Finding Purpose (Hafnium)

[Tassadar]

Re: Tamonten (Hafnium)

Spoiler

HP = 72, PP = 49, EP = 55, Status = Fine

Tamonten felt her partners breath come in a low gasp against her jewel as she started to touch the feys womanhood with her tongue. The musky scent of her arousal gave way immediately to the taste of warm, sweetened honey as her inexperienced tongue ran along the fey womans nether lips. She felt the womans agile tongue dart against her clitoris several times as Tamonten started pleasuring her in turn, before returning to its alternating teases. Whenever she let the only sensation that she provided to the woman be her breath, the fey bucked and ground her hips against Tamontens face, and whenever she licked against the womans jewel, she moaned aloud into the possessed girls womanhood as her legs began to shake slightly, which only became more powerful as Tamonten sucked on the sensitive nub of flesh.

As she felt her climax building, and began to pay more attention to her partners clitoris, Tamonten felt the womans tongue probing into her depths with every movement, until it found something that made the possessed girl shake with pleasure every time she touched it. Her tongue increased its pace, only pausing when Tamonten sucked on her sensitive clitoris as she moaned lewdly into her work. Whether the woman noticed her movements or not was anyones guess, but as the seconds ticked by and the two ate each other out, the feys movements became increasingly more powerful, and her moans more frequent. It was difficult for her to tell who was closer to reaching their climax, as Tamonten was being pushed closer by the second, but her partner seemed to be enjoying her attention just as much despite her inexperience.

The tipping point came when Tamontens fingers buried themselves into the feys pussy, her soaked flower immediately clenching around her digits. Her partner let out a long, drawn out moan, her tongues work suddenly more desperate but less precise. After another minute of licking her clitoris and pistoning her fingers into the feys womanhood, her moan became a scream, and Tamonten couldn't help but feel a surge of elation as she brought her partner to orgasm first. The fey womans entire body shook uncontrollably, and her womanhood tightened around Tamontens fingers as her juices sprayed out onto the possessed girls face. Her climax seemed to last for nearly a minute, particularly if Tamonten continued pumping her fingers into her moist flower and licking her hardened jewel.

As soon as she had finished her orgasm, the fey went right back to darting her tongue into Tamontens womanhood, licking against her sensitive places, and trying to make her climax in turn.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Tamonten (Hafnium)

The elation at feeling her partner squirm on top of her only pushed the swordswoman on. Pale fingers never stopped pumping at the fey's womanhood and her tongue dutifully continued it's efforts. Fears of inadequacy, inhibitions had all melted away for Tamonten, the act had become plainly enjoyable. She did feel a pang of regret that her blackened hand had lost most of it's manual dexterity, the things she could have tried...

Only after her partner had finished her erratic movements did the inexperienced girl begin to slow down her ministrations. After suppressing the urge to shout victory, and in doing so possibly causing herself to feint from embarrassment, the pale girl became very aware of that skilled tongue at her own womanhood again. The feelings built up in the girl's lithe body. There was no trying about it, unable to resist, and unsure as to why she was holding back in the first place, the inexperienced girl's orgasm was far more intense than anything she had felt before. Waves of pleasure rolled throughout her body as it tensed of it's own accord, trying to hold onto the powerful feelings. She found her hips bucking her crotch against the fey's tongue. Unable to focus on her partner's womanhood through the pleasure, her pale hand somehow ended up clutching at her partner's soft ass. Tamonten's blackened hand grasped roughly at the bed of flowers, a bit more roughly than a normal flower could survive and likely leaving another thing for her to be embarrassed about later. Moans came unbidden from the girl's lips.

The swordswoman's orgasm didn't seem to last as long as her partners had, although any brevity didn't stop it from being intense, but the girl was thankful for that. Tamonten worried that had it drawn on any longer that she might have snapped in half from the tension. Despite the way her muscles had tightened during, the girl found herself incredibly relaxed in the aftermath. She basked in the sights and smells on the flowerbed, mostly those of the fey, so caught up in them that for several moments she had forgotten everything, including the juices that had wet her face. When she recalled them, the swordswoman was filled with a sudden curiosity, and combined with a complete lack of inhibition in the afterglow, the girl gathered some of the fey's juices off her face with a pale finger and took the digit into her mouth, tasting the liquid. Her finger came free of her mouth with an unintended pop, which seemed much louder than it was to herself.

It was with that pop that the girl realized that there was still a world beyond the green beauty. Tamonten blushed again with the realization that somebody could have been listening or watching, but did not say or do anything. Nothing but embarrassment had come from that so far.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Tamonten (Hafnium)

Spoiler

HP = 72, PP = 49, EP = 55, Status = Fine

(60 more corruption for you!)

