Guerilla Warfare (Tassadar and Unknown Squid) GMed by Termite

[Unknown Squid]

Re: Guerilla Warfare (Tassadar and Unknown Squid) GMed by Termite

"Nah it was your bullets being used there, not mine. That one's yours." Kali replies to Raiths offer of the non divisible grey heart, before turning her attention to the rousing sleepers again. "Hi there. Come on, rise and shine. Are you able to stand?" She says crouching down so that the the women wouldn't have to crane her neck all the way up to see. Her rifle resting flat on her knees and held with both hands. "We just made quite a racket here..." motioning to the shot up grabber and defeated hunters. "... and I don't want to be sitting here when any more arrive."

 

[Termite]

Re: Guerilla Warfare (Tassadar and Unknown Squid) GMed by Termite

Spoiler

Raith - HP = 56, PP = 38, EP = 38, Status = Clean...ish
Kali'Zhira - HP = 53, PP = 41, EP = 30/38, Status = Radiance (Perc)

"Wha...?" Consciousness seemed to be a hard thing to grasp for the woman, her eyes having trouble staying focused as her body and mind tried to finally come together, but a small turn of the head has her looking at the downed grabber none too far away. Recognition lit up her face, and she quickly managed to start crawling away from the dead beast before she realized it wasn't moving. "It's..." Her eyes swung around to notice the pair of skinned hunters laying face down with noticeable holes in their heads, and when her eyes came back to Kali she suddenly noticed the rifle in the faux-catgirl's lap. "They're dead..."

For a moment she looked almost awed at the woman, "Wait, you said..." but another realization struck her hard. She turned in the next instant, and without any of the previous care that was shown to her the now wakened girl started shaking on the other two victims. "Zuni! Pushra! Wake up! Before we're caught, again!" The other two were immediately starting to rouse, and thought they look like typical Anudorian nomads a few similarities start popping up that suggest they may be sisters. But they're also quite the naked lot, which is understandable considering the aliens. This left them as a rather enticing trio, but it also left them without any protection from the elements. They could travel on their own, but after a couple hours the girls would bake and free under the unforgiving sun.

Meanwhile Raith sat at the once-hidden entrance and stared into a seemingly empty abyss. Thankfully her eyes adjusted quite nicely to the darkness, and she noticed what simply looked like an extension of the tower that ran underground. But there was something off...

Spoiler

Raith gains 1x Greyheart

Perception: Rolled a 3

But she couldn't quite figure out what was bothering her. The underground sections looked a little less weathered than the upper areas, but considering how those floors were sealed it only made sense. And unfortunately that didn't help discover why the aliens were so intent on escaping into what only looked like a hole in the ground. Maybe if she ventured a little deeper she would understand, but at the moment she was left in the dark.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Guerilla Warfare (Tassadar and Unknown Squid) GMed by Termite

(K, added greyheart. If we want clothes, there's always the merchant!)

Raith spared the awakening girls only a brief glance as she stared down into the dark abyss. There was something.... Strange, about that dark place. Something off. But she couldn't quite place what. Seeing the three former captives beginning to rouse, Raith let out a sigh before moving to close the trap door. Didn't want whatever was down there moving around too much. Turning toward Kali, Raith calmly said, "If you don't want this lot to bake under the sun, you'll have to dress them and get them some supplies. Where we could get that out here is beyond me, but that's their only chance for getting across the desert alive. Otherwise, we might as well have put them all out of their misery before they ever woke up."

 

[Termite]

Re: Guerilla Warfare (Tassadar and Unknown Squid) GMed by Termite

As she heard Raith the girl visibly paled before shaking the others a little more violently. "ZUNI!"

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Guerilla Warfare (Tassadar and Unknown Squid) GMed by Termite

Raith turned toward her the girl they had rescued as she began to shake her companions more enthusiastically. Shooting one last glance down into the dark depths before she closed it, Raith then moved over and examined the two who as yet remained unconscious as she said, "What's wrong, having trouble waking your friends here?"

