[OP - F2][MM] Bloodhounds

[Plot Master 0]

Distant thunder murmured overhead, as if even some higher digital power recognized the somber mood. Lessa gritted her teeth, lengthening her stride without conscious thought to it. Whether it was the need to beat the storm, or her desire to find Wyson, her brisk walk was drifting toward a true jog. She would need to slow down, she knew, as she drew closer to the location marked on her map. This was the place where a high-powered player reported bumping into the player killer, but thinking little of it as he went on his way. Player killers were certainly no fan favorite, but they were not uncommon this late in the game either. Now, he was furious with himself for letting the mass murderer go. Lessa could understand.

A cool wind rustled the leaves, and sent shivers racing down her spine. You couldn't have given us some sun while we hunted a madman? But rather than brooding, she glanced over her shoulder at the her followers. The small army had swelled to nearly a dozen, which was truthfully more than Lessa could have hoped for. Furthermore, the men and women were a mix of friends and new acquaintances, all of whom looked like they could hold their own. That would be important in the hours to come.

A tremor ran through her, though whether it was from the anticipation or the cold, she could not tell. Or perhaps it was simply the eerie calm before the storm. "I think it's going to rain soon," she mused aloud. "Let's see if we can get this done before then."

Spoiler

Welcome to the second stage of the Mysterious Murders event.

• Anyone who wishes to participate may do so, but if you post here, you may not join the companion thread, hosted by Aereth.
• While there is no event-wide word count requirement, you must exceed 150 words, per site rules.
• Please be sure to follow the specific prompt given in each Plot Master post. The expectations per cycle may change each time!
• You may bring along a NPC companion, if you would like, but they will not receive extra actions/posts/votes.
• It is recommended that you follow the thread, to avoid missing any updates!
• Don't forget to chat in the Mysterious Murders discord channel. That is the best place for scheming.
• Do not allow your own drama (in character or out of it) to drive the event off-course. While we hope you undergo some character development here, be careful not to ruin anyone else's experience in the process.
• If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Lessa!

In this cycle...

• Lessa leads a group deep into the second floor, to the reported last sighting of Wyson.
• Use this time to talk with your groupmates, and get to know them better. Perhaps speculate as to what is going on.
• You may post as often as you want in this cycle, but you must ensure that at least three people have posted since your last. This is meant to avoid spamming.
• The next post will be made approximately 48 hours from this point, or whenever everyone has posted at least once (whichever comes first).
• Click here for inspiration.

| The First Meeting |

@Aereth @Hestia @Baldur @Fae @Vigilon @Krysta @Jomei @Morgenstern @Seul @Blood @Ruby

Edited June 24, 2018 by Plot Master

[Vigilon 0]

Vigilon followed Lessa as he began to dwell on the matter at hand. He was helping to seek out the enemy, from what he could guess. The weather was almost stormy, and it was getting colder, the wind chilling Vigilon almost to his bones. Man, was he going to need something to keep him warm eventually. Thunder rumbled, and Vigilon refused to take the somber air that hung as a bad omen. His friend, Kanari_Kakaze, who had arrived late, having to wait at the second floor, rather than meet Vigilon at the first floor, saw his serious expression. "What's got you all looking like that, Alex?" "I'm not sure. I've got a bad feeling about all this, but I don't want it to get to me, that's all." Kanari stretched as she followed Vigilon close by, and pulled out the weapon from her back. "Does the sight of this bad boy make you feel more secure?" Vigilon looked to see Kanari's scythe. "Oddly enough, no, I'm afraid not." Kanari sighed. "Worth a try." She returned the weapon to her back. Vigilon remembered her well, since he knew her from real life. She had yellow blonde hair, green eyes, a light armor overcoat that had a stormy design on it, and yes, her weapon of choice was a scythe. Vigilon had really been thinking about the potential outcome of all this. He could only hope that there will be victory in the end, and that he could get these negative outcomes out of his head. He knew he had to do what must be done...so why all this dread? Lessa said that she believed it was going to rain soon. Thunder rumbled again. Maybe starting conversation with Krysta could possibly make things better. "Hey, Jewel, are...are you handling the scenery and anticipation well?" Man, that felt stupid to ask right after he said it. Maybe he actually was dreading the future.