The fey woman continued gliding her tongue against Tamontens jewel, keeping her in the throes of pleasure for as long as she could, but once she relaxed, the woman withdrew her tongue and let Tamonten relax. As she was wiping up some of the fey womans juices from her face and dipping them into her mouth, the beautiful green woman was climbing off of her and turning about, to lie down next to her. She smiled all the while, and at the popping sound produced when the possessed girls fingers came out of her mouth, she giggled slightly. She wrapped her arms around Tamonten, her warmth pressing against the swordswomans body comfortingly, and she quietly said; "Do not worry.... The flowers will heal. You on the other hand....."

She traced a hand across Tamontens pale flesh until it met where her arm turned black, and she felt the shaking of her limb quiet itself slightly, as her partners fingers danced across her skin. "What happened to you...."

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Tamonten (Hafnium)

The human girl forced herself to maintain her smile after the question, though the smile didn't seem to reach her green eyes any longer. It wasn't something that she was asked often or, indeed, ever before then but she quickly found that it wasn't a subject she wanted to speak of. Still, Tamonten decided after a few seconds pause, she had already been open in so many other ways with the fey. "I don't recall exactly, to be honest." Her voice was more forlorn and serious than it had been before. She spoke truthfully, the incident in the forest had long been gone from her mind, courtesy of her long-time "imaginary" friend.

"I used to be a farm-girl. It wasn't exactly my life's aspiration before this thing happened but I was what I was." The swordswoman raised her blackened hand a little as if to affirm that it was the malady that had caused her life to go off her intended course. She didn't pull the dark limb from the fey's touch, however. "I always wanted to be like my da- father, though." A bit of admiration entered the pale girl's tone at the talk of her father. "He was a skilled swordsman, I used to watch his sword dances every morning before starting my chores." The girl couldn't force her smile any longer at being reminded of the family she had lost when she fled. "One day, on my eighteenth year, we went into town to celebrate the anniversary of my birth..."

She recalled the day in part, her excitement at going into that town. As a small girl the place had seemed so big and wondrous but even a small city would have put it to shame. Then it had all gone black. "It happened suddenly on the ride there. It was like falling into nothingness. I could see nothing but shadows, there was no sound, no smell, nothing to touch. I was so frightened, I tried to call for my father but had no voice." The girl quickly recalled her litany to mind at the memory. Never again, she repeated over and over in her thoughts. "I woke up after what seemed like hours, it turned out it had been days. My father stood over me and I hugged him, never wanting to let him go. I asked what had happened and he whispered the four most frightening words I had ever heard... He told me it wasn't a dream." Tamonten paused, staring into space for a moment.

"An old friend of my father put this manacle on me to fight the thing inside of me. I later learned that my father had saved his life during his days as a soldier." The girl realized that she was having trouble remembering the man's name. She didn't think it mattered much, however. "He recognized it as a demon, it's the only reason I have any idea what afflicted me." And in so many years I haven't learned anything else, the girl reminded herself. "That's the story." As much as I'm willing to talk about it for now, anyway. Tamonten tried to force herself to take a stoic expression, trying not to seem upset by telling the tale. It was a little more convincing than her attempts not to seem embarrassed earlier had been, though it seemed unlikely that the fey would fall for it.

((And lo, through that noblest endeavor that humankind has dreamed of since they first considered the stars and magic, making it with hot green women and magical creatures, Tamonten has suffered the most corruption and temptation. >.>))

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Tamonten (Hafnium)

Spoiler

HP = 72, PP = 49, EP = 55, Status = Fine

The green womans fingers traced against Tamontens skin as she listened to her retell as much of her tale as she could, her previously cheerful expression gone, and replaced by one that was much more convincingly stoic than her own once she'd finished. She rested her head against Tamontens breastbone, her long curly hair tickling the swordswomans skin slightly as the slight breeze caused it to dance against her naked chest. She was never once interrupted, which at least made the telling a little bit easier on her, though reliving the memories was still sufficiently painful that the possessed girl didn't doubt that the fey could see right through her attempt at hiding her feelings. A moment passed, and the fey woman leaning against her cocked her head slightly, continuing to look up into Tamontens eyes, and it appeared as if she was waiting for something. The minutes stretched by, and Tamonten began to feel uncomfortable, but the woman ignored any attempt at communication, and any attempt by her to move out from under the woman would cause her head to fall down into the grass.

After several moments, the woman sighed, and said; "You are not lying." She rose up to her feet, her motions as casually graceful as ever, and held out her hand for Tamonten to take; "I cannot help you. I know of none who can that still reside in this world. But, I do not know everything, so you may have hope for freedom from the demon spirit within you yet."

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Tamonten (Hafnium)

Although uncomfortable, Tamonten decided against disturbing the woman. Her uncertainty grew with each passing second but as the girl was moving to say something the fey hopped up. The girl considered a snarky reply at the assertion that she wasn't lying but decided against giving it voice, she knew that it was born of frustration at the news and at retelling her story. The pale arm moved to accept the offered hand, although the lithe girl was nimble enough in getting up that it wasn't really necessary. It was a kindness that the fey was offering though, the swordswoman recognized, and she wouldn't rudely turn it down.