 

[Unknown Squid]

Re: Guerilla Warfare (Tassadar and Unknown Squid) GMed by Termite

"Ahh... you've got a point there. It completely slipped my mind." Kali'Zhira replies. Her face twisting a little in recognition and thought at Raiths remark. Not having ever had to deal with a situation quite like this as far as they were out from a settlement. "Shit... umm. Well I'm not carrying enough spare clothes or water for four people, but... I do know someone who might be able to help, if he shows up. But first we've got to at least get out of here regardless." She says standing up again and moving to the tower exit, peering out to check the streets. "Come on already you two! Don't make me leave you behind." She says in an exasperated voice.

 

[Termite]

Re: Guerilla Warfare (Tassadar and Unknown Squid) GMed by Termite

Spoiler

Raith - HP = 56, PP = 38, EP = 38, Status = Scary...
Kali'Zhira - HP = 53, PP = 41, EP = 30/38, Status = Radiance (Perc)

"NO! NO PROBLEM! SEE?" With Raith looming over her the girl obviously decided to simply go for broke, and her hands gripped a good chunk of the other two's hair and pulled them up! A pair of pained voices broke through the air, and a moment later they each grabbed at the hand causing them such agony with a couple of tears in the eyes. "Kalesi! We're awake!" "Please stop!"

The woman let go, and immediately after the other two turned and went through the same motions of surprise and awe that the first had done. The one named Kalesi pulled them closer and quickly related the circumstances they all found themselves in, and now everyone save for Raith was sporting some kind of worried expression when the realized they could all be left behind.

"Heh heh heh"

That only set the trio to clinging against each other, and a few seconds later a cloaked figure pushed its way into the tower right past Kali as if it didn't have a care in the world. "Fancy meetin' you here, stranjah!" His face was wrapped tightly and only revealed a small patch of pale, mottled skin that hung around his empty golden eyes, but even then Kali would feel like this creature was addressing her.

But that acknowledgement didn't last, and he just kept pressing forward at his own steady pace. His attention seemed focused on a certain spot that just happened to be occupied by three huddling women, and as he neared the naked trio started clamoring to leave only to come back together to try and comfort each other a few feet away. The being simply known as the Merchant quickly settled into a spot that was noticeable yet still out of the flow of the non-existent traffic of the tower, and once there he turned back toward the snipers and pulled open his cloak. A multitude of items appeared to be holstered there along with a number of strange bottles and potions as well as what looked to be a few trophies from any number of unnatural creature. "Wat are ya buyin'?"

"What the hell is going on?!" "I don't know!"

 

[Unknown Squid]

Re: Guerilla Warfare (Tassadar and Unknown Squid) GMed by Termite

Hearing the easily recognisable but ever strange signature chuckle of the merchant, Kali blinks not having expected to see him quite so soon, but turns to face him. If he'd turned up already they may as well try to make a quick trade whilst he was here. "Oh uh... well speak of the..." Kali mutters mostly to herself, before turning to the others. "It's ok, this is the person I mentioned. He's a wizard merchant. Pays good money for dead greys." She explains quickly, based on her own personal understanding of the bizarre character at least. Next wasting no time in addressing the merchant himself. Foremost she pulls out her portion of today's loot and hands it to the robed figure to appraise, and then states the desired items. "We need desert travelling clothes, including shoes, and provisions. For three."

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Guerilla Warfare (Tassadar and Unknown Squid) GMed by Termite

Raith jumps somewhat herself at the strange voice, but she scowls at the awakening girls in order to ascertain whether they'd seen as much before turning to deal with the strange man. "You're sure he's trustworthy?" Raith asked suspiciously with a glance towards Kali. After receiving a brief description of the services offered, Raith's eyes widened slightly at the idea of being able to hide more effectively using the hunter's skins, and without any comment she stripped and handed over her clothes and her secondary weapon along with a bit of her own money and all of the loot they'd scavenged. Standing there briefly as the man did whatever it was he did to her clothing, the tattooed catgirl pointedly didn't look at any of the others as she stood among them naked as the day she was born, her tail and ears twitching as she was unable to conceal the mild blush that came across her cheeks.