@Krysta

[Krysta 0]

Krysta had set out to seek out a mass murderer and bring him to justice...but the trip had a rather somber mood, and was filled with dread. Thundering clouds hung in the air, and bone-chilling winds blew. From the conversations Kanari and Vigilon were having, it seemed that Vigilon was feeling a sense of dread as well. It was nice to know that Krysta wasn't the only one feeling dreadful anticipation, but this was the first time she had seen Vigilon seemingly worried with a sense of dread. Thunder rumbled overhead. There would be no peaceful calm before the storm came, that was certain. Lessa said that it might rain soon, so they should see if they could accomplish their mission before then. Vigilon asked Krysta an unusual question. "I'm afraid not...it all seems so dark and dreadful...this all seems so dark...but...maybe the light will break through in the end, and we will bring Wyson to justice."

@Vigilon

[Fae 0]

Fae had pulled her hood over head as the team walked through the forest, just in case it rained as Lessa said it would. The last thing Fae wanted to was to get wet in a storm, it would mess up her hair and everything else. But even if she would have to get wet, it would all be worth to meet Wyson. Outlander and Sharr had went with Aereth, so they had their own assignment to take care of. All Fae had to do was meet the guy. If he seemed cool enough, maybe they could be friends. Fae liked having as many friends as she could at this time. Because right now Fae wasn't exactly the most popular person with a good amount of the players. So making allies was kind of necessary. As they walked, Vigilon, Krysta, and a girl that Fae didn't recognize all seemed to be sharing the same feelings of dread. Fae ran and caught up with them, before skipping beside them. "C'mon guys! There's no need to be worried! With all of us together, we can take down Wyson! Fae believes in all of us as a team!" Fae exclaimed, trying to cheer everyone up before the storm.

@Vigilon @Krysta

[Baldur 0]

Baldur walked alongside Lessa at the head of the group. The weather seemed to getting to many of the people that had come with her to investigate Wyson's last known location. The second floor was not one he had spent a lot of time on, but the storms overhead while infrequent, were not uncommon. There were no true weather patterns in Aincrad, some floors were perpetually winter, some summer, and some had actual seasons. It was a mixed bag, he supposed, based on where that little petri dish of land came from.

He looked back over his shoulders at their rag-tag band of justice seekers and it brought to mind the posses of the old wild west films. The sheriff would wrangle up concerned citizens and bring them along to hunt down the dangerous outlaw. The comparison was almost so good he needed to get Lessa a white cowboy hat.

He wanted to look over his shoulder and reassure them that they would be fine, but what would he say? Don't worry guys, I'm a frontliner, there's no one we could find I'd be worried about fighting one on one? He wasn't some character in an anime or saturday morning cartoon.

[Jomei 0]

The group departed shortly after the meeting on the first floor, with Lessa at the head. What Lessa had informed them on was that Wyson's last seen location was deep on Floor Two. Despite having lived on the outskirts of this floor for half of his time here in Aincrad, Jomei had never been to this far out of Urbus. Where the group walked seemed far from any of the known settlements, and consisted of dense forests and tall mountains. With Lessa's mention of the possibility of impending rain, Jomei's olive eyes rose to the overcast above them, each of the dark clouds nearly bursting with rain. And with the booming rumble of distant thunder reaching their ears, he knew it was only a matter of time before they were caught in a downpour. 