Once she was on her feet Tamonten ran her hand through her milky white hair, which had become something of a tangled mess between then and her arrival in Artmirst. The girl idly contemplated pulling her lengthy hair into a ponytail in the future but realized that she was only really shying away from the subject of her arm. "Well, it could be worse," the girl started. "At least it's better than hearing that it's definitely impossible." A wry grin formed on her face. "Even if I travel across the world to find there is no true cure, I won't lose to this demon. One way or another, this is the end of the line for it." It even sounded like empty bravado to her own ears, yet at that moment it was what Tamonten truly felt in her heart.

"But I suppose there's no sense dwelling on the matter if there's nothing you can do." The girl continued with sincere sense of confidence in her tone. "I owe you, the satyr, and this place a debt, I think, and I'd like to repay it, Lady..." I still don't know her name, she realized. Tamonten had the sneaking suspicion that it was purposeful but decided not to press things. She was in the middle of thanking the lot for saving her, after all. "Is there anything I can do to assist with things around here? I'm fairly decent with my sword. I won't shy away from manual labor either. Maybe I'll figure something out along the way."

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Tamonten (Hafnium)

Spoiler

HP = 72, PP = 49, EP = 55, Status = Fine

The woman looked at her evenly at Tamontens response after she'd helped her to her feet, but didn't respond to the possessed girls assertion. As she said that she owed them, the fey woman smiled, and said; "Think nothing of it, little snowflake. I know I enjoyed your presence, and I'm pretty sure the boy you met enjoyed it too. In fact, I'm pretty sure that he'd enjoy a lot more of it, if you let him." She turned to her right and started walking away, holding onto Tamontens hand and glancing back at her as she drew away, until the possessed girl followed. Still smiling as she led Tamonten away from where she'd slept, and form the sounds of it, toward running water, the woman continued to speak; "I'm sure we can find something for you to do, but first, I need to return some things... And give you a gift." She pointedly ignored Tamontens pause where her name should have been, and led her through the tall grasses and wild flowers over to a stream.

She stooped down at the waters edge, and withdrew from the small stream Tamontens sheathed sword, her hands staying on the leather wrapping rather than going near to the guard. Despite its source, there was no trace of water on the weapon as she offered Tamonten the sword, holding it crossways with the sheathed blade on the flats of her hands. "This is yours. We cleaned it for you, as the spiders blood would have corroded the blade." She said, and then waited for the swordswoman to reclaim her weapon before crouching back down, continuing; "Your clothes were in pretty rough shape when you got here, so we got together a few things and made you some new ones." She knelt down again, and slowly lifted a silken bundle out of the water, and offered it to her, a tender smile on her face.

(You can pick what it looks like, or you can let me do it. Either way is fine with me. You get your sword back, good as new, and a set of Clothes with +1 DU and +1 AV.)

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Tamonten (Hafnium)

The suddenly blushing girl started to respond to the comment about her presence but couldn't frame a reply before the conversation had moved on. "A gift?" she blurted out with surprise in her voice. The idea seemed almost foreign, given how much time she had spent living in the wilderness. Though, the pale girl allowed herself to be guided towards the stream without resistance.

The swordswoman was glad to see her sword again. It was like a safety blanket, she realized, a very sharp one. Both hands reached out out immediately to accept the sword, though she took the thing from the green woman very gingerly. The great sword was nearly as tall as Tamonten, just under half a foot shorter. The pale girl had to allow the tip of the blade to rest on the ground so that she could inspect it. Tamonten slid several inches of the weapon out of the leather wrapping and admired the work. Her father had always said that each sword had a soul and spoke of how important it was to maintain the blade. Yet, the girl had never given the sword the maintenance it deserved, reasoning that she had already dishonored the soul by "borrowing" the weapon. Perhaps I should change that.

After replacing the blade into the leather scabbard, the girl carefully laid the weapon on the ground. Tamonten accepted the clothes, she was surprised by the quality, they felt so silky. The girl was beginning to wonder if she'd ever be able to repay the fey. "I feel bad for accepting these. I've ended up naked so often that they might not last a day." The swordswoman joked, a grin on her face. But, her expression quickly became serious. "Thank you," Tamonten said, her tone matching her face.

Stuff

Spoiler

For some reason I don't feel like I can come up with looks that fit fey-created clothing (might be all that nudity >.>), so I'll go with you deciding!