When she got them back, Raith hurriedly pulled up her shorts, now complete with a skirt made from the hunter's skin, and her thin top that was likewise coated in the material. Now it would change colors with her when she activated her tattoos, making her all but invisible! She accepted her enhanced short rifle back a moment later, the barrel noticeably longer and the grip and stock altered slightly, while the inside of the barrel seemed to have been altered slightly as well in order to give the smaller bullets more spin when they left it.

Spoiler

Selling: a greyheart for 25 denarii
Buying: a slime amber for 45 denarii
Trading: 2 slime ambers to increase the range of the carbine by 50 feet, 2 chameleon skins to allow her skimpy outfit to grant a +6 bonus to Stealth.

 

[Termite]

Re: Guerilla Warfare (Tassadar and Unknown Squid) GMed by Termite

Spoiler

Raith - HP = 56, PP = 38, EP = 38, Status = Gawked at
Kali'Zhira - HP = 53, PP = 41, EP = 30/38, Status = Radiance (Perc)

Shopping

Spoiler

Raith
Everything looks good

Kali
Sell: 1 Slime Amber, 1 Chameleon's Skin (+45 Denarii)
Buy: 3x Clothes (-15 Denarii)
Buy: Fluff - Provisions (-5 Denarii)
Total: +25 Denarii

The moment Raith gave them her stare the trio return a rather helpless look that, their spokeswoman adding in a touch of 'Please don't kill us!' for that extra bit of pity. But that look suddenly changed the moment the Su-Ku-Ta started to strip, and it turned into outright gawking as she handed her clothes over after Kali and her items were offered up for sale. They were accepted silently, the blank stare not particularly interested in the naked woman standing nearly right before him, and everything was simply tucked into his cloak before he swung it closed.

A few seconds passed, nothing happening more than Raith twitching with a nervous blush, but before anyone could question whether he was simply planning on keeping everything to himself the Merchant opened his coat once more. "Heh heh heh, thank you!" That rough voice only added to the general creepiness that hung around the man, but even if he hadn't moved a muscle all the adjustments were completed. He closed his coat again and opened it to reveal everything Kali had asked for, and a few extra coins were dropped into her hand. "Come back anytime!" With his business complete he simply stood perfectly still, and unless someone addressed him for another purchase no force in the world would get the man to move.

Once it was time to accept their gear the two in back would push Kalesi forward since she was still their spokeswoman, but since she wasn't quite expecting this she stumbled forward. A rather hurt look of betrayal was thrown back at her sisters, but she quickly turned forward and accepted everything with minimal fuss. The only bit that was made happened once everyone was finally clothes. "Where should we go?"

 

[Unknown Squid]

Re: Guerilla Warfare (Tassadar and Unknown Squid) GMed by Termite

"Trustworthy enough that every grey I've killed in the last year has been to bullets bought from this guy. Good enough for me." Kali says, not seeming to think much of talking about the merchant as if he couldn't or wouldn't speak for himself, which proved to remain true to Kali's expectations. A quick glance to his obscured face for any reaction to their banter about him showed him to be as strange and impersonal as ever. Her father had told her how some wizards could become though. He was creepy indeed. Exceedingly creepy even, but as long as she kept getting bullets in exchange for dead bits of alien, she didn't care to question it. The first and only time she had tried to question the strange man in the past hadn't been exactly enlightening anyway.

Whilst she was considering the remaining funds and her ammo reserves, she was somewhat shocked to find her new deadly acquaintance suddenly striping on the spot and handing in her apparel for modification. Somehow having came across the three already nude sisters hadn't phased her as much as someone spontaneously joining their skinship. It certainly showed off the... comprehensiveness, of the tattoos, which as well as being very good at hiding Raith when so desired, otherwise had the odd effect of drawing in the idle eye. Giving the awkward situation of being something interesting to look at whilst simultaneously something to avoid staring at.