Swiping his hand upwards to summon his menus, Jomei equipped his typical hooded green cloak, which fell into place onto his shoulders. The cool winds that brushed past him picked up the tails of the cloak, causing it to sway gently in the breeze. The group that walked around him was mostly silent, each of the players engaging in their own quiet conversation. The youngest of the players voice peaked over the rest, addressing the entire group with words of encouragement. Her positive attitude sparked a small smile to stretch across Jomei's face

The man looked to his two guildmates, @Hestia and @Ruby, who were both excellent healers. In this worst case scenario, if they ran into any trouble with this Wyson character, or even any enemies that could harm some of the lower leveled players, the two of them would be able to keep them safe no problem. "With this group, I'm not too worried about our mission." he said to the two of them. "How are both of you holding up?" 

[Seul 1]

Worried? Were people here actually feeling scared? They were tracking an alleged criminal, sure, but Seul didn't see this as being any more dangerous than taking on one of the game's quest bosses. Aincrad was only so big and once word spreads even further, the number of places left for Wyson to hide would become limited at best.

The poor weather didn't bother Seul that much. He kind of actually liked the rain. Or at least how the world always felt once a storm had passed. At some point he had drifted toward the back of the group; his walk shifting into a leisurely stroll while listening to the others talk amongst themselves. From what he could tell it was just more of the same being repeated. Unlike at the meeting though he would be a bit more vocal about his feelings on the smear campaign being waged against Wyson.

“You both ( @Fae / @Krysta) make it sound like you're gonna just arrest him on sight without hearing his side of the story…”

Edited June 22, 2018 by Seul

[Blood 0]

"You're going to need to get that costume sorted. You stand out like a bloody pillar, and it doesn't make me feel very good." Blood exclaimed, referring to the sleeveless blue tanktop that he always wore. Not only did it make him stand out, it also didn't provide him with any armor, not that it's a bad thing necessarily, for when the time comes where she has to end his life. When that happens, he'll be such an easy target it won't even take a second. Blood liked to lurk in the shadows, even though she had yet to obtain the sneaking skill that would be crucial for her build. The time would come when she finally finishes her build and allow her plans to come into reality.

"Come on, man. Your appearance really matters sometimes," Michael blurted out, flexing his biceps as he did so, "You ought to let out your face. I'm sure it's not even that bad looking, everyone has their positives, after all, even if you are some sort of psycho." He laughed loudly, holding his stomach as he seemed completely clueless to the quietness of everyone else. Blood sighed, kicking him once again, shutting him up as he realized that Blood was getting a bit frustrated at the amount of talking coming from the buff man. "Fine, you can walk along and do your own thing, I'm gonna go talk to some other people who actually have things to say. I'll be joining you later." Michael said quietly, to Blood's relief, he began to walk faster and further away from her. Blood was honestly getting a bit tired from all this walking, and by slightly looking around, she could see that a lot of people had already decided to leave, and the party was narrowing down. She would probably have left too, if she didn't need to see this individual with her own eyes. Blood clutched the katana by her side, carefully shifting it in case an attack came, but soon released it after realizing that a single player killer will not have the courage to attack the party of more than ten individuals unless he wanted to kill himself.

--------------------

Michael, on the other hand, had no plans to simply stay besides Blood and walk in silence. The only reason that he even stays around the quiet, silent girl is because she is always there, walking slowly and quietly, always observing. She was cunning and a survivalist. If he stayed with her and got on her good side, in addition to proving his worth, he can definitely survive until the end of the game. He was not very intelligent, and he knew that he can be annoying at times, traits that would get one killed in a game like this. There are times, such as this, when he just refuses to associate with Blood because of her weird nature, and he finds her boring at times like this, because she does not open her mouth for casual conversation. Luckily for her, there were other conversations that were going on around him that he can interrupt without much consequence.

Walking up to a brown-haired man talking to a blonde and a child, he began to speak, "Arresting him without hearing his side of the story? What do you think a player killer that sees ten players chasing his butt is gonna do, begin talking? Nah, fam. He gonna pull out whatever the heck weapon he uses, and he gonna spank you with it. He has twenty-seven kills under his belt... so adding a bit to that won't be that hard to him I think." Michael exclaimed, giving a scary, dark face, before lighting up suddenly and giving the three players a grin. "You all don't look that strong. A female, a child, and a skinny lil fella. If you all need a wall or something like that, come behind me. I'll protect you guys from any troubles. Oh and you too, the guy next to the girl." Michael announced with his big hands on his wrist and a huge grin on his face.