Either way, for convenience, Tamonten will get dressed, strap her great sword to her back, replace all her odds and ends (dagger, journal, etc.) if she has them and then follow the fey from there.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Tamonten (Hafnium)

Spoiler

HP = 72, PP = 49, EP = 55, Status = Fine

The blade of her sword seemed to have been cleaned and polished, as no signs of the combat she'd been in of late showed on the portion she peaked at as the green woman retrieved a set of clothing from the water. Like her sword, it showed no signs of being wet, and were handed to her in a loose pile. As she examined the garments, which were a dark green color save for the trim, which was black, she wondered what they might be made of. They had a slight flare at the ankles and wrists, as her old garments had had, and looked as though they would probably be just as easy to fight and move in as her old clothes, if a little more protective and durable. Whatever fabric the loose shirt and pants were made from, it seemed to be naturally those colors rather than died.

The green woman, a poorly hidden look of concern on her face, said; "You do like them, right?" As Tamonten spoke, she adopted a relieved smile, and replied; "Oh, think nothing of it! I'm sure they'll last you quite well, just be sure to take care of yourself! Don't worry about the condition of the clothes."

After Tamonten had dressed herself, the woman said; "The last member of mortalkind who I met called me Jasmine, by the way. You are called Tamonten. I would offer to allow you to stay here as long as you liked, but I know that you are not the type to remain sedentary for long. I know too that you would like to repay us for what you would call our kindness, and there is one I know who might take you up on that. Come! We must be off."

The woman then turned and began leading Tamonten through the flowery meadow, until they passed from it and into the shade of the trees. The fey was still nude, of course, but as they'd already taken care of that particular need, Tamonten was less bothered by that fact. She moved through the woods with an almost alien grace, passing over and through shrubs and grasses without leaving a trace of her passing, and passing through tangled masses of the tree branches without a scratch. She didn't move quickly, at least, and stopped if Tamonten ever needed to rest for a moment, or had trouble getting through anything, which came up when they moved through a patch of thick brambles. Her new garments protected her from the plants thorns, but they still impeded for a moment as they caught on her shoes, and Jasmine grinned at her as the possessed swordswoman cursed her way through the bush.

Eventually, they came upon a circle of massive, ancient looking oaks which circled a small glade with a large stone in the center, on which sat three satyrs playing pipes. The music was simple, but also beautiful, the melody passing through the air as though it had always been there. Jasmine entered the glade without pausing, and stopped in front of the stone. The three playing satyrs continued playing their song, each complementing the other, but as she waited, another figure appeared, standing on top of the stone. At first, Tamonten thought that it was another satyr, but the ram-like horns sat atop a much more animalistic head, and the figure below it wore a thick, green robe that ended just below his waist. It had the lower legs of a goat, as did the satyrs, and Tamonten recognized it as a gruff, and an elder one at that.

He rested against a staff, and watched Jasmine for several moments before saying, in a low rumbling voice; "Very well. If she is willing, I will allow her to try." Jasmine then turned back to Tamonten and quickly said; "There is something growing to the East of here. It is a perversion of nature, and a threat to all the world if left unchecked. When the demons invaded this place, the opening of the gate to their world unleashed a wave of magic that swept across the land for many miles. Some of the trees, and many wild beasts were... Changed, when it touched them. One such tree is in a glade, two and a half miles from where we stand. It has begun to grow, and spread its corruption to the other plants. It is now a very dangerous place, even for us. We have, as yet, not been able to reach it, and we would like you to try. Many of our kin have fallen to it already. You would not be alone, if you were to agree to this. What say you?"

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Tamonten (Hafnium)

It was a long walk, even though Tamonten had stubbornly refused to rest. The girl was nothing if not strong and agile but the terrain that Jasmine had so effortlessly crossed was a little more difficult for the human. The brambles had been the worst of it, though, and the pale girl had involuntarily cursed more than once, to her own embarrassment. Finally, they had come upon the glade. Gruff, she recalled the word again. Tamonten remained confused as to why she knew that. Yet, it had completely passed over her head when the fey had mentioned she was called by Jasmine. Though, it was probably for the best that the naive girl didn't connect the dots.

Tamonten listened intently to the explanation. Changed... A perversion of nature... Corruption... As the swordswoman considered the words she absently raised her blackened hand and looked at it. After a pause in which she said nothing and responded to nothing, Tamonten finally lifted her head to look at Jasmine. "I will stop it." She said plainly, fearlessly, her green eyes burning with determination. The pale girl could feel tinges of doubt creeping into the corners of her mind. What if she failed? What if she was corrupted in the attempt? The demon...

No. I will stop it. The woman reiterated in her mind, suddenly remembering the corrupted wolves that had attacked her.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Tamonten (Hafnium)

Spoiler

HP = 72, PP = 49, EP = 55, Status = Fine

Jasmine smiled knowingly at Tamontens response, but with just a hint of sadness about it, but before she could worry about it for too long, the fey woman said; Excellent!" She stepped forward and suddenly wrapped Tamonten in a tight hug, the nude womans body pressing against her own immediately reminding the possessed girl of the encounter they'd had not so long ago. Had it even been an hour yet, in fact?