Diverting her attention to the Merchant again, Kali hands back twenty of the denari she had just received and adds some last items to her purchasing, "I'd like another set of those hollow tipped rounds also please, and I'll take some of the explosive rounds too." The "wizard" merchants apparent ability to pull anything from his coat continuing to silently astound her. The trick with the miraculously modified clothes being a new one to her. Stowing the ammunition into the satchel hanging from her belt when received, she looks back to the group, then away for another second as they got the last of their clothes on. She felt silly for letting it suddenly bother her when it hadn't just a second ago, but didn't dwell on it. She thanks the merchant simply, and addresses the question from the one referred to as Kalesi. Issuing a sigh as she ponders the tricky notion of how to move without the trio drawing undue attention to her. "Well... firstly I'm planning on heading back out that way. Just follow me I guess, keep quiet, and try to stay out of sight. This gun can't magically take down a dozen greys if they spot us, not at any speed that will keep you clothed, so don't expect anything like that." She says plainly, followed by staring off as she tries to think of anything else, "What about you?" she enquires glancing to Raith.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Guerilla Warfare (Tassadar and Unknown Squid) GMed by Termite

Raith glared at the merchant as he seemed ready to withhold her clothes and rifle, and she opened her mouth to say something just as he opened his coat and they were returned to her. “Well…. Thank you, I suppose,” she said awkwardly while redressing, still poignantly ignoring the manner in which the other four women present were staring at her naked, tattoo covered body as she redressed. She watched Kali purchase some special rounds for her rifle with mild interest, but decided against purchasing some for herself given her fairly limited funds. She had enough provisions for herself and experience navigating the desert wastes to not fret much over that.

Once reclothed Raith moved to stand against one of the walls, leaning against it and remaining half concealed as Kali concluded her business and handed the clothes to the three captives they'd rescued. She was keeping watch when Kali asked her what she intended to do, and continued staring out of the tower doorway as she replied, "Oh, I dunno really. You seem like a competent enough sort, which is a hard companion to come by these days. Those three learned that the hard way a couple of days ago. If you're not averse to the idea, I wouldn't mind sticking around with you for a bit, at least long enough to see you free of these three. This place seems like good hunting terrain, particularly if your friend here intends to continue lurking about," she paused to gesture towards the everpresent merchant, "but even if you don't plan to stick around, I wouldn't mind the company. If there's ever a decision that we don't necessarily agree on, we can always part ways, no harm no foul."

She turned her head to gauge Kali's reaction as she said, "What do you say, Kali?"

 

[Unknown Squid]

Re: Guerilla Warfare (Tassadar and Unknown Squid) GMed by Termite

"Eh, alright then. I only came out here to hunt as well, so sure." She says shortly, idly scratching her ear through her hood. Her Su-Ku-Ta ear, oddly enough, if Raith's deductions about her true race were correct. With the referencing of the merchant as being her friend she glances to the strange man in thought for just a second. It seemed odd to think of it like that, even if he probably had virtually been her sole repeat company over the last year or so. Perhaps if he had ever addressed her as anything other than "Ah stranger!" every time, or even said a single word not related to business, it might be different.

"Well, lets not stick around here any longer for no reason then." She says stepping back to the exit onto the ruined ancient streets and checking their route options. "Best plan I can think of is, you lot stay on my tail, just a small way behind. Stop when I stop, don't climb my back, stick to corners, and... umm... I dunno, just don't get seen. It's not that hard." She says to the rescued trio, doing her best to instruct them in a role she wasn't accustomed to taking. This rescue business was a real hassle. It was so much easier to turn up a few hours latter and just shoot them all instead. Raith would do whatever Raith would do. If she voiced a better idea Kali would listen to it. She checks her rifle once more and sets out for the sunken city perimeter.

The Merchant would probably... go wherever he went, eventually. Just like every other time she'd ended up having to leave the weirdo standing in the desert between her and pursuing aliens. He always turned up later.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Guerilla Warfare (Tassadar and Unknown Squid) GMed by Termite

Raith smirked slightly and nodded at Kali's acceptance of her company, more glad for it inwardly than she would ever let show on the outside. Pulling out her long rifle, she glanced at the three women they'd rescued together and offered them a sharkish grin, waiting until they had moved out after Kali before smacking the nearest of them on the rear and whispering, "Don't get caught~ And stick together now! Don't want to get lost out here....."