@Seul @Fae @Krysta @Vigilon

Edited June 23, 2018 by Blood

[Ruby 0]

Ruby had simple crossed her arms at the comment of the chance of rain, it wasn't like it was going to ruin her hair or clothing, its just Ruby got real grumpy about it as she doesn't like being rained on or being cold. Ruby had just followed up behind Hestia and Jomei being a little more grumpier than usual. However the cheerful comment on the little ones face was enough to get her to roll her eyes, but she was cute for her age so she was willing to give her a pass. Before long though Jomei had turned his back to ask them how they were holding up along with the group they were in, Ruby had blinked her eyes and said to him "As long as no one makes any dumb moves we all should be fine, however if we do fight the guy we are at the mercy of him picking and choosing how he attacks us." then said to him with a bit of a grumpy expression "How do you think I am holding up?"

@Jomei @Hestia

[Baldur 0]

As Baldur walked along with the group, he saw the red head he knew to be Jomei. They had always sort of run in the same circles, but never interacted directly, or at least not much. Baldur figured now would be as good a time as any to approach the ginger. He slowed his step by half a beat and let them catch up to him. Hestia he had come to know, but the one called Ruby... well her name and role as a healer was the extent of his information about her.

"Kon'nichiwa, Jomei-San." he gave the ginger, apparently now a big deal guild leader, a somehow both formal and casual nod of his head. They were walking, so he couldn't bow the appropriate amount of respect, but the head nod he hoped would convey his respect for the man.

"I know we know each other, but I don't know that we've ever been formally introduced one to the other before. All of our mutual friends speak very highly of you, so I thought I would take the chance to get to know you better as well." Baldur nodded to Ruby with only slightly less formality than he had Jomei, "And Kon'nichiwa to you as well, Ruby-chan. I can't remember if I introduced myself at the meeting or not, but I am Baldur, currently solo."

He gave a familiar smile and nod of his head to Hestia.

"From what I can tell, you have a very good crew surrounding you, Jomei. You should be proud of what you have built. It is good to see another veteran back on the frontlines as well."

@Jomei @Hestia @Ruby

[Hestia 0]

I grin a bit as we make our way through the second floor finding myself a bit pumped at the idea of stopping this killer. To put some justice into this game to try and send a message that such death and murder would not be stood for. I then glance back towards the trouble people within the group some person i don't know with a orange cursor, and then the group from the crime guild. I roll my eyes ever so slightly at such a thing since they are far from structured or anything akin to a actual threat in terms of what they could be able to do. I then glance back towards the confirmed killer and slows down ever so slightly to look to this person @Seul. I am willing to hear his side of the story, and if i find out that it is anything that wasn't self defense then i will have no regret locking him up. By the way what is your story even? I've never seen you before in my life, and you have a orange crystal. What reason should we have to trust someone that could be a cold blooded killer. Was your kill in self defense, or was it like that of Oikawa's and in cold blooded murder. I ask the boy curiously as i look towards him before i hear the voice of my guild leader as i look towards Jomei with a bit of a smile.

I'm holding up just fine @Jomei. No weather is going to stop us from taking the first steps of working together to bring Aincrad some actual justice. To show those PKer guilds that all of us won't stand for such behavior and that there is more then just Aereth to worry about in terms of scaring them. I say with a nod of my head as i continue moving forward following the leader that is Lessa as the skies thunder. I just smile seeing it like the game challenging our resolve to continue pushing forward through the ominous scenery and what could await us. I turn to see Baldur talking to my guild leader and smiles a bit seeing the samurai speak rather kindly towards the two from what i can hear. When i get a nod towards me i just give a thumbsup and a smile. It is nice to see you again @Baldur. I say cheerfully towards the samurai.