Jasmine grabbed Tamonten by the hand and led her out of the clearing, the gruff having already disappeared by the time she had a chance to look back. The pipists were likewise gone, and the absence of their song was suddenly almost tactile to Tamonten, the loss of their song leaving a strange and unexplainable emptiness to the otherwise beautiful place.

She was led by the hand through another stretch of woods, the swordswoman quickly realizing that they were not, in fact, going East. Seemingly reading her mind at the time, Jasmine quickly explained as they walked; "There will be plenty of time. Plants, even corrupted ones, do not grow too quickly, and nature will heal as fast as it will, regardless of how long it takes you, so long as you succeed. Besides, no mortal should ever go into battle on an empty stomach!" she spoke cheerfully, and at this point she also noticed that she was going through obstacles similar to the ones that had given her so much trouble on the walk to the glade, including an even larger hedge of thorny plants, only now, as she was led along by Jasmine, she seemed to get through them without any hint of trouble.

After a short while, Jasmine stopped in the middle of a stand of pines, just below a tree with mostly high branches, and seated herself down, cross legged. She motioned for Tamonten to join her, and when the possessed swordswoman did so, a basket filled with perfectly formed fruit suddenly appeared in the feys hands. Jasmine set it down in front of her, and then stared at her, beaming with a wide smile on her face.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Tamonten (Hafnium)

The pale woman felt herself grow warm at the hug. Memories of their recent encounter weren't the only reason she enjoyed the fey's embrace, though the swordswoman certainly wouldn't have minded reliving the experience. It was the interaction that meant the most to Tamonten. There weren't many people or creatures in the wilderness that a young woman would want to interact with. It was all very calming to the possessed girl.

The pale girl allowed herself to be led again. By that point in the day the girl was as comfortable with Jasmine as she had been with anybody since she had fled her home. The occasional tinge of suspicion and doubt plagued the girl's mind but they were quickly shooed away. After all, why would the fey go to all the trouble of cleaning her sword, repairing her shredded clothing, keeping her safe as she slept, and then feeding her if they were going to harm her?

Tamonten joined the fey woman in taking a seat. The swordswoman went down onto her knees and then took a kneel-sitting position. The girl looked at the basket and became aware that she hadn't eaten since she arrived at Artmirst. Her stomach issued a low rumble which, in turn, caused her to blush. "You said mortals," Tamonten said as she began to search through the basket for apples, a favorite. It took effort for the hungry girl not to avoid simply wolfing the food down. Etiquette hadn't been a high priority for the girl when she had been on her own. "Does that mean that you don't need to eat?" There was hope in the pale girl's voice, it was plain on her face that she was looking to share the meal with the fey. Still, Tamonten tried to play it off, poorly, by taking a bite of the fruit after she asked.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Tamonten (Hafnium)

Spoiler

HP = 72, PP = 49, EP = 55, Status = Fine

Jasmine smiled warmly to Tamonten in response to her question, and grabbed a pear from the assortment in front of them just as Tamonten found an apple. "We don't have to eat, as mortals do. But we can, and I, for one, quite often do." She blushed slightly before she continued, though her smile actually widened as she said; "I'm actually something of a drinker, when I get the opportunity. I'm afraid that I'm something of a lightweight as well, but some have told me that that's nothing to be ashamed of."

She bit into the pear, and a line of juice slowly dripped down her mouth to her chin. After chewing for a few moments, Jasmines tongue darted out and licked up the entire mess she'd made, a smile still stamped across her face. Then, her mouth still full of pear, she suddenly became much more serious, and said; "There are a lot of things you'll have to keep your eyes out for. Other mutated plants and animals flock to the Black Oaks. Wolves and bears and mountain lions, still twisted by the corruption that the demons have left behind, wander the area in groups. A few mortals, also twisted, yet live there, and are often used by the other creatures to procreate. Some of my kin are kept in captivity for the same reason.

"The worst, however, will be the plants. Some are almost human, except that they are made of the stuff of plants rather than of flesh. They will seem peaceful, even kind, at first, as they try to lure you to their hive. There, you will suffer the same fate as my kin and others of your kind, used to carry their offspring. They are part of a cycle, you see. They will plant the seeds of their progenitors within you, and then, when you birth the fully formed seeds, they will take them and implant more, until your body can stand no more, and you expire. What creates them, and what they spread, is called a shorn weed by your kin. They are large, but not dangerous or intelligent in the normal sense. They look like giant toadstools with a long stamen that leaks a sweet blue sap sticking out of the top of it. A large golden flower attached to a vine writhes around it, roughly thirty feet long. If it gets too close to you, they will spray thick, golden pollen at your face. Breathe it in, and you will become so violently aroused, that you will be unable to do anything other than mount the bulb.

