Sea of Stars - IC III

[Leon]

++Should be able to fine tune the Auspexes to filter out out the smaller signals and reduce signal clutter++
++I shall calibrate on mine and patch from there++

[Haval]

To Ravia, 'I would appreciate that.' Anika hands her auspex over. 'Either it needs maintenance or there's a lot more going on in this forest then I was expecting.'

As they moved into the forest, 'If I wasn't able to call for help I would wonder how easy it would be to get lost out here.' She will kneel down to see if the ground consisted of anything more then dried blood. 'Don't large animals usually have a den? Presumably they have to sleep somewhere.'

Spoiler: ooc

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Scrutiny vs. Per 43
(1d100)[94]

[PotatoGolem]

Macharius reflexively returns the sign of Aquila.

Splendid! He unsheathed his power sword. Might be a bit unsporting to hunt them with the hammer, what? Besides, it doesn't leave much for a trophy, hoho!

How long after you started hunting them did you see the apparitions for the first time?

[Blarghy]

"Lord-Captain Jonell Lord-Captain mentioned a cave system mentioned, but he did not did not he did did not find any giants find," Kennoch remembered thoughtfully. "It could still could be worth be a second look second. Or we could we could hunt the regular boars regular. See if their if their ghostly guardians arrive ghostly."

[Haval]

"Lord-Captain Jonell Lord-Captain mentioned a cave system mentioned, but he did not did not he did did not find any giants find," Kennoch remembered thoughtfully. "It could still could be worth be a second look second. Or we could we could hunt the regular boars regular. See if their if their ghostly guardians arrive ghostly."

'Well I'd say Captain Jonell didn't know what he was looking for, but on the other hand neither do we yet.'

'How would we go about hunting boars anyway? I seem to remember hearing something about game trails.'

[Destro_Yersul]

While the rest of the group talked, Ravia was tinkering with the auspex. It took a little doing, but she was able to convince the machine spirit to ignore any lifesigns that were too small to be what they were looking for, which cut down drastically on the number of signals it was trying to work with. There were still a few ghosts, here and there - probably the chameleonic tree cats Echo had seen in the past.

"We think they live mostly in the caves. Not sure what's been causing them to come up more." Mikael shrugged.

Anika's investigation of the dirt didn't turn up much. She wasn't sure exactly what to be looking for, which didn't help. The forest was dense, but the undergrowth wasn't like a jungle, and it was hard to spot the trails before Mikael pointed them out. "Caves are this way."

Moving through the trees, the ground started sloping slowly upwards. There were more rocks on the ground, and through the trees ahead they caught glimpses of a dark opening in the ground, surrounded by moss-covered boulders. In front of the cavern, a large boar was rooting through the dirt. It didn't seem to have noticed them yet, or perhaps it didn't care.

[Haval]

"We think they live mostly in the caves. Not sure what's been causing them to come up more." Mikael shrugged.

'Perhaps something changed in their living situation?'

At the sight of the boar, 'It seems a shame to kill it when it's not bothering us. This would be why I never developed a taste for hunting.'

[Leon]

'Perhaps something changed in their living situation?'

++Hopefully the Boars haven't been digging and unearthed an Eldar artifact++

[Haval]

++Hopefully the Boars haven't been digging and unearthed an Eldar artifact++

'They did get around, but I'd like to think we would have seen some sign of Eldar presence before now.'

[rax]

"Are there likely to be more than that one inside the cave?" Hannabel pointed to the boar and asked Mikael. "Seems like we could take it down if we wanted to, but if that makes an angry horde of giant pigs come pouring out of their den, we won't be any closer to getting inside to investigate."

[Blarghy]

Even this one looks rather large to me... Kennoch thought to himself with mild concern. He yet again wished they had some vehicles, so that he could take better cover. These trees seemed all too thin, suddenly.

"Are they are perceptive creatures creatures?" he asked quietly. "Infiltrating their burrows burrows their burrows could be risky could be. Perhaps it's better perhaps to fight them to fight out here here. Use the cave use as a choke point choke. Or perhaps or we could send send a servo-skull a."

[Haval]

Even this one looks rather large to me... Kennoch thought to himself with mild concern. He yet again wished they had some vehicles, so that he could take better cover. These trees seemed all too thin, suddenly.