[Fae 0]

As Fae skipped along, a dark haired player came up and said that it sounded like they would arrest Wyson on sight without even listening to him. "Far from it! Fae wants to get to know Wyson once we find him! We can't judge him so fast. A good amount of killers are nice people! So Fae wants to give him a chance!" Fae responded, looking back up at @Seul with a smile. Fae believed that everyone had at least a little bit of good still in them, so she wanted to give Wyson a chance to explain himself. But then @Hestia started to question the guy with the orange cursor and Fae immediately got upset with this. "Miss Hestia! We don't need to start doubting each other here. We all need to trust each other in this team or things will just fall apart. His orange cursor is his own business, so let's just all be friends and not fight okay?" Fae protested and then went to skipping alongside the orange player. He seemed cool.

A little bit later, another guy (@Blood) showed up and basically told them that Wyson would kill them easily instead of talking, and Fae shook her head when the guy offered his protection. "No mister, Fae still thinks Wyson can be a good guy! People make mistakes and bad choices, so we have to forgive them at some point. Fae just wants to be friends with him!" Fae said, crossing her arms and going back to walking instead of skipping. There were too many people here that didn't even want to give Wyson a chance.

[Ruby 0]

Ruby had looked back forward to this man that had approached them, however speaking... Chinese? Japanese? She can't fully tell which one, even though its a bit embarrassing that she couldn't tell whether it was Japanese or not because of her designing clothing IN Japan but... it had been a while and a lot of things had left Ruby's mind. But before long the man had approached her and greeted her also saying her name, Ruby had blinked a few times a little confused but before long Ruby had grew a somewhat slight smile saying out to him "Well, nice to meet you too, but... how do you know my name?" she had questioned. She had figured that someone in the meeting must've, however she hardly remembers MUCH from the boss raid meeting, she just remembers what tank she was healing. Ruby then looked over to the little kid that had approached Hestia, Ruby had gained a more confused look more than anything and just thought... "Who in their right mind let a kid play this game?"

@Baldur

[Vigilon 0]

Fae came over to try cheering the three players up, although it really didn't do that much good for Vigilon or Kanari, seeing that Vigilon distrusted Fae, knowing what she was deep down, a freshly snapped player waiting for the right moment to commit murder, and that Kanari wasn't exactly feeling dread. "Worried? Pshh, I'm not worried, kiddo! This doesn't change the air of adventure and excitement for me, no, not at all! Besides," She said, pulling out her scythe again. "with this baby, I'm sure I'll be fine." Vigilon decided to go for an honest answer. "Well, I'm trying not to worry...but this is the first time I'm headed for a killer on purpose. I've never hunted down a killer before...but on the bright side, it might as well be good practice..." A player with an orange cursor began to speak of not hearing Wyson's side of the story. Vigilon sighed. "Do realize that we won't be able to hear his side of the story if we're dead, you know." A buff male player came up to the growing conversation, saying they all didn't look very strong. "You know, physical strength doesn't matter as much as the stats do whenever you're outside the safe zone. A seemingly weak player, with the right skills, equipment and numbers, could dish out some dangerous amounts of damage. That being said, the fact that I don't appear very strong means absolutely nothing." Vigilon told him with a smirk on his face. Kanari noticed that the player had not mentioned her at all. "You forget someone, or did you guess I was a strong type by my weapon here?" From what Vigilon was hearing from the conversation, it seemed that Fae would rather befriend the enemy rather than fight him. She claimed that there is a chance he might be a nice person, but to him, it was just another lie from a player who had yet to commit their first illegal kill. Things were going to go downhill in some way at this rate, but Vigilon didn't know when, or even if.