"The black oak itself is probably the most dangerous by itself. It cannot move, but is surrounded by hundreds of moving vines, that will try to grab you and plant their seed within you. Those seeds will hatch into massive brutes, seemingly made of living wood. We simply call them hulks, though mortals have called them treants or saprolings before. They extremely powerful, though clumsy. The black oaks themselves are powerful beings, possessing untold magics and alien minds. Like succubi, any pleasure they cause will allow them to feed off of your essence. Also, sometimes, the vines will break off and become their own creature, separate from the black oak itself." Finished with both her words and her pear, she looked at Tamonten, waiting for her to ask questions or make comments.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Tamonten (Hafnium)

Tamonten's expression became one of shock as the fey spoke of the plant creature's tendencies. The swordswoman momentarily forgot about her apple. "I think I would have preferred it if they were just looking for my expiration," the attempt at a joke was morbid and awkward. The pale girl looked at the ground for a moment before saying anything else. "My kin and yours," she stated, a little more timid than she had been before with the idea of demon-tainted plants growing in her womb. "Can they be saved if I encounter them?" The possessed warrior forced herself to take another bite of the apple. Her appetite was very much gone but it wouldn't pay to be weakened by hunger during a fight. "And you said I wouldn't be alone. The others who will be coming with me, did they volunteer for the task? I don't want to endanger any who are unwilling to face that sort of fate." Tamonten finished her apple and began searching for grapes. It seemed like they would be easier to get and keep down after the talk of birthing wooden hulks. "I don't know how my arm will react once I'm back in the corruption. I wouldn't want to endanger anyone in that way, either."

"But, I won't go back on my word. I'll defeat the black oak or... expire... trying." Tamonten concluded with a half-sincere, half-forced tone of determination. Though, it was more than just a promise to Jasmine, as dear as the fey had become to the, increasingly, mortal girl. The black oak had corrupted the land in the same way that Tamonten's own arm had blighted her. But, the suffering the oak caused was much more widespread.

The memory of the wolves came to the forefront of the swordswoman's mind again, unbidden.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Tamonten (Hafnium)

Spoiler

HP = 72, PP = 49, EP = 55, Status = Fine

"If all was as it should be, this would not be asked of you, but the strongest of us, an angel named Kasumi, was one of the first to gone there. She did not return." Jasmines face remained serious, but she took up another pear, and continued on as she ate; "My kin I know can be saved. Too much exposure to magical energies does not harm the mind of my kind as it does to mortals such as yourself. Some of your own kin may yet be saved, but that is for you to determine. Know in your heart that some will be too far gone, and know that death is the best possible fate for such beings." The turn of Jasmines voice on the last sentence was almost shocking to Tamonten, and she almost dropped the strand of grapes she'd fished out of the collection of fruit as her tone and startling new appearance caught her by surprise.

Jasmines eyes were now slitted, like those of a cat, and shined a soft amber color, gold with flecks of green in it, but after a moment, the fey woman seemed to calm herself, and her eyes returned to their normal brown color as she continued; "Those who will go into the corrupted woods with you have volunteered, as you have. They know better than most what comes of allowing corruption to fester, and many have lost friends or kin to the abominations that lie within. They are here, now." Jasmine turned to look behind Tamonten, and if the possessed girl turned as well, she would find five satyrs and three gruffs, each of them armed with copper blades belted at their hips. Some of the satyrs she recognized, including the pipists who had surrounded the gruff shaman earlier, as well as one who beheld her with a wide grin, and winked at her as she noticed him, causing memories of when they'd met to flare back up to the forefront of Tamontens mind.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Tamonten (Hafnium)

The girl couldn't do much more than blush at the satyr. Tamonten tried to force the embarrassment away, she needed to be serious then in front of those who might die beside her but couldn't seem to manage it. With little success in getting her cheeks to cool the swordswoman turned back to Jasmine and spoke. "Very well, I will be the headsman for those of my kin taken by the corruption," Tamonten forced herself not to allow any of her still-present surprise into her voice. The pale girl was perhaps the best suited mortal to deal the killing blow to warped humans. Tamonten knew of the corruption in her arm and felt that death was preferable to it, she would give that mercy to the warped. Besides, while she felt no dislike of the fey that joined her, she felt it was better if a human was the one who did in the warped ones.

"I'm ready." As I'll ever be, she avoided adding vocally. The swordswoman stood up, grabbing a few more grapes and finishing them before preparing to join the satyrs and grunts. The idea that a being more powerful than any other fey in the grove had been defeated was worrying. Yet, at the same time the tactical part of the possessed girl's mind was already moving. Jasmine said that her kin wouldn't be broken by the energies. If I can save some of the missing fey then our numbers will grow before we even encounter the black oak.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Tamonten (Hafnium)

Spoiler

HP = 72, PP = 49, EP = 55, Status = Fine

Jasmine nodded as Tamonten issued her simply statement, and said; "I would go with you, but I have to exert a great deal of my energy in slowing the corruption, and keeping it from spreading to other plants and creatures. I am sorry, Tamonten, but the only further aid I can give you, is to say, good luck. And this." Without warning, Jasmine leaned forward, her breasts jiggling slightly due to the motion, and she kissed the possessed swordswoman on the lips. She didn't deepen the kiss herself, pausing for several moments as she brushed her lips against Tamontens and waiting to see if the other girl would go further, and if not she only hung there for a few seconds before she pulled away, smiling warmly.