The assassin put enough mock menace in her voice to allow a perceptive person to recognized that she was jesting, but someone on edge and frightened... Well, whether they were able to tell or not, Raith simply continued to give the three of them a predatory grin even as her tattoos glowed softly. The woman's canines were just visible over her lips as she smirked at the three girls, and they were the last things to disappear as the magic inherent in the designs covering her entire body caused her to vanish from sight almost completely, a slight shimmer in the air the only sign of her presence.

Raith made sure to keep a careful out once they left the tower, not only for potential enemies but for things that might trip one of their three rescue-ees up or cause them to make an inordinate amount of noise or stick out too much. They weren't trained like she and Kali were (Raith assumed that Kali had some training of her own,) nor did they possess the other girl's skill at magic, and as such Raith took it upon herself to try and keep them as quiet and as hidden as she could while remaining so herself. As such, if one of them got out of line, a quiet whisper from just beside their ear would correct their path, and if any of them cried out, a hand would silently clamp over their mouth until they went silent again. As for the direction that they wanted to go, well, Raith simply left that decision to Kali.

 

[Termite]

Re: Guerilla Warfare (Tassadar and Unknown Squid) GMed by Termite

Spoiler

Raith - HP = 56, PP = 38, EP = 38, Status = Fine
Kali'Zhira - HP = 53, PP = 41, EP = 30/38, Status = Radiance (Perc)

Shopping

Spoiler

Kali
Buy: 20 Hollow Rounds (-10 Denarii)
Buy: 20 Explosive Rounds (-10 Denarii)

Leaves Kali with 5 Denarii

And please update your sheet.

The trio didn't offer much else other than a nod as Kali told them to follow her for now and a rather worried look at Raith's final words, but there really wasn't much they could offer besides that. It was almost painfully obvious that those three were not suited to the game of stealth, and when it came time to hide at a few odd noises Raith was constantly pulling one of them back behind a corner so their outline wouldn't show or getting them into a shadow in hopes that they wouldn't be as obvious as they already were. But thankfully none of the invaders happened to show as they left the city, and once everyone got out into the open sands the need to keep the sisters contained was no longer quite so important.

After a few minutes of relative calm the women started whispering among themselves. Though they weren't the most stealthy of creatures it appeared they'd had practice talking with one another in such low tones that most people couldn't quite hear them. But Raith being the extra-sensitive person with the cat ears could. "Where do you think we're going?" "I don't know! I've never even heard of that city before!" "Wasn't that the lost city of Zaroas?" "How would you know that?!" "Well I do read unlike some other uncultured people." "I AM-" One of the other two managed to elbow her in the ribs before Raith had a time to scare her. "I am not some illiterate bum!" "Romance novels don't count."

A rather indignant harrumph left the woman before she broke away, and after a bit of hurrying Kalesi managed to catch up with Kali. For a moment she looked like she was getting ready to order the sniper around like some pompous fool, but common sense won out and made her speak in a more normal but still somewhat hushed tone. "Mistress Kali, do you know of any settlements nearby? We wouldn't want to trouble you any further." The question brought up a few small oases that were dotted around the area, the closest one within a couple days travel, the farthest a little known place that was barely inhabited and mostly untouched by none but a couple of nomadic tribes. Whether he had the hindsight or not for it the Merchant had supplied the girls with enough provisions to make it to any of these points. But that would also leave them all exposed if any of the grays managed to happen across them. But they could simply head around to one of the other trading lanes that most of the caravans took. Even if Anudor was mostly lost to the invaders people still used them to bring goods in and out of the desert, so running into some people who could take the trio of the sniper's hands wouldn't be all that difficult. It also wasn't guaranteed, but it should still be safer.

 

[Unknown Squid]

Re: Guerilla Warfare (Tassadar and Unknown Squid) GMed by Termite

Away from the treacherous corners and unknown streets of the lost city, Kali'Zhira was glad to have left behind the threat of sudden ambushes. Travelling in such a group like this meant that their tracks would be pretty obvious until the wind scattered them enough, but overall was a lot simpler in open terrain. Though she was still a little anxious over the fact that if they were spotted and attacked again, she wouldn't be able to simply out pace their foes like she normally did. Not without abandoning the trio as bait, at least.