@Krysta @Fae @Blood @Seul

[Krysta 0]

Fae's attempt to brighten things up for Krysta were unsuccessful, for Krysta now distrusted Fae from what Vigilon had told her some time ago. It seemed that Kanari wasn't feeling any dread whatsoever. Krysta began to wonder how on earth Kanari was so spirited, no matter the situation. A player with an orange cursor came and spoke to them, saying that they were going to arrest Wyson without even asking for his side of the story. "Three things: One, we are hunting down a mass murderer who has killed twenty-seven players. Two, even if we did ask, he would probably lie to further his advantage, and I would rather not be two steps behind this fiend. Three, how could I fully trust someone I don't know who bears the mark of the murderer; the orange cursor above his head?" A buff looking male came near, assumed the three players he was looking at weren't very strong. Krysta, honestly, had already had a few...encounters with such people back in the real world. If they weren't trying to show off for her, they were trying to find other means, such as love letters, to try and draw her towards them...it happened so much that she began to avoid them as much as possible...so naturally, she'd prefer to avoid following what this one was asking. "I'd rather stay close to my boyfriend, thank you very much." She said to the buff player as she took hold of Vigilon's left hand, and would be staying close to him as long as the buff player was around. It seemed that, from what Fae was saying, Fae wanted to befriend the murderous fiend... Oh dear...

@Vigilon @Fae @Seul @Blood

[Morgenstern 1]

The blond tank brought up the rear of the pact of players. There was too many people for them to party up together. If they were ambushed by Player Killers, which he assumed was possible seeing as how this Wyson could be a part of Laughing Coffin or another murder guild, they would probably be attacked form behind making Jonathan the first line of defense for the several lower leveled players within their group. He would probably let them do the searching while he made sure nothing was creeping around the corner. He heard many associating with eachother, some meeting for the first time while others were of the same guild. Those players were Hestia's guild known as the Holy Dragon Alliance. He had seen them for the last few boss raids and they seemed to have a structured family going on with their own guild. 

It appeaed while there were some healthy conversations going on, there seemed to be a bit of anger pointed at the orange cursored player of their group, Seul. The words "Three, how could I fully trust someone I don't know who bears the mark of the murderer; the orange cursor above his head?" Jonathan shook his head and spoke up for the man from the back. "That man has fought on several occasions on the frontlines and has helped progress Aincrad. Orange cursor or no, he deserves respect. Pardon my rudeness, but what he has done outstretches three quarters of what anyone else here has done" He smiled. He hardly knew Seul, but was in debt to him for his second most prized possession. It had become Jonathan's treasure. He didn't intend any ill wishes on the girl, but he wasn't going to sit idle while a man he respected was singled out. "The name is Jonathan for anyone who didn't know" 

@Krysta @Vigilon @Seul

[Hestia 0]

I glance towards Morgenstern with a raised eyebrow as i look towards the Ascendants secondary tank. @Morgenstern i have a lot of respect for yourself, but i wouldn't put much stock in what a person has done in the past. It is more important what he has been doing recently that decides if he deserves any respect. For you have no idea like the rest of us what his mental state is at the moment if he has been in isolation. You know what they say about people in isolation? That they usually leave with some kind of mental instability. That is why i said i am willing to hear what Seul has to say for his reason for gaining a orange cursor so i can know if he had murdered a NPC or a player. If it is a player then we all should be scared for ourselves since we don't know if he would backstab someone to try and make a profit off of it. I say towards the players nearby as i gaze towards them then back at the one being talked about @Seul. Also @Fae murderers are not nice people if they do it for the sake of killing another. If they just murder for the sake of knowing they ended a life that should've went on longer. Then they are monsters in disguise of sheep clothing that needs to be meet swiftly by a blade and put into jail where they belong. Sadly we don't have one of those in Aincrad. Though that doesn't mean i haven't been searching for methods of achieving such a thing and the pieces are slowly falling into place for how it can be achieved if i can get the right information. I say towards the girl with a bit of a cold look. So watch your step crime guild member. I say towards the small child before moving forward right next towards my fellow guildmates @Jomei and @Ruby. Giving a kind wave towards the samurai that is nearby also @Baldur.