The satyrs and gruffs remained at attention as she rose and approached them, and the one she had had sex with stepped forward, the grin gone form his face, and he solemnly said; "We are ready to serve you, milady." The other fey nodded and stood straight, at the ready.

From what she knew of the fey, the smaller and more agile satyrs would serve better as scouts than as front line soldiers, their ability to move unseen through the trees a great advantage in gaining information without being discovered. They could also serve well enough in combat, if they could strike from surprise and hit their enemies hard before they were themselves attacked. The gruffs, with their bulkier builds and thick leather armor, would serve better in a brawl than their lighter, unarmored cousins. They lacked their kins penchant for stealth, however, and even though they were at home in the woods, they didn't move through them with much more grace than Tamonten herself did.

Tamontens Escort Stats

Spoiler

Five satyrs, all uninjured.
Three gruffs, all uninjured.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Tamonten (Hafnium)

The possessed girl was content not to deepen the kiss at first. This might be the last time I see her, the thought came to mind unexpectedly. At the realization that it might be her final kiss, Tamonten grew bold. The swordswoman pressed forward, her tongue pushing in and exploring Jasmine's mouth with far more bravery than she had during their earlier encounter. The girl even went so far as to pull the fey a little closer and into an embrace. It still only lasted seconds, though it felt much longer to the human. Tamonten broke the kiss, realizing that she had just put on something of a show for the other fey and not caring in the least. "I needed all the luck I could get," she said with the warmest grin she had donned since waking up.

With a final nod that would be the closest the girl would get to saying 'goodbye,' Tamonten rose and moved towards the assembled fey. "You all know far more about the forest and yourselves than I do. If you disagree with a course of action that I put forth, let me know. I'm not interested in sending brave souls to their death due to my own ignorance." With that out of the way, Tamonten launched into her plans. The girl addressed three of the satyrs first, hoping that she remembered what Jasmine had named her previous lover as. "You three, you will serve as scouts. You will move several hundred feet ahead of the gruffs, the other two satyrs, and myself. If you see anything suspicious you will report back to our group and we'll decide what to do from there. Targets of importance are your captured kin, my corrupted kin, corrupted wildlife, any hostile plants, and... shorn weed." A small blush returned to Tamonten's cheeks and she moved to whisper to the satyr who had grinned at her. "If... if I'm affected by one of the weeds or anything else... I'd prefer it if you're the one to... relieve me." The possessed girl finished by addressing the three selected satyrs. "In combat you should remain hidden unless one of us is distracting a target enough to get an easy kill. We'll need your stealth and your eyes if we are to survive this, however, so don't endanger yourselves unless you can free a captive or finish a target safely."

Tamonten addressed the gruffs next. "The rest will form up the main party. We will move along behind the scouts with myself taking point, one gruff on rearguard, and two gruffs in the middle to quickly reinforce should the rear or front be endangered. We will stay close and grouped. In combat, well, we'll cut things until they stop moving. If things need to be any fancier then I'll let you know. The remaining satyrs will move to either side of us with a bit more stealth so that we're not caught unawares, they will fight in a manner similar to the others." Finally, Tamonten covered the general plan. "I don't believe we'll be able to make it far before the creatures become aware of us and move to end us. We'll push to the black oak as quickly as we can, staying low as long as we can, when they find us we'll have to start cutting our way through, our only detours will be to save your captured kin or any of my kin who aren't completely broken as they might be able to aid us."

"If there are no questions or complaints, let's get started." Tamonten concluded and nodded for the party to get moving.

Tactics

Spoiler

The fey will be divided into two groups: scouts and fighters. The scouts will consist of three of the satyrs, the fighters will consist of Tamonten, the remaining satyrs (including the more "familiar" one), and the gruffs.

Spoilerception

Scouts

Spoiler

Scouts are to remain about 100-200 feet ahead of the fighters. Preferably close enough that they can yell if something gets the drop on them. They are to keep an eye out for anything that they deem suspicious and report on it to the main group. The main group will plan around that information.

Scouts have special orders to look out for: Captured fey, non-warped mortals, hostile creatures, any sort of traps (shorn weeds, ambushes).