When one scurried over to talk, being referred to as "mistress Kali" felt a little odd. She hummed and thought about the answer to the question. "Well..." She begins, twisting round to pull a rolled map from her satchel and opening it up. The map showing the most notable locations, settlements and common routes. Or those of a few years ago anyway. It was a little out of date by now, spare some modifications and notes scrawled onto it by Kali. "We should be roughly around here." She says pointing to a small circle marked as 'Grey Nest?' "The nearest real town is a fair way off, but these oasis aren't too far. There's another small one here." Pointing to another personally added mark. "Or there's also the old trade routes. I'm fairly certain that this one is still used."

The question of whether to send them off with a "Good luck." or to escort them she hadn't really thought over much or decided on yet. She didn't want to get stuck baby sitting some traders wives, or whoever they were, and end up wasting time and supplies whilst she could be shooting lizards. But at the same time she did question the idea of these three wandering off across the desert completely unarmed. "Uh... do any of you know how to navigate by sun and star?"

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Guerilla Warfare (Tassadar and Unknown Squid) GMed by Termite

Raith smirked at the one who elbowed the girl before her outburst could give away their position, though the three girls obviously couldn't see her expression. They were learning quickly enough, that was good. It meant that they might survive a while longer. The way they spoke made Raith think that they might be noble's daughters, or at least the children of someone fairly well off, though why a noble or a merchant would take his daughters on a journey through the desert was beyond Raith. She watched carefully as one of them approached Kali, but stayed back and gave the other sniper free rein to make the decision on what to do with the three girls they'd rescued on her own unless she actively sought out her counsel.

 

[Termite]

Re: Guerilla Warfare (Tassadar and Unknown Squid) GMed by Termite

Spoiler

Raith - HP = 56, PP = 38, EP = 38, Status = Fine
Kali'Zhira - HP = 53, PP = 41, EP = 30/38, Status = Radiance (Perc)

At Kali's question Kalesi turned her head just enough to try to hide the small embarrassed blush that rose to her cheeks. "No... We never... Father said we wouldn't have to worry about that." If Raith were listening she would recall these three women sitting mostly by themselves in one of the covered wagons while a couple men walked right beside it. At the time it didn't seem like much, and when it came to the attack she was far more focused on other things, but considering how those two men were rather hesitant to leave the cart's side it would be safe to assume they may have been guards. Then again they didn't seem all that appropriately equipped if they were, and they didn't put up much resistance when the grays overwhelmed them. What that meant could be anyone's guess.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Guerilla Warfare (Tassadar and Unknown Squid) GMed by Termite

Raith frowned slightly at the girl's words, which only served to reinforce her suspicions that these girls were completely unable to defend themselves. Silently approaching Kali and the one who had approached her, Raith then whispered, "We won't be able to just leave them somewhere and expect them to reach safety on their own. If we want them to live for more than a few days, we'll have to babysit them all the way to civilization." There was a trace of mocking contempt detectable in Raith's tone when she said the last word.

 

[Unknown Squid]

Re: Guerilla Warfare (Tassadar and Unknown Squid) GMed by Termite

Kali'Zhira sighs and rubs her forehead a little at the answer. Simultaneously coming to the same conclusion as Raith put forward. She wasn't giving her fathers compass away to these people, and somewhat doubted it would help them enough anyway. She turns off and mutters to herself in mild irritation for a moment, pondering how to proceed, and casting Raith a questioning glance to see if the tattooed terror had any thoughts on what to do.

"Great. I come all the way out here for some hunting, and now I'm trekking all the way back to deliver some city raised damsels." Muttering to herself, though not making any efforts to hide her words. Turning back to the sisters, "I suppose if you're going to march though the desert like unarmed grey bait I might as well be around to take advantage of anything that comes after you." She says with a dull eyed expression. "I normally use lightstones as lures, but you'll work during the daylight too." She says rolling up the map again, and stopping to take a drink. "If we head for the nearest trade route, and follow that from oasis to oasis, we should eventually meet someone else that can help get you the rest of the way back, or at least to some kind of settlement."