[Plot Master 0]

Lightning forked across a sky growing darker by the moment. It disappeared as quickly as it had come, but the air still tingled with the power of the natural display. "Yikes," Lessa murmured, shaking her head as a crack of thunder answered her. "This isn't going away, is it?" Frowning, Lessa turned back to address the party as a whole. "Alright, guys," she began, lifting one hand for attention. The large group had drifted into smaller clumps, conversations trailing off as gazes shifted to her. Only when she was sure that she had everyone's attention did she continue. "The weather is getting worse, so for everyone's sake, we're going to try to move this along." There was also a sense of urgency that came with hunting a mass murderer, but the woman figured that went without saying.

"This is just about the last place Wyson was spotted. I don't really think he's still here, but please stay close, especially if you're a lower level. We'll fan out and look for clues." The wind, now holding a sharp bite of cold, whipped through the trees surrounding them. Lessa paused long enough to let it die down, then shoved her tussled hair back, and spoke again. "We've got the trees here, and the base of the mountain over there." She motioned with one hand in each direction, and then pointed to a third. "And there's a river over there. It's all fair game. Just be careful, okay? And holler if you need anything."

Spoiler

In this cycle...

• Spread out to search for clues. 
• Roll a LD. Combine your rolls from post to post.
• Your post will not be counted unless you link to your roll and use the template.
• When the team has reached a combined total of 150, a clue will be located.
• Some rolls will trigger random events, such as natural 1s and 20s.
• If you have ANY of the following, you may add +5 to your roll (these do not stack):
  • ANY skills that increase your loot die roll (such as Searching).
  • ANY items that increase your loot die roll.
  • ANY familiars that increase your loot die roll.
    • Remember, you receive +5 on your roll regardless of rank. You are simply getting a boost for having it.
    • This is applied in place of what your skill/item/familiar would provide you. So if you have a +3 LD skill, and a +3 LD item you would only apply a general +5, one time.
• If you have any questions at all, do not hesitate to contact me.
• You may post twice this round. Do not double post.

Template:

Quote

Post goes here.

LD + Modifier (which one) = Total
[Roll ID Number]
###/150

| The First Meeting |

 

[Lessa 1]

Even as the wind howled, the gargle of water over rock still reigned supreme. It was for that reason that Lessa jogged toward the rushing river, dodging trees as she cut through the forest. If Wyson was as skilled as she suspected, he knew how to hide his trail in the cleansing water. And even if the game's mechanics were not fooled by the trick, some things were simply instinctual. Perhaps he had chosen to splash through the water in an attempt to avoid leaving footprints. At least, she figured it was worth a shot.

Water rushed, fine droplets splashing into the air. Had the sun shone, the spray would have glimmered like diamonds. But instead, the cold breeze caught the colder water, and sent it crashing into Lessa's flushed face. She knelt at the base of the river, fingertips dancing across the scattered pebbles, trying to determine if any clues lurked there. But what was she looking for? A discarded piece of fabric? A stray hair? A disturbed chunk of earth? At the thought, Lessa's lips drew into a tight line. She was no hunter, or tracker, in this world or the other. Was she wasting her time?

13 + 0 = 13
ID# 102008
13/150

[Baldur 0]

Baldur was not all together certain what they were looking for. The game had a tracking feature, but for players they had to be someone you had come into contact with. He wasn't going to leave behind broken branches, and footprints only lasted until you had made enough, then the older ones would disappear. The trail was never very long without the tracking skill.

If only Hirru or Macradon were here. They're trackers.

He thought about sending them a message, but he looked up into the sky and changed his mind. They were out in the middle of no-where on the second floor, and the heavens were about to open up. It would make finding one another very difficult and he wasn't entirely sure where they were to begin with.

Lessa seemed to run off towards the river. It was a good idea. What would he be doing in the forest? The river probably interacted with points of interest. There could be hidden caves along the river. Places for him to lay low. And if he was an orange player, he needed shelter somewhere, since he couldn't get into the towns.

He took his time and just tried to take in the area around him. Looking for landmarks, or anything that stood out.

LD: 14+5 (item) =19
ID#102009
32/150

Edited June 24, 2018 by Baldur