In combat, scouts are to remain hidden unless they believe that something is distracted enough for them to either critically injure it or kill it. Tamonten needs her scouts alive so she doesn't get shorn weed'd

Fighters

Spoiler

Tamonten will take point so that she's in the position of danger for a head-on assault. 56 body and Ranger for the purposes of spotting things.

Two gruffs will take the middle, probably about 5-10 feet behind Tamonten and 5-10 feet ahead of the rearguard. They are to rush to the aid of Tamonten or the rearguard as necessary.

One gruff will take the rearguard. Their main priority is to keep anything from sneaking up on the group from behind

The remaining satyrs will move on either side of the group a little ways out, about 25-50 feet, and their duty is to warn of any imminent ambushes or any of the things that the scout party is looking for.

They will try to remain stealthy as long as possible but when that inevitably fails the goal will be to perform a blitzkrieg on the black oak and cut through anything in the way. Scouts will continue as normal, however.

If a fight breaks out, general orders are to murder things as quickly as possible. Satyrs attack from stealth when opportunities arise. If things need to be more fancy Tamonten will call it out.

The entire group will be headed straight for the black oak. They will only make a detour if there are captured fey and non-warped humans to be rescued and added to the party.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Tamonten (Hafnium)

Spoiler

HP = 72, PP = 49, EP = 55, Status = Fine

The fey all nodded in response to Tamontens plan, particularly the satyr she told to take care of her should she come under the affects of a shorn weed, who grinned lewdly at her and whispered; "Don't offer me temptation, milady, else I might leave ye to the plant." He said is jokingly, and Tamonten didn't doubt that he wasn't serious, but she was slightly unnerved by the idea nonetheless. There were no questions, and as such, Tamontens squadron went underway.

They hiked for a fair amount of time, perhaps an hour to an hour and a half, the group staying in formation perfectly, right up until two of the three scouts appeared at once. They had been moving through a stand of pines that led up a hill, and one moment both satyrs simply appeared in front of them, both out of opposite sides of the path. They glanced at one another, and then the one on her left hand side nodded, and the other turned back to her and began speaking, his voice low and quiet; "There is a field of shorn weeds, about twenty of them in all, tended by a large group of alruane. They are immune to the things poisons, but we would be wise to turn well away, if we can. I have notified the center scout, and he waits up ahead."

The other satyr waited a few seconds after the first had said his piece before he began speaking in a similar manner to his comrade; "There are four captives to the North East, all women. Three are of Jasmines kin, though I cannot tell of what caliber, as they are without garments by which I might tell easily by sight. The last is a human woman, though she has been heavily corrupted. I cannot tell if her mind remains or not. They are held by animate vines, which are using them to produce the bestial plants. There are four groups of vines, though those are occupied, and about seven of the feral stalkers waiting for us there. I can lead us around them to the far North, but it will take us out of the way and the last scout will have to be notified. Otherwise, we can try to slip through the center of the two groups." The satyrs and gruffs all looked to Tamonten for orders as to what to do.

(I think I forgot the beast plants. They're sort of like giant cats, only made out of plant material.)

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Tamonten (Hafnium)

The pale girl offered a nod towards her scouts. "Good work," she spoke in a hushed tone herself. Tamonten doubted that the scouts needed her praise but they had certainly earned it. "As you have said, we'll be avoiding the shorn weeds as best we can. I am inexperienced with them or their tenders and don't wish for that to change." The swordswoman had put on a plain and stoic expression. As a leader she had a responsibility to the fey she found herself in charge of. The girl did not doubt that the fey would willingly die for their cause but she wouldn't risk any of them unless it was absolutely necessary. Tamonten didn't want to seem anything less than serious in her duty.

A duty that felt as heavy as a mountain as the possessed girl contemplated the words of the second scout. If the swordswoman had been alone she might have rushed in and tried to save the women from their fates. With the fey following her, however, and a greater task at hand she needed to consider things more coldly, with a more calculating thought process. "The women, what might they be capable of as Jasmine's kin?" It was an important question. Eleven enemies against nine, even if four were occupied it was likely that some of her newly found comrades would be injured. "Magic? Combat? Healing?" If the women were capable of healing it was a risk she would take several times over. If not... well, Tamonten really hoped that they were.

"If we were to rescue the three do you believe that they would be capable of aiding us in their state?" The swordswoman did not mention her fellow mortal. The possessed girl hardened her heart to the idea that she might very well have to behead that one even if they could rescue her. Tamonten could not even begin to count on the potentially warped woman as a possible boon. The girl went over the situation again in her head. They would likely give up the element of stealth, potentially attract some of the creatures tending the shorn weeds, and possibly even risk injury to her party if she were to rush to save the captives. If she were to lead the charge and leave an ambush for any of the creatures who might investigate she could minimalize the risk to the fey and take it on herself. Even then, for it to be a worthwhile action the fey women would have to be both capable of keeping up in their state and at least basic magic. If they weren't then, well, Tamonten could do little more than pray for them and move on.