ground-lion-and-processed-cheese-product sandwich (he'll have to take that one since Anchor can't eat cheese)?

[Zefir]

[Forest]

Karl will look around worried, but say nothing. At best it won't strike if they keep calm. when they arrive at the safe city he tries to reach Anchor. "Something watched us as we departed." he says trying to heek a low profile. "I couldn't see anything, but I think we will meet it again if we go out."

The cloak sounds nice to him but he is confused. Why should the teeth do the same job as the eyes? On another note he won't go for the sandwitch. he preferes non magical meat. You never know what's happening if you consume a beast. So if possible he takes the coat and the necklace(if he can take more)
"Best we sell the rest and buy some supplies."

[Recaiden]

Anchor nods. "I felt it too. We're safe here in town, but we'll have to be careful not to get taken by surprise when we leave."

The necklace works because of magic. The teeth symbolically represent the whole beast, including its eye-powers.
Karl gets the cloak and necklace; Anchor a similar ornament (it had a lot of teeth; there are still plenty left afterwards); the rest of the monster is sold off. Meat to the cooks, organs to the witch doctor, bones to whoever wants the bones of monsters (artists? Necromancers?). It wasn't a truly lucrative kill like a dragon or giant dinosaur, but he should still be able to get a fair amount of supplies in exchange. What does he need?

[Zefir]

[Huntside Marketplace]

The bones can be used for armor or weapons.
What he will first need is normal adventurer stuff, backpack, rope, flint etc. Nothing ordinary. if there is enougth left he looks out for healing equipment like First Aid Kit or potions And for some poisons which you can lay on the skeletons claws and weapons, He doesn't need weapons for himself. Armor is adifferent thing he will look for a light one like leather or a chainshirt nothing that lowers his mobility. Guess magical costs to much to get a hold of.

Oh and bevor I forget it, he will look for summoning formulars. best to have a goal for the hunt.

After the shopping tour he goes back to Anchor.
"We should rest any maybe try to hunt that thing down, even thought i don#t have any idea what it is."

[Recaiden]

Magic does tend to be expensive, if not always. He'll probably want to settle for a mundane first aid kit.

I doubt he'll find any other summoners like him. But there are people here who do some sorts of summoning: mostly of animals.
((I'm not quite sure what you mean by formulas?))

Karl will find Anchor hanging just outside the north gate, practicing conjuring fire.
"Well, it didn't seem in any hurry to hunt us down. Guess it'll have to be us."

[Zefir]

[Huntside Marketplace]

Summonings happen in amyn different ways. In some you make finger signs others need ritual circle etc. The way to summon a specific type of creature is a formula. It may be a scroll with propper instructions or a person that can get you in contact with creatures that like to get summond.

"I am a bit worried. Any 'beast' that can hold back may be strong and smart enougth to be a problem. Any idea how we can get it?"

[Recaiden]

Ah, okay.

One of the druids offer to introduce Karl to a Hunt-spirit if he brings back a trophy from a monster he killed with his own two hands. Which means his summons can help him, but they can't hurt the beast. And Anchor suggests, "My sister got a set of summoning cards from the Cloaked Man. If we can find her - probably up in the mountains - we might be able to get you a copy."

As for what was stalking them, "Hmm. If it followed us back to town but didn't strike even while we were tired and carrying that kill, it's probably waiting for a sure thing. We'll need better bait than we had before, a real trap, to get it to show itself. I mean, you were a great decoy, but it'll have to think there's no chance of anyone fighting back."

[Zefir]

Ah, okay.

One of the druids offer to introduce Karl to a Hunt-spirit if he brings back a trophy from a monster he killed with his own two hands. Which means his summons can help him, but they can't hurt the beast. And Anchor suggests, "My sister got a set of summoning cards from the Cloaked Man. If we can find her - probably up in the mountains - we might be able to get you a copy."

As for what was stalking them, "Hmm. If it followed us back to town but didn't strike even while we were tired and carrying that kill, it's probably waiting for a sure thing. We'll need better bait than we had before, a real trap, to get it to show itself. I mean, you were a great decoy, but it'll have to think there's no chance of anyone fighting back."

[Huntside Marketplace]

The offer sounds nice. He got an idea how to get it and hopes it will work.

"Sounds good. " Karl says "What kind of bait would you suggest? The female in need is not available."

[Recaiden]

"Well, depends on the need."
"Actually that's an idea! I can pretend to be in distress. You can summon something to fake attacking me. I'll chase through the woods, seemingly losing the gun, and when I'm on the ropes, maybe the monster will attack. Actually being distracted by another danger is better than just being weighed down, for looking vulnerable."
Anchor suggests, smiling.
"What do you think? Do you have something that looks more fearsome than those skeletons?"

[Zefir]

[Huntside Marketplace]

"Sure, but not today. I need rest." Karl replies. "One big summon and the small one at the same time exhaust me."

[Recaiden]

Anchor suddenly looks tired, as though Karl reminded her that yes, fighting monsters does wear a person out.
"Good idea. Although that one might be gone by tomorrow, there'll never not be monsters to hunt."
"Let's head back to GLoG?"

[Zefir]

[Huntside Marketplace]

"Oh ehh yeah okay." Karl says a bit confused. "I thought we stay here. I mean it's not like GloG is around the corner even with those train things."