"Are they are perceptive creatures creatures?" he asked quietly. "Infiltrating their burrows burrows their burrows could be risky could be. Perhaps it's better perhaps to fight them to fight out here here. Use the cave use as a choke point choke. Or perhaps or we could send send a servo-skull a."

'If we have a spare perhaps. If there's a lot of those things underground I'd expect it might be hard to get in without being noticed.'

[Destro_Yersul]

"They don't normally have to be. I don't think much of the local wildlife bothers them." Mikael had lowered his voice. Beyond, the boar continued snuffling through the dirt. They were presently downwind, in as much as wind could penetrate the thickness of the forest here, but if the winds changed the beast would probably smell them.

"Good odds there's more in the cave."

[PotatoGolem]

Macharius chuckles. The point in hunting is to take them down, not avoid them! If they all come charging out, it just adds to the challenge!

With that, he snaps the helmet down on his head and charges the boar, lunging at it with his power sword. Have at you, beast!

Spoiler: OOC

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Charge! Although maybe we need to roll initiative first, dunno.

(1d100)[68] vs 71, damage (1d10+11)[21], Pen 5. Blademaster re-roll if I miss: (1d100)[87] vs 71.

[Haval]

Anika can only roll her eyes at that. 'At least wait till it's back is turned.' She'll try to get out of the way of the thing if it tries to run through Macharius.

[rax]

"Well, at least he's having fun," Hannabel says with a shrug.

Having no intention of taking on one the great beasts in hand-to-hand combat, she moves to where she can get a clear shot at anything emerging from the cave while still remaining in cover.

[Blarghy]

"Oh oh oh oh!" Kennoch quietly exclaimed, a little surprised by the Captain's suddenness. His Hellpistol warmed to life, and if anything even remained of the animal after being skewered with such an advanced weapon, he was prepared to finish the job.

Spoiler

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If the poor thing is still alive,
To hit (65): (1d100)[35]
Damage: (1d10+4)[12]

MIU Weapon Interface (65): (1d100)[78]
Damage: (1d10+4)[8]

[Destro_Yersul]

Bursting from cover, Macharius charged forwards and skewered the boar with his sword. The beast's hide was incredibly tough, and even the power weapon seemed to be struggling to bite through it. The boar squealled in pain, thrashing about and pulling away from Macharius. Kennoch managed to get a shot off, but only grazed it. Somehow it was still standing, and it turned and made to run for the cave, whatever survival instincts it possessed telling it that it was no match for these foes alone.

[PotatoGolem]

Come now, where's your fighting spirit?! As the boar turned to flee, Macharius drove forward, putting all his weight behind a precise thrust at the wound he had caused it.

Expected rather more ferocity from these things, what? All that size and tusks and all it does is try to flee. He sounded slightly disappointed.

[Haval]

'In fairness I'd say that the chance of someone attacking them with a sword out here is limited.'

[Leon]

++It expected to be the one goring, not being gored++

[Blarghy]

"The beast seemed beast the beast far more durable more than I imagined I imagined," Kennoch murmured, still a bit concerned. "But perhaps perhaps there is opportunity there is in their toughness in..." He glanced to Ravia.

"In any case any, do we advance inside do we, or let them let them come to us to us to us to us?"

[Haval]

'I suppose if Macharius wants to go first. Perhaps we could lure them out given time, but I don't there's any reason to hang about.'

[Destro_Yersul]

Macharius managed to catch the boar a backswing before it could get too far, and the best crashed to the ground dead. Macharius must have hit something important.

Mikael thumbed his palm and crept closer to the boar, prodding the corpse with the barrel of his rifle. "Y'see? Harder to kill than they look. Probably more'a them in the cave."

[PotatoGolem]

They do seem rather more sturdy than one would expect from a pig. Perhaps they actually can be hunted with the hammer, hoho!

He looks over at Mikael. How many of them congregate together? Hunting them in their lair could be entertaining, but im not sure how i feel about fighting 40 of the blighters, what!

[Haval]

'We could send a servo skull down there to see if any of the pigs object. We'd just need strap a camera to it first.'